Linda's Blog

Men and their lies

2011-06-06T15:31:00.000-07:00

I sat here this afternoon watching Anthony Weiner admit to lying to his wife, his constituents, his supports and to the press (according to them the worse of all the lies were to them!!!) When will these guys realize that the cover up is worse than the sin? In this day and age everything comes out eventually.

This past weekend I attended the NCGOP Convention in Wilmington. One of the things we had to do was elect new officers. Robin Hayes won easily after Marcus Kindly removed his name. The race was tighter over the Vice Chair position. The sitting VC, Timothy Johnson, is a lot like others that I know in the party. If he was who he says he is he would be great. But he is not. He send around an email that stated Con. Allen West of Fla. endorsed him. West never endorses folks. Johnson had literature printed up stating this and also had buttons printed with his picture along side West. His supporters were wearing them. So when it came time to make his speech he stated that he had made a mistake in claiming West was endorsing him. A MISTAKE by ass. He did it with the hopes no one would call him on it. Well he was. Now he is going around saying he would not work with the man who beat him. I have also seen posts in which his supporters say it was an anti-tea party vote. No it was not, at least in my case. For me it was a vote on integrity with Johnson does not have. This will be a good test for Johnson. Let's see if he in fact does go out and work for the party and support the candidates or if he will sulk off and suck his thumb and whine about losing because he is a tea party member. Is he going to play the race card? Or is he going to go out and continue to recruit Black Americans? Time will tell.

Day 4 - Israel Trip

2011-01-05T12:48:00.000-08:00

Left Tel Aviv early in the morning heading first out to Caesaria. Drove along the Med and despite the rain it was a beautiful drive. Build during time of King Herod – named after Caesar Augustus

Build 100bc – born to a Bedouin tribe – forced to be converted into Judism Became a powerful officer in the army – Romans did not know what to do, it put Jewish king in place, Jews hated Herod – built as a Roman pagan city, Flavius wrote a lot about Herod – he killed his children so they would not take power away from him. He built Masada as a place to escape to. Roman governor lived here, Pontius Pilate lived here – 7th century, Muslim came and conquered and destroyed – Crusaders in 1099 important not as a site but as a harbor and built a small city and conquered again by the Ottomans/ Deserted again – 4000 people can sit in the theater. The original walls and most of the city are in the sea but you can see the outlines of the place.

We left there and went to the Galilee Mts to Nazareth. We visited the Church of the Annunciation. The spot where the angel appeared to Mary and told her she would have a child. It is relatively new church but very interesting with the ruins that you can see underneath it. Nazareth is an Arab city today which produces a lot of tensions. When the Pope visited in 2000 the Arabs put up signs all over the city basically say there is no god but Allah. Some are still up

We then left and drove down to the Sea of Galilee (which in reality is a lake not a sea) and up to the Golan Heights. To quote Henry Kissenger, you can read out it, you can study it, but until you see the territory from the heights you do not understand it. I now understand much better why the Israelis do not want to return it to the Syrians. We then drove across the Heights – which is a plateau about 80 miles long – all overlooking Israel – to the Sea of Galilee and the town of Tiberious for lunch at a place called Decks. It was right on the Sea and the food was outstanding.

After that we drove to Jerusalem along the Jordan Valley. By this time it was dark and we were not able to see very much. We arrived in Jerusalem about 7pm just in time to go to dinner. Tomorrow will have meetings again all day starting with breakfast.

Day 2 - Israel Trip

2011-01-03T12:49:00.000-08:00

Woke up early this morning, had breakfast and then walked the promenade. The Sea is beautiful and right across the street from the hotel. I walked for hours, had lunch, cleaned up and met the group at 2pm. It is an interesting group -- there are 5 of us and Mervin. There are professors from Emery, GW, University of Texas at Austin, Hunter College, and myself. There are two women and the rest are men. We started off sitting around a conference table talking about the day and coming week. We then left and went to the Tel Aviv Museum of Modern Art. It was interesting but modern art is not my thing. I really don't understand abstractism but they also has some old masters and one room in particular which was filled with displays of miniature future from different periods. We then went to Old Jaffa. That is one place I would love to return to and spend more time in. Our guide took us to the top of the mountain (?) where we could overlook Jaffa and Tel Aviv and get an excellent idea of how close things are.

There is a church in Old Jaffa -- St. Peter's -- named for the apostle Paul who visited there and preformed a miracle -- this was after Jesus death -- he brought a young girl back to life to symbolize that he was the successor to Jesus. This was also the area where Napoleon landed and killed all the residents to rid the area of Ottomans. The history here is amazing. The town is full of winding stairways and walks with small stores. None of which we got to stop and look at in much detail.

After this we went to Pinhas Maoz, an attorney, who has advised various political figures. Pinhas talked with us about law in Israel. We had a lively discussion about human rights. I did not know that Israel does not have a constitution. They have several basic laws but not written constitution. The main reason is how do you write one to cover all the various factions, sects, religions, etc. Fascinating talk. We discussed such things as who is a Jew? How do you define one? If you want to get married where and how? Different courts -- there is a rabbinical court for the Jews and a Muslim court for the Muslims.

After our meeting with him we joined one of Israel's leading political scientists , Gideon Doreon for dinner and had a wonderful free ranging discussion of the political system in Israel today and how they got to where they are today. Dinner was excellent and we walked back to our hotel. Keep in mind it is 10:47pm here and we are all worn out. Several of the group just arrived from the States today and they are really whipped.

As usual I managed to lose something, I always seem to leave things, this time it was my sun glasses. Am going to have to find a pair I can wear for the next week until I get home.

We are going to have a full day of meetings tomorrow which I will report on tomorrow night.

Statistics -- I walked 16,164 steps for a total of 6.63 miles.

Day 1 - Israel Trip

2011-01-02T15:31:00.000-08:00

This has been a long day. Left the house a little after 11am in dense fog. I wasn't sure if when I got to the airport I would be able to get out of GSO. But there were no delays and I got to Philly on time. Spent the $50 for a day pass to the US Airways Club and it was worth it. It was an island of quiet. The 6 hour wait passed very quickly and I was able to get a few things done. I was curious about security for the flight to Israel. I had passed through security in Greensboro and with the Israeli reputation of being very security conscience I did not know what to expect. But it was easy and smooth. There was another security area that one had to pass through to get to the boarding area. Flight was not full and I was lucky enough not to have a seat mate so I could spread out.

The surprise came when I left the airplane and as I started to walk up the ramp to the terminal I saw a man holding a card with my name on it. Turns out he was sent from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (from now on MFA) to help expedite my way through customs. We went out the door, down the steps to the tarmac where we walked around the corner and got into a car. He then drove around the airport to immigrations where he took my passport and we went to the head of the line. Got my luggage and put me in a car to the hotel. I have never traveled like this and I rather liked it!!!!

Hotel is right on the beach and is very nice. Rooms are small and there are not nearly enough outlets, but then again in most hotels there aren't. Arrived at the hotel about 4:30 and laid down to take a short nap. My plans were to take a short nap and then walk around for a while. I woke up at midnight!!! There goes the plans to walk around tonight. But plan on getting up early and walking and perhaps even make it to the fitness center.

I am to meet up with the group at 2pm and I am excited to meet the other members and to find out what all we will be doing.

Off to bed again. More tomorrow.

Thoughts on a Sunday Morning

2010-12-05T10:50:00.000-08:00

I wish the MSM and FOX would stop talking about the Bush Tax Cuts!!! What Congress is talking about is keeping the tax levels at the current rate not cutting them. If the Democrats manage to pass an extension of the current tax rates minus those making over $250,000 a year it should be called the Obama TAX INCREASE!!

Have been reading the articles about how Obama has lost his communication skills. I would tend to disagree. If you read his speeches they are very well written and most of the time his reading of them from his Teleprompter is adequate. So what is the problem? He has lost his ability to persuade. I have always argued that the biggest power a president has his his ability to persuade and when he loses that he is in trouble. Along with the ability to persuade comes the projecting the fear of hurting in Congress. Obama seems stuck in the days of massive approval ratings and doesn't yet seem to realize that his party and therefore him lost in November. Obama is unable to persuade the folks. He also can not "threaten" Congress except to campaign for them!!! His problem is not that he has been unable to communication his proposals; it is that he has been unable to persuade people to follow his lead. I think the biggest mistake he made was that people voted for change but change in the culture of Washington not for change in our system of government. He confused the two and to add to the confused mix he thought his win in 2008 was a mandate. It was a vote against Republican rule for the most part not a mandate for him and his desire to change the fundamental nature of our country. I hope the Republicans in the House do not fall into that trap.

Speaking of the Republicans, they seem to be getting off to a good start. A lot of what they are doing is symbolic right now and they need to keep this up. Boehner giving up the military jet was a great idea. I still don't understand why anyone but Boehner and perhaps the minority leader needs a car and driver. The rest of them should cab it or drive themselves or take the metro or have staff drive them. And they also should go through security at the airport. In fact I would recommend that all the Congressmen go through security at the airports and while in line talk to the people (without identifying themselves as congressmen) and really listen to the people who make this country work instead of the lobbyists and interest groups.

I am glad that Thanksgiving is over. My husband died a few days before Thanksgiving several years ago and as a result the holiday is rather bittersweet for me. Christmas is a little better.

Am looking forward to going to Israel the first of the year. It is one of those places I never thought I would get do. One doesn't necessarily wake up one morning and say let's go. I will be there during Orthodox Christmas so it should be festive.

Am still getting used to the new Weight Watchers point system. I intellectually know I have more points and that most fruit and vegetables are zero points but a number of things I have eaten on the last points program now are much higher -- ie Vita top muffins went from 1 to 3 points. Ugh. We will see.

Sunday morning

2010-10-03T08:48:00.001-07:00

What a wonderful day outside. I love this time of year.

Read all the coverage of the One Nation rally yesterday in Washington sponored by the unions, self described socialists/communists, liberals and others. Not as well attended as Beck's rally the end of August. The press was rather critical of it and showed a number of pictures of how the Mall was left when the rally was over. I was surprised at that. Conservatives tend to pick up after themselves, Liberals leave it for someone else to do. Rather indicative of their political philosophy, don't ya think?

Yesterday on the Mall after the rally:

After the Beck rally:

Guess that is what unions are for -- to clean up after liberal rallies!!

Just about 30 days until the November elections. The American public has not been paying attention for years and to quote President Obama's pastor "the chickens have come home to roost!!" I have talked with people all over the US and folks are scared. They don't know what is going to happen with taxes, health care, energy, and a variety of other issues. They woke up one morning and saw what was going on in Washington. The massive increase in debt, the huge increase in federal employees, the increase in new agencies along with the new rules and regulations, the huge increase in IRS agents to make sure that everyone has health care, and the list goes on and on. For the first time people in this country are afraid that their children will not have the opportunity to have the good life that they have had. It doesn't really matter when and under whose administration it started, it is ending up under the Obama administration and he is reaping the blame. As he should as he has had a big hand in growing government.

But it is not just at the federal level, everywhere one looks one sees how government has broken down yet it is costing us more and more each year. Look at what is happening here in NC. This week's scandal was the over payment of unemployment benefits by the state and the state's attempt to recover those over payments. It amounts to somewhere in the neighborhood of $28 million (yes that is Million). Now the state has decided not to recover this money which means the taxpayers are not in the hole for an addition $28M. This is in addition to the SBI scandal and the state lab scandal and Perdue's lack of reporting of "free" flights during the campaign to rumors of fmr Governor Easly's indictment.

Then you get to the local level where the front page today has a long story on the number of teachers in the local school system who have been indicted for abusing school children. It appears the school board's attorney did not report complaints to the police department in a timely manner which meant those teachers were in the classroom longer than they should be. There were also several cases where the teacher was transferred and the new school was not informed of the complaints.

So there is a sense out there that something has to be done. We have got to start paying attention at ALL levels of government. The days of just ignoring things because the "don't impact us" has to be over. We as a country can no longer afford to not pay attention. It is time to make major changes in this country.

So if you aren't registered to vote, get registered. And if you are, vote on election day.

At the state level keep in mind that the Democrats have been in total control of this state since 1898 with the exception of 4 years in the state House and two Republican governors. When one party has total control and has in effect no opposition they tend to become correct. Doesn't matter which party it is - it just is. So here in NC the Democrats need to be thrown out and the Republicans need to be given an opportunity. It will be hard as they will have to deal with a $3 Billion deficit next year; some how they will have to close that gap in order to balance the budget next year (not including the latest $23M over compensation).

Mussings at the end of the week

2010-09-26T10:50:00.000-07:00

For the second time in two weeks I have almost been hit by a biker on the WFU campus who was going the WRONG way on a one way street. Crossing from the parking lot to Carswell, it is one way right to left. The biker this week came tearing down the road from left to right. When I yelled out, you are going the wrong way on a one way street he yelled back yea I know. This is what drives me crazy about bikers, the belief that the law does not apply to them. It does. They have to obey all the laws of the road. I wonder if the WFU police would give them a ticket if they say it happening? So, from now on I will look both ways when crossing from the lot to the building.

Went to a 5th CD Executive Committee meeting yesterday held at Shatley Springs. The owner of Shatley Springs, Lee McMillian, is a big republican -- of course the entire area is a big republican area. Shatley Springs is a wonderful place to go about once a year. Before going one should fast for a day or so. It is a family style resturant which means they place bowls and platters of food at the table and if you are not with a group they sit you where there are seats (regardless of whether or not you know them). We had breakfast and placed on the table before us were platters of country ham, bacon, sausage, scrambled eggs, grits, fried potatoes, baked apples, and the best biscuits one has ever eaten along with gravy. As the platters and bowls empty they are replaced. Great stuff but in no one's world low calorie.

It is always great to meet up with folks and friends from around the district. Of course this looks like a great year for Republicans.

The mountain's were beautiful and every time I drive up there I fall in love. Then I think about the winter time and the snow. Those mountain roads are curvy and narrow. I stopped on the way down to visit a friend who had just bought a place up there. He is down a very narrow road but once you get there and sit out back it is as if you were the only people on the mountain. The view was amazing. It was so quiet, all one could hear were the birds. The view was mountains and woods. I could imagine myself sitting on the deck and grading papers or reading a book. As the afternoon went on you could see the shadows moving across the hills, really beautiful.

It's Sunday and it is in the 70s and it is raining. All the windows are open and it smells so good. I love this time of year.

Lindsay and Paris

2010-09-19T12:01:00.000-07:00

Do the judges in LA really think they are doing Lindsay Lohan and Paris Hilton a favor by letting them skate on their drug charges? The judge sentenced Lindsay to 90 days in jail and 90 days in rehab if my memory serves me right. She served 21 days in jail and about the same amount of time in rehab. They said she was cured and had been 'scared straight'. So how long did it take her to start using cocaine again? Two-three weeks? We all know her parents did not parent her but rather partied with her and lived (and still do) on her money. If something isn't done she is going to end up just like Elvis Presley and Michael Jackson, both huge talents who no one ever said NO to. The same can be said for Paris Hilton. Once again she made a deal to escape punishment. The only question is how long will be be until she is found with drugs again and will the judge this time really really put her in jail for a year. My money is soon and no he won't put her in jail for a year. Part of the problem we have in America today is that people are no longer held responsible for their actions. Bill Clinton could get away with lying under oath (for those in Rio Linda as Rush would say, that means putting your hand on a Bible and swearing to tell the truth) because it was only about sex. Newt Gingrich can get away with his cheating behavior. He cheats and lies and yet there are those who think he should be president because he is a deep thinker. Give me a break. Let him write his books which are best sellers and let him not run for president. Part of this mess comes from the fact we don't hold people accountable. It used to be that if you did something wrong you were embarrassed, now you get a reality show and make millions. Somewhere along the line we have lost our moral compasses. In a sense that is the outrage the "tea partiers" are expressing. We have all these folks that are supposed to be leaders yet look at their behavior. They all stand up there and pontificate as to what should be done while behind the scenes they are acting out "pols gone wild". Call it what you wish, ruling class, elitism, it is a feeling that they are right and we are wrong so just shut up and do what we tell you to do. Yet at the same time they are telling us what to do they are also saying the rules don't apply to us. You don't like the bad schools too bad suck it up and send our kids there but we will send ours to private school. Look at what Congress did in DC with the school voucher program -- since the teachers unions did not like it, one of the first things the new Democrat congress did was to stop it. Where do top leaders send their children to school? Not DC public schools I can assure you.

How did I get from Lindsay to DC public schools? Seems to me they are both part of the problem -- lack of personal responsibility.

Whiners and Losers

2010-09-18T13:07:00.000-07:00

If one really needs an explanation of why people are so mad these days one only needs to take a look at all the politicians who have been defeated in a primary who have chosen then to run as either an dependent or to conduct a write in campaign. It used to be that losers were sulk and lick their wounds for a few days but almost always say they would support the nominee. They might only say so but not do anything to help them get elected or they might actively support the individual who defeated them. But this year we have seen a number of politicians who have been defeated in primaries or believe they will be defeated who have changed parties or become independent or are conducting a write in campaign. Their attitude is that the people made a mistake, I am the better person and I should be in office. No the voters said no. No you should not be in office. Elections have consequences. If you don't organize and get your voters out then it is your fault. The arrogance we see in our politicians go a long way in explaining the tea party movement and the anger that is out there today.

Turn signals and othe irratants of life in Winston Salem

2010-09-18T13:01:00.000-07:00

One of the things that just drives me crazy here in Winston Salem is the lack of use by the citizens of turn signals. Don't you people here realize the purpose of the turn signal is to let others know what you are planning on doing. If I know which way you are going, they I might not run into you. I don't understand why that is such a hard concept for some people. One is be courteous by doing this and one is protecting themselves. ERRRRRG pay attentions folks and use your turn signals.

My other pet peeve here is that the notion of merge does not exist. When you are driving down a ramp onto a road you are supposed to give way to traffic on that road not the other way around. People come flying down ramps and instead of merging they just act as if there is no one else on the road and they drive into the line. ERRRRG again folks pay attention -- when you come down a ramp you are supposed to give way not me.

Don't you just love how the local rag sheet, the Winston Salem Journal, is going to provide us with a special service, a better weekly TV guide, one that is much more informative than the one we have been getting for years and years. Aren't they great, and oh by the way it is going to cost you $33.75 a year. Thanks for nothing. I do believe that this is final straw, when my subscription comes up for renewal and I am going to drop it. And I hate doing it. I am from the generation that loves to sit and read the paper over a cup of coffee in the mornings. I really like the feel of the paper in my hands. It isn't just the same on the internet -- I find I don't read as much or as closely as I do with a paper. But the newspapers are making it impossible to read them these days.

Bursa Inik - Istanbul

2010-05-29T09:02:00.000-07:00

Started the day out in Bursa where we ended the day yesterday. We went had lunch in a beautiful place -- the Botanic Garden Iskender Restaurant. Saw my first dervish; good looking chap as the Brits would say. He was totally smitten with my new friend Ilene who is tall, black and beautiful. He followed her all over the place. The Botanic Gardens were wonderful. We sat outside under a grape arbor at a long table covered with a white cloth and sliver utensils. Food was excellent. We then went to the Silk Market and helped the Turkish economy. Scarfs are incredible. Each store had their own designs and colors they specialized in. After that we went to see a shadow theater presentation. Interesting but we did not understand what they were saying. However, it was well done -- hand puppets on sticks -- amazing talent. While we did not understand what they were saying, they did explain the story to us so we could follow it somewhat.

This morning we left for Iznik or Nicaea We visited the Iznik Foundation for a presentation on Iszik tiles -- the people that run the foundation have reinstated the ancient art of tile making and are using the old methods and materials. Very interesting and the tiles are amazing. They had laid out on the table a set of tiles they were doing for a mosque in Mexico that was being restored. We then had lunch in their gardens -- again under a grape arbor with a long table and white cloth. All around us was the heady smell of roses. The garden was full of them. Iznik is by the Marmara Sea and is full of flowers and roses. We stopped by the former cathedral where the Council of Nicaea was held. It is in pretty poor condition but you could still see the murals. The Ottomans took the place over and turned it into a mosque.

More later. Off to dinner

Another day in Turkey

2010-05-28T14:10:00.001-07:00

I finally got my camera back but had no internet last nigt in the 5 star hotel in Galilopi. So maybe I'll get some pictures up later tonight. We toured the Galilopi battlefield and cemetery yesterday and visited the museums. The entire peninsula is stunning. You can see the straights and see why the British and the Germans (and a lot of other folks) wanted to control this access point – including Jason and the Gold Fleece. We saw the wooden Trojan Horse used in the movie Troy. You only need to spend a short time here to realize how close everything is and why this area has been fought over for thousands of years. We are currently close to the border with Bulgaria (or Bulgaristan on most Turkish maps) and Greece. Amazing how close they are. No wonder they fought over this territory. We have visited numerous mosques and I am amazed at how beautiful they are. We saw one yesterday that used to be an orthodox church (many centuries ago) – the Selimiye Mosque in Edirne. You could see the old church in the bones of the mosque. In fact this mosque is one of the only ones that has the name of both Ali and Mohammed written on the walls. It represents the non-religious nature of Turkey (almost in a sense a non-partisan view of religion). Earlier in the day we went to an old healing center which used music therapy – one of the professors at a local university who plays one of the old instrument met us there and played several sample music pieces for us – including as he said, one for the urinal!!!!

Fascinating listening to it and we all felt refreshed when we left.

Guess I did not finish up Wednesday – after touring around Istanbul, going to the Grand Bazaar and the Hagia Sophia Museum, we ended the day by going to the Turkish Institute of Cooking and we cooked a wonderful Turkish meal – 5 courses. Food was wonderful. So when we have our international dinner I will be able to help out our Turkish fellow!!!

Before I end today I want to mention my colleagues on this trip. I was a little nervous about meeting them and spending 10 days traveling around Turkey with people I don't know. I am not really someone who travels with a group; much prefer one other person or alone But I have to say that these past days have been great and I have really enjoyed getting to know these folks. There are four college presidents – presidents of small colleges -- and several deans. In addition there are several others that are heads of programs. I have met and made several new friendships. They are a varied group, black, white, native American, men, women. We have all gotten along and it is fascinating to watch everyone maneuvering within the group.

Second Full Day in Istanbul

2010-05-25T13:09:00.000-07:00

Why is it that people come to a meeting totally unprepared? We met today at two Universities and had presentations from 3. At the first one (we had to leave the hotel at 8am) they had a very formal set up. Reminded me of the meetings the old Soviet Union used to have. Flowers on the tables, mikes, coffee/tea/water at each place and a plate of cookies. The woman who made the presentation was nervous, she read from the slides which had way too many words on them, and kept sighing. It was horrible. And this was from a University that focuses on technology. We then got on the bus and went to the Turkish Cultural Foundation where we met with representatives from three universities. One was very prepared and very professional. The other two did not have cards nor did they have materials and all they did was read from their slides. Poor poor presentations. We then when to the spice market. What a hoot that place was. We basically rebelled and told the folks running the trip no more, we need to shop and we need to walk and we need down time. So we went to the. After that we took a boat to the Asian side of Istanbul. Much more residential. I liked it better. We went to a local artist that specializes in marble art. After watching her we all took a turn at creating our own marble art. We then took the boat back to the European side and had dinner at another University. This one was done right. No power points just a few remarks of welcome, good wine, good food, good company. We all were moaning about how tired we were and were dragging into the place. But moods quickly changed when we were taken to the top floor of one of the buildings to the faculty club for dinner. Once up there we discovered it overlooked the Bosporus and we watched the sun set over the Bosporus. Absolutely stunning. No wonder they call it the Golden Horn!!! The President of the University came and sat next to us and we discovered he spends his spare time (?) writing mystery novels and have had two published that are best sellers. He is working on a third. Unfortunately they are only in Turkish.
We had a wonderful evening.

FIrst impressions

2010-05-24T13:36:00.000-07:00

Often times first impressions can be right and other times wrong. My first impression of the Swiss was not a favorable one; I had a lay over in Zurich and the people I had contact with there were rude and unfriendly and very anti-American. The Turks on the other hand have been wonderful. It sure was great getting off the plane in Istanbul have having someone meet me and drive me to the hotel. Unfortunately, I got in too late to go to a traditional Turkish bath. I understand from those who did go it was wonderful. We meet at 6pm attend a dinner cruise on the Bosporus. This was the first opportunity I had to meet my fellow travelers and they are a great group of folks. There were additional guests on the cruise, including the President of Koc University and his wife. The cruise was superb and cruising on the Bosporus was an adventure. I am gong to enjoy the next week. The good news is that we are not due to leave until 10am tomorrow morning. One quote from the night's discussion: America is a one sentence country we never get to the second sentence.

It is day 2 now and I am exhausted. Even thought we did not leave until 10am we did not get back until 10:45pm We first went to the Topkapi Palace and spent several hours touring it. We then had lunch at a restaurant on the Palace grounds. After that we went to the Blue Mosque. All in all we walked over 5 miles and the legs feel it. We then stopped by the Hippodrome. We were supposed to go back to the hotel and clean up before we went to dinner but we were running late so went directly to Koc University. The family who has funded the University is connected with Ford and Apple so they have a large foundation of money to spend. It is a relatively new University but very impressive. They had the dinner set up around the swimming pool and it was delicious. It was a typical Turkish meal with lots of wine and Ratki. They also had traditional music and dance.

Istanbul is a city of 15 million and believe me they are all out on the street at all hours of the day. Traffic is horrendous. I was going to post pictures but I left my camera at the university. They are going to try to get it back for me. I sure hope so as there are many pictures on it from this trip and from last week.

More later. Tomorrow we leave at 8:15am

First impressions

2010-05-23T05:48:00.000-07:00

First impressions are always important and I have to say my first impression of people in Zurich was not favorable. Every one I came into contact with was unfriendly and very anti-American. But my first impression of Istanbul is completely different. Everyone I have run into has been friendly and helpful. Different cultures different reactions. The trip over was uneventful. I broke down and upgraded my ticket to premium economy, which used to be the regular economy before they downsized the seats and the leg room. It was worth it as I was exhausted from last week's seminar and the extra leg room allowed me to stretch out. Of course the fact that the seat in the middle was empty helped. Flew United and it wasn't a bad airline. I was met at the airport by a representative of the Turkish Cultural Foundation and they brought me to the Hyatt Hotel -- It is quite a place. My additional first impressions of Istanbul is that it is crowded and full of live. Traffic was almost bumper to bumper all the way in from the airport. We are on a river cruise tonight. But first I am going to take a nap and then have a shower.

RNC Women's Summit

2010-05-15T18:40:00.000-07:00

What a week it has been. Drove up to Danville to my friend Martha's parent's home Tuesday night where I spent the night. Martha and I left Danville at 7am so that we could get to Leesburg by noon to attend a First Ladies Luncheon. The first ladies were were the wife of the current gov and Lt. gov and Susan Allen the wife a George who was only a U.S. Senator but also a gov. of Virginia. It was a lovely affair and it was nice to meet a large number of women who are active in Va politics. We then drove to our hotel in Alexandra where we met up with to other women. Nancy has started the Conservative Women Forum which is a wonderful on-line web site. And Cathy is running for a NC house seat. We went into DC for a reception at the Capitol Hill Club sponsored by Cong. John Boehner. Saw old friends and met new ones. It sure was nice being in a room full of conservative women. We had dinner at the Club with some ladies from the new North Mecklenburg club. Great meeting them and spending time with them.

Thursday was wonderful. There were more "take aways" from this summit than the one last year. The workshops held in the afternoon were excellent. Enjoyed listening and learning from Gentry Collins, Todd Hermann and of course the dynamic threesome of former spouses.

Cathy, Nancy, Martha and I went to dinner that night at a small neighborhood restaurant in Alexandria, ate too much but it was so good. But we made up for it by walking for 3 miles after dinner. Friday drove back to Winston.

Be able to spend a day with women around the US comparing notes and attitudes was wonderful. The concerns I have about the direction of this nation was shared by others. We discussed the problems we are faced with and how we are going to solve them. We also talked about what we were going to do to change the course this country is on. We all agreed that there are a large number of good candidates out there who have a good chance to win this Nov. It is just going to take a lot of hard work. We also all are becoming very irate about every time we criticize the President we are called racists. In addition, the fact that the Gov. of Az signed a bill into law that calls for the enforcement of US law is not a reason to call people that support her racists. It is a simple law that does not call for profiling. Just for enforcement of the law. Why is it that someone who comes to this country illegally breaking US law is considered a victim and people who oppose illegal immigration is called a racist?

Spent the rest of Friday and early Sat. morning packing again and doing laundry for the trip to DC. I am spending a week in DC at the Washington Center's seminar on national security and terrorism. Should be great. Then next Sat. I get on a flight to Turkey for 10 days.

I am going to try to spend time each evening discussing the days events. This should be a very interesting and educational week.

End of the Semester

2010-05-07T19:40:00.000-07:00

It's the end of the semester, finals are finished, and grades turned in. I am always sad the end of the spring semester as there are a number of students that are graduating and won't be back in the fall. I am happy for them and thrilled at their future, but none the less I will miss them. Moved my office yesterday and today from the 3rd floor to the 4th. I will get plenty of aerobic exercise going up and down those stairs. Jessica, my trainer, really worked me today, which is a good thing. Am busy working on BFTF and trying to get ready for my three adventures coming up this month. The first starts Wednesday when several of us travel to Leesburg, Va, to attend a luncheon for the "first lady" of Virginia. Then on to our hotel in Alexandra for, hopefully, a short nap before we go into to the Capitol Hill Club for a reception hosted by Cong. John Boehner. Then we will be at the J.W. Marriott all of Thursday at an RNC Women's summit. Last years was wonderful -- 300 women from every state in the US and wonderful speakers. This year should be even better. Then Friday back to Winston overnight to pick up my bags for my trip back to DC. I will be a faculty leader in the Washington Center's Seminar on Terrorism. The line up of speakers is amazing and so are the site visits. I am really excited about this seminar. I have been in contact with most of the students in my small group and they are a varied bunch. More men than women but that would be expected given the topic. Once that seminar is finished on the 21st I have to get grades in as I leave from Dulles on the 22nd to go to Turkey for 10 days. This also will be an amazing trip. I return on the 1st of June in time to really put my nose to the grindstone to prepare for the BFTF Fellows who arrive July 3rd. I plan on blogging my experiences in DC and Turkey. And perhaps add some pictures.

Beth Hutchens

2010-03-29T14:13:00.000-07:00

One of the finest ladies I know is retiring from the Department of Communications at Wake Forest University -- Beth Hutchens. As many of you know, her husband was a Winston Salem Policeman who was killed in the line of duty last Fall. It has been tough on Beth and her two daughters and she feels she has to devote time the the Foundation she set up in Mickey's name. So we are losing her. Melissa Painter is putting together a book of letters for Beth from friends, former and current students. Melissa writes:
__________

Melissa Painter March 29 at 4:19pm Reply
Beth Hutchens is retiring as the administrative coordinator from the Department of Communication at Wake Forest University. I'm sure many of you remember Beth and how she helped you squeeze into a class or gave you a recommedation on a professor. For some, she became a good friend. I'd like to put together a book of letters to share with Beth to let her know how much she has meant to students over the years. I need your help to do it. You can write a quick paragraph about the first time you met Beth, how she helped you as a student, share a funny story-- anything you'd like. You may e-mail the letter to me or mail it to me at
HP-8
High Point, NC
27261
I need these notes by next week, April 5.
Thanks for your help. It will mean a lot to Beth!
Best,
Melissa Painter
WFU Class of 2000
melissa.painter@wghp.com

_____

Please if you know Beth or have been touched by Beth please send a message to Melissa. I also ask that you send it out to anyone else you might know of who would like to contribute a letter. We are trying to keep this a secret from Beth.

Thank you.

Back from Oklahoma City

2010-03-14T12:59:00.000-07:00

Just returned from the NFRW BOD meeting which was held in Oklahoma City this time instead of in Washington DC. The new Executive Committee was installed and you could feel the energy and passion in the room. I was appointed to be Co-Chair of the Public Relations Committee and we are busy working on three major projects: getting all the 1600+ NFRW clubs in the nation wired one way or another by the Fall meeting in Charleston. A template has been developed which allows all clubs without a website to fill out an information form, send it to us and it will be posted on the www.republicanwomensclub.com website. Anyone that then goggles republican women club will go to this site and be able to find a club close to them. This website will function as a type of "yellow pages". Second we are working on a green grocery tote bag to be sold as a way to raise money for a pr campaign. And lastly, we are working on a video which will discuss why we are proud to be an American.

I listened to all the standing committee and their proposed projects for the next two years and if only half of what was proposed gets done it will have been an awesome two years.

It is always great to reconnect with women across the U.S. that share my values and thoughts. Many of them I have gotten to know over the years and have so much respect for. Others I have just met and immediately became a friend to. Thee were 28 new state presidents at this meeting. Young energetic young women who have a passion to "take our country" back and to move it forward.

In addition to the women, we had great speakers. J.C. Watts is one of my all time favorites and he did not disappoint. Angela Sailor, Coalitions Director for the RNC was extremely informative and I enjoyed getting to know her. She is someone that will remain a friend for years. She talked about how the RNC, under Michael Steele, has become much more pro-active instead of reactive. Good stuff. I attended the workshop put on my Vince Harris on new Social Media and learned alot, some of which I incorporated in the seminar/workshop Lisa Roper and I did the next day on pr.

Except for the traveling which gets worse all the time, It was a great 4 days. I look forward to working with these wonderful, smart, intelligent, energetic, passionate women over the next several years.

Linda's Politics: Receipt for pumpkin and black bean soup

2009-10-25T11:56:00.000-07:00

Linda's Politics: Receipt for pumpkin and black bean soup

Receipt for pumpkin and black bean soup

2009-10-25T11:50:00.000-07:00

I modified this receipt by taking out the olive oil and using olive oil spray to cook the garlic, onions and seasonings. It has 5 servings and each serving is 3 Weight Watcher points.

Pumpkin Black Bean Soup

Ingredients
2 cup(s) canned black beans
14 1/2 oz Contadina Diced Tomatoes
16 oz Tree of Life Organic pumpkin puree
1/2 cup(s) red onion(s)
2 clove(s) garlic clove(s)
4 cup(s) vegetable broth
1 Tbsp McCormick Ground cumin
1 tsp kosher salt
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp ground allspice
1/2 tsp black pepper
3 Tbsp balsamic vinegar
1 spray(s) olive oil cooking spray
Instructions

Spray pan, place red onion, garlic, and seasonings into a large pot; cook on low-medium heat until red onion and garlic brown. Puree the beans and tomatoes with 1/2 of the vegetable broth. Add pureed ingredients, pumpkin and rest of broth to your pot. Simmer uncovered until thick, about 40-45 minutes. Before serving stir in balsamic vinegar. Can garnish with baked pumpkin se

Wednesday in Blagoevgard

2009-07-22T13:02:00.000-07:00

A bus load of students came in and we got them registered and the party started. We hired a DJ who played records (I guess they are cds these days) for several hours with the music blaring. After a few hours the music ended and we had wonderful peace. The fellows have dispersed to go to clubs, to bed, and to other nooks and crannies to talk and do who knows what.

We are waiting for the last bus load of students to come in and they all should be here. Tomorrow we are starting the day out by going to the Rila Monastery for the morning and then when we return will start the program.

It is going to be a wonderful but fast week. All the screams and yells we heard today will turn into sobs and sobs and sobs. It has been great getting to know these young people from the

Sunday, Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday

2009-07-22T09:17:00.000-07:00

Sunday in Athens was wonderful but very hot -- temperature of 104. To visit the Acropols you have to walk up a steep hill and once there there is very little shade. We met up with one of our fellows/mentors, Lendyll and he joined us on our journey. It is an amazing site. Thousands of years old and still standing. We were smart and hired a guide to explain to us what we were seeing. By the time we got back to the hotel it was late afternoon and we all took a nap. Had a great dinner sitting outside across the street from ruins. Everywhere you look in Athens there are ancient ruins.

Went to bed about 2am and at 2:45 am the phone rang it was Beth from the office telling me to get to Allan to see how he was because a great friend of his, Ross Smith, debate coach at Wake, died that evening. Beth had called Allan and wanted me to make sure he was ok. Needless to say neither of us got any sleep that evening. It was horrible news and we are still trying to absorb it and deal with it.

We had to leave for the airport at 6:30am so there were no sleeping that evening. Got to the airport, got checked in for our flight to Sofia on Bulgaria Air. 5 minues after the flight closed they came and told us Mia's ticket had been cancelled. So we spent 20 minutes running around the airport getting a new ticket for her, which we did and made the flight. Finally got to Sophia and was met by Iva. Thank god for her as few in the airport and almost no one in the bus station spoke English. Got the bus to the University and it was a 90 minute plus ride.

Once here we met up with Nadia, the summer coordinator and we had dinner with her. Then tried to collapse and sleep. But the phone rang at 2:30, people seem to forget that there is a 7 hour time difference between Bulgaria and North Carolina. Met with Nadia Wednesday morning and took a tour of the facilities. We will be holding our meetings in the Library and it is a great facility that is airconditioned. The dorm is not. When I first moved into the room and saw a wool blanket I was surprised. But during the night I woke up freezing and was glad for the blanket. It is not humid here but hot and the nights are wonderful.

Our biggest frustration on Tuesday was that we could not get the internet working, either in the labs or using wireless. As a result we were up working until about 2:15 trying to get things done. Again the phone rang in the middle of the night and woke me up just as I had gotten to sleep.

More later a bus full of students have just arrived.

Day 3 and 4

2009-07-19T09:01:00.000-07:00

I was so tired by the time I got back to the hotel last night that I did not have the energy to do anything but go to bed. We got up early yesterday morning and saw a little more of Tirane before heading out to the airport to fly to Athens. It was a short flight on Olympic Airlines but we crossed another time zone. So now we are 7 hours ahead of home.

Our hotel here in Athens is lovely. It is on a side street right off of Ermou St. which is the main shopping area. We got in about 6pm, got to the hotel, took a short nap and then headed out to get oriented. We looked up at one point and here was the Acropolis all lit up. It is magnificent. We found a small restaurant and ate good Greek food and had a wonderful evening. We walked around the Plaka district for a time and then headed back to the hotel.

This morning we got up early and met up with Lendyll, one of the BFTFers. The four of us headed up to the Acropolis. We started out walking but decided to take one of the small buses that run up there and I am glad that we did. We walked all over the grounds in 104 degree weather. Very little shade up there --- and it is up there!! We did do one very smart thing and that was to hire a guide who gave us a wonder historical tour. By the time we got down from that hill we went to the New Museum, had a bite to eat and then went back to the hotel in the late afternoon after doing some shopping. Just got up from a short nap and we all we meet up again at 8:30 to go for dinner.

Observations: I really like Albania, the people and the area. It is amazing how far that county has come in the last 18 years given where they were at when communism ended. They are just about equal to the other EE countries. We met up with a friend who has been an activist and who has recently formed a political party and stood for election. It was quite revealing to listen to him talk about the politics of the country. This is a country that I would like to go back to again.

The Greeks are very friendly and nice folks. And I must say it sure is nice to be in a place where the people pronounce my name correctly!!!! One day I would like to come back and explore the outer islands.

Tomorrow we head out early in the morning to fly to Bulgaria. We are going to have to go to work to finish all the last minute details on the conference before the BFTFers arrive on Wednesday. I will post more pictures later.

Second day of the trip

2009-07-17T17:02:00.001-07:00

Our friend Arbi sent a driver to pick us up this morning and take us to meet up with him near the Adriatic Sea. He and his very pregnant wife have rented a place by the sea. It was great to see them both and to spent time by the sea. We then went to a small village near by where we had lunch at a fantastic restaurant by the name of Fiore. Arbi said the village was not known for anything but the restaurant and watermelons!!! We started the meal off with pasta and seafood and then we had a huge platter of shells -- mussels, shrimp, calamari and other delights from the see. That was followed by fish. We ate for what seemed like hours and hours. After that we went to Durrees which is a small port nearby. It used to be a center of trade and has a Roman amphitheater that was built over 2000 years ago. We walked through the tunnels and up and down the stairs. It is in remarkably good condition considering its age. It was discovered in the 50s when an earthquake hit the area and it war revealed. We then headed back to Tirana where we met up with Gentiana and Eddie again and we went to dinner. The place they selected was up on a room of a building and it was lovely. The Albanians live outdoors during the summer months and there a large number of places that are set up on roofs and sidewalks. We had a sampling of Albanian cuisine and it was excellent. Lamb and vegetables. We walked around for a while and then headed back to the hotel about 2am.

Albania was not what I expected it to be - it is full of life, very colorful, and the people have a great sense of optimism. They are growing and are about equal now in GDP as the other Eastern European states. Which is an amazing fact since they started so far behind those countries 18 years ago when communism fell.

We are off to Athens tomorrow where the weather forecast calls for a high of 99. What fun that will be. But I am excited to see Athens but sad to leave my friends here in Albania.

If I can find where I packed my card reader I will post pictures.

DAY ONE

2009-07-16T14:10:00.000-07:00

What a long day this has been. We left Winston Salem about 2pm on Wed. to fly to Atlanta where we caught a flight to London. We arrived in London at 7am and took the train into town. We walked around Buckingham Palace and Parliament. Saw the changing of the horse guards, took the tube and train back to Gatwick. We then flew to Tirana, Albania, Flight was great. I was, for some unknown random reason, bumped up to first class on this British Air flight and I must say the Brits know how to treat folks in 1st class. Food was great and so was the adult beverages. We were met at the airport by a SEELYI leader, Gentina and her husband Edmund. The drove us around and to the hotel. We had a few drinks and called it a night. The hotel is nice, but it is not in town or close to town and there is a birthday party going on right underneath us and the music keeps getting louder. But that is ok as I am so tired I can sleep through anything. It was a long long day getting here. Tomorrow we are going to look around Tirana and have dinner with Gentiana and Edmund and others we know from here.

First impression of Tirana -- beautiful mountains, city full of life with crowds of young people walking around, loads of resturants and bars, and eveything open. One can still see scars from the communist period but they are fading. A lot of new construction.

Adventure in Europe

2009-07-12T08:58:00.000-07:00

I am leaving the country on Wednesday heading first for Tirana, Albania. We will be spending several days there and I am most interested in seeing this country. It was completely isolated during the cold war and politically they tended to align themselves with China until the death of Mao. At that point, they basically closed the borders and did not allow anyone in.

Then I am heading to Athens, Greece. I could not be in that part of the world and not go to Athens. Unfortunately I will not have time to go to the out islands but look forward to seeing Athens. Plus some good authentic Greek food. My father in law was born in Greece and came to America (legally through Ellis Island) in the early 1900s. He fought in WWI and became a citizen. He went to law school and came to Winston Salem to work for the VA as an adjudicator. I never met him but he seemed to be quite the guy. Learned English and was very well spoken. So by marriage, Greece is my home country.

Then we are on to Sofia, Bulgaria and up to American University of Bulgaria in Blageovard for a conference/reunion of the BFTF fellows. We have almost 180 folks coming for this four day event. Loads of panels and loads of visiting. Afterwards, we are going to stay for a day and see Sofia. I was there once and was impressed but only had about 3 hours to see the sights. This time I will have a day and half.

Then home and as hard as it is to believe, it will be August and time to start preparing for the school year.

I did purchase a new cell -- a Blackberry Storm which is a global phone. So once I figure out how to use the global apps I will be in good shape.

I hope to keep this blog up once I get on the road. In a sense it will be my diary -- I have learned if you don't write down something every day you tend to forget what all you saw and did.

Does the Constitution matter to Obama?

2009-05-02T06:32:00.001-07:00

Read this quote from his announcement yesterday:

"I will seek someone who understands that justice isn't about some abstract legal theory or footnote in a casebook; it is also about how our laws affect the daily realities of people's lives, whether they can make a living and care for their families, whether they feel safe in their homes and welcome in their own nation," Mr. Obama said."

Where does he mention the Constitution? Where is the notice that justice is blind? Where is the idea that everyone is equal under the law? Where am I in this definition of Obama's. If you work hard and follow the rules you don't count any longer in this country. Which is a shame as that is what made this country so great.

New Year

2009-01-02T08:21:00.000-08:00

It is a beautiful New Year full of opportunities, adventures, laughter, friendship,changes, and of course politics. One of the things I really like about teaching is that you get almost two months off over the Christmas holiday. This gives me an opportunity to "recover" from the year and to think about the coming one. My husband died a few days before Thanksgiving many years ago, but as a result I dread that holiday. The period between Thanksgiving and Christmas is usually a rough one for me and a period that I wish I could escape. This year I escaped by getting really sick with a combination of the flu and a cold. Lasted almost three weeks. So I did not get as much "thinking" and "recovering" done as normal.

It is Jan. 2nd and it is a dreary day with a winter storm advisory in effect. Of course around here that means sleet or ice. If there is going to be a winter storm advisory I would love to see snow.

We are getting close to the Inauguration of a new President. Barack Obama is not a man I supported. He is a man I know very little about even though I have read all I can about him. To me he is a blank slate that people projected their own wants/desires/hopes onto. So far he has surrounded himself with moderate/liberals. So we shall see. On Jan. 20th he will be sworn in as my President and for the sake of the country that I love so much I hope he will be a successful one. I will support him when I agree with him and challenge him when I disagree. However, Congress is another matter all together. Both Houses are being led by Radical Leftwing Liberals who scare me. One of the great unknowns about Obama is whether he will just go along with everything they send him or will he try to reign them in from excesses. And what does he draw the line. Is forcing everyone into a union a line? Is censuring talk radio a line? It will be interesting to see where the line is.

The Governor of Illinois is not stupid. I have really enjoyed his countermoves in fighting the headlong rush to remove him. It looks like Patrick Fitzgerald is moving back from an immediate indictment of the Governor, perhaps he rushed things too much in an attempt to keep his job? The Govs latest move to name someone to Obama's seat is great fun -- the reaction of the Democrats has been very amusing.

Has anyone noticed that all the recent "scandals" have involved Democrats? Are we heading into an era of Democrat corruption just as we are leaving an era of Republican corruption? To name a few: Jefferson, Frank, Dodd, Rangel, and of course Blagojevich. What fun. My hope is that the MSM will pay the same amount of attention to their misdeeds as they did to the misdeeds of Stevens, Craig, etc. But I know that is not going to happen.

It is interesting to watch and listen to the MSM try to figure out why they are loosing viewers/watchers/readers. They are the only business I know of off hand that insults their customers and don't listen to them and wonder why they don't come back. I have not watched the local news in a long time -- it is all blood, guts, rape, murder, mayhem, sports and weather. I grew up reading a newspaper and it is ingrained in me which is the only reason I have not canceled my local rag. But I am getting close. As for MSM national news, it is a joke and I have not seen it in years. As for the morning shows, it must be 20 years since I have watched them.

What fun this coming year will be.

Wired and Inspired

2008-09-04T21:45:00.000-07:00

Wired and Inspired is a good description of the last two days. I was in the hall and on the floor during Sarah Palin's speech last night. It was electrifying; it produced laughter, tears, and cheers. She touched the women on the floor, especially when she mentioned "the good old boys." Every woman I know have had bad experiences with the good boys and we knew exactly what she meant. The tension in the hall was huge while waiting for her. She started out a little slow but got much stronger and better. She is not going to be a push over. It was interesting before the speech to spend some time in the National Federation of Republican Women/Women for McCain box and talk with women from all across the country. All of them were furious at the unfair attacks on Sarah Palin by the leftist blogs and the MSM. It appears that her speech last night helped to tone down some of the nastier attacks. I left the Xcel Center last night totally exhausted, both mentally and physically. It was am amazing night.

Today I went to a Tribute Lunch for Cindy McCain. My seat was at a table about three rows from the back but I got moved up to the first row. My friend and I sat behind Judy and Charlie Black from the McCain headquarters and right next to Carly Firoina. We were two tables away from Cindy McCain and Todd Palin. The master of ceremonies was Elizabeth Hasselback from the View. John Voigt introduced Cindy after we heard from Todd Palin. He is a funny guy. I had an opportunity to talk with him afterwards and asked how he was holding up and he said fine. I said that I hoped when he came to North Carolina sometime in the next two months he still felt the same. After the lunch went down stairs where we ran into Richard and Brooke Burr and sat with them for a few moments and got caught up on things. It is always good to see Richard but he has been so busy traveling around the nation as a surrogate for John McCain.

The hall was full for John McCain's speech. Before his speech we spent some time in the women's box and the Republican Club lounge where we ate. I thought Senator McCain's speech was rather somber. But then again we are in somber times and perhaps it was fitting. He built up steam as he went and by the end he had the crown on their feet. Memorable speech, no. Did it do the job? Yes. But there is no doubt that Sarah Palin is the star on that ticket.

There were several Code Pink demonstrators in the galleries but they were swiftly removed. There were also a number of Ron Paul folks that just sat on their hands the entire evening.

Now we enter the final phase of this election season, the general election campaign. It is going to be a wild ride for the next 60+ days.

This was a full week full of some good speeches, some great ones, and some that were so forgettable that I don't even remember who they were. But those speeches were full of personal stories about the John the speakers know; full of personal testaments to him and Cindy; and full of speakers saying (to paraphrase Lloyd Bensen in the 1988 Vice Presidential debate with Dan Quayle) I know John and he is a friend of mine. These speeches were in stark contrast to the ones last week in Denver where there were no such speeches.

One final note, Republicans know how to do balloon drops much better than the Democrats. They came down on time, there were a lot of them, and the glitter included small round circles with McCain's picture on one side and the logo for the convention on the other.

I will add pictures in the next few days.

Day 3

2008-09-03T12:07:00.001-07:00

Am starting this early today as I find myself with free time and awake!!! Being an alternate delegate is wonderful but we move in a bubble and have no understanding of what is happening outside that bubble. For example I never did know about the demonstrations Monday night until I got back to the hotel and turned on the news. The same is true of the nasty stuff being said about Sarah Palin. I find it appailing and uncalled for. I know the far right and the far left do it but it also this time seems to be coming from the Obama campaign. The feeling in the convention hall is that they had better watch it as it may backfire on them. There were rumors that she might step down; that would be the worse possible thing she could do. However, for the sake of the argument what would the results be? I would argue that it would hurt the Democrats. A good case could be made that the women would blame the Obama campaign. First of all they kept Hilliary off the ticket and then the other woman in the race was forced out. Questions about her standing on issues and what she has done in her various elected positions and her life is fair game. But questions about her children should be off the record as well as the children of Obama, Biden, and McCain. They are not running.

Fred Thompson was wonderful last night. He tossed off the red meat to the crowd and he was loved. The question I heard the most afterward was where was this Fred during the primaries. I was a Fred support early on but became very disenchanted because he did not show up.

This morning at The Washington Center the first speaker did not show and the second one was Bob Barr. He is running for president on the Libertarian Party ticket. He has very strong policy ideas. He talked for about 20 minutes and then took questions from the students for another 40 minutes or so.

Just heard that Obama will be on Bill O'Reilly during McCain's acceptance speech. Shows you what little class the guy has. On the night of Obama's speech, McCain went on the air with the following classy ad: McCain Convention Ad Obama should do the same not try to steal the thunder.

More later after this evenings events.

Day 2 of the Convention

2008-09-02T22:15:00.000-07:00

It was an interesting day today. We went into St. Paul for a party sponsored by Bob Crumley and it was wonderful; food and company was great. We then returned to the hotel and I went up to the room to take a lunch, but it did not work out. I had an e-mail from a reporter from the News & Record and he wanted to interview me. When we finished I had to run to get the bus back to St. Paul for the delagation picture. Then back to the Xcel center for the opening of tonight's session. I did get on the floor. The speeches were good. Fred Thompson gave the crowd the red meat they wanted and the crowd responded. Joe Lieberman was also good. Laura Bush introduced her husband. I wish he had come out for the night so that we could once again show him how thankful we are for him. President Bush 41 along with Baraba were there this evening. Cindy McCain and John's 90+ year old mother were also there. Saw a lot of friends from the NFRW.

Day Two

2008-09-02T08:20:00.000-07:00

Sound quote of the day from Sarah Palin-- do you know the difference between a hockey mom and a pit bull? lipstick. She can handle herself!! More later.

Minneapolis

2008-08-31T11:06:00.000-07:00

Minneapolis is an interesting city. In the early 1990s when all the problems in Somalia occurred, President Clinton made a deal with the gov. of Minnesota to take in Somalian refugees. As I understand it, the people got on planes and did not know where they were going until the plane doors opened up in Minneapolis. Some 60,000 plus were relocated here. As a result Minneapolis has the largest concentration of Somalians in the United States. St. Paul has a huge concentration of Hmongs in the U.S. The area that I am staying in (and the North Carolina and New Mexico delegations) is very diverse due the the large number of Somalians and Ethiopians. In addition, we are across the street from the University of Minnesota West Bank campus.

The light rail system here in Minneapolis is wonderful. We are about 2 blocks from the nearest station. I took it out the the Mall of America yesterday. That is one of those places that one has to go visit just to say you were there. It is a huge shopping mall with an amusement park in the middle. The same with the State Fair. It was a fun evening and a wonderful fair. How could one not go and eat dinner on a stick.

Last night I successfully "crashed" the Medial Party -- that makes three conventions three crashes. The food was outstanding and of course the liquid refreshments were very liquid. It was a huge event, over two buildings, a tent, and a closed street.

Some friendly folks at the Media Party -- Sens. Lindsay Graham and Norm Coleman and my friend Nancy Mazza

View from the balcony at the Guthrie Theater, one of the sites of the Media Party.

We are still uncertain as to what is going to happen in the next several days because of the hurricane. It has been reported that President Bush and VP Chaney will not be here. Also the Governors of Mississippi, Florida, Louisiana, and Texas will not be here. We all are praying for the folks in these states and hope that it comes ashore as a tropical storm instead of a Cat 5. Rightfully so, the shape and tone of the convention is going to change. We have business that has to be accomplished and that will be done. But the celebratory nature of the convention will be muted.

The buzz on the nomination of Sarah Palin is very high. Everyone I have talked with are pleased with the selection. It is going to help to energize our grass roots and help us with volunteers. She has a record of being a strong conservative, a life long member of the NRA, good family values, and who doesn't like a woman who sells the state plane on Ebay?

Last day of the DNC Convention

2008-08-28T20:52:00.000-07:00

Interesting evening. I was not impressed by the speech given by Barak Obama this evening. It was the same old same old list of liberal ideas. Yes there was some differences in tone but the ideas were the same. The speech was full of sound bits and nothing else. It seemed staged. The big screens, at the end, were covered with streamers which made it look like they had been dropped on the candidates but they were not. Also interesting, as I am listening to CNN, they also must not have thought it was that great as they are discussing the GOP convention and what might happen if the hurricane lands along the Gulf Coast. They were talking about delaying the start of the GOP convention, about McCain going down there or even Bush not coming to Minneapolis. The end of the evening would have been even better if Hilliary had come out on stage. This coming week is going to be interesting to see how the GOP counters this convention.

Two other observations: one, the ad McCain ran this evening throughout the convention congratulating Obama was a class act. I can't imagine Obama doing the same. Two, it really was a strange way of ending the convention. I was surprised that he did not refer more to MLK and his I have a Dream speech. The music that was played during the fireworks was a little grand and too over the top. It just played into the Republican story of him. The set was also a little too over the top.

One last comment. I have been talking with the students in my small group about the expectation game. The GOP is predicting a 15 point for Obama. The Obama folks are saying it might be a 5-6 point bump. This year it will be strange since there will be no time for the events to sink in. Obama will have tonight and tomorrow morning to be the focus in the media and then McCain will take over. He is going to announce his VP selection tomorrow at noon. The week end talk shows will be discussing this selection and this will help to mute the bump. According to the latest polls, since Biden was named to be on the ticket, Obama had lost points. So we will see what kind of a bump, if any, he receives.

A funnel cake and a rose window, can life get any better?

Wednesday (What every happened to Tuesday?)

2008-08-27T21:23:00.000-07:00

These last two days have been long and busy ones. The seminar is going great with wonderful speakers. The thing I really like about TWC and the seminars is that they make you think. The speaker challenge the students and they in turn respond with wonderful questions. Mikey, the Faculty Director, and Meena, the scholar in residence, are fabulous. Their analysis of the situation and their background knowledge is unparalleled. They also provoke the students in various ways; if only to learn how to frame questions!!!

Yesterday we took a tour of the Twin Cities and then went on the the State Fair. What fun that was. Of course everything was fried and on a stick. Saw the Marines there and the back of their t-shirts read "Pain is weakness is leaving your body." I had never seen that before. We also wondered by Al Franken's booth. They didn't have any good stuff so we left. But did stop by the GOP booth and bought some buttons for $.50 each (they will be $2 each at least next week at the convention). The new eats at the fair this year is bacon covered with chocolate and then deep fried. We did not see that booth but did see bacon on a stick!!! Several of the staffers ate dill pickels smothered in cream cheese and wrapped with pastrami on a stick. Look absolute disgusting.

We did get back in time to hear Hilliary last night and I thought she was excellent. Best speech she ever gave. Of course it was all about her but then again she is a Clinton. Also thought that one of the best speeches up to her was the Gov. from Montana. He has hokey but it worked. He got the crowd on their feet. Warner and the other speakers that night were not at all good. When the camera panned the arena the faces looked blank. There was no excitement or enthusiasm in the arena. Not until the Gov. came out. And then Hilliary came out. So the evening ended on a high note.

Today, after our morning sessions, we had a tour of the Xcel center in St. Paul. It is a beautiful and functional space and the dais is going to look great on tv. I then had a small group session for a couple of hours.

After that they were on their own to explore St. Paul until the welcome receiption at 6pm. I walked up the hill to the Cathedral and got there about 5:10pm. Thought I would just take a tour and walk back down the hill but ended up staying for Mass. The place is magnificent. It ranks up there with Cathedrals I have seen in Europe.

We then went to a welcoming reception at the Landmark Center which is an old Court House/Post Office building that has been restored. Stunning building. Reminded me of the Pension Building or the Old Post Office in Washington, D.C.

Got back in time to hear Biden's speech. It was a two parter -- the first part was excellent in that he talked about his family, his highs and lows and the second part when he became a pol (this wasn't that good the first part brought tears to my eyes as it did to others.) Then when he was done and his wife came out instead of basking in the spotlight (after all he probably won't be seen again until the debate) Obama came out. It did not feel right. Presidential nominees don't come to the arena until the night they give their speech. Why take the limelight away from Biden? It just plays in the GOP hands and their story of him being narcissistic in that everything has to be about him.

One last scary thing from the fair:

Monday, first day of seminar

2008-08-25T19:11:00.000-07:00

Today was a long day. We left the hotel at 8am and got back about 5pm. I walked around for about an hour to find a market of some sort and there was nothing. Loads of condos but no markets. Guess the natives drive to the market. Finally found a gas station that not only had gas but also food to purchase (at a reasonable price) as well as fresh fruit and hot food. Plus it looks like a local police hangout. There must have been 10 of them in there!!!

The day was interesting. Former Congressman Mickey Edwards is the Faculty director. He is also a VP of the Aspen institute and now teaches at Princeton. Mickey is fabulous speaker and leader. He has a vast store of knowledge and an interesting way of looking at things. He also has a vast store of stories to tell and can answer any question dealing with politics without hesitation. We also heard from Dr. Meena Bose from Hofstra University who is our scholar in resident. The two of them are dynamic.

I am now spending the evening listening to the speakers at the DNC convention. Nancy Pelosi was not very good. The catty part of me says it is because of all the botox in her face!!! But Jessie Jackson Jr. was excellent. He is a much better speaker than his father is. The tribute to Teddy Kennedy was wonderful and a tear jerker. This is probably going to be the last convention for him. He has been senator now for 44+ years. I am now listening to Michelle Obama and she is good. But her dress is driving me crazy as it does not fit her and her bra strap shows. But as the camera pans around the hall you see older black women wiping a way a tear or two. I can't imagine what they are feeling. Now I am watching Juan Williams and he is just about in tears talking about this speech and what it symbolizes to black America. That is something a lot of us can not understand. That is one level on another level she was talking to the rest of America and wanting to reassure them that they are not a threat. It was a soft speech and she really did not talk about her husband. But it was interesting. But will it work? I don't know. She is usually "stronger" on the stump in defense of her husband. The bit at the end was hokey but ok.
She did deliver the speech very well and looks like a natural giving a talk.

First Day

2008-08-24T08:31:00.001-07:00

Yesterday was a long day. As I mentioned in my last blog, I did not get here until very early Sat. morning or very late Fri night. The first meeting of the faculty leaders and staff started at 9am and lasted until 4:10. We met in the lobby of the hotel and walked over to Augsburg College which is not that far - it is right across the street from the University of Minnesota. The College is small and old but looks like a good place to be. I certainly can not complain about the facilities. My fellow faculty members are a diverse lot of folks, two of which I had worked with before. Several of them are in communication and debate and are from the smaller schools (not Yale or Harvard). However, we do have one from the U.S. Military Academy in West Point. It was a long but interesting day and we went over all our responsibilities and the schedule. Some of the first timers are a little nervous and are afraid they won't be able to do everything. Guess what, they won't be able to. The key to survival of this program is to be flexible, flexible, flexible. Speakers change at the last moment, there is too much going on in terms of the work we have to do to ensure that this is truly an academic program and in terms of the events we want to go to. But somehow it all works out.

We went back to the hotel and then re-gathered at 6pm to take the light rail down town. Of course the stop we got on was one before the Metrodome and it was a mess as the Vikings were playing the Steelers last night. Once we got past that we were in good shape. We went to the oldest resturant in Minenapolis -- Gluek's. What a great name. The atmosphere was friendly and wonderful. Stained glass and wood. Food was even better -- I had the sausage party which was two different types of sausages (I had Brats and Ukrainian) and saurkraut with hot german potato salad. And of course to go along with it a Gluek's Red on tap!!! Fun evening getting to know my fellow faculty leaders and the staff. And Gene was Gene and full of fun. He did report that everyone on Denver got into the Media party!! That is usually one of the best parties and hard to get into. So there is hope we all with get into the one here next Sat. night.

Weather is absolutely wonderful.

I hate flying

2008-08-22T23:33:00.000-07:00

Well I got here safe and sound with relatively little problems. But the airlines sure don't do a thing for you anymore. I had two bags, the first one was free because I had booked before a certain date. After that date, the first bag is $15 and the second is $25. So I had to pay $25 even before I got through security. Then on the plane if you want water it is $2. Of course this is all due to the rise in fuel prices. Yeah right!! My flight to Charlotte was so short only 25 minutes. By the time I got through the Charlotte airport to the right terminal and gate I only had about an hour to wait for the flight to Minneapolis. They offered an upgrade to first class for $100, I passed and later regretted that I did as I got stuck in a window seat next to a guy that I don't think took a bath in a month. The only thing that really saved me from throwing up was the fact that he grabbed the one blanket and pillow for the three seats and wrapped him self up in it which contained the odor. It was an uneventful trip of about 2 and 1/2 hours. Got my bags right away and a cab to the Holiday Inn Metrodome where I will be for the next 10 days.

Got into my room and turned on the TV and found that Biden was in fact Obama's running mate. I am going to have to think about that one.

The other news of the day is that I reluctantly accepted the job as McCain Chair for Forsyth County. More about that later. Right now I am going to bed as I have a 9am faculty meeting.

Conference calls

2008-08-20T17:52:00.000-07:00

Conference calls are wonderful things but hard on the ears. Last night I participated in one with all the McCain county chairs here in NC. Also on the line was the regional directors of the campaign. I find it really interesting to listen to the questions that the various chair have. Ended right on time -- 1 hour -- so we could watch the McCrory/Perdue debate. Tonight was a call for RNC delegates. On this call was Rick Davis, the campaign manager, and Sen. Fred Thompson. They passed on information on the line up of speakers for the convention. Again it was interesting to hear the questions that were asked.

Am getting more and more excited about heading out to Minneapolis on Friday. What fun it is going to be.

Saddleback Church

2008-08-17T15:53:00.000-07:00

It was interesting to see McCain and Obama last night. I thought they both did an excellent job. But I have a few reactions. First of all Obama -- I though he came across as very thoughtful; as someone who looked at both sides of an issue. However, while this is something very good for a campaign, for governing I think it will cause problems. He reminded me a lot of Jimmy Carter. Very thoughtful, very smart, but tries to be fair to both sides. That makes it hard to come to a decision quickly. His comment on when life begins will hurt him with the Christian fundamentalists. McCain was very good, to the point. His answer to the question about his greatest moral failure was a home run. It blunted the comments being made by the Democrats about his first marriage. How can you criticize John Edwards for cheating without doing the same for McCain? McCain helped to sure up the fundamentalist Christian base; Obama made inroads with them.

First blog entry

2008-08-17T15:36:00.000-07:00

This is going to be an interesting experiment. I am going to try to post each evening. I am leaving this Friday (8/22) for Minneapolis where I will be a Faculty Leader with the Washington Center (TWC). There are about 6 college students in my group. This will be the third convention I have attended as a Faculty Leader with TWC. The difference this year is that I am also a delegate. So while I will be spending the day with the college students, the late afternoons and evenings of the second week will be spend at the convention hall. It will be a long two weeks but a lot of fun. The invites for parties are starting to come in and I plan to take advantage of them all (or at least as many as I can get to)