October 17, 2006
Bill Clinton's Second Act
AOL seems to be having a couple of blogs / journals on Bill Clinton for their Citizen Journalism Daily Pulse Blog. The piece entitled, "Bill Clinton's Second Act" is trying in part to figure out his post-presidential impact and if it is changing peoples' minds. On the whole (so far) it seems that if you liked him before, you will like him now. And if you did not, you probably do not like him now. I think it might be a little while before we can know for sure.
On the whole, I think that Clinton was a good president. I think the positives out weigh the negatives overwhelmingly. Let's not throw out the baby with the bath water. Post-presidency he seems to have had better positive exposure than any president since Carter. With some exceptions he seems to have been somewhat apolitical. Time will tell but after a relatively low profile he seems to be having some very positive impact. I think that he might be staying out of the political spotlight as to not overshadow any political ambitions that Hillary might have.
While he was a solid, progressive democrat he was also a consummate politician (and one hell of a campaigner). He would reach across the isle when needed. He wanted to build consensus and get things done. Now that he does not have a "personal" political agenda, it is much easier for him to partner with whomever makes the most sense. He still knows how to command the world stage. Recently, taking the stage with Laura Bush for "play pumps" in Africa (an initiative she is spearheading) at the kick-off for his Clinton Global Initiative roundtable. This is cause for which he is donating millions. He also partnered with President Bush, Sr. on post-Katrina clean up efforts. Let's not kid ourselves, he likes the spotlight. But he also seems to take that light and point towards areas of need.
Tags: president, play pumps, bill clinton, clinton, global clinton initiative, laura bush, bush, water, africa, katrina
Posted by mlwhall at 8:07 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
September 11, 2006
Strands of Understanding or Clarity?!?
As is suggested in my Bio, I am a single father of three kids (Grant, Rachel, Paige), two dogs (Scruffy, Sakima) and a kitten (Simba). I live in Napa, California (USA). I have a girlfriend of two years, Svea. This, I suppose, is the beginning of one strand.
Maybe it will be the beginning of getting some clarity or meaning in my life. Maybe it will also help me identify what my faith or spiritual journey is or is going to be. A strong "faith" has not been a major or even minor part of my life. I would say that I am not without questions and desire for something as yet undefined. However, I would say that I am a "spiritual" person, but it is difficult to build a community with others in this area if one cannot easily define themselves in relation or context with others.
I find myself looking for and needing a sense of community, and it does not seem to be popping up in other areas. Work, kids, even external family. Exploring faith is a place where people of different backgrounds can come together and explore and hopefully add meaning in their lives. I see my meaning coming from more than a faith focus. But this seems to be one area that is calling to me.
I am trying to be careful not to talk about religion. While that is an obvious subtext to the above, I have had some mixed experiences relative to organized or institutional religion. I find that adding that view just gives me too many reasons to abort exploration. Having a love of history that includes some of the actions taken in the name of religion is enough to make many people do an about face. At the same time, it is difficult for me to deal with people that have unquestioning faith. Faith for me is about a journey. Someone that blindly walks the path is just as easy to veer from it. Checking for directions seems to me to be a good thing.
As is suggested in my Bio, I am a single father of three kids (Grant, Rachel, Paige), two dogs (Scruffy, Sakima) and a kitten (Simba). I live in Napa, California (USA). I have a girlfriend of two years, Svea. This, I suppose, is the beginning of one strand.
Maybe it will be the beginning of getting some clarity or meaning in my life. Maybe it will also help me identify what my faith or spiritual journey is or is going to be. A strong "faith" has not been a major or even minor part of my life. I would say that I am not without questions and desire for something as yet undefined. However, I would say that I am a "spiritual" person, but it is difficult to build a community with others in this area if one cannot easily define themselves in relation or context with others.
I find myself looking for and needing a sense of community, and it does not seem to be popping up in other areas. Work, kids, even external family. Exploring faith is a place where people of different backgrounds can come together and explore and hopefully add meaning in their lives. I see my meaning coming from more than a faith focus. But this seems to be one area that is calling to me.
I am trying to be careful not to talk about religion. While that is an obvious subtext to the above, I have had some mixed experiences relative to organized or institutional religion. I find that adding that view just gives me too many reasons to abort exploration. Having a love of history that includes some of the actions taken in the name of religion is enough to make many people do an about face. At the same time, it is difficult for me to deal with people that have unquestioning faith. Faith for me is about a journey. Someone that blindly walks the path is just as easy to veer from it. Checking for directions seems to me to be a good thing.
Tags: faith, strands, CSR, critical self reflection, religion, spirituality, meaning
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December 1, 2005
Wish I could figure which one of these I was!
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November 30, 2005
The Flu is not just Achoo!
A pandemic's second front - Editorials & Commentary - International Herald Tribune
The possibility of an avian flu pandemic is real. In America, President George W. Bush has sensibly proposed a substantial investment to detect, identify and contain the virus, when and where it begins human-to-human spread.
It is mind-blowing to me -- we have the potential of a major disaster (and I do not mean the Tsunani ro Katrina) that has the potential of spreading death over the world, and no one seems to notice. It is the Avian Flu. I talk to friends and they write it off as a product of the government and drug companies. while the above might not be trustworthy -- we only need to the early part of last century that the flu can do real damage (Spanish Flu). the possiblility of devastation is huge. I am not sure of the answer but people should not be passive in this!
Posted by mlwhall at 11:30 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
August 22, 2005
Iraq and Constitution
Now that Iraq is transitioning to their constitution. They are going to need as much help as possible. When you think about it, the American constitution was a tough enough thing to agree on and pull together, with the help of some very bright people in a simpler time. When you consider the factions, etc. It is amzing that they have made it this far. Especially since you have to figure that the U.S. has been keeping itself busy "advising". The thought of all this boggles the mind!
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