Oddball Learner

I am a practitioner of the 'browse and learn' school of thought, which is probably why a comfortable bookstore is one of my preferred haunts. Occasionally, I will focus my efforts to become an expert at something, such as my focused pursuit of my Masters degree a few years ago. But I am happier to gather and tuck away hundreds of unrelated facts from multiple disciplines and to discover their interrelation as I work and play. If I am to believe the conventional wisdom of adult learning theory, most folks want knowledge they can immediately use. I, on the other hand, don't mind waiting for a previoulsy useless factoid, memory or hunch to reveal its usefulness in a new or unrelated situation.

Over the years I have taken many personality tests, inventoried my skills and diagnosed my work-style. I enjoy taking these tests and I learn much from them, while purposely avoiding the temptation of allowing them to be self-limiting prescriptive depictions of what to expect from myself. I believe that circumstances, immediate need and other factors such as emotion, sense of purpose and spiritual alertness can influence behavior in any given moment. Nevertheless, these sorts of tests are generally both affirming and challenging. Affirming because--well--who doesn't enjoy reading a litany of their many strengths? Challenging, because I have had to accept that my strengths put me within a group of people who make up perhaps five percent of the workforce.

So, in case you thought I was an oddball, you now know why.

Something to Say: God Made My Life Complete

Something to Say: God Made My Life Complete

Stop the Coronation Express

If this country is to have an election that means something, there must be opportunity for voters to choose between competing ideas. With the media rush to coronate John McCain as the Republican nominee, and McCain's presumptive donning of the crown has no one noticed that half the Republicans in this country have not had a chance to vote yet? On top of that, the race has changed since Romney quit. Now, the conservatives who have not voted yet will no longer have their vote split. This is why Huckabee could win, if those voters speak as a block, as happend in Kansas. I am hoping for something to stop, or at least delay, what seems inevitable so Republicans can consider whether they really want to nominate an uninspiring, if witting, beneficiary of a presidential field that had one too many conservatives. Why must there be this rush to a national race?

McCain's CPAC speech was nothing but unconvincing pandering. He offers no real alternative to Clinton's policy wonkism. He wears us out with his unceasing claim to have been a "footsoldier in the Reagan revolution." (What does that mean, anyway?) But his ideas, his record and his vision remind not one person of the Gipper. McCain, just like Clinton, thinks we are idiots who will ignore the facts of his record and gratefully suckle on his newfound rhetoric.

Moreover, there is no doubt in my mind that if Obama is the Democrat nominee and McCain is the Republican nominee, Obama will be standing on the Capitol steps next January because McCain will not be able to compete with Obama's ability to cast an inspirational vision.

On the other hand, I would put Huckabee's skills in that area up against Obama without hesitation. They both will inspire their respective bases and independents. So, no matter who ends up in the White House, the voters will have been given a real choice between competing ideas as well as competing politicians.

So please, stop the Coronation Express and let cooler heads prevail--at least until someone has actually sown up the nomination by getting 1192 committed delegates.