Joining

No real news to report.  I've done a little bit of research and I'm interested in the Republican Liberty Caucus.  This seems to be the Goldwater/Paul wing of the Republican party.  I've read through their Statement of Principles and can buy into most of it.

I do, however, have some reservation about becoming a big "R" Republican again.  I've been fairly comfortable the last several years not being a member of any political party.  I'm just not sure I can move forward and be able to affect change without joining.

I'm also a bit concerned about my ability to actually do anything with the RLC here is south Alabama.  The state chapter is in Birmingham and I don't think there is a local group.  I don't know if I'm ready to be a leader at this point and try and start anything here in Mobile.  I'm much more comfortable joining an existing group.  I'll keep looking.

 -JJA

Meet the New Boss - Same as the Old Boss

I'm dusting off my virtual soapbox because I am politically frustrated and I don't know what to do about it. It seems like both major parties are arguing about the degree to which they want to continue bad policies, rather than looking for fresh ideas and leading the country in accepting them.

I didn't vote for either Romney or Obama because when it came right down do it, on civil liberties and foreign policy there was no significant difference in their positions. As for the economy, to the extent that a president has the power to affect it, we would have just been trading one type of crony capitalism for another.

I've thought about formally joining the Libertarian party, but we have to face the fact that third party candidates will rarely be taken seriously and will win politically even less often.  I'm leaning toward finding a liberty oriented group (one focused on less government and more freedoms) and trying to make a difference there.  Maybe it will be within the Republican party or maybe it'll be a non-partisan organization, I'm not really sure what my options are at the moment.  I just know I want to do more than just complain.

If anyone has ideas or suggestions, I'm definitely open to them.

 -JJA

New Year’s Resolutions

I’ll admit, I haven’t felt like blogging much the last few months.  September was a bad month for me professionally.  The company for whom I worked for 13 years was forced to close it’s doors and the search for a new career is not exactly bearing a lot of fruit.  But the New Year has given me an opportunity and the motivation develop positive habits.

Here is the list of resolutions in no particular order of importance:

• Be more healthy.
  Of course part of that is the very cliché desire to lose some extra weight (my sedentary lifestyle has become much more so since I’ve not been working), but I also want to eat better, exercise more and drink less for it’s own sake.
• Have more adventures with the family.
  My kids are 9 and 7.  They are old enough to participate in activities that will create life long memories.  So part of being more active means I want to be more active with the kids and my wife.  I’m thinking some hiking, canoeing and camping are on tap for this spring.  There aren’t many places here in south Alabama to hike (except tromping around in the woods), but the northern part of the state has some gorgeous mountains, canyons and falls.
• Read more books.
  This is simply a habit I’ve neglected.  I love to read and used to devour books.  I’m out of the loop when it comes to authors worth knowing so if you have any suggestions (fantasy, horror or political non-fiction) I’d love to hear them.
• Blog regularly.
  I think twice a week qualifies as regularly.  There are a couple of reasons I want to get back into this habit.  It forces me to stay engaged in the wider world and it sharpens my thinking about issues I care about.  It is so easy to become insulated when you are out of work.
  And speaking of work…
• Get a job!
  Okay, this isn’t exactly a New Year’s resolution but it is important.

I’ll revisit this post in a few months and write an update about how I’m doing.

-Jay

What Does it Mean to be Out as an Atheist?

I’m an atheist.  I’ve joined Atheist Nexus.  I’ve affixed the Scarlet “A” from OutCampaign.org to this blog. I read and comment on other atheist-centric blogs.  My friends and family know I don’t believe in gods (some with more acceptance than others).  And I’m raising my children to be open minded and skeptical of dogma, no matter what the source.

But is that really “out?”

I’m not part of any local group.  I don’t have a Darwin “fish” on my car.  I close my eyes if someone with whom I’m in a group wishes to offer a prayer.  My children went to a religious preschool and their maternal grandmother takes them to church when she has the chance.

Maybe I’m just not “out” enough.

But hell, I don’t even care for the term.  It draws a parallel between a gay or lesbian acknowledging his or her own biological reality and me acknowledging a philosophical and intellectual point of view.  That parallel makes me uncomfortable because I think it diminishes the importance of the gay rights movement.

Being an atheist is important to me, but it doesn’t define me.  I hope that is not what it takes to be considered “out.”

-Jay

Great Afternoon…

Yesterday was fantastic.  I was able to get out of work a little bit early (although not as early as I would have liked) and go sailing with my parents for a few hours.  Despite a bit of trouble with the rigging that made raising the main sail a bit of a chore and possibly breaking a toe on the deck, I still had a great time.  A perfect way to end a work week.

-Jay

Random Thought

The world is made of matchsticks but America won't burn.

I couldn't sleep last night. I think it must be from stress. It looks very likely that the company I work for will close and I'll be out of a job again.

Anyhow, while I was laying in bed not sleeping I was thinking about the issue of flag burning and how I would protest a law banning it (I don't know why, maybe it had something to do with seeing the protests in Iran). While I was deciding if it would make a bigger impact to burn a flag on public or private property, the above phrase popped into my head. I don't think I've heard it anywhere before so I wanted to put it someplace so I don't lose it. Maybe I'll use it in the future if I need to write an essay about freedom of expression or flag burning in particular.

-Jay

Edit: 06.24.09

One more thing...I have two band names I'm going to use in Rock Band: "Secular Taliban" and "Wolves of Self Reliance."

Na na na na na na na na, Na na na na na na na na....

MAN CAVE!

I was reading a friend's blog post the other day and he was talking about getting his own space back.  I wish him luck in this.  I'm one of the lucky guys, in that I have (finally) been granted a space where I can fully display my beer bottle collection, my old swords and knives and other various nick knacks (yes guys can have nick knacks).  The problem is I don't really take care of it the way it deserves.

The washer and drier are in the same space (although hidden behind a black curtain) and I let that fact spoil the awesomeness that could be my Man Cave.  But no more!  Sean has inspired me once again claim what was (so generously (love you Babe!)) given to me and let it be a glorious testament to one of my favorite vices.

Speaking of favorite vices.  Alabama has passed the Gourmet Beer Law (thanks to the good folks at Free the Hops) that allows the sale of beers with a higher alcohol content.  What that means is that I will finally have local access to some of the micro brews and European brews that were denied me because of silly post prohibition era hand wringing.  The beer bottle collection pictured above (behind the laundry basket) contains about a hundred unique bottles whose contents have all been personally consumed.  I plan on cataloging the collection and posting it here so all you good people in other parts of the world can see what I'm missing and fill in the holes.  Send me a beer!

On that happy note....Cheers!

-Jay

Movin' on Up....

Toady my son is having his "Moving On" ceremony, a mini graduation complete with cap and gown from kindergarten.  Maybe I'm a curmudgeon, but doesn't this strike anyone else as a silly cheapening of a real and significant life event?  I mean by the time a kid gets to the real deal, he could have heard "Pomp & Circumstance" 3 or 4 times and might have a rack full of caps and gowns.

Don't get me wrong.  I am very proud of my son.  This has been a rough year and a rough adjustment for him (I think we are both glad to have it over).  I just don't think this kind of ceremony is the most appropriate way to express that pride.  Besides, I bet the kids enjoy the ice cream part afterward a lot more and it will mean more to them.

-Jay