Are guided more by practical considerations than ideological vision Believe US power is crucial to successful diplomacy - and vice versa Don't want US policy options unduly limited by world opinion or ethical considerations Believe strong alliances are important to US interests Weigh the political costs of foreign action Believe foreign intervention must be dictated by compelling national interest
Historical realist: President Dwight D. Eisenhower Modern realist: Secretary of State Colin Powell
I can live with being aligned with Ike and Colin Powell. Guess I think like a General.
1:14 PM
Doctors visit was to show me my cholesterol was out of whack and to further try to convince me to eat better and start exercising. Since I've started both, it was a pretty fast visit. The scale at the office showed that I've lost 9 lbs since last Monday, which makes sense b/c I started walking and cutting back on foods two days before starting Weight Watchers.
Wednesday, April 06, 2005
7:42 PM
First weigh in... 326.4. Down 7.4 pounds since last Wednesday!
Also, on the doctor, from what the nurse told me today, my cholesterol is a little high, and I'm guessing I will be told to alter my diet (Weight Watchers, check!) and get some exercise (been walking at least half an hour per day weather permitting, check!), so everything will hopefully be good with the doctor tomorrow (i.e., no more tests, medicines, etc).
They need me to come in this week to talk about my blood test results. Nothing life threatening but don't want to wait until the May appointment I made.
Really not sure what that means.
Sunday, April 03, 2005
10:37 PM Updates Fixed links to my office's website (upper left) and Beth's blog. Also added a Weight Watchers Log to the right column. Hoping that keeping updates there will act as added incentive for me to keep things up.
Friday, April 01, 2005
8:08 PM
Just thought I'd drop a quick line on the Pope. While my personal views and the official views of the Catholic Church sometimes are at odds, Pope John Paul II is a great man. I'm not feeling so much mourning for what is going on tonight because its time for him to finally rest. Very similar to how I felt when my dad finally reached the point of no return. He's suffered very long and its time for him to escape from the pain.
WWL's put up pictures of the Pope's Visit to New Orleans in 1987, and you can see how alive he was back then versus his declining state the last 5+ years. Seeing him at Mass and the Youth Rally in the Superdome donning a Mardi Gras mask with Archbishop Hannan makes his passing hit much more than the pictures on TV of him being wheeled around and propped up in recent years. I hope that his passing tonight is peaceful and painless, which it sounds like his doctors are ensuring.
Kinda random, just had some thoughts to get out. Seeing the slideshow on WWL just hit me.
"If we must take this war into their homes and burn them to the ground, we will do so."
-Gen. William Tecumseh Sherman
President, Louisiana State University
