Entry 1 -- June 21, 2004

Ronald Reagan was a great man. Even in his death, he is a catalyst for me to become a better person. Let me explain: Two and a half weeks ago, Ronald Reagan passed away. The week following Reagan's death was a profound respite of unique introspection in America. These feelings captured a majority of the nation. This is particularly significant because we are in the midst of a very partisan election season (Bush v. Kerry). Although I would like to say that this chorus of good will was the product of shared political ideology, I am not naive. Rather, Reagan's death made us look back in reminisce on better days (I never though I would say that-I sounds like my parents). The eighties; wow what a great decade. The music, the economy, and my teenage years; I can't help but smile. Over the last 10-15 years this nostalgic optimism had somewhat faded in my mind. Two weeks ago, the tributes to Ronald Reagan's character-His style, optimism, and unyielding pursuit of principle--brought those old optimistic, ideological outlooks back. True, Reagan's days were simpler times. The world only had two major competing political philosophies. The demarcations between good and evil were easier to identify. This retrospective reality, however, was not always obvious. Looking back to the time before Reagan took office; one might have thought the world was complexity of strategic and political conundrums. It was the time of Detente and M.A.D. (mutual assured destruction)-moral equivalency. But despite the nature of the world body politico, it took a man like Reagan superimpose a good v. evil paradigm on our nation-to simplify a simple reality.

I have always been intrigued with Reagan. In 1988, Reagan was the subject of my speech and debate bill-take Andrew Jackson's face of the twenty and put on Reagan's face. It passed (well as amended-create a $15 bill). My knowledge of Reagan was more than survey knowledge, but not terribly in-depth. In the last two weeks, however, I desired to know more about what really made Reagan tick (I do not know why I did not think of it sooner). Well, I bought a book-an unlikely anecdotal biography of Reagan written by his speech writer Peter Robinson, who, at age 25 went to work for Reagan. I am half-way through, and I must say, I am enthralled. This brings me to my original point. I am trying to become more like Reagan. In Robinson's book, he highlights Reagan's prowess as an avid reader and writer (journal, letters). Robinson credits Reagan's ability to communicate to his relentless practice of these skills. Well I though I would give it a try. I hope that I can be consistent for my sake and the sake of my posterity. My goals for this undertaking are to leave my posterity and me with a written record of my thoughts, emotions, daily undertakings, political rants and whatever else materializes. One thing I know for certain is that I will likely not be consistent in style or substance in this endeavor. It is only my hope to be consistent in action (At least weekly recordings). With that said, I am off to bed. Justin out.

Entry number 2-what to say? Considering my first entry was a political tirade, this might be a good time to give a snapshot of my life. You know, start broad and work in. Here goes. I am 32 years old. For the first time in my life I really feel like an adult. Beyond my blatant denial of growing older, there is a logical explanation for this delayed acceptance of my age: until 2 years ago, I was a student. Having a student's status can trick you into thinking that you are still young. Although I received a paycheck last year by clerking at a court, Judicial Clerkships are really just transitional phase from student to adult. Why? Because there is lot of academia involved. It wasn't until January 2004-the point at which I entered the 8-5 workforce-that I began to see the benefits and detriments of adulthood. This brings me to my job. What is it? I am a Navy JAG. I have been so since August. I really love being a JAG, although it's not as sexy as one might imagine. (But neither are any careers in law. The only difference is that others might think that being a JAG is sexier-especially getting to wear that "fagoty white uniform" [a reference from a movie classic-'A Few Good Men'). In reality, the thing I love most about being a JAG has nothing to do with the job itself. The JAG Corp's greatest value to me is its contribution to my quality of life outside work. Let me explain-the nature of the JAG Corp, both in the job itself and philosophy, is that it promotes a balanced approach to self development. What other job can you get to work at 8, leave at 4 and still have about an hour and one half to workout (at some of the best work-out facilities in the world). I am able to come home a completely focus on myself and my family.

The first six months of my JAG career involved the "training pipeline." This was a series of schools that I attended in Newport, RI (tough assignment, huh?) and Norfolk, VA. Most of the training feeling strangely similar to my bar review courses and trial advocacy classes. During training, I was a geo-bachelor (living away from my family). This was both difficult and fun. Difficult because I missed my wife and kids, but fun because I got to hang with some of the coolest people that I have ever met. If there is one thing that you can say about the JAG Corp, it is full of amazing people. In January, I was reunited with Lisa and the girls at our new home in Springfield, VA. It is so good to be with them again.

So what do I do in the JAG Corp? Without getting into all the possible jobs of a first tour LT in the JAG Corp, I will some it up in three different jobs. During my 3 years in DC at the Navy Legal Service Office, I will be a legal assistance attorney, an attorney advocating for service members' disability evaluations at the PEB (Physical Evaluation Board), and a criminal defense counsel. Right now I am a legal assistance attorney. Specifically, I am the officer in charge at the Pentagon Legal Assistance Office. Simply put, I handle all legal assistance for all the branches of service at the pentagon. Although this can be stressful at times, I have found great satisfaction in providing legal counsel for some of the Nations most senior officers. Specifically, my job involves the following issues; consumer law, landlord/tenant, contract interpretation, domestic relations, and the bread and butter-Estate planning. What can I say, good times. In addition to my duties at the Pentagon, I also spend some time at both Bethesda National Naval Hospital and Paxtuxent River Naval Air Base in Southern Maryland doing periodic legal assistance. For the most part, I love my job and I love my life. That is enough background for now. Justin out.

Entry 3:

Entry 3 - June 26, 2004

Today's entry has a theme-Book reviews. Below is a list of books that I have read in 2004. You can till a lot about people by what they read.

1. "Treason : Liberal Treachery from the Cold War to the War on Terrorism", Ann Coulter:

From the Publisher: Treason Reexamines the sixty-year history of the Cold War and beyond-including the career of Senator Joseph McCarthy, the Whittaker Chambers-Alger Hiss affair, Ronald Reagan's challenge to Mikhail Gorbachev to "tear down this wall," the Gulf War, and our present war on terrorism-Coulter reveals how liberals have been horribly wrong in all their political analyses and policy prescriptions. McCarthy, exonerated by the Venona Papers if not before, was basically right about Soviet agents working for the U.S. government. Hiss turned out to be a high-ranking Soviet spy (who consulted Roosevelt at Yalta). Reagan, ridiculed throughout his presidency, ended up winning the Cold War. And George W. Bush, also an object of ridicule, has performed exceptionally in responding to America's newest threats at home and abroad.

My Take: Telling. Base on historical track record, If you have to bet on who will be on the right side of history, go with the conservatives.

2. "Shut Up and Sing: How Elites from Hollywood, Politics, and the UN are Subverting America", Laura Ingraham:

From the Publisher: Meet the elites.

They think you're stupid. They think all freedom loving Americans are stupid. They think patriotism is stupid. They think churchgoing is stupid. They think flag-flying is stupid. They despise families with more than two children. They are sure that where we live-anywhere but near or in a few major cities-is an insipid cultural wasteland.

From environmentalists to Hollywood celebrities to media yuppies, no American elite is safe from the astutely critical eye of Laura Ingraham. In this refreshing book Ingraham probes the condescending elitism of liberals in politics and entertainment. She shows how their lack of national pride, their distaste for religion, and their disregard of American ideals are undermining traditions and values across the country. And her criticisms go deeper than just the elites in the Democratic Party; she even zeroes in on elite enclaves in the GOP.

Ingraham reveals:
1.Why the elites want America to be torn down, tradition by tradition
2.The real reason Hollywood is politically moronic: including a case study of "Stupid White Man" Michael Moore
3.How to understand the goals of the elite - and spot their tactics
4.Why the elites are "theophobic" - and bent on eradicating religion from American life
5.The antiwar crowd: anti-Americanism in disguise
6.Why our current immigration policies border on insanity
7.How our colleges and schools try to brainwash students in political correctness and anti-Americanism
8.The UN: why this darling of the elites desperately needs to be reformed, reconfigured, and reoriented
9.Why the elites are either losing or on shaky ground on most issues

Meet the elites. They have big plans for us. But with dead-on wit and precision, Laura Ingraham shows how we can torpedo their plans.

My Take: This book is more than hyperbole and political rhetoric. Laura has done her homework (I can see why she was a judicial clerk for the U.S. Supreme Court). Even the most astute (obsessed) political junkie will thirst off the new, and sometimes surprising, context Laura adds to discussion about the malady of liberal think. I can't wait til her next book.

3. "Give Me a Break : How I Exposed Hucksters, Cheats, and Scam Artists and Became the Scourge of the Liberal Media...", John Stossel.

From the publisher: Ballooning government? Millionaire welfare queens? Tort lawyers run amok? A $330,000 outhouse, paid for with your tax dollars?
John Stossel says, "Give me a break." When he hit the airwaves thirty years ago, Stossel helped create a whole new category of news, dedicated to protecting and informing consumers. As a crusading reporter, he chased snake-oil peddlers, rip-off artists, and corporate thieves, winning the applause of his peers.

But along the way, he noticed that there was something far more troublesome going on: While the networks screamed about the dangers of exploding BIC lighters and coffeepots, worse risks were ignored. And while reporters were teaming up with lawyers and legislators to stick it to big business, they seldom reported the ways the free market made life better.

In Give Me a Break, Stossel explains how ambitious bureaucrats, intellectually lazy reporters, and greedy lawyers make your life worse even as they claim to protect your interests. Taking on such sacred cows as the FDA, the War on Drugs, and scaremongering environmental activists -- and backing up his trademark irreverence with careful reasoning and research -- he shows how the problems that government tries and fails to fix can be solved better by the extraordinary power of the free market.

He traces his journey from cub reporter to 20/20 co-anchor, revealing his battles to get his ideas to the public, his struggle to overcome stuttering, and his eventual realization that, for years, much of his reporting missed the point.

Stossel concludes the book with a provocative blueprint for change: a simple plan in the spirit of the Founding Fathers to ensure that America remains a place "where free minds -- and free markets -- make good things happen."

My Take: I almost converted to libertarianism on the spot (I just had trouble with Stossel's enthusiasm for extending personal liberty to include assisted suicide, legalized prostitution and dwarf-tossing). This truly is one of the best reads ever. Stossel is full of common sense. Although the book is authored by a news magazine journalist, it is lased with very in-depth discussion of economic principles. I learned a lot.

4. "The Da Vinci Code", Dan Brown.

From the publisher: While in Paris on business, Harvard symbologist Robert Langdon receives an urgent late-night phone call: the elderly curator of the Louvre has been murdered inside the museum. Near the body, police have found a baffling cipher. While working to solve the enigmatic riddle, Langdon is stunned to discover it leads to a trail of clues hidden in the works of Da Vinci -- clues visible for all to see -- yet ingeniously disguised by the painter.

Langdon joins forces with a gifted French cryptologist, Sophie Neveu, and learns the late curator was involved in the Priory of Sion -- an actual secret society whose members included Sir Isaac Newton, Botticelli, Victor Hugo, and Da Vinci, among others.
In a breathless race through Paris, London, and beyond, Langdon and Neveu match wits with a faceless powerbroker who seems to anticipate their every move. Unless Langdon and Neveu can decipher the labyrinthine puzzle in time, the Priory's ancient secret -- and an explosive historical truth -- will be lost forever.

My Take: This is my first attempt at secular fiction since the days of book reports in high school. I must say, I was pleasantly surprised. The Da Vinci Code, however, is not typical fiction. It is fictionally based religious history. Frankly, I found it fascinating. Right now there is a lot of buzz about this book. Probably the most controversial is the book's take on Jesus' personal relationship with Mary Magdalene. The prospect of Jesus being married…? Let's just say, I don't buy the book's thesis, but in concept it makes since to me. Bottom line this book is a page turner.

5. "Angels & Demons", Dan Brown.

From the publisher: An ancient secret brotherhood. A devastating new weapon of destruction. An unthinkable target. World-renowned Harvard symbologist Robert Langdon is summoned to a Swiss research facility to analyze a cryptic symbol seared into the chest of a murdered physicist. What he discovers is unimaginable: a deadly vendetta against the Catholic Church by a centuries-old underground organization -- the Illuminati. Desperate to save the Vatican from a powerful time bomb, Langdon joins forces in Rome with the beautiful and mysterious scientist Vittoria Vetra. Together they embark on a frantic hunt through sealed crypts, dangerous catacombs, deserted cathedrals, and the most secretive vault on earth...the long-forgotten Illuminati lair.

My take: Awesome-just as good as The Da Vinci Code. Although not as controversial, the story line keeps you enthralled. The religious historical account (Catholic), although told with a fictional story line, falls just short as the number one reason to read this book. Brown's books are going to make great movies.

6. "How Ronald Reagan Changed My Life", Peter Robinson.

From Publishers Weekly: Conservatives, exult! Robinson's self-help/memoir/Reagan hagiography is an All I Really Need to Know I Learned in Kindergarten for right-wingers. The former White House speechwriter and author of It's My Party: A Republican's Messy Love Affair with the GOP and Snapshots from Hell: The Making of an MBA illuminates 10 life lessons in a love letter to the Gipper ("How," Robinson asks, "did such a nice guy get to be President?"). By looking at both the historical (supply-side economics, the Cold War, Iran-contra) and the personal (Reagan's beliefs, his relationship with his family), Robinson unearths maxims such as "Do your work" and "Say your prayers." The stories are engaging, and he tosses in dashes of philosophy, such as the nature of good and evil, based on Reagan's ideas. The writing style, though, is repetitive, and occasionally Robinson makes leaps in his assumptions of Reagan's motivations; none of this, however, dilutes the message. Each lesson is related to Robinson's own life either in contrast or to show how he's made Reagan's lessons "scalable" for his own use. Interviews with and stories about many of the major players of the Reagan administration, like Ed Meese and Colin Powell, lend an insider's feel. Behind-the-scenes details, such as how the famous "Tear Down the Wall" speech was composed, give a fresh perspective. And while Robinson's respect for the former president verges on deification, especially as he glosses over Reagan's shortcomings ("Now, I myself was never able to get worked up over the deficits," Robinson says), this book provides solid, if somewhat obvious, lessons that will appeal to the legions of Reagan fans. Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information, Inc.

My Take: I am almost finished with this book. I love this book. Simply put, Reagan was a great man-this is the essence of this book. As discussed in my first journal entry, and along with Robinson, I will take a few nuggets from Reagan's life and apply them to mine. The most obvious is this journal. Good stuff.

7. "Jesus the Christ", James E. Talmage

From the Publisher: Since it was first published in September 1915, Jesus the Christ has been a classic text on the life and ministry of the Savior. Elder Marion G. Romney has said, "One who gets the understanding, the vision, and the spirit of the resurrected Lord through a careful study of the text Jesus the Christ by Elder James E. Talmage will find that he has greatly increased his moving faith in our glorified Redeemer."

In his preface to the first edition, Elder Talmage wrote: "The author has departed from the course usually followed by writers on the Life of Jesus Christ, which course, as a rule, begins with the birth of Mary's Babe and ends with the ascension of the slain and risen Lord from Olivet. The treatment embodied in these pages, in addition to the narrative of the Lord's life in the flesh, comprises the antemortal existence and activities of the world's Redeemer, the revelations and personal manifestations of the glorified and exalted Son of God during the apostolic period of old and in modern times, the assured nearness of the Lord's second advent, and predicted events beyond-all so far as the Holy Scriptures make it plain.

"It is particularly congruous and appropriate that the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints-the only Church that affirms authority based on specific revelation and commission to use the Lord's Holy Name as a distinctive designation-should set forth her doctrines concerning the Messiah and His mission."

Dr. Talmage first presented his study on the Savior as a series of lectures delivered under the auspices of the Deseret Sunday School Union Board at the LDS University in Salt Lake City from September 1904 to April 1906. He was subsequently asked by the First Presidency of the Church to publish the lectures in book form. Because of other commitments, he was unable to complete this assignment for several years.

On December 8, 1911, Dr. Talmage was ordained a member of the Council of the Twelve Apostles of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Less than three years later he was able at last to continue his work on the manuscript, writing in long-hand, in a council room on the fourth floor of the Salt Lake Temple. As chapters were completed, he presented them to the First Presidency, members of the Twelve, and Sunday School board members.

In his journal under date of April 19, 1915, Elder Talmage wrote: "Finished the actual writing on the book 'Jesus the Christ,' to which I have devoted every spare hour since settling down to the work of composition on September 14th last. Had it not been that I was privileged to do this work in the Temple it would be at present far from completion. I have felt the inspiration of the place and have appreciated the privacy and quietness incident thereto. I hope to proceed with the work of revision without delay."

My Take: This is the 2nd time that I have read this book. It is a timeless classic. I really feel like I know Christ better having read this book. This book makes a perfect companion to the New Testament. Talmage was a genius. I once heard a story that I cannot confirm is true. It goes like this: Albert Einstein was once asked how it feels to be the smartest man alive. He said "I don't know, ask James Talmage." Einstein and Talmage were contemporaries in science. Talmage was the president of the University of Utah while Einstein was discovering some of his best science. One thing both men had in common is an unyielding belief in a higher power. Talmage brings all his genius and scientific background to the table to create solid literary masterpiece. Read the footnotes-they are some of the most interesting parts.

Besides countless newspaper and magazines articles, the list above represents my reads for the first half of 2004. I will do my best next January to report on the 2nd half. Justin Out.