If Cowboys are America's team, what does that say about America?

The 2008 Dallas Cowboys were loaded with as much talent and superstars as any Yankees team that Steinbrenner has cobbled together. But as the Yankees have proven, talent and hype wins nothing but airtime on daytime sports talk shows.

I've been with the Cowboys ever since Danny White was handing the ball to Tony Dorsett under the silent but stern eye of the great Tom Landry. I can't explain my allegiance other then the fact that my older brother got me into them and I have never wavered since. Until now.

I am having an increasingly difficult time handling the cognitive dissonance that resides within my sports affiliation decision making process. I can no longer justify the awkward juxtaposition that exists between what I ideally want in a sports franchise and my love for the Cowboys.

You want a team that wins, right? Yes, that is the bottom line for most fans. But, just as important, you want a team that wins the right way. You want a team that embodies the values that you embrace. (i.e. Pittsburgh Steelers mirroring the gritty, blue collar mentality of its city) You want a team that has leadership, drive, and mutual respect. You work hard to succeed in your job and you expect the players on your team to putting forth the same effort to hone their craft within the team. You want a team that believes that whole is truly bigger then the sum of its parts.

Does that describe the Dallas Cowboys? I only wish it did. We've got a crisis of leadership and accountability and it starts at the top. Teams mirror their ownership and leadership. Do you wonder why the 2008 Dallas Cowboys turned into a circus? Look no further then Jerry Jones.

Taliesin: Frank Lloyd Wright's Super-Cool Adult Fort

The Washington Street foundation truly is the gift that keeps giving. I don't know about the kids but I'm sure getting a lot out of these field trips. This month it was a visit to the little village
that Frankie built, all nestled up in the desert lushness of the McDowell mountains east of Scottsdale.

I couldn't help but enjoy a tinge of irony as we had to pass through some of the most superficial and decadent areas in Scottsdale to get to Taliesin. I chuckled as I observed how the simple serenity of this little community overshadowed all of the super leveraged and soulless houses that occupied the foothills just a stones throw below. I think that Mr. Wright would also share this feeling.

Despite the fact that residential development has now creeped up to its very edges this place is suprisingly peaceful. You can spend several hours here without even giving in to the temptation to look at your watch or blackberry.

The guides really bring this place to life. There are layers and layers of subtle history here that can only be uncovered by those who have lived to make it. In our case we were led by a spry older lady who has spent over 30 years on this campus. She was able to point out designs that originated here and that revolutionized the way we in which we design and build.

This place has a simple yet elegant design about it. It seems organic enough to feel like an elaborate fort yet sophisticated enough to host a dinner party, which it did back when the great architect was still alive. This place made the Swiss Family Robinson tree house seem so.....so, Disney in comparison.

This campus is still a vibrant center for learning. I couldn't think of a more serene and focused setting to learn how to build structures that are in harmony with nature. There is a small student body that basically lives in self-constructed forts during their academic stay. Let's see a textbook try to reach a mind like that.

All in all this was a worthwhile visit and a true gem to the Phoenix landscape. I'm surprised that it took this long for me to make the visit. True and inspired genius doesn't come around often, especially here. So you've got to savor and learn from those rare occurrences that you can create an intimate and tangible connection to the inspired.

Setting politics aside to savor a seminal moment

It started like any other morning. The TV was turned on as I was going through the daily routine. Then everything changed. As expected the news coverage was all over the upcoming inauguration, only this time the electricity was more real and organic and less manufactured. I was instantly captivated and enthralled. A sudden anticipation enveloped me that can only be described as the giddy feelings that precede the rush down the stairs on Christmas morning or the hours before departing on your dream vacation. I dropped my morning work plans and started to anxiously pace around the living room listening and watching the coverage.

Is this odd? I didn't vote for Mr. Obama. Most of my political views do not correspond with what he proposed on the campaign trail. I still have my doubts about his ability to live up to the "messiah-like" expectations that the media and country have placed upon his shoulders. I wonder about the direction that he will take this country. But.....this morning none of that mattered. The traditional partisan spirit was suspended, at least temporarily, and we- the whole Nation- was experiencing a rare and incredibly positive moment together.

The feelings felt this morning transcend one person, narrow ideologies, or the Washington DC that we are normally fed on the evening news. The pride and humility felt this morning were based on a system of government that has stood the test of time. The feeling that knowing that your nation doesn't rest on one person or party; knowing that this system still is able to work despite the chaos that swirls around. I know that the rest of the world watched in envy as a deeply divided and bruised country came together to peacefully and seamlessly pass the torch of leadership on to a new regime.

It was a collectively cathartic moment for the nation as we saw President Bush welcome President Obama to the White House. At this moment there was no rancor but only a sense that we can appreciate a nation that can have two very different people at its helm. I really feel that both men have our best interests at heart. We have been given the great gift to start anew, a tabula rasa that can effectively destroy the partisan gridlock that is endemic in DC and get people working towards solutions and not payoffs. There is a palpable sense of goodwill and both sides need to seize it and move towards solutions that are less motivated by polls and interest groups.

There were also some incredibly candid and humanizing moments. I was amused when I saw Bush Sr. slap a Marine as he walked by him. I smiled when President Obama stumbled in repeating the Oath of Office. Our system is what is to be lauded and what is to be eternal. We are merely stewards to these noble ideals....and we are mortals and prone to human mistakes. Through it all there were smiles all around. Even President Obama was able to chuckle at his mistakes in following the incredibly formal protocol.

The speech was brillant. It addressed our current struggles but wasn't mired in policy detail. It was conveyed with the calm confidence that got this man elected. It spoke of unity and was driven with a strong sense of purpose. He spoke of the strides this country has made regarding the Civil Rights movement without making his speech and candidacy be solely about Civil Rights. He is bigger then one group or cause.

After the speech more formality and procedures. It seems like we have enough strange traditions and protocols to make ancient Rome look like a backyard barbecue. Quirky? Yes! But I'm glad we have these traditions. They are reminders of what we have come from. They should keep us grounded.

I had to get back to work and my day to day responsibilities. But I am forever grateful that I took the time to witness this event. I am once again reminded of the absolute blessing it is to live in this great nation. That in spite of all that divides us there is still a very strong common thread that keeps us together. We are a great nation and it is time for us to wake up again and reclaim our potential.

Transcript of Inaugural Speech

The new U2

As expected leaks of the new U2 album, particularly the first song- "Get on your boots", have begun to surface. The hyperbole and expectations are high as early reports have this album leaving the safe confines of ATYCLB and HTDAAB and moving into the more adventurous country that gave us Achtung Baby.

We'll see shortly. In the meantime enjoy the clip

Pertinent Reading

We read for diversion, we read for knowledge, we read for greater insights into ideas that might be beyond our current grasp, we even read to try to get our minds around events that are swirling around us. The book, "Age of Turbulence" by Alan Greenspan combines those things and is a must read for anyone coming to grips with the brutal hole that we have dumped our economy into.

As a person who has been intimately involved in shaping and interpreting every major economic development since the 1950's; Mr. Greenspan is an an absolutely unique position as narrator. Despite the fact that the book is loaded with mountains of Macro Economic jargon it still is entertaining and reads almost as fast as any book that Grisham ever wrote. It is an absolute godsend for any student of political economics who is sick of how absolutely insipid and prosaic most textbooks are.

One of the most informative insights shared was how separate economic and political timing is. For example, Bush Sr. took important but politically questionable actions to help push the economy out of recession. Unfortunately his successor, Mr. Bill, was the one who was around to see those efforts take fruit. It was also interesting but sad to see how we second handedly destroyed our largest budget surplus in history through the bursting of the dot.com bubble, President Bush's stubbornness in not shelving his campaign promises despite of changing circumstances, and Congress and its insatiable desire for pork barrel politics.

Do yourself a favor and give this book a read. Economics have never been more sexy. It is very pertinent and, at the very least, it will make you more interesting at the next coctail party.

Embracing the "YES" man

It's a new year and a new list of new resolutions. This year was slightly different as we got an early push from our good Canadian friend, Jim Carrey. Upon seeing his new movie "Yes Man" we decided to take a similar approach and embrace the new and exciting possibilities offered to us by this wonderous thing called life. (Well at least as exciting as things can get out in the greater Mesa area.)

With our resolutions and goals augmented by our hollywood aided fervor for trying out new things we have an ambitious plan of trying out a distinctly new thing each week for the duration of 2009. Highlights so far include:

• Taking up Chess- For whatever reason I feel sort of sophisticated and cultured when I play this, like I am attending an elite English public school.
• Oil Painting- My first attempt was a horrid and naieve attempt to blend surrealism and nature. But I'm well supplied and hopefully getting better.
• Durant's- This is a real Phoenix establishment. This old steak house once catered to the Phoenix elite and even the mob. This is a course in fine dining and Phoenician history.