I am the expert of my own ideas:

here's one of my ideas: a new Political Treatise

Given the option, there would be the following:

1. The Party System and Voting: there would be 4 major parties to vote for (and any number of smaller minor parties) splitting up the population in the following brackets:
a. Fiscally Conservative - Social Conservatives
b. Fiscally Liberal - Social Conservatives
c. Fiscally Conservative - Social Liberals
d. Fiscally Liberal - Social Liberals
Each group would be well defined but operate on a gray scale. Whereas people would evolve migrating between groups as they age, and the groups would evolve as the times change. Voting would be compulsory for every registered citizen. Political education would be included in Middle and High School curiculum. Defining this ciriculum would be up to local school board authority allowing for regional cultural affect. Lastly, Presidents could hold office for up to 3 consecutive 4 year terms.

2. Policy Reforms:

• Military Spending: One of a few essential functions of any national government is the provision of a strong national defense. In the US's case, it's within the interest of the Nation to maintain its status as the superiority in the air, land, and sea. However, the total budget would be trimmed creating a paradigm of trim and efficient stewadship of their financial responsibility. The surplus cashflow would be released back unto the population.

3. Social Welfare transforms:

• Welfare: As a development of the Depression Era, the time for this service has passed. Combined with the misuse and abuse of the system, its utility and effectiveness has diminished over the previous 80 years. Social welfare systems for the fit and firm would cease altogether leaving behind a scaled back version designed to provide whatever is needed for the truly unfit and infirm. These services would be uplifted and gusseted with the revenue recouperated from the collapse of the former system currently in place.
• Equal Opportunity: An exit strategy is needed to outline the graduated closeout of this Nationally mandated and funded service. The goal stays the same: equal and fair treatment for all, the timeline is no longer open ended.
• Internal Revenue Service reforms: The deparment would cease to function, replaced by a GST or flat rate taxes collected a times of sale paid regularly by all. Loop Holes and tax shelters would only be smarlty applied and carefully monitored.

4. Homeland Security Services: the various intelligence branches would all be housed under one roof and stripped of redundant staff. A common charter would unit the disciplines into two purposful units: outward and internal facing departments. The Nationa Guard would be moved here for Centralized communications and purpose.

5. Department of Natural Resources transform:

• th DOI, the beureau of Reclamation, etc. would be combined and redesigned with a common thread and purpose. This being the ensured sustainability of this country's Natual resource wealth. The natural wealth is defined as this nation's biodiversity, geological resource, habitat integrity and freshwater resources. All federal lands become open to the public without fee for access. All operational funds come from the tax base. Permits are continued for any resource extraction as well as a followed on plan to mitigate the effect made upon the landscape.

6. Rationalized HealthCare Reform:

• Consolidation of HealthCare services ranging from mental, throughout medical and then combined with wellness initiatives (i.e. fitness and nutrition) under one coordinated organization. This Department of Health and Human Services would not be state ran. Rather, it would be operated by privatized corporate entities and funded by the Federal Govt. It would furthermore include provisions of universal availability for every citizen regardless of insurability or socioeconomic status. Additionaly, there would be tierd programs for cosmetic services and other optional procedures. It would recieve substantial funding

More of St. Mary's receding snowline

 

the laides of St. Mary's

notice Mary's receding hairline... Not much snow left these days! 

Kashi up on the glacier

enjoying the snow 

Kashi's first St. Mary's Sneaux experience

her first day in the pow... at full sprint. 

St. Mary's "Glacier" climb

another pic from this sunday. 

St. Mary's "Glacier

a quick trip up the the "glacier" this weekend proved to be an awesome way to spend a sunday. 

the end game

the cnclusion:

when we look at ourselves in the mirror and see a person who has become an effective manager, then something has certainly been accomplished. but it alone is not the goal, rather it is just a milestone... a milemarker along what is otherwise a lifelong journey. it could be seen as a turning point in one's career even, but not the end game. there is more landscape to cover, other goals to achieve adding to your personality. skills like compassion, empathy, understading, powers of persuation, and more.

for none of us, there never really is an end game.

another nice picture of the waves

such a nice day out this day. 

so there was a few waves

but really, it was warm out and the water was quite refreshing. 

a few remaining pictures to look back upon.

quick pic of the day... looking out the starboard porthole window. 

Getting ready for being out on anchor

The original plan called for our boat to be pulled off the pier and put to anchor about a mile offshore to make way for a larger inbound fishing vessel, but that boat has been delayed and saved us a day from having to go out. so instead of going out yesterday, we are scheduled to take off here in just about an hour or so.

the weather is beginning to sour just a bit with some wind kicking up and grey skies moving in. its a shame as the weather has been SO comfortable for at least a week now. You could hardly call this winter, more like a seasonaly cool fall day in colorado. absolutely fantastic. but, with any luck i will get a taste of some crazy waves while we're on anchor. until next post...

may the wind always be at your backs.

c:\v

tha boot

looking along its starboard aft section with the rescue boots hanging up on the side. 

another of the sunrise

with a container ship in the middle ground... 

This morning's sunrise:

today started off with a phenomenal sunrise. The cloud deck was pretty low and consisted of a solid unyeilding gray which was equitably balanced by the sea's mirror likeness of it. And thinly exposed between the two was a band of pink and yellow streaks right at the horizon that lasted for quite a while. It made for some nice pics. Unfortunately however, i was unable to catch pics of the multiple schools of playing dolphins that were within just yards of me. there were so many of them playing aboot right in front of the pier here, that i took a moment to watch their antics. It constituted one of the only times i have listened that closely to the breathing of sea mammals and rally put the icing on the cake for today. 

closer up

another shot of the pups 

Wild Puppies!

These pups follo... well, more like escorted us back to the boat. they were the friendliest dogs i've met. i am sure they were in part motivated by the potential of food, but it was nice to have a canine around even if it was just for a bit. 

Hotel Noguiera

Up close and personal. This is (for all i know so far) the front entrance to the hotel. Underneath is the pub i mentioned a few pictures below. we went back the other night for more schop (draft beer) and good times (but no great oldies). 

another pic of the fantastic weather

today was not quite as nice. A heavy fog came through the region today spilling out off the continent and into the sea and swallowing up all the ships. It was pretty dramatic and beaitfully grey. but despite the drama it ended up being very calm with barely no wind at'all and hardly no waves to speak of. 

A beautiful day today

2 chilean military boats coming in, or is it going out... not sure. these boats in particular are moving on and off the dock so much that i have lost track. But, they do make for a pretty cool picture. 

Chile's Ski Season is just weeks away from starting

You too can ski or ride Patagonia for a mere 16$/US per day! that's right... but as this was the first snow of the season, you may want to hold out a little longer. 

Family Portrait

Good morning everyone, Kim sent this down to me yesterday and i felt compelled to post it up here as the watkins family portrait. enjoi! 

late breaking news

Starting next Tuesday and lasting until Saturday morning, the NBP will be shoving off the pier and hoisting its anchor off the coast by a couple of miles (going on the hook in maritime terms). Rumor has it that another boat on some other pier has been siezed due to the sudden appearance of 195 unmanifested items on said boat. That being the case, it has been ordered to stay put and is occupying a parking spot that another vessel, currently out at sea on en route to PA, had intended to occupy. This ship will now dock at our pier and necessitating our removal to make room for it. Must be a large boat. I suppose this will constitue my first "ocean going cruise." More info to follow...

Downtown PA, last post

And just something fun. Thanks for reading. 

Downtown PA part 4 or 5

Inside Los Taverna... Apparantly, this tavern has been around a while. From talking about it today at lunch, Mike, an Eco employee and occaisional ship's captain, told me a quick story where Shakleton himself came to this very pub when he FINALLY made it back to Chile after his harrowing trip back across the Drake Passage in his 26' boat amidst his attempt to reach civilization after having the HMS Endurance sunk by ice flow. He apparantly was so overwhelmed by the noise, that he drew his pistol and shot into the cieling to queit the crowd. After his short stay here in PA he had commisioned a boat to assist in the resuce of the rest of his crew who were still patiently marooned on Elephant Island.

This marks the second bit of Shakleton living history i have crossed paths with in the past year 9outside of Antarctica of course). The first time was at Qual Island in Lyttleton Harbour, NZ. I hope Shakleton doesn't think that i'm stalikng him... ;)

Downtown PA, bonus desktop image

just a cool closeup inside the taverna of a ships lantern. 

Downtown PA, part 3

And here is the purveyor of the malty beverage i so craved for earlier in the day. This is the Hotel Noguiera. This is the building i mentioned a couple of posts ago, being the first brick and morter anything in PA. Its a stunning building from any angle. The tavern is located in the basemet and is decorated in reclaimed historic ship furnishings. Next slide... 

Downtown PA Cont, Center Square

This is the central statue depicted in the last photo. It is emblazoned on 4 sides with PA's story. This one has a resting native sitting above the imprint of Magellanes' ship. This essentially marks the crossroads of culture in that oh so familiar transition from indigenous inhabitance to European settlement. Hernando Magellanes was a Portuguese maritime explorer who led the first successful attempt to circumnavigate the Earth. He came around and through these straights in 1520 which he called the 'All Saints Channel' at the time. Next slide... 

Downtown PA Cont.

...And then you come to the central plaza or just 'the square' to the locals. This is essentialy town center for as far as i know. Just beyond the center statues is the first brick building ever established in PA. This park possesses that certain magic capable of dramatically transforming the walk from the pier through town to a completely different place and time. You are suddenly thrust into a Mid-Western American small town park complete with autumn's smell and comfortable lustre.