Vox Lucens

Many of you undoubtedly saw the LivingSocial phenomenon that was the offer of $20 on amazon.com for a mere $10. I am delighted to report that I have such nice Facebook friends that, after posting a personalized link on that venue, I managed to get my $20 gift card for free.

Such bliss, my friends, comes with a very distinct price. The price of decision.

A long time ago, I heard Ravi Zacharias state that, whenever he went into a bookstore, the first thing he had to do was find a restroom, because he would get so excited at the prospect of so many books that he would need to go rather urgently. At moments like these, I sympathize.

…And, I’m back.

In logic, my friends, a “dilemma” traditionally has only two horns. I believe that what I find myself in is a dilemmammammammamma.

So, what will it be? I ask your advice.

Classics?

Law?

The stuff on my “must-get-to-eventually” list?

Policy and work-related stuff?

History?

Pure unadulterated fun?

This could go on for a long time, but I’m now open to votes.

From our family to yours, have a Merry Christmas!

While last year’s Wisconsin Alumni Association meeting was held in amazingly beautiful fall weather.  It seems highly ironic that this year’s, in Nevada, was covered in a wonderful snow.

There was at least one similarity, though - the same guy was elected President both times.  I appreciated the vote of confidence and the many kind words.

Being re-elected also gives me the chance to look backwards and forwards at the Alumni Association.  In doing so, I discovered that the Alumni Association is at the same point that I am in my own life: We are at the spot where we need to turn vision into reality.  It’s a hard place to be, in many ways, but it’s sure an exciting one.  The foundation is laid, the vision is there, and now it’s time to make something out of it all.

Here are my thoughts for the Alumni Association blog - which manage to be similar to introspective musings in re: yours truly.

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Every organization starts with a vision of something great. For the Alumni Association, that was a vision of expanding, promoting, and growing OBCL’s unique calling. Even as a student, I could see the vision of those that worked to establish this organization. It was apparent, and it trickled all the way down to my study-swamped self. In the intervening years, the vision has been clarified and built.

And in every organization’s life comes a time in which the established vision must be put into practical reality by dint of hard work. And as I looked back on the last year’s work done by the Alumni Association Board and numerous volunteers, I can’t help but realize that we are at that point in the Alumni Association’s life. The vision is there, and it is clear - and now comes the time in which we must turn that vision into practical reality.

This past year, the Board worked to lay the foundation to build this reality on. So many “small” components go into effective communication, effective promotion, and effective fundraising…and this list of essentials could go on. Beyond those normal challenges, the Alumni Association faces unique challenges simply because we are scattered all across this nation! One thing that I have greatly appreciated about the Board of Directors of this association is their willingness to do things the right way. We’ve never taken an idea and gone off half-cocked; we’ve taken good ideas and made them better - those ideas and that work is the foundation.

But right now we have this chance to turn vision into reality, if we are willing to put our noses to their respective grindstones and do the work. It’s time to take the foundation and build on it, taking those ideas into reality. And that is our goal for this year.

It was terrific to see the excitement of the alumni at the annual meeting last week. Indeed, I found it impossible not to get excited myself! We have the skills and the desire to do the building - and we have the foundation to build on.

It is going to be a great year.

We’re back.  Actually, we’ve been back for a while, setting up our home and digging out of boxes and piled desks.

I really like saying “we” and “our home.”

We had just a wonderful wedding, thanks to the tireless effort of my bride and countless willing and able helpers, and had an excellent trip home, managing to avoid a blizzard one day and survive 90 degree heat two days later.

But most importantly of all, my best friend is now also my wife.

(With a huge thanks to Kelly for these pictures and the ones we have yet to see!)

***FLASH FLOODS POSSIBLE***

Increasingly high levels of impending joy have led to the significant possibility of flash-floods of happiness affecting all those that come in contact with the owner of this site. Please be on your alert for rising levels of joy, and brace yourselves accordingly.

In order to focus scarce resources such as time on best meeting this emergency, what little time has been devoted to blogging lately will be re-allocated to the emergency effort. Posting shall re-commence at such a time as the moon shall no longer be made of honey.

No apologies will be forthcoming for this prioritization of resources, but complaints may be made on congratulatory note-cards sent to Fresno, California. However, you are warned that such mailings may, in fact, increase the levels of impending joy and therefore be highly counterproductive to the resumption of blogging.

–The Management

***END EMERGENCY BROADCAST***

Every year, long before I get used to writing the new year number when I scribble out the date, I begin to get that sinking, horrible feeling that I have to do my taxes.  At first, that feeling is a minor annoyance, but as time progresses it gets worse and worse and worse.

I’ve taken a variety of approaches to dealing with this pain.  I’ve hired accountants.  I’ve slogged through paperwork on my own.  I’ve contemplated moving to Andorra.  Long-time friends might remember the year that I actually threw an income tax party in an attempt to reduce the pain - misery, after all, loves company.

This year, I thought that I was going to end up doing them myself.  I’m not next door to my cheap Charleston accountant, and H&R Block is more expensive than I want to pay.  Online programs are expensive, too, and there’s always the fear of the unknown because I’ve never used one of them.  But then, then I found the answer - a tax program that is cheap, and just as important, does not make you pay until you are actually ready to file.  You can be sure that it is going to work for you first.  I don’t know why I didn’t find this sooner.

So I bit the bullet and tried it - and now, my friends, I am on the other side of the pain.  I am on the side of relief, the immense relief that comes from knowing that when April 15 rolls around I will have no worries, for I will not be standing in line or burning the midnight oil.

And finally, I would also note that this year, the relief is even deeper.  Normally, my relief is twinged with cynicism - that though I have done my duty, my duty to fund government extravagance is hardly a duty worth praising myself for.  This year, though, I can rest assured that my tax money has nothing to do with government extravagance, for government extravagance now revolves around spending money nobody has.

But my part is done for another nine months.