Jarrett Interaction Design

It was a wonderful night.  Contrary to my fears, Obama’s win was clear very early, and I got to go to sleep at a reasonable hour without uncertaintly in the outcome.  When Ohio was called for Obama, I knew it was clinched.  And I feel very good for our country, not just happy that this man won the election.

I’m sure Obama is looking for advice from neophytes like me, so here are my recommendations:

• Immediately make it clear that Congress and the Executive Branch need to define a specific set of priorities and execute them quickly and diligently without lots of riders and amendments and bickering.  Get Congress to commit to giving some initial time where the focus is to pass meaningful and good legislation to deal with the issues immediately facing us.
• Fill you administration with smart people with up-to-date and actionable knowledge, that appreciate and facilitate dialog and collaboration, that are willing to disagree without rancor, that want outcomes not just activity.  Have the smartest, most talented, most productive administration ever seem.
• Immediately, take all this built up executive power from the Bush administration and use it to retract a bunch of that power.  Make strong statements – executive orders – that we as a country do not torture, do not indefinitely imprison people without right to counsel or trial, do not listen to private conversations – as a citizen or otherwise – without a warrant, do not ship people off to be tortured or imprisoned by others, do not conduct the country’s business with unnecessary secrecy and distrust of the populous, do not modify laws that are passed with signing statements that fit the administrations whims, etc.
• Put a plan in place to pull our troops out of Iraq and start real diplomatic conversatations with any nation that we need to deal with.  Start executing that plan.

Once you get all that stuff in place, then start worrying about a longer term legislative and leadership agenda.

Welcome to the presidency, Mr. Obama.

I wouldn’t miss this for the world.  This is the most important election of my lifetime so far, and it is great to participate.

I was at my polling place this morning at ten of 7.  A line was already forming.  It took about a half hour to get in and vote, but was friendly, efficient, and nice.  The folks here in our precinct do a good job, and the neighborhood is urban professional, quiet and friendly.

Here in Maryland, Obama will win by a big margin, no doubt.  The big issue here is legalization of slot machine gambling.  It looks like that will pass handily and then head to a bunch of court cases.  The only other state-wide issue is to allow early voting, and that should also pass easily.

I’m headed to Cleveland this afternoon, where the election should be much more interesting.  Pat and I will be getting together to watch the returns tonight.  I can’t wait to confirm our president-elect tomorrow morning!  Give me an O at the front, an A at the back, and a BAM in the middle!

I spent the last couple of days in excrutiating pain.  My first kidney stone ever (hopefully my last as well, but not likely).  Thanks to some great IV pain meds at the emergency room and the stone passing last night, the agony is over.

And I also achieved a milestone today.  About 7 weeks ago, I started a beginner’s running program with a goal of running for 30 minutes by the end of 8 weeks.  Today, I ran 31 minutes straight at a better than 10min per mile pace.  Woohoo! 

I’ve never really run before in my life, but I decided I needed to pick up a fitness habit that I could do almost anywhere, anytime.  By the time I was doing 20+ minute intervals last week, I knew I could add minutes faster than the program required.  So, 3.2 miles in 31 minutes today.  And I’ve been running 4-5 times a week plus walking most other days.  I know it is cliche, but I feel healthier and stronger already.  Now to make it a long-term habit.

The lease on the Civic is up soon, so we went to test drive a Miata to ensure that T would be comfortable driving it to College Park.  She loved it, and we got a great deal on one they had on the lot, so we have a new car!