3 personal characteristics

I have stolen these from Geani's blog. She says they are about her but reading through them I can also see a lot of myself in them. Particularly the parts about absorbing information for later use and analysis.

1. Intellection

You like to think. This need for mental activity may be focused; for example, you may be trying to solve a problem or develop an idea or understand another person's feelings. The exact focus will depend on your other strengths. On the other hand, this mental activity may very well lack focus. The theme of Intellection does not dictate what you are thinking about; it simply describes that you like to think.

You are the kind of person who enjoys your time alone because it is your time for musing and reflection. You are introspective. In a sense you are your own best companion, as you pose yourself questions and try out answers on yourself to see how they sound. This introspection may lead you to a slight sense of discontent as you compare what you are actually doing with all the thoughts and ideas that your mind conceives. Or this introspection may tend toward more pragmatic matters such as the events of the day or a conversation that you plan to have later. Wherever it leads you, this mental hum is one of the constants of your life.

2. Restorative

You enjoy the challenge of analyzing the symptoms, identifying what is wrong, and finding the solution. You may prefer practical problems or conceptual ones or personal ones. You may seek out specific kinds of problems that you have met many times before and that you are confident you can fix. Or you may feel the greatest push when faced with complex and unfamiliar problems.

Your exact preferences are determined by your other themes and experiences. But what is certain is that you enjoy bringing things back to life. It is a wonderful feeling to identify the undermining factor(s), eradicate them, and restore something to its true glory. Intuitively, you know that without your intervention, this thing-this machine, this technique, this person, this company-might have ceased to function. You fixed it, resuscitated it, and rekindled its vitality. Phrasing it the way you might, you saved it.

3. Input

You collect things. You might collect information, words, facts, books, and quotations-or you might collect tangible objects such as butterflies, baseball cards, porcelain dolls, or sepia photographs. Whatever you collect, you collect it because yours is the kind of mind that finds so many things interesting.

If you read a great deal, it is not necessarily to refine your theories but, rather, to add more information to your archives. If you like to travel, it is because each new location offers novel artifacts and facts. These can be acquired and then stored away. Why are they worth storing? At the time of storing it is often hard to say exactly when or why you might need them, but who knows when they might become useful?

Spinal Tap

A classic piece of the 1984 movie. I can't get enough of this film. Amps that go up to ELEVEN!!!.

Reflections on exchange

A Chilean dude came a delivered a package in the office this afternoon. A resulting five minute conversation in Spanish sent me in a tailspin for the rest of the day. It brings up a certain level of nostalgia, memories of my trips to the continent, the people I have met in my life and the philosophies that have shaped my outlook in the last 18 months. Lately I have been dwelling on my last trip, back in 2005 after the MC elections. The more I look back on that one trip the more importance I place on it. That trip fundamentally changed the way I perceive patience, time, situational analysis, emotions, self empowerment, optimism, thought space, meditation, cross cultural human relations, sympathy, reflection, tolerance, fate, history and fortune...

Lately we have spent some time reflecting on our year as the Australian MC. The more I look back on it, the more I see elements of that South American trip scattered throughout the last year. I see it in our team meetings, I see it in coaching, I see it in endurance conference preparation and most of all I see it in my friends.

Today I saw it again in a single five minute conversation with a delivery man.

It has taken me an hour to write this post. I have struggled to capture the base level connection I feel with the spanish language, the intense nostalgia it brings up and the desire to return to the continent that it invokes. I consider these thoughts, events and ideas to be ongoing aftershocks of an exchange experience over four years ago. It is for this reason that I am still so involved with the notion of providing people international development experiences. Next Tuesday I am guest speaking at my local rotary club lunch, I am thanking them for the experiences they provided me and remind them of the power they have to positively influence youth.

Yep, I agree

Fully recognised: posting photos is a lame way of filling a blog. Your choices were: the last four movies I have seen, the book I am reading, my family, my life, a collection of thoughts that would have revolutionised human perception and environmental reaction... OR seven photos that explain what has interested me in the last few weeks. You know the phrase about pictures and words... I just saved myself a whole bunch of 'em.

Sailing sunset

Sailing sunset
Originally uploaded by jrwestgarth.

My fascination with sunsets continues. Sailing is one of the great joys of Sydney. Our main feature is a harbour. This was taken on Kyle's uncle Brian's yacht, a 47 foot Bavaria. We were sailing around Pittwater, on the northern fringe of Sydney. I like to believe this area was once a pirate cove, it probably was, but I can't prove it. Either way: we drank liquer.

Kyle is back

Kyle is back
Originally uploaded by jrwestgarth.

Kyle is back. I can only imagine the contrast between dodging landmines around Kabul and... sipping white wine on a yacht in Sydney.

Team jumpers

Team jumpers
Originally uploaded by jrwestgarth.

My team (minus Serge) in our team jumpers. I like this photo because we took a similiar photo exactly one year earlier (also minus Serge) in exactly the same spot. That photo was to celebrate our first team dinner together. This one was to celebrate our last before transition. Ralph ate a troff of spaghetti. (L to R: Ralph, me, Tilly, Gibbo, Penny, Mei)

Zombie lurch

Zombie lurch
Originally uploaded by jrwestgarth.

Sydney is a great place to live. That particular day we came across somewhere between 50 and 150 people hanging around Town Hall steps dressed as zombies. It was the inaugral 'Zombie Lurch'. They moved from Town Hall down George St to the Opera House. Random, but ultimately cool.

Sugar cane juice

Sugar cane juice
Originally uploaded by jrwestgarth.

Sugar cane is the juice of life (quiet Penny). This was the second time I saw it in Sydney. Penny and Al took us for a tour of Cabramatta... roughly hell far away from where I live (1.5h drive). This area of Sydney is largely populated by Vietnamese and has some amazing bakeries.

Sydney University

Sydney University
Originally uploaded by jrwestgarth.

This is my university from the inside. I like it. until coming here I never really understood the value of the environment in which you study or how much campus culture affects who you are... I spent three formative years of my life here and graduated in June 2005. One year ago.

Kyle and John

Kyle and John
Originally uploaded by jrwestgarth.

Kyle graduated on Friday from Sydney University. A whole new part of life is openning up. Congratulations Kyle, love you

Cat's eye

Cat's eye
Originally uploaded by jrwestgarth.

This is my sister's awesome cat, Brandi. He is a cute little dude, surly and demanding. He is upset he was born without thumbs. His main feature is a high tolerance level, thus he receives bucket loads. All in the name of cheese. To paraphrase: 'this cat has personality, personality goes a long way...'

Can o' worms

I was reading a small piece this week about a Scottish policeman pushing a drug legalisation agenda. It made me wonder about other options in the war on drugs. I am a regular follower of the USA’s involvement in Bolivia and, in particular, their efforts to cull the coca crops in Latin America. I find it interesting because it is the developed world that is fueling that market, we create the demand, it is the Developed World that are turning it into a profitable industry. So could this Scottish Superintendent be wised up in saying that taking control of the drug market, legalizing it and monitoring its cost and quality, might be able to reduce peripheral harms in society?

His argument is that legalizing drugs would reduce peripheral harms such as theft, murder and gang crimes because of the easy access to drugs, no competition will keep prices down and allow the government regular, healthy contact with users, thereby increasing education and rehabilitation opportunities. The government could then work on harm minimization strategies rather than the rudimentary cattle herding that is going on at the moment. No one likes the idea of someone suffering an addiction, but at least this way the problem remains with the user and their associates rather than having an affect on greater society.

I am sure there are a million arguments for and against this, however what I found most interesting was an official taking a solid stance on something that is often tiptoed around.

It was an interesting idea. Here is the article:

One of Britain's most senior police officers has joined the legalization chorus. Chief Superintendent Anthony Wills, borough commander of Hammersmith and Fulham in London, called for the government to take over the drug trade since it cannot stop it.
In an interview with the Hammersmith and Shephards Bush Gazette last week, Wills said even hard drugs, such as crack cocaine and heroin, should be legalized. "I would have no problems with decriminalizing drugs full stop," said Mr Wills. "There have to be very stringent measures over the production and supply of drugs, and we have got to remove the drug market from criminals. I do not want people to take drugs, but if they are going to, I want them to take them safely, with a degree of purity and in a controlled way."
Wills repeated his insistence that he was not promoting drug use. "I am not saying people should take drugs. They are very bad for you, but the reality of the world we live in is this: If people want to get drugs, they can get them. Drugs are a fact of life, and you cannot eradicate them," Wills said. "My only concern is to increase the safety of the community and not to allow these ghastly people to make a fortune out of other people's misery."

Wills, a 30-year veteran who commands more than 2,000 officers, said that no matter how harsh drug laws are, they are doomed to failure. "There are some places where people are beheaded if they sell drugs, but even this does not stop the trade."

And enforcing the cannabis laws is a waste of police resources, Wills added. "I am very liberal in relation to possession of drugs," he said. "Policing cannabis is a waste of our time, as I do not feel the effects of cannabis are any worse than over-consumption of alcohol."

Wills may have joined the growing number of high police and government officials who have gone off the reservation on drug policy, but the Blair government remains steadfast. "All controlled drugs are harmful and will remain illegal," the Home Office noted tersely in response to Wills' remarks. "The Government's drug strategy focuses on the most dangerous drugs as the misery they cause cannot be underestimated. We have not seen the interview and so cannot comment on it."

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