I have been here in DC for two days now, and will be heading home early tomorrow. This has been an interesting and rewarding time, where I have learned much, on varied topics. Now I know that all six of you typically visit here because you are either friends, friends of friends, blogging pals, or are some Norwegian guy searching Google for an image of the US Capital and picked my site. Also, I want a record of some of the more interesting topics for future reference.
Disclaimer. This post has nothing to do with things Christian, the church, my whining about the church, my church in particular or the usual ranting and rambling. That said, here goes.
Heard a great overview of the housing bubble threat this morning with many pithy comments from the Principal of this firm in New York. Fascinating.
Afternoon session on military base closure with a panel discussion featuring some guy who works here. Total bore. People applauded when it was over.
This morning I was priviledged to listen to a short address by this senator, who seems to have his head on straight, given that he spent at least 20 years of his life outside of politics in the real world. Good Republican, I might add. Then listened to a moving story of survival and recovery to real estate markets in New Orleans. This reminder me, yet again, of my friend Pastor Mike, and how life is slowly, so slowly returning to normal in this great city. The anecdotal stories are that only about 70,000 people spend the night in New Orleans, and some of the worst flooded parts of town will not receive telephone service until March 2006!
Finally, a fascinating presentation by a principal in the Louis Berger Group about construction of the Kandahar to Kabul highway in Afghanistan and the development of the new US Embassy in Iraq. Talk about high-risk development. There was a ratio of one body guard to each construction worker in Baghdad!
Fascinating stuff - and I am thankful for the opportunity. For more about the organization I am with, and the reason for my attending, look here. If you have trouble sleeping, look here.
Upon reflection, this post should make my regular readers flee in sheer boredom.
