As I’m reading my second Boyd biography, “The Mind or War: John Boyd and American Security” by Grant T. Hammond (my first was this),  I’m trying to absorb more of the things that made him an innovator and a leader.  It’s obvious that he was incredibly intelligent, motivated and creative, but there seemed to be an underlying outlook on life and his career that carried him through the times when things got rough, but one that also put him at odds with the status quo.

This section of the book singles out a large portion of his unique perspective on life, one that made him quite a controversial figure in the halls of the Pentagon:

Along the way, he set out to implement his personal credo — philosophic and strategic — in everything he did, every job he held, and every decision he could influence.  Simply stated, it was more important to do what was right than to be promoted…On active duty, Boyd delighted in finding the very best officers the Air Force had (Air Force Academy graduates, promoted below the zone two or three times and thus several years ahead of their contemporaries) and challenging them.  They were the epitome of company men, team players who wouldn’t rock the boat and who wanted desperately to become Chief of Staff of the Air Force.

One such example was Jim Burton, then a lieutenant colonel recommended to Boyd by a colleague because he was bright…Burton would go on to occupy a critical post in Test and Evaluation and to blow the whistle on rigged tests in the Army’s procurement of the new Bradley Fighting Vehicle.  He recalls the Boyd “To Be or To Do” speech as follows:

“Jim, you are at a point in your life where you have to make a choice about what kind of person you are going to be.  There are two career paths in front of you, and you have to choose which path you will follow.  One path leads to promotions, titles, and positions of distinction.  To achieve success down that path, you have to conduct yourself a certain way.  You must go along with the system and show that you are a better team player than your competitors.  The other path leads to doing things that are truly significant for the Air Force, but the rewards will quite often be a kick in the stomach because you may have to cross swords with the party line on occasion.  You can’t go down both paths, you have to choose.  So, do you want to be a man of distinction or do you want to do things that really influence the shape of the Air Force?  To be or to do, that is the question.”

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A great observation on humanity and food at The Mission & Vision blog,

“The shortcut to humanizing any person—renowned or unknown—is to eat a meal together. You realize we’re all dependant on God to provide food for our sustenance, and the barriers of formality begin to crumble when you take turns in the buffet line, reach for a chocolate chip cookie, or wipe your face with a napkin.” – Pastor Jamie Munson, Mars Hill Church

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“I would rather be ashes than dust!  I would rather that my spark should burn out in a brilliant blaze than it should be stifled by dry-rot.  I would rather be a superb meteor, every atom of me in magnificent glow, than a sleepy and permanent planet.  The function of man is to live, not to exist. I shall not waste my days trying to prolong them.  I shall use my time.”

- Jack London

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Margaret Feinberg posted the following on Tuesday and, though I read “The Pursuit of God” by A.W. Tozer several years ago, this quote made me want to go through it again.  As Feinberg pointed out, Tozer wrote this over 30 years ago.  Stunning how true it rings today.

Every age has its own characteristics. Right now we are in an age of religious complexity. The simplicity which is in Christ is rarely found among us. In its stead are programs, methods, organizations and a world of nervous activities which occupy time and attention but can never satisfy the longing of the heart. The shallowness of our inner experience, the hollowness of our worship, and that servile imitation of the world which marks our promotional methods all testify that we in this day, know God only imperfectly, and the peace of God scarcely at all.
If we would find God amid all the religious externals, we must first determine to find Him, and then proceed in the way of simplicity.

–A.W. Tozer (The Pursuit of God, p. 17-18)

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I realized today as I went through some of my past posts that my blog has gotten a bit too serious for my liking…and I imagine some of yours. Philosophical, economic and political debates are great, but if they aren’t peppered with some lighthearted fun they can make the heart hard. Even Tolkien and Lewis had a pint and cigar in hand as they approached the meaning of life.

While I enjoy sharing the things I’m thinking about, I don’t always get a chance to share more simple things, like what I like and dislike, the music I find myself coming back to again and again, cool art, great food and wine and the random products, trinkets, and designs that catch my eye and make me smile.

So, let’s put on hold the thoughts concerning AfPak strategy, peak oil, the philosophy of government and other black holes of thought and I’ll share with you the things I’ve been liking lately AND maybe even convince you that, yes, I do have a life.

Cooking through Ad Hoc at Home

Marelize bought me this cookbook for Christmas and I’ve been cooking up a storm ever since. While I don’t have much previous experience, Thomas Keller, decorated American chef and restaurateur, has laid out his cookbook in such a way that a novice can put together some surprisingly tasty home cooked dishes.

I made it a goal for 2010 to cook 10 dinners for the family.  It’s only February and I’ve already knocked out 5:

-Marinated Skirt Steak

-Pan Roasted Chicken with Sweet Sausage and Peppers

-Catalan Beef Stew

-Lentil and Sweet Potato Soup

-Blowtorch Prime Rib*** yes, I bought a real blowtorch to do this one

AND I had to try one of the desserts as well, so…

-Banana Bread Pudding

Bose QuietComfort 2 Acoustic Noise Canceling Headphones

Before purchasing these with some gift cards and birthday money I shook my head at the price and figured there was no way it could be worth it…I was wrong. In the words of Ferris Buller, these headphones are “…so choice. If you have the means, I highly recommend picking one up.”

2006 Chateau Pesquie Cotes du Ventoux Terrasses

Chateau Pesquie is a family estate located in the Southern Rhone Valley. I came across one of their delicious wines, the Cotes du Ventoux Terrasses, at my local Tacoma Boys and have become quite smitten with it.

This wine is a $13 bottle of wine drinks much more like a $30-$50 bottle. A dark purple wine with a jammy fruit nose. It tastes like a nice mix of dark fruits with some spices and a little bit of earthiness that makes it much more complex and interesting than 99% of wines in its price range.

The gentleman at Tacoma Boys who recommended this wine to me said I should buy a case. Of course I displayed my saavy consumerist skills by making some subtle comment about how I’d have to check it out for myself before buying an entire case….well, I’m writing this wishing I had listened to that vino sage.

So, there you have it, a few things that I’ve been liking lately. I hope you found this post fun and interesting. Let me know what you think. A refreshing change of pace OR an annoying distraction?

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As New Year’s approaches we all find ourselves examining our lives and seeking a fresh start with renewed purpose. I dug this post out of the Schaefer’s Blog archives because I believe it is one of the most practical and valuable I have ever written, and at the time of posting in 2007 only my wife, dad and a couple friends (after much cajoling) were reading my blog.

For two years I used the method below to make and keep my New Year’s resolutions, or goals as I call them. I achieved decent results, but last year on a whim I decided to go without any concrete goals whatsoever, just to see what would happen. Without goals my life was very streaky and somewhat chaotic (not in the fun indie movie kind of way). I had a good week where I got a lot done and everything seemed to be clicking relationally, financially, spiritually…then the next week I would find myself in a desert.

So, this year I’m going back to the following method of making New Year’s goals and I hope you will join me! Below is my post from 2007 in its original form, enjoy some vintage Schaefer’s Blog while you look forward to 2010.

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When it comes to New Year’s resolutions, most people I talk to roll their eyes and sigh, thinking of the futility of the whole exercise after years and years of failure. The spirit behind a New Year’s resolution is a noble one, an attempt to live a better life or do things differently. The problem is most of us just don’t approach it with much intentionality, instead making up an unattainable goal in the heat of battle, like losing 50lbs after stepping on the scale the day after Christmas. Last year about this time, my sage father-in-law showed me an incredibly simple, but effective way of making a list of goals, or resolutions, for the year and actually following through on them. This is the process:

Understand Balance – I am convinced that 99% of people’s disappointments and failures in life are simply due to imbalance in a certain area(s). Eating too much, exercising too little, not praying enough, too much time at the office, too much television, etc. The point is, there’s a happy medium in every area of our lives; a place of balance where we find our best life. All New Year’s goals should be made with the theme of balance in our minds.

Take Stock of Your Present State – Before you can decide what you want to strive for in the future you have to have a good understanding of where you are in the present. Take a pen and piece of paper and sketch out a diagram similar to the one below.

The point is to look at each area of your life, ie. family, work, spirit, body, finances, etc and take stock of where you are at this moment in time. Decide what areas are important to you and create spokes for each one. Next make tick marks on each spoke, labeling them 1-10; 1 meaning you’re failing miserably in that area and 10 meaning you are perfect, no changes necessary. Make a dot where you think you fall in each area, then connect the dots. You will probably notice immediately that the shape you’ve created has very little resemblance to a circle, which would represent perfect balance. Most likely you have some areas that you’re doing great at and others that you’re struggling. The point of this diagram is to show visually what needs to change in order to make a circle, or bring balance to your life. This diagram is the basis for creating your New Year’s goals.

Make Goals for Each Category – Now its time to actually come up with your goals. Remember, the desired end state of this whole process is a balanced life, so all individual goals should be made with this in mind. In other words, if you notice that you have a very high score for work, but a miserable one for family/marriage, make goals that will allow you more time at home and less at the office. In order to create good goals, use the SMART acronym: Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Relevant, Timebound. For a better explanation on creating SMART goals reference my previous post on the subject. Again, make goals that will create a circle on your diagram, which will mean putting different levels of effort and focus on each area.

Exchange Your Goals With a Close Friend – Accountability is crucial in achieving any goal in life. Find a close friend and have them go through this exercise with you, then exchange your goals and bring them up on a consistent basis throughout the year. I emphasize close friend for two reasons. First, it is likely that some of your goals will contain personal information, like investing goals, or family issues, so its important to have someone you trust. Second, only a close friend will really get on your case if you falling short in a certain area. We all need a good friend to confront us every once and a while if we really intend to make lasting change in our lives. With accountability your chances of succeeding in achieving your goals and keeping your resolutions increase dramatically.

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Management brainiac Tom Peters gives us his bare bones guide to success:

“So here are ‘the real basics’—in five words. Achieve Excellence at these five things and the world (of human organizations) will pretty much be your oyster. ”

1. Read. (Outstudy ‘em.)

2. Write. (Clear, concise, powerful.)

3. Talk. (Presentation mastery. Study. Practice-practice-practice. Storytelling, mastery of.)

4. Listen. (Study. Practice-practice-practice. Understand enormous power thereof.)

5. Appreciate. (Engaged. Thoughtful. Compassionate. Appreciative always, enormous power thereof.)

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The brilliant military theorist and father of Fourth Generation Warfare (4GW), William Lind, recently posted the last of his 326-part series entitled, “On War.” I always listen to what he has to say because so much of what he has predicted has come to pass. Here are some of his final thoughts on war, the US military and the future.

“In particular, the theory’s definition of Fourth Generation war has proven prophetic. Since 1989, the world has witnessed a progressive weakening of the state and rise of alternative, non-state primary loyalties, for which a growing number of men are willing to fight. That is the heart of my definition of Fourth Generation war. As Martin van Creveld says, what changes is not how war is fought, but who fights and what they fight for.”

“The second point I would close with is that the U.S. military doesn’t get it. Some European militaries do get it. Many Fourth Generation entities (not all) not only get it, they are writing the book. But the U.S. military is largely an intellectual void. Its two implied (and related) theories, that wars are decided by comparative levels of technology and by who can put the most firepower on targets, have both been proven false. Were they true, we would have won the Iraq and Afghan wars quickly. In fact, the Pentagon was so blinded by its false theories it thought we had won them quickly. Sorry, guys.

While many junior and field grade officers in the U. S. military have found value in the Four Generations framework (which says that American armed forces are not one, but two generations behind), the brass studiously ignores it. ‘Not invented here’ is part of the problem, but the larger part is that our major headquarters think little if at all about war. What they think about is money. 4GW does little to justify bigger budgets. On the contrary, it suggests that most ‘big ticket’ weapons programs are irrelevant to where war is going. That is not what the brass, or the defense companies they plan to work for after retirement, want to hear.

What might change that picture? Nothing will change in DOD until the money simply isn’t there anymore. The news, which is simultaneously good and bad, is that the money soon won’t be there. Like every previous imperial power, we are bankrupting ourselves. A trillion dollars here and a trillion dollars there, and soon it adds up to real money. The twin financing mechanisms of piling up debt and debasing the currency can only go on so long. We can already see the night at the end of the tunnel.”

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This is what I hope for the Schaefer house to be:

His house was perfect, whether you liked food, or sleep, or work, or story-telling, or singing, or just sitting and thinking, best, or a pleasant mixture of them all. – J.R.R. Tolkien, The Hobbit

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My new post at Art of Manliness is up, here’s a sneak peak, read full post here:

Thinking about men I admired, it dawned on me that most had a quiet contempt towards any excess of material possessions. Their expertise and confidence were displayed by the fact that they did not require much to live successfully. They could just as easily get along for a week in the woods with nothing but a knife as they could living in a posh suburban neighborhood with all its amenities. Possessions had no control over the trajectory of their lives. They were not gadget junkies, seeking their fix from the latest Best Buy sale.  They were in control of the things they owned, not the other way around.  Real manliness meant freedom from the bondage of material goods.

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My friend Brett McKay, creator of the Art of Manliness blog, and his wonderful wife Kate have just released their first book, “The Art of Manliness: Classic Skills and Manners for the Modern Man.” I highly recommend you pick it up as it contains not only the best posts from the blog, but also plenty of new content as well. The following is a description of the book from Brett,

For thousands of years, the skills and knowledge of the art of manliness were passed down from father to son, and from man to man. Each succeeding generation was prepared to take its place in the long and storied history of manhood. But for the past few decades, the chain of manliness has been broken. Many men today have grown up without a father or a positive male role model to mentor them on their road to manhood. The skills that every man should possess have ceased to be passed down and carried forward. At the same time, society has stopped celebrating manliness and has stripped it of its positive qualities, leaving only a shell of negative stereotypes.

But men around the world are tired of this unfortunate status quo. They’re hungry to learn how to man up; they want to reconnect the chain of manliness by becoming a strong link themselves. But where to begin? What things does a man need to know to better himself and journey from boy to man? The Art of Manliness book has the answers and can be your starting point as you travel down the path to true manliness.

While we couldn’t put everything a man needs to know in a book, The Art of Manliness is an excellent introduction to essential man knowledge and the basics of honorable manhood.

Buy it today for yourself and for all the men in your life. Join the movement to “Man up!”

Additionally, Brett and Kate have just completed an awesome new ebook: “Man’s Guide to the Holidays” which will come in handy over the next few months. The book is priced at $9.95, but until Monday, October 12th, if you buy a copy of the Art of Manliness book, you can get the Man’s Guide to the Holidays absolutely free. See the following page for details.

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