Go Indy Go!

It's been far too long since my last post here on Xanga, but I wanted to share with this community that I've been hard at work building another blog over at http://goindygo.blogspot.com. Without sounding too cheesy, the idea behind Go Indy Go is to celebrate and discuss the city of Indianapolis. I'd like to think that those who find it will discover insights into the nooks and crannies of my fine city, as well as a place to share their own ideas on how to make it better. I'd appreciate any feedback on the site any of you have.

Happy New Year!

Enraged

In truth, my politics are very moderate. When it comes to arguments over small government vs. large government - the core issue that divides conservatives from liberals -  I see great points on both sides of the aisle. I wanted to watch both the Republican and Democratic conventions to see the best face of both parties and once again judge where my sentiments most closely alligned.

Instead, I was treated to this:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LDx80bnFrVs

The 9/11 footage used here is insulting enough. The Republican National Committee paraded around footage of Americans dying for political gain. What's even worse is the way the video tries to simplify the narrative of the last twenty-eight years - connecting 9/11 to the Iranian hostage situation of 1980. "This enemy sworn to our destruction has been at war with us for years - this we now know," the video proclaims. The video literally makes the case for invading Iran, in the same way that the Bush administration connected 9/11 with Iraq. It's another example of how the Bush administration - and now the intended McCain administration - tries to blur realities to give the appearance that there is a solitary enemy we are fighting named "terror". It's why five years after we foolishly invaded Iraq, many Americans still believe that Saddam Hussein was connected with 9/11. It's why hardly any American undestands the intricate history of the region that explains the tensions that face us. It's why the world sees Americans as ignorant.

At the end of the day, that is why I will proudly be voting for Barack Obama. I see in him a leader who has spoken and written about the details of the current situation in the Middle East with clarity and vision.

I simply can not, will not stand for another four years of deception and propoganda.

Thoughts on Turning 25

I turned a quarter-century old nine days ago. That night, I began to collect some thoughts that I hoped to write down here for all to see. In typical fashion, however, that night's agenda blurred into the next day and then the next, and here I am playing catch-up. This is all incredibly ironic, because the thoughts my mind stirred up that night were of another infamous Scott Manifesto wherein I convince myself that a date on the calendar - in this case, my birthday - would somehow represent a dramatic shift in my ability to concentrate, strategize, and prioritize my way into a more productive life. And alas, my very inability to write this manifesto for the umpteenth time emphasizes the ridiculous nature of the argument given the inertia of life and its plot against me. And so here I sit on a Friday evening contemplating how in the world I want this life to play out. My Christian faith leads me to feel intermittently like the quarterback on the playing field waiting for a play to be called from the sidelines, and other times more like the ball laying inanimate in the center's grip waiting for the play to start. The spirit of the Enlightenment then enraptures my brain with thoughts that I am actually the coach and the quarterback and the ball, and in fact the opposing team simply represents my flesh's laziness and fear. In the meantime, the play clock is ticking down and I've no idea how to reach the end zone.

So what is all this about? My confession is that I am an overpromising slacker in need of some serious zeal. I feel within me such passion to create, to discuss, to lead in fields of faith, politics, music, film, and art. To sound quite full of myself, I feel a Da Vinci inside me - and what's more I feel within me the responsibility to have those around me realize that they too have a Da Vinci inside themselves. But the truth is that's it is much easier to wake up as late as possible to get to work on time and come home to watch reruns of Everybody Loves Raymond than to persue those passions. The typical villan in such a narrative is the American Way of Life. I believe that such scapegoating is simply a way for the modern individual to avoid the reality that the world is literally in their hands. The children's song speaks of God having "the whole world in his hands", and he does - but we are the gloves - or mittens, if you prefer - through which He touches it.

And so what do I do? How does one come to terms with the fact that nearly every vow he has made to himself has gone unfulfilled, every goal unachieved, every task yet to be crossed off? And how does that person maintain the passions that he feels defines him?

That's what this quarter-century old man wants to know.

Change

Obama Will Be The Nominee

Ladies and gentlemen, the tide has turned. What seemed perhaps impossible a few months ago now looks to be the reality. Barack Obama will be the Democratic nominee for President in 2008. The proof is in the numbers. On Tuesday, Obama won landslide victories in Maryland, Virginia, and Washington D.C., along the way beating Clinton in her stronghold demographic of older, white women and low-income families. He's now ahead in the national delegate count for the first time ever. (After Iowa, he was still down when counting superdelegates) And, most importantly, he's now beating Clinton in national polls. The Rasmussen poll that I've been looking at every single day for the past year now has Obama with 46% of national Democratic voter support, while Clinton has 41%. This is the first day ever that this major national poll has Obama winning, and its not the only one. Gallop, Time, and Newsweek all have polls out now that show Obama with the most national support. Three months ago, the man was written off as a fad. He was briefly given a chance after Iowa, only to have that chance taken away after New Hampshire. But mark my words, this guy is the real deal, and he's going to be President.