thatguy2909's Xanga

Go Indy Go!

Sat, 10 Jan 2009 02:29:25 GMT

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

Fri, 05 Sep 2008 10:15:52 GMT

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

Fri, 15 Aug 2008 21:26:52 GMT

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

Mon, 10 Mar 2008 01:04:22 GMT

In May of 2006, my world changed by leaps and bounds. In the course of three weeks, I moved, got married, and started my first post-college job. Those weeks were filled with extreme manifestations of excitement and apprehension as I tried to wade my way through grasping the life-changing events on my schedule and the small, intricate details that accompanied them (insurance, 401k, marriage certificates, etc.). It seemed at the time that no month would ever compare to the pace of change of that merry month of May.

Comparisons in life are hard to make, but it now feels as though I'm in a season of change equivalent to May '06. Last Friday, Haley and I officially became homeowners. Starting tomorrow, my situation at work will change dramatically as I get a Research Coordinator to work underneath me, giving me the benefits and added responsibility of being a "boss". And it seems that at long last my videography side business is getting off the ground - I'll be buying the first camera in the next few weeks and I have 3 weddings lined up between June and September. And so here I am, trying desperately to fit into the shoes of what often feels like an older-than-I-really-am version of myself. I made it through the headtrip of being a husband, a college graduate, and financially independent son all at once before...now it's time to step up and be a homeowner, supervisor, and small-business owner at the same time. The real challenge for me during this time will be learning more than ever to enjoy he process. Tonight, Haley and I spent another couple of hours painting our master bedroom, and I found myself forcing my mind to ignore the to-do list etched in my brain for a while and just appreciate the amazing reality that this was OUR HOUSE. More and more, I feel like the trick for me to feel more content with life is to slow down and appreciate moments. It's then that life seems overwhelming in a different sort of way, one that often makes me melt into a ball of sentimental goo.

Obama Will Be The Nominee

Wed, 13 Feb 2008 23:42:51 GMT

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.

Blogging New York, Part One

Wed, 23 Jan 2008 10:32:10 GMT

So I'm headed to the Big Apple on business for a few days, and I'm really excited about it. I love the feeling of big cities - the rush of being surrounded by tall buildings, historical landmarks, and thousands upon thousands of people doing life in thousands of different ways. I haven't been to NYC since high school, so in some ways this is a trial-run trip for when Haley and I come in May.

As for now, I sit in the Indianapolis airport (D Terminal - the one with the crap chairs) avoiding office work for at least a few more minutes. As an aside, I was subjected to a "random" bag search going through security, and the TSA guy actually made a face when he saw a book entitled "The Stuggle For Iran" in my bag. Awesome.

The Morning After

Wed, 09 Jan 2008 10:23:23 GMT

When I was nine years old there was nothing more important in the world than University of Michigan basketball. That year the "Fab Five" went to the national championship for the second straight year, where they played the Tar Heels from the University of North Carolina. After a close game throughout, the ball came to be in the hands of my personal hero at the time, Chris Webber. We were down by two points with just seconds remaining. Webber took the ball down the court, dribbled into the far corner, poised to make a three-pointer to win the game. Instead, he bent down in the midst of heavy defensive pressure and called for timeout. One problem: Michigan was out of timeouts, causing a technical foul on my beloved Michigan Wolverines. We lost the game. I felt the hangover of that defeat for days. That national championship had been right there, one shot away, and then it was gone. It's silly, but that memory for me is the strongest memory I have from the wild world of sports.

This morning, I feel oddly similar to the way I did after that silly game. The polls and pundits had be convinced that Obama would win last night's New Hampshire primary by double-digits. Instead, he lost by three percentage points. Some argued that Obama's impending blowout victory over Clinton in New Hampshire would virtually hand him the nomination. Now every major newspaper is running lead stories on how Clinton is once again the frontrunner. Once again, I feel the dreaded hangover of defeat.

But here's the thing - New Hampshire was always Clinton's firewall. A month ago, as Obama began to pick up steam in Iowa, everyone was talking about how Clinton's huge lead in New Hampshire Polls (often as high as 15 points) would protect her if she were to lose Iowa. Now the results are in, and Obama came within three percentage points. In a sane world, that would be seen as momentum. Unfortunately, we live in a world dominated by 24-hour news talking heads who constantly are searching for a story to make them sound insightful. The truth is that New Hamsphire is one of the most Clinton-friendly states in the union, and the fact that Obama came so close is amazing. Now it's up to him to spin things that way.

Next up is Nevada (sorry for the mistake in my note last night, Michigan, I was thinking of the Republican schedule), and then South Carolina. Obama might win Nevada, and will probably win South Carolina. That would make the score 2-2 heading into Florida and then Super Tuesday (now being called Tsunami Tuesday by those aforementioned morons known as pundits). That means it's still in reach.

As Obama said last night, "I'm still fired up, and I'm still ready to go."

Who knows, maybe this means that my Indiana primary vote will actually matter.

New Hampshire

Wed, 09 Jan 2008 02:41:42 GMT

Exclamation swear-word adjective verb noun.

We lost. I don't know how.

See you Tuesday in Michigan, Hillary.

Thoughts on New Hampshire

Sun, 06 Jan 2008 02:09:04 GMT

It's all Obama, just like I thought it would be. RealClearPolitics.com is now showing three new polls where Obama has taken over as the frontrunner in New Hampshire. Watching the debate right now, Hillary has sunken to comparing Obama's desire for change to the calls of "compassionate conservativism" delivered by George W. Bush in 2000. She's desperate, and it's obvious she knows she's going down. Believe me, barring some terrible disaster, Obama is the candidate.

On the Republican side, it's obvious that McCain will win New Hampshire. I personally doubt he'll have much bounce after that. Huckabee is set to seriously challenge Romney in his "home turf" of Michigan, and then he'll easily take South Carolina and Florida. Anyone who thinks that he's a one-hit wonder in Iowa is simply not looking at the polls. Romney will disintigrate after McCain wins in New Hampshire, and McCain will self-destruct afterwards due to the fact that he's simply well past his prime.

More than ever, I'm convinced it will be Obama v. Huckabee in November. I can't wait.

We Did It

Fri, 04 Jan 2008 09:53:43 GMT

I'm in euphoria, unable to completely grasp what happened last night. Obama and Huckabee not only pulled out victories, but by 8 and 9 percentage points respectively. The races to the nomination are obviously nowhere near completion, but considering both races were "too close to call" on the day of the election, these are huge margins of victory that should not be ignored. What it shows is how excited the Obama and Huckabee voter bases are, at least in Iowa. The next test is New Hampshire on Tuesday, where Obama could easily build this momentum to a win and Huckabee could very well surprise people and place second or third. For Romney, a defeat this bad in Iowa where he outspent Huckabee 20 to 1 is hard to surmount, and I could see him slipping in the polls nationally as a result.

I'm extremely tired this morning, but I wanted to point out how exit polls showed different age groups voting. Here's the breakdown from the Democratic side:

% of Turnout	Age Obama Clinton Edwards
22%	17-29 years old	57	11	14
18%	30-44	42	23	21
38%	45-64	27	28	31
22%	65 and older	18	45	22

And the Republicans:

% of Turnout

Age Huckabee Romney Thompson McCain Paul

11%

17-29 years old

15%

30-44

46%

45-64

27%

65 and older

The first point here is that 22% of the Democratic caucus voters last night were 17-29 years old - the same percentage of Democratic voters that were 65 and older. That's unbelievable, epecially considering the arcane rules of the caucus system. On the Republican side, only 11% were 17-29 years old. However, in both cases these young voters flocked toward the "agent of change" candidates - Obama and Huckabee. With 57% of 17-29 year old Democrats voting for Obama, it would not be out of line to say that these young voters put him over the top. If you take out these young voters, its a virtual tie between Clinton and Obama, but with only 11% of young voters going for Clinton, it was the 17-29 year old demographic that made the difference. On the Republican side, Huckabee got 40% of the 17-29 year old vote (with Ron Paul getting 21%, FYI). Huckabee would have won without this young block of voters, but it's so very interesting to note that these two candidates of "change" - the two younger candidates in the field - are generating votes in the younger demographic. Most importantly, that younger demographic showed up, in droves.