Hoosier Hysteria

I just want to say that I got goosebumps watching former IU legends and the current 2008-09 teams stand at mind court and chant "Hoosiers, Hoosiers!!". IU basketball may be a while from being back to competitive on the court, but the feeling of tradition is already back. Not matter the record, I cannot wait for this season to begin. HOO-HOO-HOO HOOSIERS!!!!

Just a quick note

I just want to write about how much I love the Dave Matthews Band, especially their song "Crush". It's just so.... cool. And smooth. Everytime I hear it, it makes me feel better about everything. I feel like a cooler person just for listening to it. Corny yes, but very very true.

What I like the most about DMB is that, how can you not like them. They sing about everything, and I swear Dave could make a good song just by watching people in a park or something. Also, it's a band that most of my friends love also. I know Ej's favorite song is 41, Lauren's I think is "Grey Street"... Actually those are the only ones that I know. Lauren, Sara and Lindsay are the ones that got me hooked, so I feel that I should know them by heart, and I feel like I used to know Liz and Stepehns favorite DMB song. That's my next mission, to find and compile and playlist of all of my friends favorite DMB songs. And why stop there, I think I just got an idea for an awsome christmas presen!!!!

Tuesday nights debate

So, last night as I watched the portion of the debate I could stay awake for, I noticed that McCain loosened up a bite. I mean, it still looked like there was a McCain perceived invisible wall between himself and Obama, but for the most part the town hall format had a chance to really play to his strength of talking to "ordinary everyday folks". But something happened during the debate, because when I woke up this morning and checked CNN.com, I saw a huge link that read "McCain refers to Obama as 'That one'." The first thing that ran through my mind was, wow, how completely and utterly disrespectful. This comes after Gov. Palin tried to call Obama a terrorist (William Ayers and Sen. Obama worked on an a university board together seeking a multimillion educational grant), called him un-American and non-patriotic. To have the nerve to treat another person like this, especially considering how unwarranted this all is, is just flat out stupid. Either McCain thought "Oh man, this joke is going to kill" or he really is that mean and surly and disrespectful. I think what happened was, McCain understands that he greatly underestimated Obama. And not just politically, but as a person. I feel that some of the attacks, even those made by Hillary during the primaries, where aimed at making him look like a weak, naive person, not an unsuitable leader. Maybe McCain is finding out what Hillary found out, never underestimate your opponent. You see it so many times all over the world; the kid who comes from a poor background goes onto Harvard and upends the social elite with hard work and dedication, the war veteran who lost his legs serving this country is able to regain his dignity through grit, pain and never giving in, the single mother working 2 jobs to make ends meet finally getting her chance in the business world and succeeds with flying colors. And my favorite, the team no one believed in, the team that barely makes the playoff, goes into the championship game and rips the overwhelming favorite's heart right out of its chest. The Giants in last year superbowl, NC State over Phi Slama Jama, the Red Sox coming break from a 0-3 deficit to beat the Yankees, Indiana University stopping Duke in the sweet 16.

And in a way, that's happening here. Obama can into as the unknown, relatively green senator from a big state, but with little "Washington" leadership and experience. The GOP should have known what it was dealing with when the more "seasoned" democrat nominees started to fall by the way side. Edwards, Biden, Richardson, and last but not any less surprising, Hillary. He battled and beat all of these veterans even though he was new to the party. Truthfully speaking, I had him locked as my candidate of choice (only slightly ahead of Edwards and Hillary), but I thought this wasn't his year. He is politically young, the tone of the country had been so negative that I thought people would take his platform of hope and change cynically and dismiss him as an unrealistic optimist. But again, don't underestimate your opponent. After the battle with Hillary, the GOP thought "oh great, we'll rip him to shreds like we did with Kerry". They failed to make their attacks specific; he's weak (Kerry), he wants to raise taxes and destroy the economy (just name a democratic nominee), he's unpatriotic (Kerry, and everyone that has ever challenged the Bush doctrine). Once these didn't work they tried to attack his personal life; his wife's a radical, he's to liberal, he hangs out with terrorist, he can't be trusted, he's an elitist, he doesn't understand us.

But these aren't working either, and I think the GOP is kinda freaking out about it. Which would lead you to believe that maybe they really don't have any answers. Maybe they are the ones hoping for a little on the job training, something they accuse Obama of all the time. Tuesday night just proved to me that McCain and the GOP are absolutely blindsided and flabbergasted at how Obama hasn't broken down. Everytime they attack him, he comes right back at them, and HARD. I think that's why some many people think his campaign has taken a negative turn, because they are not used to seeing a democrat fight back like this. I'll admit I was one of the people who thought Obama should stick to the "all positive all the time" routine that he had with Hillary, but now I'm starting to see that the GOP is a different animal. He's doing what he needs to do, and that's not just being a taking non-sh*t presidential nominee, it's showing America that "Hey, I'm here to stay and I want to help this country, no matter what the other side of the aisle may think of me".

The more and more I listen to Obama and McCain speak, the more I realize how much is at stake. Before the first debate, Obama was behind in the polls, not by a lot, but by enough of a margin that you think they would at least lean on the proverbial panic button. But he stayed calm, upped his message and tenor, and fought his way back into the fold and eventually took the lead. However, as soon as the lead started to slip away from McCain, his campaign became erratic, it was almost like he lost track of what his "Straight Talk Express" was all about.

But, that's the nature of politics, just like it's the nature of life. If you willfully, purposely, and angrily undermine and underestimate someone, don't be surprised you bite off more than you can chew and you choke on your own egotism, it's happened before....

The Bailout

Ok, so as we all know, the bailout bill for Wall-Street failed yesterday in uber-dramatic fashion. And of course, blame has been flying around from both sides of the aisle. Republicans blame democrats for bringing partisan bitterness into the fold, and Dems blame the republicans for not going through with there words and failing to secure the votes needed to pass the bill. Personally, I didn't like the bill, to many weird stipulations and not enough regulation of the party that would be in control of dealing with over 700 billion dollars. That's how we got into to this mess. No regulation, nor foresight into how badly things can go, no control. BUT the economy is literally bleeding to death, and something needed to be down. It's like getting your arm caught in a bear trap, would you rather bleed to death and die in excruciating pain, or have someone cut your arm off and live for another day? The fact of the matter is, both sides screwed up, and I was very pleased to hear Obama blasting both Dems and Repubs for the petty partisanship bickering. It's like two kids on a playground who would rather die than get along, if only for a few hours. Pelosi should have waited before she laid into the Bush administration, and republicans should have kept their word and supported the bill that their president proposed. But, and it didn't really come as a suprise to me, McCain found a way to back track on comments he made before the bill was shot that he went to Washington and saved the day while Obama sat on the sidelines. After the bill died, he actually BLAMED Obama for not showing leadership in the democratic party. Accused him of not doing enough to ensure that the bill passed.

Well, first of all, it was not the democrats fault that the bill failed, that rest at the feet of the republicans. They promised to get the votes. McCain made a big deal about how he was able to persuade many who where against to vote for it. They didn't get the votes. McCain didn't persuade as many as he thought, and once again the republicans showed they can dish it blows without conscience, but they cannot take it. Yes, Pelosi's words where polarizing, but what did they expect, BUSH HAS RUN THIS COUNTRY INTO THE GROUND! And you cannot place the blame on congress, they may be a "do-nothing" congress, but that isn't why we're going to be trillions in debts and thousands of jobs leave our shores on a daily basis. That sits directly in the Bush administrations lap. Ill conceived war, massive deregulation, completely dissing the middle and lower classes, tax cuts for the wealthiest Americans (umm Regan-nomics? Didn't work the first time). So, even though Pelosi ripped Bush a couple of new ones, the message behind her words where true.

Second, how can McCain talk about how he helped make this bailout possible, and then when it fails blames Obama for it. Absolutely ridiculous. Take the blame and tell the truth for once McCain, you couldn't rally your party, and instead of taking the high road and admonishing both sides for playing politics, you blame your opponent for something your party didn't do! How is it possible to lie this much during an election? Isn't there a rule against that or something??? And Obama has just come out with a plan to help ensure that those who voted against the bill will have incentive this time aroundt to vote for it. Calm, cool and collected. Sees a situation, gathers ALL of the facts before acting and when he does he makes sure that every avenue, every pittfall is examed. Now that's country first.

I hate the bailout, it's a lifeline for people who screw around with other peoples money in the stupidest ways. But we needed action, if only for a band-aid effect. We needed both canidates to come out and say "Enough bickering kids, we need to work TOGETHER. Country first RIGHT?" One of them did, but the other turned back to the big bully on the palyground, and he's eating crow right now. But if we don't come to a UNIFIED conclusion, we're all going down, and hard....

NFL, IU, and everything in between....

Ok, maybe not everything in between, but a lot. First, the NFL... What is going on with the Colts?!?!?! I understand that practice for them must be something out of a scene from "Grey's Anatomy" of "E.R.", injuries left and right, people almost getting hurt on a daily basis. But I thought deep in my heart, and I still do, that this team has a chance to repeat the 2006 feat and ride mannings arm, waynes hands, addais legs, and sanders tackles to the super bowl. But now, I mean Manning is still kind of on the mend, Wayne has been great but he still needs Harrison to regain his All-Pro form, we can't run the ball worth a damn, and our defense could tackle a pee wee team. All very disheartening, but it is still early. We still have a chance to turn things around, and the bye week should help a LOT.

Now, on to IU. Michigan is alright, the people drive like their cars are on fire, I'm still getting used to the smell of the lakes, and there are an ass load of bugs up here, but for the most part it's cool. BEAUTIFUL weather, scenery is awesome and the people are pleasant, as long as they are not in their cars. But I'd be lying if I said I didn't miss indiana, more specially IU, and even more specific than that Bloomington. I know it's a college town and when I'm 60 or 70 I would probably regret the decision, but I LOVE that town. The hills, the trees, the lake, the culture, it just all really appeals to me. I feel the same way about Indy and Chicago (the two cities I will more than likely end up living in), but Bloomington has that nostalgic feel to it. And of course, I'm a proud Indiana University graduate, so I've aquried a lot of memories in that place, both good and bad. I love it there, and I will always love. Whether or not I live there...

On another note, I'm trying to steer away from the political commentary for now. I get a little to worked up about everything that's going on, so it's probably for the best that I try and remain as level headed as possible. I'll save all of my thoughts and outburts until after the debates, lol. Speaking of which, I am pumped for the first one this friday. It's going to be a titantic battle, especially because it's in an area where Obama doesn't have great experience, foreign policy, but also an area where McCain hasn't shown great leadership or experience, so we'll not only wants it more, but who actually has some idea of what needs to be done.

P.S.

To all the so called Clintons supporters who now back john McCain in an effort to ensure Hilliary is elected in 2012, you know the phrase "what goes around comes around" correct? Do you honestly think that if you blow this election for the Dems this year over your bitterness and pettiness, those Obama supporters who you call 'zombies" and 'tools of the dnc', won't come back and bite you right in the ass?

Look at it this way, those 18 million votes that Clinton won where historic, and I would have loved to see her in the ticket, either as the presidential or v.p. nominee. She was a great candidate and although I thought some of her tactics were completely out of line (saying she wouldn't hesitate to take the nomination if Obama was shot, ala Bobby Kennedy; or her campaign manager making an effort to smear Obama as "unamerican".), she still would have opened a political can of whoop-ass on the Republican ticket. But, she lost, Obama also got 18 million votes, and won more states than she did. That's what generally happens when you lose, you score less than the other guy/gal. So before you cast that ballot for McCain thinking, "In 4 years it's all Clinton baby", think about that Obama supporter voting next to you, are they all going to be as nice as you expect them to be for your candidate? Think...

elitist? what are you really saying?

The title says it all. As most of you know, I never make a big deal out of race. It never factors into my decisions, at all. Even during this presidential race, I have kept race at the very, very, VERY back of my mind. No matter who won the DNC primary, that was were my vote was going. Yes, Senator Obama is black, (he's also white, which people just straight up ignore, but that's another post for another time). Yes, if he is elected he will be the first African American president in the history of the United States. At the present moment, he is only the 3rd or 4th black senator EVER. I'm voting for Obama because I believe in his vision, I believe that you have to have some pretense of what direction you envision the country heading. It isn't enough to say you're ready to lead and you have more experience because you're older. That's the folly of being an elder statesman, you tend to underestimate youth. I believe that is what McCain is doing right now, he's underestimating Obama. Fine, you say he's not ready to lead... Why? What concrete reasons are there that Obama isn't ready? His record? Working across the isle for a sweeping ethics reform, something washington sorely needed. Again, working to clean up and keep abandoned russian nuclear waeapons out of the hands of terrorist. Passing into law in his state of Illinois a bill that would require police offers to note the race of the individuals he/she pulls over so as to deter racial profiling. Proving that he can moblize, excite, and set into action not just his own state, but the entire country. Proving that he understands partianship has to die with this election. Realizing that like myself, many americans get sick and tired of seeing the same "We love Amercia and democrats don't" argument every four years.

What does all this have to do with race you may ask. Well I just read an article on CNN that a promient clinton supporter is now backing mccain because and I quote "“This is a hard decision for me personally because frankly I don't like him, “I feel like he is an elitist.” The women in question is Lynn Forester de Rothschild, ceo of EL Rothschild, a holding company with businesses around the world. She is married to international banker Sir Evelyn de Rothschild. Forester is a member of the DNC’s Democrats Abroad chapter and splits her time living in London and New York. She is worth probably close to 100 million, give or take a few. But Obama, who just paid off his student loans, comes from a single parent household and grew up sometimes on welfare is the elitist? This is where I feel I can't bite my tongue any longer on race. Everytime I hear that word elitist, it's like the people using it are saying "YOU don't belong here". McCain is married to an heiress, freaking Mitt Rommey is a multi millionaire, Rudy was (or still is, I forgot if he is still in office) the mayor of one of the largest cities in the world. But their not elitist, because it's natural for them to have money, right? Or so they would lead us to believe. Never in all of the years in which I have watch the presidential elections have I heard that word thrown around soooo much, "elitist". The Clintons are worth a lot too, but you never hear the republicans ripping on them for having money. John Kerry is married to another heiress, but the only atacks against him where realted to being a wimp (Sorry John, I know you're tougher than you look). But here comes a guy that doesn't look like the rest of those people. He's black, so of course at the beginning of the election cycle we heard all kind of outrageous things: He's angry, he's racist because his pastor made racist comments, his wife is to militant, he might actually be a muslim, he doesn't understand "us".

Rooted in racism, but things that can never really be proven. I was VERY skeptical about the whole race thing at first, and to a degree I still am. I know we are steadily moving past all of that. But, a part of me that has never surfaced, get's flat out steamed when it hears the word elitist. It's almost like I hear the word "uppitiy" trying to jump of their lips, but it's pulled back and replaced with a word that seems less offensive. I thought I was, and maybe I am to a degree, paranoid about this. I mean, Obama is worth a lot now, more so now that his books are doing awesome (great reads by the way). He does has a lot of support from hollywood. But... he worked for all those things!!! Those books didn't just jump out of his ass, he wrote them and more importantly he LIVED those memories. Hollywood is liberal, that's why he can get a lot of support there. The RNC has that one guy from Law and Order; the last time I check being on a t.v. show, no matter how bad, makes you a celebrity, thus tying you to hollywood. So, when the RNC, this goes out to you McCain, Rudy, and especially you Rommeny, calls a successful black (and white) individual an elitist because they are successful, what are they really saying? That it's ok to be successful as long as you don't come over here and try and play in our sand lot? Well, I won't say that for sure.

I will post this question, and let's see if you can spot the person more likely to be an elitist. You have two individuals, the first was poor as a child, didn't have a father, had a mom who worked all day everyday, was on welfare from time to time, took out student loans to pay for college, worked his tail off in law school and was named president of the Haravard Law Review. Before going to law school he took a position as a community organizer (something republicans have openly mocked, but I'll get back to that), married the women of his dreams, rose to promience in the Illinois state senate, and finally started to see substantial income after being electyed to the u.s. senate and running for president.
The second individual is a hero, and we should make no mistake about that. He's father and grandfather are both veterans, and their influence helped him in obtaining a spot in a service university (the Citadel I believe). No loans, nothing to pay back after he finished. Was shot down and tortured but never gave in. Upon returning home however, he decided to cheat on , then leave his wife for a wealthy beer baroness. He can't remember how many homes he owns, he thinks that 5 million per year constitutes the middle class (joke or not, what a STUPID statement!!!), you get the picture.

So, the next time I hear the word elitist, I'm going to try and ignore it as a stupid comment, by a stupid individual. I want to be successful, I want to make millions, if I didn't I wouldn't be in law school working myself to the bone. Does that make me an elitist? And if being a successful individual who never forgets where he came from but won't lose sight of what he wants makes me an elitist, guilty as charged I suppose.

The first of many

Hey everyone! So, I finally did, I set up my blog! I just wanted to start off by saying that this was a GREAT idea, what better way to keep everyone together then each of us writing about what's going on in our daily lives.

Well, as for me, I'm attending the Ave Maria School of Law, here in beautiful Ann Arbor, MI. After having a few minor set backs in trying to get everything sorted out, I'm finally comfortable and relaxed enough to draw my complete attention to the task at hand; surviving my first year of law school. At the outset, I was a nervous wreck, which really bothered me because I never get nervous about anything. Not finals, not papers, presentations, nothing. If it's school related, you can bet I'm as cool as a cucumber. But this is so different than anything I have ever done. I am literally in the process of training so that I can PRACTICE LAW! This has been my dream for as long as I can remember. Even the knowledge that while I may become an expert in law, I will always learn something new makes me excited. If you haven't already figured this out, I love learning. If I can learn something new everyday, then at the end of it all I will consider myself very fortunate.

Classes are great and my professors aren't as hellish as I imagined they would be, and I think that part of that is because I go to a private catholic law school as opposed to as a public law school. Let me explain how I got here. I only applied to two places, Indiana University and Ave Maria. I felt that I had a great shot at IU, and that Ave Maria actually sent me a personal email asking that I apply, so thought why not. I wanted on pins and needles for my acceptance letters. I tried to play it cool, but I was a wreck. Well, the letter from IU finally can.... And I was denied. Heartbroken is the best way to describe how I felt. I felt like my dream was slipping through my fingers, and began to look back at all the things I could have done differently throughout undergrad. But, I'm never one to dwell on the bad things in life, I felt sorry for myself for about an 30 minutes or so. Afterwards I got online to check my email, and I noticed a message from the Ave Maria School of Law titled "Congratulations!". I when I opened the mail, it was my acceptance letter. I nearly had a heart attack. I yelled in triumph, scared the hell out of Josie, and started jumping around. And so, here I am. A 1L, going through all of the trials and tribulations that we all face in this oh so important year. And I'm loving every single moment of it. No matter how hard this gets, I'll never complain, because I'm actually here.

Ave Maria has decided to switch campuses and ahead to Florida next year, which I am unsure whether or not to join. Florida would be nice, and an awesome place to go to school, but it might be a little to awesome. Go to class, or enjoy the beach on a beautiful afternoon. Give me the cold, windy climate of the Midwest anytime. I'm seriously thinking about transferring to IU or even somewhere in Chicago, but that's neither here nor there. I'm fully focused on finishing in the top 5% of my class this year. I want to be invited to join the Law Review, which is a HUGE honor for students, and I want get as much knowledge as I can from each of my professors. Goals are set, it's time to fulfil then.

Well, that's my life so far, nothing to exciting yet. Josie and I are still going strong, and I don't think we've ever been happier as a couple as we are now. I'm happy, but not content, with my situation here in Michigan. Life is life, and I will continue to look up and keep positive about it, because in the end that's all we can ever really do.