I'm feeling oddly pensive, and as a result you're going to get a rare look at the real me.
Nothing I write here is me. I used to be that annoying teenager who whined about his awful life on Xanga, but I wrapped that up and threw it away with the rest of who I used to be when my life was saved. That's a story for another time. And I know that's a misplaced modifier. I right chipper little thoughts about meaningless little thigns. Observations about things I don't really care about, because what I care about are individuals, and writing about individuals is generally not polite practice.
I feel like a child. Or rather, I feel childish, or at least as if everyone around me thinks I am. Part of it is earned: my parents treat me like a child because when I go home I spend my time picking fights, begging for money and failing to do whatever they ask of me. They probably think I'm a lost cause by now. Part of it is completely unfair: condescending peers who seem to think they have to tell me when to do what or how to treat whom, as if they're somehow better than me. And part of it is that same old social anxiety that's been with me all my life: the impression that everyone else is somehow taller than me and can see things I can't, and that I'm just running around on tiptoes pretending to be just as grown up as everyone else, like the 20 year old who gets drunk at family reunions because he thinks he's an adult now.
I usually tell myself that everyone sees the world that way, but I know that's not true. I'm surrounded by arrogance. And you might think that's the pot calling the kettle black, but (and I suppose this might be true of others) any arrogance I show is completely falsified, an overcompensation for a past of devastating self-loathing and utter depression that I am not remotely apologetic about avoiding. So unless everyone else is exactly like me, other people have (or think they have) it figured out. And since I don't, maybe I really am just a child to everyone else.
The ironic part is my reaction to being treated like a child is usually to get angry, throw a fit, sulk, rebel... generally, to act like a child. This part I know isn't unique to me. I see it in everyone I know... I'm just a little extra-sensative to all things involving how others see or behave towards me.
Am I weaker for talking about it?
Monday, January 28, 2008
Friday, January 25, 2008
Time to read a book
After further evaluation, and an attempt to use SB's power cord, it appears the laptop itself has lost all ability to charge. In fact, plugging in a functioning power cord generates a sound reminiscent of a taser and a smell of burning electronics. My current tactic is to let SB charge a battery and then trade with her, which can give me one or two hours. I have backed up all critical information onto my external hard drive and am now considering three options:
1) Lug around a broken laptop, hoping I can get it repaired at a decent price in the States
2) Try to get it fixed here, probably at a higher price.
3) Find out the extent of the damage and then offer to sell it to the shop while it's still a decent computer.
Anyway, you'll probably be hearing less from me.
Thursday, January 24, 2008
Why you should buy a Macbook
I was chatting online with some friends tonight when there was a knock on my door. My brother, Alexandro. Now, here in Cuernavaca, I could respond with "Sí?" and he'd just open the door or shout through it ("¿Quieres comer algo?"). But I have become accustomed to my Xalapeñan host mother, who will never open my door. Calling through it is futile; I must ultimately get up and open it myself. And so, responding to habit rather than necessity, when Alex knocked on my door, I put my laptop - an Apple Powerbook G4 - on my night stand, got up, and walked towards the door.
As you may know, Apple's latest line of standard laptops, the Macbooks, have something called a "Magsafe power adapter." What this means is that the computer's AC/DC adapter cable has a magnetic connection to the laptop rather than a standard plug. The reason for this is that if someone were to put their laptop on their night stand, get up, and trip over the power cable, the cable would harmlessly disconnect from the computer instead of bringing it crashing to the ground.
Had I purchased my laptop a mere two years later, I would have reaped the benefits of this feature. However, my Powerbook G4 has no Magsafe adapter, and so when I tripped over the cable, it was dragged to the ground with a horrifying thud.
A feature the Powerbook does have is an accelerometer that locks down the drive heads when it detects sudden movement, preventing disk damage. I choose to believe that this feature saved the life of my $2,000 computer, and so I am grateful for its inclusion in the design. Ironically, there was one thing damaged in the fall:
The cable.
Somehow, the male pin of my plug bent and tore through the tin ring around it, rendering it utterly useless and making battery life a precious commodity. But let me tell you: you do not get between me and my Powerbook. Using the screwdriver tool on my pocket knife and my night stand as tools, I managed to bend the pin back (snapping half of it off in the process) and reshape the tin into something resembling its original form. After several minutes of work, I was finally able to force the plug back into my laptop and, despite the odd angle at which it now juts out, was rewarded by the comforting green glow of "charged."
Wait. Charged? I left the laptop alone while eating, running on battery. I should be seeing the orange glow of "charging." A quick glance to my screen confirmed my fears: 35 minutes of battery life remain. Once that goes dead, there is no replacement.
Moral of the story: Buy a Macbook.
UPDATE: Shipping an AC/DC adapter to Mexico costs $51.
Pinche americanos
It is a well-known fact down here that Mexican men expect American women to be easy. The females in my group are extremely frustrated by the "American women are sluts" stereotype, which leads to no end of harassment on the street and in the clubs, earned by nothing more than the color of their skin. But where did this perception come from in the first place? I did a little thinking and observing, and have a theory:
Mexicans think American women are sluts because they are.
Now for the clarifying statements that will hopefully get me out of trouble. The women in my BCA group do not fit this stereotype, nor do the women I know at the Escuela para Estudiantes Extranjeros in Xalapa. But, as Amy notes, people notice the bad things easier than they notice the good, and the fact is a lot more American girls show up in Mexico to party than to study.
Well all know all about Cancún and Tijuana. Throngs of Americans flood to these touristy towns (particularly Tijuana, being a border town) to get party all night and get trashed. So now you have bunches of really drunk white chicks coming on to people left and right. Combine that with cultural differences in dress (short shorts and spaghetti-straps are definite no-no's in Mexico) and you have a very skewered perception of the northern neighbors.
The other group at Universal with us definitely fit the stereotype. They go out every single night, get hammered, do drugs, bring people of the opposite sex home with them (very much taboo here), and blabber on and on in English. I am sick of them.
Wednesday, January 23, 2008
God is a painter
This is the view from the balcony outside my bedroom. I just thought you'd like to know.
Monday, January 21, 2008
Concerning mustard seeds
I was hanging out in the Zolcolo with Matt Guynn the other day (yes, he's in Cuernavaca), and we got to talking about all sorts of amazing things. Such is the way of things when you hang out with Matt Guynn. Anyway, one point of particular interest for me was concerning the power of faith.
Many of us are familiar with Jesus saying that anyone with faith as small as a mustard seed can move mountains. We've heard of the Disciples performing miracles in His name. In particular, there is the story of Peter healing the crippled man outside the Temple. Do we believe these stories? Do we think they're allegorical? Or are we managing to find some tricky in-between area?
This conversation started when Matt told me of 0ne of his friends living in Africa. Late one night a man came banging on his door, and when he finally got up and opened it, the man said, "My mother is dying! Please come!" "What can I do?" asked the friend, to which the man replied, "You're a Christian, aren't you? Come heal her!"
What faith! Sometimes I am amazed by how the faith of those in Africa or Asia can make me feel like a child... or, more accurately, like an adult who's forgotten what it means to be a child. "What do you do in that situation?" I asked. Matt didn't know either. Eventually we arrived at the conclusion that the thing to say would be something like "I will come and pray, and if God wills it then she will be cured."
If God wills it. Is that an expression of wisdom or an excuse for a lack of faith? I put myself in that situation, and I feel like the unspoken rest of the statement would be "but we really know it's not going to happen." I can pray over her all I want, but do I actually expect her to be cured? I don't think so. That's a lack of faith. The whole "God's will" thing is just a dodge we do so we don't suffer the embarrassment of saying, "Get up and walk!" and having the woman look at us like we're idiots (also, remember that when a non-believer tried to heal in the name of Jesus, the demons beat him up).
It's tricky ground, because I wouldn't want to have the audacity to think I get to choose whether she gets better, either. The power isn't mine; it's God's. Maybe we just need to be open, to listen. Maybe God will say, "Okay, I'll heal her. Say the following..." and it will all be like a perfectly rehearsed performance. But maybe we're supposed to have more faith than that, and go out on a limb. And that idea has me, and everyone reading this, feeling really uncomfortable, because the fact is... we all really know nothing's going to happen.
What do you think?
Many of us are familiar with Jesus saying that anyone with faith as small as a mustard seed can move mountains. We've heard of the Disciples performing miracles in His name. In particular, there is the story of Peter healing the crippled man outside the Temple. Do we believe these stories? Do we think they're allegorical? Or are we managing to find some tricky in-between area?
This conversation started when Matt told me of 0ne of his friends living in Africa. Late one night a man came banging on his door, and when he finally got up and opened it, the man said, "My mother is dying! Please come!" "What can I do?" asked the friend, to which the man replied, "You're a Christian, aren't you? Come heal her!"
What faith! Sometimes I am amazed by how the faith of those in Africa or Asia can make me feel like a child... or, more accurately, like an adult who's forgotten what it means to be a child. "What do you do in that situation?" I asked. Matt didn't know either. Eventually we arrived at the conclusion that the thing to say would be something like "I will come and pray, and if God wills it then she will be cured."
If God wills it. Is that an expression of wisdom or an excuse for a lack of faith? I put myself in that situation, and I feel like the unspoken rest of the statement would be "but we really know it's not going to happen." I can pray over her all I want, but do I actually expect her to be cured? I don't think so. That's a lack of faith. The whole "God's will" thing is just a dodge we do so we don't suffer the embarrassment of saying, "Get up and walk!" and having the woman look at us like we're idiots (also, remember that when a non-believer tried to heal in the name of Jesus, the demons beat him up).
It's tricky ground, because I wouldn't want to have the audacity to think I get to choose whether she gets better, either. The power isn't mine; it's God's. Maybe we just need to be open, to listen. Maybe God will say, "Okay, I'll heal her. Say the following..." and it will all be like a perfectly rehearsed performance. But maybe we're supposed to have more faith than that, and go out on a limb. And that idea has me, and everyone reading this, feeling really uncomfortable, because the fact is... we all really know nothing's going to happen.
What do you think?
Wednesday, January 16, 2008
A sticky situation
Have I mentioned money sucks? So right now I'm in trouble because there's pretty much no way I'll be able to get a job this summer, because BCA goes until July. For the same reason, I probably won't be able to line up any sort of internship on my own. I wanted to go through the Indy Peace Institute, but it looks like I'm not even going to be able to find sufficient funding to pay the program fees, let alone earn any money. And I need to earn money, because otherwise I won't be able to eat next year.
I'm really mad, particularly about the funding part, but I won't go into that because I don't know all the details. But the really painful thing is that I'm starting to think my best option might be to drop out for a semester or two so I can earn some money. I'm just not convinced I can afford to be in school next semester.
Never thought I'd be saying that. Any suggestions?
I'm really mad, particularly about the funding part, but I won't go into that because I don't know all the details. But the really painful thing is that I'm starting to think my best option might be to drop out for a semester or two so I can earn some money. I'm just not convinced I can afford to be in school next semester.
Never thought I'd be saying that. Any suggestions?
Tuesday, January 15, 2008
On being twenty-one
I have now been officially 21 for nearly 24 hours (or over 24 hours, depending on your time zone). I have technically been 21 years old for 1 hour and 49 minutes. I initially felt I should write something here, it being my birthday, but then changed my mind and decided to let the day pass without remark, since another year doesn't really give me anything more to say. Then I decided it's about time for me to make a post anyway, so I might as well make some twenty-first birthday post.
First, I cannot let Will's comment on my last post go unanswered. To do so would break our long-standing rapport regarding Des Moines, Iowa. So, for those of you who don't know, I absolutely loathe Des Moines, Iowa. It's supposed to be a state capital - and the largest city in the state - and it's got a population of a whopping 200,000 (actually, according to the official website of the Government of Des Moines, it's "approaching" that number). It is the answer to the question, "What if they built a city and nobody came?" You can see farmland from the sixth story of a downtown hotel. You can jaywalk with impunity. You can run a mile through the intricate system of skywalks pretending you have a gun and nobody will notice because there's nobody there. Perhaps Will can add his own commentary - I've left plenty of Des Moines suckages unstated.
With that out of the way, I'll move on to the relevant material: being twenty-one. Exciting, right? I can drink now! Well, I spent the last five months in Mexico, and I'm there now, so that's really not a big deal. Nobody cares about you turning 21 when the drinking age is 18. But it does feel like a turning point... kind of like when you turn 16 and you're a real teenager, even though you've been twixt twelve and twenty for four years. Now I'm fully into my twenties, and suddenly thirty is the next big number. That is, ironically, sobering.
I'm sure that those older than me, who I think comprise most of my readership, are quite disgusted with me right now.
My birthday was relatively uneventful. I did have a "surprise" party, during which I resigned myself to having my face shoved into cake. My nostrils still burn a little bit. This afternoon we went to El Salto de San Antón, a waterfall more or less near the school, and then to a nearby restaurant where Rob bought me a convento ("convent"), the restaurant's specialty rum-and-tequila drink. It came in a bowl. When I commented on the lack of strong alcoholic flavor, someone mentioned jungle juice, which led to my hypothesis that jungle juice is God's practical joke against freshmen. Apparently he lost track of my graduation year, though, because upon standing up I realized that beneath the drink's fruity facade lay a potent, balance-impairing substance that I have chosen to call C2H5OH.
Later that evening I had a beer with Rob and Ana María (my host mom), watched an episode of Friends, ate la cena, and wasted a bunch of time online. I received some 50 birthday wishes on Facebook, which makes me feel like a complete ass for never, ever, ever recognizing anybody's birthday.
Well, I do have some homework to do, and I'm starting to wonder based on my own tendency to skim if post length is inversely related to number of comments. So I'll leave it at that and go to sleep a 21-year-old.
First, I cannot let Will's comment on my last post go unanswered. To do so would break our long-standing rapport regarding Des Moines, Iowa. So, for those of you who don't know, I absolutely loathe Des Moines, Iowa. It's supposed to be a state capital - and the largest city in the state - and it's got a population of a whopping 200,000 (actually, according to the official website of the Government of Des Moines, it's "approaching" that number). It is the answer to the question, "What if they built a city and nobody came?" You can see farmland from the sixth story of a downtown hotel. You can jaywalk with impunity. You can run a mile through the intricate system of skywalks pretending you have a gun and nobody will notice because there's nobody there. Perhaps Will can add his own commentary - I've left plenty of Des Moines suckages unstated.
With that out of the way, I'll move on to the relevant material: being twenty-one. Exciting, right? I can drink now! Well, I spent the last five months in Mexico, and I'm there now, so that's really not a big deal. Nobody cares about you turning 21 when the drinking age is 18. But it does feel like a turning point... kind of like when you turn 16 and you're a real teenager, even though you've been twixt twelve and twenty for four years. Now I'm fully into my twenties, and suddenly thirty is the next big number. That is, ironically, sobering.
I'm sure that those older than me, who I think comprise most of my readership, are quite disgusted with me right now.
My birthday was relatively uneventful. I did have a "surprise" party, during which I resigned myself to having my face shoved into cake. My nostrils still burn a little bit. This afternoon we went to El Salto de San Antón, a waterfall more or less near the school, and then to a nearby restaurant where Rob bought me a convento ("convent"), the restaurant's specialty rum-and-tequila drink. It came in a bowl. When I commented on the lack of strong alcoholic flavor, someone mentioned jungle juice, which led to my hypothesis that jungle juice is God's practical joke against freshmen. Apparently he lost track of my graduation year, though, because upon standing up I realized that beneath the drink's fruity facade lay a potent, balance-impairing substance that I have chosen to call C2H5OH.
Later that evening I had a beer with Rob and Ana María (my host mom), watched an episode of Friends, ate la cena, and wasted a bunch of time online. I received some 50 birthday wishes on Facebook, which makes me feel like a complete ass for never, ever, ever recognizing anybody's birthday.
Well, I do have some homework to do, and I'm starting to wonder based on my own tendency to skim if post length is inversely related to number of comments. So I'll leave it at that and go to sleep a 21-year-old.
Saturday, January 12, 2008
Wednesday, January 09, 2008
A little gem from Mississippi
(Note: I made the "check for yourself" into a link because there is, in fact, a Snopes article about this e-mail).
Subject: OBAMA'S BACKGROUND CHECK !!!!!!
If you do not ever forward anything else, please forward this to
all your contacts...this is very scarey to think of what lies ahead of
us here in our own United States...better heed this and pray about it
and share it.
We checked this out on "snopes.com". It is factual.
Check for yourself.
Who is Barack Obama?
Probable U. S. presidential candidate, Barack Hussein
Obama was born in Honolulu , Hawaii , to Barack Hussein Obama, Sr.,
a black MUSLIM from Nyangoma-Kogel , Kenya and Ann Dunham, a white
ATHIEST from Wichita , Kansas .
Obama's parents met at the University of Hawaii . When
Obama was two years old, his parents divorced. His father returned
to Kenya . His mother then married Lolo Soetoro, a RADICAL Muslim from
Indonesia.? When Obama was! 6 years old, the famil y relocated to
Indonesia . Obama attended a MUSLIM school in Jakarta . He also
spent two years in a Catholic school.
Obama takes great care to conceal the fact that he is a
Muslim. He is quick to point out that, "He was once a Muslim, but
that he also attended Catholic school."
Obama's political handlers are attempting to make it appear that?
Obama's introduction to Islam came via his father, and that this
influence was temporary at best. In reality, th e senior Obama
returned to Kenya soon after the divorce, and never again had any
direct influence over his son's education.
Lolo Soetoro, the second husband of Obama's mother, Ann
Dunham, introduced his stepson to Islam. Obama was enrolled in a
Wahabi school in Jakarta
Wahabism is the RADICAL teaching that is followed by the
Muslim terrorists who are now waging Jihad against the western
world. Since it is politically expedient to be a CHRISTIAN when seeking
major public office in the United States , Barack Hussein Obama has
joined the United Church of Christ in an attempt to downplay his Muslim
background. ALSO, keep in mind that when he was sworn into office he
DID NOT use the Holy Bible, but instead the Koran.
Let us all remain alert concerning Obama's expected
presidential candidacy.
The Muslims have said they plan on destroying the US
from the inside out, what better way to start than at the highest
level - through the President of the United States , one of their own!!!!
Please forward to everyone you know. Would you want this
man le ading our country?...... NOT ME!!!
Subject: OBAMA'S BACKGROUND CHECK !!!!!!
If you do not ever forward anything else, please forward this to
all your contacts...this is very scarey to think of what lies ahead of
us here in our own United States...better heed this and pray about it
and share it.
We checked this out on "snopes.com". It is factual.
Check for yourself.
Who is Barack Obama?
Probable U. S. presidential candidate, Barack Hussein
Obama was born in Honolulu , Hawaii , to Barack Hussein Obama, Sr.,
a black MUSLIM from Nyangoma-Kogel , Kenya and Ann Dunham, a white
ATHIEST from Wichita , Kansas .
Obama's parents met at the University of Hawaii . When
Obama was two years old, his parents divorced. His father returned
to Kenya . His mother then married Lolo Soetoro, a RADICAL Muslim from
Indonesia.? When Obama was! 6 years old, the famil y relocated to
Indonesia . Obama attended a MUSLIM school in Jakarta . He also
spent two years in a Catholic school.
Obama takes great care to conceal the fact that he is a
Muslim. He is quick to point out that, "He was once a Muslim, but
that he also attended Catholic school."
Obama's political handlers are attempting to make it appear that?
Obama's introduction to Islam came via his father, and that this
influence was temporary at best. In reality, th e senior Obama
returned to Kenya soon after the divorce, and never again had any
direct influence over his son's education.
Lolo Soetoro, the second husband of Obama's mother, Ann
Dunham, introduced his stepson to Islam. Obama was enrolled in a
Wahabi school in Jakarta
Wahabism is the RADICAL teaching that is followed by the
Muslim terrorists who are now waging Jihad against the western
world. Since it is politically expedient to be a CHRISTIAN when seeking
major public office in the United States , Barack Hussein Obama has
joined the United Church of Christ in an attempt to downplay his Muslim
background. ALSO, keep in mind that when he was sworn into office he
DID NOT use the Holy Bible, but instead the Koran.
Let us all remain alert concerning Obama's expected
presidential candidacy.
The Muslims have said they plan on destroying the US
from the inside out, what better way to start than at the highest
level - through the President of the United States , one of their own!!!!
Please forward to everyone you know. Would you want this
man le ading our country?...... NOT ME!!!
Monday, January 07, 2008
Here’s my two cents, so that makes $6,921.02
As I have previously mentioned on this blog, virtually all of my "keeping up with the news" these days takes place in the politics section of the New York Times, with the occasional trek over to technology if I feel like expanding my wish list (I maintain that this is one step above keeping my nose buried in entertainment news). I'm not really proud of this, because such practice can cause one to miss underplayed but potentially important stories like this one about the Islamic Revolutionary Guard taking aggressive actions against U.S. Naval vessels.
However, the fact remains that if I have a newsworthy expertise, it's politics, so I've decided to go ahead and throw in my thoughts regarding the current presidential race.
I'll start out by noting that I have been an Edwards supporter throughout this election. I mean, I like Kucinich, Gravel, Biden and possibly Richardson more, but as far as the front runners go Edwards is my man, mostly because of his focus on poverty and his commitment to nuclear disarmament - and it doesn't hurt that he polls better against leading Republicans than his rivals. That said, I have to say I'll just be happy to see a Democrat in the White House.
Edwards loyalties aside, I am very excited about Obama's momentum. His positions aren't anything special to a leftist like me, but I like the fire he brings to this campaign. Frankly, in my mind, the significance of experience and policy takes a back seat to the fact that Barack Obama isn't just running a campaign: he's leading a social movement. And he is bringing the sort of passion and hope to American politics that haven't been seen since Bobby Kennedy was shot.
Also, I'm a sucker for great speeches, and while he doesn't really stand out in debates, Obama is definitely the best orator out there on either side of the party line.
As far as the Republicans go, I could probably live with McCain or Giuliani. I used to be a big fan of McCain, back when he was a maverick senator and actually had a backbone, but I'm sick of the political games he's been playing these past few years trying to shore up party support. As for Giuliani, I think he's a shifty liar, but the fact that he's being a shifty liar while trying to secure a Republican nomination leaves me feeling like his White House politics will be more liberal than, say, Fred Thompson. I'm not going to shed any tears over the Republicans getting shafted here.
Who do I not want? That other star of Iowa, Mike Huckabee. The first time I saw him debate, I liked him. I thought he had a moderating tone and a sensible outlook. And that's what makes him so dangerous: he's silver tongued, but he's a more conservative, more religious George W. Bush. Also, he lists homosexuality with pedophilia and necrophilia, he thinks international terrorism is completely unrelated to our aggressive foreign policy, and he has Chuck Norris endorsing him.
Okay, so what's going to happen? Well, I'll tell you this: I saw Barack Obama giving his (amazing) victory speech in Iowa, and I said "That is the next president of the United States." He's shrugging off Clinton's challenges about electability by, well, winning. He's inspiring. As far as I can tell, he's honest. And I think that's what people are looking for right now after seven years of Dick Cheney being our Vice President.
I'm not calling this for Obama because 87,000 Iowans liked him. That's stupid. Iowa does not and should not represent the choice of the American people. But there's no denying that he's got a lot of momentum; with a clear Iowa victory under his belt, he's already pulling ahead in New Hampshire, where just two months ago he was trailing Clinton by twenty percent. And we haven't even gotten to the real liberal urbanites yet, who I'm thinking just might swing towards a Black guy from Chicago. Also, Obama is overwhelming popular among young people, which is pretty significant this time around because he actually got them to caucus. How much easier a time will he have getting them to punch a card and be on with their day?
So yes, I think Barack Obama is going to get the nomination, even though I'd like it to be Edwards, and I wouldn't cry about Clinton either. I'm not even going to make a guess about the Republicans. Huckabee got Iowa, but he's not getting New Hampshire. Romney is still popular in some parts too, though he's getting hit pretty hard by the other Republicans. McCain finished stronger than was really expected in Iowa, and he's got a good shot at winning New Hampshire. And even though he could make evangelicals leave the party, Giuliani can't be counted out either. I will say that Fred Thompson is going to prove too boring and Ron Paul too crazy. They'll drop out.
So let's say Obama makes it to the general election. Here's where it gets dangerous, because we all know no senator has gotten elected to president since JFK. They're often seen as not having the right experience, and the nature of Senate voting leaves them open to easy, if unfair, attacks. Clinton's already after him about his vote for the USA Patriot Act after he said he'd oppose it, and according to factcheck.org there's not a lot of deception in that accusation, except maybe that she did exactly the same thing. I can see it now: Romney (for example) will be running ads blasting Obama for something like voting $300,000 to studying the reproductive habits of fish off the coast of California or something, and very few people are going to realize he's probably talking about some budget that also gave $400 billion to the military and had the support of every Republican in the Senate. I am a bit worried about Governor Huckabee beating Senator Obama.
On the other hand, Obama is very good at shrugging off attacks, and I think his positive message is going to resonate with voters. So maybe he can do it. I'll believe it. That, after all, is the audacity of hope.
However, the fact remains that if I have a newsworthy expertise, it's politics, so I've decided to go ahead and throw in my thoughts regarding the current presidential race.
I'll start out by noting that I have been an Edwards supporter throughout this election. I mean, I like Kucinich, Gravel, Biden and possibly Richardson more, but as far as the front runners go Edwards is my man, mostly because of his focus on poverty and his commitment to nuclear disarmament - and it doesn't hurt that he polls better against leading Republicans than his rivals. That said, I have to say I'll just be happy to see a Democrat in the White House.
Edwards loyalties aside, I am very excited about Obama's momentum. His positions aren't anything special to a leftist like me, but I like the fire he brings to this campaign. Frankly, in my mind, the significance of experience and policy takes a back seat to the fact that Barack Obama isn't just running a campaign: he's leading a social movement. And he is bringing the sort of passion and hope to American politics that haven't been seen since Bobby Kennedy was shot.
Also, I'm a sucker for great speeches, and while he doesn't really stand out in debates, Obama is definitely the best orator out there on either side of the party line.
As far as the Republicans go, I could probably live with McCain or Giuliani. I used to be a big fan of McCain, back when he was a maverick senator and actually had a backbone, but I'm sick of the political games he's been playing these past few years trying to shore up party support. As for Giuliani, I think he's a shifty liar, but the fact that he's being a shifty liar while trying to secure a Republican nomination leaves me feeling like his White House politics will be more liberal than, say, Fred Thompson. I'm not going to shed any tears over the Republicans getting shafted here.
Who do I not want? That other star of Iowa, Mike Huckabee. The first time I saw him debate, I liked him. I thought he had a moderating tone and a sensible outlook. And that's what makes him so dangerous: he's silver tongued, but he's a more conservative, more religious George W. Bush. Also, he lists homosexuality with pedophilia and necrophilia, he thinks international terrorism is completely unrelated to our aggressive foreign policy, and he has Chuck Norris endorsing him.
Okay, so what's going to happen? Well, I'll tell you this: I saw Barack Obama giving his (amazing) victory speech in Iowa, and I said "That is the next president of the United States." He's shrugging off Clinton's challenges about electability by, well, winning. He's inspiring. As far as I can tell, he's honest. And I think that's what people are looking for right now after seven years of Dick Cheney being our Vice President.
I'm not calling this for Obama because 87,000 Iowans liked him. That's stupid. Iowa does not and should not represent the choice of the American people. But there's no denying that he's got a lot of momentum; with a clear Iowa victory under his belt, he's already pulling ahead in New Hampshire, where just two months ago he was trailing Clinton by twenty percent. And we haven't even gotten to the real liberal urbanites yet, who I'm thinking just might swing towards a Black guy from Chicago. Also, Obama is overwhelming popular among young people, which is pretty significant this time around because he actually got them to caucus. How much easier a time will he have getting them to punch a card and be on with their day?
So yes, I think Barack Obama is going to get the nomination, even though I'd like it to be Edwards, and I wouldn't cry about Clinton either. I'm not even going to make a guess about the Republicans. Huckabee got Iowa, but he's not getting New Hampshire. Romney is still popular in some parts too, though he's getting hit pretty hard by the other Republicans. McCain finished stronger than was really expected in Iowa, and he's got a good shot at winning New Hampshire. And even though he could make evangelicals leave the party, Giuliani can't be counted out either. I will say that Fred Thompson is going to prove too boring and Ron Paul too crazy. They'll drop out.
So let's say Obama makes it to the general election. Here's where it gets dangerous, because we all know no senator has gotten elected to president since JFK. They're often seen as not having the right experience, and the nature of Senate voting leaves them open to easy, if unfair, attacks. Clinton's already after him about his vote for the USA Patriot Act after he said he'd oppose it, and according to factcheck.org there's not a lot of deception in that accusation, except maybe that she did exactly the same thing. I can see it now: Romney (for example) will be running ads blasting Obama for something like voting $300,000 to studying the reproductive habits of fish off the coast of California or something, and very few people are going to realize he's probably talking about some budget that also gave $400 billion to the military and had the support of every Republican in the Senate. I am a bit worried about Governor Huckabee beating Senator Obama.
On the other hand, Obama is very good at shrugging off attacks, and I think his positive message is going to resonate with voters. So maybe he can do it. I'll believe it. That, after all, is the audacity of hope.
Thursday, January 03, 2008
Undercover operations
After a moderately successful 19-day period under the radar, I can now inform you that I am sitting on a not so comfy futon in Pirate House, North Manchester, Indiana. That's right, I'm not actually in Mexico. I had to keep you all in the dark as part of my elaborate operation to surprise my friends here on campus.
Some of them caught on, but my primary goal of making my ex-roommate Aaron flip out succeeded. So, please call, e-mail or comment if you are in North Manchester and want to hang out! If you don't get in touch with me I take no responsibility for us not spending quality time together because left to my own devices with so much to do, I'm likely to just sit on this futon and keep internetting away.
Or, if I'm really motivated, I might go to the Oaks and internet away while drinking a mocha.
So far my break has been mostly uneventful. I spent a little time with some of my friends in Goshen, but passed most of my time at home just staying in the house with my computer, my guitar, my brother, and our X-Box. The shocking life of a college student on break has now been exposed to you.
Since my blog theoretically has something to do with Mexico, I do have a couple more study-abroad related thoughts to share... I speak English. I speak a lot of English. I speak English with my American friends and my Canadian friends and, occasionally, with my Mexican friends. So any jokes about forgetting English are really not at all associated with the truth. I am, however, in social Spanish mode. By this I mean any day-to-day interactions beyond my friends are, I assume, to be conducted in Spanish. This first became apparent when I would have a thought that interested me academically and I'd imagine bringing it up in a class back at Manchester. "How would I express that in Spanish?" I find myself thinking, before realizing I don't have to. This phenomenon became all the more obvious as I traveled back to the States. If I had anything to ask of a flight attendant, a cashier, or a random person in the airport, I'd find the question forming in Spanish rather than in English. This worked in Mexico City, obviously, but it was less useful for the Dallas-Fort Wayne leg of the trip.
I could share plenty more about my travels (the stories are quite exciting and include, among other things, blinding snowstorms!) but I just secured a date for hot tea over at Elizabeth's. Hasta luego!
Some of them caught on, but my primary goal of making my ex-roommate Aaron flip out succeeded. So, please call, e-mail or comment if you are in North Manchester and want to hang out! If you don't get in touch with me I take no responsibility for us not spending quality time together because left to my own devices with so much to do, I'm likely to just sit on this futon and keep internetting away.
Or, if I'm really motivated, I might go to the Oaks and internet away while drinking a mocha.
So far my break has been mostly uneventful. I spent a little time with some of my friends in Goshen, but passed most of my time at home just staying in the house with my computer, my guitar, my brother, and our X-Box. The shocking life of a college student on break has now been exposed to you.
Since my blog theoretically has something to do with Mexico, I do have a couple more study-abroad related thoughts to share... I speak English. I speak a lot of English. I speak English with my American friends and my Canadian friends and, occasionally, with my Mexican friends. So any jokes about forgetting English are really not at all associated with the truth. I am, however, in social Spanish mode. By this I mean any day-to-day interactions beyond my friends are, I assume, to be conducted in Spanish. This first became apparent when I would have a thought that interested me academically and I'd imagine bringing it up in a class back at Manchester. "How would I express that in Spanish?" I find myself thinking, before realizing I don't have to. This phenomenon became all the more obvious as I traveled back to the States. If I had anything to ask of a flight attendant, a cashier, or a random person in the airport, I'd find the question forming in Spanish rather than in English. This worked in Mexico City, obviously, but it was less useful for the Dallas-Fort Wayne leg of the trip.
I could share plenty more about my travels (the stories are quite exciting and include, among other things, blinding snowstorms!) but I just secured a date for hot tea over at Elizabeth's. Hasta luego!
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