People make me sick.

Bailout package laid out

This is one of those issues where I fall on the side of the Republicans. I actually like Obama's bill for a lot of reasons. I think the ideas behind it are with the best intentions, and actually would bring about long term change. By that I mean, VERY long term change. But, too long. I think the energy and education related issues are strong, and probably popular because they speak to some immediate needs of citizens. However, as usual with the Democratic party, the idea is right, the execution is wrong.

The exciting part of all of this is that Republicans feel that their voice is at least being considered. That has to be somewhat validating when you are the underdog. Maybe some type of compromise will happen on some level before it goes to the voting floor.

Overwhelmage

Don't get me wrong, I'm thrilled to be going to a challenging school. I adore my ridiculously overqualified professors who are teaching because retirement is boring and they are that passionate about their field. It's all exactly what I wanted. The failure is me. No, I'm not calling myself as a whole a failure. I am just facing time management tasks like I have never before. It just sort of dawned on me today, when I was talking to Matt H, that on top of my usual day to day classwork, I have projects and papers due in a few weeks in every class. I know this is what every college kid experiences, I'm not trying to claim my experience as unique. I'm not quite sure, however, that doing school on top of the amount of responsibility that I have is ordinary.

I know it's more than possible. We've all heard the stories of how people put themselves through education under the most extreme of circumstances. If they can do it, I can do it. Brown told me today that he was afraid of me, just by the way I looked at him. Props for intuition. I do hate you, dude.

On a lighter note, I fuckin' adore Margot and Holly. Matt and Roy are also total ballers. Nice to be making new friends, nice to have an opportunity to get closer with old friends. Had lunch with Sammantha and Zach today, and Tian yesterday. TIAN AND I HAD LUNCH. Whoddathunk that would have ever happened again? I haven't seen Jamie once but that should be remedied soon.

I need to start my term paper for history, and I can't decide on a topic. There's too many damn good ones. Henneke is my new rock star. He also liked my Lincoln vs. Obama paper, so score. I care more that Henneke liked it than Brown, which is sad because Henneke isn't grading it. I just want his approval for my whole life.

"I used to hate the fool in me, but only in the morning. Now, I tolerate him all day long." - Mike Cooley

Not saying I'm pro-bailouts

But it is amazing to me that so many war mongering Republicans, who are fine with spending a trillion or so dollars to kill people and destroy countries, are opposed to spending that money on the American's who's freedom they claim to be defending.

The Morning After Pill

Gitmo trials have been called to a halt.

Rahm Emmanuel issued a statement calling a freeze on all pending Bush regulations.

Looks like the first 100 days may be bigger than even my skeptical little heart imagined.

I want to kill my English professor slightly less today

Another paper due Thursday, except this one is comparing Obama's inaugural address to Lincoln's, and predicting it's potential effectiveness.

It only can be whatever length it takes to prove the point we want to make, so not that much pressure. My biggest problem will be making it a REASONABLE length, because I could write a dissertation on Lincoln's second address alone.

School was pretty rad today. Learned a lot, had some great political discussions, and figured out that I'm in classes with some pretty rad, very well informed kids.

It's the big day.

Dwight D. Eisenhower's closing address to the Nation:

"Throughout America's adventure in free government, such basic purposes have been to keep the peace; to foster progress in human achievement, and to enhance liberty, dignity and integrity among peoples and among nations.

To strive for less would be unworthy of a free and religious people.

Any failure traceable to arrogance or our lack of comprehension or readiness to sacrifice would inflict upon us a grievous hurt, both at home and abroad.

Progress toward these noble goals is persistently threatened by the conflict now engulfing the world. It commands our whole attention, absorbs our very beings. We face a hostile ideology global in scope, atheistic in character, ruthless in purpose, and insidious in method. Unhappily the danger it poses promises to be of indefinite duration. To meet it successfully, there is called for, not so much the emotional and transitory sacrifices of crisis, but rather those which enable us to carry forward steadily, surely, and without complaint the burdens of a prolonged and complex struggle – with liberty the stake. Only thus shall we remain, despite every provocation, on our charted course toward permanent peace and human betterment."

Something I Often Wonder

At what point did Americans become so personally removed from US foreign policy. Obviously during such battles as WWII, there was such a distinct enemy. An obvious, clear-cut enemy that had a face to market itself. Everyone was united in the effort to put that enemy to bed.

Now, if you ask 10 people why we're at war with Iraq, you'll get at least 8 different answers. I'm willing to estimate it goes back as far as Vietnam, but who knows. This extent of lack of public involvement is probably a newer phenomena. More research on this to come... possibly.

Hello, World

My new internet baby is born.