It's beginning to look a lot like Election Day, everywhere you go

In just a few more days, people will begin taking down their political signs and putting up their Christmas decorations. Hospitals will be overflowing with whip-lash patients as people go from mud-slinging name-calling hostilities to gift-giving carol-singing frivolities.

In St. Louis, they are anxious to move on from the political season to the holiday season. WMVN 101.1 changed formats to all Christmas, all the time on October 10th. By Christmas, listeners in St. Louis will be longing for political ads just to break up the sugar coated airwaves.

(What’s the over/under on when Indy will get its first Christmas radio station of the year? And who will it be? I’m going to bet that Warm 93.9 and its paltry .9 Arbitron rating will be jingling all the way by November 15th.)

But before I start to think about reindeer and nutcracker ballets, I want to talk about yellow dogs and ballots.

When I cast my ballot on November 4th, it will be a straight Democratic ticket. And I make no apologies for it. I have looked at every race and every candidate. I gave every Republican and Libertarian candidate an opportunity to get me to swing. But in the end, across the boards, the Democrats won me at every race.

I will say that for a few seconds, I considered not voting for a Democrat in one race. In the primaries, I voted for Jill Long Thompson over Jim Shellinger because I felt that she did a better job of outlining what she wanted to do and where she wanted to take Indiana. Shellinger, on the other hand, was running as the anti-Mitch Daniels. He provided a lot of words, but not many ideas.

Then after the primaries, I didn’t hear much from Jill. Her campaign fell flat. And she started to pull a Shellinger: running as the anti-Mitch Daniels. That's not what I wanted to hear. It was very disappointing. So I questioned if she deserved my vote.

Now, don’t mistake me, the question wasn’t should I vote for Jill or for Mitch. While I will concede that there are some things to like about him, he’s not my man. I don’t like his management style. I don’t like his priorities. I don’t like his philosophies. But based on the number of My Man Mitch stickers I see, a lot of people do. And that’s fine. And I suspect that the number of Mitch voters will outnumber the Jill voters on Election Day. By big numbers.

The question I was asking myself is do I give Jill my vote or do I refrain from voting for a Governor, making a Brewster-style none-of-the-above statement?

But in the end, I wised up. I asked the question: who would I trust more in the Governor’s Office?

I don’t trust Mitch now. I won’t trust him tomorrow. Because if Halliburton told Mitch that Indiana would save ten cents by privatizing the rest of state government, he would do it. Because if BP convinced Mitch that Indiana would gain 5 minimum wage jobs by paving over Lake Michigan, he would do it. Because if “property tax reform” could be “accomplished” by crippling municipal budgets, he would do it.

Actually, he did do that.

I’m not saying that Jill is perfect. Her proposal to suspend the gas tax is flawed, I think. And she’ll sometimes balk at picking a side on an issue. But most of the issues and stances on her website (and there are plenty) are in line with my own thoughts. In the end, I think she’ll do right by Indiana.

So she’ll get my vote on Tuesday, along with ever other Democrat on my ballot. Plus both referendums.

And on Wednesday, I’ll be putting Christmas lights on Yellow Dog House No. 266.

More Obama Photos

These photos from the Obama rally on Thursday, October 23rd at American Legion Mall in Indianapolis came from my 35mm camera. I am quite pleased with them. Here are five of my favorites. As before, feel free to use, just give credit...

A moment

I arrived downtown around 7 in the morning. I didn’t need to be there for another two hours, but not knowing how bad parking would be, I decided to head early and find a cup of coffee if I had time. There was plenty of time.

Inside Gabriel’s Cafeteria, I ordered a coffee and decided what the hell, I’ll have breakfast as well. Sausage gravy and biscuits had always been a favorite of mine. Anything gravy is good. Or so I thought. The gravy was bland, flavorless. I practically had to empty a pepper shaker over my biscuits. No matter. I was in a good mood.

I wasn’t the only one. Also sitting in the restaurant was a couple with their teenage daughters. All of them were wearing Obama buttons and shirts. They, too, arrived early, hoping to beat the crowd heading to the American Legion Mall to hear Senator Barack Obama speak.

Having grown up in Indiana, there were never many opportunities for me to see Presidential candidates, let alone Presidents. It wasn’t until a couple of years ago that I finally saw a U.S. President in person. It wasn’t my first choice, of course. But when my boss offered me the chance to hear George W. Bush speak at the Indiana Black Expo corporate luncheon, I jumped on the opportunity.

For the record, the speech was good. He played to the crowd, which consisted mostly of Democrats. The crowd, in return, was very courteous and gracious. A demonstration of Hoosier Hospitality at its best.

Given the lack of opportunities, one would think that I would have eaten up all the visits that Presidential candidates made to the Circle City and other Indiana locales. But there was always something that kept me from going: work, family, not wanting to wait in line.

After I missed Obama at the State Fairgrounds earlier in the month, I started kicking myself. All these opportunities to see him in person and I wasted them.

And then he made a change to his schedule and it was announced that he was returning to Indianapolis for another rally. It was going to be held downtown on a day that there were no work appointments and no personal appointments. Come hell or high water, I was going to make it to this rally.

I immediately sent an email to a friend who had connections. And I cashed in a favor. And that is how it came to be that I had a press pass for the rally.

Figuring that I would have the opportunity to see Obama from different angles at the Mall, I took my beloved 35mm camera. I’ve had this camera for over a decade. A few years ago, I bought a new zoom lens for only $25. The pictures I have taken with this camera have been so incredible, I’m reluctant to replace it with a digital camera. There is certainly a romantic notion to taking a picture on film, forever imbedding it into cellulose, for better or for worse, not knowing how well it turned out until after it is developed. The investment made into the chance of a photograph turning out well.

I entered the grounds about 15 minutes until nine. It gave me a chance to stake out the angles that I would use to take photos. One from the north end, near the cenotaph, facing south, catching Obama in the foreground and the skyline in the background. One from the same spot, catching him as he comes down the steps on his way to the stage. From the northeast looking southwest, using the Scottish Rite Cathedral as a background. From the hill by the American Legion Headquarters. From the press risers. From near the crowd. Up close. Far away.

Somewhere, somehow, I was going to come away with some memorable pictures.

While figuring out my camera shots, I met several other members of the media. Peter Kadhammar is a journalist and Magnus Wennman is a photographer for the Swedish newspaper Aftonbladet. They have been following the politics in the US for their home country since the conventions and have been following Obama and Biden from town to town. Because they are foreign press, particularly from a smaller country, they aren’t in the Obama press corp, but instead are treated more like local media people instead of national or international types.

Standing in the shadows, waiting for the sun to spread its warmth over the Mall, Peter asked me how could it gets in Indiana. I told him that in the winter, 10’s and 20’s are not uncommon. “Fahrenheit?” he asked. Doing the conversion, I told him that is about negative ten Celsius. “I thought Indiana had extreme temperatures?” Well, I guess it all depends on your perspective.

He asked me about Indiana and how people here vote. And he asked me about racial tensions, as he had just come from a southern town where people, both black and white, were mum about past issues like slavery and the Ku Klux Klan. I asked him what people outside of America thought of the United States.

“Most people still look up to America but we all wondered how you could have elected George W. Bush again in 2004!” I was quick to point out that I didn’t vote for him and understood their confusion.

I also met Sister Sue Jenkins, a Roman Catholic nun whose mission involves the operation of WKOG TV and Kingdom of God Broadcasting, a Catholic broadcast television network. A sweet woman, she wore an Obama ’08 button on her habit. The Catholic church isn’t allowed to weigh in on the elections, though several bishops have expressed their personal opinions (wink wink, nudge nudge) that voting for anybody who is pro-choice is wrong. I was thankful to see someone in the Catholic ministry who saw the positives that Obama brings and that it might outweigh the negative.

Most people who pick a side in politics fear the possibility of “the other side” winning. As if the world will come to an end if your guy (or girl) doesn’t win (hey, if we survived 8 years of W, we can survive anything!). Sister Sue had a differing perspective. “God touches everybody’s heart and inspires them to make the appropriate decision. I know who God wants me to vote for. But whoever wins, they will win because God wants them to win.” A sisterly spin on que sera, sera. The most polite and comforting mix of politics and religion that I have ever heard.

Along with the press and other special guests, there were a lot of Obama volunteers milling about. Some play big roles and could be picked out by the Secret Service pin that they wore. Others played smaller, local roles and were as excited about seeing Senator Barack Obama as everyone else.

In what caused frequent deja vu moments, I spoke frequently with twin brothers Jeremy and Zack. They are both recent law school graduates from California who elected to volunteer for the Obama campaign in any way needed. They were told that they were needed in Indiana. Which is why they have been staying with a host family for the past couple of months.

I found them to be remarkable that they took a break from the rest of their life to work for this effort that they believed in. I find it even more remarkable that there are families who believe in this effort so much that they take in complete strangers for months at a time.

Seeing Senator Obama was a memorable moment for me. To (hopefully) have seen the next President of the United States was very exciting. His speech was good, though you won’t find it in history books years from now. But the magic of the moment wasn’t just being in proximity to Barack Obama. It was also meeting members of the media and hearing their take. It was meeting volunteers and hearing why they have dedicated so much time and effort. It was talking to Secret Service agents and drinking coffee with law enforcement officers. It was being around a reported 35,000 Americans who have hope for a different, better America.

Marrying my wife, having a son… those are the greatest moments in my life. Witnessing my football team go to a Super Bowl, and then win it two weeks later… that is a thrilling moment. Being at the Obama campaign rally, hearing him speak, seeing how he affects those who admire him… that was a historical moment. One that will be repeated on Tuesday.

The thrill of victory, the agony of defeat, the dopiness of fandom

Every evening the routine is the same. El Presidente goes up to the TV, gets on his tippy toes, points at a stack of DVD’s, and yells “MOVIE!” He generally addresses his request towards me because he knows that the lovely wife put up with his movies all day; she’s not likely to put up with them at night.

Plus, he knows that I am a push over.

When we tell him that we are not watching a movie, he throws a dramatic fit. When that doesn’t work, he’ll get right up into your face, open his eyes wide, stick his bottom lip out, and pout. It kinda sounds like “me-me-me-me-me”. It’s cute. Sometimes it works; sometimes it doesn’t.

Last night, it didn’t. But in hindsight, the lovely wife and I might have enjoyed watching Finding Nemo for the millionth time instead of the travesty that tried to pass itself off as a football game.

Sure, the first half seemed promising. And the first drive of the second half led me to believe that the Colts were going to roll over the Titans. But instead the rolled over, letting the Titans run away with the game. It got ugly quickly.

If I had only listened to El Presidente, not only would I have not suffered through the game, I would have been in bed at a decent hour. Instead, I’m shot gunning caffeine this morning. I’m such an old man.

This morning, as I pulled my tired ass out of bed, I thought to myself, “If I weren’t such a fan, I’d probably be much happier.” How the Colts performs often dictates my mood during football season. To have ones emotional well being tied to the ups and downs of a football teams performance is, well, stupid.

But in reality, its not hard to see why people get sucked in. It’s more than just the game. Sports create bonds and rivalries. It gives people something to talk about other than politics and religion. It gives people a reason to gather. And it unifies people during victory and defeat.

I’ve passed the sports psychosis to my son. No matter the sport…football, baseball, basketball, hockey, curling…when he sees somebody playing, he automatically starts cheering “Shoot the ball, guy!” And last night, without prompting, El Presidente cheered during the game “Go Colts!”

And so the cycle of joy and misery continues for at least another generation.

Sen. Barack Obama at the American Legion Mall

The photos are from my camera phone, so they aren't up close and in his face. They are actually a bit like "Where's Waldo?". I took my 35mm camera as well, so hopefully next week I'll have some great pictures.
I was kicking myself for not seeing Barack Obama at the fairgrounds. I had figured we wouldn't see him in Indy before the election. I've never been so glad to be wrong.

It was cold early this morning when I arrived, but as the shadows went away, the day turned out to be pretty nice.

Feel free to use the photos if you like. Just give credit.

Twelve more days, people. Twelve more days.

Remarks of Senator Barack Obama
As Prepared for Delivery
Indianapolis, Indiana
Thursday, October 23, 2008

It is fitting that we meet today on the mall of the American Legion, surrounded by monuments to our nation’s heroes. Because on this day, 25 years ago, the Marine barracks in Beirut were bombed. 241 Americans laid down their lives for this country and for the peace they were there to protect. We revere their service. We honor their sacrifice. And we keep their families in our prayers.

We will never forget them.

Indiana, in just 12 days, you’ll have the chance to elect your next President. And you’ll have the chance to bring the change we need to Washington. That’s the good news. But we’re going to have to work, and struggle, and fight for every single one of those 12 days to move our country in a new direction.

I am hopeful about the outcome. We were thrilled this weekend when a great American statesman, General Colin Powell, joined our cause. But we cannot let up. And we won't.

Because one thing we know is that change never comes without a fight. In the final days of campaigns, the say-anything, do-anything politics too often takes over. We’ve seen it before. And we’re seeing it again today. The ugly phone calls. The misleading mail and TV ads. The careless, outrageous comments. All aimed at keeping us from working together, all aimed at stopping change.

Well, what we need now is not misleading charges and divisive attacks. What we need is honest leadership and real change, and that’s why I’m running for President of the United States.

Now, more than ever, this campaign has to be about the problems facing the American people – because this is a moment of great uncertainty for America. We’re facing the worst economic crisis since the Great Depression. The Dow plummeted again yesterday, threatening the job security, retirement security, and economic security of millions of ordinary Americans. Indiana lost 4,500 manufacturing jobs in September alone. And just today, we learned that more and more Americans are filing for unemployment. Home values are falling. Foreclosures are rising. Wages are shrinking. And the cost of health care and college tuition has never been higher.

And that’s what this election is all about – because John McCain and I have real differences about how to get us out of this economic mess. You see, Senator McCain thinks the economic policies of George W. Bush are just right for America. In the Senate, he’s voted with George Bush 90 percent of the time. Said earlier this year that we’ve made “great progress” over the last eight years. And while Senator McCain says now that he’s different from President Bush, you sure couldn’t tell by the policies he’s proposing.

Just yesterday, Senator McCain strongly defended the Bush policy of lavishing tax cuts on corporations that ship American jobs overseas. He made the peculiar argument that the best way to stop companies from shipping jobs overseas is to give more tax cuts to companies that ship jobs overseas. More tax cuts for job outsourcers. That’s what Senator McCain proposed as his answer to outsourcing.

He said that’s – quote – “simple fundamental economics.”

Well, Indiana, my opponent may call that “fundamental economics,” but we know that’s just another name for the Wall Street first, Main Street last economic philosophy we’ve had for the past eight years – and that’s fundamentally wrong.

If Senator McCain wants to defend tax breaks for companies that ship jobs overseas, that’s his choice. But I say, let’s end tax cuts for companies that ship American jobs overseas, and give them to companies that create good jobs right here in Indiana – in the United States of America.

If he wants to defend free trade agreements designed to protect the profits of multinational corporations and a trade policy that lets countries like China tilt the playing field against our workers, that’s up to him. But I say, we need a trade policy that protects the dreams of hardworking Americans.

If he wants to defend a tax code that’s more than 10,000 pages long and filled with loopholes written in by corporate lobbyists like the ones running his campaign, he’s got every right. He has every right to defend offshore tax havens that let companies avoid paying taxes here in America. But I say, it’s time to close corporate loopholes, shut offshore tax havens, and restore balance and fairness to our tax code.

By the way, did you know that there’s a building in the Cayman Islands that supposedly houses 18,000 corporations. That’s either the biggest building or the biggest tax scam on record. And I think we know which one it is. That’s the system my opponent defends.

That’s the system he wants to preserve. Well, Indiana, we’ve tried it John McCain’s way. We’ve tried it George Bush’s way. And we’re here today to say enough is enough. We can’t afford four more years of their “fundamental economics.” That’s why I’m running for President of the United States of America.

You see, I have a different notion of fundamental economics than my opponent. Because where I come from, there’s nothing more fundamental than a good-paying job. There’s nothing more fundamental than being able to pay your health care bills, put your kids through college, or retire with dignity and security. There’s nothing more fundamental than the American dream – and that’s the dream we can reclaim if you stand with me on November 4.

I know we can do this. I know we can steer ourselves out of this crisis. Because I believe in you. I believe in the American people.

We are the United States of America. We are a nation that’s faced down war and depression; great challenges and great threats. And at each and every moment, we have risen to meet these challenges – not as Democrats, not as Republicans, but as Americans. With resolve. With confidence. With that fundamental belief that here in America, our destiny is not written for us; it’s written by us. That’s who we are, and that’s the country we need to be right now.

But Indiana, I know this. It will take a new direction. It will take new leadership in Washington. It will take a real change in the policies and politics of the last eight years. And that’s why I’m running for President of the United States.

It’s time to turn the page on eight years of economic policies that put Wall Street before Main Street but ended up hurting both. We need policies that grow our economy from the bottom-up, so that every American, everywhere, has the chance to get ahead. Not just the person who owns the factory, but the men and women who work on its floor. Because if we’ve learned anything from this economic crisis, it’s that we’re all connected; we’re all in this together; and we will rise or fall as one nation – as one people.

The rescue plan that passed the Congress was a necessary first step to easing this credit crisis, but if we’re going to rebuild this economy from the bottom up, we need an immediate rescue plan for the middle-class – and that’s what I will do as President of the United States.

Nine months ago, I called for a stimulus plan to provide immediate relief for states, along with tax rebates to get money directly to middle class families and a foreclosure prevention fund to help people keep their homes. Senator McCain’s advisors openly mocked the stimulus plan before Congress – one referred to it, and I quote, as “borrowing money from the Chinese and dropping it from helicopters.” Another dismissed it as “junk.”

Just this week, after nine straight months of job losses, when our Federal Reserve Chairman supports another stimulus to get our economy moving, Senator McCain said he doesn’t think we need to pass this stimulus immediately. Well, the working families who’ve been hard hit by this economic crisis – folks who can’t pay their mortgages or their medical bills or send their kids to college – they can’t afford to go to the back of the line behind CEOs and Wall Street banks. They need help right here, right now – and that’s why I’m running for President of the United States.
I’ve proposed a new American jobs tax credit for each new employee that companies hire here in the United States over the next two years. And I’ll help make sure the fuel-efficient cars of tomorrow are built not just in South Korea or Japan, but right here in Indiana.

Few have been harder hit by our credit crisis than the workers who make our cars and the companies that supply their parts. Now, when it came to rescuing Wall Street, Washington didn’t waste a minute. But now that auto-workers are suffering, Washington’s put on the breaks. It turns out it could take a year for the auto industry to get the loan guarantees we passed a few weeks ago.

Well, the workers who are being laid off and the companies that are seeing their sales drop – they can’t afford to wait a year, they need help right now. That’s why I’ve called on Washington to fast-track those loan guarantees and provide more as needed – because that’s how we’ll secure our auto jobs and save our auto industry.

I’ll also help small businesses by eliminating capital gains taxes and giving them emergency loans to keep their doors open and hire workers. I’ll put a three-month moratorium on foreclosures so that we can give homeowners the breathing room they need to get back on their feet. And I will create a Jobs and Growth fund to help states and local governments save one million jobs and pay for health care and education without having to raise your taxes.

These are the steps that we must take – right now – to start getting our economy back on track. But we also need a new set of priorities to grow our economy and create jobs over the long-term.
It starts with tax relief. There’s been a lot of talk about taxes in this campaign. And the truth is, my opponent and I are both proposing tax cuts. The difference is, he wants to give a $700,000 tax cut to the average Fortune 500 CEO. I want to put a middle class tax cut in the pockets of 95% of workers and their families. My opponent doesn’t want you to know this, but under my plan, tax rates for middle class families will actually be less than they were under Ronald Reagan.
It’s true that I want to roll back the Bush tax cuts on the wealthiest Americans and go back to the rate they paid under Bill Clinton. John McCain calls that socialism. What he forgets is that just a few years ago, he himself said those Bush tax cuts were irresponsible. He said he couldn’t “in good conscience” support a tax cut where the benefits went to the wealthy at the expense of “middle class Americans who most need tax relief.” Well, he was right then, and I am right now.

Let me be crystal clear: If you make less than a quarter of a million dollars a year – which includes 98% of small business owners – you won’t see your taxes increase one single dime. Not your payroll taxes, not your income taxes, not your capital gains taxes – nothing. That is my commitment to you.

For the last eight years, we’ve given more and more to those with the most and hoped that prosperity would trickle down to everyone else. And guess what? It didn’t. So it’s time to try something new. It’s time to grow this economy from the bottom-up. It’s time to invest in the middle-class again.

If I am President, I will invest $15 billion a year in renewable sources of energy to create five million new, green jobs over the next decade – jobs that pay well and can’t be outsourced; jobs building solar panels and wind turbines and fuel-efficient cars; jobs that will help us end our dependence on oil from Middle East dictators.

I’ll also put two million more Americans to work rebuilding our crumbling roads, schools, and bridges – because it is time to build an American infrastructure for the 21st century. And if people ask how we’re going to pay for this, you tell them that if we can spend $10 billion a month in Iraq, we can spend some money to rebuild America.

If I am President, I will finally fix the problems in our health care system that we’ve been talking about for too long. This issue is personal for me. My mother died of ovarian cancer at the age of 53, and I’ll never forget how she spent the final months of her life lying in a hospital bed, fighting with her insurance company because they claimed that her cancer was a pre-existing condition and didn’t want to pay for treatment. If I am President, I will make sure those insurance companies can never do that again.

My health care plan will make sure insurance companies can’t discriminate against those who are sick and need care most. If you have health insurance, the only thing that will change under my plan is that we will lower premiums. If you don’t have health insurance, you’ll be able to get the same kind of health insurance that Members of Congress get for themselves. And we’ll invest in preventative care and new technology to finally lower the cost of health care for families, businesses, and the entire economy. That’s the change we need.

And if I’m President, we’ll give every child, everywhere the skills and the knowledge they need to compete with any worker, anywhere in the world. I will not allow countries to out-teach us today so they can out-compete us tomorrow. It is time to provide every American with a world-class education. That means investing in early childhood education. That means recruiting an army of new teachers, and paying them better, and giving them more support in exchange for higher standards and more accountability.

And it means investing in agricultural education. From seeing all those blue corduroy jackets in the crowd, I know there’s a Future Farmers of America convention here in Indianapolis. And I want you to know that if I’m elected President, I will fight for you – because America’s farmers are America’s future. And it’s time we had a President who understood that.

We need to make sure every American who has the drive and the will but not the money can go to college. My opponent’s top economic advisor actually said that they have no plan to invest in college affordability because we can’t have a giveaway to every special interest. Well I don’t think the young people of America are a special interest – they are the future of this country. That’s why I’ll make this deal with you: if you commit to serving your community or your country, we will make sure you can afford your tuition. No ifs, ands or buts. You invest in America, America will invest in you, and together, we will move this country forward.

Now, make no mistake: the change we need won’t come easy or without cost. We will all need to tighten our belts, we will all need to sacrifice and we will all need to pull our weight because now more than ever, we are all in this together.

At a defining moment like this, we don’t have the luxury of relying on the same political games and the same political tactics that are used every election to divide us from one another and make us afraid of one another. With the challenges and crises we face right now, we cannot afford to divide this country by class or region; by who we are or what policies we support.

There are no real or fake parts of this country. We are not separated by the pro-America and anti-America parts of this nation – we all love this country, no matter where we live or where we come from. There are patriots who supported this war in Iraq and patriots who opposed it; patriots who believe in Democratic policies and those who believe in Republican policies. The men and women from Indiana and all across America who serve on our battlefields may be Democrats and Republicans and Independents, but they have fought together and bled together and some died together under the same proud flag. They have not served a Red America or a Blue America – they have served the United States of America.

We have always been at our best when we’ve had leadership that called us to look past our differences and come together as one nation, as one people; leadership that rallied this entire country to a common purpose – to a higher purpose. And I am running for President of the United States of America because that is the country we need to be right now.

This country and the dream it represents are being tested in a way that we haven’t seen in nearly a century. And future generations will judge ours by how we respond to this test. Will they say that this was a time when America lost its way and its purpose? When we allowed the same divisions and fear tactics and our own petty differences to plunge this country into a dark and painful recession?

Or will they say that this was another one of those moments when America overcame? When we battled back from adversity by recognizing that common stake that we have in each other’s success?

This is one of those moments. I realize you’re cynical and fed up with politics. I understand that you’re disappointed and even angry with your leaders. You have every right to be. But despite all of this, I ask of you what’s been asked of the American people in times of trial and turmoil throughout our history. I ask you to believe – to believe in yourselves, in each other, and in the future we can build together.

Together, we cannot fail. Not now. Not when we have a crisis to solve and an economy to save. Not when there are so many Americans without jobs and without homes. Not when there are families who can’t afford to see a doctor, or send their child to college, or pay their bills at the end of the month. Not when there is a generation that is counting on us to give them the same opportunities and the same chances that we had for ourselves.

We can do this. Americans have done this before. Some of us had grandparents or parents who said maybe I can't go to college but my child can; maybe I can't have my own business but my child can. I may have to rent, but maybe my children will have a home they can call their own. I may not have a lot of money but maybe my child will run for Senate. I might live in a small village but maybe someday my son can be president of the United States of America.

Now it falls to us. Together, we cannot fail. And I need you to make it happen. If you want the next four years looking like the last eight, then I am not your candidate. But if you want real change – if you want an economy that rewards work, and that works for Main Street and Wall Street; if you want tax relief for the middle class and millions of new jobs; if you want health care you can afford and education that helps your kids compete; then I ask you to knock on some doors, make some calls, talk to your neighbors, and give me your vote. In Indiana, you can vote early right here, and right now. To find out how, just go to voteforchange.com. And if you stand with me, I promise you – we will win Indiana, we will win this election, and then you and I – together – will change this country and change this world. Thank you, God bless you, and may God bless America.

A not-so-sexy moment

With the exception of the top of my head, I'm a hairy beast. Even with my clothes on, it is easy to see that I'm like Sasquatch with my hair popping up around my shirt collars.
This weekend, while getting ready for bed, the lovely wife and I are in the bathroom and I see he staring at my back. I really dread these moments as it usually results in her picking or plucking something.

She then reaches and pulls at a back hair. Her eyes get really, REALLY big as the back hair just seems to go on and on. She then pulls it.

Not only was it a really long hair, but it was perfectly white. I'm speculating that I'm slowing transforming from Bigfoot into a yeti.
Abominable. Can you believe that? Do I look abominable to you? Why can't they call me the Adorable Snowman, or the Agreeable Snowman, for crying out loud? I'm a nice guy.

Anyway, welcome to the Himalayas No. 266!

Snow cone?

Coincidence

I won’t argue the fact that I am a lucky guy. I’ve got the lovely wife, El Presidente, Lucy and Ethel, Four Square No. 266, a job, health insurance… Compared to many, I’ve got it pretty good.

Lately, though, I’ve been kinda down. In years past, my mood was pretty predictable: it changed based on the performance of the Colts. But I’ve moved past that. Sometimes work messes with my attitude. Sometimes money does.

But more and more, my world, my happiness has revolved around El Presidente and his health. In spite of the troubles we’ve faced, I’ve been able to keep smiling because we kept making progress. Recently, I have felt that things have been stagnant, that not only had progress stopped, but we were taking steps backwards.

For a couple of weeks, El Presidente has been puking more. Obviously, that has a direct impact on his physical well being, but it is also a quality of life concern. Nobody likes to puke, especially multiple times a day. In the months before, we could predict pretty well when he would puke. We knew what his markers were.

Now, we’re back to high alert all the time. He could go off at any minute. And when he’s puking, we are unable to help him make progress in other areas of life, including speech and eating.

I’m not a patient guy, but I think I had been doing well, accepting the long time frame for possible improvements. But two weeks of taking steps back were too much to handle. And this weekend, I went from being down to being pissed. And during mass on Saturday evening, I realized that I was pissed at God.

It is not very often that I am straight out angry with God. Certainly there are things I don’t understand. And being patient with God is not my strong suit. Deep down, I know that there is a reason for everything; I don’t believe in coincidence.

But I felt a lack of God's presence recently. And the steps backwards were too much to handle. I could not understand what possible purpose these challenges would provide. On Saturday night, I snapped. The emotions came flowing out. And I made my dissatisfaction with God very vocal.

The lovely wife, she just listened. She knows exactly what I’m feeling.

El Presidente, the one who suffers the physical and emotional pains of his ailments, consoled me, patting my arm and softly speaking his jibberish to me: it’s okay Dada, it will be fine. Talk about a role reversal: a two year consoling his father.

The rest of the weekend, I felt bad about blowing up and letting my emotions run loose. Life is challenging, but it isn’t that bad. I felt stupid for being so emotional.

On Tuesday, I saw a newspaper article headline about a man who committed suicide. I don’t normally read these types of articles because they are so depressing, but something made me want to read it. So I did.

Holy shit, I know that guy.

He was a product rep for a manufacturer. And in my work, I used his product frequently. It was a professional but friendly relationship. We talked frequently. We had lunch together several times. We even had drinks once at a downtown bar.

He was a nice guy. He was a family guy. He was level headed. And he wasn’t crazy.

I hadn’t talked to him in a couple of years, so I don’t know all the events that led up to his suicide. He had just lost his job, but I’m betting that a lot of things had happened, creating a slow burn that he kept inside. He finally boiled over and felt that there was only one way out of his predicament.

The situation certainly shook me. It shook many who knew him.

It is a tragedy that his life was lost, but his death reminded me that everybody has problems. And it taught me that my release of emotions was okay. My family was there to support me during my breakdown. And it isn’t anything to be ashamed of. Holding back these emotions, trying to hide them, isn’t healthy. It just adds to the problems. That is the message that God sent to me. It wasn’t the response that I had been looking for, but it was good to receive any message.

Sure, you could say that the timing of all of this is coincidence. But as I said earlier, I don’t believe in coincidence.

Happy Columbus Day!

Now go out and claim as your own as much Native American property as possible.

Flip Flop

On my way home from work yesterday, I was shocked to see two McCain/Palin signs at a neighbor's house. Surprised because it is the home of a gay couple.

I know that there are gay Republicans out there. I just don't understand why. The usual excuse is that they are fiscal conservatives and want to vote for people who will deliver smaller government. It would be up there with a Jew voting for a Nazi candidate because they like the tax plan they are proposing.

Maybe that's just a wee bit too far.

Before we had a chance to harass them (because they are friends), the signs disappeared. I'm not sure why. And I don't feel like asking.

The McCain/Palin signs are popping up like summertime dandelions all over the city. My street has a fair number of right wingers. So I decided yesterday that I had to get an Obama/Biden sign to try and balance things out. I mentioned before that I didn't like the idea of paying $8 (plus S&H) for one from the Obama/Biden website.

But my friend Kelly pointed out that the Obama Campaign office in Fishers was selling them for $3. She bought several to give to neighbors. She brought one over for me. A couple of neighbors expressed their desire for a sign like mine. I was going to be in the Fishers area on business; I'll stop by the office at lunch and get them some signs.

And I did. But they aren't charging for the signs. In fact, most (if not all) of the offices that have signs in stock (because they go quickly) are giving them away. Probably in response to McCain and the GOP saying that they were going to spend more time and money in Indiana.

I asked the volunteer if I could have six signs to share with my neighbors. He was hesitant, knowing that they wanted to be fair and get them to as many people as possible. He asked if I would be willing to make a donation to the campaign.

You know, I was willing to spend $3 a sign, so I gave them a twenty and they gave me six signs. For the first time ever, I made a political contribution. I had to fill out a form and everything.

So feel free to call me a flip-flopper. That's all I need to be fully invested into the American political machine.

Holy crap, is Jason talking about hockey AGAIN?!?

Fall is here. And my mind is wondering. And I’m thinking about colder weather.

Okay, I’m thinking about hockey. And my semi-annual lamenting about why Indianapolis doesn’t have professional hockey? (This is the fifth time, by the way, that I have whined about the lack of hockey options in the circle city. Somebody stop me before I whine again!)

Or how about a college hockey team? Considering Indiana has only one NCAA hockey team, I’d say there is room for another. And I will argue once again (this would be the third time) that IUPUI could do very well tapping into the underserved hockey market in Indianapolis. And they wouldn’t have to compete with the mother colleges of IU or Purdue either.

Bill Benner is on the “More Hockey For Indy” bandwagon as well. He has said many times that Lucas Oil Stadium should host the NCAA Frozen Four. As recently as September 15th, in fact:

“An NCAA Frozen Four, the final four of men’s hockey. As we’ve seen with portable-rink technology that has allowed for college and NHL games to move into non-traditional venues—specifically, football stadiums—there’s no reason Indianapolis couldn’t pursue a Frozen Four, especially when it could deliver a venue that could easily seat 40,000 or more for that event.”

Until then, I will have to live vicariously through Ft. Wayne, which is Hockeytown, Indiana. The Komets averaged almost 8,000 fans per game. Aside from hosting the only professional hockey team in Indiana, in 2010, they will also host the Midwest regional of the NCAA Hockey Tournament (which concludes with the ‘Frozen Four’).

Second Opinion

El Presidente has an upcoming appointment with one of his medical specialists. We like this doctor. But after two years, we wonder if this doctor has run out of ideas. Or if a new pair of eyes are needed to evaluate the situation. We are thinking about getting a second opinion.

We don’t necessarily want to cut ties with this doctor. We just think it might be time to change some things up. The doctor is a professional; certainly they can understand that sometimes you need a new point of view. Right?

Goooooooood morning Irvington! It's 0500 hours. What does the "O" stand for? O my God, it's early!

There’s only so much time in the day. I spend the better part of it in the office. I try to reserve my late afternoons and evenings for the lovely wife and El Presidente. It leaves little time to take care of me.

Back in the B.C. days (before child), the lovely wife and I were regular Tuesday and Thursday YMCA attendees. She would do an evening class. I would hope on a piece of cardio equipment and hit the weights. We’d go home, have dinner, watch TV. It was a pleasant evening.

When the boy was born, our lives were turned upside down and exercising became a casualty. In recent months, after re-establishing our membership, the lovely wife has gotten back into the Tuesday/Thursday evening aerobics class rhythm. For me, however, I wasn’t willing to sacrifice evening time with El Presidente. I tried working out after he went to bed, but by then I’m exhausted and the workout just seems wasted.

But I need to get into the gym. My bike rides to work were few and far between. The weather and my work schedule sometimes made it difficult to do the ride everyday. And nobody likes it when I come to work all sweaty.

So I decided to start getting up earlier and going to the Y before I go to work. That was a tough decision for me, because I’m inherently a night owl. I hate getting up in the morning, especially when it is dark. But I could not find any other way around it.

For over a week, I’ve been getting up at 5am. I’m using my cell phone as my alarm clock now, because when the regular alarm clock goes off, it wakes up EVERYBODY. And the lovely wife wouldn’t let me live much longer if I consistently woke the boy up at 5am. You know it is early when the dogs look up at you like, “What the fuck? It’s 5am. Go back to bed!”

It’s amazing how dark it is at 5am. Even The stoplights on Washington Street are still blinking yellow. Even the Circle K convenience store isn’t open.

Almost everybody at the Y at 5am is older than me. I mean REALLY older. Many of the channels on the TV’s are re-playing shows from last night… last night’s SportsCenter, last night’s Glenn Beck (bleh!). The city is pretty peaceful at 5am, though.

Despite the early rise, I haven’t adjusted my bed time. So I’m actually getting less sleep than before. But I operate better on less sleep (or so I tell myself).

I’m doing the 5am wakeup every weekday, making it a part of my daily routine, in hopes of sticking with it. Because every morning, the first thought that pops into my head as I reluctantly get out of bed is a quote from Chris Griffin of Family Guy: “I didn't know there was a five a.m. mass. I didn't even know there was a five a.m. What else haven't you told me?!”

I got my tacky on at Four Square No. 266

I’ve got plastic ghosts in my tree. Plastic pumpkins and witch’s cauldrons all over the place. Foam tombstones in the flower bed. And orange lights strung across the house.

Add to that the new mums I planted and the award winning pumpkin* that we received from the lovely wife’s grandfather. Halloween is in full swing.

Of course, it’s all just a warm up for the Christmas extravaganza…

Early to Bed, Early to Rise

El Presidente normally naps in the early afternoon. Two to three hours, starting around 1 or 2. He then goes to bed for the evening between 9 and 11, depending on how much of a shit he feels like being.

Tuesday, he felt like being a shit in the afternoon. He ended up not taking a nap at all. When I arrived, the lovely wife was thoroughly frazzled. "Tonight, he's yours to do as you please; I'm done," were the words that greeted me as I entered Four Square No. 266. I'm surprised she didn't go straight to a bar at that point.

I was expecting him to be deliriously crazy. He spent the early evening being lazy, laying on the couch or on the floor. We put him in his stroller to do a short dog walk. It took all of 5 minutes before he passed out asleep. He was so deep in sleep that the lovely wife was able to carry him upstairs, take off his shoes, jacket, and pants, change his diaper, and put him to bed without him waking up.

For the first time in a long, long time, we were able to watch the TV without a little someone yelling for a children's show. Early to bed is pretty nice.

The downside, unfortunately, came at 1am when he started yelling for his supper, which he missed out on when he fell asleep early. Thankfully, the lovely wife, being the wonderful woman that she is, did not hesitate to take of things. She said that it actually wasn't bad. He ate. They watched Ace of Cakes. They played. At 2am, they read books and went back to sleep.

So it wasn't all bad for her. But she's Superwoman anyway.

Veeps: sugar coated marshmallow treats for the Election Season

Thursday evening, I'll take a 90 minute break from postseason baseball to watch the Vice Presidential debates. It should be entertaining. Joe Biden has been known to say some pretty funny, stupid, and outrageous things.

And given Sarah Palin's recent interviews, she could be a hoot to watch. But in the back of my head, I wonder if we aren't being set up for this debate. Her recent performances in interviews, press conferences (all two of them), etc., is it all a ruse to lower expectations? When it is all over, will everybody think she won the debate because she was able to put two coherent sentences together without sounding completely out of her league? I guess we'll find out Thursday night.

By the way, what's the over-under on the number of times she mentions that McCain was a POW?