We drank O's Kool-aid

Well my people, nobody pass out, I am back to the blog! After taking a number of weeks off, I have returned with a refreshed outlook, my ever acerbic wit, plenty of short and tall tales, and all kinds of news to catch up on. We'll take a few points, one at a time to warm back up and avoid exhausting ourselves:

1. For TCHinsiders:
The personal life is great (and I do mean great) and for those in the spin-room, the official status is "excited." Things could not be better with that special someone. The summer saw the two of us meeting each other's fams, making a grand wedding appearance, playing a lot of frisbee (she's rather good, I sadly am not), attending her graduation, and spending time on the phone confessing how much we miss each other. Times are good, people... besides the fact that I am 350+ miles away from Athens, all my friends, and the life that I have come to know for the past 4 years.

2. Oh, mr. doctoral man:
My professional life is charging ahead with prospectus defense done and over with and I am now dissertating (which I should be doing right now, but you people wanted an update...am I right?)

3. A political manifesto, aka, my take on the Obamapalooza:
My political life was (emphasis on the past tense) like a world-turned-upside-down. With the disarray of a Clinton-less D. ticket and the slap in the face that was the Biden choice...ugh...what was I and the other 18 million to do with ourselves going into the convention? And then, there came Ted, Michelle, Hillary (the all-star), Bill, Joe, Al, and finally, Barack. What a line-up! Was it just me or did other die-hard Dems just get completely weepy over the return of Bill to a Democratic stage? What a great past-to-present moment. For those historically minded out there, did we not just witness history in the making my friends? "My friends..." that reminds me of the darker side of the story which I'll turn to shortly. The DNC pulled this convention off without a hitch and Hillary's appearance on the floor to hand the nomination to Barack via a vote of acclamation...classic. Overall, I was extremely pleased despite the fact that I still believe that Hillary was a stronger choice for Pres or V.Pres; but, you know there's always the Supreme Court.

4. The darker side of things:
What is the deal with Johnny? I get the heroic stuff and love of America (sort of), but come on America. Do we really want grandpa as President of the United States of America? I watch his speeches and town hall meetings and oddly enough this does seem to be one of those rare moments when the Obama team's rhetoric holds true: this is "more of the same." Johnny Mac's crew realized a few months back that Oby was on to something with CHANGE and HOPE and now, surprisingly, Johnny-boy is on board too. And yet, I wonder if the fear-mongering, flag-waving, U-S-A shouting tactics of the Bushites will triumph yet again? I certainly hope not; all that shouting might leave a man of Mac's age needing a change and Cindy's delicate and petite, aka elite, arms are out of service.

As I personally reflect over the past 8 years: from the "war" in/on Iraq to the failure in Afghanistan to Gitmo to Abu Ghraib to warrant-less wiretaps to the Scooter Libby saga to Cheney's hunting accident to Katrina to "every child left behind" to a failing infrastructure to rising tuition costs but lower taxes for the wealthiest of Americans to rising gas prices and an economy teetering on complete failure...I agree with Biden, I don't think America can stand four more years of this insanity and, frankly, bullshit. Furthermore, I don't think I could handle Mac's "Well, my friends..." Mr. Senator, I am NOT your friend. Nor, do I think I can take the constant and unyielding bolstering of Madam Alaska's commander-and-chief status; did you know that as governor, she commanded the Alaskan national guard? OK! Now, let's ask ourselves: what does the Alaskan national guard do that needs to be "commanded"? Count fish? Shovel snow? And finally, for those Johnny Mac people (some, friends of mine perhaps who are reading this now) please don't insult women and other Clintonistas by thinking that by adding Ms. Alaska to the ticket we will blindly come over to the dark side. We didn't support Clinton solely because she was a woman; rather, because her ideology and platforms matched our own. In those areas, firmly outside the realm of female character traits, Ms. Snowplow is no Madam Pants-suit.

P.S. Didn't you guys watch the DNC's grand event? The Clintonistas drank the Obama Kool-aid; there's plenty to go around if ya'll get thirsty.

TCH