One confused political junky

I'm sitting here as the U.S. House of Representatives votes on a resolution to reinsert Terri Schiavo's feeding tube and remand her case to District Federal Court. I am not confused about the logistics of the case, however, I am confused about the rationale of the parties. Call it another chapter in the book titled "What Happened to My Party? Words from a Republican Looking for a Home" (Slocum, 2005).

All of the arguments I heard tonight that I agreed with came from the left side of the aisle. All of them. Not a single Republican viewpoint agreed with my ideology. Let me give more detail:

• States' rights - A Conservative bastion, this was thrown out the window the moment when the right to life became the issue (the bill just passed as quorum was met - it's at 163-48).
• Role of the legislature - I believe that it is important to allow judges to interpret the law. This law, if given the opportunity, will be deemed unconstitutional. It's not like judges have not heard the case for 15 years. Were they asleep at the switch?
  
• Fiscal responsibility - The government flew in everyone last minute from around the country, at a cost of about $5 million, for this sole vote. A Democrat pointed that out on the House floor. Go figure.
• Citizens' rights - The legal guardian made a decision for his wife, albeit against the wishes of her parents. Although I am often at odds with this part of Republican ideology, this is a family issue, not one for Congress.

Maybe I am cruel and heartless for not mentioning the fact that someone will die in the next few weeks (note: not quickly) if the tube stays removed. Decide that one for yourself. Changing federal law and the definitions of judicial standing based on one case, however, is ridiculous, and the way it has been done is even more so.

Yes, this blog entry haunt me as one of you will print it out and give it to a reporter when I run for office as a Republican, but I'll take that chance and one more by ending with the thought many of you have asked yourselves about me:

I am a Republican.
I am for small government.
I believe that states should have the power to govern themselves.
I don't want taxes...on anything.
I believe that free trade makes the world a better place.
I despise deficit spending, and would cut anything in order to get there.
I am for judicial restraint.
I am indifferent on the death penalty, even with the closest connection of all.
I am for the rights of all citizens, not just the rich, white ones.
I don't see how the government can deny gay marriage.
I am not religious.
I voted for Kerry.
I am a Republican?
Yes, now bring my party back to me.

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Heather D has inspired me...

With seven weeks to go until graduation (now six weeks tomorrow), and realing that I will die at 55, I decided that it was time for some changes. With that in mind, I unveil my plans to lose some weight and be in better shape for the upcoming months and years. To some it might not look like many huge changes, but it's important to note that I have eaten poorly for the past 25 years, and that I have had no significant regular physical activity in at least two years.

General eating habit changes:

• Smaller portions, don't be afraid to leave a meal a little hungry
• No late night snacking, unless the food itself is healthy (i.e. not pizza)
• Fresh fruit instead of cookies and other bad things for dessert
• Have only one Coke per day (as opposed to the usual five to seven)
• More soups and salads
• Limit the guilty pleasures

The guilty pleasures will be removed on a gradual basis...this week only one per day, then fewer per week down to three per week. Remember, I have had days where I had five or six of these on the same day.

The guilty pleasures:

• Extra Coke
• More than one beer
• Non-fruit desserts
• Taco Bell
• Pizza Hut
• footlong sub instead of a six-inch
• China One
• Steak and Shake
• Dairy Queen/Cold Stone Creamery
• Candy bars or other choclatey goodness...and so on

In addition, I have worked out for three of the past four days. For the most part, I am spending time on the bike and running, because I really don't know what else to do; I was always a runner. I will eventually work weights into that routine, because toning a little of this fat would be a nice touch.

I was especially excited today because after spending 30 minutes on the bike, I decided to run a timed mile to give be a benchmark of what I can do when already tired, and I ran a 7:32. To many this might seem really fast, but I have to point out that I used to run a sub-five minute mile, and could run ten miles or more at the same pace and feel less tired than I did earlier tonight. But nonetheless, I'm a pretty happy camper.

We'll see how this goes...I'm keeping a log of my successes and failures, and I'll keep folks updated. Oh, and just so you know, St. Patrick's Day was exempt from diet plans...a holiday for my people! My people don't diet...

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So you're saying there's a chance...

You Will Die at Age 55

55 Not bad, considering your super wild lifestyle Want to live longer? Try losing a few bad habits.

What Age Will You Die?

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Uh oh...it's official!

You Are 35 Years Old

35 Under 12: You are a kid at heart. You still have an optimistic life view - and you look at the world with awe. 13-19: You are a teenager at heart. You question authority and are still trying to find your place in this world. 20-29: You are a twentysomething at heart. You feel excited about what's to come... love, work, and new experiences. 30-39: You are a thirtysomething at heart. You've had a taste of success and true love, but you want more! 40+: You are a mature adult. You've been through most of the ups and downs of life already. Now you get to sit back and relax.

What Age Do You Act?

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YOU'RE GONNA BE A WHAT?!

Last year I debated the merits of becoming a Michigander. Today, I officially began that path by applying for a Michigan driver's license.

I know, I know...you're probably surprised that I would give up the official record of my Hoosier heritage, but I had a good reason: my Indiana license expired. With all the hoopla building up to OPE (oh yeah, I went to OPE last weekend), I forgot to renew my license, which expired this past Friday, coincidentally on my 25th birthday (oh yeah, I had a birthday).

Not having a valid license had some advantages, however. Because it expired once I was in Oshkosh, I could not legally drive back to Michigan from the show that never ends. So I got to ride shotgun for the drive back, including a stop to Kim's house in Milwaukee and a rest stop at the Blue Chip Casino & Hotel, where I made $65 playing three-card poker. Not to be outdone, Ken made $160 at the blackjack tables...a good night indeed.

The process was a simple one for the license, and I even registered to vote, although the chances of me being in Allendale for the next election are pretty slim. But maybe having a Michigan license could be an omen of things to come. I can't really go into too much detail on a public forum about my school-by-school OPE experience, but I can say that it was a successful weekend and that I feel very confident about getting the job I want in the next month or so.

Becoming a Michigander has been interesting so far. Before my accent was charming (or something) because many considered Indiana to be the south. I'm waiting to see if residency will turn a drawl into long o's and the inability to say "bag" without it sounding like "bayg." I also feel kinda funny, like I'm displaced or something. I'm worried that this curse of people moving to Michigan and then getting sucked in might be happening to me. My top choices don't involve me going too far, so we'll see how it goes.

But with that, I'm gonna give the thesis another shot...I'm pretty tired today. I can talk about that some other time.

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An ode to Floating Louie III

Louie, it has been months since you have seen more than my living room.
I'm sorry.
I don't know what to say, but it seems like our hearts are growing apart.
I first remembered how long it had been when I tossed a folder and it curved like your long, glorious tee shots, from left to right before gently landing on a sidewalk or in grass.
I walk parts of the course every day.
Without you.
I threw a piece of trash away today in the second pin.
It was the first time I had been near it without having first hit it with you.
I look at fire hydrants and actually remember that they are for fire hoses.
I look down the ravine and wonder if I still know the good path to get to the bottom.
I look at the steel ball and wonder if there will be another newbie to ride it.
All of these things and more, because you hang endlessly on my wall, watching, glaring at me as I throw game after game of darts in the bedroom.
It didn't used to be this way.
The random phonecalls, rain, snow, or shine.
"Let's throw a round."
Alas, those calls aren't made.
You know the excuses. Thesis.
Job search.
Conference.
Chartering.
Weather.
Time.
Time.
Time.
But the day will come when you come off the wall.
Even if it is just to be thrown back and forth in the road.
That day will come.
Until then, be patient.
You are not a fad, you are the future.
You are the key to my frisbee golf success.
And I will not forget.

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Duty kaplooey!

With a couple of highlights and lowlights, my career carrying a duty pager as a graduate assistant at Grand Valley State University for one week at a time is over! This does not mean that I will not cover for others as needed through the rest of the semester, but this is what it does mean:

• No more day trips to Meijer, because I'd rather go at night
• No more two hour max trips a half hour away
• No more late night pages three, four nights in a row
• A lower chance of suicide interventions (never say never)
• No missing late-night runs to Steak 'n Shake or bar nights
• And much, much more!

This also means that I can leave campus for weekend trips. Although I hardly have the time to do it, I want to try and actually enjoy my last semester of graduate school, and the months I have without a duty phone or pager, before I start a full-time job. Any takers?

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The best you can do in a month and a half is say your sorry??

I didn't realize how important this was to some folks until Camp Tecumseh last week, when I realize that life does actually exist outside of good ol' GVSU. Sorry about that. With that being said, I have belatedly decided to give up not blogging for Lent, and will make it a point to post during what will continue to be the busiest four months of my life.

January was consumed by No Frills 2005, the conference my students hosted. As a proud Alumni and Friend of NACURH (I have the paperweight to prove it!), it was fantastic to give back to the organization that gave me so much as an undergrad. The conference itself can be summed up in how I described my work week to others:

"I worked 40 hours...this weekend!"

Having said that, I wouldn't have had it any other way. The problem is that my sleep cycle has been pretty f-ed up since. I wake up tired every morning, and I have a huge urge to go to bed at 9 every night. After Camp Tecumseh, I laid down to take a nap before my Community Council e-board meeting and woke up 14 hours later...I guess I was tired.

I'd like to be able to say that my thesis is also consuming much of my life, but it's not, so I'll move on. I've also given up not working on my thesis for Lent...starting tomorrow.

The other big part of my life worth talking about is my job search. It was pretty well postponed until after No Frills, but has been slowly picking up steam. I have a few interviews set up for OPE, and have sent out resumes for a few others. Since last semester, I have realized that a growing part of me wants to supervise a grad and stay in Michigan, which leads me to my next topic...

I submitted my application to GVSU for a full-time position last night. WHAT?! you might be asking yourself. Didn't I search for jobs early to try to get the hell out of Dodge? Yes. Wasn't I fed up with the way things run here? Yes. But a few things have happened that have put things in perspective.

First, I found out that I wasn't Superman. I know...a shocker. But I work at a feverish pace trying to change the world, even if I can't or if someone else is already trying. Blame it on having both parents die before 45...you never know when the last day will be. Not being Superman has allowed me to realize that a lot of things simply take time to happen, and that (another shocker) I was not put on this earth to change everything. Damn, I was hoping.

I have also turned a corner with the biggest impediment to my future employment. Instead of wondering, "What will I get in trouble for today?" I am now saying, "How can I learn today?" This refocusing of my FISH (a.k.a. choosing a new attitude) has allowed me to be at peace with a lot of things that used to just drive me batty. In the end, when I looked at everything I needed out of my next job, GVSU provides all of those things. And as a colleague said to me at lunch today, "They'd be dumb not to hire you." Who knows, that ego boost might just come true.

Another reason I am blogging is to avoid homework in all of its forms, foreign or domestic. There's a lot out there to get done, but tonight just isn't going to be the night to do it. Today, in a way, has turned into "National Mike Day," a concept I stole from Amanda to do, well, whatever I want! How did I celebrate? By doing what any corn-fed, straight, white guy from Indiana would do...go shopping!

WIth the job search looming, I thought, why not look good doing it? Me, Von, Meghan, and Wendy headed to the mall to accessorize OPE. After a stop at Kohl's and allowing myself to go into Eddie Bauer, where I stumbled upon a sale that people usually only dream of, here's the final balance.

• Two Haggar polos- $35
• Two Croft & Barrow dress shirts - $30
• A fancy red tie - $12
• Brown belt - $17.50 (only thing not on sale)
• New Balance running shoes (I know...when's the last time I ran??) - $40
• Goose down Eddie Bauer coat - $22.50
• Two EB dress shirts - $30
• Two pair of EB jeans - $25
• Grand total - $212

The last tidbit of excitement in my life is the upside to the federal government thinking I am still an undergrad...student loan deferrments until 2009! I didn't realize the error until this evening, but this error is going to save me $1,000, give or take. I just spent $200 of it...what should I do with the rest??

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