Just Peanuts

Too bad that the Hoosiers could not pull out a win against Duke this evening. I guess it goes to show that free throws start to add up when you miss almost half of them.

School is starting to come to an end so I have had a lot of time to myself. I was even able to read a little bit in Time Magazine today. I have been neglecting it for a while so it was good to brush up a little bit on current events.

There was an interesting article about how we as Americans might be afraid of the wrong things such as forgetting that heart disease is the biggest killer in our country.

I also did a little reading on my final paper in my American History and Film class. The rough draft turned out alright. I just need to expound on a couple of points and then I will be fine.

I do not miss the days when writing papers were difficult. It is so much easier now. Even though I am not too proud of it, I have even written a four page paper on the day it was due.

Also, I have been hearing some interesting things at school this week. Actually, interesting only scratches the surface.

Currently, we have soldiers fighting in Iraq and Afghanistan. We have people living every day without healthcare while trying to make ends meet. Lastly, we have people working in Washington who are criticized with every move they make.

Maybe I am being a little harsh but is there any reason for some of us to complain about not having enough time to study? Is there any reason for some of us to complain about all the pressure that we are under to just show up at meetings?

I think some of us have lost focus of the big picture and I hope that some of us will begin to realize that there are real people with REAL problems out there.

The little bits of unfairness that exist in our daily lives are just peanuts compared to what the previously mentioned people have to deal with on a daily basis.

The Task of Staying On-Task

I have pretty much most of my paper complete. I still need to write the introduction, conclusion, and work on my sources but other than that I am in good shape to finish up tomorrow morning.

This will be the last time that I ever put a paper off until the last minute. I work so much better when I just pace myself and do not feel as if I am in a rush. Good lesson that I should have learned a long time ago.

Of course, my friend Mike right now would be yelling at me about his 50 pages that he has had to work on over the past few weeks so I guess I should not complain about myself too much. I guess that's the joy of having a best friend. They know just the right buttons to push but still leave you with a laugh and a smile.

Oh well, if having the time to complete this paper meant not working on Donnelly's campaign this year then I am certainly happy about my present state of affairs. I most certainly would not trade that experience for anything in the world.

I am beginning to get excited about the bus trip to DC. I stopped by headquarters today and sat down with one of my friends for a little chat. It was one of the subjects that came up and I was so proud to announce that I was going to make the trip.

I was equally excited to say that it would be because of great family members and (unbelievably) my ability to save up for a rainy day. At least my ability to stay on-task did not fall me there.

Well, back to my movie and paper. Good night all!

Early Morning Writing

It almost 3 in the morning, I have insomnia, and I am NOT wearing sunglasses. The truth is that I actually like staying up late. I have often read stories of many writers and authors who do most of their writing during this time of the day.

Most of the time, from what I have heard, they sleep until the afternoon and begin writing late in the evening. I do not consider myself to be a great writer however I am a big fan of writing at night.

I would not mind living like that for a while. I think I would most like to write nonfiction. Mostly about things I know and experience. Unfortunately, I am not very good at describing imaginary worlds but I do know what exists in my world even though I may tweak it with my imagination from time to time.

I also enjoy learning but not in the traditional way. Sometimes, a certain topic or idea will pop into my head and right then and there I feel the need to learn more about it.

For example, I decided to do a little research on my religious denomination the other evening. After just taking a little bit of time, I learned more in five minutes than I ever have in my entire life about my faith with the exception of what I have learned in Sunday School and church.

It was a very uplifting experience. Our individual beliefs and values are constantly being challenged every day as we grow older. Many times, some believe in things simply because that is what they have been taught and think nothing of it. Many of my colleagues in college would agree with me on this. I am sure that they have seen this quite often.

For me, I believe that my faith is now stronger than it has ever been and I am very happy for that. It is especially important for me. I most certainly would be lying if I said that my faith has not been tested with the way the world is today.

So as I close today, I have but one more little tidbit to offer. Among my favorite things to do is to just sit around and tell stories of old, new, bad, and good times. I can remember checking out some various Facebook groups the other evening.

I always enjoy reading different points of view but one comment caught my eye. The comment stated that it was important for the Republican Party to resort back to the conservatism of Lincoln and Reagan in order to regain control of the House and Senate.

After doing a little research this evening, I end this post with a quotation.

What is conservatism? Is it not adherence to the old and tried, against the new and untried? -- Abraham Lincoln

Happy Thanksgiving

As the day turns into night, Thanksgiving comes to an end. It was a good Thanksgiving full of turkey, mashed potatoes, and a bunch of touchdown passes from the Cowboys' Tony Romo who just happens to be the most recent addition to my fantasy football team.

Last week, I lost Donovan McNabb to a season ending injury. I quickly picked up Romo in exchange for McNabb. Now, Mr. Romo is making me look pretty good. I think he will compliment my other quarterback - Peyton Manning.

Moving away from football for a moment, we held our Joe Donnelly victory celebration in Kokomo last night. We had a pretty good crowd I thought. It was great to see everyone plus my folks came too.

It was fun to see them there and I know that I am definitely thankful for them always supporting me through the good and bad. Dad and I even got a picture with Congressman-Elect Donnelly together. It will definitely be added to my political picture collection.

I was also given some information about the inauguration in Washington. We are going to be taking a bus from Kokomo to DC and back from January 2nd to 5th.

The inauguration will be on January 4th. Never in a million years did I ever think that I would know someone in Congress or for that matter get to go back to Washington.

The money that I have been saving in my Miami Dolphin bottle bank will definitely be put to good use for that. I am glad that I saved it for a rainy day (or in this case inauguration day).

Well, that's it for me. Have a great day!

We KNOW Responsibility

I have not written in a while but a story in the news recently angered me. Representative Chuck Rangel has proposed a new military draft to increase troop numbers in the fighting in Iraq, Afghanistan, and around the world.

I am strongly opposed to the reinstatement of the draft as proposed by Rep. Charles Rangel. Many of our Representatives and Senators voted to send the people of my generation into a war based on lies and deceptions. My generation deserves so much more.

When the people of my generation come back, not only have they been denied basic healthcare but also have been disrespected by the same people who sent them to Iraq. I am happy that this measure was defeated two years ago and will be defeated again.

For those at home, it has been equally difficult. Many of us have lost friends in the fighting. A friend of mine almost a year or two ago lost someone they knew and to see the pain in their eyes deeply affected me.

As I was reading some of the view comments on CNN, one quote caught my eye. It was from a fellow Hoosier. He stated that if nothing else, it would teach the people of my generation responsibility.

How dare he say this! I have news for this person: My Generation knows responsibility!

My generation knows responsibility when many of us work over 40 hours a week to go to school and support ourselves without any help from the government!

My generation knows responsibility when they willingly join our armed services to fight for our country!

My generation knows responsibility when we will be the ones winning the war on terror, cutting the national debt, and dealing with the effects of the current administration that will take decades to repair.

If anything, my generation is the embodiment of responsibility. For those who think my generation is nothing more than a bunch of computer loving, ipod listening, technology obsessed nerds, you have no idea what we are capable of doing and have no right to judge us without looking in the mirror.

We will have plenty of work to do when the generation before us passes on. And you can trust me when I say this, we will be much more responsible than our leaders who have dropped the ball and forgotten the American people.

Mini-Posts

I have not written in a few days so lets see where this post takes me. Campaigning is finished for this year but basketball season has just begun.

My first practice was Monday and I am convinced that I have a lot to learn. I think the most important thing for me this year is to just get through the season in one piece.

At most things, my confidence level goes as high as the sky does. However, I am a little apprehensive about coaching basketball because I have never done it before. Thank goodness I have one of the best at my side to help me.

My last meeting in Student Government was today. It was wonderful hearing all of the positive and caring comments from my colleagues before they went into an executive session and kicked me out of the meeting.

I would not have written that script any better. As a good friend of mine said, it was definitely a passing of the torch as I did not let the door hit me in the rear on my way out.

Also, I got to talk with an old friend that I have not spoken with in a long time. It was good to hear that things were going well with him. I was also pleased to hear that he is enjoying his time in Japan. I hope he does well in grad school.

Well, that is it for me. I hope you enjoyed these mini-posts. More updates soon!

Very Few Words

I hate driving in the rain. It is hard as anything to see the road when the street lights are reflecting off the road like they were tonight.

I chose to travel to Indianapolis tonight to hang out with a friend. Other than the heavy rain, I am well and in good spirits. That is especially true after our visit to Crackers Comedy Club this evening.

Of course the place is smoky and has overpriced drinks but it makes for a great time when the weather is like it was.

Now, I sit in the hotel lobby, unable to sleep, working on my film report. I finally have the time to work on it. It has to be about a classic piece of American cinema and I characteristically chose Mr. Smith Goes to Washington.

When the title character first arrives in Washington he is immediately inspired and in awe of the historical city. I see a lot of myself in him at that point because I can remember back to just wandering around the district without any care for anyone else around me with my mouth open.

There is one section in the movie that is a great representation of myself. Smith's visit to the Lincoln Memorial is one moment in which I too have experienced.

All one can do at the moment when they first see Abraham Lincoln in all his grandeur is look upon him and the words in which he wrote in absolute wonder. Very few if any words can be said to describe the feeling that comes over someone during this time.

The only thing that I was left with was Lincoln's great words of "with malice toward none, with charity for all." Indeed, those words are so much more appropriate for that moment than anything that I could ever come up with in a hundred years.

Back to Normal, Sorta

The elections are now becoming a distant memory. Everyone is beginning to get back to their old routine. I am including myself in that assumption.

I had a test today in my Social Psychology class that I think I did really well on. A great deal of the material was very relevant to politics so the test was not as difficult as I had originally planned.

Even though I am getting back to my normal routine and preparing for basketball season, I have not forgotten what happened on Tuesday. As I was checking the National Journal online today, I noticed that they already have a section set up for the incoming Congressmen and Senators.

Just seeing Joe Donnelly's name puts a smile on my face that could not be erased with plastic surgery. I know that I continue to bring up the subject, but when you see all of your hard work actually make a difference, it is tough not to bring it up.

Some friends of mine who chose to align themselves with the Republican Party were discussing such things this afternoon in fact. I am different from some people I guess because I enjoy talking with both Democrats and Republicans.

Of course, they were noticeably upset about the GOP losses this year. However, as the conversation progressed, we were able to agree on a number of important issues that are facing our country.

Our Iraq policy needs to be examined by both sides, Social Security needs to be preserved for future Americans, the 9/11 Commission recommendations need to be put into place, our ports need to be secured, immigration reform needs to be seriously discussed, prescription drug costs need to be cut, and our education system needs to be improved.

That's just to name a few. We have traveled through a tough and brutal campaign season but now it is time to work together. Our country is confronted with serious problems and there is no better time to work toward solving them than right now.

Joe Donnelly defeats Chris Chocola!

I apologize for not updating the blog for a few days but I have been recovering from the results of the 2006 Election. I am happy to report that Tuesday, November 7th was a great day!

That evening, Joe Donnelly defeated Chris Chocola 54% to 46% with Chocola gaining 88,871 votes while Donnelly gained 104,016. In Howard County (my home county), Donnelly gained 5,238 votes against Chocola's 3,906 votes!

It was such a wonderful and emotional experience that it still brings a smile to my face. We worked so hard to get the votes out and promote Joe's message this year.

Of course, it was a bit stressful but in the end it turned out for the best. I can honestly say that I have never been more excited in my life when I heard that Joe Donnelly was the next Congressman from Indiana's Second District.

On Election Night, I remembered back to how I felt just two years prior when I was apart of Joe Kernan's campaign. As sad as I was during the Election Night of 2004, that is how happy I was during Election Night 2006.

I consider myself to be a very lucky person. In the two short years that I have been involved with politics, I have worked on two huge campaigns.

The first was one of the most expensive and competitive Gubernatorial campaigns in the history of Indiana. The second, was a nationally recognized congressional campaign in which millions among millions of dollars was spent to tear our candidate down.

Even though I was very sad to lose the Governor's campaign in 2004, I am very happy that my first taste of winning came with Joe Donnelly's election to the United States House of Representatives.

Looking back, it was a fun and exciting election that allowed me to accomplish my dream of meeting Senator Barack Obama and to become familiar with the candidate, his friends, and his family. Also, this campaign has helped me gain some of the best friends I have ever had.

It has been an honor to be a part of this campaign and work for a man like Joe Donnelly. It has given me memories that will last a lifetime and for that I am truly thankful. Go Joe!

Joe Donnelly Rallies in Kokomo with Evan Bayh

Just in case you were not able to attend the rally in Kokomo the other day, here is a video of Joe Donnelly's speech.

It was one of the most exciting events that I have ever attended. Joe Donnelly will be an independent voice standing up for our Hoosier values in Washington, not special interests.

On November 7th, I ask you to cast your vote for Joe Donnelly so that we can take our country back!

From the Teacher's Desk

I took a brief break from campaigning today. For the first time in what seems to be a very long time, I went in to substitute teach.

I never have had a bad day when I come down to Tipton to sub. Compared with what others have to do during the day, I consider myself very lucky to be going into education.

Of course, I will admit that some days are not all full of sunshine, rainbows, and fields full of happy smiling kittens. Some kids will sometimes try to test your limits.

But in the end, it is all about being patient and learning to expect things like that to happen on the job. There is also an old saying that goes, "Those who can, do. Those who can't, teach."

I've never met this person but I am sure about one thing - this person never was a teacher.

I wish I could invite that person into an actual classroom and let them teach a subject for an entire workday. Not that I would wish failure on that person (at least, not at the beginning).

Myself, I never rag on the amount of money made by doctors or lawyers. I also do not wish to insult or belittle someone who is a custodian or washes cars for a living.

Each job exists for a reason. The need for and opinion of each profession is for us to decide as it is our perogative to possess our own feelings or ideas.

I chose to sit on the sidelines of this debate and keep my mind on what is truly important - the education of our country's future leaders.

Raising the Hand

As my friend Mike usually says, “I am inspired to blog.” When this happens, he has either seen or done something that has given him a reason for writing on his blog.

Most of the time, in my opinion, he categorizes it as a “rant.” These posts often result in a smile for me by the end of the post.

I will not go into a rant but I would like to comment on something that has kind of been floating around my head lately. I would describe it as something I have been thinking about for a while now but have finally been able to put it into words.

I have been noticing lately that many of my college instructors have been emphasizing attendance through establishing attendance policies in their course syllabus.

To me, I have always thought that students were responsible for their attendance as well as the material they miss which in turn would require no policy.

Now, I am starting to understand the necessity that my instructors feel the need to resort to this “high school” idea of attendance policies and participation points.

In my experience, there are a select few of college students who do not act as you would think.

For me, it is all about the little things. So far this semester, I have seen people interrupt the class by talking aloud in class without raising their hand, throwing candy, passing notes, sleeping, snoring, leaving class three times in a 15-minute span, and talking on the cell phone.

Yeah, scary coming from my point of view. It is just about as scary as a social psychology class discussing physical attractiveness and beauty.

Wow, I wish sarcasm could be illustrated in blogs. Definitely, not a bitter person in that class today. I definitely could not tell who has had their heart stomped on within the past five years and who is in love now.

It got so crazy that one person even asked why physically attractive people often times have an ugly friend in the group.

As I roll my eyes for the eighth time, I am somewhat happy and comforted because at least she raised her hand.

The Title of My Book

Lately, I have been feeling a little under the weather. I think I am experiencing the first touch of the winter flu bug.

It is nothing too big but it has definitely made it more difficult for me to feel as if I have gotten enough sleep the night before. It’s just little things.

My body gets a little cold at night but my face feels as if it is burning along with the occasional body ache on my arms and legs. Also, my hands have been aching as well.

It’s probably because of stress. After all, the election is less than a week away. I am excited. It is not because I think we are not going to win (I believe very strongly that we are) but it is because I will happy for everyone else to get back to their daily lives.

The people I work with on the campaign work just as hard if not harder than I do. The only difference is that they have to maintain a great work ethic on the campaign trail along with taking care of their families.

I cannot imagine raising a family while doing all of the work that is involved with a campaign. It must be a very hard thing to do. I wouldn’t know but I will leave you with a story of inspiration from a good friend.

My friends have a certain way of saying things that not only are humorous but also make me think. I have always thought about writing a book one day but I really have not told too many people about it except in this form of communication.

Without any lead up to it, one of my friends said, “Kyle, you should write a book someday.”

Dumbfounded and shocked I said, “I don’t know if that will ever happen. Besides what would we call it?”

He quickly retorted, “The Jackass in Me”

Did I ever mention how much I look up to and am thankful for my friends? Take care!