As a dutiful, politically-conscious American, I’ve been paying close attention to the Republican primary process. Although I’m not a Republican (I’m a registered Independent, thankyouverymuch), I do have a vested interest in ensuring that the Republicans pick the best possible candidate to be their nominee. Why?

    Because I really don’t much care for Barack Obama’s policies or political ideology. I’m determined to see him lose the election in 2012.
I know, you never would have guessed it, right?

    I’ve watched all the debates, I’ve been following the news. I’ve come to a few conclusions and I’d like to share them here.

    Over the next few days I’ll be posting a series of essays about each candidate, ultimately culminating in a treatise about who I think is best suited to lead the Republican party. And ultimately, hopefully, our entire nation as President of the United States.

    Let’s dive right in! I look forward to hearing your constructive feedback. If you have any suggestions, thoughts, or comments about the candidates, be sure to post them soon! If you have good ideas, perhaps I’ll include them in future reviews! (With full credit, of course!)
    See you on the campaign trail!

I want to take a moment to apologize for up and disappearing on all of you several months ago. I’m afraid that shortly before the Christmas holidays, things got kind of crazy around my house. I found myself having some health problems, and in the midst of doctors and tests and things, I just couldn’t handle politics.

I kept meaning to come on here and write a post, explaining where I was and that I’d be taking a short break. But honestly, I was so mentally loopy from all the pain medication and just being under the weather, that I literally just forgot!! I’m so sorry!

I feel especially bad about all my friends who were concerned about me. I’m so sorry to make you all worry! But thank you to everyone who sent me concerned emails, checking in on me to make sure I wasn’t dead, hehe. Don’t worry, I’m still here!

Despite taking my little siesta from politics, I was kind of snapped back into it with all the drama surrounding the special election in Massachusetts for the late Ted Kennedy’s seat. I’m sure like many of you, I was glued to the news Tuesday night, waiting to see which way the voters of Massachusetts would go.

Let me just say, holy crap, was I ever shocked!! I mean, obviously I had hoped that the tides would turn and people would start to wake up to what the progressives have been doing within the Democratic party, and the effect their policies have been having on our nation after only one year of the Obama administration. But I seriously didn’t think that enough people had woken up yet to really sway an election away from the Democrats in Massachusetts!! It’s Massa-freaking-chusetts!!

But wow, I seriously couldn’t be more proud of my fellow Independents in Massachusetts! I’m not excited about this election because of Scott Brown, or because he’s a Republican – I refuse to put hope in a single candidate, or even a single party.

Rather, I’m thrilled with the outcome of this election because of the Independents of Massachusetts, taking a stand against monarchistic politics, rising up and declaring their independence from anyone’s political machine. Way. To. Go! The news kept making a big deal about how Democrats out-number Republicans something like 3-to-1 in Massachusetts, but what most people need to realize, they’re ALL out-numbered by Independents like me. And that’s what made the difference: independence.

I wish more people in this country would wake up and realize that loyalty to a single party or a single candidate isn’t the answer. Any one person can – and most likely will – let you down. And worse, party loyalty I think is just a tool to drive us apart.

Rather, I think the answer should be loyalty to principles. Loyalty to standards, beliefs, convictions; loyalty to our country, to what it stands for, its history, and how very bright its future could be if we stand by the principles we were founded on and the principles so many of us still believe in today.

But that can’t happen until more of us wake up and realize that our history has been skewed by far too many people with far too many agendas. We need to wake up, we need to familiarize ourselves once again with our own true shared history, and realize the legacy that we’re risking because of our complacency. We simply cannot be the generation that ends the dream of Washington, Jefferson, Franklin, Hamilton, Madison, Jay, Adams, Paine, and all the other brave men and women who risked their lives, honor, and sacred fortunes to give us all freedom, liberty, and the prosperity we have all enjoyed for so very long.

So let’s keep it up! Let’s keep learning, keep educating others, keep rediscovering our principles, and keep fightin’ peacefully – but purposefully – for what we believe in. Massachusetts is just the beginning. We simply cannot stop now!!

I have so much more to say over the coming days. During my little siesta I had lots of time to think and I have a lot of thoughts I’d like to share with you. Particularly some thoughts I had recently about the other side of Alinsky’s influence on Progressives and the Democrat party. After having what I thought was just a friendly political discussion with a liberal friend – which he interpreted to be an argument – I was struck with an interesting thought about the other side of Alinsky’s tactics that I don’t think many people notice. Or at least, they don’t seem to talk about. Meaning, the effect those tactics have on Democrats, on liberals; what it means to them.

But I shall save that for another day, since this is long enough and I have to get some sleep! Congratulations to Scott Brown, but you should know, sir, we’re gonna watch you like a hawk!

But most importantly, congratulations to the people of Massachusetts! Congratulations on your hard-fought, hard-won independence!!

I just got an email from Michael’s Mom, announcing that the Michael C. Rothberg Scholarship’s annual fund-raising dinner and silent auction will be held on Wednesday, May 26, 2010, at Saphire Estate in Sharon, Massachusetts.
In addition, they’re currently selling a beautiful set of monogrammed note cards on the scholarship website, 100% of the purchase price of which will go to benefit the scholarship.

Please click here to check it out.

And of course, if you’re able to contribute to the scholarship in any way, please do so! Be it your time, money, or talents, I’m sure every contribution would be greatly appreciated.

I saw this on RedState and just had to giggle.

I’m fiscally conservative, do I count? Cause hey, I’ll volunteer! You know, cause I’m nice like that and I totally believe in volunteer work.
Teehee.

    Have you ever read a story where you felt such a kinship with one of the characters, such a relatable connection, that you felt as though they were so real, so familiar, that they’d jump right off the page and into your life? That’s happened to me multiple times with fictional stories, but just recently, it happened again with a story I read about someone we lost.

    A few weeks ago I volunteered with the 2,996 Project, a blogging initiative started a few years ago in an effort to keep the memories of those we lost on September 11th alive. Each year on September 11th, two thousand nine hundred and ninety six bloggers come together, one for each of the lives lost that day. Each blogger is assigned a different victim from that terrible day, whom they will write about on their blog to share the stories of the lives that were cut short in that act of terror.

    A friend of mine volunteered for the project last year, which inspired me to participate this year. But as I read about the life behind the name I was randomly assigned, that special kinship with characters in fictions read in years past took on a new dimension. This time, that special kinship was with someone real, someone whose mark was indelibly left on this world when they were so cruelly taken from us.

Click to view gallery

The name I was assigned was that of Michael Craig Rothberg. The more I learned about him, the more his life, his personality, made me feel that I knew him, that he’d leap right out of what I was reading; that he’d come back. He feels like someone I know, someone from my family, someone who’d fit right in at my family’s dinner table as we talk, joke, and laugh.     It was that familiarity that, I think, caused me to delay writing this tribute until today. Michael’s life hits just a little too close to home, reminding me of what I very nearly lost that day.

    My Father was scheduled to fly on the plane that hit the Pentagon. But thanks to a fluke of family planning, he decided to skip the trip that would have killed him. Now, thinking about what to write of a man who seems so similar to my brothers, my Dad, brings all of that back up.

    Michael, born and raised in Sharon, Massachusetts, seems to have had a gift for finding amusement and joy in the most unlikely of places. I found a story about him in the New York Times, where they related a pet peeve of Michael’s about his letterhead at Cantor Fitzgerald, where he worked as the Director of Program Trading. He jokingly complained that his phone number was listed with a 1 prior to the area code. He reasoned, no adult sophisticated enough to call a bond-trading firm needed to be told to dial a 1 before the area code.

His quick wit, charm, and sense of humor were matched by his athleticism, compassion, and keen analytical mind. That analytical mind propelled him to McGill University in Montreal, where he earned both undergraduate and masters degrees in math and computer science. He soon won great respect on Wall Street with his first employer, Bear Stearns, for his exceptionally adept understanding of complex financial transactions, as well as his innovative approach to finding solutions to whatever stood in his way. He not only understood the technical side of his profession, the computer systems used for program training, but he also intimately understood the communication skills – the compassion – needed to relate to his clients.

Click to view gallery

    Soon enough, his analytical creativity and human approach to trading propelled him to Kidder Peabody & Company, where he became a team leader. He became such an adept leader, that when he later became the Managing Director of Program Trading at Cantor Fitzgerald, his employees came with him. They weren’t just employees to him, though; he called them his colleagues.

    Everything I’ve read about Michael tells me that he was so much more than his job. His compassion propelled him to not only donate money, but to donate his time, efforts, and every resource at his disposal, to causes he deeply believed in. He wasn’t just a philanthropist; he invested his heart and soul in everything he believed in. He gave generously in every way he could to the Dana Farber Cancer Institute’s Jimmy Fund, the Multiple Sclerosis Foundation, and Mutual Funds Against Cancer. As Jamie Bolton, a good friend of his once said, “He was looking out for people.”

Click to view gallery

He loved his family. He was a loving son, brother, grandson, cousin, and nephew. Whenever he heard a complaint, he tried to do something about it, something to help. It was Michael who gave his sister, Rhonda the encouragement and support to start her own business.     Michael reached the top through working hard and maintaining his compassion for everyone around him. He loved deeply, he gave generously, and he maintained his integrity.

    On September 11, 2001, Michael Rothberg was in his office on the 104th floor of the World Trade Center. His life was cut short by an act of cowardice and terror. The lives of his family and friends were forever altered. The world lost a truly remarkable human being, one whose life was a testament to kindness, generosity, and hard work.

    Michael’s family has set up a scholarship in his name for the students of his high school alma mater in Sharon, Massachusetts. Each May since his death in 2001, the scholarship has been awarded to students at Sharon High School who most exemplify Michael’s qualities of academic promise, ethical conduct, and service to community. I’d like to encourage all of you to make a donation to the scholarship, in Michael’s memory. You can learn more about the scholarship & make a donation at their website, MichaelRothbergScholarship.com.

    Just like those beloved characters in the novels I read as a child, I feel that he’s someone I know. But there’s so much more to it than that; I feel the reality of who he was, how he lived, and how he looked at life. He feels not only real, but familiar; he feels like a brother to me.

    Because of the events of that horrific day eight years ago, there’s an incongruous feeling, a feeling I’ve had that never had the chance to be confirmed by reality. That opportunity was taken, the opportunity to meet Michael, befriend him, know him. But I can remember him. We can all remember him, so we can keep his spirit alive as a friend, as a brother; a man whose story will never be forgotten by those who love him.

Click here to view the Michael C. Rothberg Photo Gallery

    I want to offer my sincerest gratitude to Michael’s parents, Iris & Jay Rothberg, and his sister Rhonda, for their support, encouragement, and assistance with preparing and editing this tribute. Your kindness and support has meant the world to me, and it has inspired me throughout the process of preparing this tribute. I’m not sure I could have done it without your help, your blessing, and your love. My thoughts, prayers, and love are with you today, and will be always.

Thanks to our very alert commenter David, I’ve found out that my friend at Black & Right didn’t have entirely accurate information, and I’m sad to say I’ve reprinted the same inaccuracies! So I want apologize first off, but I also want to make a correction to my previous article, “Why I’ll Never Buy a Smart Car”. It turns out that it wasn’t even a Smart Car at all, but a Ford! While I’ve never been a fan of Fords either, the fact that it’s not a Smart Car kinda changes the whole premise of the post I wrote.

I’m afraid it’s awfully late here where I am (3:36AM) and I have to run to bed. My sleep deprived mind isn’t thinking clearly enough to come up with a good way of reworking the article right this minute. So after I’ve gotten some sleep, I’m going to do my best to rework it, republish it, and perhaps find a way to archive the original inaccurate article somewhere as evidence of the correction and David’s helpful commenting.

Anyway, I’ll work on that tomorrow, but I wanted to post this at least for now to let you know I got some inaccurate information and that I’ll be working on correcting it! I’m very sorry I wasn’t more thorough in my research before passing along this information! I promise that I will certainly try my best to be more diligent in the future.
I also want to say a huge thank you to David! Great catch, sir! I really appreciate it.
Good night, all! More tomorrow!

I apologize for the lack of new updates recently – my family and I have been getting the house ready for a visit with my siblings and their families. They’ll be arriving over the coming days as we all get geared up for the big family get together. While I’ll be doing my best to keep myself apprised of all the political goings-on, I won’t have as much time to spend blogging. I’ll do my best, but I’ll have to keep most of it under wraps; my liberal brother is here too, so we will all be doing our best to keep our tongues well bitten in order to avoid any confrontations.
So I’ll be blogging as much as I’m able, but I most likely won’t be as prolific as usual. My apologies, hope you understand!

In an attempt to restructure the category organization, I’ll be condensing all the categories relating specifically to issues surrounding the campaign in 2008. All the original posts will still be available, but they’ll be truncated into one category as opposed to many. I’ve copied down the original structure and will provide them here, below the fold, for the sake of archiving the way they were originally presented. All of the posts will still be available; if you wish to find them via their original category structure, please click “more” to see the original category listing.
I’ll be working to try and condense more categories over the coming days, but this was the most obvious beginning. If you have any suggestions, of course, please post them here! Thanks!

I’ve decided it’s high-time I restructure the category list over there on the right, since it’s gotten unbelievably huge since the transition from campaign information to running an effective post-election opposition. So I’m going to do my best to reorganize & condense it into a more effective structure, while of course maintaining archives of the election-related stuff. I’ll leave all the original tags in place, so if you want to search on a specific campaign-related topic, you’re welcome to do so in the search box. I may also put together some kind of legend or something, to make it easier to look at all that stuff. I’ll post another update when I’ve gotten it all done, but it may take some time, so I thought I’d let you all know to expect some changes over the next day or two.
More later!

After discovering the rude disappearance of my side menu, I tried in vain to sort through the piles upon piles of code that made up my WordPress template. But alas, CSS is so far beyond me that it’s not even funny, so the reason for the egregious error eluded me. Without a solution in sight, I decided to do something drastic…
Completely redesign the site! Yay!
So now BarackNObama.net has an entirely new look, one that is complete with its side-menu-ness. Honestly, I’m really glad the previous site’s side menu decided to escape, because I actually like this look a whole lot more. It’s so much brighter, so much more cheerful, which is honestly necessary since all too often I’m blogging about wholly depressing topics. But hey, our country may be going to hell in a hand basket, but oooo look, a cute blue birdie!!

Speaking of that cute blue birdie, the birdie was just oh so cute that I didn’t dare remove it. After all, when I picked out this template I didn’t even have a twitter account to link to, so there would really be no point in keeping the cute blue birdie. That is, unless I finally swallowed my pride and opened up a twitter account.

You know, I never really understood twitter. It always seemed to me to be either a tool for the incredibly narcissistic, or for those with super teensy attention spans, or both. But my good friend Joey has been telling me about its wonders for the past few weeks. Which, knowing Joey, is quite remarkable – she’s even more skeptical of the latest Internet fads than I am. I always kind of look at Internet fads like this: it’s all been done before to some extent. For instance, Facebook is the new MySpace, and MySpace was the new Friendster. So what does that make Twitter? The new form of permanent, public, open-mic IMing? It just seemed so silly. Most of the “tweets” (oh gag, the lingo…) seemed to be stupid stuff no one would care about, like “Hey, I’m at the grocery store right now, buying Ben & Jerry’s. Aren’t I awesome?!”

Anyway, all rants aside, Joey assured me that twitter has evolved from those days – in her words, “it’s grown up” – so here I am, compelled to start my own twitter account because I picked out a new WordPress template with a cute blue birdie I couldn’t resist.
If you’re so inclined to join the twitterista (is that really part of the lingo or did I just make that one up?), you can follow me at BarackNObamaNet. As you also might have noticed, just to the left of that cute blue birdie is a little window featuring my latest tweets. I’m particularly proud of that little window – that wasn’t there in the original template. Oh no, I had to program that myself! And I’m oh so very proud of myself for doing so. I couldn’t repair my side menu, but I damn well wanted to make sure my new tweets filled up that otherwise useless space. When I finally got it working – through a great deal of wild ass guessing, throwing code around like darts hoping it’d stick somewhere – I literally did a little squeal and a happy dance in my office chair. So I sincerely hope you enjoy that little ‘Latest Tweets’ window, cause it sure wasn’t easy to set up.

That’s about it from me for tonight. I hope to be blogging and tweeting (a little part of me dies each time I say that…) more often over the next several weeks. If you wouldn’t mind, I’d love to hear your thoughts on the new design and any other improvements you think I could make. No guarantees I’ll actually be able to accomplish them, mind, but I can sure try. Thanks!