The Kind-Hearted Smart Aleck

It was 2015 and the Democratic Party seemed all but certain to nominate Hillary Clinton as its representative for the 2016 presidential election. The event seemed so inevitable, only a handful of Democrats stepped forward to run for the highest office in the land, in stark contrast to the 17 Republicans whom were doing the same. Former Secretary of State Clinton was riding high in all the Democratic primary polls, that was until progressive stalwart Bernie Sanders started making some noise. His rise in the polls surprised many and made Secretary Clinton's journey to the Democratic nomination anything but an easy one. By the time Clinton was nominated, a divide was lodged inside the Democratic Party's establishment and progressive wings, between ardent Clinton backers and "Bernie Bros," as they were (are still) called. While most Sanders supporters went on to vote for Hillary Clinton in the general election, some admittedly either voted 3rd party, didn't vote, or v...

While I had voted before, I didn't get seriously involved with politics until the 2008 election. My first election was in 2000 (when I was 19). I was in college, was focused more on partying and chasing girls than current events, and while I knew I leaned to the left, I didn't care a great deal about the world of politics. That all changed on 9/11 (when I was 20) when reality struck me (most of us) smack dab in the face and heart. I, and probably many others, was incredibly naive at that point in my life. I was a college kid, trying to find myself, trying to find what I wanted to do with my life, busy meeting new people, dating, and enjoying some semblance of independence/adulthood. Through all that, never did I think to myself we'd get struck by terrorists, we'd wage a seemingly endless war and lose thousands of our soldiers in the process, and my life would forever change by the horrific events on September 11th of 2001. Like most Americans, I was at a loss, uncertain...

Like a lot of people, I traveled to spend some time with friends and family over the Thanksgiving holiday. We consumed large amounts of food, adult beverages, and football. There were laughs shared, as well as interesting stories, inside jokes, gaffes, like most other family gatherings. As normal as this all may sound, there was one experience over the extended holiday weekend which would be viewed as quite atypical for most people, has sadly become typical for me, and I felt the need to share it. On Wednesday night, like a lot of people, I ventured a local bar and had a few drinks with friends and family. Not five minutes after sitting down, a drunken older lady pointed at me and said, "I know you, right?" to which I simply replied, "Yeah, karaoke." She had seen me sing previously and commented about it to a cousin of mine. She then told a couple guys close to her, as she pointed at me, "He looks like a young Tom Hanks." I'm not sure what I've d...

As terrorists struck Paris on Friday, like many Americans, I thought back to what happened on our soil 14 years ago. While I was only 20-years-old at the time of the 9/11 attacks and quite ignorant and indifferent to the world of politics, I'll never forget that day, and the days, weeks, and months thereafter. I was in college at the time, a night owl, and insistent on taking classes during the afternoon hours so I could maintain my atypical sleeping habits. Just as the Twin Towers were struck, my father raced to my room, woke me up, and told me something was transpiring which I had to see. When I first saw video showcasing the attacks, I was left speechless, perplexed, frightened, and wondering if I was still sleeping and experiencing a surreal nightmare of the worst kind. Unfortunately, as I fully awoke, I started to realize it was no dream, no film; it was real. The surreal sensation I experienced initially never fully escaped me. Here I was, a 20-year-old college student...

While it appeared that the sports media fell in love with Indianapolis Colts #1 draft pick Andrew Luck in 2012, I said they should settle down, pointed out the Colts played one of the easiest, if not the easiest schedule in all of football, and while Luck showed hope for a long and successful NFL career, his numbers were anything but spectacular; in fact, they were quite rookie-like (http://thekind-heartedsmartaleck.blogspot.com/2012/12/andrew-lucks-performance-has-been.html). I then noticed Luck's continuing progression as an NFL quarterback between his rookie and sophomore seasons, as well as between his 2nd and 3rd years in the league. Now, with the Colts at 3-4 and Andrew Luck struggling, the sports media has appeared to go the other extreme, wondering if Andrew Luck has regressed as a quarterback, if the league has caught up to him, and whether or not he's already reached his peak. Once again, I'm going to tell the sports media they need to calm down. Former Washingt...

Tell me if you've heard this one before: Texas Senator Ted Cruz threatens a federal government shutdown if he doesn't get his way about something but lays claim that if the government should shut down due to this, it won't be his fault. That's right, almost two years after he decided to play a big part in shutting down the federal government for a couple weeks due to the Affordable Care Act not getting defunded, Ted Cruz has taken a similar stance regarding Planned Parenthood. However, according to him, just as the first shutdown wasn't his fault, this potential shutdown won't be his doing either. In a conference call with pastors last week, Cruz said he'd try to defund Planned Parenthood by tying it to an appropriations bill funding the federal government, adding: "We can expect President Obama and many of the congressional Democrats to cry loudly that if Congress uses its authority, Congress will be quote 'shutting down the government.' ...

Following the debacles that were the previous couple of elections for Republicans with regard to women voters and issues, one would think they'd have learned by now, but apparently that's not the case. Remember these lovely comments? Todd Akin: "It seems to me, from what I understand from doctors, that's really rare. If it's a legitimate rape, the female body has ways to try to shut that whole thing down. But let's assume that maybe that didn't work or something: I think there should be some punishment, but the punishment ought to be of the rapist, and not attacking the child." Richard Mourdock: "I think even when life begins in that horrible situation of rape, that's something God intended to happen." Well, at a get-out-the-vote rally in Sarasota, Florida on Tuesday, conservative radio show host Dennis Prager felt the need to continue the trend by sharing his thoughts on the wave of sexual assault and rape reports on college camp...

I'm happy to announce that, after voting to defund it 13 times, it seems as if the Republican Party's battle with ACORN (The Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now) is now officially over. Why is this news? Oh, just for the simple fact that Congress defunded ACORN back in 2009, and the group disbanded in early 2010 because it had run out of money. That didn't stop the Republican Party from attempting to further defund the already defunded group another 13 times, however. They just wanted to make extra certain, I guess. In light of this extraordinary news, GOP members have decided to stop doing the following: - Going to Borders to purchase the Bible - Stopping by Circuit City for an Atari - Proposing to celebrities like: Audrey Hepburn, Grace Kelly, Ingrid Bergman, and Heath Ledger - Donating money to the Unicorn and Dodo Bird Foundation - Wasting the taxpayers money on groups that no longer exist Nevermind about that last one. It was just wish...

Following Elliot Rodger's recent shooting rampage in Santa Barbara, California,  Washington Post film critic Ann Hornaday wrote an article, entitled, "In a final videotaped message, a sad reflection of the sexist stories we so often see on screen," which has gone on to prompt anger in some and fist pumps for others. I'll focus on three paragraphs from her article and comments about it from two people with differing viewpoints. In her article, Ms. Hornaday wrote this: "Indeed, as important as it is to understand Rodger's actions within the context of the mental illness he clearly suffered, it's just as clear that his delusions were inflated, if not created, by the entertainment industry he grew up in. With his florid rhetoric of self-pity, aggression and awkwardly forced "evil laugh," Rodger resembled a noxious cross between Christian Bale's slick sociopath in "American Psycho," the thwarted womanizer in James Toback's ...

Remind me to not wear a hoodie in Florida. In fact, remind me to not travel to the state until the Stand Your Ground law is repealed. Trying to one-up George Zimmerman, Claudius Smith of Orlando recently shot and killed 21-year-old Ricardo Sanes, who was running away from Smith. Sanes had climbed the fence and gone into the neighbors' yard when Smith followed, shot, and killed him. After the incident, Smith told the authorities that he felt threatened, because Sanes' "pants were falling down" and his hands were in the pockets of, you guessed it, a hoodie. He's hoping the state's Stand Your Ground law applies to him and no charges come his way as a result. I'm not going to talk about this very in-depthly again, but it boggles my mind how Claudius Smith could come out of this without any charges being placed against him. Let's look at this from a rather simplistic angle: A) Ricardo Sanes was running across Claudius Smith's yard, climbed the f...

It appears as if George Zimmerman is in trouble yet again. He was arrested yesterday afternoon and charged with aggravated assault with a weapon, battery-domestic violence, and criminal mischief, for allegedly pointing his shotgun at his girlfriend, Samantha Scheibe, and threatening her after she told him to get out of the house, gathered his belongings, and threatened to call the police. In September, Zimmerman was accused by his wife Shellie of doing something similar after she gathered her belongings and moved out of their home. He's also been pulled over three times since the Trayvon Martin ruling - receiving one speeding ticket and two warnings. In light of this bit of news, the George Zimmerman Fan Club - Fox News - will likely respond with the following quotes: - "George Zimmerman is the last alpha-male." - "You see? Guns DON'T kill people; they just scare the ever living crap out of them!" - "Meet the most misunderstood man in America ...

In light of the shooting at the Navy Yard this past week, NRA Vice President Wayne LaPierre joined host David Gregory on Meet the Press yesterday, where the two engaged in the following back-and-forth: Gregory: "This is similar. After Newtown, you were outspoken in saying more security was the answer ... This was the Navy Yard. There were armed guards there, Mr. LaPierre. Does that not undermine your argument?" LaPierre: "No, the whole country knows the problem is there weren't enough good guys with guns! When the good guys with guns got there, it stopped..." Gregory: "Can it be the sliding scale where, you do have armed guards there, but now there's not enough armed guards? And when it comes to schools, if only we had an armed guard, and then if we had teachers with weapons, then we could stop it. I mean, where does it stop?" "Good guys" with guns? What, like the stories I've recently read of police officers shooting and kill...

I read an article this morning which made me wonder if we were celebrating April Fool's Day and not Labor Day today in this country. The article came by way of conservative political commentator Nile Gardiner of The Telegraph , and was titled, "Barack Obama is proving an embarrassing amateur on the world stage compared to George W. Bush." In the article, Gardiner wrote the following: "George W. Bush was widely mocked by the Left during the Iraq War, with liberals jeering at the 'coalition of the willing,' which included in its ranks some minnows such as Moldova and Kazkhstan. ... But the coalition also contained, as I pointed out in Congressional testimony back in 2007, Great Britain, Australia, Spain, Italy, Poland, and 16 members of the NATO alliance, as well as Japan and South Korea. In Europe, France and Germany were the only large-scale countries that sat the war out, with 12 of the 25 members of the European Union represented. The coalition, swelled...

Ever wake up and wonder, "What day is this?" I've probably done this too many times to count (not literally of course), but these occasions have especially been prevalent over the course of the past week. I'd say between three and four times over this past week I've dreamt of the following day, only to awaken and realize that day hasn't fully come about yet and my real-life calendar is one day behind my dream-life calendar. This is cause for great confusion initially when awaking in a semi-hypnotic state. One isn't thinking too clearly at that moment, their possibly vivid dreams are likely still at the forefront of their thoughts, and it may take a few minutes to finally place those before-mentioned thoughts to the side and realize what day it is and what's on the agenda for that day. This was especially the case for me a week ago yesterday. When I fell asleep that Saturday night, I dreamt about awaking on Sunday, before taking a nap in the afternoon...

What's the deal recently with Florida cops or wannabe cops shooting unarmed black people? First, George Zimmerman was found not guilty of second-degree murder in the shooting and killing of unarmed Trayvon Martin, because, well, it's purely self-defense to follow someone you find suspicious after being told not to do so by actual cops and then when the person being stalked feels threatened and defends himself, to shoot and kill him. That's self-defense 101 right there. More recently, Florida police officers fired 15 shots at unarmed 60-year old Roy Middleton in the driveway of his and his mother's home. There was a 911 call that evening for a car theft. Once the cops arrived at the scene and Middleton turned around, thinking the whole thing was a practical joke played by a neighbor, the cops opened fire on him and wound up shooting him in the leg, while also striking his mother's car and the side of the house. What did Florida Scambia County Sheriff David Morgan...

I hadn't been feeling well all week, but began recovering yesterday, fortunately. After debating whether or not to see a band perform with my parents, I opted to go - to get out of the house and see a fun band perform that I had only seen once previously. Things were going pretty well all night. The band was highly entertaining. The folks and I people-watched, especially the drunkards dancing, and as always, that was both an amusing and facepalm-inducing experience. For the band's last song, they played the Beastie Boys' classic, "You Gotta Fight For Your Right to Party!" Many women went up to the dance-floor to, well, dance. Most of the guys stood back and just observed. Toward the end of the song, some 45ish-year old woman then approached me and asked me to dance. First off, I'm not much of a dancer. Secondly, I still wasn't 100% healthy, so I felt like dancing like a sloth feels like sprinting. Thirdly, I have a girlfriend, so while it's not aga...

Unfortunately, as seems to so often be the case in my life, I've received another health scare. I was ill between late May of 2009 and the early portion of 2011 with symptoms that ranged from an overly drugged sensation in my head to weak and tingly arms and legs to extreme fatigue to a numb mouth and beyond. When the symptoms were at their most intense, which was most of 2009 and part of 2010, I was unable to drive, work out, get much work done, even walk some days. Well, yesterday morning, some of those symptoms made their presence felt again and while their initial intensity has subsided a bit, the sensations still haven't completely vanished from my system. Oddly enough, in conjunction with the subtle symptoms, I'm rather sore in multiple areas of the body, especially my ankles. The doctors never concluded on what happened to me during those 18+ months, so they decided the cause was a "strange virus." However, in feeling some of these same symptoms all over ag...

I love when my dreams are so vivid, I awaken in the middle of the night or the following morning and immediately look around to see exactly where I am, and it takes me a few minutes to realize I had just been dreaming. This is especially the case if I had been drinking the previous evening. Fortunately for me (and others I'm sure), I have yet to experience a Hangover -type moment where I awaken from my slumber only to discover a tiger is in the room with me, and no, I don't mean Tiger Woods. There have even been times when a dream has felt so real, I'll find myself in a deja-vu like moment in the next couple of days, where I have to stand back and contemplate, "Wait, didn't this already happen?," before coming to the realization I had only dreamt that very event a night or two prior. This is the especially the case when it comes to conversation. I'll sometimes have to ponder a bit before asking or telling a person something, wondering, "Didn't I...

I was ill from May 31st of 2009 until late-December of 2010. Upon my seemingly miraculous recovery, the doctors were still perplexed on what occurred, but came to the very uncertain conclusion that my symptoms were a result of a strange virus in conjunction with unusual side effects from taking a medication for too long and a slight case of small-fiber sensory neuropathy (a possible sighting of anteriovenous malformation or that my brain tumor was completely removed weren't ruled out either).  I've been rather symptom-free for the past year and a half, but there have been two days, yesterday included, where some of the symptoms made their presence known once again. I still don't feel 100% right today, but definitely better than yesterday and since I've overcome this previously, am much more optimistic that I can get through this, regardless of how large a side (or back) step it might be.  On the other side of things, feeling the symptoms again made me wonder what...

A Dream Inside A Dream Strangely familiar, Yet uncertain, I’ve been here before, Or so it seems, Surreal in setting, In feeling, In this real? Or am I dreaming? Time appears frozen, Stuck in the present, All around me is still, The past and future non-existent, Impressionistic from a distance, Realistic up close, Rubbing my eyes, To see more clearly, Confusion strikes me, Uncertain of my past, Suddenly forgetful of life’s details, The previous night’s dream being fresh, I awaken, Yet am still asleep, The blurred line of reality, As I dream inside a dream.