Day218 Monday 04/04/11

ran 2.1 miles
“Of all the dispositions and habits which lead to political prosperity, religion and morality are indispensable supports. In vain would that man claim the tribute of patriotism, who should labor to subvert these great pillars of human happiness, these firmest props of the duties of men and citizens…Let it simply be asked, where is the security for prosperity, for reputation, for life, if the sense of religious obligation desert the oaths which are the instruments of investigation in courts of justice? And let us with caution indulge the supposition that morality can be maintained without religion. Whatever may be conceded to the influence of refined education…reason and experience both forbid us to expect that national morality can prevail in exclusion of religious principle.”

George Washington, Farewell Address

It is one thing to live and to be willing to die for such American principles as freedom of religion, but when these principles are used against a nation for the advancement of beliefs that serve no purpose other than to undermine the culture and beliefs of that nation, those freedoms are no longer tools for happiness and prosperity but weapons wielded to twist and maul the fabric of freedom.

The double standard that exists between America’s humble acceptance of all religions and those religions that despise America’s culture and beliefs is getting more and more difficult to accept. There is a fine line to walk when trying to balance the integrity of America’s religious freedoms and the insult some of those freedoms slap our nation in the face with when used divisively.

I don’t think George Washington was referring to Shariah law or any other oppressive system of belief that violates so many God-given human rights. I don’t think our first president ever condoned the idea of killing infidels or any other people who did not see things the way he or America’s citizens did.

The freedom America grants certain people to encourage such ideas as Shariah law as a real American possibility, the freedom this religious zealot in Florida has to make world news of burning copies of the Koran, the fanatical church members who recently legally earned their right to protest at American soldiers’ funerals, the freedom America grants to entertain the idea of putting a Mosque at Ground Zero---where does it end?

Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad claimed today that President Barack Obama would face an end far more embarrassing than that of his predecessor, George W. Bush. His reasoning was that Obama uses force, as well as, deception and conspiracy. If that’s not snow calling rice white, I don’t know what is. Apparently we are supposed to play “fairly” and “transparently” against nations who despise our culture and our differing religious views.

George Washington’s emphasis on religion and morality as a necessity for America to thrive can hardly be argued, but we are threatened by another religion that seeks to buckle our beliefs and to impose itself upon this nation.

Our president began his term apologizing to the world for America’s elitist behavior and our nation’s “arrogance”. That obviously served no real purpose in maintaining America’s strength and integrity and it goes to show that no gesture, however humble it may appear, will appease people who refuse to accept your culture or your beliefs.

1,449.3 miles to go.

Day217 Sunday 04/03/11

ran 1.9 miles
Five days until the federal government shuts down. Democrats and Republicans are arm wrestling, have been arm wrestling for quite some time, under the sweat of who will come out looking better for the 2012 election and the grit of who will have the less amount of mud flung at them in 2012.

In this arm wrestling match there is no stronger side that wrestles down the wrist of its opponent. They simply capitulate after putting on a big show. Democrats have the audacity to slash next to no spending worth mentioning and Republicans lack the fortitude and resolve to stand their ground and do what so many voters put them in office to do on November 2, 2010.

Correct me if I’m wrong but isn’t the next degree following a crisis a meltdown if that crisis is not resolved? Our economy is in a crisis and neither side is treating it that way. One side ignores it and the other side only ignores it less.

Regardless of how this thing turns out on Saturday, the following Tuesday begins the fiscal 2012 budget battle. I’m sure that will be resolved quickly. Paul Ryan of Wisconsin will be proposing a $4 trillion cut over the next decade. As assertive and rational as that sounds I have nearly already forgotten about it as I type these words because I know it is an impossibility for our Congress to solve such crises in a timely manner.

1,451.4 miles to go.

Day216 Saturday 4/02/11

ran 2.7 miles
There are very few causes or organizations that aren’t represented on the web. If you take the time to search for them it would be no challenge to drop your jaw at some of the stuff you may find. Last month I posted about a site with the goal of establishing Shariah law in America, which is instantly disturbing to look at as soon as the first few million pixels materialize on you screen. That site is shariah4america.com.

Now the Communist party of America is making headlines. Equally disturbing, their website is cpusa.org. Our nation has been fighting communism for decades. Thousands of our soldiers, from many different generations, in our military have died fighting to stop the spread of communism. Communism is a poison to everything America stands for. It has been proven to fail and it has been proven to suck out the personal ambitions, happiness, and freedoms of entire nations.

It is an insult to America and our history to advocate beliefs like this. Our freedom of speech allows people to express whatever their beliefs may be, regardless of others’ interpretations of them, and this is the way it should be, but I also have the right to make the judgment that it is my opinion that members of this American Communist Party have completely given up on themselves, they have no determination to exist or to contribute to society or to do anything for themselves, and they obviously have no clue of how rewarding hard work and sacrifice can be in this amazing nation. They would rather make everyone equal and allow a government to own and operate everything.

1,453.3 miles to go.

Day215 Friday 04/01/11

ran 2.8 miles
Today I feel reminded of why I had never paid any attention to politics until recently. It’s 8:09 p.m. as I type these words and there is little I wouldn’t give right now to see my television interrupted suddenly by a news report flashing “April Fool’s Day…about everything. Not just today but last week, last month, oh, and that thing last year and the thing before that…April Fool’s Day…for it all. We now return you to your regularly scheduled programming.”

Nothing in particular happened today in the world or in our nation that struck a culminating point of how frustrating it is to make sense of America on a day-to-day basis, but for some reason today it hit me like a bolt of lightning that the more things change the more they stay the same.

The French novelist Alphonse Karr coined that phrase in the nineteenth century. It also appeared in George Bernard Shaw’s “Revolutionist’s Handbook”, as well as, dozens of books of proverbs and maxims. It is one of the most profound truths I have ever heard regardless of how many times I hear other people say it.

I have always been drawn to nonconformity and used any excuse I could find to not belong to a majority of any sort. One of my favorite quotes, by Mark Twain, has always been “Whenever you find yourself on the side of the majority, it is time to pause and reflect”. I have always gone against the grain for the simple sake of going against the grain.

I can honestly say, now that I find myself among the closest thing to a political majority I have ever been a part of, for the first time in my life I am proud to be like-minded with so many others in wanting Barack Obama to be a one-term president and wanting our Congress to do what we elected them to do.

With the millions of miniscule details pushed to the side, the constant speed bumps on the American interstate, which slow us down to an idle speed, we need to stop spending, slash our deficit, maintain our status of world currency holder, and it is going to take sacrifices from everybody in every state in different ways unique to whatever each state’s circumstances are. This has to be where it starts. Whatever your vision of America is begins with our Congress uniting to cease the wasteful spending. Yet, the best compromise Democrats and Republicans can come up with is to reduce the volume of an ocean by a drop.

Felt like ranting a bit tonight. Friday’s posts are usually statistics and facts about a certain state, so I’ll close with that.

• Nebraska was the thirty-seventh state to join the union on March 1, 1867, nine years before Colorado and three years after Nevada.

• Population, as of 2010, is 1,826,341.

• Senators are Mike Johanns (R) and Ben Nelson (D).

• Representatives are Jeffrey Fortenberry (R), Lee Terry (R) and Adrian Smith (R).

• Nebraska has five electoral votes. Historically, the state has not voted blue since 1964. Nebraska is one of only two states, Maine being the other, in which the winner of the popular vote gets two electoral votes while one is assigned to the winner of each of the three congressional districts. McCain defeated Obama 57% to 42% in 2008.

1,456.0 miles to go.

Day214 Thursday 03/31/11

image from Huffington Post

ran 3.5 miles

“The liberal mainstream media, notice how they have tried to destroy Sarah Palin, notice how the more popular Michele Bachmann gets, the more they try to destroy her? You want to know why they go after those two ladies more viciously? Because they know that Michele Bachmann or Sarah Palin is going to draw a lot of the women vote away from the Democrat party. They are scared to death of that if they were to run and get the nomination. They are doubly scared that a real black man might run against Barack Obama.”

These were Herman Cain’s words at a recent Tea Party event in Florida. If you don’t know who Herman Cain is then you will soon. He is edging closer and closer to a 2012 presidential run. The above quote was a response to why Cain felt the media was ignoring his presence.

Cain is from Atlanta, Georgia. He has an impressive background of climbing the corporate ladder of numerous successful companies. His last venture was Godfather’s pizza. On the brink of bankruptcy, Cain served as CEO and turned the company around to a profitable state in fourteen months. Here is more information on Herman Cain.

Conservatives Now Outnumber Liberals In Deep-Blue States

Vermont? Rhode Island? Massachusetts? Oregon? Red seems to be the new blue this spring.

“Conservatism, at least at the state level, appears to be growing stronger. Ironically, this trend is most pronounced in America’s least well-off, least educated, most blue collar, most economically hard-hit states. Conservatism, more and more, is the ideology of the economically left behind. The current economic crisis only appears to have deepened conservatism‘s hold on America’s states. This trend stands in sharp contrast to the Great Depression, when America embraced FDR and the New Deal.”

Richard Florida, columnist from The Atlantic

Here is a density map of conservatism across the American landscape and more information on why some traditionally blue states are changing hues.

Some polls from Rasmussen Reports:

• Barack Obama’s presidential index rating shows that 24% of American voters strongly approve of his performance while 42% strongly disapprove, giving Obama a presidential index rating of –18.

• Overall, 44% of voters say they at least somewhat approve of Barack Obama’s performance and 55% disapprove.

• Only 25% of voters believe America is heading in the right direction.

• Just 31% believe their own representative in Congress is the best person for the job and only 40% think their own representative deserves reelection.

• Only 16% of voters think country would be better off if most incumbents in Congress are reelected.

• Health Care repeal is favored by 58% of American voters.

1,458.8 miles to go.

Day213 Wednesday 03/30/11

ran 3.3 miles

chapter1

Jonas Martin Cassidy stood at the door of 216 Fifth Street like a lone green leaf on a half-dead tree in the middle of red and yellow autumn. The air outside was cold and thick with moisture. The sun was barely visible and a damp fog clung to Jonas like a wad of chewed gum atop a wayward ant on a strip of concrete.

Stiff blades of grass helpless under torn curtains of shade splintered longingly holding for light. Thin crystal formations of ice webbed along the surfaces of puddles unable to fully freeze or slightly defrost. Every one of Jonas’ breaths hung heavily before his face like a thought he could put in his pocket or a dream he could store in a jar and save for later.

The bitter October breeze hardly flustered his core or the dark abrasive hair on his head. Spikey tufts, like elongated rose thorns, pierced over his searching brown eyes. His beard was filling out not by choice or indecision. His shoes were thrashed and falling apart, soles worn through like forlorn hope. His jeans were frayed at the hems, scuffed all over with work and sweat, and a single hole drew attention on top of his right front pocket. His shirt was plain, white, stained and old. Equal in repute was his moderately insulated navy blue coat with a faded and unintelligible monogram over the left breast. A backpack with unreliable zippers, numerous tears, and a nearly ripped shoulder strap was his only accessory.

Save for a dog-eared curled up copy of poems written by an unknown poet in his back pocket, Jonas had nothing worth robbing or giving. To show for, to perverse by, to prove with and to lie about, he had only a scantily stitched book of unknown poems and a poorly bound backpack filled with seemingly useless objects.

The door before him was peeling away, splintering at the top and bottom like cuticles and hangnails run-a-muck on an unkempt set of fingers and toes. Odd knots in the ruined wood panels were at the same time swelled and shrunken forming an indifference of undulating paisley patterns. The oaken tangles reminded him of scraped knees and busted knuckles on a fallen man who had fought for something important but lost.

Jonas stood reluctantly, yet dignified, at the door of 216 Fifth Street like a rhetorical question to an obvious answer. There was little to say of Jonas much like there was little to say of a stock investment on a day-to-day basis. He moved in one direction or another every twenty-four hours, but nothing he did seemed worthwhile of evaluation until it had failed or succeeded a few decades later. His physical appearance paled in comparison to the details of a white washed wall and he was as inconspicuous as a stop sign at three o’ clock in the morning in a small town. But he had ideas and beliefs that were as thought provoking as they were deemed inconceivable.

Jonas drew from pride an irreverent faith in religion and cultivated the broad idea that everything just might be wrong. He earnestly slacked in every fruitless job he was paid for because he knew they did not matter like the empty promises of a terrified man with a gun pressed to his bruising temple.

He was unmotivated to live in such a frightening silence of servitude in a country that had made opportunity and ambition punishable among its people. Nor was he satisfied with pretending he did not remember the way things once were, like so many others. He refused to sit idly by and so his path was a lone one. It was taking the risks his heart and mind desired and confronting the possible consequences of his actions that animated Jonas. It was his hubris pride that elucidated an unquestionable belief and understanding that he needed absolutely no one.

1,462.3 miles to go.

Day212 Tuesday 03/29/11

ran 4.1 miles
Donald Trump is the latest high-profile name in the news to challenge Barack Obama’s place of birth and his firm decision to show no one his birth certificate. “Either he has one or he doesn’t. Where is it?” This was the blunt statement and the rhetorical question said by Trump to express just how ridiculous this birth certificate issue has become. Many view the obsession with Barack Obama’s place of birth as wasteful behavior that serves no purpose in moving this country forward. Others, as a matter of principle, are simply exhausted with frustration over the fact that this man absolutely refuses to show anyone his birth certificate. And others, yet, find great potential in keeping the accusation alive and thriving to smear Obama and to cast him in a darker, more questionable light.

Here’s where I stand. At this point, I don’t care whether Barack Obama was born in Kenya, France, Brazil, America, or anywhere else. Enough people voted to make him our president in 2008, one of which I was not, and I simply do not agree with his vision of America’s future, I don’t agree with his squishy approach to fixing our economy, I utterly oppose his health care law, and I generally find liberal, or progressive, ideas insulting to the way I define my America. Simple as that.

In the event that evidence reveals itself in the future that can conclusively prove Obama was not born in Hawaii, then that will be that and we can all move on. But in the meantime, many states have passed or are in the process of passing legislation that makes proof of birth place much more stringent for all political candidates than it previously was.

It would obviously be an unforgivable shame to vote a man or woman into the position of President of the United States of America if they were not a natural born citizen. I admit, this birth certificate issue is extremely interesting and I’ll be curious to see how it plays out, but my disapproval of Barack Obama is not built upon this fragmented argument. I simply disagree with this man to the degree that I refuse to stop running against him until the next presidential election.

Those who accuse of course have the burden of proof to deal with, but the fact that Barack Obama will not show anyone his birth certificate is absolutely ridiculous. Like Trump said, “Either he has it or he doesn’t. Where is it?”

I found an article on SanDiego.com today, in which two resident columnists went head-to-head on the birther movement. The article has some interesting arguments on both sides. It’s worth a read. One fact I was unaware of is that Barack Obama’s social security number is traceable to Connecticut, a state in which he had never lived. As odd as that is, there is another side to it, though. The two columnists are extremely opinionated and if nothing else, it just makes you wonder, why not just show the birth certificate and end this obtrusive distraction?

1,465.6 miles to go.

Day211 Monday 03/28/11

ran 9.0 miles
I ran my longest distance tonight, not only of this campaign, but the longest distance I’ve ever run in my thirty-two years. When I started this blog the running aspect of it was, I hesitate to say, a goal set to draw attention to the blog. But it was also certainly an effort to express to others just how seriously and passionately I disagree with the direction America is heading with Barack Obama at the Captain’s wheel, and how motivated I am to contribute anything I can to get his hands off of it, regardless of how few people may follow this blog.

The point I am making is that when I started running I was mildly excited at first until the reality hit me of exactly what I had taken on. I went from not running but maybe every once in a while to running every single day. Now that it has been nearly seven months, I never anticipated that I would be capable of running nine straight miles after work on a Monday.

I don’t usually run such distances from week to week but I am working toward a goal of running a half-marathon (thirteen miles) in the near future. Every two or three weeks I do a lengthy run, one mile longer than the last, and I am trying to work my way to thirteen. I’ve done a seven-mile, an eight-mile, and tonight was the nine-mile.

I confess that I absolutely dread the anticipation of having to do these runs. It’s nice once you’re through, and it’s not so bad to be halfway through, but to be only two miles deep on a nine-mile run can be overwhelming.

1,469.7 miles to go.

Day210 Sunday 03/27/11

600 miles!!!

ran 2.7 miles
I broke 600 miles today! I’m pleased to say I did the math and I am 48.6 miles ahead of schedule. I ran 22.8 miles this week, averaging 3.26 miles per day. It feels good to have my mileage budget at a surplus.

No news today. I am more interested in a “what if”. As I scour news sources everyday I see less and less democratic senators and representatives defending Barack Obama and more and more criticizing his motives. After the mid-term elections, November 2, 2010, one of many ways to describe the ballot boxes would be to assert that Barack Obama and his agenda directly had a heavy hand in getting an abundant number of liberal politicians fired. Not only were they fired, but they were replaced in teeming numbers by conservatives, many of which were Tea party candidates.

What I am trying to point out is the fact that none of the “career” politicians in Washington want to lose their jobs in 2012 and that the Senate and House stand to endure a repeat of November, 2010. As more and more members of Obama’s own party continue to question his leadership, things cannot be getting better for him.

What has changed? As a voter who cast a ballot on November 2, 2010, has anything changed? Let’s say Barack Obama gets a second term; is this nation in a rush to keep the senators and representatives who incensed us enough to vote them out of our House expected to keep them in office? Barack Obama’s appeal and his ideas, his words from behind a podium, his charisma, which got him into Washington, could certainly earn him a second term in this diverse nation, but I am anticipating another liberal exodus in Congress. It’s a challenge to fool an entire nation, but it is more difficult to dupe any given state or the districts that compose them.

1,478.7 miles to go.

Day209 Saturday 03/26/11

ran 3.3 miles
Ten Things You May Not Know About ObamaCare

• Since Jan. 1 of this year (2011), you cannot use your flex-account at work (FSA) or health savings account (HSA) to purchase over-the-counter medicines.

• Since July 1 of last year (2010), Americans have been paying a 10 percent excise tax on all indoor tanning services.

• Starting in 2018, if your health insurance is “too good” or considered a “Cadillac” plan, then you will incur a new 40 percent tax on your health plan.

• ObamaCare has 21 new or higher taxes in it, totaling over $500 billion in increased taxes going to the government over 10 years.

• Beginning in 2014, individuals and families that do not purchase “qualifying” -- as defined by federal bureaucrats -- health insurance will be forced to pay a yearly tax penalty.

• Seven tax hikes in ObamaCare directly break President Obama’s “firm pledge” not to raise any form of taxes on individuals making less than $200,000 per year and families making less than $250,000 per year.

• The capital gains tax rate under ObamaCare will rise to 23.8 percent starting in 2012. That is a 59 percent increase from its current rate.

• In 2013, those Americans facing the highest medical bills and the least ability to pay for them will find their ability to deduct medical expenses is further limited (medical expenses must be reduced by 10 percent of income under ObamaCare, rather than current law’s 7.5 percent).

• Beginning in 2014, businesses with over 50 employees will be forced to offer health coverage for everyone, or pay a hefty tax for each employee.

• In 2013, ObamaCare caps the amount individuals and families can put in their flexible savings accounts at $2500. Currently there is no cap and these accounts are used for a myriad of health expenses including paying upwards of $14,000 in tuition to special needs schools for some parents.

Article from Americans For Tax Reform.

Republicans Utilize American Discontent For ObamCare To Help Win In 2012

Republicans with their eyes on the White House in 2012 spoke to hundreds of conservatives today in Iowa emphasizing that Barack Obama’s health care plan could help make substantial gains in 2012.

“The ultimate arrogance, in my opinion, is Obama-care. That’s why I am so absolutely confident in 2012. Americans have made the decision that we’re going to take our country back.”

Michele Bachmann

“We don’t like the radical socialist agenda that is being shoved down our throats.”

Herman Cain

“It’s never gone below a majority of Americans who want to see Obama-care repealed. This is, I believe, the greatest power grab that I have ever seen.”

Michele Bachmann

I’ve mentioned it often on this blog and I’ll say it again, check out Health Care Compact on facebook. Nearly forty states are working toward this compact to avoid ObamaCare and HCC posts each day about the progress different states are making.

1,481.4 miles to go.

Day208 Friday 03/25/11

ran 3.0 miles

• Montana was the forty-first state to join the union on November 8, 1889, three days before Washington and six days after South Dakota.

• Population, as of 2010, is 989,415.

• Senators are Max Baucus (D) and Jon Tester (D).

• Representative is Dennis Rehberg (R).

• Montana has three electoral votes. Historically, the state has voted red since 1952 except for two democrats. Leading up to 1952, Montana had voted blue five times in a row. Montana is one of seven states with a minimum three electoral votes. John McCain defeated Barack Obama 50% to 47% in 2008.

Heading south for a moment, Arizona is very close to passing a “flat tax” bill to rewrite their state individual income tax. It was surprising to stumble upon that news today. We always hear chatter about flat taxes implemented at state or federal levels but for it to actually materialize is something to think about. This action is certainly a sign of the times. On the surface, this bill sounds unfair and few to none are ever supportive of tax increases, which is what this is for a vast majority of Arizona’s population. Incomes below $100,000 account for 88% of state income filers and they will have their taxes increased the most, while top earners pay less. Here’s where it gets really strange---the people of Arizona seem to be at least somewhat supportive of this measure, or they are at least not protesting or vandalizing their capitol building.

The bill is projected to produce an additional $50 million in annual revenue for the state. Like many other states, Arizona’s budget is at a growing deficit and this is one approach their state’s legislature deems necessary to keep the state afloat and in less debt.

This “flat tax” is not law yet but it will be interesting to see what the people of Arizona’s ultimate response to it is. I don’t fully understand the “flat tax” enough to form a solid opinion of it at this point, but if it is critical to the well-being of an entire state and its future, then perhaps it is necessary.

Between news like this out of Arizona and what has been going on in Wisconsin, both Republican led efforts, combined with an economy that is not soaring upward by any means, I can easily see the 2012 presidential election filled with ugly accusations about one side raising taxes and attacking unions and the other side proclaiming that tough decisions are absolutely necessary to make right now. Can you guess which side is which?

1,484.7 miles to go.

Day207 Thursday 03/24/11

ran 2.9 miles
For yesterday’s post I introduced the prologue to a novel I’ve been working on. In case you missed it, check it out. The novel is titled “I am Erica” and I’ll be posting a chapter per week. I decided to put it on the blog for two reasons. The first reason is an effort to push myself to finish the story. It has been put to the side for too long. The second reason is because I have to confess that it is sometimes daunting and exhausting to campaign against Barack Obama every single day. And it’s not so daunting and exhausting as it is a simple injustice to myself by allowing this man to consume so much of my time. It is undeserved flattery to his ego that I, or anyone, should invest so much time in scrutinizing his every action.

Yet I feel that it needs to be done. The more people who stand up and express how they feel about the direction America is taking, the louder the voice. I look at it the same way I view my job. I have little desire to show up at work everyday but I do it because my stomach and my family compel me. In the particular case of America, which is an idea and a way of life that stands as a rock we all want a grip on, our history and its future compel me.

After 207 days it has finally occurred to me that while current events, facts, opinions, commentary and the general rigmarole that consumes the arena of politics is indeed important and necessary, it is more important to not let it consume me.

I am going to continue with the rigmarole, but I am also going to deviate from the facts, quotes and statistics, in an attempt to express my message on a more personal and creative platform.

This is what a typical Thursday at runningagainstobama.com looks like:

• Barack Obama’s presidential index rating shows that 26% of American voters strongly approve of his performance while 38% strongly disapprove, giving Obama a presidential index rating of –12.

• Overall, 48% of voters say they at least somewhat approve of Barack Obama’s performance and 52% disapprove.

• Just 23% believe the U.S. is heading in the right direction.

• Among American voters, 34% support U.S. involvement in Libya.

• Republicans are trusted more than Democrats on nine out of the top ten issues regularly tracked by Rasmussen Reports.

There is much more to America than this.

1,487.7 miles to go.

Day206 Wednesday 03/23/11

ran 4.2 miles
I’m going to introduce something new to this blog today. To add some variety to the weekly topics and a different perspective on current events I am going to begin posting a chapter each week from a novel I have been working on. This novel has been collecting dust for nearly two years and all it needs is an ending. Posting the chapters each week will bring me closer to where I left off and push me to finish. And I can share it with you and others, who I am extremely grateful to have following this blog, as a piece of fiction to break away from the curious and contradicting current events of the day.

I’m not going to say anything about this novel except that it is a book of fiction and all names, characters, places and incidents that bear any resemblance to actual events or locations or people, living or dead, is entirely coincidental. The name of this unfinished book is “I am Erica”.

i am erica

by michael dimiterchik

a tale of one of many possible outcomes,
a love story punched in the stomach,
and a man who chose to choose.

prologue

They were many and he was one. They mattered and he did not. They were a machine and he was a gear. They were a sum and he was a number. They had an answer for every question and he had a question for every answer. They were ruthless with what they aimed to achieve and he was patient with what he chose to find. They wanted everything and demanded to be followed. He wanted nothing and refused to be led.

He walked stolidly up a broken street in a nameless city in a forgotten country. Like a monk lighting himself on fire, he showed no emotion for the burns he felt. Steadily, he refused to look back and ignored what was in front of him.

Stolidly, he wanted to throw a rock through the glass ball of night that surrounded him.

He went in through her bedroom window long after her parents had fallen asleep. She had not been expecting him. She greeted him with a tired smile, eyes matted shut with sleep, and asked him what was wrong.

“I’m leaving,” he whispered. “I wanted to tell you goodbye.”

Unable to respond she shook off the residual sleep from her numb body. Her senses slowly crept to attention as a final yawn escaped her.

“I don’t know where I am going and I don’t know where I will end up. What I do know is that my actions will be my own and that I will be free for the first time in my life.”

She was not shocked at his words nearly as much as she was frightened by the severity of the moment, which she had seen coming for so long. She knew his spirit was arrested. His fierce soul paced madly inside a prison of bone and skin.

“You are the only person I am saying goodbye to and the only one who knows I am leaving. You are the only one who understands why I have to do this. I am not sure what I am trying to accomplish but until I remove myself from this…this silence, this destructive quiet, I am certain I will achieve nothing.”

She made every argument she could think of to convince him not to leave. None of it had mattered, though. His mind had broken out of its cell and had found its freedom.

“I will see you again.”

He said this as he stepped outside through the window frame and into his new wilderness. He took a step forward and a look back smiling with certainty that he had made the first right decision of his life.

“Goodbye, Carmen.”

“Goodbye, Jonas.”

1,490.6 miles to go.

Day205 Tuesday 03/22/11

ran 3.6 miles
Democrats and Republicans are agreeing more and more on behalf of President Obama’s unorthodox methods of making decisions. And by “unorthodox” I am referring to the understatement that he is behaving in a manner far too independent of the American Constitution, often turning a deaf ear to mass numbers of Congress members from both sides of the aisle, and he appears to be extremely unconcerned with the judgment of the people or their interpretation of him.

As of late our president has shown staggeringly little involvement in our nation’s highly important matter of agreeing on a budget. And now it’s Libya underscoring Barack Obama’s audacious ability to behave in a way that suggests he may believe he is higher than the law and our constitution.

Obama’s sole authorization of military strikes on Libya without seeking the consent of Congress was unconstitutional and Democrats and Republicans, alike, are in an uproar. The issue here is not a matter of whether we should be involved with Libya’s affairs or not. It is the simple act that our president made to take military action without first presenting it to Congress for a vote. Presidents, according to Article 1, Section 8, cannot simply declare war on another nation. “Congress shall have power to declare war.”

Democratic Representative Dennis Kucinich of Ohio pointed out that President Obama’s action could be an “impeachable offense”.

“It is alarming how casually the administration talks about initiating acts of war, as though Article 1 Section 8 of the Constitution does not exist. Frankly, it is not up to the president whether or not we intervene in Libya, or set up ‘no-fly’ zones, or send troops. At least, it is not if we follow the Constitution.”

Tea Party freshman Representative Rand Paul of Kentucky

"President Obama moved forward without Congress approving. He didn't have congressional authorization. He has gone against the Constitution, and that's got to be said."

Democratic Representative Dennis Kucinich of Ohio

“The president does not have power under the Constitution to unilaterally authorize a military attack in a situation that does not involve stopping an actual or imminent threat to the nation.”

Barack Obama in an interview with the Boston Globe in December of 2007

1,494.8 miles to go.