It's a new day...

[Warning: the follow was written under the influence of alcohol, as I imagine much of this blog shall be, given its witty title and the favored pastime of its contributors.]

The clock on my desk, which is a barely functional relic of the '80s that my mom wanted to throw out a few weeks ago, reads 1:24 AM. The American public has just elected a new president. At this point, New Year's seems arbitrary--just a simple, inevitable passage of time. Right now, it seems as if something significant, something with a lasting effect has just happened. So what could be a more appropriate time to start a blog?

Keeping in mind a post by Gavin in Street Carnage a while ago, let's not get out of hand: Just because we've had a peaceful transfer of power to a new, albeit promising, candidate does not mean in any way that things are now OK. Racism is not over. Last I heard, the referendum banning gay marriage in California has a majority approval. The economic crises is still looming. We are still involved in two wars. Health care is in the pits. Obama is not a cure-all for all that ails this country. But he is a competent politician, one who will hopeful lead us in a new direction, one desperately needed to re-establish our standing in the world and stabilize our lives.

At the same time, let's not overlook the positive aspects of this historic moment. There's really no way to sooth cynics and armchair anarchists, who insist that nothing good ever happens. In paraphrasing the goals of Raoul Duke in Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas, I feel as if we've just saluted the actual possibilities of life in this country. No longer do we need to feel that race or money or partisan lines need be a boundary to success. All those seemingly empty promises of opportunity are now, at least in one magnificent case, validated. The American Dream seems to have just been resuscitated.

Today is a new day. Let's not squander it. There are things to write, experiences to be recorded, photos to take, pictures to draw, poems to scribble, drinks to imbibe, mistakes to make, goals to reach for, wars to wage, songs to listen to and meanings to discover. Come along with us for the ride. It should be interesting.

- Arv

[If you'd like to become a contributor to this blog, please shoot an e-mail over to roughdraughtblog@gmail.com Don't worry, the site will be getting prettier. I mean, we'll all be sobering up eventually.]