My Paradise

I just remembered that I re-created my blog and then realized that I have already started to neglect it. It’s -8º outside today and I thought maybe I should write a post about how cold it is. Turns out my last post was about how cold it was that day.

Instead let me tell you that I am excited for the upcoming inauguration of our 44th president. change.gov has to be the coolest website any public official has ever launched in the history of the internet. This whole idea of open government seems to coincide with the changes that are happening all around us. Businesses are becoming more transparent, privacy is going away, and people are embracing their ability to communicate with the masses in an instant.

I learned about yesterday’s plane crash through twitter. The first images I saw of the incident were posted on twitpic.com. Next time we’ll be seeing live streaming footage on ustream.tv before any news station has a chance to pick up the “breaking news”. Times are definitely changing and it’s strange to be “cutting edge”.

My geek culture is going mainstream… I’m not sure how I feel about that yet.

Tags: Change, Cold, Communication, Geek Culture, President, Privacy.

Proposition 8 passed in California. This means that gay marriage, the marriage between two people of the same gender, is now banned by the Californian constitution. I see this as a setback for equality and freedom. This is blatant suppression of a minority by a majority. I don’t understand why people feel a need to deny others such a freedom. What are people so afraid of? Have we still not learned that it’s okay to be different? Have we not come far enough that we can be accepting of others?

There is still so much work to do. So many people need to learn to not just tolerate, but accept the differences in those who do not conform to the societal norms. It is our differences that make us a great people. It is through our differences that we can excel as a society. If we would stop focusing so much attention, time and so many resources on such ridiculous battles and instead focus that attention, time and those resources on bettering the quality of life for all and advancing technology our society would flourish in ways we can only dream of.

Tags: Acceptance, California, Freedom, Gay Rights, Proposition 8, Society.

They’re calling it a historic day. This is one of those “Where were you when…” moments. Our parents had the the controversial Vietnam war, Rosa Parks, the assassination of J.F.K., the assassination of Dr. King and the lunar landing. We now have a positive moment in history of our own which joins the ranks of our controversial war and our generations most tragic day, 9/11.

Perhaps it’s due to my views of the world as a young educated liberal that I now have more hope and belief that the world has the potential to change and take steps toward peace and Utopia. There is no doubt that we’re still far from a Utopian society, and I know it seems impossible, but I still believe it can happen.

Where were you on 9/11? I woke up to epic news from New York City. I stared blankly at the television not knowing what to make of the the tragedy I was witnessing from afar. Throughout the day I witnessed the fear and anxiety in the eyes of those I encountered. The attitude of our country changed in that instant.

Where were you when Barack Obama won the presidential election? I waited anxiously, again staring at the television to receive news while also refreshing cnn.com. This time I wasn’t starting blankly trying to comprehend what was going on. This time I was staring at the news cast with hope on my mind. I was thinking about the future and today I am witnessing something different in the eyes of those I am encountering. I see a spark of hope, a glimmer of relief. I believe the attitude of this country is once again changing. This time it won’t happen overnight. But this time, I believe it has the potential to make the greatest leaps toward what I hope is a bright future. A future we are creating together.

Tags: Future, Historic, Peace, President, Tragedy, Utopia.

Yesterday Barack Obama’s campaign bought 30 minutes of air time, on every major network, to show a 30 minute special about Barack Obama’s plan for America, should he be elected president. I know this was scripted and well planned out and I know that this is a ploy to persuade voters to choose Barack Obama. However, I’ve never seen a politician do something like this before. He didn’t mention his opposition, he didn’t talk about how he differs from them. Barack Obama talked about his plan, about why he is a good candidate for President and why we should vote for him. He showed us normal Americans, he talked about the issues that matter to the majority of people in this country. His  message was made very clear.

I, for one, believe that Barack Obama truly believes that he has a chance to make the changes he has proposed. I believe that Barack Obama believes his plan will help the vast majority of citizens in this country. Because Barack Obama believes so passionately, I think he can do it. This is the first politician that I trust. I’m not completely sure he’ll be able to do the great things that he hopes to do, but I do know that he’ll try. I know that he has the potential to change things in a way that will better the lives of many Americans. I am not affraid of change, I want change more than most. Utopia is far away and it seems impossible to reach, but I believe that Barack Obama is a step in the right direction.

I will be voting for Barack Obama and for the first time I believe that I am not choosing the lesser of two evils. I am voting for the candidate that I believe will make this country better. I believe, if Barack Obama wins this election, the world will start to change for the better and I believe that it’s about time.

Tags: 2008, Barack, Campaign, Election, Obama, Politics, President.