The first Christmas I met my step-sister's younger daughter she ended up in the hospital. She was having respiratory issues and spent Christmas night being subjected to tests and sleeping away from home. Her parents stayed by her side, both tired and both wishing they were in their house enjoying what is supposed to be a family holiday and special fun for children.
I didn't know her well, but during the day did what I imagined my mother would have done if put in the same situation. I went to Toys 'R Us and bought her a stuffed animal, a monkey to be specific, which had reminded me of one I'd had as a child. My hope was that this little girl would be distracted from the array of devices, tubes, and nurses that flurried around her and would for a few minutes, have a new toy on Christmas.
When we gave it to her, she smiled, granted for all of thirty-seven seconds, but all in all it was worth it. I was able to help her have, even if only for a moment, a happy Christmas. And it reminded me of how important those feelings of family and happiness are during the holidays, if not all year round.
Friday, November 7, 2008
That's what I'm talking about!
I had hoped with the election of Barack Obama that the country would begin to elevate above its past of bigotry and begin to accept people as people. As I listened to his victory speech on Tuesday night I was inspired to believe that people everywhere could begin to change their way of thinking, not only about others but also about themselves. If they would dare to hear the message they would understand that they too can strive for their dreams and truly embrace the fact that ones ability to achieve that dream is not only dependent on the obstacles they must overcome, but also on their own ability to create opportunity for themselves. Now that is becoming clear right before our eyes.
I think this is the beginning, we have a long way to go, but while children have said things like the quote below, for some reason I feel like this is the start of something different:
"We need some new ideas, and I think Barack Obama is the right man to do that," said Malcolm Mitchell, a fifth grader, reading from his essay. "He kinda motivated me because looking at the past, people say, 'black men can't do this, black men can't do that' ... you know, he's changing time, little by little. Women can vote now, and he's the first African-American president."
The next generation is destined to have a larger percentage that 'gets it' and if we can keep open-mindedness moving forward then discrimination will become a smaller and smaller part of our social structure. Gender, religion, race, sexual preference, name it. They are all colors of our individuality, they all give inflection to the tones of our voices. But at the core, we all still hope, we all still dream, and we all still long to feel empowered, and I think we've all just seen a large crack exposed in the wall that comes with ignorance.
Someone call Bob Dylan, cause the times, they are 'a changin'.
I think this is the beginning, we have a long way to go, but while children have said things like the quote below, for some reason I feel like this is the start of something different:
"We need some new ideas, and I think Barack Obama is the right man to do that," said Malcolm Mitchell, a fifth grader, reading from his essay. "He kinda motivated me because looking at the past, people say, 'black men can't do this, black men can't do that' ... you know, he's changing time, little by little. Women can vote now, and he's the first African-American president."
The next generation is destined to have a larger percentage that 'gets it' and if we can keep open-mindedness moving forward then discrimination will become a smaller and smaller part of our social structure. Gender, religion, race, sexual preference, name it. They are all colors of our individuality, they all give inflection to the tones of our voices. But at the core, we all still hope, we all still dream, and we all still long to feel empowered, and I think we've all just seen a large crack exposed in the wall that comes with ignorance.
Someone call Bob Dylan, cause the times, they are 'a changin'.
Wednesday, November 5, 2008
Where do we go next?
Today we wake to the sound of the human spirit being shaken. With a historic election, a voter turnout previously unseen, and a nation's voice calling for what I will not call change, but progress, we as a people bear witness to the beginning of a great undertaking; the reinvention and captivation of our ability to dream.
Not since the days of JFK has our country heard the call of a challenge that could unite all its people. Kennedy threw his gigantic gauntlet down and set our country on the path that would lead us to the moon and beyond. Now we see a man who I believe can rival that call with his own.
Do I think that president-elect Obama will challenge us with Mars? No. I do however feel that we are seeing the birth of a public speaker who can grace the world's stage with words and passion that can not only elevate our own country and its global position once more, but also the spirits of other countries and their people. This man carries a solid blend of confidence, assertion, empathy, and caring, and puts them all forward in what are often self-written speeches. He may not have every answer, but he has the ability to inspire the rest of us to help him find answers and solutions to any issues we face.
Does he have incredible policy depth? Not yet.
Has he been in Washington for twenty-plus years? Not yet.
Is he the catalyzing force behind a rejuvenation movement in the United States and a refreshed face we can turn towards the world? I say damn right.
I'm ready to watch, I'm ready to listen, and I'm ready to follow this man and his growing movement down a path towards something bigger than all of us which we can only achieve together.
Not since the days of JFK has our country heard the call of a challenge that could unite all its people. Kennedy threw his gigantic gauntlet down and set our country on the path that would lead us to the moon and beyond. Now we see a man who I believe can rival that call with his own.
Do I think that president-elect Obama will challenge us with Mars? No. I do however feel that we are seeing the birth of a public speaker who can grace the world's stage with words and passion that can not only elevate our own country and its global position once more, but also the spirits of other countries and their people. This man carries a solid blend of confidence, assertion, empathy, and caring, and puts them all forward in what are often self-written speeches. He may not have every answer, but he has the ability to inspire the rest of us to help him find answers and solutions to any issues we face.
Does he have incredible policy depth? Not yet.
Has he been in Washington for twenty-plus years? Not yet.
Is he the catalyzing force behind a rejuvenation movement in the United States and a refreshed face we can turn towards the world? I say damn right.
I'm ready to watch, I'm ready to listen, and I'm ready to follow this man and his growing movement down a path towards something bigger than all of us which we can only achieve together.
Friday, October 31, 2008
I SOOOO want to blog about work
and some of the insanely frustrating things that go on there!
But I won't... because I don't want to get frizzy-fired...
So instead, let's talk about, um, hmm...
The long lost tater-tot!
No, hmm, perhaps we could discuss the power packed flavor punch of the TOMATILLO!!!
Alas, let us not forget... DESSERT!!!
But I won't... because I don't want to get frizzy-fired...
So instead, let's talk about, um, hmm...
The long lost tater-tot!
No, hmm, perhaps we could discuss the power packed flavor punch of the TOMATILLO!!!
Alas, let us not forget... DESSERT!!!
Thursday, October 30, 2008
US Healthcare sucks
I was reminded this morning of just how awful it can be for people to get the help/care they need as I stood in line at Walgreens to get my $24.99 flu shot for the season. Surrounded by several seniors I stood and watched complete disorganization unfold in front of me. As pharmacists with little-to-no training in process management ushered a crowd of dead-virus-wanters through a workflow so disjoint it was hard to know whether I was there for a shot or just to watch this sad hilarity ensue.
Several of the folks from the senior center were confused as to whether their Medicare would cover their shot with cries of 'False Advertising' ringing out across the sanitary product isle. Others weren't sure which of their health conditions might preclude them from receiving the vaccination. Some weren't sure where to stand. A few sat in chairs and talked about how the movie 'W.', and who might win the election next Tuesday.
I watched this unfold in front of me and all the while wished that I still worked for a company that administered flu shots at the office. A no-hassle delivery of this now-popular antibodybuilder geared toward we yuppies who take comfort in our place of work being a one-stop-shop for all sorts of goodness. I also considered the day though when I myself might be in assisted living, when a trip to Walgreens would be my activity for the day and this type of line would become the source of my complaints in my weekly oatmeal connoisseur meeting.
Why is it that the thing EVERYONE needs... Health Care, has become such a business, owverrun with policy and understaffed by the exceptional? Should HC not be the thing that anyone in society wants and deserves the best of? Should a line for a routine vaccination not be one of the most efficient systems we encouter as human beings? These things happen ALL THE TIME!!! Why does Walgreens get their own custom implementation of a process that should be routine? Next year, I'm going to a Dr's office... I'll combine it with a physical and at least get some value for the 30+ minutes I lose from my day.
Oh, and as a little jovial tangent here, I stopped off for lunch with my girlfriend and while waiting for her in a crowded cafeteria, decided to jam out some tunes in my headphones and get some work done. I powered up Lappy, plugged in the phones, and let iTunes do its thing. The sound was quiet so I turned it up but still couldn't hear very well. I was at max volume... and then reality dawns on me... I plugged into the microphone jack and was giving the cafeteria a little free concert. Fortunately my choice was some mello tunage and not a hardcore serenade. Somehow I don't think the kiddies would've enjoyed 'Psychosocial' by Slipknot. Hrmm...
Several of the folks from the senior center were confused as to whether their Medicare would cover their shot with cries of 'False Advertising' ringing out across the sanitary product isle. Others weren't sure which of their health conditions might preclude them from receiving the vaccination. Some weren't sure where to stand. A few sat in chairs and talked about how the movie 'W.', and who might win the election next Tuesday.
I watched this unfold in front of me and all the while wished that I still worked for a company that administered flu shots at the office. A no-hassle delivery of this now-popular antibodybuilder geared toward we yuppies who take comfort in our place of work being a one-stop-shop for all sorts of goodness. I also considered the day though when I myself might be in assisted living, when a trip to Walgreens would be my activity for the day and this type of line would become the source of my complaints in my weekly oatmeal connoisseur meeting.
Why is it that the thing EVERYONE needs... Health Care, has become such a business, owverrun with policy and understaffed by the exceptional? Should HC not be the thing that anyone in society wants and deserves the best of? Should a line for a routine vaccination not be one of the most efficient systems we encouter as human beings? These things happen ALL THE TIME!!! Why does Walgreens get their own custom implementation of a process that should be routine? Next year, I'm going to a Dr's office... I'll combine it with a physical and at least get some value for the 30+ minutes I lose from my day.
Oh, and as a little jovial tangent here, I stopped off for lunch with my girlfriend and while waiting for her in a crowded cafeteria, decided to jam out some tunes in my headphones and get some work done. I powered up Lappy, plugged in the phones, and let iTunes do its thing. The sound was quiet so I turned it up but still couldn't hear very well. I was at max volume... and then reality dawns on me... I plugged into the microphone jack and was giving the cafeteria a little free concert. Fortunately my choice was some mello tunage and not a hardcore serenade. Somehow I don't think the kiddies would've enjoyed 'Psychosocial' by Slipknot. Hrmm...
Wednesday, October 29, 2008
Six days and counting
In under a week the United States will face a historic election day, with a candidate of African heritage on the ticket AND leading in the polls against a man with incredible amounts of experience in Washington who increasingly grasps at minute details in an attempt to gain some credibility back to a failed campaign.
Our country is in a financial crisis, seeing families in all classes wondering what exactly will come next. We continue to face challenges in the form of our failed foreign policy and the newfound angst much of the world feels towards us. We are failing in stance on energy, both coal and renewable, global climate change, healthcare and biotechnology, and so many other aspects of political and social sciences.
We desperately need change, and we are likely about to get it. We are on the cusp of a cultural and political revolution, and I am left to wonder what will change bring? Can one man, and his team of advisors, cabinet members, and probably democratic secondary political bodies in the form of senate and house, bring about a balanced plan and approach for the short, mid, and long term in this country? In short, is EITHER choice the right choice?
Our country is in a financial crisis, seeing families in all classes wondering what exactly will come next. We continue to face challenges in the form of our failed foreign policy and the newfound angst much of the world feels towards us. We are failing in stance on energy, both coal and renewable, global climate change, healthcare and biotechnology, and so many other aspects of political and social sciences.
We desperately need change, and we are likely about to get it. We are on the cusp of a cultural and political revolution, and I am left to wonder what will change bring? Can one man, and his team of advisors, cabinet members, and probably democratic secondary political bodies in the form of senate and house, bring about a balanced plan and approach for the short, mid, and long term in this country? In short, is EITHER choice the right choice?
Tuesday, October 28, 2008
Connections
Social networking is fascinating, don't you think? I think it has quite a few aspects worth discussion such as:
These are all worth while concepts that have manifested themselves in various ways through social networking applications and tools like MySpace, Facebook, etc. But what I've found pretty amazing and will focus on for my paragraph or two here is what I'll call the flocking phenomenon.
I think I first had a Bebo account to track friend's birthdays. Bebo was pretty cool, it was really lightweight and unintrusive and served a very singular purpose: to track basic info about friends lives and activities.
Then came MySpace, which was largely it seemed focused on 'generation Y', but got a smattering of the older crowd's interest as well. MySpace was a step forward from Bebo, it added new things like blogs, music, and photos. It sought to create a personal 'space' that you could show off to friends and acquaintances, or even to strangers. I found a lot of my friends on this site and had quite a little e-community going.
MySpace however had a lot of trouble. There were security issues with accounts being hacked.. There were stories in the news of sexual predators roaming MySpace accounts and luring children into compromising situaions. And there was the amazing evolution of MySpace fame, with people rising to celebrity status in a virtual world in an effort to pour this success into reality and launch careers based on a fictional presence.
MySpace is still alive and kicking, with a few revamps to up its game, but in parallel Facebook has come along and in my opinion taken over the 'clean' aspect of social networking. Facebook has provided a much safer and simpler experience to people who wish to connect. There is less encouragement to be outlandish and creative with Facebook, instead they have kept the focus on content and the ability to expand your personal Web of connections to friends both past and current. And what has become a true testament to Facebook is the migration of people from MySpace to its network, as well as the addition of personalities that would never have shown their avatars on MySpace for fear that the connotation that came with a MySpace account would have a negative impact on their careers or in their personal lives.
Facebook has earned a positive connotation and people have truly 'flocked' to it, building its rapport as a place to keep connected with the people important to us, or even those who are on the periphery of our social group but are worth keeping tabs on. I do often wonder what made Facebook stand out to the more 'average' user as opposed to MySpace or a similar application. Is it because Facebook somehow packaged the features people wanted in the easiset use way? Is it due to the pack mentality, where the initial flood to Facebook brought many others since it was easy to find a large number of friends? Could it be that there has been less negative press about Facebook when compared to a site like MySpace? I supposed it's a combination of all of these things and others I haven't mentioned... not unlike why a particular bar in a city becomes more of a hot spot than another, it's not always due to the obvious factors.
It has really made me wonder what might come next? What will a site like Facebook (which is really just a list of contacts that pushes updates to you rather than asking you to seek them out) do to move forward and what are we to expect of social networking in the future? How will Web2.0 evolve and embed itself in our lives over time? What will the next revolution be in the way we interact with each other?
Do you remember your first e-Mail account? I sure do. And I remember thinking it was useless, why did I need an e-Mail account when I could just talk to my friends in person. Today it would be hard for me to go without e-Mail, I use it at home, at work, I use it to talk to customer service, it's everywhere. Won't it be interesting to see if 'status updates' and 'super pokes' are here to stay or whether there is a communication windfall around the corner that will change the way we relate to eachother on a daily basis? I think so.
- Popularity
- Friends vs. Acquaintances
- Extras, such as social interation tools like applications, surveys, and games
- Other
These are all worth while concepts that have manifested themselves in various ways through social networking applications and tools like MySpace, Facebook, etc. But what I've found pretty amazing and will focus on for my paragraph or two here is what I'll call the flocking phenomenon.
I think I first had a Bebo account to track friend's birthdays. Bebo was pretty cool, it was really lightweight and unintrusive and served a very singular purpose: to track basic info about friends lives and activities.
Then came MySpace, which was largely it seemed focused on 'generation Y', but got a smattering of the older crowd's interest as well. MySpace was a step forward from Bebo, it added new things like blogs, music, and photos. It sought to create a personal 'space' that you could show off to friends and acquaintances, or even to strangers. I found a lot of my friends on this site and had quite a little e-community going.
MySpace however had a lot of trouble. There were security issues with accounts being hacked.. There were stories in the news of sexual predators roaming MySpace accounts and luring children into compromising situaions. And there was the amazing evolution of MySpace fame, with people rising to celebrity status in a virtual world in an effort to pour this success into reality and launch careers based on a fictional presence.
MySpace is still alive and kicking, with a few revamps to up its game, but in parallel Facebook has come along and in my opinion taken over the 'clean' aspect of social networking. Facebook has provided a much safer and simpler experience to people who wish to connect. There is less encouragement to be outlandish and creative with Facebook, instead they have kept the focus on content and the ability to expand your personal Web of connections to friends both past and current. And what has become a true testament to Facebook is the migration of people from MySpace to its network, as well as the addition of personalities that would never have shown their avatars on MySpace for fear that the connotation that came with a MySpace account would have a negative impact on their careers or in their personal lives.
Facebook has earned a positive connotation and people have truly 'flocked' to it, building its rapport as a place to keep connected with the people important to us, or even those who are on the periphery of our social group but are worth keeping tabs on. I do often wonder what made Facebook stand out to the more 'average' user as opposed to MySpace or a similar application. Is it because Facebook somehow packaged the features people wanted in the easiset use way? Is it due to the pack mentality, where the initial flood to Facebook brought many others since it was easy to find a large number of friends? Could it be that there has been less negative press about Facebook when compared to a site like MySpace? I supposed it's a combination of all of these things and others I haven't mentioned... not unlike why a particular bar in a city becomes more of a hot spot than another, it's not always due to the obvious factors.
It has really made me wonder what might come next? What will a site like Facebook (which is really just a list of contacts that pushes updates to you rather than asking you to seek them out) do to move forward and what are we to expect of social networking in the future? How will Web2.0 evolve and embed itself in our lives over time? What will the next revolution be in the way we interact with each other?
Do you remember your first e-Mail account? I sure do. And I remember thinking it was useless, why did I need an e-Mail account when I could just talk to my friends in person. Today it would be hard for me to go without e-Mail, I use it at home, at work, I use it to talk to customer service, it's everywhere. Won't it be interesting to see if 'status updates' and 'super pokes' are here to stay or whether there is a communication windfall around the corner that will change the way we relate to eachother on a daily basis? I think so.
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