I can't believe how excited and antsy I am today. I'm in a very good mood, which isn't all that unusual for me, but I know it's because it's election day. Kinda weird feeling for me.
Part of it, I know, is just that I'm excited to get this whole thing over with - especially considering how inundated with political ads and news I've been over the past couple of weeks. I am sooooo looking forward to being done with all those horribly negative senate ads.
In case you don't know it, the number and ferocity of ads for the senate race far outweigh anything for the presidential race.
For the most part, though, I'm really optimistic about the direction I think the country's turning in. At the same time, I'm terribly, horribly worried that McCain will win. Not so much because I feel he would be a terrible president, but mostly because I feel like he wouldn't be the right president for us right now. And I'm not even going to talk about Palin.
I know I read somewhere lately that this is some sort of chronic condition for democrats - lots of enthusiasm and hope, and this dreadful nagging worry that we're going to lose. (Hmm....I guess that 'we' means I am thinking of myself as a democrat - even though I tend to define myself as a liberal independent. Might have to think about that.) I definitely have that same tendency today - and I can hardly wait for the day to be over, because, really, I just want to know. I haven't even voted myself yet (I'll be stopping on the way back from work), and yet I keep on checking CNN and fivethirtyeight.com and other news sites, hoping they'll say something different than they did 5 minutes ago.
Of course, my big plan for tonight is to watch Jon Stewart and Stephen Colbert's election coverage tonight - I'm sure I'll be checking 'official' news sources, too, but I'm really going to want the levity tonight, not matter how the election is going.
What's also kinda weird about all of this is that I know a lot of people will be paying more attention to Minnesota tonight than they usually do - not because of the presidential election, of course, but for the senate race. No one seems to know who's going to win that one. It feels very weird to see Minnesota popping up in the last minute races-to-watch news reports. Of course, Montana and North Dakota probably have the same sort of bewildered feeling - honestly, who would have ever expected them to be battleground states today? True, they probably won't decide the election, since they've only got 3 electoral votes each, but it is kinda exciting to see different states than usual getting some attention today. (I sound like I pay attention to politics all the time - and I've really only cared this year. Wonder if it'll carry over after this.)
You know, I'm beginning to wish I'd gotten up insanely early and voted as soon as the polls opened - I think I'd be slightly less nervous.
Also, I want a way to make time speed up today - the only thing that's worse than being this keyed-up today is that I have nothing to distract me at work. It already feels like a long day, and I've only been at work for an hour and a half.
Actually, I think I'm going to go clean things - I have to do something with all this nervous energy!
Tuesday, November 4, 2008
Thursday, October 23, 2008
All Things Kitty
As I was leaving the house this morning, I felt really, horribly guilty.
While I was locking the front door, my kitty came over to the window next to it and just looked at me. People talk about puppy-dog eyes, but I swear they've got nothing on kitty-guilt-trips. Especially when he stood up and started pawing at the window a little bit, just begging me to take him with me.
I still feel guilty - he just looked so heartrendingly pathetic and miserable. My poor lonely kitty!
I shouldn't feel so guilty, really. He's fine by himself, and he's not even really being left home alone right now - my dad works from home. Actually, I've been rather pleasantly surprised - Hermes used to be terrified of my dad, but now he's kinda adopted him as the second-best-human. I think it has something to do with my dad being the first person up in the morning - he's the one who feeds the kitty in the mornings, usually.
Dad's also helping me build a new cat-stand (or whatever it might be called) for Hermes. He'll actually have a scratching post that's tall enough now, and a little indoor "tree" to climb. It's pretty cool, but let me tell ya, it's a major pain to try to carpet! I've no idea how they make them look so nice - trying to carpet curves and circles and posts is no easy task! Still, it's a lot cheaper to build one than buy one. I think we've spent less than $20 on materials for this project, and what we're building is similar to one of the $100 ones you see in pet stores (okay, so it doesn't look quite as pretty, but still).
Of course, once we finally finish it, there's going to be the issue of where on earth it goes in my parents' house. Mom, of course, has vetoed putting it in the dining room or living room, and there isn't much space in the family room. His current scratching post is in my bedroom, but I'm not sure the new one will fit.
Have I mentioned that there are some issues with living with your parents when they're both allergic to your pet? We're not hosting Christmas anymore - one of my uncles volunteered his house, instead, since several of my uncles are severely allergic to cats, and there's no way I'd really be able to get the cat dander cleaned up enough. My mom already complains about that enough - there's no way to keep the cat out of everything, but at least he's not scratching up her furniture!
Honestly, though, as much of a pain as it is sometimes, I love my cat. He's a sweetie, and he obviously loves me, too. Even though I just found out last month that I'm allergic to him, too, there's no way I could give him up.
While I was locking the front door, my kitty came over to the window next to it and just looked at me. People talk about puppy-dog eyes, but I swear they've got nothing on kitty-guilt-trips. Especially when he stood up and started pawing at the window a little bit, just begging me to take him with me.
I still feel guilty - he just looked so heartrendingly pathetic and miserable. My poor lonely kitty!
I shouldn't feel so guilty, really. He's fine by himself, and he's not even really being left home alone right now - my dad works from home. Actually, I've been rather pleasantly surprised - Hermes used to be terrified of my dad, but now he's kinda adopted him as the second-best-human. I think it has something to do with my dad being the first person up in the morning - he's the one who feeds the kitty in the mornings, usually.
Dad's also helping me build a new cat-stand (or whatever it might be called) for Hermes. He'll actually have a scratching post that's tall enough now, and a little indoor "tree" to climb. It's pretty cool, but let me tell ya, it's a major pain to try to carpet! I've no idea how they make them look so nice - trying to carpet curves and circles and posts is no easy task! Still, it's a lot cheaper to build one than buy one. I think we've spent less than $20 on materials for this project, and what we're building is similar to one of the $100 ones you see in pet stores (okay, so it doesn't look quite as pretty, but still).
Of course, once we finally finish it, there's going to be the issue of where on earth it goes in my parents' house. Mom, of course, has vetoed putting it in the dining room or living room, and there isn't much space in the family room. His current scratching post is in my bedroom, but I'm not sure the new one will fit.
Have I mentioned that there are some issues with living with your parents when they're both allergic to your pet? We're not hosting Christmas anymore - one of my uncles volunteered his house, instead, since several of my uncles are severely allergic to cats, and there's no way I'd really be able to get the cat dander cleaned up enough. My mom already complains about that enough - there's no way to keep the cat out of everything, but at least he's not scratching up her furniture!
Honestly, though, as much of a pain as it is sometimes, I love my cat. He's a sweetie, and he obviously loves me, too. Even though I just found out last month that I'm allergic to him, too, there's no way I could give him up.
Tuesday, October 21, 2008
This is why I'm a librarian.
Acclaimed Colombian Institution Has 4,800 Books and 10 Legs
This is quite possibly the coolest story I've ever read. For me, it's a vivid reminder of why I wanted to become a librarian, and how important reading, and books, can be.
True, what this man is doing, bringing a small selection of books to a small number of people in the middle of Colombia seems utterly insignificant in the large scheme of things. It's highly unlikely that any of the children who read books brought to them by Biblioburro will end up making a name for themselves on the national scale down there, much less the international scale. What really matters, though, is that this man is making a difference in their lives. Maybe none of them will go down in history, but their minds are being expanded and lives made better by having access to books - and through them, places and ideas - that they might never have encountered otherwise.
All because one man wanted to improve the area he lives in, and decided to get up and do something about it.
I don't really think I'm ever likely to find myself in a similar situation, trying to take books out to people on horseback or something. (Although, with the amount of SciFi I've read, I can picture it happening.) However, what he's doing is really no different, in some ways, from what I might be able to do in a small town, or even a large city, library - bring knowledge to people who might not otherwise have access to it. And really, that's what being a librarian is all about. It's not just helping people find a book to read on vacation, or helping a student out with their report, or teaching someone how to use a computer or find things online.
What it really all comes down to is making a difference in someone's life.
And through those lives changed, affecting the communities we live in.
Yes, I'm not going to be someone whose name is known to historians, much less regular people, in a few hundred years. I might not even be someone whose name is remembered in my own family for more than a generation or so. That's not really something I've particularly cared about. What I have always cared about is people; understanding them, listening to them, and helping them when I can. I hope that I can make a difference to people, and I believe I can do that.
Even if I end up in a position like that man in Colombia, loading books onto the back of donkeys once a week, and carrying them out into the wilderness.
This is quite possibly the coolest story I've ever read. For me, it's a vivid reminder of why I wanted to become a librarian, and how important reading, and books, can be.
True, what this man is doing, bringing a small selection of books to a small number of people in the middle of Colombia seems utterly insignificant in the large scheme of things. It's highly unlikely that any of the children who read books brought to them by Biblioburro will end up making a name for themselves on the national scale down there, much less the international scale. What really matters, though, is that this man is making a difference in their lives. Maybe none of them will go down in history, but their minds are being expanded and lives made better by having access to books - and through them, places and ideas - that they might never have encountered otherwise.
All because one man wanted to improve the area he lives in, and decided to get up and do something about it.
I don't really think I'm ever likely to find myself in a similar situation, trying to take books out to people on horseback or something. (Although, with the amount of SciFi I've read, I can picture it happening.) However, what he's doing is really no different, in some ways, from what I might be able to do in a small town, or even a large city, library - bring knowledge to people who might not otherwise have access to it. And really, that's what being a librarian is all about. It's not just helping people find a book to read on vacation, or helping a student out with their report, or teaching someone how to use a computer or find things online.
What it really all comes down to is making a difference in someone's life.
And through those lives changed, affecting the communities we live in.
Yes, I'm not going to be someone whose name is known to historians, much less regular people, in a few hundred years. I might not even be someone whose name is remembered in my own family for more than a generation or so. That's not really something I've particularly cared about. What I have always cared about is people; understanding them, listening to them, and helping them when I can. I hope that I can make a difference to people, and I believe I can do that.
Even if I end up in a position like that man in Colombia, loading books onto the back of donkeys once a week, and carrying them out into the wilderness.
Thursday, October 16, 2008
Is it only me?
Okay, this is completely random, but you know the song "Every Breath You Take", right?
Am I seriously the only person who finds it creepy as hell?!
I hate that song - I mean, the tune is fine and everything, but the singer sounds like a stalker! I don't want some guy watching every move I make and every breath I take - that's creepy as hell!
Other people apparently don't feel the same way, though, since you hear that song pretty regularly, still, even though it came out over 20 years ago. I'll admit, the first time I actually paid attention to the lyrics was actually in French class - the teacher handed us the lyrics to the French version and had us translate - everyone gasped at about the same moment, but I was the only one who seemed horrified - everyone else was just excited they'd figured it out. I was busy thinking "creepy French stalker dude!"
Seriously, ugh.
Am I seriously the only person who finds it creepy as hell?!
I hate that song - I mean, the tune is fine and everything, but the singer sounds like a stalker! I don't want some guy watching every move I make and every breath I take - that's creepy as hell!
Other people apparently don't feel the same way, though, since you hear that song pretty regularly, still, even though it came out over 20 years ago. I'll admit, the first time I actually paid attention to the lyrics was actually in French class - the teacher handed us the lyrics to the French version and had us translate - everyone gasped at about the same moment, but I was the only one who seemed horrified - everyone else was just excited they'd figured it out. I was busy thinking "creepy French stalker dude!"
Seriously, ugh.
Wednesday, October 15, 2008
I have learned...
So, everyone's talking about the economy, and I've been reading lots of articles on it while at work (it's been slow, and you can only pay so much attention to things like pulling paper clips and staples). Today, as I was looking through things, I got to thinking - forget about the rest of the country for a moment - what have I learned from this?
The most important thing, I think, is this - budget, and don't live outside your means.
I'm just starting out on my life, really, and yes, I already have a lot of debt from student loans. I wish I didn't have so much, but I knew that I was going to, and I've accepted that, and I plan to pay it all back - it'll take a while, but that's always been my intention. And unlike a lot of my peers, I don't have any credit card debt.
Aside from that, though, I've started making a lot of decisions about how I'm going to live my life over the next few years, at least.
I can only hope that most of the other people in this country have started learning the same lessons, and that enough of us have learned before it's too late. But I can't really control what others think and learn and do. So instead, I'm trying to hold myself firm to these ideas, and hoping that others do the same.
Once again, this post has gotten pretty long. (I swear I'm almost incapable of being succinct). But I wanted to share one other thing - on the positive side, check out this article about a Downs Syndrome Teen becoming Homecoming Queen - very sweet and uplifting little story.
The most important thing, I think, is this - budget, and don't live outside your means.
I'm just starting out on my life, really, and yes, I already have a lot of debt from student loans. I wish I didn't have so much, but I knew that I was going to, and I've accepted that, and I plan to pay it all back - it'll take a while, but that's always been my intention. And unlike a lot of my peers, I don't have any credit card debt.
Aside from that, though, I've started making a lot of decisions about how I'm going to live my life over the next few years, at least.
- Saving. My big plan for the next little while involves saving as much money as I can manage each week. I'm not really sure where to invest money, but I think I'll worry about that more once I have enough money saved up to actually bother investing in something. And honestly, while I know that investing is better than just letting money sit in a shoebox or something, I'm, understandably, a little leery about anything more risky. I've never been a big risk-taker in the first place. Whenever I get around to investing, I want to know what I'm doing, or be able to pay someone who does to take care of it for me.
- Budget. I know this'll be hard for me for a while, but I'm not going to let myself go shopping as much, and when I do, I'm only allowed to buy what I need. And honestly, I know I don't need as much food as I eat, either. It's time for me to look into cheaper and greener ways of living.
- I'm not buying anything on credit. This is kinda reliant on managing the saving thing, first, but I'm going to try my best to make sure I have enough cash saved up to pay for things, rather than either taking out loans or going for installment plans. Sure, I'll probably have to revise this in the future if I decide to buy a house, but that is an even that is pretty far off in my future right now. And I'm hoping my car lasts a long time, because I'd rather be able to pay for the whole thing right away than have to go through financing when I get a new one.
- I'm not counting on anyone besides myself to fund my retirement. There's been a lot of talk about 401(k)'s and everything lately, too. I'll admit, I don't understand half of what they're talking about - I never took econ. classes, and it's really not my thing. But I think it's been made pretty clear that social security will be non-existent by the time I might hit retirement age, and unless I work in a government library, I'm not sure I'd trust to a pension plan, either - at least not entirely. I may not know a lot about investing, but I'm rather expecting I'll have to learn.
I can only hope that most of the other people in this country have started learning the same lessons, and that enough of us have learned before it's too late. But I can't really control what others think and learn and do. So instead, I'm trying to hold myself firm to these ideas, and hoping that others do the same.
Once again, this post has gotten pretty long. (I swear I'm almost incapable of being succinct). But I wanted to share one other thing - on the positive side, check out this article about a Downs Syndrome Teen becoming Homecoming Queen - very sweet and uplifting little story.
Wednesday, October 8, 2008
Call it a social experiment
I was just reading this interesting article in the NY Times - the author brings up an interesting point on taxes. (Some of the comments are even more interesting, if you check them out). It's important that people pay taxes - to quote one of the comments "taxation is just the means to pay for public goods that we all want: security, clean air, transportation infrastructure, courts of law etc." (Don't forget libraries, too!!^_~ )
Someone else commented that the problem is people hate paying taxes that they don't think the government is spending well. Which brings me to my question:
Why can't citizens tell the government where they want their money to go at tax time?
What I really mean here is this: Add a short section on the Fed tax form. All would do is put a check next to the general area you want your taxes to go - education, defense, research, etc. Not choosing a specific pet cause, just saying - I think this is important, I want to fund this. Similar to the option to donate some of your income to charities - they already have that on there, why not let us choose the broad area in which the government spends our hard-earned cash? Let people choose 1 or 2 areas, put most of that person's tax dollars into those areas, with, say, 10 to 15% going into a general fund to supplement things where needed.
Yes, people would still be upset because they wouldn't feel their pet cause was getting enough support, or they'd decide that congress wasn't spending the money in that area well. But what you would get is a better idea of what Americans truly feel is important. Even more so than in a poll - those only sample parts of the population, and they can be skewed, no matter how well the poll is conducted. Add a tiny point to the tax form, and you'd get an answer from most of the nation - everyone who files their taxes that year.
Sure, there are concerns in doing this - some areas might not get enough funding at all - it's really hard to tell without actually asking every person in the US how they want their tax dollars spent. That's why the experiment - try it out next year, and tally up how Americans want their taxes spent - if it's way too skewed, don't use it, or only use it as an indication of where politicians ought to consider spending more money. I have a feeling, considering how varied people are, that most everything would get a semi-decent amount of funding. If not, those areas that receive only a small amount will know better how the country views them, and can start learning why and trying to improve.
I'll admit I have my own concerns about how well this would actually work - I know that funding for libraries, for example, might very well drop off, and it would probably lead to a campaign-like atmosphere in the months leading up to tax time, with different spending areas trying to convince Americans to give them money. But I feel like it's something that ought to be done. Yes, people will still be dissatisfied with how their money is spent - they always will be. But I think we could all learn a lot from this, and I feel that a lot of Americans would be happy to know that their money, at least, went into something they value.
After all, in a democracy, the government is supposed to look out for the people's interests - shouldn't they know, for sure and certain, what those interests are?
Someone else commented that the problem is people hate paying taxes that they don't think the government is spending well. Which brings me to my question:
Why can't citizens tell the government where they want their money to go at tax time?
What I really mean here is this: Add a short section on the Fed tax form. All would do is put a check next to the general area you want your taxes to go - education, defense, research, etc. Not choosing a specific pet cause, just saying - I think this is important, I want to fund this. Similar to the option to donate some of your income to charities - they already have that on there, why not let us choose the broad area in which the government spends our hard-earned cash? Let people choose 1 or 2 areas, put most of that person's tax dollars into those areas, with, say, 10 to 15% going into a general fund to supplement things where needed.
Yes, people would still be upset because they wouldn't feel their pet cause was getting enough support, or they'd decide that congress wasn't spending the money in that area well. But what you would get is a better idea of what Americans truly feel is important. Even more so than in a poll - those only sample parts of the population, and they can be skewed, no matter how well the poll is conducted. Add a tiny point to the tax form, and you'd get an answer from most of the nation - everyone who files their taxes that year.
Sure, there are concerns in doing this - some areas might not get enough funding at all - it's really hard to tell without actually asking every person in the US how they want their tax dollars spent. That's why the experiment - try it out next year, and tally up how Americans want their taxes spent - if it's way too skewed, don't use it, or only use it as an indication of where politicians ought to consider spending more money. I have a feeling, considering how varied people are, that most everything would get a semi-decent amount of funding. If not, those areas that receive only a small amount will know better how the country views them, and can start learning why and trying to improve.
I'll admit I have my own concerns about how well this would actually work - I know that funding for libraries, for example, might very well drop off, and it would probably lead to a campaign-like atmosphere in the months leading up to tax time, with different spending areas trying to convince Americans to give them money. But I feel like it's something that ought to be done. Yes, people will still be dissatisfied with how their money is spent - they always will be. But I think we could all learn a lot from this, and I feel that a lot of Americans would be happy to know that their money, at least, went into something they value.
After all, in a democracy, the government is supposed to look out for the people's interests - shouldn't they know, for sure and certain, what those interests are?
Whose fault is it?
Lately, you hear a lot of people asking who's to blame for the economic crisis.
Guess what - we all are.
Granted, some people are more culpable than others, but we all had a part to play in this, and we'll all have to work to get out of it. And I think that's going to take a while.
I don't know much about economics (and I really, really mean that - I'd be hard-pressed to write more than a couple of pages about economics). But I know it isn't smart to live outside your means, to borrow money to pay for everything. And I'll admit that I do that as well - but if you're going to do silly things like that, you have to be willing to accept the consequences.
Really, that's about all I want to say about this. We each need to own up to our part of the problem, accept some of the blame, stop pointing fingers, and get to work trying to make this better. I don't know enough about this whole mess to know how to solve it, but I plan to do my part - get used to living frugally for a while, save what I can, and pay off what I owe. If and when I can, I'll try to donate, since I know there are a lot of people worse off - and the only way out of this is all of us together. That means people in better positions need to give something back to those worse off. Yeah, you might think that's unfair, you want to keep what you own, you feel you earned it - but think about this: a lot of the most revered people in history are honored for giving to others, not hoarding things to themselves. Sure, there are plenty of famous selfish people - but do you really want to be remembered as one of them?
Guess what - we all are.
Granted, some people are more culpable than others, but we all had a part to play in this, and we'll all have to work to get out of it. And I think that's going to take a while.
I don't know much about economics (and I really, really mean that - I'd be hard-pressed to write more than a couple of pages about economics). But I know it isn't smart to live outside your means, to borrow money to pay for everything. And I'll admit that I do that as well - but if you're going to do silly things like that, you have to be willing to accept the consequences.
Really, that's about all I want to say about this. We each need to own up to our part of the problem, accept some of the blame, stop pointing fingers, and get to work trying to make this better. I don't know enough about this whole mess to know how to solve it, but I plan to do my part - get used to living frugally for a while, save what I can, and pay off what I owe. If and when I can, I'll try to donate, since I know there are a lot of people worse off - and the only way out of this is all of us together. That means people in better positions need to give something back to those worse off. Yeah, you might think that's unfair, you want to keep what you own, you feel you earned it - but think about this: a lot of the most revered people in history are honored for giving to others, not hoarding things to themselves. Sure, there are plenty of famous selfish people - but do you really want to be remembered as one of them?
Friday, October 3, 2008
Politics?!
I've never been much interested in politics, and even less in discussing them. In general, I feel like I should keep my mouth shut, since I rarely pay enough attention to know what I'm talking about. Especially with politics, I know that's dangerous - far too easy for people to want to argue, and I'd need to be able to back myself up. (Also, I really hate arguing with people - although sometimes what I call a debate people think is an argument.)
That's changed a bit lately - mostly because the temp job I'm working right now is pretty slow, so I've been spending a lot of time at this fun new site I found called Newser. Well, it might not be that new, but it is pretty darn cool. They go through all the major media sources, and then summarize the major stories in 2 paragraph blurbs, updating constantly throughout the day. It makes it really easy to keep on top of what's going on in the world - and the front-page layout is pretty darn cool. I've spent most of my time over the past couple of weeks with Newser up in the background, checking it periodically for updates - which means I officially know more now about current events (particularly the election race) than I have ever known before.
Which basically means, right now, that I'm left wondering why in the world so many people in our country still think McCain is a good candidate. I admit, I usually wonder why people think that the Republican candidate is a viable option, but this year I actually like the Democratic candidate, rather than just despising the Republican one.
Still, here is the main reason I think Obama is the better choice:
He has a better grip on the world as it is today - I firmly believe that the US needs to wake up and smell the coffee - we're not the only country in the world, and we have to accept the fact that we need to learn how to work together with the rest of them. Back to Kindergarten - learn how to share, and that the world - amazingly enough - doesn't revolve around us! I don't think McCain has any idea of how to function in a country that isn't the main power in the world.
A lot of articles lately have been talking about the US response to 9/11, and I know that the general feeling was that we needed to get back at the people who'd attacked us, and defend our country. I understand that, and I totally agree that we needed to retaliate against those who attacked us, to show that we weren't going to put up with that. Still, I really think a lot of people (particularly Up Top) missed the boat - along with that, we needed to fix the underlying cause - the reason why they felt they needed to attack us. It wasn't that they're just evil people - they thought they had a real reason and need to do so; however misguided we might think that to be, I've always believed that you need to understand the motive to be able to really solve the problem. And I'm pretty darn sure that the motive behind that was largely caused by a truly terrible world opinion of our country - with a fair amount of justification.
The opinion the world has of us has only gotten worse over the past 8 years, and I certainly understand - there have been many times when I've felt ashamed of my country and our actions - and do you know how embarrassing it is to travel abroad while the rest of the world knows that your country is being run by a complete idiot? This is not the sort of climate into which we can elect someone like McCain - we need someone who is willing to work with others, seek compromises, and do his level best to improve our country - both internally and our relationships with the rest of the world.
Why is this so necessary? We're facing a number of world crises - the economic crises we're facing is being faced by most of the major countries in the world as well. People have been talking about the environment and population crises for decades, and it's not like they've gone away, either. Everyone is talking about energy - guess what, we've had it really good in the US up until recently, and we're still in better shape than a lot of other countries. People talk about drilling for more oil - guess what, folks, there is a limited supply. I don't care if estimates say there's enough oil off-shore to run all the cars in the US for 50 or 60 years - it's still only a temporary solution. Sure, a lot of the people voting this year will be dead by then, so maybe they just don't care - but I'm pretty sure I'll still be around, and I do. (Also, it's a really ruddy stupid idea to just focus on what's good for your generation - I'm pretty sure that's a lot of what's gotten us into this mess in the first place)
We need to find alternative sources of energy, and we need to promote the development of those we've already found. I know this is a major task - it's going to involve a change of our entire infrastructure, and probably a major societal change in how we think about the world. I don't expect this to happen in the next 4 years, or even the next 20, but I believe it is something that needs to happen, and we need to start working on it as soon as we can.
Aside from all that, though, I think one of the major things that needs to change is how people think. The idea that every man is out for himself, and you need to do everything you can for yourself and your family needs to change. By all means, support your family to the best of your ability, try to make life better for them - but don't forget about the rest of the world. People need to get used to the idea of thinking of themselves, their family, every group they belong to, as being only a part of the whole - and we need to get all those parts working together. I'm not sure that's something that we're really capable of at this point - I know that you can't define one group without being able to define something it isn't - but I think it's something we need to work towards, and not just say 'oh, wouldn't it be nice if we all got along'.
Maybe I'm an idealist, or overly optimistic, but I believe that we can do this, if we all make up our minds to do so. And as far as the election goes - I know McCain has more experience, but he looks like a total idiot up there against Obama, and I think all of McCain's experience is in a world that doesn't really exist anymore - he's not in tune with how it's changing, and that makes him a dangerous man to put in charge.
Incidentally, another cool site is 270toWin - shows you who would probably win the election if it were held today, and lets you play around with the electoral votes. Check it out!
That's changed a bit lately - mostly because the temp job I'm working right now is pretty slow, so I've been spending a lot of time at this fun new site I found called Newser. Well, it might not be that new, but it is pretty darn cool. They go through all the major media sources, and then summarize the major stories in 2 paragraph blurbs, updating constantly throughout the day. It makes it really easy to keep on top of what's going on in the world - and the front-page layout is pretty darn cool. I've spent most of my time over the past couple of weeks with Newser up in the background, checking it periodically for updates - which means I officially know more now about current events (particularly the election race) than I have ever known before.
Which basically means, right now, that I'm left wondering why in the world so many people in our country still think McCain is a good candidate. I admit, I usually wonder why people think that the Republican candidate is a viable option, but this year I actually like the Democratic candidate, rather than just despising the Republican one.
Still, here is the main reason I think Obama is the better choice:
He has a better grip on the world as it is today - I firmly believe that the US needs to wake up and smell the coffee - we're not the only country in the world, and we have to accept the fact that we need to learn how to work together with the rest of them. Back to Kindergarten - learn how to share, and that the world - amazingly enough - doesn't revolve around us! I don't think McCain has any idea of how to function in a country that isn't the main power in the world.
A lot of articles lately have been talking about the US response to 9/11, and I know that the general feeling was that we needed to get back at the people who'd attacked us, and defend our country. I understand that, and I totally agree that we needed to retaliate against those who attacked us, to show that we weren't going to put up with that. Still, I really think a lot of people (particularly Up Top) missed the boat - along with that, we needed to fix the underlying cause - the reason why they felt they needed to attack us. It wasn't that they're just evil people - they thought they had a real reason and need to do so; however misguided we might think that to be, I've always believed that you need to understand the motive to be able to really solve the problem. And I'm pretty darn sure that the motive behind that was largely caused by a truly terrible world opinion of our country - with a fair amount of justification.
The opinion the world has of us has only gotten worse over the past 8 years, and I certainly understand - there have been many times when I've felt ashamed of my country and our actions - and do you know how embarrassing it is to travel abroad while the rest of the world knows that your country is being run by a complete idiot? This is not the sort of climate into which we can elect someone like McCain - we need someone who is willing to work with others, seek compromises, and do his level best to improve our country - both internally and our relationships with the rest of the world.
Why is this so necessary? We're facing a number of world crises - the economic crises we're facing is being faced by most of the major countries in the world as well. People have been talking about the environment and population crises for decades, and it's not like they've gone away, either. Everyone is talking about energy - guess what, we've had it really good in the US up until recently, and we're still in better shape than a lot of other countries. People talk about drilling for more oil - guess what, folks, there is a limited supply. I don't care if estimates say there's enough oil off-shore to run all the cars in the US for 50 or 60 years - it's still only a temporary solution. Sure, a lot of the people voting this year will be dead by then, so maybe they just don't care - but I'm pretty sure I'll still be around, and I do. (Also, it's a really ruddy stupid idea to just focus on what's good for your generation - I'm pretty sure that's a lot of what's gotten us into this mess in the first place)
We need to find alternative sources of energy, and we need to promote the development of those we've already found. I know this is a major task - it's going to involve a change of our entire infrastructure, and probably a major societal change in how we think about the world. I don't expect this to happen in the next 4 years, or even the next 20, but I believe it is something that needs to happen, and we need to start working on it as soon as we can.
Aside from all that, though, I think one of the major things that needs to change is how people think. The idea that every man is out for himself, and you need to do everything you can for yourself and your family needs to change. By all means, support your family to the best of your ability, try to make life better for them - but don't forget about the rest of the world. People need to get used to the idea of thinking of themselves, their family, every group they belong to, as being only a part of the whole - and we need to get all those parts working together. I'm not sure that's something that we're really capable of at this point - I know that you can't define one group without being able to define something it isn't - but I think it's something we need to work towards, and not just say 'oh, wouldn't it be nice if we all got along'.
Maybe I'm an idealist, or overly optimistic, but I believe that we can do this, if we all make up our minds to do so. And as far as the election goes - I know McCain has more experience, but he looks like a total idiot up there against Obama, and I think all of McCain's experience is in a world that doesn't really exist anymore - he's not in tune with how it's changing, and that makes him a dangerous man to put in charge.
Incidentally, another cool site is 270toWin - shows you who would probably win the election if it were held today, and lets you play around with the electoral votes. Check it out!
Thursday, July 31, 2008
On Saying Goodbye
Saying goodbye is one of those things that goes along with moving, but it seems to be a bit different every time. All week I've been saying goodbye to coworkers and patrons and friends. So far most of these have been very cheerful, people wishing me luck and so on, and saying goodbye to some of the little kids who come in has been downright adorable - particularly the little girl who decided that Minnesota is under the floor of the library and I'll just pop up out of a trap door to give her stickers next week. As I reach the end of the week, though, things are changing.
One of my coworkers is a real dear, but she positively loathes change. She's been annoyed with me for the past month, ever since she found out I was leaving. It doesn't help that I'm one of four student workers here, and all of us are leaving. Actually, I'm the last to go, so in some ways I think that makes it worse for her. Almost makes me feel guilty about leaving.
The worst will be at closing tomorrow, though. I've only had to say goodbye to a few coworkers through the week, but tomorrow I'll be saying goodbye to everybody, and I most likely won't see them again. I've said goodbyes like that before, but it's somehow a bit different this time around - this has been my first real job in a lot of ways, and I love this library - and the people in it. Saying goodbye to all of them is going to be difficult.
Still, I suppose I should be grateful that this wonderful thing called the Internet makes it so easy to keep in touch!
One of my coworkers is a real dear, but she positively loathes change. She's been annoyed with me for the past month, ever since she found out I was leaving. It doesn't help that I'm one of four student workers here, and all of us are leaving. Actually, I'm the last to go, so in some ways I think that makes it worse for her. Almost makes me feel guilty about leaving.
The worst will be at closing tomorrow, though. I've only had to say goodbye to a few coworkers through the week, but tomorrow I'll be saying goodbye to everybody, and I most likely won't see them again. I've said goodbyes like that before, but it's somehow a bit different this time around - this has been my first real job in a lot of ways, and I love this library - and the people in it. Saying goodbye to all of them is going to be difficult.
Still, I suppose I should be grateful that this wonderful thing called the Internet makes it so easy to keep in touch!
Morning People!
I seriously doubt that there is anything more annoying than a morning person. Well, at least to all of us non-morning people. I'll admit that it must not be fun to have to put up with me in the morning at work - I'm grumpy and surly before opening (there aren't any patrons around to see!), and pretty subdued even after we open, but half of that grumpiness is entirely due to the bright cheerful people around me!
I mean, really, how can anyone actually enjoy mornings?!
The only way I like mornings is nice and slow - don't have to set an alarm, don't have to get out of bed....mmmm, nice, lazy mornings.
Unfortunately, the world seems to be against me on this one. Why else would regular working hours start at 9am?
Tuesday, July 29, 2008
Gotta Start Somewhere
I've recently decided that there's nothing quite the stress of moving. When I've moved in the past, I always had someone around to help me pack, and I've never had to bother with canceling utilities and that sort of thing. Moving out of my first apartment is a whole different endeavor.
Just trying to keep track of all the people I need to notify and the phone calls I have to make is overwhelming - and then there's the business of packing!! I've packed all my stuff up before (I have to move out here in the first place, after all!), but it seems so much more overwhelming this time around. It's amazing how much stuff I can accumulate in two years - especially since I've spent most of that time shopping with friends!! I'm absolutely dreading my parents' remarks when they see the amount of clothes and shoes I've acquired.
Yes, that's the other fun part of this move - I'm moving back in with Mom and Dad. Now don't get me wrong, I love my parents, but moving in with them again at this point isn't terribly high up on the list of things I wanted to be doing. Especially since Mom and Dad are in the midst of remodeling, and I'm bringing my cat back with me, when they're both allergic. Fun times. At least we all know it's only for a few months!
That, of course, leads to the other stressful thing in my life - finding a job. I've never really done this sort of job hunting before - actually looking for a real honest-to-goodness full-time permanent position. It's headache inducing - partly just from staring at my resume for hours on end trying to come up with the right phrasing for everything. And I've never even written a cover letter before. Still, I'm not overly concerned about it - I'm sure I'll find something - I just hope I find it before living with my parents drives the lot of us crazy!!
Just trying to keep track of all the people I need to notify and the phone calls I have to make is overwhelming - and then there's the business of packing!! I've packed all my stuff up before (I have to move out here in the first place, after all!), but it seems so much more overwhelming this time around. It's amazing how much stuff I can accumulate in two years - especially since I've spent most of that time shopping with friends!! I'm absolutely dreading my parents' remarks when they see the amount of clothes and shoes I've acquired.
Yes, that's the other fun part of this move - I'm moving back in with Mom and Dad. Now don't get me wrong, I love my parents, but moving in with them again at this point isn't terribly high up on the list of things I wanted to be doing. Especially since Mom and Dad are in the midst of remodeling, and I'm bringing my cat back with me, when they're both allergic. Fun times. At least we all know it's only for a few months!
That, of course, leads to the other stressful thing in my life - finding a job. I've never really done this sort of job hunting before - actually looking for a real honest-to-goodness full-time permanent position. It's headache inducing - partly just from staring at my resume for hours on end trying to come up with the right phrasing for everything. And I've never even written a cover letter before. Still, I'm not overly concerned about it - I'm sure I'll find something - I just hope I find it before living with my parents drives the lot of us crazy!!
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