"The Ruling Class"

We always hear ourselves or people around us talk about the few people who really rule the world. Whether you think it's just a handful of old white men in Washington or the hidden masterminds of the Illuminati; we all seem to have the idea in our minds that only a few people are in charge, that only a few people are actually in a position to change the world, and the rest of us should just simply try to live a nice, quiet, happy life and hope it all turns out for the best.

This is both theoretically the farthest thing from the truth and realistically they way it is. Though I must always say that anything that is "just the way it is" in no way means that's the way it always has to be, all things change; the question then is who changes them?

There are only two types of people in this world who are able to rule and make changes and get things done: those that pay attention and those that get involved. And nine times out of ten those people in charge are both those things. They are not the ones in the "ruling class" because they were born with a silver spoon in their mouth or because they are just iherently better or more well suited to govern other people or be in charge of a multinational conglomorate. They are in the position they are in because they paid attention to the many aspects of the world around them and because they decided to not just bitch and complain with their buddies over a few beers, but to stop playing Monday Morning Quarterback, get off their ass, and go try to make some changes in the world.

Too many people have been ingrained with the idea that they can't make a difference, they aren't good enough to do something "big", or that it's all pointless anyway because apparently some cosmic force has already decided who will run things and who will be run over. But speaking from experience I can say that there is great virtue in getting off your ass and doing something, you can make a huge difference in the world by doing something so simple as talking to your neighbors and going door to door to meet your fellow human beings and inform them about something you are passionate about. 

So if you're tired of things not being how you want them, then do something about it. Be the change you want to see in the world; it worked for Ghandi, and all he had to do was sit down and not eat anything. Pay attention to what's going on in this huge, incredible, and diverse world. Get involved in your local neighborhood's social networkd, local, state, and federal politics, attend the weekly PTA meetings, read reputible newspapers, listen to NPR on the way to work instead of the oldies station, just focus on what you care about and think is important for the world around you and if you see something wrong, try to fix it, it's actually not that hard!

Conformity and Non... A Fork in the Road of Life.

From the day we are born, we are taught to conform. Sometimes we conform for practical reasons; we all learn the same language, use the same numerals for mathematics, etc. Other times we conform for social reasons; school kids wear the same clothes as their friends, listen to the same type of music, etc. As we get older and our conception of the world grows from the bars of our crib to the eternal expanse of the universe, we find there are seemingly infinite possibilities for us in this life, and the prospect of non-conformity grows deeper in our hearts. Each and every one of us wants to be something special; a superhero, the inventor of a wondrous machine, first man on Mars, President of the United States of America, and so on. With the passage of time, we learn that men cannot fly or see through walls (or at least so we’ve come to believe), only a handful out of the billions of beings every born will be President, only one man can ever be the first man on Mars; so then what for the rest of us? Shall we simply be a worker bee or a soldier ant? Where is our place in this world, what is our destiny for life, what greatness shall we inherit? Perhaps, however, these goals do not lie in the world beyond the barrier of electrons separating our flesh from the air. Perhaps instead, there is greatness in each and every one of us, and the problem is simply that too many of us choose to look outward rather than inward. For it is safer to aspire to be something someone else already has been; knowing it is acceptable and loved, than to look inside and become something unique and untested.

Janurary 20th, 2009

This day is more than once in a lifetime, this day is once in History. We on this Earth and in this country will be forever remembered as the generation that saw the first African American President, beyond there being the first woman or gay or latino President sometime in the future, this is the one that broke the chain and opened the door for all others and that is something that can never be repeated. And it will no doubt be remembered as the day America reclaimed its name, reestablished its purpose, and reignited the torch to pass on to future generations.

Just as I wish with a certain kind of jealousy and envy that I could have been there to see the moon landing or MLK or JFK or FDR or the fall of the Berlin wall, so will my children and grandchildren look to me with awe and jealousy asking me, "What was it like?" And I know even now that there are no words I or anyone else could ever utter that would truly express the grandeur, the pride, the patriotism, the joy, and the overwhelming sense of hope and excitement for the future of this country and the future of our world that I felt this day..

The Next President of the United States of America...

An incredible speech that will no doubt go down in history as one of the most important speeches in American history.

The Dream Lives On...

Great Video Explaining What Government Healthcare is and Why It is Superior to the Current System

Keith Olbermann rips Hillary a new one

After Hillary invoked the image of assassination while discussing why she's staying in the race, Keith Olbermann did what he does best and shows why he's the best newsman on television.