The Ultimate Transparency

At first glance, it would seem that Dennis Kucinich (D-OH)...

...and Apple co-founder Steve Wozniak

have very little in common.

But nice-guy personalities aside, they do share a single common bond: the man behind Apple and the congressman who eats the fruit both use Twitter to pander for votes... for dancing. The Woz for his bid on ABC's Dancing With the Stars, and Kucinich for his wife Elizabeth's bid on Cleveland's Dancing With the Stars.

We're used to hearing about celebrities moonlighting as (sometimes prolific) Twitterers; Mariah, Demi, Ashton, Diddy... I'm talking to you. But lest we not forget with whom it all started:

The Big O.

Yes, it was our very own President Barack Obama, who twittered (and Facebooked, MySpaced, and blogged) his way to the White House in 2008. With more than half-a-million followers under his belt, he is the most followed person on Twitter. Supporters and critics alike flocked to his tweets throughout the election - not only for news and information, but for unprecedented access to the man himself.

Consider this - back in the olden days of 2000 and 2004, the 160-character 'tweet' was but a sci-fi figment of our imaginations. If you wanted to kvetch to your congressman about how badly they were representing you in Washington, you had to write them through official channels. Maybe your letter might make it past Assistants 1-3, the Lead Adviser to the Congressman, and the Official Anthrax Tester, but even then there are no guarantees. Fearing all the red tape, how many Americans failed to even try to contact their leaders to voice their wants, needs and concerns? Enter the Senator from Illinois, backed by a very Web 2.0-savvy team, who fully took advantage of all the (free!) tools of social networks like MySpace, Facebook, and Twitter. Suddenly, the entire country was given free, instant, and constant access with the man running for the highest office in the land(!) And it wasn't just an illusion - Barack Obama actually read what people had to say, and aptly used FAQs, stories and ideas to help explain his own agenda. Time and time again, in the confines of only 160 characters, he was able to understand his constituents' questions and concerns, and distill his answers down for the LCD. And as a direct consequence of receiving constant information and access, people listened. They learned. They followed.

Now here we are, just three months since Obama took office, and having figured out the equation, other lawmakers are starting to jump on the bandwaggon.

Enter, TWEETCONGRESS!

Now everyone - including you! - can follow your Congressperson, Senator and Governor's every move! Not only moving towards a more transparent government, but a more transparent governing body - like in the literal, individual sense.

This is HUGE. With just a click and a scan, I can find out that Nancy Pelosi is "investing in women and children" at the same time that John McCain is congratulating Curt Schilling on his illustrious baseball career! Wow, thanks TweetCongress!

Coming soon to a Twitter near you: TweetSchoolteachers. TweetCalTrans. TweetVPutin! Everything will be transparent. It'll be like 1984, except we all get to be Big Brother, creating a positive checks-and-balances utopia...

Perhaps I'm reaching. But in this New Dawn of Possibilities, I can't help but feel like the sky's the limit.

Thanks, Big O.

You ain't my bitch, N****, buy your own damn fries!

Ohhh President Obama.
I always knew I loved you.

Seriously, I've had a crush on Mr. Obama for years. And not just for his style, undeniable coolness, wry intelligence and brilliant oratory... But for his politics, his passion, his dedication, and his unwavering resolve. Seriously, I'm with the 2,634 Americans who name Obama their personal hero -- above God, Reagan, Ghandi, Martin Luther King Jr., and (apparently) even Jesus. The way he's grabbed this country since taking office and tried to steer it from sliding further into the 7th circle of hell is awe inspiring. Unlike someone who ended an almost-15-year radio show yesterday with the self-important song Joe Jackson song "I'm the man" (refer to the 1st stream, and find the 25.30 timecode), Barack Obama really *is* the MAN.

Obama is *the* MAN. Period. So long as he continues to do his job well, he can basically do no wrong. He could probably even curse a blue streak and win a Grammy for it.

Oh wait, he DID. In 2005, for his audio-book reading of Dreams From My Father.

It is worth noting, however, that the then-Senator was imitating his (dare we say, colorful?) friend Ray, and was only swearing in the context of that imitation.

But it's still *definitely* worth listening to.

And now, thanks to some digging by the illustrious Erin of News Me Baby, we can hear our cooler-than-thou Prez actually use words that would make Mamaw from North Carolina blush.

Enjoy.

My Birthday Wish

In less than two weeks, I will be 25 years old. A quarter of my life hereby passed, provided all goes well and I make it to 100. Some of you have asked me what I want for my birthday this year. I'm touched by your love and generosity; that you would even think of me in times of such upheaval and economic turmoil is touching. But none of us are rich, so save your money.

That being said, there is one thing I would like for my birthday.

I want this man to be President.

In addition to being my date of birth, November 4th is Election Day. Though I know I'm largely preaching to the California choir, I want to take a minute to ask you all to bestow upon me the best birthday present you could possibly give -- your vote for Barack Obama.

Change. It's a word that both nominees have fought over to claim as their own. But John McCain is not change. He is at the center of the very same corrupt Washington world he portends to want to amend. Maybe back in 2000 he was a maverick -- not to me, but to some of you, perhaps. But now he is one of Them -- a puppet of the Republican attack machine which turns everything it touches to pure and unadulterated shit.

Don't get me wrong -- I don't want you to vote for Obama just because he's a Democrat. Hell, I don't even want you to vote for him because I want you to. If you care about your future... Your children's future... The environment, the economy, women's rights, health care, the working classes, and our place in this world (yes, we are a member of a global community -- or at least we used to be), then you should vote for Barack Obama. Even if you're "rich," and make over $250,000 a year or own a business and take issue with the idea of taxes. Remember that individually we are but small parts of a bigger picture -- I am just as responsible for contributing to this country (by way of taxes, volunteering, voting) as you are. If we only think of ourselves as being in a microcosm then we are doomed to failure.

Most of you have met my mom over the years. And even if you haven't, I've made no secret of the fact that she is far and away my best friend. As much as I love my friends, there are plenty of times when I choose to hang out with her instead of keeping a social schedule. What you may not know is that my mom is one of the millions of Americans without health insurance. The divorce hit her hard and cost her everything. Though she owns her one bedroom condo, the bottoming out of the housing market has essentially trapped her. She has no job (and at her age, very few prospects) and no means of income other than my dad's measly $1K/month alimony.

Health-wise, she has her good days and bad days -- but the last few years have been tough on her. She rarely sleeps more than four hours a night and eats even less. I'm guessing she weighs no more than 90lbs. For all we know, she could have cancer and be dying... But without health insurance she can't just go and visit a doctor -- much less receive any treatment. She hasn't had a routine mammogram or doctor's exam for at least three years. She complains that her teeth hurt all the time, and she is very often in pain in her hip. Yet in this incredibly rich country she cannot see a doctor. So instead we hope for the best, and I do everything I can to help her out and have happy days... But I have an incredibly overwhelming feeling that things are not okay with her, and my hands are tied to help. If John McCain is elected president, our hands will be further tied -- as even with the so-called "5K credit," no one will insure her; she's almost 60, with a history of lumps and bumps and other small maladies that will make her undesirable to insurance companies.
...If you don't believe me, here's some food for thought -- at 24 years old, I am uninsurable. Why? Because I was hospitalized once almost four years ago for 6 days. Even though I am an otherwise healthy young woman, insurance companies have labeled me a risk -- even Kaiser Permanente -- the paragon of cheap and affordable we'll-take-anyone health insurance, has denied me. If it weren't for my membership in the California Farm Bureau (that I joined *specifically* for the access to health insurance), I too would have no health coverage. Luckily, as a daughter of a naturally-born Canadian citizen, I am automatically one as well. So if I ever have a catastrophic illness or debilitating injury, I could fly up North and receive the proper care that I would otherwise be unable to afford. What an incredible commentary it is on our country that I would have to leave the place I've lived in my whole life and cross the border if it came down to saving my life from a disease I couldn't afford to treat. Unfortunately, my mom has no such luxury. Neither does Justin, neither will our children, and as far as I know, neither do you. I hope you don't get sick.

Life is ephemeral. We have a short time on this planet to make our mark and hopefully leave it a better place than how it was when we were born. I am worried for our future. I have actively considered putting off having children (or adopting) unless this country changes for the better. I will not bring children into a world where the top 2% of the richest people own everything while millions of others live in relative squalor. I will not bring children into a world where they cannot breathe the air and drink the water. I will not bring children into a world where I have to worry about everything they put into their mouths -- as thanks to Republican deregulation their bottle may have BPA, their toys may have lead paint, and their food may be tainted by E-Coli. I will not bring children into the world when I live in a country whose President believes that if we have to be in a 100 year war, then so be it. I will not.

But there is hope.

Like many of you, I have the audacity to hope. To dream. To commit myself to a cause of monumental importance. I will do anything and everything in my power to get Barack Obama elected the 44th President of the United States. I am committed to Change -- and so is he.

I am committed to educating everyone I meet.
I am committed to standing up for those who can't do it for themselves.
I am committed to doing my part; recycling & giving time and money to charity.
I am committed to good journalism and reporting what is true and important.
I am committed to leaving this world better than how I found it.
I am committed to my mother.

I am committed to hope.

So please, no presents this year. Take an hour off of work, stand in line, and let your voice be heard by voting. Do this one thing for me. For my mom, for our children and for our future. Do it for yourself... Because no one else will.

Happy Birthday to me, indeed.

--K.