Visit: http://www.wecansolveit.org/ and let’s move forward on confronting the challenge.

I think every bit helps. From using environment-friendly soap to taking the bus to/from work once a week, we can all make a difference.

Tuesday, January 20, 2009 at 12:00:01PM noon Eastern Standard Time, President Barack Obama will be our nation’s new face, our country’s new leader, and our history’s new visionary who will begin the arduous process of reorganizing our government, redefining our values, reshaping our nation, rebuilding our image around the world.

I look forward to that day, some 382 days from now. And the first step in our journey to that moment begins with tomorrow’s caucus in Iowa.

Go Obama!

I appreciate TIME Magazine naming me Person of the Year. The Information Age is under my control, your control, and anyone who has a computer’s control.

However, this issue of TIME highlights a simple fact: that not everyone has control because not everyone has access to a computer.

The advent of the computer has transformed our society, but there are still segments of the society where the technology is beyond their finger tips.

Last year, I unsuccessfully applied for the Harry S. Truman Scholarship. In my application, I addressed the issue above:

Describe the problem or needs of society you want to address when you enter public service. (If possible, use statistical data to define the magnitude of the problem.) 1500 character limit.

In a world of rapid globalization, it is essential for people to have their voices heard. I want to address the lack of opportunity provided to people in the Central Valley and throughout the world to be active and effective political participants in the local and global political system.

The Great Valley Center reports in 2001 that Internet usage in the Central Valley was 60%. Moreover, the Central Intelligence Agency reports in 2005 that throughout the world, there are about 6,446 million people and 843 million telephone main lines in use. A telephone line is the principal form of access to the Internet. Therefore, access to the Internet is limited to 13% of the world’s population.

The other 87% of the world must have access to the Internet to better articulate their needs to both the local and global political community of decision makers. Without access to the Internet, information cannot be shared between people of diverse cultures and political viewpoints. In turn, this produces an information deficiency which perpetuates the socioeconomic inequality that exists in the Central Valley and throughout our world.

In other words, without information, individuals, societies, and governments can make ill-advised decisions and risk taking ill-fated courses of action.

Seeing the cover of TIME has reminded me of how far society has gone, but also how far it still has to go in providing everyone access to a computer and thus the world.

I care about government and politics because I believe politics subsumes all. In other words, there is nothing in the world, or the universe for that matter, that is apolitical. Nothing is independent of politics because politics is people. The moment politics dies is when the moment when the last human in the universe dies.

The lack of independence from what is politics intrigues me and motivates to learn as much as I can and articulate what I learn to others because I desire to change the world.

The history of politics is long, complex, and a rather difficult read but it is essential to know it and understand it. The future, to some extent, is determined by the decisions and actions of our predecessors. And if societies are to subsist, then societies must not forget the past.

The past is important; however, the future is just as important. It is difficult to predict the future, but that does not mean I will not attempt to do so. The future of politics is what I am interested with. The future of politics will determine the future of humankind.

“What the…?” I exclaimed.

Not only had it rained, but it was hot as well, therefore it was humid. Now, I am not a fan of humidity, but it wasn’t the same type of humidity that I experienced in Los Angeles.

Nonetheless, “What the…?�

Back to the HIST 100 discussion today, it was very thought-provoking. The crux of the discussion about Diamond’s book was that it promoted a fatalistic, deterministic mindset. We talked about “pre-modern� societies, such as those of New Guinea and the Americas, and the rise of Eurasia and the West: Interesting stuff.

Towards the end of the class, the discussion transitioned from GG&S to ideas found in Diamond’s Collapse (our next book for discussion). The proverbial question: “What’s next?� As Professor Herken put it, there is no “clear solution� but a couple of things are clear to me from the discussion:

Today, I have added another dimension, in my mind, to this complex world. This shall continue, as will the sunshine and rain.

I remember, just four years ago today, hearing the telephone ring and my father telling me that “something happened in New York.� Directed to turn on the television, I did with incredible haste. I forget the channel, but not the image: the World Trade Center billowing flames and smoke.

I sat in the living room of my home in confusion. The reporter’s voice was a distant cry. I don’t remember whether or not I saw the second plane crash into the other tower, but it didn’t matter because the reruns sufficed.

The morning was a defining moment, not just for the nation, but for me as well. After one of the towers fell, I realized that the United States of America was under attack. An incredible sense of loss consumed me. But, almost simultaneously, a sense of courage filled the void. Confusion remained constant.

Arriving to school and my English class, my teacher, Mr. Hogan, had the television on. I believe he said it best, “This is a day that none of us will forget.� Correct in his assessment of the historical nature of 9/11, here I am, four years later, remembering a defining moment in our world’s history.

Since 9/11/01, the United States of America has created the Department of Homeland Security, enacted the PATRIOT Act, ousted the Taliban from power in Afghanistan, invaded Iraq and removed Saddam Hussein, commissioned a 9/11 report, re-elected a president, reformed how the intelligence agencies communicate and sought to spread democracy and freedom throughout the world.

However, in the past four years, something more than institutional reform, geo-political re-landscaping, and the spread of ideology has occurred.

That “something� is our American culture and identity: our values, traditions, beliefs, assumptions, and thoughts and, ultimately, our world view is transforming.

Who we are as a people, as a nation, is being redefined. As mentioned over and over again, we must adapt ourselves, our institutions and our fundamental beliefs to the “new realities� of the world.

But change on the national or international level is not enough. We must look inward, to our communities. If, with the current changes, we have achieved equilibrium, then we must change again because perfect equilibrium equals death. And I don’t mean death strictly as the lost of life, but death in terms of losing and inevitably extinguishing our passion to change ourselves and our world for the better.

Our communities are where our nation must focus. Our communities hold the promise of producing the ideas, the tools and the leaders of tomorrow. The largest untapped reserve is not the oil fields in Alaska or the Greater Middle East; it is the people of our communities.

Within four years, our world has changed tremendously but not nearly enough. We must never cease in our pursuit of change for change is the catalyst of future change and continued progress.

Today marks the beginning of my relentless pursuit to transform our community, our nation and our world. And I hope you click and walk away from this post with a strong sense that you can make a difference and must.

Today, August 15th, marks the first stage of Israeli withdrawal from the Gaza Strip.

The Associated Press writes:

“For most of his political career, Sharon had led Jewish settlement expansion in the West Bank and Gaza. As recently as two years ago, he said Israel would not give up even small, isolated Gaza settlements.

“But the changing reality in the nation, region and world made me change my mind and change my position,” Sharon said in his address Monday. “We cannot hold Gaza for good. More that a million Palestinians live there, doubling their numbers every generation.”"

This first step is incredibly painful; however, it is necessary.

Only a democracy would recognize the ills and costs of war and take such a step. Today represents more than a withdrawal from the Gaza Strip. It represents what people within a democracy are capable of and that is taking the steps necessary to ensure peace and stability.

The Associated Press reports: “BAGHDAD, Iraq – As the deadline neared to approve an Iraqi constitution, Shiite and Kurdish leaders agreed on the name of the country, Islam as the state religion and what to do about Kurds displaced from the ethnically-mixed city of Kirkuk, a Kurdish legislator said. But Sunni Arab politicians were pessimistic of reaching a deal by the Monday deadline, with one, Saleh al-Mutlaq, saying discussions “need divine intervention.”

With an arbitrarily imposed deadline, I don’t expect the constitution to be the constitution to end all constitutions. However, the deadline is producing much needed political participation.

The Sunnis, located predominately in Central Iraq, are the minority. Fearing that their interests are being squelched, they contend that the constitution will not be accepted by the people. Sunni politicians are encouraging their fellow Sunnis to take an active role in the next elections: the elections that will decide the first constitution of post-Saddam Hussein Iraq.

As more people, and in particular the Sunnis, recognize their stake in the future Iraq, they will participate. The writing of the constitution is inspiring more people to get involved and participate in their political system. The more people participate then the more legitimate the government will be considered later on.

What constitution presented on Monday by the Iraqis will be something to marvel at.

I believe it is important to recognize such defining events in our human history. As I mentioned elsewhere before, we should never ignore the past, for if we ignore our past, then we are fated to lose forever what we should have learned.

Visit Wikipedia’s Atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki page for more information.

TORONTO – A passenger jetliner caught fire Tuesday after skidding off a runway at Pearson airport in Toronto. Black smoke billowed from the wreckage as the aircraft burned.

Rescue vehicles rushed to the scene, which was in a wooded area near Highway 401, Canada’s busiest highway.

There was no immediate word on casualties.

Police said the plane was an Air France passenger jet that was trying to land when it ran into trouble.