Monthly Archive for January, 2009
Wordle of President Obama's Inaugural Address
There was a lot of press last week about the horrid conditions in which the new administration found the White House. Of course, all the floors were mopped and clean, the windows sparkling, the gardens perfectly maintained, the Oval Office tidy and ready for its new occupant. There is one part of the White House, however, that was left in utter disarray. To the naked eye it is invisible and mostly buried under the floors, hidden inside the walls, or tucked away in closets. Yet it is decrepit, neglected to the point of near disfunction. I’m talking about (surprise!) the technology.
Now don’t get me wrong — I didn’t expect very much. A Washington Post article describes the surprise of incoming White House staffers who seem to have been expecting to show up with their MacBook Air laptops, hop on a wireless network, and update their Facebook status to “OMFG I’m at my desk in the West Wing, feeling like such a n00b, LOL! Top secret clearance, FTW!” That would just be silly.
Yet while I had low expectations, the conditions still managed to shock me. New members of the administration showed up to find no computers at all. No loaner laptops. On the few computers that were there and worked, the e-mail system was broken to the point of forcing staffers to route messages through their personal Gmail accounts. Maybe it was because they were using Windows 2000. Even some of the phone lines were down. I mean, really? I wouldn’t have expected this in 2001, let alone in 2009.
But as I mentioned, there’s been a lot of press and blogging done about this already. What I want to talk about is how this situation is symptomatic of a much larger problem — and, as with any large problem, a very large opportunity as well.
If you had been in the crowd pictured here, at President Obama’s Youth Inaugural Ball, would you have whipped out a digital camera to capture a shot of the first couple from among the mass of young people? Would you have tried to snap a quick picture on your iPhone? Texted your best friend? Twittered frantically: “STANDING 30 FT FROM THE NEW PRES!!”? Blogged about it the next day?
Adam Frucci on Gizmodo had a strong reaction to this image:
“[E]veryone wants their own unique shot. Is this obsessive documentation worth it?
This is definitely something I’ve noticed a lot of lately: people are more interested in taking photos of something they’re witnessing than actually, you know, witnessing it. These people are all looking at LCD screens instead of the new Presidential couple standing in front of them.”
I too initially rolled my eyes at this trend. But the more I think about it, the more I believe that what we’re witnessing in this picture and in our lived experience is actually a reflection of how we’ve grown to…well…experience anything of significance. And I’m not so sure it’s a bad thing…
Continue reading ‘Stop Creating for a Moment and Enjoy? We’re Fine, Thanks’
Born to Run by Bruce Springsteen
Classic. Bombastic sax solo, rolling snare drum, windows down, get away.
Try listening to this song in a car without banging along on your steering wheel. I dare you.
This is my first post from Plinky (www.plinky.com)–a service that asks a new, random question each day.
Hey folks–I’m working on a series of longer posts in response to a book I read recently; those will be up next week. In the meantime, enjoy a few items of interest as we celebrate MLK, Jr., our new President, and a long weekend:
- I really encourage you to commit some of the free time this long weekend provides to volunteering in your community. MLK day is also a national day of service, so click here to find opportunities in your community. Katherine and I will be helping to create a community vegetable garden for a neighborhood of fixed-income seniors in San Antonio as volunteers with the Green Spaces Alliance. Get out there and give a little time.
- This is an intriguing new site to help consumers understand the various (and multiplying) sustainability labels on everything from produce and coffee to windows and flooring. The user interface could use some work, and from a few random spot-checks it seems like the database is slowly growing more robust in terms of the information offered on each certification program. Nevertheless, I’m glad someone thought to bring this information together in one spot. [Hat Tip: TreeHugger]
- Not being a web designer myself, I rarely think about the amount of effort and artistry that goes into even the most basic elements of many sites. Working on a redesign project at work (with a contract designer for the heavy-lifting…I write the content) has helped me appreciate some of the finer points…and this blog takes my appreciation one step further: a gallery of pre-loading screens. You know the type, “10%…20%…” screens that display as graphic- or flash-heavy sites load. Check it out. [Hat Tip: Andrew Sullivan].
- Matt Yglesias offers a helpful recommended reading list for folks who are interested in urban planning and transportation policy. Adding these to the list…now if only Amazon would release Kindle 2.o…
- TAPPED breaks down 12 foods that absorb chemicals at alarming levels (making those a priority for organic alternatives as you cruise the grocery store aisle), and 10 foods with low absorbtion of pesticides and other undesireable additives.
- Monica O’Brien follows up on a post about the need for millennials/Gen Y’ers to pursue a second job by offering 10 suggestions for what that job could be. Apparently I need to parlay my blogging into a guest columnist gig at a more reputable site (no pressure, eh?):
Blogging to demonstrate “expert” credentials is sooo 2007, but blogging IS a good way to test your writing skills and improve your understanding of a topic, which can lead to an article or column in a media publication. Start small, build a community around your blog, and use that momentum to land a stretch job writing about a topic that relates to your career.
Enjoy the weekend. Volunteer. Watch history. Remember why you have the day off:
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