An All-Inclusive Trip to Washington D.C.

Much ado is being made about the fact that Pastor Rick Warren is speaking at President-elect Obama's inauguration. Warren has long been vehemently opposed to gay rights, and homosexuality in general. Cries from gay and lesbian Americans, and those who support them, are being heard far and wide. 'How could Obama, who claims to be a supporter of gay rights (albeit not marriage, for some reason) invite someone to his inaugural podium who expresses such contrasting views?'

REALLY?!?! Have you NOT been paying attention?!?

Obama has always been about Americans coming together; all Americans. His clearly-stated message is that we can make great strides by concentrating on our common beliefs, rather than our differences. Isn't that the very mantra that rallied millions to campaign so hard for him in the first place?

We're all a bit tired of hearing about partisanship and "politics as usual". These, however, are valid euphemisms for the way past administrations have played the games of favoritism and exclusion. Seldom would either party concede that the other had any valid points when it wasn't necessary or self-serving. That's old-school politics at it's worst; the party in power gets the voice in government, and the other gets to gripe about it on TV news and talk shows. Now, Obama is changing that, as promised - and you're surprised?

One of my favorite, infinitely-quotable people, the late Thomas Paine, said it best, "He that would make his own liberty secure must guard even his enemy from oppression; for if he violates this duty he establishes a precedent that will extend to himself."

The 'we' in 'yes we can' is bigger than just dems, or even liberals. For once, it seems, a president is actually intent on serving an entire nation. If you have a problem with that, I'm afraid you may be in for a bumpy ride for the next four years....at least.

Marco.....

Remember the olden days, when anyone who used a computer regularly was a geek or a nerd? Remember that? And, remember when being a computer geek meant spending huge chunks of time sitting alone in a dark room, basking in the glow of a CRT monitor? My, how times have changed.

Technology today has gotten downright sexy, and continues to grow faster and cheaper at breakneck speed. For just a few hundred bucks, anyone can own a laptop or netbook that is perfectly suited for web surfing, emailing, word processing, and even light gaming. Gone, too, are the days of being tethered to a phone line or a cable modem. The Internet is almost anywhere we want to go.

This is old news, right? Well, maybe, but have you noticed the impact this is having on society? Portability and affordability have spawned accessibility, and more and more people are taking their computers everywhere. More importantly, though, are the ways in which we are using them. It’s not all about surfing for news and shopping any more. Thanks to “social sites,” we are actually using our computers to bring us closer together.

Possibly the most glaring example of the social web phenomenon is Facebook. I know it’s been around for a while, but I only recently signed up. Yes, I admit that I was leery at first; for me this decision was all about security, not technology. I simply wasn’t sure I wanted to “put myself out there,” much less post pictures of my family. So I signed up, but at first posted no pics, no info, just my name. I’ve slowly become more comfortable since no one has, thus far, stolen my identity or burned a cross on my lawn. But, do you know what has happened? I’ve found people...

I found my oldest friend, with whom I’ve been through thick and thin since seventh grade. We’d fallen out of touch, and neither of us can remember why, but it doesn’t matter. We’re back.

I found my rabbi from high school, who was (is!) so cool, and who I admired so much, that I almost decided to become a rabbi, myself. I never enjoyed my religion so much as when he and I were talking about it, relating it to real life, making ancient text relative and vital in modern times.

I found an old friend with whom I haven’t spoken in about 15 years, since before my oldest child could walk. His job breezed him into our lives, and then away, at a time when keeping in touch was not as easy as it is today.

That’s right, through my computer and the Internet, I have renewed and rekindled some of the most meaningful relationships from my past. Some may wonder how important these people could be to me if we’d been out of touch so long. The fact is that they’re VERY important, even more so now that I realize how much I’ve missed them. That they are equally as happy about our reunion means the world to me.

Never before has it been so easy to maintain meaningful relationships with people all over the world. In these hectic times when my job and my kids have replaced any respectable semblance of a real-world social life, it is technology that keeps me up to date on the most important people in my life - or at least the ones who don't live in my house.

Forget hunkering over a huge computer in a dark, companionless room. The Internet has left the house, jumped the fence, and emerged into the light of day. Of course, this does mean that any whack-job with an ISP can post crap on the web. But for every thousand whack-jobs I encounter, I also find a genuine friendship or two. That is, most definitely, good enough for me.

Maiden Voyage

The old copy of Webster's New Collegiate Dictionary on my desk offers several definitions for pragmatism. One is "a practical approach to problems and affairs." I like this particular definition very much, because it leaves so much room for interpretation. After all, what is practical to one person may seem cold, odd, or even frivolous to another.

Herein lies a most human problem: Two people, both seeking a pragmatic resolution to the same issue, can arrive at very different conclusions. So, while pragmatism may be widely practiced, it is hardly consistent.

I've decided to blog for a lot of reasons. First of all, I like words. I like them written, typed, spoken, sung aloud, served up just about any way at all, as long as they make me think. I used to do a great deal of writing, but I just can't seem to make time for that these days. Since I spend so many hours each day at my computer and hardly any with pen in hand, this just makes sense.

Also, I want to be a voice of pragmatic optimism. I believe we can - and should - take a practical, calculated approach to life's problems, while still remaining hopeful for the best possible outcome.

It's not that I think my posts will be so witty or insightful that everyone should read them. Nor do I feel compelled (or qualified) to set the world right. I simply like reading what others post and hope that some may enjoy this, as well.

And, if you don't, that's OK. I'm pragmatic enough to understand, and optimistic enough to hope that, some day, you just might.