apple juice

Sorry, Mr. President. Please surrender your BlackBerry.

via Say Goodbye to BlackBerry? If Obama Has to, Yes He Can – NYTimes.com.

PGP anyone? I think there are some pretty secure ways that he could continue to use email…

i think this is a great article on Obama, before he was on the national scene.

Jan Schakowsky told me about a recent visit she had made to the White House with a congressional delegation. On her way out, she said, President Bush noticed her “obama” button. “He jumped back, almost literally,” she said. “And I knew what he was thinking. So I reassured him it was Obama, with a ‘b.’ And I explained who he was. The President said, ‘Well, I don’t know him.’ So I just said, ‘You will.’ ”

(emphasis mine)

The Candidate

how awesome would it be if the president had a blog? where you could comments?

what if you could participate in writing legislation?

it seems that our government is crying out for a web 2.0 overhaul.

(yes, before you go all nuts, I realize that the president doesn’t have much time to be blogging. nor do I. but we can dream, can’t we?)

all this stuff about the wisdom of the crowds… what if we truly had a platform to run our government and tap the wisdom of the crowd?

We did it!

Oh boy…

A few weeks before she was nominated for Vice-President, she told a visiting journalist—Philip Gourevitch, of this magazine—that “we’re set up, unlike other states in the union, where it’s collectively Alaskans own the resources. So we share in the wealth when the development of these resources occurs.” Perhaps there is some meaningful distinction between spreading the wealth and sharing it (“collectively,” no less),

From a great post over at the New Yorker, “Like, Socialism“

did it strike anyone odd that on the day the report came out on Trooper-gate saying that Gov. Palin abused her powers as Governor, she was out giving speeches claiming that they would reform abuses of power by government?

i don’t know, it just seemed a little odd.

I went out in the neighborhood to knock some doors for Obama on Saturday. A supremely weird experience. Voting is a personal decision… or at least that’s what I’ve always been taught. So I felt like I was violating some part of my upbringing. On the other hand, I think that sharing my beliefs and convictions with my neighbors and my community is important at well. So, in a bit of a conflict I set off to knock some doors.

And it was hard to ask the question… “Who are you voting for?” The campaign gives you a script, so I wasn’t simply launching into that question, but still, getting to that question was hard, with people you sort of know, but mostly don’t.

Let’s just say this, it’s easier to do it when you’re in some other neighborhood where you don’t know anyone.

I think the campaign thinks that perhaps its more powerful coming from a neighbor. Maybe that comes from the fact that it’s a lot tougher to take a chance on a relationship that has basically been formed at a few block parties and passing conversations while walking the dog down the street.

Standing at Starbucks the next day, I was reminded again of this when I overheard conversation between two older gentlemen while waiting for my pumpkin spice latte.

The first gentleman was explaining to the second that he couldn’t believe the gall of the Obama supporters who were at his door trying to find out who he was voting for, and trying to stick a sign in his yard.

Perhaps emboldened by the caffeine, I took a seat next to them and introduced myself as somone who was out yesterday doing that exact same thing (although not forcing my opinions or signs on anyone).

And I tried to explain why I felt compelled to go out and do that, even though I knew that voting was a personal decision. Gentleman #2 clearly got it, and said a few words about going out and telling people what you believe.

Gentleman #1 started into a rant about Obama and how he doesn’t really have him figured out yet. Gentleman #2 says “What do you need to figure out at this point? He’s better for the country than McCain!”

With that, I took my pumpkin spiced lattes and headed out the door.