Update

I realise I haven’t posted in a while, but I have been a bit busy as of late. I am working to complete my law school applications and have been working pretty long hours. I am flying to New York tomorrow for work and then I think I will take a short weekend trip to DC or Philly. Upon returning I need to buckle down and finish my applications, so don’t expect too many posts. Once these are finished however, it should pretty much be smooth sailing through the holidays and beyond. I’m looking forward to getting some use out of the old library card and switching to linux when I finally get a chance (maybe I’ll learn chinese and write a novel as well… haha). If I don’t get a chance to write before Thanksgiving, have a great holiday everyone!

One more thing: I found a pretty cool post with pictures of President Bush. It’s light-hearted approach is a good representation in my opinion. He was (and is) only one man; I hope people will finally realise this once he leaves the White House. Similarly, I hope our next president is not judged on the same standards. If we truly believe one man holds the course of the nation in his hands alone, the idea of America has escaped even ourselves; how could we then expect others to understand?

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5 ways I wish I could cast my vote:

Inspired by A Whole Lotta Nothing’s How to get my nerd vote and to feel better about the mediocrity of the candidates in the election tomorrow, I decided to put my thoughts to words…

I’ve said to friends how I wished I could vote for an idea, rather than try to pick between two flawed candidates. I imagined running a campaign for ‘freedom’ and seeing the media baffled on election night as freedom, an idea rather than an individual, garnered five percent of the vote for President of the United States, winning no electoral votes, but finally questioning the monolithic conception of American party politics. Sadly I’m not sure this is either possible or helpful…

So instead of dwelling on this impossible dream, I am going to try to write a list of things I wish I could cast my vote. Of course this list is very idealistic, but I’m a dreamer

1. Education - Kids can’t vote and parents are selfish – innovation is driven by the human mind, invest in it or fall behind. Quit buying ignorance to cover your short term mistakes and invest in a better future, one where America’s competitiveness is earned by advancing human capital, rather than bullying the world.
2. Freedom of Thought – I’m not sure how to accomplish this, but cracking a blow to the mainstream media’s strangle-hold of the agenda would be a good start. Why are we paying for people to upgrade their televisions? There are other ways to stay informed; it’s called the internet, look it up. (There are even other ways to be entertained – psst, they still make books…)  And quit spying on your own citizens, I think America used to stand for something… oh yeah, Freedom.
3. Humanity - I wish I could vote for a future where humanity is left to persist in the absence of useless factions.  Where the innate qualities of benevolence, understanding, and ambition in each citizen were left to flourish; where the pursuit of knowledge took precedence over the pursuit of wars. Humanity has been beaten and abused by our rulers and idols, but it is worth saving and I still hold the dream of it’s future return to glory.
4. Broadband - how about instead of spending forty dollars on everyone’s television, we (the government, whoever) lay down some fibre optic cable. Personal (intellectual, academic, business, etc, etc.) advancement depends upon access to information. We are falling behind, way behind.
5. Youth and Ambition - Americans are becoming complacent – I want to vote for an America that is not satisfied with what it has; one that dreams, isn’t afraid of change, and will work to advance humanity.

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oh yeah, I have a blog…

I’m not sure if it is the result of increased twitter use, or if I just have less to write about, but my usage of this blog has certainly declined as of late. It could be because I am incredibly lazy as well, or because of my memory situation on my home computer (still waiting for that new membory from newegg…). Or maybe working on the house has taken all of my free time (though I still somehow find time to watch soxx games and heroes online). Either way, I really want to find something original to write about… life has become boring without writing. Yet, what is left for me to say at this point? I could talk about the soxx, a subject near and dear to my heart, but there are plenty of blogs already dedicated to that. I could write about politics, as an important election is approaching, but there are far too many narrowly informed blogs already serving this purpose. Furthermore, I don’t feel like debating about two candidates that are essentially the SAME – yes, they are fundamentally the same… why can’t people understand this…? Both will bring bigger government (for those of you who can’t wrap your head around it, this means less freedom, independent thought, freewill, democratic reasoning, and all those fun ideological terms you like to throw around); neither will bring peace.

I still have no idea who I am going to vote for… if there are any decent candidates or even decent people out there, let me know…

Sidebar – why do I have the Aladdin soundtrack on my iPod? I really need to clean out my iTunes… Oh yeah, this reminds me of how my iPod fell off of my desk at work… the screen cracked (from a three foot fall…).  $150 for a replacement, but I will never own an apple product again. Instead, taking a radical new direction in consumer spending, I will seek value and quality in my electronics purchases… crazy huh?

Anyway, although I just said I didn’t need to write about the red sox, I just decided I will be writting about my life thusfar as a soxx fan… soon. Probably sometime during this long Minnesotan winter (after they win the world series…?). In all seriousness though, I need to find a purpose for this blog… any ideas out there? I appreciate the feedback.

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Review: Policy and a Pint – the China Tradeoff

For those of you were were not able to attend Policy and a Pint last night (as it was sold out… for the first time), I’m writing a short review, as it is a rather slow day for me and I am quite interested in the subject.

Guests were Alan Holmer, Special Envoy for China and the Strategic Economic Dialogue and Tony Lorusso, Executive Director of the Minnesota Trade Office.

The Citizens League event was certainly an alternative to the China-bashing we have gotten accustomed to. Consequently, it was nice to see the community approach the discussion with level heads. This may actually be a sign of changing attitudes towards China, which would be long deserved in my mind. I half expected a neo-con to rant about security issues or a bleeding-heart liberal to cry about human rights issues.

Still, although the discussion stayed relatively on point, I was underwhelmed by the willingness of the guests to approach the issues in detail. I understand that there was only a measly hour to approach this vast topic, but I felt like I was listening to a recording of a politician’s talking points. I understood that the governor and the state are enacting a ‘broad initiative centered around…’ the first time you mentioned it. The two continually spoke of a need to better understand China in order to form a more productive relationship, yet the policy they spoke to address this was through providing an option for Mandarin in Minnesota public schools. It is great to give this opportunity to students, but how many will actually make use of it? I could have taken Mandarin in college, but the College of Liberal Arts and the U required potential graduates to first pass a proficiency test before leaving the University. Thus, I chose to continue studying Spanish rather than attempting this difficult path of obtaining proficiency in a language I had no prior knowledge of. We will only continue to offer these options to our students, while Chinese students will be required to learn English.

Another common ‘talking point’ was that of alternative fuels and China’s drive for resources. They spoke of how China’s thirst for resources can provide opportunities for Minnesotans in the Iron Range. This is all well and good, as long as investment is being done by Chinese companies. The taconite is already depleted in the range and there is no need to invest more tax revenue into the pork barrel projects concocted to appease employees who refuse to adapt to a changing labour market. Furthermore, neither guest addressed how the Chinese have swarmed Sub-Saharan Africa and its implications on the global resource pool. The Chinese are currently investing in this resource-rich area while we refuse due to ‘political concerns.’ The recent history of China has certainly showed us that we are correct in assuming that democracy is a prerequisite for investment and development… Our hesitation to embrace politically diverse nations is costing us daily.

All in all, the event was actually worthwhile – I simply like to be a critic first and foremost, it’s in my nature. However, I am not sure I will be attending further Citizens League events unless the topic is of great interest to me. Still cheers to the Citizens League for attempting to address such a complex topic.

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Policy and a Pint: the China Tradeoff

This is just going to be a quick post, as I had a ridiculously long day at work and I’m tired because I messed up my sleep cycle yesterday. I was considering stopping by First Ave. for the Wolf Parade concert tonight, but Last.fm didn’t inform me of it like they were supposed to and I didn’t prepare/free my schedule (and I’m too tired… giving up coffee is rough).

Anyway, the point of the post is to inform you of an interesting program tomorrow night at the Varsity Theater and to encourage you to join me there at 6:00 (doors open at 5:30).  The Citizens’ League (I think they are sponsored by Best Buy, which explains how they can pull in high-profile guests…) is hosting a discussion about policy towards China and the economic implications for Minnesota. They are bringing in Ambassador Alan Holmer, so it should be a worthwhile time. There is a five dollar cost, but there is food being brought over from Loring, so it’s definitely worth it in my opinion. Here is a link to the Citizen’s League event description.

If you can’t make it, I may try to write something up on Friday depending upon my schedule. Hope to see you there!

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