Amazing election story! I mentioned my cell phone comes from CREDO. Today we received an e-mail message from CREDO saying the company will fund 1000 parties by giving $100/party to celebrate the end of Bush. I won't be having a party but may watch the web site to see if someone nearby is having one.
I can't remember anything like this ever before associated with an election.
Wednesday, November 5, 2008
Election Adventures at School
I called to find out what my grandchildren's perceptions were about this election. Because each of has African-American heritage there is no surprise that they are happy. My grandson is in fourth grade. He said they didn't discuss this at school, but it was the talk of recess and lunchtime. He said there is one classmate who was for McCain, but "she didn't say anything; she just played tag with the rest of us." That's really what peaceful transfer of power is all about.
My granddaughter who is seventh grade has picked up the theme that it is time for change. She said they discussed this election in their history class, which right now is centering on President Arthur. (Well, I'm certainly going to have to do a google search after this to recall anything about that President) When I last helped her with history she was studying the Reconstruction period after the Civil War. She shared that the principal of the school has asked the students to make posters of what they want this president to do. I cannot remember such engagement before in an election.
My granddaughter who is seventh grade has picked up the theme that it is time for change. She said they discussed this election in their history class, which right now is centering on President Arthur. (Well, I'm certainly going to have to do a google search after this to recall anything about that President) When I last helped her with history she was studying the Reconstruction period after the Civil War. She shared that the principal of the school has asked the students to make posters of what they want this president to do. I cannot remember such engagement before in an election.
Another Election Adventure
One of my work colleagues took her children to the DFL celebration in St. Paul last night. They left after the news came about the new President. She says there was a Somalia man outside doing High Fives, saying with great joy: "Anything can be done!"
Tuesday, November 4, 2008
The Adventure Begins
It is 10 PM Minnesota time and the networks have just called the election for Obama. About 30 seconds after the news hit the TV my younger duaghter called with the news, too. That demonstrates how this election has changed how people feel about participating in government. During the last election she was taking an African-American History class. Her professor felt so strongly about students voting that he told them he would excuse a quiz if they could produce the "I voted" sticker. She didn't even vote under those circumstances. This time she was even buying me campaign T-shirts.
Recently her children have either been misbehaving or not studying well for school and they lost their TV privileges. I called her this evening saying I thought the privilege should be restored for this evening so they could participate in history. I remember exactly where I was when watching people walk on the moon for the first time, and I thought they needed to start building such a history for themselves. The kids did get to see this change in our country.
For those of you in Europe perhaps you didn't see the huge collection of people in Grant Park in Chicago -- 500,000 perhaps. Tonight I saw a woman with tears of joy running down her cheeks. I can remember seeing the police beat up people in the same park during the 1968 convention in Chicago.
For those of you elsewhere, you may also not have seen McCain say it is good that our country has set aside bigotry -- that he could remember when African-Americans were not eligible to be guests in the White House.
Recently her children have either been misbehaving or not studying well for school and they lost their TV privileges. I called her this evening saying I thought the privilege should be restored for this evening so they could participate in history. I remember exactly where I was when watching people walk on the moon for the first time, and I thought they needed to start building such a history for themselves. The kids did get to see this change in our country.
For those of you in Europe perhaps you didn't see the huge collection of people in Grant Park in Chicago -- 500,000 perhaps. Tonight I saw a woman with tears of joy running down her cheeks. I can remember seeing the police beat up people in the same park during the 1968 convention in Chicago.
For those of you elsewhere, you may also not have seen McCain say it is good that our country has set aside bigotry -- that he could remember when African-Americans were not eligible to be guests in the White House.
Election Day Adventures
This election is like no other before. When Poland had the election that resulted in Tusk being named Prime Minister, I watched it with fascination, believing I was seeing the first election influenced by the Internet and other 21st Century technologies. Whether it was true or not, I enjoyed the story that text messages flew around Poland, saying, "Hide your Grandmother's ID card." For American readers, this is based on the view that the older generation supported a different political party than did young professionals and university students.
Well, we've now had the first 21st Century election as well. "I read it on the Internet" is commonly heard. And certainly the candidates did a good job of filling up our e-mail boxes.
Today is still a very warm day -- anytime when one leaves without a coat, wearing sandals -- November in Minnesota -- that's a very good day. I truly thought I was going to be home all day reading papers, that a meeting had been cancelled, but then yesterday came an e-mail telling me that I was wrong. I had to go into the office for a 2 hour meeting. I started home after the meeting, and due to a snack food truck being parked in the wrong place, I ended up having to take the freeway home rather than the city street I usually do. Not usually a problem, but the freeway was plugged due to a bridge repair project. I finally got off on an exit, only to find that I had chosen the intersection at which someone had crashed into a fence and then taken out the signal lights. (I heard later this resulted in a loss of power to two election sites for a short time.)
After much frustration, I saw high school male students standing on a corner campaigning. What is unusual about that? Well, they were shirtless with slogans and letters painted on their chests. Now that is another unusual sight in Minnesota in November.
I read two papers and then decided to take care of some errands and get some lunch. I reached for my cell phone to call one of my daughters and discovered I had received a text message from my cell phone provider, CREDO, urging me to vote.
Oh, by the way I had voted before the text message arrived. I stopped and voted on the way home, but couldn't complete my errands then because it was recess time for the Catholic grade school up the street. A zillion kids were crossing the street, and it just wasn't the time to try to get to the shoppiong area.
Later in the day -- More papers done! And I went to the KARE-11 web site to see what the news is. I found a very touching story in one of the reporter's blogs. He explained he had been at a school in Minneapolis in which those who are immigrants/refugees went for training about elections. One of the refugees did his practice ballot and then asked, "Where do I sign my name?" He could not believe he didn't have to sign his name on the ballot so that the government would know not only that he voted, but who he had voted for.
This is an important election!!! We need to preserve this freedom that we often take too much for granted.
Well, we've now had the first 21st Century election as well. "I read it on the Internet" is commonly heard. And certainly the candidates did a good job of filling up our e-mail boxes.
Today is still a very warm day -- anytime when one leaves without a coat, wearing sandals -- November in Minnesota -- that's a very good day. I truly thought I was going to be home all day reading papers, that a meeting had been cancelled, but then yesterday came an e-mail telling me that I was wrong. I had to go into the office for a 2 hour meeting. I started home after the meeting, and due to a snack food truck being parked in the wrong place, I ended up having to take the freeway home rather than the city street I usually do. Not usually a problem, but the freeway was plugged due to a bridge repair project. I finally got off on an exit, only to find that I had chosen the intersection at which someone had crashed into a fence and then taken out the signal lights. (I heard later this resulted in a loss of power to two election sites for a short time.)
After much frustration, I saw high school male students standing on a corner campaigning. What is unusual about that? Well, they were shirtless with slogans and letters painted on their chests. Now that is another unusual sight in Minnesota in November.
I read two papers and then decided to take care of some errands and get some lunch. I reached for my cell phone to call one of my daughters and discovered I had received a text message from my cell phone provider, CREDO, urging me to vote.
Oh, by the way I had voted before the text message arrived. I stopped and voted on the way home, but couldn't complete my errands then because it was recess time for the Catholic grade school up the street. A zillion kids were crossing the street, and it just wasn't the time to try to get to the shoppiong area.
Later in the day -- More papers done! And I went to the KARE-11 web site to see what the news is. I found a very touching story in one of the reporter's blogs. He explained he had been at a school in Minneapolis in which those who are immigrants/refugees went for training about elections. One of the refugees did his practice ballot and then asked, "Where do I sign my name?" He could not believe he didn't have to sign his name on the ballot so that the government would know not only that he voted, but who he had voted for.
This is an important election!!! We need to preserve this freedom that we often take too much for granted.
Sunday, November 2, 2008
Adventures with Global Warming?
It's November 2 and at 5 PM it was 70 degrees (21 C). It is more unusual actually to have such a warm high temperature. The major effect of global warming in Minnesota is that the low temperatures are rising, both winter and summer.
Saturday, November 1, 2008
Adventures in Learning
Today is a very special day in Poland when families visit cemetaries and honor their lost members. One of the things an American quickly learns is how different are Polish cemetaries from the average American cemetary. This picture shows the beauty of the old cemetary in Zakopane. I invite you click on this photo so that it opens up larger and you can see the detail. One time while visiting Warsaw I ran into a weekend of very rainy weather. I had a half day before departing to the airport, so decided to walk through the cemetary near my hotel. I was totally fascinated by the beauty and history I found there, but with my American view, it seemed like an odd way to spend a morning. Upon returning home I happened onto visiting this cemetary as one of the top 10 things to do while visiting Warsaw!
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