Nope.. Gore Didn't Invent The Internet!

Yes, I know that is pretty old. But picking on Gore for claiming to invent the Internet is still funny. Anyway, today I learned something new myself about the massive network we all know and love.

Internet doesn't exactly come from interconnected network, as I could've sworn I was taught. You know, from one of those Computer Science degrees which require a class in Data Structures. Pointers, anyone? The name actually comes from something a little more.. shall we say.. galactic..

Click here to find out the original proposed name for the network now known as The Internet.

Milwaukee's Protest Of The California Ban On Gay Marriage

Unfortunately I was unable to attend Milwaukee's protest of Proposition 8. In part because I've been domesticated, which isn't the worst thing.. ;) Seriously: Steve and I had family obligations for a good part of the day.

For those of you living in a cave or crawling out from under a rock, Proposition 8 is an amendment to the California Constitution which eradicated the right for same-sex couples to marry. This horrible amendment is one which even Governor Schwarzenegger opposed and has expressed hope that his state's Supreme Court will be able to overturn it.

This year's election may have brought more people of all colors out to vote, but one unfortunate consequence, possibly due to the turnout, is that gay marriage is now banned in more states than before.

Click here for a video of the Milwaukee protest.

Watching History Unfold, Welcome President-Elect Obama!

What an unbelievable time. This is a time to be proud to be an American. US Citizen. Whatever. :) We're about to place a person of color in the center seat of our country.

And to think that this nation was struggling with civil rights just forty years ago. To those that have said, "there will not be a black president in our lifetime" I have one thing to say: look what we've done today.

Regardless, there is plenty of work ahead. We continue to deal with civil rights struggles today. In a way this becomes evident when you look at the final Obama and McCain gatherings. Both senators are gracious in the final remarks, and their audience reactions to me are signs of the times.

The McCain gathering: one which Fox 6's Katrina Cravy described as, "a smaller party, a little more intimate." A gathering where a person of color appeared to be nowhere in sight. Any mention of Obama resulted in boo's which forced McCain to pause during his final address. Pauses where he had to wave the audience down to calm them down.

The Obama gathering: mentions of McCain did not result in the same boo's. Quite the opposite, the audience's graciousness matched that of Obama himself. This gathering represented the wonderful diversity of this country. It was chock full not just of white people but also people of color, of all sexual orientations, of all gender identities -- all walks of life were surely there.

There is another gathering to take note. One in Washington D.C., in front of the White House whose current occupant has a dismal 28% approval rating. A gathering which is celebrating incoming President-Elect Obama and the inevitable departure of President Bush.

The message behind today's historical moment cannot be any more clear. People are anxious for Bush to step down. Our leaders shall not ignore and put down this nation's diversity. The nation will move forward and recover from the damage which has been done.