Tea Party!

(One of the things I’ve done since coming back, besides attempting to overcome jet-lag and contracting a cold virus, is catching up on half a year’s worth of news. And of all the newsworthy events, Ron Paul’s campaign is at the top of my list. I’m captivated not only by the man’s beliefs, but by the amount of energy the American people have generated in showing their support.)

Today is the Ron Paul Tea Party, a campaign fundraising event that has been creating completely by the general public, with a goal to drastically increase Paul’s donations through the internet. it’s currently 7pm EST, which means there is 5 hours left before midnight. I have my fingers crossed – Ron Paul is going to cross 4 million in one day… again!

I have previously not been too active in politics, but after listening to his positions, I feel almost as if I had an obligation as a patriotic American to do my part to push for his candidacy. This man may just be what our country desperately needs right now.

Go Ron Paul!

-edit- nevermind, he’s crossed $6 million – this now officially surpasses John Kerry’s record of $5.7 million one-day fundraiser in 2004. What a Revolution. May the energy continue!

Randy Pausch

Can you find a role model in someone you’ve never met before and never heard of until about a day ago?

I was randomly led to watching a speech given by Randy Pausch, a computer science professor at Carnegie Mellon who has been diagnosed with pancreatic cancer and has realistically about several months more to live. It’s a long speech, over an hour and split across 10 different segments on Youtube, but is one of the most inspirational ‘lectures’ I’ve heard for a while, with very little of the sappiness that might be expected. I mean, he starts the lecture with -

“If I don’t seem as depressed or morose as I should be, sorry to disappoint you.”

The speech goes on to show how he has gone to accomplish his childhood dreams. He has one of these personalities that is slightly geeky and extremely down-to-earth friendly, which absorbs the audience in a light-hearted way, given the situation.

My favorite quote from him: “Brick walls are there for a reason – they let us prove how badly we want something.” Yes, like these mind-numbing application essays that make me want to tear out my hair and throw my laptop down several flights of stairs.

Anyway, the speech did effect me quite a bit. The way Randy went about living his life and his attitude about things around him were quite inspirational. I sat there for a while afterwards, thinking about where my life is at this point, where I want it to go, and whether I want it to go where I am going.

It’s good to have these opportunities to reevaluate your priorities every once in a while.