Plus One

Recently I have stumbled upon this thing called Google Plus. As soon as I have, it began appearing everywhere. And right after I thought Facebook would not have a replacement for another 5 years at least.

It is no secret that Google takes what exists then buys it and improves it, or makes the same thing except better. This strategy has worked for them and resulted in some amazing products. I am blogging on Blogger while listening to a song I'm playing on YouTube, both my favorite Google products.

Well now, a new sensation - Google Plus! A number of my friends have registered on it already. An avid Google fan myself, I was planning to as well. To my surprise, the network only allowed the first 10 million people to register and the rest have to wait while it has finished its beta "field testing." Sad.

It is unusual for social networks to deny access to them. I know about private social networks for elite groups of rich people, where you can only join if you have a number of references from existing members, have a 7 digit income or are a significant a-list celebrity. I understand the whole field testing thing, perhaps it makes sense to not let too many people join until you know for sure that you haven't screwed up. Yet, I can imagine that a whole lot of people who would join right now with the initial hype arousing, will not go back in the future.

That is up to Google to decide. I just see a very powerful alternative to Facebook on the horizon. I have read about its capabilities and features, it seems to be by far more socially orientated rather than Facebook which encourages profile seclusion. Unlike Facebook, or the now fallen titan MySpace, it is also closely related to the real life. You know, the one away from the computer screen? Hard to imagine nowadays. Yet Google tries to deliver its online social network as a tool of planning and organizing your real social life better. At least, so it seems.

I think it is very important that we take a step back into reality. Will it happen? I doubt it. I just know that once the network opens up once again, I will get an email and will be sure to join it.

For those interested: https://plus.google.com/up/start/?sw=1&type=st

Short Note

I haven't been posting for a while. The reason was that I was on exchange to China, where blogger does not work. Visiting Shanghai and Beijing was a lot of fun, and I had many unexpected experiences I might blog about later. Just know that I did not disappear and will return to blogging promptly :)

Death of Osama Bin Laden

Literally 30 minutes ago it has been announced by a confidential source that Osama was killed by "an asset" and his body was recovered and is in possession of the US government.

This is what is said by a news source (The Sydney Morning Herald):

WASHINGTON — Al-Qaida mastermind Osama bin Laden is dead and the United States has his body, a person familiar with the developments says. CNN and other news organizations are reporting the same information.

President Barack Obama was expected to make that announcement from the White House late Sunday night.

The person spoke on the condition of anonymity in order to speak ahead of the president.

CNN reports that bin Laden's was killed by a U.S. "asset" and that his body was recovered from a mansion outside Islamabad, Pakistan.

Wikipedia was quick to announce the death date on its page, saying roughly April 24th. Whether Osama was a spawn of evil or a misguided man, he has been involved in the deaths of thousands. While I think it is wrong to celebrate a death of a man, many Americans may release a sign of relief.

I am personally cautious about these news. Ill leave out the factor of conspiracy, even though the government can have many reasons to falsely announce the death of Osama. To justify war and the fact that Obama failed to quickly pull out all forces, to show the success of his administration, to calm down the American public in face of the recent terrorist attacks that happened around the world. Okay, let's say the news are real.

What I am afraid will become a common misconception is that now America may find rest in knowledge that such a great threat has been eliminated. I believe not. Osama only posed threat as the leader of Al-Qaida. An organization which will not cease to exist with his death. An organization which has a rigid hierarchy and while there might be some battle for power, eventually another terrorist will come as its head. They will want revenge on US for killing their leader - I mean, history repeats itself. I will not remember the name now, but a certain terrorist leader was killed by Russians and a series of Moscow metro bombings and maybe others ensued.

Perhaps the leader of evil was killed but until evil stops existing, there will come a new leader. So this is not a great victory of Americans. It is just a small stepping stone on a path to secure the safety of the American public.

When writing this post I thought that perhaps my thoughts on the matter are too trivial and will be judged as too shallow. Maybe. I do want to offer my perspective though.

Understanding Twitter

The fastest source of news, the forefront of the social networking technologies…just a diary with a limited character count?

For a long time, I was confused about the nature of Twitter. Upon discovery, I saw no reason why anyone would use the damn thing. It seemed like a tool where you post updates on where you are and what you are doing, something most people would not care about - especially if you do not belong to the limited celebrity elite.

Now I perceive it with a whole new perspective, one influenced by my dad and by my other interests. I now see that Twitter is unique in that it is a tool very similar to a camera, except it uses words instead of pixels to capture images. It is street photography re-invented; images of everyday life, images of something extraordinary, images of something that some person out there thinks is important.

It is said that one picture is worth a thousand words. Indeed, a photograph can evoke more emotions and portray more than 140 characters could ever aspire to. Yet Twitter has something up its sleeve. Using words, it can reach further into the mind – perhaps not the soul, but into the mind. It can take pictures not only of the surrounding, but it can take a snapshot of one’s ideas in their pure form – not ones abstractly applied on scenery.

Twitter is not superior to photography; I really think it’s not. Yet it is different. And it is a tool which can be used when one needs to express themselves not on a routine level, but even deeper.

That is just Twitter on an individual perspective. I can dedicate a whole new post about the collective power of Twitter on society and the world, how it changes communications and news. That is for another day, perhaps.

P.S. It would make sense for me to give a link to my Twitter. It's not ready yet :)

Presidential Corporation

Donald Trump, a widely used impersonation of the corporate evil, decided to run for President.

The Wall Street already has its hand deep up the government’s bottom. Revolving doors, lobbying, financial power overcoming the political one. Perhaps the politicians with the most modest campaigns are the ones to be voted for, being less corrupt and the least dependant on corporate investments. Look, it is already there - just not in your face. Not like it will be when Donald becomes President.

Trump has a clear agenda in his head: only personal gain for the United States. Brutally cold and rational. Business. If the troops go into a country – then it is to find oil, not to help people. Not like this wasn’t happening already… Now, there are two dangers in making what’s hidden explicit. Legitimization and eventual progression.

Another way to look at the issue is that Donald’s mindset is just reflective of the upcoming times. The times when US will lose its economic power to Asia, polarization finishes dismantling into a simple imprint in history, and US loses its world leadership. No longer will it be seen as a father whose duty will be to protect the people with its military power. That duty will transgress elsewhere, while US can afford to do what other countries have done so far – follow personal pursuits and pretend to care in the annual diplomatic meetings.

Maybe, Donald is not the Messiah that will lead US through a tough transition and hierarchal degradation. Maybe he just sees following national pursuits by the means of brute force as the means of getting US respect, the respect he mentioned it is beginning to lose. Yet history shows that bullies are not respected, they are feared and commonly despised.

I am not a US citizen but if I would be, I wouldn’t vote for Donald Trump. Yet what’s the difference. The lustrous campaigns do not see to bring good change anyways.

Short Note

So, it has been a while since I last blogged. Been busy with school plus a whole number of other excuses I can use. Truth is, I know that time can be made for an activity if one wishes. I guess I just wasn’t in my blogging mood.

Now school is over, at least for the summer. Yet a billion other plans come rushing in. Starting from writing a book, continuing to summer school and job, a photography project, exchange to Asia and several other notions I have developed to keep myself busy with. Nevertheless, I will try to blog more often now. I have a second blog going on: called Axiomatic Delineations which I update every day, perhaps because it is so easy to update. I will try my best to post regularly on this one too. Lately, I had a lot to talk about.

To find my second blog one can go to my profile link on the right. Alright, alright. Enough shameless promotion.

Define Necessity

Sometimes, we start using words for granted. Bend the meaning, you know - just a little bit. Yet for others, for most of the world, "necessity" isn't a new iPad - it is a hard hitting reality of the struggle between life and death, as well as the things that make the difference between those two, such as hope, skill, and unfortunately money. 

Search up "define necessity" in Google images to see more. 

Unfortunately, me posting this accomplishes nothing. One day I hope to make a real difference.