The Obama Campaign Could Do So Much More

The thing that annoys me about the Obama campaign is that it is preaching all this grass-roots power but it isn't putting any of it into action or demonstrating what else it can do, besides give him money and attend his rallies.

Hey, I like the guy; I enjoy his energy but as some have said, there's been a lot of talk but not a lot of demonstrable programs. So why doesn't Barack show the country how it can change right now?

For instance:

1. He should encourage everyone who comes to see him to learn the capital switchboard number and to keep track of major legislation and call or email their congresspeople when they feel strongly about an issue. Facebook followers could create rings based on their states and voting districts and the campaign could put a page up on their website showing what the two houses are voting on each week.

2. He could ask all his followers to find out what earmarks their congresspeople passed and call them up and complain or ask why they inserted that earmark. Get them to start demanding results and action right now.

3. He could encourage his followers to create donation groups to give to targeted organizations on certain days; the Red Cross one day, UNICEF another. People who didn't feel comfortable giving to those organizations could contribute to their own favorite causes. The push would be for them to think about and see how they could give to other people and how little it takes. He could direct them to microlending websites and encourage people to give there. Make sure they know it's a loan and it's aimed at making people self-sufficient and able to employ themselves and pay the loan back.

4. He could have a "Volunteer for America" day where people would be urged to go out and give their time to an organization that works with the underserved. He could make a speech about how this is the exact thing that they are all looking for, this connection to each other, that this webbing of working with and helping each other is what strengthens society and that helping someone else can - dare I say will - make you feel better.

There are probably many other things that other people could think of but these are mine. I worry that too many people are attending these rallies and being swept up in the rapture of the speeches and thinking that they can just vote and go home and he'll fix everything. But what is needed is the energy of everyone, the spirit of everyone, the action of all of us. That's what's going to make the country better. That's what's going to make the country great.

Back to the old style of records

I read once somewhere that the original record labels were run by connesieurs of music, not businessmen. I think that we should get back to that format (although the digital age is taking out all the middlemen, so maybe it's a moot point): I think wealthy people should start their own labels and produce music acts they like and fund them on their first tours.

The person I was thinking of specifically was Larry Page of Google. I thought the label could be called "LP's LPs" or "Page's LPs" or (even more fun) "Larry's LPs."

It occurs to me now, though, that most acts that have talent can get recognized simply by word of mouth. I guess that's one thing that the internet has changed: what "word of mouth" means and how far it can spread in a short time. For instance, a band can play a gig in California and the audience can link to their webpage (where there are free downloads or song samples) and then email all their friends and blog about it and create this instant fever around a band that doesn't have a label and hasn't even toured yet.

Working on Climate Change With New Technologies

New crystals can absorb carbon dioxide (LAT, 2/16)

This article appeared in the Los Angeles Times (and probably most other major papers) this weekend. I was thinking that maybe the Google boys could do a pilot project wherein they picked one power plant in India or China and outfitted it with these crystals and did the proper upkeep (of draining the crystals and pumping the CO2 underground). It would be a good study to see the change it brings to the area around the plant and it might also provide a good snapshot of how that whole "pump it underground" plan is going to work out.

Postscript 1: Maybe the plants in China and India need scrubbers for more intense pollutants and we should install these in Houston or LA.

Postscript 2: I think I'll abbreviate "the Google boys" by their initials next time, making them sound like a stock on the NYSE ("SBLP").