Recently, I was reading Joana’s thoughts about how we, as a country, need to stop ignoring our own internal problems while we throw resources at others’ problems around the globe. I felt conflicted emotions about this issue. On the one hand, I believe there should be a way to be a good neighbour and help others in their times of need but, on the other hand, I do not think that out own unfortunate populations should be forsaken to do do. The comment I left reflected this, I hope.

Well, I can’t say abandoning the world is going to help but you know, maybe international relations can be on a hold a while when we figure out our own shit. I’m sure there’s some sort of a balance to working at home and helping out the neighbours and even those across the globe. But it’s probably a pretty difficult balance.

Afterall, being friendly isn’t a bad thing and we can’t exactly wait until all our problems are solved as anything with people will always have problems.

Still, completely ignoring the homefront just to impress president or PM of country X is pretty lame. I think it does have a lot do with the fact that much of the national issues are “supposed” to be taken care of at the state level (or are pushed down to that level so the federal government doesn’t have to do anything, maybe?) whereas international efforts are federal.

I thought it would be left at that but, as luck would have it, my aunt forwarded me a link to JK Rowling’s Harvard Commencement speech and I also took the time to read the speeches of other prominent figures, such as Bill Gates and President Bill Clinton (during last year’s commencement).

Many of these speeches focused on the fact that Harvard graduates have a unique opportunity given them by their education, that perhaps they will be more qualified to solved the ills of the world. Many of these speeches focused on the problems abroad that we, as a modern nation, are more equipped to deal with than those experiencing such pains. This was a strong theme when Bill Clinton discussed his work with AIDS, especially in Africa.

I find this work to be admirable and selfless. I know that millions of people will see another day or another 20 years because of it, sometimes because of simple medicines that Americans and others in modern countries take for granted. I absolutely think someone has to do it and why not you or me?

But where do you draw the line when it comes to giving a helping hand at home or extending that hand outside your domestic boundaries? How do you even begin to go about deciding where to draw the line when it’s so easy to slip to either side; focus too much on home and you’re selfish to the point of self-detriment, focus too much on the outside and you’re selfless to the point of self-detriment.

I absolutely believe that if you have the power, the resources and the technology to help, you should help. We should help. In Africa, in China, in India. I also believe these efforts go a long way toward global relations and respect and, of course, peace.

But why does international effort seem so much more heroic, more noble? Indeed, there are issues on the home front that need our attention: obesity, education. government spending/funding, education, homelessness, unemployment, the economy in general. Is it perhaps that even an American most afflicted by these controversial issues is still so much better off than someone in a third world country with AIDs? That, perhaps, the most unfortunate American is still better off than the most pampered non-American?

Or perhaps selflessness is simply expected of America because she is the world’s last standing super power regardless of the nobility of the acts themselves. And why not lead the way for others to follow, to be inspired by our selfless acts? Surely by doing and teaching this, we are only helping our own citizens.

The balance is a delicate one and while there are decisions made by my government with which I do not agree, I cannot condemn the efforts because of solely those arguments. Society is, afterall, an evolving process.

I used to chat at a website called the Park and this is not the first mention of The Park on my site). This is not news to many (and this is not the first mention of it on my site). Several of my friends on IM or Mypsace/Facebook are from the Park day when I was a wee lass of 13/14. -chuckles- The park was magnificent in its way. It attracted millions of visitors so a site that would be shamed by even the worst sites of the internet today; it was, after all, a completely product of Web 1.0. That would also be its downfall and The Park would succumb (around 2000) to the big dot com bust and not without some well-earned hatred to the Park’s founder, Brent Hunter.

A lot of the chatters who had grown to love The Park and made lifelong friendships and relationships there went on to other similar sites, most notably The Pork, where I still chat but also including Dockwave, Ozpark and Ties That Bind. None of these sites would ever see the sheer numbers of the Park, though.

Fast forward a few years and Brent is back with a new project – The Earth Comm Center – and while I think Mr Hunter had different intentions for it than his earlier project, Park followers flocked to it as a way to relive the golden age and to find or catch up with old friends. In that way, it worked marvelously. For a while, at least, until the same issues happened with Brent and chatters and volunteers became disgruntled and slanders his not-so-good-anyway name and left the site. Some followed. Many didn’t.

But then something else happened: Brent disappeared. Though the site never saw the success of its predecessor, it did bring together some people who had been torn apart by the Park’s unfortunate demise and it was clung to as a last hope for some who wished to someday know other reunions. Brent’s disappearance brought with it a lack of upkeep on the site and, eventually (late 2007), the site ceased functioning correctly; that is, no one could log in anymore. Though the site still stands, show statistics and appears to function in many other ways, no one can actually use it for any purpose.

A lot of people find this amusing, even expected. Brent doesn’t have a good track record or a good way with people, it seems. Still, it is a loss that I, among others, mourn a bit. I had caught up with some friends via ECC, including one who was, at the time, deployed to Iraq. We have since lost contact because the site no longer works. )=

Where are you Brent Hunter?

This is all fresh in my memory because I was talking to an old friend from the Park today and, as always happens with those old friends, the conversation turns to questions like “Do you still talk to anyone?” or “Do you remember this person?” And I always feel a tinge of nostalgia because the people that I talk to and remember are far less in number than I would prefer.

And I don’t know how to find them again. Sites like Myspace or Reunion.com allow you to find people when you do know a lot of information about them but the friends one makes in chat, even if one knows their heart and soul, may never release vital information like birth date, home town or last name.

Even Brent has a few websites up which direct the visitor to chat rooms whose core is made up of ex Park chatters but it’s not the same. I began wondering why there isn’t some type of site that allows people to reunite with others from online, with search criteria different than e-mail, age or location which you might not know. Perhaps just a giant bulletin board located at “Find People From The Park.com”.

Alas, searching for those specific people is all but impossible online and searching for the masses is an insurmountable task. If I had control of The Park domains (still own by Brent) I would redirect people to the Pork (which he refuses to link) or to the Myspace group (created by myself) or the Facebook group (created by Sara) so that we would all reconnect.

As it stands, searching for sites about the Park is limited. Eventually, my Myspace group shows up and there appears to be a single Yahoo!Answers question asking if anyone remembers. Links to Brent’s now defunct websites are what show up immediately. It doesn’t seem like many people have taken the time out to put something online to say “Hey, I was there! I remember! I miss you Bob! Where are you Jane?”

So I guess this is my way of creating something a little more permanent, in case someone else is searching and finds my site, maybe they’ll find a little more direction. And maybe, just maybe, I can find a little more closure.

I find myself very stunned by the recent turn of events in Ctrl Alt Del, a web comic I have followed for a couple years now. The most recent comic is very adult and very powerful. I think the method Tim, the artist, used was very effective and by not using any words, he painted a very emotion-invoking picture that wasn’t unnecessarily clouded. It seems some people don’t like this turn of events and would prefer Ctrl Alt Del remained a light-hearted video game centered comic but I think Ctrl Alt Del is really becoming something to contend with by stepping out and growing up with something controversial like this.

Actually, that’s kind of a weird phrase.

Anyway, here I am writing to you, dear world, at the ripe old age of 22. I’m not entirely sure I feel any different nor am I sure that I don’t feel different. I do feel a bit nostalgic and regretful as this year many of my friends from school have graduated college or, at least, the first portion of their post-secondary education. I admit that I am jealous but hope to catch up with when I am able to and things are looking good that I may be able to do that this fall once we are back in the states.

I feel as though I am counting unhatched chicks by saying this as many things are unsure yet but I can say with good authority we will be relocated to a base in San Antonio. It wasn’t my first pick, or his, but it will be something new and better than where we are for sure.

Back to the birthday subject, I had a pretty good time. I went bowling Friday night with friends. It was a very casual celebration with no expectations and I think perhaps that is what made it go off so well. Often, high expectations about birthdays often resulted in a very disappointed Cole. We followed up bowling by heading back to a friend’s house and playing board games.

Saturday, my birthday, Ryan and I went out to eat at a restaurant he did not remember liking. I remember loving the corn soup. Surprisingly, he enjoyed it even more than I did, I think. He believes they have a larger selection now which may be the case. I don’t know. Ryan even bugged me to go again today but my craving for Chinese had been satisfied.

After dinner we picked up pre-sale vouchers to be able to see Iron Man. On Monday we’d gone down to see it but hadn’t realized they were preselling and we weren’t able to. Because it was a holiday, nothing else was open. Gah!

Luckily, we got out vouchers, headed home for a minute and returned just in time to get in line. Most of the theatre was already packed by the time we got in there and I was seriously worried that we wouldn’t be able to find seats together but we did.

We both liked the movie quite a bit. It was fast moving, exciting and funny in many places. The background music reminded me a lot of the music that was used in Transformers.

We weren’t the only ones who liked it as, I’m sure most of you know. People were there who had already seen it once or twice and as we were leaving, people were discussing going back to see it tonight! But I didn’t like it enough to try to deal with our ghetto as movie theatre. Right now there’s doing construction so only 1/2 of the seating is available. As we were leaving last night, I saw 2 folding chairs that must have been set up for customers who could not find any place to sit in the theatre! How awful!

By the time we left the movie, by birthday was finished. I was rather pleased. I’ll need to do this again in another 365 days. Thanks to everyone who sent wishes!

Picture this: It is quiet, foggy Friday morning and 2 nocturnal creatures who just happen to be married are whiling away the time in front of their screens. Creature A realizes Creature B has done some creative conjuring to produce a mouse pad where no mousepad is to be found.

Creature A: you’re using our next president’s face as a mousepad?
Creature B: Laughs. I wouldn’t care if it was our current president.

But Creature A is perplexed. It is not the current president. It is the candidate for whom both creatures root. There must be some subliminal message in this.

Or, perhaps, it’s just a silly coincidence that Obama’s face is on the magazine Ryan is using as a make-shift mousepad.