Today’s IW story comes from my own backyard. Miriam Epstein, a former teacher in my town school system, has been running an organization for the past 10 years called Books to Dream. The organization gives away at least 3,000 books a month and serves 130 organizations around the world. Epstein also runs programs at the Willimantic Holy Family and Home Shelter. Epstein runs the organization in hopes to give kids who live in poverty a chance to escape that life through reading, even if for only a short time.

I think this organization and what Ms. Epstein is doing is an absolutely fantastic idea. Poverty is all too prevalent thing in the U.S., and the fact that so many kids have to live through it is appalling. Now, perhaps B2D doesn’t actually solve the problem of poverty, but I think giving impoverished kids a way to cope with it is a great thing. I know in my own experience that reading allows me to enter worlds that can only be discovered through a book. I also think that providing books to children may perhaps give them the attitude to try and do all they can to get out of their situation (not getting into the societal politics of it here), by seeing worlds that are different than their own, and striving to make their own lives more like those. Obviously, if they’re reading Harry Potter, they’re not going to start doing magic, but I hardly think a kid needs to see the world they live in all the time. If they have the attitude to succeed that many books feature, they may be able to as well.

I think Ms. Epstein has a wonderful program, and out of all the stories I’ve read this week while trying to find something to write here, it has been the one I’ve liked the best.

In a world where it seems like everyone is out for themselves, and only themselves, I may have something that disproves that. After a couple kids got their bikes stolen, one good Samaritan decided to help them out. The family put up some posters expressing their dissatisfaction with the thieves. Seeing these signs, somebody decided to show them that not everyone was bad, and left $200 on their doorstep.

I think this story illustrates nicely that while people in America seem like they’re just out for number one, there are so many more who are willing to help out their fellow man. It may not seem that way in my part of the country, where everyone always seems apt at minding their own business. But, I know that there are good people hidden within the woodwork, and I think this story proves that. I’m not saying everyone should go around trying to buy a new bike for every kid who gets one stolen, but if we just do a good deed for somebody every now and then, I think this country, and indeed this world, would just be a better place. Think about it.

I love my country. I do. I may not agree with all the decisions the government makes, but that’s what makes this country great. The fact that we’re allowed to disagree with the government is what makes it great. Today, I’ll speak briefly about my optimistic view of the past, present, and future of the U.S.A.

Continue reading →

Happy 4th of July to all Americans! Have a great day!

P.S. Hope you like the cosmetic changes made to the site.  If not, fear not.  It’ll only be around for about a day or so.

I think this definitely qualifies as positive!

It’s good to hear that one day before we celebrate freedom, someone has become free. BBC Reporter Alan Johnston has been freed from capture by the “Army of Islam” group. Johnston was kidnapped four months ago in Gaza while on assignment there. While there are definitely more people who need to be freed, I’m hopefully that some movement has been made in the region, especially if Johnston’s release was indeed negotiated by Hamas.

I think that’s a pretty good start to the week.

On 9/11/01, nearly 3,000 people were murdered at the hands of people with a twisted view of the world. I was in study hall that day, studying for an English class vocabulary test, when another teacher came in to the room and spoke briefly to the study hall monitor. The monitor then turned on the TV, and I watched the coverage in shock and disbelief. I seem to remember not doing too well on my test. I then spent most of the rest of the day watching the coverage on TV.

It is people like these terrorists who have absolutely no concern for the lives of human beings. Every time they send out some taped message, they claim to be doing it for Allah, or for the Muslim people, but that is a lie. The terrorists would use their own people as shields if they has to. I’m not religious, but for lack of a better term, these people have no souls. To that extent, while I support the war on terror in purpose, but I think more effort needs to be focused on finding the likes of Osama. While this would not be a major blow to terrorism (someone would just step up to lead al-Queda), but he must face justice, if he has not done so already (due to bombings). But until we know for sure, that search must not end.

While I don’t think we should dwell on this day forever, we should never forget the people, and we should not forget that day. Never forget 9/11.

Looks like I’m doubling up today, since I forgot to post one yesterday.

Congress recently authorized the U.S. to create a silver dollar to commemorate Louis Braille, the creator of the Braille alphabet. I think that’s a good way to celebrate a man who single-handedly revolutionized reading and writing for the blind.

An earlier system of raised letters was used by the school which Braille attended. However, the system used (paper against wire) prevented the reader from also being able to write. In 1821, Charles Barbier, a Captain in Napoleon’s army, visited Braille’s school, and met Braille. He had created a system of reading and writing that allowed soldiers to communicate silently and without light. His system used 12 dots and Braille found the system difficult to use because the fingertip could not read the dots without moving, so he changed the system to use six dots instead.

So, I hope you enjoyed the brief history lesson…thanks, Wikipedia! Interestingly, the bill was co-written by one of my state’s senators, Christopher Dodd.

Dymersion’s Freshman Independence Week continues with some input following the liftoff of Space Shuttle Discovery. For those who don’t know, it is the second mission since the Columbia tragedy in 2003. It launched today at 2:37PM EDT and has a planned mission of 12 days, although one extra day may be added later this week, depending on certain conditions.

I think this launch is giving an optimistic view as to the future of the space program. A lot of people were unsure as to what was going to happen after Columbia. To me, it seems as if people were very hesitant to lift off another Shuttle quickly, if at all. On the other hand, I do believe that having a thorough inspection of the shuttles and reorganizing pre, during and post lift-off procedures was wise. NASA will not be turning a blind eye to anything they see as wrong on the shuttle, and I think that is the sign of good quality assurance. We know from the investigation after Columbia that these vehicles are very fragile, and something that seems small could snowball into a tragedy. So, it is good to see the a great deal of effort has been placed into keeping things safe for the astronauts.

I’m hoping that what has been learned since 2003 will be kept in mind in order to build a more reliable space vehicle for the next generation. That next generation is the Crew Exploration Vehicle, which is similar in appearance to the Apollo series. It will potentially allow a return to the moon, and even maybe a manned trip to Mars in a couple decades. I think it is nearly time for manned space exploration (beyond the Moon, that is) to become a reality, instead of merely science fiction, which this vehicle would allow. I don’t think the CEV is without faults, however. It takes us back to a free fall whenever we want to land somewhere (though, probably a more controlled free fall compared to the Apollo series), instead of being able to land like a plane. Maybe I watch too much Stargate, but I do hope we get to a time where we have a vehicle such as those shown on that program. It may take 100 years, but I hope we get there.

Still, this latest shuttle launch has given me hope. I am confident that the ISS will be completed on schedule, so NASA can focus their efforts elsewhere. The Shuttle line will be retired, and a new vehicle will come forth, maybe more than one if SpaceShipOne takes off. Space exploration is on the horizon, and subsequent launches in the next few years will only further confirm that goal. Good work, NASA.

Well, I meant yesterday’s entry to be for Sunday, but it looks like this will instead be a Monday to Sunday venture. The reason I have yet to make an entry for today is because I’m waiting to see if it’ll be worth writing. I’ll know in about thirteen hours.

To kickstart our first Independence Week series of positive stories, I’m going to comment on one that’s a few days old, but one that I think is still worthy of mention.

As reported by many news sources last week, billionaire Warren Buffett is to start giving away 85% of his fortune, much of it to the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. I personally think this is fantastic. Not that I’m advocating that leaving money to your kin is a bad thing, or should be outlawed, but this act of extreme generosity is just something that is not seen a lot in today’s world. The king of philanthrophy, Bill Gates, does a lot, but I’ve never heard of this much money (actually, a lot of it is stock) being left. It’s almost the entire thing!

Bill Gates’ contributions have already been viewed as beginning something of a revolution in the view of philanthrophy among the very rich, and perhaps this is proof of that change. I personally think Buffett’s plans will further the revolution. In the future, no longer will the very rich spend their money lavishly, using it all on themselves. They will still obviously live a more lavish lifestyle…more than me, anyway, but the wealthy will begin contributing to charity and organizations set up to help the world solve its problems. I look forward to a future like this, because to me, it shows some hope in humanity. The very rich have long been accused of turning a blind eye to the poor, to the diseased, and in general to the problems of the world, just because they could. However, I think this is beginning to no longer be the case.

So, in conclusion, bravo Warren Buffett!