Well I just wanted to take a moment to wish everyone a very happy new year and best wishes for a terrific 2009! Heaven knows the world needs a lot of positive changes this year after a dismal 2008!
Warm Regards, Rodney
P.S. Some of you wrote back that you weren’t registered in LiveJournal, aren’t registered in Facebook, etc, etc. So for 2009 you can now also follow me on Twitter at the following link:
So I guess that to you this picture looks like it was taken late at night.
However, this was taken at 08.12 in the morning in Stockholm. It’s 11.00 now and it looks like the dawn is shining through. But in fact, it’s midday and the sun will start to set soon!
So welcome to winter in Scandinavia 🙂
Just when I thought that I was in love with Google Chrome, there is also quite another cool browser called Flock.
I recommend that people check it is out. It’s like a social networking browser and is on step closer to that Everything-In-One-Place experience that many browsers tries to do, but for which Flock seems to deliver.
I am anticipating that Flock will only get better over time. And it’s just one more reason to get rid of stupid IE (the sooner my employer moves away from IE, the better!)
It feels strange that we are so close to ending yet another year. I think that 2008 went by very fast this year. It has been an exciting year to be sure, but also a very tiring year. This will soon end my second full year as a permanent resident of Sweden, and is also almost 2 years that I have been in a relationship.
I am still not sure what is going on in terms of New Years Eve plans. I think we still stay in around in Stockholm, but I am not sure yet what we will be doing. So I think that I will have to make some plans pretty soon or else I will end up doing nothing and that would not be cool.
This weekend was another strange weekend, but alsoa good weekend. Matt finally made the plunge and moved from Paris to Stockholm. My weekend was relatively calm, and I spent most of the weekend not doing anything of significance. Also managed to do some shopping for some small things that were not very important (like a door mat, a candle, etc, etc).
Anyway, I just wanted to give a short update. Hope that everyone is doing well and keep in touch! 🙂
So I realise that it has been another long time since I have written. The problem really isn’t that I don’t have anything to say because I have a lot to say. Rather, it has more to do with the fact that I do keep myself fairly updated at Facebook, so I often don’t post here a whole lot anymore. But for those still readying, I think an update is long overdue 🙂
The Election
Obviously I can’t contain my happiness at the election result. I am glad that Obama won the election as you can read from my other posts. For those of you who might recall, my permanent website at RodneyCornelius.com hadn’t been updated in 4 years when I was really shocked at the Election result. Well I made an update now 🙂 I think with a better Vice Presidential candidate and if John had tried to stay true to his center values, he would have had more of an opportunity.
Vacation
We’ve decided on vacation plans for next year, and that includes 3 weeks in the USA during the summer. We’ll visit NYC, my family in Boston, and then spend some time somewhere else in the US. We haven’t figured it all out yet, but I’m really excited to be going. After all, it’s a good use of frequent flyer miles and to fly in Economy Extra class the fees and taxes were only $120 for both tickets. You can’t get better than that if you tried! Now just have to make good use of the hotel frequent guest points. At least whilst these hotels and airlines are hopefully still around.
Work
Work is continuing to go very well. I have really gotten into my new job and all of the challenges that it brings with it. I’m so focused on trying to absorb everything and be good at my job that I guess I haven’t even noticed until today that I have been in the job for only 4 months. But it feels like forever and I guess that is a good sign towards getting comfortable. I have 2 great managers and a very nice team I work with so I can’t complain. I guess I could complain if I tried really hard, but there is no point as if you have to look hard to complain, then there is nothing to complain about.
Friends
So this section is dedicated to my friends. I had a breakthrough last week in which I realised that I have done a very very bad job at keeping in touch with people. It was especially disappointing as some of those people reached out to me and I don’t think I responded in the best way (just short sentences promising to write more soon but never following through). So in some level, I am not surprised that my communication with my friends has dropped to such low levels. So for those friends of mine reading this I’ll make you a deal. Let’s not wait for the other one to reach out first…let’s reach out together. For some of you, the time and the distance has been too long, and I think we still have lots to talk about!
Well on that note, I’ll cut it off here and wish my US friends a wonderful Thanksgiving holiday and seasons greetings to everyone around the world, no matter what you’re celebrating in coming days and weeks!
Hugs, Rodney
I received my ballot in Sweden yesterday. I was really excited for this. It means that it is now decision time.
To be honest, when the race was going to Obama and McCain, I wasn’t sure whom I was going to vote for. As most of my close friends know, I am a center-left person when it comes to US politics, but when it comes to the Swedish political scene, I am center-right. So I spent a lot fo time reading on the details of the candidates positions. And I got a lot of e-mail from both sides asking me to vote for the “change agent.”
So after a lot of consideration, I have decided to vote for Obama
For me, the game changers were three things.
1) I am voting squarely against Palin. McCain made a very irresponsible choice for vice president. I disagree with her ideological positions. I disagree with her almost non-existent policy choices. She doesn’t seem to understand that the role of a Vice President isn’t just to be an attack dog or to blindly follow the President’s directives. Thanks to Cheney, we have had a re-confirmation that the Vice President has a role to play in the faciliation and shaping of policy…and it should be a substantitive role (note: I don’t like almost any of Cheney’s policies, but I recognise the importance of the Vice President being an active part of the discussion). She rallies the hard right base, but not the faith of those of us in the center.
2) On several key points, I have more confidence in Obama’s policies than in McCain’s policies. Let’s be fair, on the majority of the issues, their destination is the same, even if the path to get their is different. But it is the path chosen that matters. Sad to say, but the John McCain I beame really interested in during the 2000 elections and the times throughout the last 8 years when he stood up to Bush on taxes, torture, etc, has all but disappeared. That McCain was so powerful a force, that he would have given Obama a run for his money. But to placate his base, he’s made a decisive — and devisive — turn to the right.
3) Obama’s choice of Biden. I never thought that Joe had the makings of a president. Truth be told, I don’t think Obama, McCain, or Biden would make excellent presidents. But Biden as the #2 is certainly better than Palin. And while Obama good judgement, he lacks the wisdom which is bourne from experience. McCain has wisdom, but his choice of Palin shows a lack of judgement. And Palin has neither wisdom nor judgement.
So there…I have said it…I’m voting Obama. My biggest regret is that Hilary did not win the nomination, as I really do think that she was the most qualified to be president of the United States. So we will shatter one glass cieling in the next 4 weeks by electing the first black president of the United States. The chance for women now if effectively delayed between 4 and 16 years (minimum 4 of Obama…if he wins re-election another 4 years. Biden for sure will want a crack at the office and if he wins then it’s another 4 to 8). I am still sure we’ll have a woman president in our lifetimes…and join the company of Europe and Asia where in many countries, they don’t select the best man for the job, but the best person for the job.
That’s it! I’m moving to Bulgaria to pursue my dream of singing fame. If this woman can do, then I’m a shoo-in to be Bulgaria’s Next Top Model…I mean singing sensation…
Jack Welch offers some good insight on the financial crisis and underscores the importance of action and flexibility to resolving the crisis.
It has been one of those weeks I guess. The kind of week where no matter how hard I try I can’t get no sleep. I think a bunch of things are bothering me really. I just don’t know what all of those things are.
But I guess that I should not complain too loudly. Things could be worse and there are others with concerns more serious than mine.
But enough about me! i wish all of you a very happy weekend and more until we meet on here again!
Hugs /Rodney
