January 20, 2009 at 10:30am, I was present at The Mall in Washington DC at the steps of the Capitol Building watching the swearing in of the 44th President, Barack Obama.I was able to secure tickets for the event through multiple people for myself and my cousin, so I wasn't there alone as I originally planned.This was a historic moment and nothing was going to stop me from witnessing and being a part of history.It was even more exciting because I was able to experience it with my cousin.Sometimes it gets hard when your entire family is in the midwest and you don't get to see them or do things with them because of distance, but she made the trip for this auspicious occasion too.
Anyway, we went to Washington DC to be a part of the festivities and the History.We didn't really have any plans or care where we were going to be as long as we were there to witness the Inauguration of the first African American President.Honestly, what will I tell my grandchildren when they ask about it after their history class, oh I was too busy.Come on, I live 4 hours away from DC.So we just went to be a part of history and had no idea we would be able to get a ticket.The tickets didn't come into our hands until Monday evening.
We woke up at 5am in order to get out there by 7am.We are both movers and shakers so before we knew it, we realized that we were standing next to people who had been waiting since 3:30am and were in the front of the Silver section.By the time the inauguration was about to begin, I looked around to realize that I was a part of an experience with millions in person and hundreds of millions through tv and the internet.It was breathtaking.Change was truly happening because people believed.
I was very excited about the moment and the time.It didn't matter that it was freezing.It didn't matter that I was standing for hours.The only thing that mattered was that I was a Witness!!!!I Was There!!!!
Senator Barack Obama was elected President of the United States on November 4, 2008. It was a moment that millions honestly felt they would never see in their lifetime. I have written before about how I had doubt that America could or would ever elect an African American President. So when we flipped the television to CNN and heard/saw Wolf Blitzer announce that CNN was ready to declare that Barack Obama was President, there was a brief moment of silence.
Even though I was in a room of Barack supporters, everyone still had a moment of shock and then a loud yell of excitement and rejoiced in the fact their candidate had won, that there was a new President and that an African American was able to DO IT. I was so excited and so proud of the moment. I couldn't wait for his acceptance speech. I knew it would be the definition of a change that was upon us as a society, a nation, and a Race of people.
Of course, we had to wait for his speech. As always, the first speech is that of the losing candidate. We had to hear the concession speech. I must say that it was probably one of the best speeches Sen. John McCain had given during his campaign and I know if he had spoken with such passion and hope throughout the campaign there is no way Barack would have won so easily. Anyway, I was very happy to hear him give his speech of support and respect.
Finally the moment came and Barack walked on stage. I am from Chicago, still have family there, and just spoke with my mother who was standing in the crowd at Grant Park so that she could make sure she was there for this history making event. When he walked on stage, I felt so much emotion and just was overwhelmed with a sense of PRIDE. His speech was exactly what I expected; very poignant and inclusive. It was everything that he was and that he hoped for this country.
The next day, I had to get up earlier than usual and was trying to get ready quickly. My wife was still sleep in bed and as I was putting on my pants, it all hit me. This was all bigger than anything I imagined. It was all a moment of clarity. For me, it was the manifestation of the mantra, "you can be anything you want to be." Barack was President of the United States of America. I had to take a seat and just cry. Not cry with sadness, not cry with joy, just cry. It was my moment of realization!!!
Even to this day, 6 days later, I find myself sometime overcome with emotion that causes my eyes to tear. It's nothing I can do to stop it. It's emotion. I UNDERSTAND HISTORY and I am proud that this moment has not past. It's unbelievable!! I love this emotion and I doubt I will ever lose it. I mean I ask you, how many papers did you buy??? I know I am not the only one, understanding history means we all have had or are having our emotional moment.
I am fortunate to be with friends and family as we usher in a new reality. There is a new President of the United States. He isn't a wealthy American who has come from generations of money and power, but rather a man who has worked and dug deep within in order to rise above many and be elected by the PEOPLE. He is President Barack Obama.
He championed hope and progress. He championed the slogan, Yes We Can. He has won by a margin unseen before in my generation, my mother's generation and even my grandmother's generation. He has brought millions to the democratic process that have felt unappreciated and disenfranchised. So many new voters came out to be a part of this election and be a part of history.
I don't know what the future holds, but the feeling that I am feeling right now will stay within my soul for years. This is amazing for all people. This is for AMERICA!!!
Today is November 4, 2008, the day that Americans choose the 44th President of the United States of America. This is the day that all Americans should be a member of the electoral process and let their voices to be heard. I believe voting is not only a right, but a necessity and I could never see not voting, especially when so many people have died in order to give me this right. I never understand how people, especially women, minorities, and members of the poor class don't vote after so many people fought to get them the right that is so dearly deserved.
My first voting experience was in 2000 for the Presidential election. I was an excited college student who couldn't believe that I was going to finally be able to vote. I would truly be an adult. I would be a part of the decision making process. It was a big day for me. I was so excited and nervous. I kept calling and checking on my registration in order to make sure that I was truly registered in my new state of Pennsylvania. I had to check numerous times to make sure that as a college student I was okay to be registered in Pennsylvania and not my home state of Illinois. I know I was bugging people, but this was my big moment.
The day started out as any other and I grew more and more anxious as the time approached when I would be able to go to the polls and vote. The time finally came and I was nervous and excited because I was going to finally let my voice be heard and help in choosing the next President of the United States of America. I walked up cool and confident to the table, handed the person my id and began to ask a million questions about voting.
I was quickly interrupted and told that I wasn't on the registrar. The woman said I wasn't registered to vote at that location. I began to go off. She again cut me off and told me, "Do not worry. You might need to go to another location. It would be okay." I couldn't believe it. I was so confused. I knew I was registered, so why would I be denied? I didn't understand. I walked away upset, but still excited and began to walk to new directed location.
It was a long walk because now all I could think about was what would it be like if my vote didn't count? What would it mean if I messed up in the booth and didn't vote correctly? Could I make a mistake and have a redo? How did it work? I began to become extremely nervous. I shook off the nerves and walked up to the new table and again handed my id and waited to be told which booth to vote in. The woman looked over the books and again said, “you aren't registered here”. I could have cried.
How could this happen twice? How could I not be registered? She had to have made a mistake. It's no way that she knew what she was talking about. I knew I was registered and I knew I did everything I was supposed to do for this big day. I can't even begin to fully explain the defeated feeling I felt. But that feeling wasn't going to last, because I knew I NEEDED to vote. I NEEDED to be a part of the process.
The woman then told me, I needed to go to the local police station, see the judge on duty and obtain an affidavit proving that I was indeed registered to vote. There was no way I was being denied. So I began taking a walk to the police station and sat in front of the desk officer explaining my situation. I wasn't the only one. There was another person there with me too. I couldn't believe what was happening to me. So finally after about 30 minutes, the judge handed me a piece of paper and said “go to the original polling place and I would be able to vote. Oh yeah, and you only have 15 minutes before the polls close so you have to hurry”.
Not another problem? How was I supposed to get back there in less than 15 minutes? I was so far from campus at that point. Then the other person who was with me offered me a ride. I quickly jumped in the car and rode to the polls. Ran inside and showed my paper to the woman and was quickly ushered to the booth. I finally was in a booth. Did I cry? Did I shout? What was I suppose to do? I just voted!!!! 4 hours later, I was finally able to push the button for Al Gore. Finally I was a part of the election process.
2 polling stations, 1 police station, 1 judge, and 4 hours later, I voted for the first time in my life. It made me feel a little more whole. It made me feel more like man. It allowed me to feel like I was really a part of the process. So would lines scare me this year? NEVER. Would I worry about not being a part of this election? NEVER. I will vote in every election that I can and make sure I am a part of every political process. MY VOICE will be heard.
Its not a right, it's not a privilege, its a NECESSITY!!! VOTE
Today, Barack Obama gave a speech at the University of Cincinnati. It was a great speech which touched upon his policies and decision making if elected President of the United States. However, neither his oratory skills nor his information was the amazing aspect to the speech, rather it was the thunderous ovation he received when he walked out to give his speech as seen in the clip attached.
Now I have to say, I have only been to one Presidential speech and it was one that President Clinton was giving in Naperville, Il when I was in high school. His speech was amazing. I am not sure what the speech was about, but I know the feeling of being in that room was a feeling I will never forget. Also, I do distinctly remember being amazed by the metal detectors that we had to go through and the men in black with semi automatic weapons who appeared out of no where gliding down from the roof within the auditorium. I remember the look of the President when he appeared and the sense of accomplishment that I had in knowing that I was one of the chosen students to be there. However, I don't remember why I was there, I don't remember his speech and I don't remember any kind of ovation anywhere close to what I witnessed on tv today.
It's not like today was an anomaly, but rather the normal response that people have at the sight of Obama. I can honestly say that I wasn't a supporter initially, even though he is the Senator from my home state and my beloved city of Chicago, Illinois. Everyone knows that since I have moved out East, any reference/connection to my Midwest roots receives an automatic acceptance from me. However, this was different, this was for the Presidency.
The same can not be said for my wife. She was a supporter from the beginning. She was in awe of him. I remember her going to one of his initial fund raising rallys in New York. Her sending me texts about the line, her sending me texts about not making it in before he arrived, her sending me texts about him walking towards her as he entered the building to let her and the others who didn't make it in know that he was sorry and would come out to greet them when he was done and her sending me a text of picture she took of him on her camera phone and telling me how AMAZING he was in person.
At the time, I must admit, I didn't get it. Did she really understand his policies? Did she really agree with his stance on issues? Or was she just happy that HE was running? Over time, I began to understand, I began to become a supporter. And recently his "30 minute campaign piece” aired on television and I just watched with awe. Honestly, the first time I had awe was reading the op ed piece in the New York Times from Carolyn Kennedy in which she compared Senator Barack Obama to the feeling that people described about her father. That one piece of writing is probably the biggest thing that tipped my scales for me from Hilary to Barack.
Anyway, I recently told a friend about how I felt after watching the 30 minute piece and she said, "oh I see you are drinking the Barack kool aid". That really stuck with me for numerous reasons, most of all, because I definitely have not taken to this position lightly. It took some time for me to believe he was the best candidate for the Presidency. She then began to explain how just because he can speak well, does not mean he can be a good President. Well all I can say is that I have to quote Carolyn Kennedy, "sometimes it takes a while to recognize that someone has a special ability to get us to believe in ourselves, to tie that belief to our highest ideals and imagine that together we can do great things. In those rare moments, when such a person comes along, we need to put aside our plans and reach for what we know is possible. We have that kind of opportunity with Senator Obama." http://www.nytimes.com/2008/01/27/opinion/27kennedy.html?_r=1&oref=slogin
I am a very confident person in myself and my abilities, but I honestly feel that he is just BETTER than me and he inspires me to do better. Any person that inspires others to do better and be better, is one that I hope we all would believe to be capable of being President and should be the ONLY type of person we want as our President. There are many questions that lie ahead, don't get me wrong, I am not blind. These are difficult times and the next four years will be full of difficult decisions and pressures unlike any time since the GREAT DEPRESSION. However listening to his philosophies, his thought process, and his agenda, I have only one thing in my heart, HOPE. What other feeling should we or I have????
This is not only a revisit to a once hilarious Bud commercial but a glimpse into the reality of many. It's unfortunate that there are numerous people who struggling with what these characters are talking about and have probably many of the same feelings. I know too many people who are feeling the effects of this economic and stressful time.
The current administation has been in the office for 8 years, which is a substantial amount of time in today's global world and have no choice, but to acknowledge thier role in the current state of America. Through different policy decisions, they have hurt everyone from Big Business to the poor American. It is a shame that so many people have to hurt because of the decisions that were made by this government, but after it is all said and done, American people can only blame themselves as they are the ones that voted this administation into office.
On the other hand, this administation must be thanked. As quoted in the video, "change, that's what's up;" this could have never happened without all of the mistakes that were made by the Bush administration. There is no way that if everything was just okay, or slightly bad, would Sen. Barack Obama be able to make so much headway. It is a perfect storm for the rise of someone like Senator Barack who is able to get many people to look pass race, sex, color and look at what's important; the issues.
So in the end, maybe Bush should be congratulated for bringing the country closer together and forcing people to look pass their prejuidces. America is looking to elect either an African American President or a female Vice President. We can all thank Bush for making this possible and a certain reality. As a country we had no choice, but to look towards the best, rather than just someone who could fill the seat. Therefore, I am not sure if President George W. Bush legacy is so bad. He helped America tremedously.
This should make every person proud. Not only has this teacher took the time to learn about his students, which is demonstrated by him taking a song that is number one on the charts and using it to stimulate his classroom, but also these kids are talking about the very important Presidential Election. These children are not only understanding politics, they are partaking in a debate and learning that school can be educational, stimulating and a lot of fun. This teacher is ingenious and I am sure these students couldn't wait to get to school everyday as they were learning the new words and steps for this show.
However, it's more than a show. After this well though out and planned lesson, I am sure these students could educate some adults about politics and the stances that John McCain and Barack Obama have on a couple of issues. I am sure they are able to teach some adults about what it means to debate, what it means to study, what it means to prepare. Nothing about this is just cute, it is inspiring. One of the problems that we have with our educational system is that too many people believe that it fails our students because students have lost interest or aren't feeling like they matter.
Well I bet every one of these kids feel important now. The teacher took the time to learn about them. This school is in Atlanta, where TI is a huge megastar. These students not only know him and his music, but most likely, love him. Clearly the teacher understood this affection and used it as a tool to not only teach his students, but also entertain them. I hope to see more videos like this and when I have a family, I only pray that my child is in a classroom where the teacher genuinely cares about making sure that the students LOVE to learn.
Congratulations to Ron Clark Academy for making school, politics, and learning cool!!
Recently, we had the second of 3 Presidential debates. I have been consumed with the politics of today, especially during these uncertain times. Since the democratic primaries I have found myself at debate parties and other events that have made this experience more inclusive and inviting for people who usually feel left out of the political process. I can say that I am definitely more aware of the issues and the candidates’ positions that I have ever been at any other time or during any other election.
So during the second debate, I went to join my wife at a debate party at the 40/40 Club. Known as the Jay Z club with numerous celebrity parties and events, this was also an event for them. As I walked to the door they were quick to ask if I was there for the debate and to point me in the right direction for the viewing party. There I found numerous people like me; concerned citizens who wanted to learn more about what the candidates had to say. This was also an opportunity to discuss and debate with others about stances and how well or poorly each candidate performed.
None of this was eye opening or unusual. I have seen many of these types of people out on the streets discussing politics like it’s a sporting debate with each person taking a certain position and vehemently defending their position. So this didn't make me understand just how important this was, but rather my walk to the 40/40 club.
During my walk I began to notice a gathering of homeless people taking shelter from developing rain. It was obvious this was a normal place for them, as it was an enclave for a building and they had their boxes/shelter all set up. But to my surprise, I heard a noise, more like talking. IT was Tom Brokaw. They were listening to the debate. They were tuned in just like everyone else that I knew.
This election is about so many people with so much at stake. I only pray that people come out and truly participate in the election and let their voice be known. Today is the last day for registration in New York, but the real test will come on Nov. 4, 2008. This is not about just me, but the entire country. This is about the guy who is as rich as Bill Gates and the guy who is as poor as the people I saw listening to the debate.
Sometimes we get caught in our own world/needs and forget what globalization means. This is so big! This is so much more than ME and YOU. This is so much more than just the United States. This is the World.
Voting is suppose to be anonymous, so I question the validity of the poll. Also, who was responsible for the poll? Either way, I don''t quite understand how allowing someone to be committed and become a more stable home can be bad for anyone? Also, how does other people getting married affect others, i.e. even if a heterosexual couple gets married tomorrow, it won''t affect me, so why would a gay couple affect me. "RIGHTS" is a powerful word and why shouldn''t everyone have the same rights? I thought that was the point of this country.... If someone can explain why it''s so bad for same sex marriage other than, I think it''s wrong, then I will agree, as of now, I could care less if anyone wants to get married. Because I have heard a lot of reasons why it is bad if a committed couple can''t be married; i.e., legal, in death decisions, property, etc.
It''s interesting because both of our recent posts are about the overwhelming emotions that we are all feeling by the election of Barack Obama. There are a lot of hard times ahead of our new President. I hope we all give him time and work to help him accomplish the necessary things to make this country successful.
I know I will do my part to make sure it happens next year. Even though I spent most of my time in the hospital. I would do it all again to make sure the picnic happens
Okay, but lets be honest, there is a general type of person who is urinating in public, in the middle of the day, with no influence of alcohol or drugs. Is it good to start that path with a child so early?
This is where I have always wondered about the translation of the Bible, because I do not believe that anyone should ever fear, i.e. be scared, nervous or un sure about GOD, but always have faith that his will and his love will carry you through anything. To me, by having faith in him and believing in his WORD, you will always try to live life as he would want you. Unfortunately, everyone is human, so no one can ever live life perfectly as we should, but in trying to live a GODly life, you are also assuring and displaying to everyone your Faith in GOD. If I have Faith in him, why would I Fear him?
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All Content posted to ThinkPost in any way, is the responsibility and property of the author. ThinkPost is committed to maintaining the Service in a manner reasonably acceptable to all audiences but is not responsible for the monitoring or filtering of any blog Content. Within the confines of international and local law, ThinkPost will generally not place a limit on the type or appropriateness of user content within blogs. Those users posting material not suitable for all audiences must agree that they are fully responsible for all the Content they have posted anywhere on the Service. Should Content be deemed illegal by such law having jurisdiction over the user, you agree that ThinkPost may submit all necessary information to, and cooperate with, the proper authorities;
Should any Content that you have authored be reported to ThinkPost as being offensive or inappropriate, ThinkPost might call upon you to retract, modify, or protect (by means of private and friends only settings) the Content in question within a reasonable amount of time, as determined by the ThinkPost staff. Should you fail to meet such a request from ThinkPost staff, ThinkPost may terminate your account. ThinkPost, however, is under no obligation to restrict or monitor blog Content in any way;
ThinkPost claims no ownership or control over any Content posted by its users. The author retains all patent, trademark, and copyright to all Content posted within available fields, and is responsible for protecting those rights, but is not entitled to the help of the ThinkPost staff in protecting such Content. The user posting any Content represents that it has all rights necessary to post such Content (and for ThinkPost to serve such Content) without violation of any intellectual property or other rights of third parties, or any laws or regulations;
ThinkPost reserves the right, without limitation except by law, to serve any user Content on the web, through the downloadable clients and otherwise.
You acknowledge that ThinkPost does not pre-screen Content, but that ThinkPost and its designees shall have the right (but not the obligation) in their sole discretion to remove or refuse to remove any Content that is available through the Service. Without limiting the foregoing, ThinkPost and its designates shall have the right, but not the obligation, to remove any content that violates the TOS or is otherwise objectionable, or that infringes or is alleged to infringe intellectual property rights. You agree that you must evaluate, and bear all risks associated with, the use of any content, including any reliance on the accuracy, completeness, or usefulness of such content. Furthermore, ThinkPost reserves the right to limit access to your blog, if found in violation of the TOS, including without limitation the Member Conduct described below, by removing the blog and related user information from the member directory, search engine, and all other methods used in conjunction with finding ThinkPost's users.
ThinkPost.com Proprietary Rights. You acknowledge and agree that the Service, and any necessary software used in connection with the Service (referred to as "Software"), may contain proprietary and confidential information that is protected by applicable laws governing intellectual property, proprietary rights and the like. All ThinkPost code and specifications, and all other code and specifications for the Software and the operation of the Service, are subject to their express or implied licenses. You further acknowledge and agree that Content contained in sponsor advertisements or information presented to you through the Service or advertisers is protected by copyrights, trademarks, service marks, patents or other proprietary rights and laws. Except as expressly authorized by ThinkPost or advertisers, you agree not to modify, rent, lease, loan, sell, distribute, or create derivative works based on the Content, the Service or the Software, in whole or in part. Submission of Unsolicited Ideas and Information ThinkPost does not want to receive confidential or proprietary information from you through this Site or by email. Unless otherwise agreed in writing by an authorized ThinkPost representative, any material, information or idea you transmit to ThinkPost by any means may be disseminated or used by ThinkPost or its affiliates without compensation or liability to you for any purpose whatsoever, including, but not limited to, developing, manufacturing, and marketing products. However, this provision does not apply to Content (as defined herein), or to personal information that is subject to our Privacy Policy. Trademarks A partial list of U.S. trademarks owned by ThinkPost follows. Failure of a mark to appear on this page does not mean that ThinkPost does not use the mark nor does it mean that the product is not actively marketed or is not significant within its relevant market. Any trademarks followed by ® are registered trademarks of ThinkPost in the United States; all others are trademarks or common law marks of ThinkPost in the United States.
ThinkPost
ThinkPost logo:
ThinkPost tagline:
Member Conduct. You understand that all Content, including without limitation, all information, data, text, software, music, sound, photographs, graphics, video, messages, or other materials, whether publicly posted or privately transmitted, are the sole responsibility of the person from which such Content originated. ThinkPost does not control Content posted via the Service and, as such, does not guarantee the validity of such Content. You also understand that by using the Service, you may be exposed to Content that is offensive, indecent, or objectionable. Should Content be found or reported to be in violation with, but not limited to, the following terms, it will be ThinkPost's sole discretion as to what action should be taken. You agree to NOT use the Service to:
Upload, post or otherwise transmit any Content that is unlawful, harmful, threatening, abusive, harassing, tortious, defamatory, vulgar, obscene, libelous, invasive to another's privacy (up to, but not excluding any credit card numbers, Social Security Numbers, and driver's and other license numbers, address, email, phone number, or any other contact information without the written consent of the owner of such information), hateful, or racially, ethnically or otherwise objectionable;
Harm minors in any way;
Impersonate any person or entity, including, but not limited to, a ThinkPost staff member or volunteer, or falsely state or otherwise misrepresent your affiliation with ThinkPost or any other person or entity;
Forge headers or otherwise manipulate identifiers in order to disguise the origin of any Content transmitted through the Service;
Upload, post or otherwise transmit any Content that you do not have a right to transmit under any law or under contractual or fiduciary relationships (such as inside information, proprietary and confidential information learned or disclosed as part of employment relationships or under nondisclosure agreements);
Upload, post or otherwise transmit any Content that infringes any patent, trademark, trade secret, copyright, or other proprietary rights of any party;
Upload, post or otherwise transmit any unsolicited or unauthorized advertising, promotional materials, "junk mail," "spam," "chain letters," "pyramid schemes," or any other form of solicitation;
Upload, post or otherwise transmit any material that contains software viruses or any other computer code, files or programs designed to interrupt, destroy or limit the functionality of any computer software or hardware or telecommunications equipment;
Interfere with or disrupt the Service or servers or networks connected to the Service, or disobey any requirements, procedures, policies or regulations of networks connected to the Service;
Intentionally or unintentionally violate any applicable local, state, national or international law, including, but not limited to, regulations promulgated by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, any rules of any national or other securities exchange, including, without limitation, the New York Stock Exchange, the American Stock Exchange, or the NASDAQ, and any regulations having the force of law;
"Stalk" or otherwise harass another person or company;
Collect or store personal data about other users for business purposes;
Promote or provide instructional information about illegal activities, promote physical harm or injury against any governmental entity, group or individual, or promote any act of cruelty to animals. This may include, but is not limited to, providing instructions on how to assemble bombs, grenades, and other weapons or incendiary devices;
Use ThinkPost as a forwarding service to another website;
Allow usage by others in such a way as to violate ThinkPost's TOS;
Engage in commercial activities within ThinkPost or on behalf of ThinkPost without prior approval. This includes, but is not limited to, the following activities:
Displaying a banner that is designed to profit you or any other business or organization; and
Displaying banners for services that provide cash or cash-equivalent prizes to users in exchange for hyperlinks to their web sites.
Employ tactics to prevent the full and complete display of advertisements on ThinkPost pages. These include, but are not limited to, making blog style changes, customizations, or overrides that effectively block or substantially impair the display of advertisements on a Plus account's Content or other pages within the Service.
Solicit passwords or personal identifying information for unintended, commercial or unlawful purposes from other users.
Exceed the scope of the Service that you have signed up for; for example, accessing and using features that you do not have a right to use, or deleting, adding to, or otherwise changing other people's entries or other content when you have not been granted the privileges to do so.
Make excessive or otherwise harmful automated use of the system.
If ThinkPost determines, in its sole and absolute discretion, that any user is in violation of the TOS, ThinkPost retains the right to terminate such user's account at any time without prior notice.
Pornography and Obscenity:
Pornography and Obscenity: Image and video content that contains nudity, sexually graphic material, or material that is otherwise deemed explicit by ThinkPost should be made private.
Pedophilia, Incest and Bestiality: Users may not publish written, image or video content that promotes pedophilia, incest and bestiality.
Commercial Pornography: We do not allow content that exists for the primary purpose of monetizing porn content or driving traffic to a monetized pornography site.
Child Pornography: ThinkPost has a zero-tolerance policy against child pornography, and we will terminate and report to the appropriate authorities any user who publishes or distributes child pornography.
Waiver and Severability of Terms. The failure of ThinkPost to exercise or enforce any right or provision of the TOS shall not constitute a waiver of such right or provision. If any provision of the TOS is found by a court of competent jurisdiction to be invalid, the parties nevertheless agree that the court should endeavor to give effect to the parties' intentions as reflected in the provision, and the other provisions of the TOS remain in full force and effect.
Statute of Limitations. You agree that regardless of any statute or law to the contrary, any claim or cause of action arising of or related to use of ThinkPost services or the TOS must be filed within one (1) year after such claim or cause of action arose or be forever barred.
Choice of Law; Jurisdiction; Forum. These TOS will be governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of the State of New York, without giving effect to its conflict of laws provisions or your actual state or country of residence. Any claims, legal proceeding or litigation arising in connection with the Service will be brought solely in Kings County, New York, and you consent to the jurisdiction of such courts.
Copyright Information. It is our policy to respond to notices of alleged infringement that comply with the Digital Millennium Copyright Act. If you believe that your copyright has been infringed on the Service, please contact webmaster@thinkpost.com for information on how to file or respond to a notice of infringement.
Violations. Instructions on how to report violations of these Terms of Service can be obtained by contacting webmaster@thinkpost.com.
Entire Agreement. This Agreement constitutes the entire agreement between you and ThinkPost and governs your use of the Service, superseding any prior agreements between you and ThinkPost. You also may be subject to additional terms and conditions that may apply when you use or purchase certain other ThinkPost services, affiliate services, third-party content or third-party software. ThinkPost may at any time revise these Terms of Service by updating this posting. By using this Site, you agree to be bound by any such revisions and should therefore periodically visit this page to determine the then-current Terms of Service to which you are bound.
At ThinkPost, we realize that privacy is important and we work to always protect our members' data. Information you share with us is used for ThinkPost's internal business purposes. ThinkPost is not in the business of selling information about you. This notice tells you what information we collect, steps we take to protect and secure it, how we use and share the information, and finally, how you can access that information or contact us with questions or concerns.
Information We Gather
ThinkPost stores and maintains your account information and copies of your blog posts and comments, including drafts, in order to provide the service
ThinkPost asks for some personal information when you sign up to use ThinkPost, use ThinkPost products or services available on the ThinkPost Site (the "Service") or post content on a ThinkPost Blog site as a guest with authoring rights, including your email address and a password, which is used to protect your account from unauthorized access.
ThinkPost may also collect personal information you provide to us when you enter any promotions or sweepstakes offered on the ThinkPost site.
ThinkPost may aggregate your information with information from other users (without personally identifying you) and share it with our business partners or others.
ThinkPost may also collect information about your transactions with us and with some of our business partners. This information might include information necessary to process payments due to us from you such as your credit card number.
ThinkPost servers automatically record information about your use of the service, such as when you use ThinkPost and the frequency and size of data transfers. Information displayed or clicked in the ThinkPost interface (including UI elements, settings, and other information) is also recorded. If you are logged in we may associate that information with your account.
ThinkPost automatically receives and records information on our server logs from your browser, including your IP address, cookies, the pages you request, browser type, browser language, the date and time of your request and one or more cookies that may uniquely identify your browser.
Information We Gather
You can change your ThinkPost account settings, including your profile information, at any time in the Settings section of ThinkPost. You can edit, save drafts and remove your blog posts at any time.
If you delete your blog, we will remove all posts from public view. Because of the way we maintain this service, residual copies of your profile information and other information associated with your account may remain on back-up media.
How we use IP Address Information
ThinkPost may occasionally obtain IP addresses from users depending upon how you access our web site. IP addresses, browser and session information may be used for various purposes, including to:
Diagnose and prevent service or technology problems reported by our users or engineers that are associated with the IP addresses controlled by a specific web company or ISP.
Estimate the total number of users visiting ThinkPost from specific geographical regions.
Help determine which users have access privileges to certain content, services or resources that we offer.
Monitor and prevent fraud and abuse.
Deliver more relevant advertisements to you.
How we use Cookies
A cookie is a small amount of data, which often includes an anonymous unique identifier that is sent to your browser from a web site's computers and stored on your computer's hard drive.
You can configure your browser to accept all cookies, reject all cookies, or notify you when a cookie is set, however, if you configure your browser to reject cookies, you may not be able to use ThinkPost products or services that require you to "sign in" and you may not be able to take full advantage of all offerings on the ThinkPost site.
We use cookies to improve the quality of our service by storing user preferences and tracking user trends
ThinkPost uses its own cookies for a number of purposes, including to:
Require you to re-enter your ThinkPost password after a certain period of time has elapsed to protect you against others accidentally accessing your account contents.
Keep track of preferences you specify while you are using ThinkPost's services.
Estimate and report our total audience size and traffic.
Conduct research to improve ThinkPost's content and services.
ThinkPost lets other entities that show advertisements on some of our web pages set and access their cookies on your computer. Other entities' use of their cookies is subject to their own privacy policies, and not this policy. Advertisers or other entities do not have access to ThinkPost's cookies.
How we Use, Share and Disclose Information We Collect
ThinkPost does not share personal information we learn about you from your use of the Service or this web site with others except as described in this policy. We do not share your information with unrelated third parties for their direct marketing purposes.
When you provide personal information through using the Service you are however sharing your personal information with ThinkPost, organizations that may hold a majority interest in ThinkPost, their divisions or subsidiaries and, ThinkPost and any of its divisions or subsidiaries. The use of your personal information by these organizations is subject to this policy.
We do not share your information with unrelated third parties for their direct marketing purposes. However, ThinkPost may display targeted advertisements based on personally non-identifiable information (such as browser type and IP address) and/or personal selection (See the Section entitled "Third Party Advertising" below for more information on how your information is shared with advertisers).
ThinkPost may use your personal information where it is necessary for us to complete a transaction, to operate or improve ThinkPost and related products and services, to do something that you have asked us to do, or tell you of products and services that we think may be of interest.
ThinkPost may use your email address to contact you with required email messages about the Service.
Where you are contacted with an offer or service based on information you have shared with ThinkPost, we will do our best to provide you with an opportunity to opt-out of receiving such further communications at the time you are contacted.
When you post a message, your ThinkPost ID or alias that you are posting under may be visible to other users.
When you post a message on ThinkPost Blog Sites, you have the ability to post a message which may include personally identifiable information about yourself; consequently, you should understand that if you post personal information online that is accessible to the public, you may receive unsolicited messages from other parties in return, and we cannot be responsible for the use of any information you post publicly.
We offer some of our services in connection with other web sites. Personal information that you provide to those sites may be sent to ThinkPost in order to deliver the service. We process such information in accordance with this Policy. The affiliated sites may have different privacy practices and we encourage you to read their privacy policies.
ThinkPost does or may share personally identifiable information about you under the following circumstances:
In the course of operating our business it may be necessary or appropriate for us to provide access to your personal information to others such as our service providers, contractors and select vendors so that we can operate the Service and our business. Where practical, we seek to obtain confidentiality agreements that are consistent with this policy and that limit others' use or disclosure of the information you have shared.
We may transfer personal information to certain advertising partners that you have explicitly requested to receive information from. It will be clear at the point of collection who is collecting the personal information and whose privacy statement will apply.
We may share your personal information to respond to subpoenas, court orders, or legal process, to establish or exercise our legal rights or defend against legal claims, if in our judgment, disclosure is required or appropriate in such circumstances.
We may share your personal information if we believe it is necessary in order to investigate, prevent, or take action regarding illegal activities, suspected fraud, situations involving potential threats to the physical safety of any person, violations of ThinkPost's terms of use, or as otherwise required by law.
As we continue to develop our business, we might also sell all or part of our business. In such transactions, personally identifiable information you have shared with us is generally one of the business assets that may be transferred. The transferred personally identifiable information will remain subject to the promises made in this privacy policy or subsequent policies to which you have consented.
ThinkPost processes personal information on our servers in the United States of America and in other countries. In some cases, we process personal information on a server outside your own country. We may process personal information to provide our own services. In some cases, we may process personal information on behalf of and according to the instructions of a third party, such as our advertising partners.
If there is ever a change to how ThinkPost uses or intends to use personal information, we will post that change to this policy and, if the new policy is materially less restrictive than this policy, we will seek your consent.
Third Party Advertising
Advertisements appearing on ThinkPost may be delivered to users by ThinkPost or one of our advertising partners. Our advertising partners may set cookies. These cookies allow the ad server to recognize your computer each time they send you an online advertisement. In this way, advertising partners (or "ad networks") may compile information about where you, or others who are using your computer, saw their advertisements and determine which ads are clicked on. This information allows an ad network to deliver targeted advertisements that they believe will be of most interest to you. This privacy policy covers the use of cookies by ThinkPost and does not cover the use of cookies by any advertisers.
ThinkPost does not share any personally identifiable information with advertisers. ThinkPost may share general demographic information (such as information about members' aggregate interests and occupations) and non-personally identifiable information (such as browser type and IP addresses) with advertisers and partners. If you have a Plus account or are a Basic or Early Adopter account viewing a Plus account's journal or other content, ThinkPost shares your voluntarily-provided public profile information (such as sex, age, location and interests) and your voluntarily-provided advertising preferences information with advertisers. ThinkPost does not give advertisers access to your private personal account information (such as email address, or, if you have elected to make these private or friends-only in your profile, sex and location). However, by selecting, interacting with or viewing an ad you are consenting to the possibility that the advertiser will make the assumption that you meet the targeting criteria used to display the ad.
Confidentiality and Security
No data transmissions over the Internet or via wireless networks can be guaranteed to be 100% secure. Consequently, we cannot ensure or warrant the security of any information you transmit to us and you do so at your own risk. Once we receive your transmission, we make efforts to ensure security on our systems.
We use physical, electronic, and procedural safeguards to protect personal information about you.
Your ThinkPost Account Information is password-protected.
In certain areas, ThinkPost uses industry-standard SSL-encryption to protect data transmissions. However, please note that this is not a guarantee that such information may not be accessed, disclosed, altered or destroyed by breach of such firewalls and secure server software.
If ThinkPost learns of a security systems breach we may attempt to notify you electronically so that you can take appropriate protective steps, however, we will never ask you to submit additional personal information or to verify the status of or information related to your account in any electronic communication email. By using this web site or providing personal information to us you agree that we can communicate with you electronically regarding security, privacy and administrative issues relating to your use of this site. ThinkPost may post a notice on our web site if a security breach occurs. If this happens, you will need a web browser enabling you to view the ThinkPost.com web site. ThinkPost may also send an email to you at the email address you have provided to us in these circumstances, however, we will never ask you to submit additional personal information or to verify the status of or information related to your account in any such email. Depending on where you live, you may have a legal right to receive notice of a security breach in writing. To receive free written notice of a security breach (or to withdraw your consent from receiving electronic notice) you should notify us at webmaster@ThinkPost.com.
Changing your Preferences and Personal Information
You can edit your ThinkPost Account Information at any time. Most personal information you may provide is entirely optional. You can delete your ThinkPost account by visiting our Account Deletion page; however, please note that some personal information, primarily your contact information, may remain in ThinkPost's records to the extent necessary to protect ThinkPost's legal interests or document compliance with regulatory requirements.
Contacting ThinkPost
If you have a privacy concern regarding ThinkPost, or this policy, and if you cannot satisfactorily resolve it through the use of this web site, you should then write to us by email to webmaster@ThinkPost.com.
If you object to any sharing of your personal information that may be permitted under this policy, you may do so by writing us at the above email address. We will take reasonable steps to accommodate your requests as they relate to our advertising practices. In some instances, honoring your requests may interfere with or preclude your ability to use the Service or may require us to terminate our relationship with you.
This walkthrough will guide you through the features
that make this community unique and will provide you
with a better understanding of what it is to be a ThinkPost member.
To navigate, select one of the icons above and then
explore the selected section by using the website
snippet to the left.
Create & Express
Use ThinkPost.com to compile your thoughts about issues on a variety of topics: politics, family, faith, health, sports, music, fashion, travel, arts & entertainment, relationships, business, international, lifestyle, and science & technology. With each new blog entry, you will be able to organize a database of viewpoints and ideas that will be easily catalogued and searchable. ThinkPost.com is here to promote thought-provoking expression.
Comment & Interact
With ThinkPost.com, you will be able to create a community of people who think and also challenge you to think critically. Through the colleague function, you will be able to link with other 'thought leaders'.
Keep Informed
By making other users your colleague, you will be able to link calendars, update each other on new posts, and learn through dialogue, debate, and discussion. Unlike other networking sites that clutters your inbox, one unique feature is that you will have the option of receiving email updates and activities of your colleagues just once a day.
Go Mobile
Thoughts come when they come and ThinkPost is here to help you express those thoughts no matter where you are. Use your handheld device to log on and upload new posts as well as interact through ThinkPost e-mail, Sound Off, and see what the Power Thinkers have to say for the day.
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