Obama points out that these changes will not be easy and he will need support from both parties. I hope he can get it, but personally, I'd much rather see the quagmire completely broken. For the last two years, Republicans in the Senate have blocked progress on all the big issues with a record-breaking 90 filibusters this year. This could all change if 60 senate seats swing Democrat, and that's still possible.

As the remaining votes were counted in Alaska, convicted felon Ted Stevens finally lost his narrow lead (how on earth does a convicted felon get so much support in the first place?), which brings the U.S. senate to 58 democrats with two races undecided.

In Minnesota, Al Franken (from Saturday Night Live!) seems to be edging closer to beating Norm Coleman as ballots that were rejected for mysterious reasons may now be counted.

In Georgia, they have a great law where if no person wins over 50% of the vote, the two with the highest percentages go up for a runoff election. This race could certainly use volunteer support.

Obama has raised more than double what was raised by both candidates in 2004 and it seems to come mostly from individuals instead of corporations.

We are close to electing a democratic president with 60 or more democratic members of the senate, enough to defeat republican filibusters. This is the first time this has happened in 30 years and, if promises are kept, means great changes are possible.

And great changes are necessary. We're slipping towards the second great depression thanks to the biggest world housing bubble in history spurred by a complete lack of government oversight.

Not too long ago, the California supreme court made same-sex marriage legal. Now Proposition 8 seeks to amend the state constitution to overturn the court ruling. Polls are giving the prop a 50/50 chance of passing with people passionate on both sides. Those who support the ban are so "passionate" they're blackmailing businesses who've donated to defeat the proposition.

Personally, I'd love to defeat prop 8 and see another marginal group finally rise above discrimination. I'd also love to see that fillibuster proof senate majority.

P.S. If you'd like to vote environmental this year, check out the League of Conservation Voters for their ballot measure and candidate picks.

So, to all you shy people out there who've been waiting to contact someone or other... STOP WAITING!

If you were waiting to contact me, your chance has passed, for I've found my Mate. After ten years of pursuing dead ends and a year of courtship including three and a half months of visits, Murrahnithahn-i-ia and I are engaged to be married. The date is not yet set (we're waiting for an immigration visa), but it will be in southern California and if anyone wants an invitation, you've got about five months to bug us. =)

I've never felt like this before. Often, I felt a deep fear that there were too many problems for a particular relationship to work out, and indeed it did not. Other times I felt comfortable, somewhat content, hoping something might someday change to make me happy but doubting it would. Long ago, I tried lavishing attention on a girl only to lose her to another who hardly tried. Then the opposite: someone lavished attention on me and I stayed too long with her, for her affection unnaturally strengthened mine. Nay, when two souls are right for one another there should be no skewed expressions of affection, little fear, great joy, physical attraction, and a sense of wonder, each equally grateful for the other. My Murra, I love you.

If you'd like to register to participate as a virtual walker or donate to support CNI through me, click here.

I download audio for my drive to work. Today I heard pieces from "Camp Obama" where people spend a weekend and break into small groups to discuss all sorts of things. I cut some of their amazing stories out and put them here to share with you.

A busy mother was disillusioned, afraid to waste her scarce time believing in a candidate again, but now she feels the return of hope. A 16 year old recounts historical moments where it's been darkest before the dawn. A wife talks of Obama's positive effect on her staunchly Republican husband. A recluse who was so bitter about the evil she saw around her that she hated everyone and destroyed her life talks about how she didn't believe a word Obama said until she did extensive research, and now his message has changed her life.

Finally, a guy who’s loved America all his life says he's not seeing his America anymore. A frequent traveler, he’s now afraid to use our dollar in other countries. In Australia, a cab driver yelled at him about the Iraq war! Our leaders have divided us against the world.

Rudy Giuliani says that Obama was a “community organizer”, and laughs! Palin mocks Obama on this point as well, ignoring the fact this community organizing was three years working with churches right after college, ignoring 8 years in the state senate and 4 years in U.S. Senate.

Some people criticize Obama for not attacking back in the same truth-bending, underhanded way. Yet this actually gives me more faith in him. This country is paralyzed by endless conflicts internally and externally. We need unity to move forward on the huge issues.

To learn more about Obama, start here.

Get to know the candidates. McCain is out of touch with the working majority: he didn't even know how many houses he owns (it's 7). He jokes of bombing Iran. He slams Obama for inexperience, yet he just chose a vice president who has only 1.5 years experience as governor of Alaska and before that, mayor of a 9000 person town. She thinks creationism should be taught in schools, is anti-choice even in rape cases, thinks humans aren't causing climate change, follows McCain's "Big Oil First" policies, and has no international/diplomatic experience. At age 72, McCain is the oldest presidential candidate in history. If he passes on, or simply listens to the advice of his vice president, these will be our national values. If you're all for these things, go ahead and vote for them, but otherwise, read on.

We finally have the potential to bring America universal health care, energy independence, affordable education and an end to the war in Iraq, plus a halt to the slow deterioration and unenforcement of environmental and civil-liberty laws you might not notice until it's too late.

The Endangered Species Act is under attack, clean air and water regulations have been weakened, good EPA scientists have quit and the new guys have stalled enforcement of existing laws, there's more terrorist sentiment than before our "war on terror" and there's still no national climate change policy.

If you want this to change, vote, send an email, or donate even a few dollars. My favorite platform for all these things is MoveOn.org. More than any candidate in my memory, Obama is supported by small donations instead of big corporations, and I think that makes him far more likely to keep his promises.

When I took my class I wondered why this change had occured, and who has the power to manipulate the supposedly free media to make such a drastic change to the nature of their reporting? Well, the veil was recently lifted when Jessica Yellin spoke about her career at MSNBC saying that "press corps was under enormous pressure from corporate executives, frankly, to make sure that this was a war that was presented in a way that was consistent with the patriotic fever in the nation and the President’s high approval ratings".

Unfortunately, the veil was quickly lowered again when she ammended her story to try to take back what she said... But as far as I'm concerned, the cat's out of the bag and my trust in mass media is as low as possible. Did you know that almost all our media, which used to be owned by thousands of individuals, is now owned by ten enormous international entities?

The moral of the story is: Don't get your news from the big ten. Take the time to search the internet and find your own way. I like npr.org, or, for true democracy, digg.com

The most exciting of these new technologies that I've heard of is third generation solar panels. These panels are in full production as of last December and cost 75% less than older panels, finally putting them at around the same price as electricity from gas, and they'll only get cheaper. Plus they use less materials and can be 'printed' onto curved surfaces such as the roofs of cars or even the bodies of electric airplanes that fly above the clouds in perpetual sunlight.

Big companies are finally jumping on board with Nissan promising an affordable electric car for companies in 2010 and consumers in 2012.

Earthjustice has a new series of short videos highlighting some of the new technologies.

While technology is part of the solution, individual choice, education, and government mandates are all going to be needed to solve the climate crisis and Earth's other problems, but the technology sure is cool.