Alabama

Image via WikipediaDuring orientation week, fresh off the boat, I was saying hello to anyone and everyone. Finally it was the turn of this guy. He said, "Hi, I am Jeremiah, I am from Alabama, but I am nice."

I shook hands and played normal. But I was like, wow, what's up with this guy, he feels the need to announce he is nice. What's going on? He is kind of immodest, don't you think?

It took me about a year to realize as the shit called racism hit me full force just as I formally ascended to the most powerful student position on campus.

He had meant that although he was from Alabama he was not racist or anything like that.

Like William Faulkner said, the past is not over, it is not even past.

Jeremiah went on to become my Class President.

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Facebook Beats Google Plus On Design

Image via WikipediaI Am On Google Plus Now
Facebook Videocalling: I Am On Now

Google Plus is not a threat to Facebook just like Facebook Messages, touted by the media as the Gmail killer, has been no threat to Gmail.

Facebook has its advantages. It has mapped the social graph. Google Plus is not even trying to. Plus has a Google Buzz like awkwardness to it in terms of who all end up in your circles. Apparently you don't need people's permission before you add them to some circle. So it is a little diffuse.

Facebook has a sleek design. One of my very favorite parts of Facebook for years has been that font. How did they do that!

The starting point for Google is search, not social. The starting point with the Facebook experience is social. Just like FourSquare will beat Facebook in the check in space, Facebook will keep the lead in the social space.

But I see me using both services. There is a place for Google Plus.

My Google Plus stream seems to be dominated by the two social media stars Robert Scoble and Anthony De Rosa, the Ashton Kutcher of Tumblr. I like both fine, and I personally know Anthony. But my Facebook stream is different, although there too another social media star - Baratunde Thurston, another person I happen to know - shows up quite often. But Facebook is much more likely to throw up people I know.