Peace on Earth
Jimmy Carter accepts the Nobel Peace Prize today! Go Jim. Read the full text of the speech. A few nights ago, on PBS I saw a special on Carter’s term in office and was impressed by a speech he gave called “Crisis of Confidence“, which although was steeped with religious overtones, was a remarkable speech nonetheless, especially considering that his popularity was falling in the polls. I really enjoyed this part:

In a nation that was proud of hard work, strong families, close-knit communities, and our faith in God, too many of us now tend to worship self- indulgence and consumption. Human identity is no longer defined by what one does, but by what one owns. But we’ve discovered that owning things and consuming things does not satisfy our longing for meaning. We’ve learned that piling up material goods cannot fill the emptiness of lives which have no confidence or purpose.

Also, a beautiful photojournalism piece up on the Washington Post site titled, A Day in the Life of Africa. Beautiful shots. The snaps of the Namib Desert are surreal.