Patrick called me while I was waiting in line at Google for a ride to my hotel. He said “guess what Dad, I have a blog.” Oh, great, what’s the URL I asked. miniscobleizer.blogspot.com.
I sense he’s just trying to be rebellious. First an iPod. Now he’s using a Google blog tool. I gotta straighten him out. He’s only 11. Imagine how rebellious he’ll be when he’s 14!!
By the way, I didn’t help him at all. He says that “without any readers my blog will fail.” I’d answer: write anyway. But the readers certainly make life much better.
Oh, what else did I tell him? “I’m at standing in line at a Google party.” Then I got into a car for one of the most incredible rides of my life. Who was sitting next to me? James H. Billington, Librarian of Congress. Read his bio. Oh. My. Gawd. This guy is incredible. He runs the #1 library in the world. Think about that. I ask him how Microsoft could help him out. He pitches me on a way to change how everyone in the world will use libraries. Over the Web. Says it’ll cost only about $25 million.
He then goes on about the world’s treasures that are located in the Library of Congress. The rare books. The international collections. I’ve been pinching myself ever since.
Oh, and Maryam, he told me all about his trip to Iran. Says I have to go. Says the people there are smart, educated, interesting, and nice. I said “I know, that describes Maryam, my wife, to a T.”
