NithinCoca.com

During my trip around the world, I made it a habit to take a photo of the view from my window wherever I stayed. From this came Windows on the World (WOW),a compilation of views from my window from all around the world, from Rome, Italy to Angkor Wat, Cambodia. Click here or on the photo to the left to see my Windows on the World slideshow.

Hope that you enjoy this! In other news, still not sure where I’m moving to on Sunday, and im starting to get upset at the Obama campaign for not ever getting back to me. Arghh!

During my trip around the world, I spent three weeks in Cambodia, a fascinating country with a beautiful ancient history and a horrible recent one. From Angkor Wat, one of the most beautiful sights in the world, to reading about the horrors of the Khmer Rouge, I learned a lot about what life is in Cambodia. Not to mention what I learned from the whordes of western expats living in Cambodia…

Click here to see photos from Cambodia. For more World Tour photos, check the Media section.

I added some more photos from my world tour to the Media section of the website. It’s a compilation of all the amazing sunsets and sunrises that I saw during the trip. Go check it out!

Recently added

Morocco – Rocking the Casbah 

Sunrises and Sunsets of the World

Laos – From Slow Boats to Tigers

A job update. I’ve accepted a temporary, one months position with Iraq Summer. Iraq Summer is a project to try to build grassroots pressure against targeted members of Congress in the same way that Mississippi summer build help raise awareness for the civil rights movement and Vietnam summer helped to end the war in Vietnam. I’ll be leaving Kansas City and moving to some state or congressional district on August 5th, the day after my two friends Ryan Lowell and Danielle Bartel get married.

With this job, I hope to get a taste of what real grassroots organizing is about, and help put pressure on our target to stop supporting Bush’s disastrous war and to bring our troops home now.

And also, if you’re noticed, I’ve upgraded the site and bought my own domain, NithinCoca.com and have added some videos from my trip around the world. Soon, I’ll be adding a ton of photos, other media, and much, much more. The biggest project that I am working on, a 10-15 minute movie/slideshow of my entire world tour, with photos and music from all the places I visited, should be up hopefully within a week. Stay tuned for more!

Last week, I recieved the incredible opportunity to participate in the New Organizing Institute’s (NOI) 2nd ever campaign training bootcamp. It was a competitive program, so my flight, accomodation, and food was all paid for, in return that meant suffering through a real campaign atmosphere with 16 hour days, hard work, and tight deadlines.

It was an incredible week. Imagine a room filled with 64 of the most brilliant young minds in progressive politics, from all corners of America (including four from the center, 4 Kansas Citians!), all dedicated to working to make our country better. And imagine, every day, 8-10 presenters, leaders in their field, from Organizing with Marshall Ganz, to YouTube blogging with staff from Jon Tester’s campaign. While on the side, running a campaign for President, our candidate, Stewie Griffin (web site expires at end of the July).

With my five pound binder of notes, my indispensable laptop, and my trustworthy brain, I woke up everyday at 8:00 to get breakfast and sit through 4 hours of lectures, followed by lunch for an hour then 6 more hours of lectures, before spending 1-2 hours working on a group assignment then running the Stewie Griffin for America campaign.

I imagined where we would all be in a year. Already, two people from the bootcamp are working for Obama’s campaign in South Carolina, one for Edwards, one working in Montana to take the last statewide office for the Democrats, a few on Iraq Summer, a campaign to put pressure on members of Congress in their own districts and ending the war now. Some of us are going to school, about 13 are living or moving to DC. Basically, we’re taking over the Progressive movement and forcing change. Yeah!

And me? Well, in a week I will be finished with my French class, and then finally free to move wherever I want to. I’m waiting to hear from Obama’s campaign in Nevada and also seeing if Iraq Summer will have a position available when I finish with my classes. the adventure to election day 2008 continues soon. Photos from NOI in the next post tomorrow!

Crossposted on NOI Blog

It’s strange to be back home. Though I was only gone for a week, home has changed. It’s almost as if I have taken another trip around the world, because the week at NOI changed my worldview, the world that I’m returning to has changed dramatically.

One feeling I could never get out of my head during the whole week, as I stood often dumbfounded by how smart everyone was, was just the thought of imagining what everyone here is going to be doing in a year. or 5 years. And I don’t want to think any further than that cause my brain might explode.

But just imagine. Next year, we’ll be the oil that’s gearing the machines of progressive change, and with the skills we just learned here, it won’t be imported middle eastern oil, but clean, eco-friendly, Democratically elected oil.

I want to, like everyone else, shower thanks upon Roz, Judith, Zach and the whole NOI team, but I’m afraid they might drown in self glorification. But I imagine for them, no thanks can match the pride in seeing any of us take what we’ve learned and go into the world and make it a better place. So what are we waiting for, let’s do it!

I just returned from attending the NOI (New Organizing Institute) bootcamp in Washington DC. I’ll post a long post about what I learned there, and whether or not I have a job, but first, a few links so you can see the crazy things that we did.

Our Presidential mock campaign – Stewie Griffin for President Team Pink all the way!

NOI Blog – attack ads and fighting against the other candidates, all Simpsons characters.

MYDD got into the craziness

Crooks and Liars sold out to Lisa

and of course, our two endorsements for Stewie, Bill Clinton and Al Gore

The results should be out and day now, and Stewie likely finished a strong 2nd behind the cheating antics of Lisa Simpson.