Political Junkies Don't Have to Quit

Well, dear reader, I did vote on November 4th, and it was a humbling experience. I shall leave my vote confidential, although some may be able to make educated guesses as to whom I chose for the Presidential race.
Finally, all of those campaign workers and volunteers can catch up on their sleep, spend extra time with their families, and perhaps even have time to watch that film about George W. Bush that came out recently. Students, the election is no longer a valid excuse for playing hookie, and all those political junkies out there… maybe patches?
A friend of mine recently sent me a link to a satiric video about the condition of overly-dedicated political groupies. Published by The Onion, a satirical online news source, the video hilariously depicts this sudden "problem" of among some stark Obama supporters who now have nothing to do.
But although some may be experiencing withdrawal and wander around aimlessly in a lethargic state, do we really have nothing to do? The election may be over, but as Obama, himself, stated in his inauguration speech, "...this victory alone is not the change we seek. It is only the chance for us to make that change. And that cannot happen if we go back to the way things were. It can't happen without you, without a new spirit of service, a new spirit of sacrifice...". Obama continued saying that each of us needs to "pitch in" and "work harder." Whether you support Barack Obama or not, however you may feel about his upcoming administration, we all together must make this country more prosperous and fruitful. We have elected a leader that will hopefully point us in a good direction, but who is a leader without people to lead?
The question then becomes, how exactly we can work to better our country? The message was clear during the election what we could do to help: make phone calls, register voters, knock on doors, talk to our friends and neighbors, donate money, sport campaign buttons and t-shirts, keep candidates accountable by blogging our concerns, etc. But now, what shall we do? I believe this question must really be asked on an individual basis, as each individual has particular concerns, needs, abilities and resources. But one thing that I believe is very important with any government is transparency, and it is all of our responsibility to pay attention.
This morning on National Public Radio (NPR) I heard a short report about how the Obama administration plans to appoint a chief technology officer or "technology czar." Part of the role of this initiative is to increase transparency, for example, by promoting broadband Internet access in all areas in the U.S. and also creating an online database in which anyone on the Internet can read about federal grants and contracts, earmarks, and lobbying contracts. Obama has already appointed a technology expert to his transition team and teamed up with Republican Tom Colburn to work on this google-like database.
For all you political junkies out there--and those of you who just like the occasional buzz--this initiative by Obama should provide an intriguing outlet for your curiosities. I've always had my doubts about those patches anyway.