The United States has been very good to me. I moved here with my family 20 years ago, when I was 9. Since then, I’ve gone to college and graduate school, I’ve met and married the love of my life, and I’ve experienced all kinds of freedoms that most people here are lucky enough to be able to take for granted.

The Constitution has always protected me. I’ve been able to say what I’ve wished to say and worship as I’ve wished to worship (if at all). I’ve been a member of the press, and I’ve never felt the heavy hand of government censorship separate me from a story. The list goes on, and yet, unless you count taxes, this country has never once asked anything of me in return. I don’t have to enlist in the military or cater to the whims of a dictator. I don’t even have to pretend to like or approve of anything our government says or does. In fact, the First Amendment to this great document ensures my right to “petition government for a redress of grievances” if I so choose.

This has been an emotional week for me. I’ve bounced back and forth between exhilaration at the thought of finally being an American and a feeling of mourning for the Canadian citizenship I’ve now given up. I have to admit: There were moments when I had to fight off the urge to go north of the border and stock up on ketchup-flavored potato chips and poutine—neither of which I even eat. I just had this irrational fear that these childhood favorites might no longer be available to me—that I might be seen as a traitor.

Of course, this will never happen because Canada, like America, is a free country. And now that the ceremony is over, I harbor no regrets. I love the nation where I was born as much as I love the United States. I am proud to call both of these places home.

The Ceremony:

The ceremony I attended took place at Boston’s Faneuil Hall. I couldn’t think of a more appropriate venue: It was there that Samuel Adams and others planned important actions that would help America attain its freedom from Great Britain.

All across America, hundreds of thousands of new citizens take the Oath of Allegiance each year. We, like President Barack Obama and the 535 members of Congress, can vote and run for public office. We can make a difference and enact change. And in exchange, if our country needs our help, we have pledged to give it willingly and without reservation. Here is the full text of the Oath:

I hereby declare, on oath, that I absolutely and entirely renounce and abjure all allegiance and fidelity to any foreign prince, potentate, state or sovereignty, of whom or which I have heretofore been a subject or citizen; that I will support and defend the Constitution and laws of the United States of America against all enemies, foreign and domestic; that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the same; that I will bear arms on behalf of the United States when required by the law; that I will perform noncombatant service in the armed forces of the United States when required by the law; that I will perform work of national importance under civilian direction when required by the law; and that I take this obligation freely without any mental reservation or purpose of evasion; so help me God.

I take these words seriously. If it is my right to vote or my freedom to speak my mind, then it is my duty to help my fellow citizens. And if I morally or ethically object to any of these responsibilities, then it is my right, my freedom and my duty to work within the laws of the land and petition the government to change things for the better.

It’s good to be an American.

Following the Oath of Allegiance, we each stood to represent our nations of origin as they were called. As the judge pointed out: While we were all Americans that day, America would not call for us to turn our backs on who we were.

Don’t worry, it’s all fun and games. No one, to date, has lost an eye.

I attended the Boston fight at Cambridge Common, near Harvard University. Though unarmed, myself, I bravely entered the battlefield to take a few pictures (below). I got hit by a few small children—they’re ruthless—but I left mostly unscathed. In all, it seems the revelers had a great time.

Being the multimedia nerd that I am, I also shot this short video via my iPhone:

For more information on this flash-mob-style event, or to register your city for next year, check out the International Pillow Fight Day Web site.

Meet the cuttlefish, one of the brainiest, most bizarre animals in the ocean.

This mystifying creature has many senses and abilities that are alien to us humans. For example, while the cuttlefish can’t hear, it can detect sound in the form of pressure waves traveling through the water. The unique animal can also change its coloration, shape and texture at will, mimicking floating vegetation or rocks on the seafloor.

Yet when danger looms, this relative of the octopus can jet away at great speeds, shooting out a smoke screen of ink or using its ink to create decoys of itself that sit suspended in the water.

How does the cuttlefish accomplish all this? Well, I created a Flash interactive for PBS’s NOVA that explains many of its tricks. (See below.)

You can also learn more about the cuttlefish by tuning into NOVA’s “Kings of Camouflage” on your local PBS station on Tuesday, June 22. (Check your local listings.)

Until then, take a look at select parts of cuttlefish and learn more about how this master of deception and disguise functions. Simply click on the labels below for more information.

Justin Meisinger, a teaching assistant for the JO540 New Media discussion section, reported on the concert for CNN’s citizen journalism service, iReport. The report (as well as an interview with Meisinger) eventually found its way to Headline News. You can watch the segment below:

Thanks to my colleague Steve Garfield for putting this video online.