Tuesday, October 28, 2008
A Conversation with My Dad
The smear Obama emails are a huge hit in my family. I get 'em all the time. I also get some real articles, like an editorial that was in the Wall Street journal poking fun at what was described as a magical, whimsical, sleight of hand tax plan possible only with a magic wand and a great hat.
I've got relatives in Chicago to who swear he hasn't done diddly since he's been in the Senate. They don't actually want to hear the numbers on comparing pieces of legislation written and proposed versus years in office for he and McCain, of course.
I read the emails with some interest. Even my 12-year-old cousin wrote to me that Obama is a terrorist, but I don't much care for arguing politics with 12-year-olds. She's not old enough to vote, anyway. The problem is much like a child believing her parents, some older voters, especially in my opinion baby boomers, have been brought up to trust their government and allow it the same credibility.
Today, for a change of pace, I sent an email to the usual suspects who bombard me with constant fallacies on their way to snopes.com. It was the story about Obama giving the Norwegian lady $100 to take her luggage to her husband. I checked the story first of course, and it seemed all right to me, and in all honesty, I just found it amusing.
My dad replied in one line, basically that after Obama spreads the wealth around no one will have the hundred bucks.
The smear Obama emails are a huge hit in my family. I get 'em all the time. I also get some real articles, like an editorial that was in the Wall Street journal poking fun at what was described as a magical, whimsical, sleight of hand tax plan possible only with a magic wand and a great hat.
I've got relatives in Chicago to who swear he hasn't done diddly since he's been in the Senate. They don't actually want to hear the numbers on comparing pieces of legislation written and proposed versus years in office for he and McCain, of course.
I read the emails with some interest. Even my 12-year-old cousin wrote to me that Obama is a terrorist, but I don't much care for arguing politics with 12-year-olds. She's not old enough to vote, anyway. The problem is much like a child believing her parents, some older voters, especially in my opinion baby boomers, have been brought up to trust their government and allow it the same credibility.
Today, for a change of pace, I sent an email to the usual suspects who bombard me with constant fallacies on their way to snopes.com. It was the story about Obama giving the Norwegian lady $100 to take her luggage to her husband. I checked the story first of course, and it seemed all right to me, and in all honesty, I just found it amusing.
My dad replied in one line, basically that after Obama spreads the wealth around no one will have the hundred bucks.
Labels: 2008 Election, Obama
Saturday, October 25, 2008
Confession
I'm voting straight-ticket Blue.
I drink regular coffee; however, I do enjoy the occasional latte.
I have not shopped at American Apparel, and although I don't enjoy their whole soft-core porn line of fashion, I'm sure I've shopped at some equally detestable places when I've had the money.
That's all.
I'm voting straight-ticket Blue.
I drink regular coffee; however, I do enjoy the occasional latte.
I have not shopped at American Apparel, and although I don't enjoy their whole soft-core porn line of fashion, I'm sure I've shopped at some equally detestable places when I've had the money.
That's all.
Labels: 2008 Election
Tuesday, July 15, 2008
Six Things You May Want to Know About Barack Obama
Although I'm sure Obama's Web site has his policies outlined for the public, I enjoy reading different news sources and things on my own. If you get/have a Digg account we could swap stuff easily. I began compiling this list for a friend, but thought others might benefit:
1. A Commentary in The New Yorker on his campaign.
2. Gay Rights Views
3. His Response to the Housing Crisis
4. Philosophy of Foreign Policy
5. Campaigning Internationally
6. Acknowledging the Glass Ceiling
OK, I hope that helps! And I would love to hear your thoughts.
Although I'm sure Obama's Web site has his policies outlined for the public, I enjoy reading different news sources and things on my own. If you get/have a Digg account we could swap stuff easily. I began compiling this list for a friend, but thought others might benefit:
1. A Commentary in The New Yorker on his campaign.
2. Gay Rights Views
3. His Response to the Housing Crisis
4. Philosophy of Foreign Policy
5. Campaigning Internationally
6. Acknowledging the Glass Ceiling
OK, I hope that helps! And I would love to hear your thoughts.
Labels: 2008 Election, Obama
Friday, June 06, 2008
Freedom of (Dis)Information?
Dear Obama supporters, fellow Democrats, and those who may not support Obama, but might be concerned with truth and the widespread dissemination of information through the mass media:
With advancements in technology, to even consider the boundless impact new information has and how far it can travel in so little time is, for lack of a better word, mind-boggling.
(Just a few weeks ago I felt 13 again when my cell phone suddenly stopped working. Between saving money for a new one and then ordering one and then waiting for it and then having to get a proper charger and then to charge it took weeks; I was for once in a long while reminded of what it was like to grow up in a time before any of this existed, or at least, was accessible. I found during this time how much I had grown to rely on it, but was still able to live without it.)
In everything beautiful, there is ugliness, or so the I Ching says, and I tend to agree; which is to say that in this seemingly positive and awesomely limitless supply of information, not only do some important things get lost in the shuffle, the truth invariably at times does as well, and information as well as disinformation are prominent. It is up to us as consumers to discriminate: to turn a fine eye toward these goings on, and sometimes it is difficult to know whom or what to trust.
Who wrote this blog? Where did this email originate? Who do they work for? Where did they get their education? What do they represent? Who is their source? Is this a reliable source?
Where is this information coming from? It's hard to know what is what -- just look at what's going on with the Scott McClellan situation, and all these reporters sitting on their thumbs going, "I did a great job reporting what I was told"; or using the words "Puzzled" and "Disgruntled" over and over again, as seen on CNN and YouTube, and regurgitated and laughed at by many on The Daily Show. Aren't these "journalists"? Educated writers? The word writer implies one would have a vocabulary, yes? And opinions. Well, where are they? Where is the accountability? Where is the integrity?
The pointing fingers continues. Can the media be blamed for recycling a watered-down version of the truth? Jon Stewart pointed out the inherent deviance in not "lying", but leaving out parts, and rightfully called it deceit.
Well, I could really spend some time here remembering what was not said, what questions were not asked, and how during the time we went to war the only way one could find a less muddy picture of anything was to read, read, read. Not take things on face value, not read one newspaper, that's it; not believe what you heard politicians say on TV; not to only believe what one source said a politician said; or what one commentator said about what a reporter said about what a politician said.
To close our eyes and imagine the most unthinkable conspiracy would have been closer to the truth than what so many of us got; and anyone who tried to see anything else besides what was all over every publication was accused of being a kook.
And now the country is in such shambles that the best and worse is to come, the best being that someone like Barack Obama can politically get as far as he has gotten. Because people are at a place where they want to hear something real. Where they are tired of lies, tired of complacency, and starving for inspiration and hope.
Barack Obama pledges to bring us hope and then work with us to deliver the things for so long Americans have been denied, like healthcare and good education.
Still, yet another obstacle we must confront is that some in high places, and others who are understandably jaded irreparably in the climate of crisis this country has been in and all the tolls it has taken economically, politically, and spiritually, who are perpetuating negativity, disbelief, and false accusations out of -- who knows? -- I suspect and prefer to believe they are equally frustrated and are trying to do what is right.
What we should charge to do -- whether and Obama supporters or not -- is to seek the information out for ourselves.
But in addition, those of us who would like to see Obama get elected need to be prepared to fight fire with fire. Perhaps "fire" isn't the right word, but we need to be ready to counter these prevailing lies with the truth. Let's inform ourselves so that we may be armed with the words, information, and sources to defend our beliefs. We are only going to need to work harder to fight the system from tearing our hopes apart with all the rumors -- rumors that Obama doesn't care, or that he's racist, or has Muslim extremist hidden agendas (yes, I've gotten several emails forwarded to me from anonymous sources about this).
So, what I'm going to do is fight back. I'm going to read it all. I'm not going to simply ignore these absurdities. And then to every bulletin, every email, every negative piece of utterly ridiculous press, blog, or hearsay, I'm going to take something positive, informative, and true and fire it right back at the source.
Dear Obama supporters, fellow Democrats, and those who may not support Obama, but might be concerned with truth and the widespread dissemination of information through the mass media:
With advancements in technology, to even consider the boundless impact new information has and how far it can travel in so little time is, for lack of a better word, mind-boggling.
(Just a few weeks ago I felt 13 again when my cell phone suddenly stopped working. Between saving money for a new one and then ordering one and then waiting for it and then having to get a proper charger and then to charge it took weeks; I was for once in a long while reminded of what it was like to grow up in a time before any of this existed, or at least, was accessible. I found during this time how much I had grown to rely on it, but was still able to live without it.)
In everything beautiful, there is ugliness, or so the I Ching says, and I tend to agree; which is to say that in this seemingly positive and awesomely limitless supply of information, not only do some important things get lost in the shuffle, the truth invariably at times does as well, and information as well as disinformation are prominent. It is up to us as consumers to discriminate: to turn a fine eye toward these goings on, and sometimes it is difficult to know whom or what to trust.
Who wrote this blog? Where did this email originate? Who do they work for? Where did they get their education? What do they represent? Who is their source? Is this a reliable source?
Where is this information coming from? It's hard to know what is what -- just look at what's going on with the Scott McClellan situation, and all these reporters sitting on their thumbs going, "I did a great job reporting what I was told"; or using the words "Puzzled" and "Disgruntled" over and over again, as seen on CNN and YouTube, and regurgitated and laughed at by many on The Daily Show. Aren't these "journalists"? Educated writers? The word writer implies one would have a vocabulary, yes? And opinions. Well, where are they? Where is the accountability? Where is the integrity?
The pointing fingers continues. Can the media be blamed for recycling a watered-down version of the truth? Jon Stewart pointed out the inherent deviance in not "lying", but leaving out parts, and rightfully called it deceit.
Well, I could really spend some time here remembering what was not said, what questions were not asked, and how during the time we went to war the only way one could find a less muddy picture of anything was to read, read, read. Not take things on face value, not read one newspaper, that's it; not believe what you heard politicians say on TV; not to only believe what one source said a politician said; or what one commentator said about what a reporter said about what a politician said.
To close our eyes and imagine the most unthinkable conspiracy would have been closer to the truth than what so many of us got; and anyone who tried to see anything else besides what was all over every publication was accused of being a kook.
And now the country is in such shambles that the best and worse is to come, the best being that someone like Barack Obama can politically get as far as he has gotten. Because people are at a place where they want to hear something real. Where they are tired of lies, tired of complacency, and starving for inspiration and hope.
Barack Obama pledges to bring us hope and then work with us to deliver the things for so long Americans have been denied, like healthcare and good education.
Still, yet another obstacle we must confront is that some in high places, and others who are understandably jaded irreparably in the climate of crisis this country has been in and all the tolls it has taken economically, politically, and spiritually, who are perpetuating negativity, disbelief, and false accusations out of -- who knows? -- I suspect and prefer to believe they are equally frustrated and are trying to do what is right.
What we should charge to do -- whether and Obama supporters or not -- is to seek the information out for ourselves.
But in addition, those of us who would like to see Obama get elected need to be prepared to fight fire with fire. Perhaps "fire" isn't the right word, but we need to be ready to counter these prevailing lies with the truth. Let's inform ourselves so that we may be armed with the words, information, and sources to defend our beliefs. We are only going to need to work harder to fight the system from tearing our hopes apart with all the rumors -- rumors that Obama doesn't care, or that he's racist, or has Muslim extremist hidden agendas (yes, I've gotten several emails forwarded to me from anonymous sources about this).
So, what I'm going to do is fight back. I'm going to read it all. I'm not going to simply ignore these absurdities. And then to every bulletin, every email, every negative piece of utterly ridiculous press, blog, or hearsay, I'm going to take something positive, informative, and true and fire it right back at the source.
Labels: 2008 Election, Obama
Wednesday, April 09, 2008
Information Overload.
I can't tell if my brain is rotting, frying or expanding, but I've been taking in a lot of information lately.
I used to care about issues, and I would read everything I could, and try at least to argue my point of view, when challenged.
But over the years, something changed. For a while I cared a lot, but then I learned to pay less attention. And less, until, even when slightly inspired, or feeling like I may have something to contribute, I could not even begin to try to articulate some sort of logical, informed opinion, which I also have always felt, even on the break, is often the only opinion worth having.
Lately, though, I can't help but reevaluate. On the one hand I am realizing how much I do care about, how much I've always cared about, how little things have changed for the better, and how now, perhaps more than ever, a need exists for certain issues to be discussed and addressed, and even hashed out from opposite sides.
This newfound knowledge surrounding the necessity for debate, however challenging, sometimes futile feeling, and oftentimes painful, is nonetheless acute.
We have so many options concerning how we spend our time, what we choose to care about, that sometimes realizing this in itself can have a stifling, suffocating effect.
But I dream, and I hope, that if I can acknowledge this and meet it head on, not being afraid of conflict, not being fearful of my own competence, or what impression I may make, I might be able to do something about it.
***
The fact that crime has gone down in many of our major cities over the last few years is often overshadowed by the feeling of Mean World Syndrome, that we live in a world that is completely unsafe. It is unsafe to go to school. It is unsafe to walk around town. It is unsafe to be out at night. It is unsafe for children to play in parks.
And then, inside is as unsafe as out: it is unsafe to purchase things on the Internet. It can be harmful to your computer to visit certain sites, or open the wrong email, exposing your hardware to a virus, or in the case of some young people lately, to be assaulted online and subjected to humiliation and bullying.
It is unsafe to watch too much television, loaded with violence and sex that is speculated to have such a wide overall effect on the attitudes and beliefs of spectators. Whether it is agreed or doubted that engaging in certain kinds of media too much can cause one to behave more aggressively, above all things consumption of the media is definitely known to cultivate our worldview, one that arguably can be so cynical, that rather than participate in an active social exchange we set ourselves up to ingest even more poison in our own homes.
This is what is seen as safe.
***
We have reports coming out showing that inner-city school kids have only half a chance of graduating. Some would argue it's the Education System's fault. Some would argue it's their parents' fault.
I like what Obama said. Something about how they are not "those" kids. They are "our" kids. That's pretty much how I've always felt about it.
I don't know if it's the fact that I went to 11 schools in three states when I was growing up, and got to see the system from a few different angles, or if it's because I was so disappointed over and over again by my teachers, and standardized tests, and not being challenged enough to care a lot of the time.
I don't know if it's because I read an essay on education in my Comp II class at 20 years old and went on to read several books by the same author, Jonathan Kozol, and about the issues he observed in neighborhoods and with families and with bureaucracy and healthcare and drugs, but something early on got me fired up about education, what it should be, what everyone should have access to. One of the most basic human rights, in the first place, but something everyone needs in this country to the extent that each can survive in our economic system.
There are very few marketable low-level skills anymore. Between manufacturing moving to service, countless jobs moving overseas for cheap labor and the benefit of bypassing pollution laws and labor unions, and things have moved to technology in a lot of ways too, but one skill goes out the door with the next big thing, and it is specialized as well as ever-changing.
However few jobs we have on that end, they are also overcrowded with the fact that the market is flooded with newly graduated college degree holders, who more often than not have education but no experience, student loans to repay, and a vague idea of why they went to college in the first place, placing their hands out after paying their dues for four-plus years, and wondering if it will ever pay off in the future.
***
The world is so complex, adding on to all these other issues one could barely hope to tackle in the slightest in one blog post, and also knowing they are further complicated and clouded in the fog of hidden agendas, including profit, hate, elitism, classism and hindsight as viewed through competing generations.
It seems just as many people think they know where we should go, while the rest of are saying, "Where do we go from here?" And the few who might fall in to at least ask the question or beg for an answer or even possibly propose one on their own, instead chalk it up to the idea that humanity is going to hell in a handbasket.
But what if it's not? I have to believe it's not. And just as I am voting for Obama because the chance that he is full of shit when compared to other politicians seems to me at least to be a lot slimmer, he also at least says the things that so many before him for a long time coming have never even dared to say.
And as for myself, if I care enough to try for anything, to be inspired enough to defend my own views as well as aim for some kind of positive change, that's all I can really dare to do. And if my own daring or Obama's or anyone else who ever dared to care would so in vain, it's better than never trying, never feeling, never dreaming. The alternative is not an option anymore.
I can't tell if my brain is rotting, frying or expanding, but I've been taking in a lot of information lately.
I used to care about issues, and I would read everything I could, and try at least to argue my point of view, when challenged.
But over the years, something changed. For a while I cared a lot, but then I learned to pay less attention. And less, until, even when slightly inspired, or feeling like I may have something to contribute, I could not even begin to try to articulate some sort of logical, informed opinion, which I also have always felt, even on the break, is often the only opinion worth having.
Lately, though, I can't help but reevaluate. On the one hand I am realizing how much I do care about, how much I've always cared about, how little things have changed for the better, and how now, perhaps more than ever, a need exists for certain issues to be discussed and addressed, and even hashed out from opposite sides.
This newfound knowledge surrounding the necessity for debate, however challenging, sometimes futile feeling, and oftentimes painful, is nonetheless acute.
We have so many options concerning how we spend our time, what we choose to care about, that sometimes realizing this in itself can have a stifling, suffocating effect.
But I dream, and I hope, that if I can acknowledge this and meet it head on, not being afraid of conflict, not being fearful of my own competence, or what impression I may make, I might be able to do something about it.
***
The fact that crime has gone down in many of our major cities over the last few years is often overshadowed by the feeling of Mean World Syndrome, that we live in a world that is completely unsafe. It is unsafe to go to school. It is unsafe to walk around town. It is unsafe to be out at night. It is unsafe for children to play in parks.
And then, inside is as unsafe as out: it is unsafe to purchase things on the Internet. It can be harmful to your computer to visit certain sites, or open the wrong email, exposing your hardware to a virus, or in the case of some young people lately, to be assaulted online and subjected to humiliation and bullying.
It is unsafe to watch too much television, loaded with violence and sex that is speculated to have such a wide overall effect on the attitudes and beliefs of spectators. Whether it is agreed or doubted that engaging in certain kinds of media too much can cause one to behave more aggressively, above all things consumption of the media is definitely known to cultivate our worldview, one that arguably can be so cynical, that rather than participate in an active social exchange we set ourselves up to ingest even more poison in our own homes.
This is what is seen as safe.
***
We have reports coming out showing that inner-city school kids have only half a chance of graduating. Some would argue it's the Education System's fault. Some would argue it's their parents' fault.
I like what Obama said. Something about how they are not "those" kids. They are "our" kids. That's pretty much how I've always felt about it.
I don't know if it's the fact that I went to 11 schools in three states when I was growing up, and got to see the system from a few different angles, or if it's because I was so disappointed over and over again by my teachers, and standardized tests, and not being challenged enough to care a lot of the time.
I don't know if it's because I read an essay on education in my Comp II class at 20 years old and went on to read several books by the same author, Jonathan Kozol, and about the issues he observed in neighborhoods and with families and with bureaucracy and healthcare and drugs, but something early on got me fired up about education, what it should be, what everyone should have access to. One of the most basic human rights, in the first place, but something everyone needs in this country to the extent that each can survive in our economic system.
There are very few marketable low-level skills anymore. Between manufacturing moving to service, countless jobs moving overseas for cheap labor and the benefit of bypassing pollution laws and labor unions, and things have moved to technology in a lot of ways too, but one skill goes out the door with the next big thing, and it is specialized as well as ever-changing.
However few jobs we have on that end, they are also overcrowded with the fact that the market is flooded with newly graduated college degree holders, who more often than not have education but no experience, student loans to repay, and a vague idea of why they went to college in the first place, placing their hands out after paying their dues for four-plus years, and wondering if it will ever pay off in the future.
***
The world is so complex, adding on to all these other issues one could barely hope to tackle in the slightest in one blog post, and also knowing they are further complicated and clouded in the fog of hidden agendas, including profit, hate, elitism, classism and hindsight as viewed through competing generations.
It seems just as many people think they know where we should go, while the rest of are saying, "Where do we go from here?" And the few who might fall in to at least ask the question or beg for an answer or even possibly propose one on their own, instead chalk it up to the idea that humanity is going to hell in a handbasket.
But what if it's not? I have to believe it's not. And just as I am voting for Obama because the chance that he is full of shit when compared to other politicians seems to me at least to be a lot slimmer, he also at least says the things that so many before him for a long time coming have never even dared to say.
And as for myself, if I care enough to try for anything, to be inspired enough to defend my own views as well as aim for some kind of positive change, that's all I can really dare to do. And if my own daring or Obama's or anyone else who ever dared to care would so in vain, it's better than never trying, never feeling, never dreaming. The alternative is not an option anymore.
Labels: 2008 Election, Books, Dreams, Goals, Obama, Social Problems, The Media
