Life On the Wicked Stage: Act 2

So, Congress Can't Act, All Hell Breaks Loose, What Do You Teach Your Children?

So, here's a question for friends of mine and readers of this blog with small children. Over the last weeks we've seen the complete collapse of what the founders envisioned as Representative Democracy. It was a noble experiment. I think we've seen it finally fail. If what we're hearing tonight as I compose this post is true, a right wing think tank, The Heritage Foundation, sent out a missive to Republican House members that buckled their knees so much, we won't see a vote in the House on what looked like was going to be yet another feckless attempt to accomplish something or anything. That could still change, but the bald face bullying as sent the cowards scampering to their corners. Some would argure that democracy is always messy. It is. But I don't think this quailifies as messy or democracy.

Oh, that question? What do you teach your children these days when it comes to things like reciting the Pledge of Allegiance? You remember what that is don't you. Originally composed by a Baptist minister and Christain Socialist, Francis Bellamy, that's the pledge we should all be able to recite by memory from about the first grade on, if not sooner. But haven't the actions of our Congress critters (on both sides) proven that it is just a hollow incantation, even considering the blood that has been shed over the flag we pledge to and the nation and ideals it represents? That last part is key.

I don't ask this question in jest, or with snark. I ask it sincerely. Given that it is difficult to justify the actions, words, and dare I say, intelligence, of the folks we elect and pay as leaders, what do you say to your children about this?

 

On Dicks and Dongles

Starting to get back into the swing of things a bit after some life altering news of late. That said, the swing set here has been dormant for quite some time, so it will take a bit to knock the rust off. There's been so much water under so many bridges since I had to semi-retire from writing for this blog and others that if I tried to catch up, well, let's just say that would be as futile as a certain Virginia governor trying to salvage what is left of his career by giving back a Rolex.

So, we'll move on and pick up anew. That said, the headlines of today look pretty much the same. Only the names and circumstances change in the ridiculous rat race that we somehow still like to call human. But maybe that's the point. Human nature is what it is all about and human nature has more of an interest in the dark than the light.

So, this blog was always about culture, politics, things I found entertaining and a bit of tech. We'll try to get back to some of that in the days ahead. So, let's kick off by saying you won't find much talk about a certain idiot in New York City, who likes to send pictures of himself around to women, and then seems to think he can still run for mayor of that city. If nothing else, change your damn name.  All you are doing is reducing the Internet to a level below its prepubescent preponderance for dick jokes and other puerile predilections. Actually, it isn't just the Internet. We long ago dismissed shame as something we would brandish on those who deserved it, in lieu of profiting on their stupidity for our own sakes. That, though, doesn't give you permission to jerk off in public, even if those looking for links will join in and make it a circle; or that voters in South Carolina and other places have proven that we don't care about the smarts of those we elect, have short memories, or just find the whole thing more entertaining than the latest failed movie blockbuster.

On to a bit of technology. Google has released Chromecast, a dongle that dangles out of an HDMI port and allows you to use mobile devices and computers to throw video to your big screen. Huzzah! Maybe the third time will be the charm for Google and TV because it has failed at least twice. The Chromecast concept at least looks like it has promise and the price ($35) is certainly right. That is until those who control the content start to do a little squeezing. Content providers and pipe purveyors certainly recognize Google's play here and gosh, golly gee, they don't want you to watch their stuff with somebody else's ads on it. They've lost the time shifting and place shifting battles and I don't think they want to loose the dongle dance that should lead to this technology being built into TVs down the road.

I may be wrong, but as exciting as Chromecast looks to be, I bet we see a backlash from the content providers that will affect all streaming services. Short memories easily forget how DRM schemes forced on computer manufacturers crippled computers (and in some cases still do). I mean let's get serious. The next time some dickhead politician pops his head up (or other things) and the ratings war games begin on that news, they want you tuning into their coverage today, not streaming it through your browser tomorrow. But then the term "breaking news" is a broken cliché and has as much currency as the stuff the content providers willingly let you stream on existing services.

And for those who might be offended at the headline of this post, keep in mind what the Urban Dictionary lists as its 15th definition of dongle.

The 8th Annual Life on the Wicked Stage Ink Blot Awards

Here we go. It's Ink Blot Awards time. A time for fun, and time for some introspection, a time for passing time, and a time for looking back. I've been blogging both here and at GottaBeMobile.com for over eight years now. I began this little annual tradition on the first annivesary of this blog as a way of celebrating a community that no longer exists today. That community was a group of geeks devoted to the early Tablet PCs. Things have changed quite a bit since, but here's what I wrote on that first anniversary as some context.

I created The Life On The Wicked Stage Ink Blot Awards as a celebration. Yes, it's a celebration of the 1 year anniversary of this blog. But it is more than that. It is a celebration of a community that I have come to know and admire. The Tableteers that make up the Tablet PC Community are an amazing collection of individuals who know and work with the Tablet PC platform. They are fiercely protective of it, insatiably curious about advancing it, very intelligent, often wickedly funny, at one time very forgiving and patient, and in the same breath, scathingly critical when the need arises. They are also exceedingly willing to evangelize the platform to anyone who will listen, and in my humble opinion, have helped keep the spotlight on The Tablet PC in ways that may, in the long run, prove to be responsible for keeping the platform thriving.

Like I said, many things have changed since then. The Ink Blot Awards continue to evolve, without or without any hint of intelligent design. Those early Tablet PCs might as well be made of stone given how the technology has advanced. The media that covers Tablets (and other things as well) proves over and over again that the exciting technology we have at our current disposal doesn't mean that the stone age thinking of how we cover things goes away with new technology.

What hasn't changed and what's consistent about Tablets and mobile tech is that they offer a very personal experience. Apple gets this. Microsoft and others are trying to, but they insist on making devices while Apple creates experiences.

My attitude about politics, cultural happenings, and other things are also changing. I've also changed how I observe and remark about them. The convenience of Twitter, App.net, Google+ and Facebook take something away from this blog. I used to worry about that. I don't any longer.

I used to find most of what revolves around us as we make our way through this crazy life as entertaining in a "Human Comedy" sort of way. That has stopped, largely. What used to entertain more frequently just fills me with disdain. I guess that's mostly because those that pull the levers seem to view us all with disdain and they are becoming more transparent about it. I suppose I'm losing my tolerance, but perhaps that's because these days you can't talk about things in a nuanced manner. Whether the subject be politics or the latest gadget, you're either with us or against us, whoever the us is. Why remain tolerant with intolerance? Hating is the in thing these days, though for whatever reason I can't quite figure out. The ins and outs of life begin with the foibles of humans. We can create beauty and magic. We can also screw up just about anything we touch given half a chance. It used to be we acknowledged that, celebrated it, and moved on, bettering ourselves in the process. We might still do some of that, but far too often I increasingly feel like we're playing a sucker's game. Granted the game is being rigged by other suckers who just don't realize that's what they are. Rats in a maze can only repeat their paths so often before they pass out and die or get too fat from finding the reward. I often wonder why we get so many chances to make the same mistakes over and over. Maybe we're just too small to see the maze.

All pretense aside, the rules for inclusion on this little list are the same as they have always been. Award winners are subject to my own whims and fancies. Some are best in class, some are just frivilous, some deserve the small heaping of scorn these awards might cast their way. Human nature, no matter the field of endeavor, is ripe with that which needs celebrating, and that which needs derision cast its way. Good friend and Tableteer, Mark “Sumocat” Sumimoto, christened these awards with the nickname of ‘The Blotties’ in year one, and that sorta stuck. So we'll let it keep sticking. And finally, if you don't like the list, go make your own.

So, as always, hit the jump, cue the dancing girls, beat out a tattoo on the drums, sound the trumpets  and get ready for the Eighth Annual Life on the Wicked Stage Ink Blot Awards .

Enjoy!

A Small Victory for the Non-Lying Class

It was tempting to title this post A Small Victory for Truth over Lying, but that would have been a lie. Neither political party, nor neither of the two candidates who ran for the presidency of the USA has a anything approaching a respect for the truth. If you disagree with that statement you are lying to yourself, stop reading this post and move on into your own world of fantasy. If two oppoents could claim a monopoly on lying then both could in this case. Nonetheless, there was a small victory on Tuesdaty for those in the non-lying class, or perhaps that should be those who prefer to be treated as if they aren't schoolchildren when it comes to confronting the issues we have before us.

If lying wasn't such a fundamental piece of keeping those who practice it in power and rolling in the dough, we'd be seeing the beginnings of tear down of many of the things that we all accept as a part of the game called politics. We're seeing some fraying around the edges, yes, but let's get real. Wholesale change isn't going to occur simply because one side lost in a game where the winners don't matter. The whinners might matter more. 

We can talk about the candidates, the lack of candidates, skewed polling, Nate Silver, the non-messaging messages, the technological failures, the failure of this or that, the shift in demographics, media bias, storms, etc... but that's a game that only losers play. There is something to the shift in demographics, but only the blind (or those with blinders on) couldn't see that coming over the last 20 years. What's really at the core of why so many feel so unfulfiilled after this recent election is that the outcome proved that the industry surrounding politics in this country failed and failed miserably. 

It failed because at its very essence it took those it was selling to for granted. It failed because it exists to feed itself, not offer a better shot at the future. It failed because lying is its best weapon and the targets of those weapons have, I hope, simply dodged the bullets flying at them from both sides. Set aside the issues for a moment (if you can), and recognize that both sides believed that they could advertise, market, and sell to a public in the way that would have never allowed Willy Loman to ever collect a commission. It has been a contempuous underestimation of the intelligence of those it wishes to sell to for far too long. The movers and shakers who play this game watched as the game pieces refused to move and were, (gasp) surprised at the outcome in a way that Captain Renault would dismiss as ignorant.

For the last decade those who hold power have not been paying attention to how they have eroded trust in government, religious institutions, social institutions, and anything other institution you can think of. Instead they have congratulated themselves for finding new ways to remove truth, data, facts, and reality from the discussion. Anyone who dared speak a bit of truth, or lay out a fact, quickly found out that they were subject to the quickest game of "kill the messenger" that has ever existed. At least Greek dramatists gave the messenger a monologue. And we were left with no facts, no sense of a baseline for the truth, and no way to figure out who was right or wrong. Or so they thought.

The results of this election will only truly matter if there is some serious reconsideration of the game. That won't happen sadly, because too many fortunes depend on keeping the bubble from popping.

Back to the demographics, and a key point in my view. George W. Bush tried to hand the Republican party its future when he pushed for immigration reform during his tenure. The right refused to go along. Then Obama got elected, give early lip service to the issue until it mattered, and caught the Right by surprise during the campaign season. If you're a Republican you should sue for political malpractice because that was as predictable as day following night. But, at that point, the Right's modus operandi of opposing anything Obama mentioned had caught up to them in ways they hadn't realized and couldn't reverse, and the Democrats now own the Hispanic vote until a Rubio or a Bush comes along to challenge them. But they will have to fight through and over the idiociy that this contest's candidates and party foisted on them in their desperately misquided attempts to oust Obama. Self-deportation? Did that really get said in a debate? Yes, it did.

And that shows just how simply ridiciculous this game has become, and how simple-minded its players have morphed into. We reached a point where very few listened to ideas because we weren't given any, instead listening to those who fed into our own fears on both sides. Calling it an echo chamber or a mirror effect does disservice to both of those clichés. it was a giant circle jerk that turned into a circular firing squad.

Will anyone learn from this? Only those who I hope won't be blinded or blind-sided again. The solution to the issues at hand aren't easy, and have been made more challenging by those we elect to solve them. They've demonized opponents and ideas, and even made the essence of governing- "compromise", a dirty word. In turn, they've turned their own swords on themselves in some sort of weird hari-kari or seppukoo dance, that won't even have the honorable ending that those traditions cloak themselves in. 

While that might sound just too damn depressing, the real hope here is that enough of us pawns in the game may have finally seen that those who want to lead us are as naked as emporer in a fable.

 

 

How I'm Voting This Year

So, the great circus we call American politics heads to its big day on Tuesday. I won't say "finale" because there is a good chance the final result won't be known for a few days after election day. Let's hope we don't get into that again. However this ends up, I have to say I will just be glad its over. I do think the result will matter. Elections do have consequences. But I'll be glad its over because at the very least we won't have to watch the two guys running for the White House make stuff up anymore. Sure, we'll go back to watching elected politicans make stuff up, but as they've proven in the most recent past, making stuff up instead of making laws is what they do best.

When the election is done, we'll be left with a shambles. Our political landscape already looks like parts of the East Coast that were ravaged by the Frankenstorm. I hope that we've reached the bottom of the big hole we've been throwing ourselves into since the early days of Lee Atwater and Newt Gingrich. Leaders who will desecrate that which they want to achieve in order to achieve it aren't leaders. They are scoundrels and opportunistic parasites in my book and deserve scorn.

Lee Atwater acknowledged this before his death. Something tells me Gingrich never will. But this isn't just a Republican thing, both sides are guilty of the destruction. We're reached a point where nothing that is said by anyone is true. Lying wins these days, because, well, facts are what we say they are, depending on who we are and who the other side is. Reporting on that has lost all meaning. When facts shift like sands under the beating surf, there's no way the house stands on its foundation. Strict adherence to anything that our side espouses has become as rigid as a blood oath, even when we have to disavow things that we formerly believed in and know are right. Truth has always been a casualty in politics. That's not news. But we've reached the point where we are aborting truth in the womb before it even has a chance to become a casualty on the battlefield. As long as we win I guess it is all OK. Everywhere you turn, on the boob tube, to Twitter, to the papers, everyone wants to be some sort of combination of Matt Drudge, Ann Coulter, Chris Matthews, or Ed Schultz. You really couldn't make this stuff up if you tried. But then that's why fiction writers at least give their characters some sort of spine.

What gets me about this game is that it is being played by what I have always assumed are intelligent people. I have now officially begun to doubt that, as the players and their proponents but carnival barkers to shame. Whether it is my assumptions that are off, or we've finally reached a point where the only folks we can attract into politics are those with egos that outweigh their intelligence I don't know. Regardless, as a student of history, I find it a sad state of affairs.

Yes, I will be voting on Tuesday. Yes, I will be voting for Barack Obama. But here's something that will probably piss off or astound some of my liberal friends and a few of my conservative ones.

Going into this election cycle, (I'm talking 2010 here) I was prepared to listen to the Republican side of things. The reason? We'll simply put, I didn't think Obama was up to the task in a world where his opponents were hell bent on destroying him rather than actually doing what we pay them for when we elect them. Unfortunately for him (and us) he got boxed in by the Republicans in a game that he couldn't win. Sadly, I don't think anyone could have done any better. Tragically, I'm sorry it happened that way. Because no president in the future will ever have the opportunity to lead again. We've allowed so called statesmen to destroy that.

But the reason I was going to give the Republicans a fair shot was pragmatic. The business I run has been struggling since the market collapse. It was obvious to me that the Republicans didn't care if they burnt down the country, they weren't going to allow Obama to accomplish anything remotely positive when it came to the economy. In my pragmatic mode of thinking, I may not agree with much of what the Republicans stand for, but at least we'd get out of this game of chicken we'd been playing with our the economy. Sure, we'd be playing a different game, but maybe, just maybe, things would improve a little.

But something happened along the way. The Republicans, in a year when they should be walking away with this election, fielded the most inept group of cartoons for candidates that could possibly be imagined. I may be doing a disservice to cartoons everywhere by calling them that, but so be it. Think back a minute to the Republican primaries. Serous adults allowed that mockery of this nation's political process to actually occur. Serious adults actually pretended to give credence to the likes of Michele Bachmann, Donald Trump, Rick Perry, and God help us, Newt Gingrich. The only candidate who actually sounded like he believed in anything was Rick Santorum. Unfortunately, even the rightest of the right wing wouldn't go there with him. And the best the Republicans could come up with was Mitt Romney.

In the last two presidential election cycles the Republicans have put forth nominees that prove, more than anything they do, that the only reason they care about winning the White House has to be because they believe it doesn't matter. But then George W. Bush proved that it both doesn't matter and yet matters so, so much. What did I say about elections having consequences? The ones that do for the Republicans are in State houses and the US House of Representatives. I honestly believe that the selection of Romney means that they don't want the White House. It is tougher to govern than it is to be the opposition.

You know, Romney might actually be a smart businessman, and he might actually be a decent man. Unfortunately, we'll never know, because win or lose, we've never had the opportunity to find out. And if there is any shame left in the man, someday in the future, I hope he reveals it. If nothing else to cleanse his own soul. If he wins, he's going to have a hard time, because while he may be rich and own a bunch of stuff, there is nothing he owns when it comes to a set of values anymore. If he loses, he'll go down in history as something of a joke. He won't even get the benefit of hanging around the way Sarah Palin did. When a modern day candidate and his campaign thinks they can get away without providing some serious sounding answers to questions, then how could they possibly expect my vote or yours. Note, I didn't say serious real answers. Just serious sounding ones. I know how the game is played.

So, my pragmatism has kicked in again. Actually it kicked in once Romney chased the other cartoons off the stage.

You see, even in my state of despairing disenchantment, I actually believe in our political process. At least the way it used to be. Campaigns revealed character. Campaigns revealed how we think. They still do that last part in a twisted way. They reveal that we don't think much anymore, we just align. As a matter of fact, they reveal how little thinking actually goes on about anything important. A big part of what I believe in is that we need two strong parties to compete so that ideas do get bounced around and debated by elected officials. If there is any strength in either party it is in the ability to con money out of those who think it matters. The Democrats have been wholly unserious for so long that the only thing that keeps them hanging around is the Republicans have been so transparently stupid every chance they've had to make some progress.

So, we're left with the clowns owning the center ring, and I'm afraid when all is said and done, we're going to be left with more of the same no matter who wins this time around. Once you've trashed the joint where you party, someone has to clean up the mess. Our problem is we're still so much into the trashing mode that we don't notice that the joint is coming down on our heads.

Political Polling, Ad Tracking, and Mike Royko

In case you haven't noticed it is poltiical polling season. If you live in a battleground state, you probably get several calls a week, in addition to the robocalls. There's also a debate swinging around the Internets about ad tracking. You know that promised land were companies collect information on you so they can serve you the ads you want to see. It's becoming a thing as we approach more of this on our smartphones and other smart devices.

Some companies let you turn this off supposedly. (Well, they do, but they don't.) Some scream bloody murder. I think one guy actually said this was like a core democratic principal or some such thing last week, although I can't find the link at the moment.

Yesterday I got a poll call. It was from the state Republican Committee. For some reason they have in their records that I am a registered Republican. I'm not a registered anything. I do vote more on the Democratic side than the Republican, but I'm not a registered party member either way. I found myself answering questions in the way that for Chicago newspaperman Mike Royko used to advise those confronted with exit pollsters. He told them to lie about how they voted. So, I made up a few things as I answered the questions.

I do the same thing with all of these social sites and shopping sites. When I have the time, I'll frequently search for things that I have zero interest in, just to watch how that affects the ads and recommendations I get. To be honest, before I started doing this, I never really saw ads that seemed to focus on my interest or the things I legitmately searched for. While I'm sure there's some science and some art involved. Mostly I think it is pure guesswork. At least before the age of this kind of data tracking, everyone knew it was guesswork. But the reality is that the databases and the algorithyms used to gain that data aren't as smart as most wish they would be.

Why? Humans don't categorize that easily. Perhaps their interests at certain points do, but in the long run, they are much more complex in their interests than the marketers would like us to believe.

So, if you've got some time, or you get a pollster calling, take Mr. Royko's advice and tell a fib or two. I mean we have to keep these folks employed in order to save the economy, right?

If the 47% Statement was Wrong, What About All Those Who Defended It?

I've always been a cynic and this quick post isn't about anything new. But I do find it curiously wonderful, in a cynical sort of way, that now Mitt Romney has said his 47% remarks were wrong, how those who so defended him and the remarks during that desperate time in his campaign have now been hung out to dry.

If there were poetic justice (or common sense) in politics, none of these folks would ever be heard from again.

But we all know that won't happen.

The only question that remains on this topic is how much criticism the back trackers and flip floppers will get. I'm guessing the over under on that is somewhere between slim and none.

47%. Well, Now We Know

It's Claude Rains award time again. The media and Twitter are alive with quotes about the secret tape that got published with Mitt Romney speaking to donors and saying this, among other things:

I'm not sure why all the outrage. Isn't this a mindset that we've already known Romney is for? It's just out in the open without code words. It may be a secret tape, but it ain't no secret to those who pay attention. No one has to read Ayn Rand anymore to figure out it. If Romney and his party had any guts at all they wouldn't backtrack from this. They'd call a spade a spade, and say: "OK, it's on."

But they can't and they won't. Because that would expose the game that both sides play. And like in magic, if you show off the trick, well, the audience loses interest. 

And speaking of 47%. That's a mighty big number of folks. Last I looked that would contain all sorts of folks who pay taxes, got their 401Ks raided, fight for this country, teach your kids, build your roads, clean your teeth, and well, the list goes on.

And this guy is supposed to be a numbers guy.

Irony: iPhone 5 Lines in NYC and OWS Anniversary

So, citizens are occupying some real estate in NYC again. This recurring event that seems to be a good news story happens whenver Apple releases a new iPhone And once again, lines are alrady forming in the Big Apple for the iPhone 5 release this Friday, September 21. Funny, how it seems some professional line sitters are being hired to do this kind of thing. Business is business after all. And speaking of business, today is also  the anniversary of Occupy Wall Street. That's not necessarily a good news story. It appears that demonstrators and cops are already out in force. I find it an intriguing if not ironic contrast that both things are happening simultaneously with two distinctly different reactions from the authorities. But then, one is about spending money, and the other is about how others take advantage of money. You figure out which is which.

Arab Fall, October Surprise

As I looked ahead on my schedule, today was supposed to be an easy and inconsequential day. Not too terrible a workload at the office. Apple was going to announce a new iPhone, and the weather was predicted as wonderful. Late yesterday though when I first started hearing rumblings about trouble at our embassies in Cairo and LIbya, I somehow knew today wouldn't quite turn out that way. When I got up this morning and heard that our ambassador and three others had been killed I was extremly concerned. Within a few minutes I also heard that Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney's campaign had fired off a quick shot condeming the Obama administration late last night. Typical and sadly so, I thought. As sad as imagining that we still try to coop God into our fights with each other like he was some willing ally.

Then when I heard Romney double down on his previous statement those feelings of concerned turned into a downward spiral. Actually that sprial started when I heard that the coward who made the film that sparked the protest in Egypt and may or may not have been used as an opportunity by thugs to launch the attack in Libya said from his hiding place: We went into this knowing this was probably going to happen.

Three points here.

While we still don't know what really happeend in Libya, it is becoming very clear that this is a tragic, messy and complex situation. One that more than defies any sort of quick response from anyone. To ignore the complexity of it and pander or posture is demeaning to those slain in service to our country and to all of us. Anyone on any side of our political school yard fight that seeks to do so deserves to be flushed out of the system with shame and opprobium.

Second, whoever the vile perpetrators of this slaugher are, they have not only harmed those killed and wounded, but done damage to the people of Libya and all of those in Arab countries who risked quite a bit in the recent past to gain an opportunity to build something better than they had before. It was never going to be easy, it might never have been what we wanted. I fear now that it is going to be even harder.

Third, if you can't see the parallel between those two previous statements and the thoughts behind making the film in the first place, and surmise something about the hearts behind the mirroring manipulative motives, then you need to open your eyes. The thirst for power is never sated and those desperate for a sip of power will apparently do anything to try and quench it.

I guess there's a fourth thing. Apparently the manipulators behind these cowardly acts have been joined not just by folks here at home. Powerful officials from Israel look to take advantage of a terribly tumultous environment to protect their interests. The way I'm reading it, they were going to take advantage of our schoolyard fight that we call a presidential election before these events happened anyway. I can't argue with anyone who seeks to protect themselves from an enemy who vows to wipe them off the face of the earth. I can and do however find myself less sympathetic when they don't just stand up and take care of business, instead seeking to drag their friends into the fight for them.

I'm thinking this election cycle's October surprise happened a bit early.