Late 20th-century America advanced rapidly. Technology allowed ideas and words to move faster than previously imagined. It brought the world together in a way that seemed impossible. The world indeed got smaller while simultaneously expanding. Anything was possible. So why did all the same problems remain? Or worse, get exacerbated?
Which problems should have been solved by such fast-moving and groundbreaking means of communication? Shouldn’t international crises have been nearly eliminated? Sure, we couldn’t control the weather, but our responses should have been so swift and coordinated as to make anything past “first response” a simple matter; if you weren’t injured or killed by the initial wave/blast/storm, our communication and mobilization resources should have made search and rescue a simple matter. But we know otherwise. Humankind always manages to let itself down at crucial moments. Typically due to bureaucracy. Just ask people in New Orleans. Or Haiti.
So where are we now? A nation brought to its knees by debt and cultural division. Freedom, somehow, means wildly different things to many different people; the rallying cry of “limited government” now used as more of a blunt object with which to beat the other side – “limited” to being used against our enemies. Neither side (for we’ve become incapable of acknowledging a third, fourth, or more options) is without blame, though one seems to wear it like a badge of honor so ingrained is it in their mindset. The other plays half-assed, publicly not quite sure if it likes playing by the rules while secretly not. Carter wasn’t corrupt, just too idealistic to be effective. Reagan believed wholeheartedly in a very bad idea. Bush was so hard-wired into the military-industrial/intelligence complex that politics were an after-thought. Clinton was a genuine leader but too flawed to be a great one; post-POTUS life is far more amenable. Dubya was a knee-jerk reaction to Clinton’s antics and Gore’s woodenness; a fearful response to “too much freedom”. This has all culminated in Obama, a man who is somehow perceived to be both an extension of Bush and his party’s short-sighted neo-conservatism and the first giant step toward socialism. Nuance has never been an American trait.
So where are we now, really? Well, we have a POTUS that has let down his core constituency yet can point to a laundry list of legit accomplishments; a POTUS that has seemingly alienated one half of the country with one policy that they oppose on principle in spite of the fact that it will benefit the majority of them; a POTUS who, no matter how hard he tries to unite, will be a divider. Nuance has never been an American trait.
Which leaves us with… a GOP field dominated by the least offensive character, who also has no charisma and no leadership ability. One man followed by a shrinking field of clueless, power-hungry lifers fighting for scraps. Some are well-intentioned but bereft of forward thinking; others are legitimately dangerous to our collective future. So BHO will likely see 4 more years. And that isn’t dangerous, but it isn’t inspiring either.
Steve Jobs was both an asshole and a visionary (as many so often are), and he wasn't afraid to be either when the moment called for it. He saw a path toward enlightenment that happened to be littered with consumer-invention. The perfect combination of personal freedom and collective involvement. His technology could be yet another tool to make the world smaller and simultaneously larger, infinite. And we’ll still let ourselves down very soon. Nuance has never been an American trait.
Friday, April 6, 2012
Thursday, June 16, 2011
He Said: Why We're Like This
"Why are you like this?"
"Like what?"
"Like how you are."
I've been having this type of conundrum a lot lately. Nearly everyone you encounter would agree that things don't seem to be going all that well in our country these days. Maybe that's an ever-present existential complaint because there's always something going wrong. But while the summer kicks off with wildfires, droughts, a potentially worse-than-usual hurricane season, GOP debates with less-than-impressive candidates who can't seem to take advantage of a sitting president with low approval ratings and a tottering economy, the usual raft of civil wars plaguing Africa and the Middle East, our news media has kept us focused on... a Weiner. And while it can have been expected for this to have grabbed our attention for a day or so, the fact that it's been such a story for over a week now is really a bit of insight into the current American psyche. And clearly we need a distraction.
So what does it mean? Why, when so many people are willing to share a decent and informed opinion, do we so consistently return to such ludicrous minutiae? Why, when the loudest cries from both liberals and conservatives seem to revolve solely around how much intrusion into our lives we're willing to permit the government, do we always become rapt by the most extreme voices filled with nonsense? Why are we like this?
"A person is smart. People are dumb, panicky dangerous animals..."
Does this explain it? Have we simultaneously become a country of individuals... yet so desperate to be a part of something that we're now settling for the easiest solution? Fearful of every bogeyman that the media throws at us. Smart people make bad decisions all the time. But that doesn't make them evil, or even dangerous. Well, except to themselves.
Why are we like this?
Like what?
Like how we are?
"Like what?"
"Like how you are."
I've been having this type of conundrum a lot lately. Nearly everyone you encounter would agree that things don't seem to be going all that well in our country these days. Maybe that's an ever-present existential complaint because there's always something going wrong. But while the summer kicks off with wildfires, droughts, a potentially worse-than-usual hurricane season, GOP debates with less-than-impressive candidates who can't seem to take advantage of a sitting president with low approval ratings and a tottering economy, the usual raft of civil wars plaguing Africa and the Middle East, our news media has kept us focused on... a Weiner. And while it can have been expected for this to have grabbed our attention for a day or so, the fact that it's been such a story for over a week now is really a bit of insight into the current American psyche. And clearly we need a distraction.
So what does it mean? Why, when so many people are willing to share a decent and informed opinion, do we so consistently return to such ludicrous minutiae? Why, when the loudest cries from both liberals and conservatives seem to revolve solely around how much intrusion into our lives we're willing to permit the government, do we always become rapt by the most extreme voices filled with nonsense? Why are we like this?
"A person is smart. People are dumb, panicky dangerous animals..."
Does this explain it? Have we simultaneously become a country of individuals... yet so desperate to be a part of something that we're now settling for the easiest solution? Fearful of every bogeyman that the media throws at us. Smart people make bad decisions all the time. But that doesn't make them evil, or even dangerous. Well, except to themselves.
Why are we like this?
Like what?
Like how we are?
Tuesday, February 8, 2011
He Said: I don't write enough! Got any ideas?
So you'd think that being stuck in the house for days on end due to a recent surgery and then Icepocalypse 2011 would inspire me to some more prolific writing. Surely there's something of substance going on. But I'll be honest, I'm just beat down by politics at the moment. The Colts were unceremoniously dumped from the NFL Playoffs (though we did get an entertaining Super Bowl for the neutral fan). IU basketball barely has a pulse. Manchester United suffered only their first loss of the season last weekend, but even their likely march to multiple trophies has me uninspired today. Let's face it, between sports and politics, those are the things I focus on the most - especially during the winter, when there's little else to do. So maybe I should open the floor to suggestions. Anybody got any topics they'd like analyzed by a good writer with time to kill? Anyone... Bueller?
If not, or in the meantime, check out my friend Sly's blog: chicoandsophiesmommy.blogspot.com
Sly (not really her name, btw) and I met through her husband, who plays soccer with me. And we all traveled to South Africa for the World Cup this past summer. Hmmm... maybe I could write about that ;)
If not, or in the meantime, check out my friend Sly's blog: chicoandsophiesmommy.blogspot.com
Sly (not really her name, btw) and I met through her husband, who plays soccer with me. And we all traveled to South Africa for the World Cup this past summer. Hmmm... maybe I could write about that ;)
Monday, May 10, 2010
He Said: Bitching about bitching
Another Monday, another set of sensationalistic headlines and the requisite cast of talking heads offering their sound and fury, yet offering us nothing of substance. So what's on today's agenda?
- Elena Kagan has been put forth by Obama as his nominee for the Supreme Court. Cue the GOP and their right-wing minions in the media and blogosphere to begin a new wave of contrarianism. Then cue left-wing apologists taking the bait and addressing the nonsense brought up by the right in the first place. This is already old and we haven't even had the first attempt by the GOP to block her confirmation. Honestly, I don't know a thing about this woman other than the blurbs that accompany the headlines, so it's possible she's the best nominee possible... or she could be a rube with no idea how to conduct herself. Who wants to bet that neither will be the issue being discussed on cable shows.
- BP failed to stem the flow of oil in the Gulf, so now they are reaching out to every engineer on the planet in the hopes that someone will have an Einstein-level solution. Again, cue each side's activist groups shouting loudly about everything except what matters most: fixing the problem. Yes, we'll get left-wingers screaming about how this is the failure of large, oil companies to care about the environment, and right-wingers screaming about how this is actually not a big deal and left-wingers are blowing it out of proportion in order to make political hay. Irony. I guess we need a giant rubber band.
- The whole Arizona immigration law thing. This just boggles my mind. How can two sides ostensibly agree that there is a problem yet be so far apart on what constitutes an acceptable solution? It is just as egregious a failure to ignore the concerns of those who live in Arizona and have to deal directly with this issue as it is for those same people to use a ridiculous "nuclear" option. But we're apparently just a nation of extremists now. Being moderate and logical in thought just won't do. No, it's about who can shout loudest and appear to be most aggrieved.
Black is white; white is black; Democrats are hard-liners; Republicans are revolutionaries; liberals are hawks; conservatives are victims; moderates are crazy; extremists are rational. And I've contributed nothing; no answers. Welcome to Monday!
- Elena Kagan has been put forth by Obama as his nominee for the Supreme Court. Cue the GOP and their right-wing minions in the media and blogosphere to begin a new wave of contrarianism. Then cue left-wing apologists taking the bait and addressing the nonsense brought up by the right in the first place. This is already old and we haven't even had the first attempt by the GOP to block her confirmation. Honestly, I don't know a thing about this woman other than the blurbs that accompany the headlines, so it's possible she's the best nominee possible... or she could be a rube with no idea how to conduct herself. Who wants to bet that neither will be the issue being discussed on cable shows.
- BP failed to stem the flow of oil in the Gulf, so now they are reaching out to every engineer on the planet in the hopes that someone will have an Einstein-level solution. Again, cue each side's activist groups shouting loudly about everything except what matters most: fixing the problem. Yes, we'll get left-wingers screaming about how this is the failure of large, oil companies to care about the environment, and right-wingers screaming about how this is actually not a big deal and left-wingers are blowing it out of proportion in order to make political hay. Irony. I guess we need a giant rubber band.
- The whole Arizona immigration law thing. This just boggles my mind. How can two sides ostensibly agree that there is a problem yet be so far apart on what constitutes an acceptable solution? It is just as egregious a failure to ignore the concerns of those who live in Arizona and have to deal directly with this issue as it is for those same people to use a ridiculous "nuclear" option. But we're apparently just a nation of extremists now. Being moderate and logical in thought just won't do. No, it's about who can shout loudest and appear to be most aggrieved.
Black is white; white is black; Democrats are hard-liners; Republicans are revolutionaries; liberals are hawks; conservatives are victims; moderates are crazy; extremists are rational. And I've contributed nothing; no answers. Welcome to Monday!
Tuesday, November 24, 2009
Another Night Out
He & She have been making a point of seeing more local, live music lately. Radio Radio has made a valiant attempt to shed its previous reputation for providing glowing reviews of bands whose music did not deliver on the promise of the articles. Or maybe RR's booking guy just likes everything. Either way, we've made it a semi-regular destination in the past few months, and we recently ventured out to catch a band that had intrigued He & She because of its particular make-up. Drummer consists of - yep, you guessed it - a collection of drummers from various bands playing other instruments (except for, well, the actual drummer). It was begun by the drummer for the Black Keys, and their debut release was put out on the Keys' label. Sadly, on this particular night at least, this band just wasn't very good. I hadn't read much more than the basics on the band, so I guess I assumed a band comprised of percussionists and calling themselves Drummer would be fairly groove-oriented, especially with the Keys' funky blues-heavy drummer plucking on the bass. Alas, Drummer has settled for the staid sounds of pop-garage bands across the country, and their vocalist's strained and off-key delivery made them sound more garage than pop.
This would have been a sad return to the days of underwhelming music viewed on the advice of overwrought reviews had it not been for the opener. Another band on the Keys' label was along for the Drummer ride, yet they are far superior in every department. Royal Bangs is a rollicking good time, with a lead singer pulling double- and even triple-duty in a variety of ways. In fact, they'd fit the moniker of Drummer better than the act they supported because their sound is heavily percussive. It's also dreamy garage rock made from the heart. As they sweat through their set, their energy continued to elevate the crowd. I'm always pleased to find a gem, and Royal Bangs is definitely one. Their singer's Zach Galifianakis looks and earnest indie-rock vocal stylings lend a nice DIY aesthetic, and then his talents go on to round out a talented crew of musicians.
I even picked up their most recent album, and a few listens prompted me to pick up their first a couple days later. They have an infectious sound; sometimes a little funky and sometimes just rock. And on this particular night, very entertaining. I recommend some youtube and Rhapsody research. But skip the Drummer.
This would have been a sad return to the days of underwhelming music viewed on the advice of overwrought reviews had it not been for the opener. Another band on the Keys' label was along for the Drummer ride, yet they are far superior in every department. Royal Bangs is a rollicking good time, with a lead singer pulling double- and even triple-duty in a variety of ways. In fact, they'd fit the moniker of Drummer better than the act they supported because their sound is heavily percussive. It's also dreamy garage rock made from the heart. As they sweat through their set, their energy continued to elevate the crowd. I'm always pleased to find a gem, and Royal Bangs is definitely one. Their singer's Zach Galifianakis looks and earnest indie-rock vocal stylings lend a nice DIY aesthetic, and then his talents go on to round out a talented crew of musicians.
I even picked up their most recent album, and a few listens prompted me to pick up their first a couple days later. They have an infectious sound; sometimes a little funky and sometimes just rock. And on this particular night, very entertaining. I recommend some youtube and Rhapsody research. But skip the Drummer.
Friday, August 28, 2009
An Evening of Minor Research
So, for no apparent reason, I decided to take an hour or so last evening to do some basic research. It wasn't terribly scientific, so draw conclusions at your own risk. And frankly, what I found really just reinforced my prior thinking. But let me set the stage.
I got home after work and began the typical channel-flipping exercise to wash away the workday's inanity (and replace it with the media's inanity). After perusing my cable guide for a few minutes, I decided to give Fox News' Glenn Beck a look. Beck's been in the news recently for apparently accusing POTUS Obama of being a racist, as well as just generally being a Fox blowhard. I think I tuned in to see how objective his comments and guests were, as well as the general tone of Fox as compared to other cable news networks. I watched about 40 minutes of this show, which is interspersed with live updates from the Fox News desk anchor, and followed it up with another 25 minutes or so of CNN, which was showing Wolf Blitzer's take on things. Wolf and his panel were focusing entirely on Kennedy's passing, and one panelist in particular carried the love-fest a bit over the top. Yes, CNN's a bit to the left. But that paled in comparison to the antics going on over at Fox with Glenn. At some point his discussion turned to a comment Obama made awhile back in which he referred to a "civilian national security force." I was especially intrigued because I've heard some rumblings on this and I was anxious to get more info, as it's just not garnered much attention. The comment itself appears to be a throw-away line in the middle of a speech he made touting his desire to increase the size and funding of American volunteer/service groups like the Peace Corps, Americorps, and USA Freedom Corps. But he does specifically say "civilian national security force," and that gives me pause. Does Obama want his own security force to rival the military, a la Hitler's Brown shirts? Well, according to Beck's panel, that's precisely what Obama wants. And the commentary and criticism went right into discussing how much this would cost and the implications of having a security force that answered only to the POTUS. Which would have been fine if they'd also taken the time to define Obama's plan and its stated intentions. But they went straight past this and right into speculating entirely. Now I'll be honest, I don't know what Obama's plan on this is. Given the context of the statement, I'm inclined to lean toward it meaning that he wants a strong volunteer/service oriented American populace to tackle issues that our already strained resources cannot handle. But due diligence had me investigating further. And guess what... of the first 10 responses to my Yahoo search, 9 were blatantly right-wing blogs speculating wildly on the potential negative ramifications, and 1 was from FactCheck.org detailing the history of the statement. I saw no sites going into detail on the facts, nor any from Obama clarifying the statement itself.
But these are cable shows. Objectivity is not their stock in trade. Wolf and his panel couldn't stop kissing Kennedy's ass, nor could Glenn and his panel stop speculating on how iron-fisted the Obama regime would utilize this new service corps that would rival the size of the military. Neither of them could... until the commerical breaks. And that's when the stark contrast between these 2 networks really shone through.
CNN broke to commercial far less often while I was watching. I'm not sure how they managed to structure that, or maybe I wasn't paying as close attention. But their commercials were pretty generic consumer stuff, with an abundance of promos for other CNN programming. They seem pretty adamant that we all watch Anderson Cooper. Meh... maybe. But Fox... wow! For 3 straight commercial breaks they made it undoubtedly clear where their allegiances lay. 2 "paid for by" commercials completely lambasting Obama for, first, having a corrupt administration, and then for deceiving the American public on healthcare. In between, we had G. Gordon Liddy - everyone's favorite public burglar and advocate of shooting ATF agents in the head - hawking... wait for it... GOLD. The Fox message seems to be: we hate anything/everything Obama does, and oh yeah, let's buy gold!
Like I said, I didn't really learn anything new or draw any mind-blowing conclusions. It was just a fun exercise while killing time before a truly mind-numbing experience: going to the mall. To be honest, I can't recommend either.
I got home after work and began the typical channel-flipping exercise to wash away the workday's inanity (and replace it with the media's inanity). After perusing my cable guide for a few minutes, I decided to give Fox News' Glenn Beck a look. Beck's been in the news recently for apparently accusing POTUS Obama of being a racist, as well as just generally being a Fox blowhard. I think I tuned in to see how objective his comments and guests were, as well as the general tone of Fox as compared to other cable news networks. I watched about 40 minutes of this show, which is interspersed with live updates from the Fox News desk anchor, and followed it up with another 25 minutes or so of CNN, which was showing Wolf Blitzer's take on things. Wolf and his panel were focusing entirely on Kennedy's passing, and one panelist in particular carried the love-fest a bit over the top. Yes, CNN's a bit to the left. But that paled in comparison to the antics going on over at Fox with Glenn. At some point his discussion turned to a comment Obama made awhile back in which he referred to a "civilian national security force." I was especially intrigued because I've heard some rumblings on this and I was anxious to get more info, as it's just not garnered much attention. The comment itself appears to be a throw-away line in the middle of a speech he made touting his desire to increase the size and funding of American volunteer/service groups like the Peace Corps, Americorps, and USA Freedom Corps. But he does specifically say "civilian national security force," and that gives me pause. Does Obama want his own security force to rival the military, a la Hitler's Brown shirts? Well, according to Beck's panel, that's precisely what Obama wants. And the commentary and criticism went right into discussing how much this would cost and the implications of having a security force that answered only to the POTUS. Which would have been fine if they'd also taken the time to define Obama's plan and its stated intentions. But they went straight past this and right into speculating entirely. Now I'll be honest, I don't know what Obama's plan on this is. Given the context of the statement, I'm inclined to lean toward it meaning that he wants a strong volunteer/service oriented American populace to tackle issues that our already strained resources cannot handle. But due diligence had me investigating further. And guess what... of the first 10 responses to my Yahoo search, 9 were blatantly right-wing blogs speculating wildly on the potential negative ramifications, and 1 was from FactCheck.org detailing the history of the statement. I saw no sites going into detail on the facts, nor any from Obama clarifying the statement itself.
But these are cable shows. Objectivity is not their stock in trade. Wolf and his panel couldn't stop kissing Kennedy's ass, nor could Glenn and his panel stop speculating on how iron-fisted the Obama regime would utilize this new service corps that would rival the size of the military. Neither of them could... until the commerical breaks. And that's when the stark contrast between these 2 networks really shone through.
CNN broke to commercial far less often while I was watching. I'm not sure how they managed to structure that, or maybe I wasn't paying as close attention. But their commercials were pretty generic consumer stuff, with an abundance of promos for other CNN programming. They seem pretty adamant that we all watch Anderson Cooper. Meh... maybe. But Fox... wow! For 3 straight commercial breaks they made it undoubtedly clear where their allegiances lay. 2 "paid for by" commercials completely lambasting Obama for, first, having a corrupt administration, and then for deceiving the American public on healthcare. In between, we had G. Gordon Liddy - everyone's favorite public burglar and advocate of shooting ATF agents in the head - hawking... wait for it... GOLD. The Fox message seems to be: we hate anything/everything Obama does, and oh yeah, let's buy gold!
Like I said, I didn't really learn anything new or draw any mind-blowing conclusions. It was just a fun exercise while killing time before a truly mind-numbing experience: going to the mall. To be honest, I can't recommend either.
Thursday, January 22, 2009
He Said: All Hail the Kings!
He and She embarked on another night on the town Wednesday evening. This time, as ever, was in pursuit of great live music, as well as general merriment. So off we went to the Murat Theatre in downtown Indy to see Kings of Leon, a gritty rock band hailing from Nashville, TN. We had seen them once previously, at Lollapalooza 07, where they were joined onstage by Pearl Jam's Eddie Vedder for their finale. In the intervening months they have released 2 more albums and amassed a following robust enough to sell out most of their mid-size venue shows so far on this tour. Hot on the release of their latest singles "Crawl" and "Sex on Fire", this show was sure to rock us... and we were not disappointed in the least.
Arriving early enough to enjoy some beers in the lounge, mingle, and people-watch, we grew visibly excited by the minute. We kept time with the opening band, The Whigs, via several CCTVs and speakers, and finally decided to head to our seats just as they were ending. A short break to allow the roadies to check the stage, and then came the Kings. All I can say is WOW! This is good old American rock-n-roll. But the beauty of them - at least at the moment - is they are on the rise, so they are not yet jaded by fame; they had as much fun as the crowd. Every song is full of power and emotion, and every note is played with the same raw energy as the previous. Given that the 3 brothers in the band grew up touring the country playing Pentecostal revivals, it's no surprise that so many of their songs have an almost gospel-sing-along quality. But don't let that fool you, this is straight up ROCK, and they know how to bring it. As Caleb belted out his lead vocals, the crowd matched him with ferocity. At the ballads, lighters flickered and young lovers swayed. At the jams, hair flew and heads bounced. Do you get the scene? Good.
Playing nearly every familiar song they have, as well as a good portion of the new album, their setlist was solid. They thanked the crowd and headed offstage as we all stood for the obligatory applause-until-encore. They returned for 3 more songs, though unfortunately a few sound issues hampered them (apparently a broken guitar string and a blown bass stack). But they dutifully and energetically finished us off with another favorite, giving us plenty for the night.
And because He and She don't like evenings to end before midnight, we trekked down to Chatham Tap for a late pizza and beers. The perfect cap to a great rock show.
Kings of Leon: go see them.. if you can get tix. These guys are hot, and they show no signs of cooling off or even taking a break anytime soon!
Arriving early enough to enjoy some beers in the lounge, mingle, and people-watch, we grew visibly excited by the minute. We kept time with the opening band, The Whigs, via several CCTVs and speakers, and finally decided to head to our seats just as they were ending. A short break to allow the roadies to check the stage, and then came the Kings. All I can say is WOW! This is good old American rock-n-roll. But the beauty of them - at least at the moment - is they are on the rise, so they are not yet jaded by fame; they had as much fun as the crowd. Every song is full of power and emotion, and every note is played with the same raw energy as the previous. Given that the 3 brothers in the band grew up touring the country playing Pentecostal revivals, it's no surprise that so many of their songs have an almost gospel-sing-along quality. But don't let that fool you, this is straight up ROCK, and they know how to bring it. As Caleb belted out his lead vocals, the crowd matched him with ferocity. At the ballads, lighters flickered and young lovers swayed. At the jams, hair flew and heads bounced. Do you get the scene? Good.
Playing nearly every familiar song they have, as well as a good portion of the new album, their setlist was solid. They thanked the crowd and headed offstage as we all stood for the obligatory applause-until-encore. They returned for 3 more songs, though unfortunately a few sound issues hampered them (apparently a broken guitar string and a blown bass stack). But they dutifully and energetically finished us off with another favorite, giving us plenty for the night.
And because He and She don't like evenings to end before midnight, we trekked down to Chatham Tap for a late pizza and beers. The perfect cap to a great rock show.
Kings of Leon: go see them.. if you can get tix. These guys are hot, and they show no signs of cooling off or even taking a break anytime soon!
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