Suddenly I hear her say to the one sitting at the table “I won a black ball! I was hoping to get one.” About another 30 seconds goes by and I hear her say, “I won another black ball! I have two black balls now.”  My mind goes into the gutter and I wanted to turn to her and say “I have two black balls myself,” but knew that would be totally wrong of me to do. Then she goes, “I got a pink ball.”

 I am sitting there laughing to myself as I realized that this child had no clue as to how I was interpreting what she was saying.

 Suddenly she starts saying things like,” I love playing with black balls”,”Black balls are my favorite thing”,”I hope that I can get more black balls.” This child had no clue as to hard I was laughing inside. Yes I know it was wrong of me to think the way that I was, but I couldn’t help myself.

 I just needed to share this with you… Oh the things that kids say….

 Now I learn a long time ago that in reality those that refer to themselves as Liberals are really Conservatives in heart, and those that wave the flag of the conservatives are really Liberals in their hearts. But as I watch and think about North Korea I realize that in reality both sides in this country really want to take us into the way that North Korea is. Both sides want for us to “Goose Step” in their thinking.

 Here in Oakland there are two drives to recall our Mayor, who has only been in office for about a year, as the people driving these recalls are really upset in that she will not do things the way that they want for her to do. I am sure that you have heard and read about the events that has happened here concerning the Occupy Movement. The Occupy Movement is the ones that are driving the recall of her. They are blaming her about the way that the police handled things and that they were booted out of the spaces that they had occupied. The thing is that after the first eviction and when they returned, she came out to talk with them, and they booed. They weren’t going to give her a chance to be heard. For all that they know, she could have been coming out to apologize for the events that had happened, but they weren’t going to give her a chance to even say it.

 I hear people on both sides yelling about the right to free speech, but if you really listen to them they are really saying that the only true right to speak is in a way that they approve. At the city council meeting last night, when people would speak before them, if they were saying stuff that people in the gallery didn’t like, they would start booing and making other noises. One of the member of the council made a good point in that they talk about the freedom of speech, but when it comes to others being the ones speaking, they don’t want to offer that same right to others.

 On a national level, we have the Republicans acting like little children in that they are trying to do whatever they can to bring about any change in this country. They seem to want to keep things exactly the same as when President GW Bush was in office, plus add things into our lives to make sure that we don’t Goosestep out of where they want things to go. They can’t even bring a bill forward to be signed without adding stuff that is not even related to the bill added on.

 Where they are really screwing up is that they aren’t being smart in what they do. When the President says that they want something, the Republicans should work on a compromise that will get what they want done, but make sure that when they know things will blow up it will really make the President look bad. They could work things that with the things that do work in the bill, they can clearly take credit for it. But it appears that they don’t have enough brains to be able to do that. Didn’t they learn anything when the Democrats where leading the House of Representatives? Oh that’s right, the “Tea Party” thought that they could just come in and run things. Wait a minute? People were yelling about the lack of experience that now President Obama had and his lack of understanding on how things operated in Washington, but the “Tea Party” came in without that understanding also.

 But really think about it and the the things that both sides say and do. Really look and think about there actions and think about places like North Korea and other Dictatorships that we supposedly don’t like, and what is the real difference in the rhetoric that they have? How much are well really fooling ourselves in thinking that we are better than they are, when the truth is that in most ways we are identical to them.

 But even though I say these things, don’t get me wrong, in that I really do love this country and all of it’s people. I not only love this country, but I love all countries, even North Korea. Without the diversity that we have on this planet, it would really become boring and not want make us think.

 Has North Korea won without firing a single bullet? Only the future will tell.

 Post your thoughts in the comment box below

 We now live in a “CSpan” world where what goes on in Congress & Parliaments really don’t have that special magic that the world saw through those paintings. We no longer read articles about battles that occurred and look at paintings and imagining with our minds the person really saying the stuff that we read. We now turn on our televisions and watch stuff on the Internet and see the actions that occurred in these houses of laws.

 When was the last time that you went into someone’s home and saw an artist portrait on them or someone in there family hanging on the wall? When was the last time that you looked at a photograph of someone and looked at it in the same way that you would look at it like you would if it had been a painting?

 A program is on now that is about Native Americans and showing paintings that were done at the time, and those paintings are telling a story that pictures and videos of today that aren’t duplicated. Oh sure it would be nice to be able to see the reality of what was going on, but it is hard to get certain details that an artist can get.

 Yes we still have artist today who do capture things in there paintings and sketchpads, and one of my favorites is Lorielle New, and I do see a number of others artist around, but I want to see those paintings from within the buildings where laws are made telling me a story that a digital picture can’t.

]]> http://stclinton.wordpress.com/2011/12/12/the-loss-of-art/feed/ 0 stclinton http://stclinton.wordpress.com/2011/12/03/life-beyond-earth/ http://stclinton.wordpress.com/2011/12/03/life-beyond-earth/#comments Sun, 04 Dec 2011 06:06:02 +0000 Clinton http://stclinton.wordpress.com/?p=327 ]]>  I was sitting here watching some documentaries about life on another planet. Yes I do believe that God created life on other planets, and I don’t think that I would be surprised to find out that some of that life looks just like us.

 When it has come to hearing people talk about life on other planets, it was always in a positive manner where we could talk and learn from each other. not only would we exchange and learn things, but people from there would live here, and people from here would live there. It would be a kind of  ”Student Exchange Program”.

 But as I watched the documentaries, I suddenly began to wonder something. What would we do if we did find life on another planet and they said that they didn’t want to have anything to do with us? Oh I am sure that we would try and try again to have a “relationship” with them, but what would happen if they looked at us and said that they don’t want us to contact them or have anything to do with us in any way?

 Think about it. Would we as a planet become so arrogant that we would not accept what they say and force our way onto the planet to do as we wish? Would we send up satellites their and basically invade upon their privacy? Would we leave them alone and continue to look for life elsewhere?

  In a way I hope that in my lifetime we find life elsewhere and that we can learn from each other, but I kind of also wish that we don’t find life elsewhere and find ways to bring about total peace upon this planet.

 So what do you think?

]]> http://stclinton.wordpress.com/2011/12/03/life-beyond-earth/feed/ 0 stclinton http://stclinton.wordpress.com/2011/11/15/unoccupy-the-plaza-part-ii/ http://stclinton.wordpress.com/2011/11/15/unoccupy-the-plaza-part-ii/#comments Wed, 16 Nov 2011 02:42:56 +0000 Clinton http://stclinton.wordpress.com/?p=321 ]]>  Well I have gotten a good nights sleep, giving me time to think more about the events of yesterday and how I want to continue with my writing on this topic.

 Were I left off was me in the library and the protesters getting ready to head off to the plaza.

 The last time that the protest was at the library, after a bit they closed the library and I went out and watched the events that were going on. The police presence was a good size, but in a way really weren’t needed except to handle traffic. When the protesters started marching off then, I had thought about following them, but someone in my head said to head on home. I am glad that I did, as by the time that I got home, things between the protesters and police had started to heat up…

 Yesterday was different, as I came out of the library as they started marching off to the plaza, and I thought about going on home but something said to follow them. I knew that something was going to happen the last time, but this time I knew that things would be AOK if I followed the group and watched what went on. So I followed them. Now I didn’t walk with them, but stayed about a block back. I figured that it anything happened up there, I would be able to turn around and head into another direction.

 When I got about a block away, I noticed the number of press trucks and it was amazing the number of media trucks were from the same stations. I stood close to one of them, pulled out my camera as the reporter went on air, and had to laugh as I took the picture as another truck from her station drove by.

 The more that I stood there, the more that I got the feeling that the press were really hoping that something would happen. It was like if they could of somehow gotten away with it, they would of had a riot going on in the streets. It was like they were out for blood. After standing there for a little bit, I decided to go across to the plaza where the crowd had gathered.

 Even though there were a good number of Oakland Police around, I figured that people would of started to put tents back up and bring the encampment back, then then I noticed something. The odds that anyone putting up tents and/or sleeping on the grassy area was not going to happen. The city had flooded the area with water and the ground was soaking wet. There was no way that anybody was going to be sleeping there that night.

 I continued to walk until I got to the area behind where people were speaking and found a clear place to stand. It was a nice spot with a really nice view.  I don’t know what it is about me at times, but for some reason it seems as though people will gravitate around me, then before I knew it a crowd had gathered around the area that I was in, with some people bumping me aside. As I stood there I also realized that the people around me were not paying any attention to the people who were at the mic. It was like they really didn’t care about what was being said, but they wanted to have the ability to say that they were there.

 I finally got tired of all of the people around me, and moved to the steps of City Hall which were behind me. There were just a few people on them, and I found a place that were nobody was and stood there. As more people came onto the steps, I would move over, then suddenly I found myself being shoved over by members of one of the local news crews who wanted to film there. I mean not even a request that I step tot he side, nor even an apology for what they did. Then I watched as other news crews would do the same elsewhere around to other people. How sad the press is.

 They were on air, but the reporter started talking to a woman who was standing close by that he knew I think from other protest. The conversation was interesting, as they both brought up good points, but something happened that I found funny. The conversation had somehow moved to Blacks in Mississippi and whether they were better off now than before the Civil Rights era, and if Blacks are better off in this country today. I was amazed that I was the only Black standing close to them, but neither one bothered to ask me. Something happened which then really made me wonder about the Occupy Movement and what I had written in a previous blog, that being people being used for other causes that they have no relationship with.

 Someone with a “Flip Cam” came over and started filming. He just came up and stepped in front of me and just held up his camera and filmed. What was interesting was the guy films the reporter as he did his report, then filmed a little more. Now there was a Oakland Cop who had been standing about 10 feet from me ever since I first came up. He was really cool and was having conversations with protesters who came up to him, where I noticed that with some of the other cops they really wouldn’t take the time when people came up to them.

  I watched the cop as he talked with some people who came up to him and it appeared to be a great conversation going on. It appeared to be a group of about 5 people, one of whom was filming as they would ask him questions, then I noticed that the number of people grew. They asked him questions, which he answered, and their was even laughter. Suddenly the guy that had stepped in front of me during the thing with the reporter, shoved his way with his camera through some people and started filming. The thing that blew my mind was that this guy just put his hand and camera in front of the other one. Someone said something to him, and the guy didn’t move his hand. The cop just looked at him, and the guy moved his hand down, at which point the guy moved his hand down which brought cheers from the others. With the stuff that I see being reported, something like this is not reported in that some of the police and protesters actually have enjoyable conversations.

 I stood around on the steps for a little while, then looked up to see that all of the helicopters had left, and people were filtering out and I figured that it was time to move on.

 As I walked, I noticed that a number of people wearing things across there face and I realized that they were ones who were hoping that a confrontation would occur, but I knew in my heart that it wasn’t going to happen. I walked up on what used to be a grassy area before the encampment took it over, and just shock my head. “Oh how much is this going to cost the city?” I began to wonder.

 I heard a report that this has cost the city several million dollars. Now things are bad enough for the city as it is already, but now it is going to get worse. The city is going to have to find the money some somewhere, and sadly it will be the youth who will get hurt over it.

 With less and less youth programs being offered by the city, I began to think that it would be really smart and nice for libraries to be open until later so that they have a place to go. I think that all local branches should be open until at least 8pm during the week, so those youth whose parents don’t get ho9m until after 7 could have a safe place to be, and who knows, they may actually read and learn stuff that will help them in school. But with the money that the city has had to spend, I am sure that it will prevent that from happening. More programs at recreation centers will be cut, and so much more.

 I think that it is time for the occupiers to realize that we all get the point and in many ways agree, but not only is it time for the 1% they are protesting against to do something, but it is time for ALL of us to do something. We have to get away from thinking that the government and others to do something, but in order for things to get better it will take all of us to do something. It’s time for the Occupy encampments to close and for all of us to get to work.

 So what is it that you will do to improve things for the future?

]]> http://stclinton.wordpress.com/2011/11/15/unoccupy-the-plaza-part-ii/feed/ 0 stclinton 013 062 http://stclinton.wordpress.com/2011/11/14/unoccupy-the-plaza-part-i/ http://stclinton.wordpress.com/2011/11/14/unoccupy-the-plaza-part-i/#comments Tue, 15 Nov 2011 07:32:54 +0000 Clinton http://stclinton.wordpress.com/?p=317 ]]>  The last 72 hours have been interesting for me, as I have gotten to stop by the Occupy Oakland encampment at Frank Ogawa Plaza.

 This morning around 5am, law enforcement went in and removed the camp. Even thought I do like many of the things that the protesters are standing for, but I am wondering how many of the people are basically a term that I heard this morning on the news, that being “Professional Protesters”?  Let me go back over the last few days with what I have seen here in Oakland.

 This past Saturday I went to a meeting at a congregation in another city, but still apart of the diocese. It was a wonderful meeting, and I was dropped off at a BART station afterward and rode it back to Oakland. Now, I had started to get off at another station, but for some reason I decided that I was going to stop and take a walk around the encampment.

 I came up out of the Bart Station, and began to walk around. I then became discussed with the way that the place looked and the trash that I saw all over the place. The place smelled, and I began to realize that this encampment was no longer really serving a real purpose other than for a bunch of people to sit around to talk politics and to try and convince people that they had all of the answers to all of the problems in this world.

 As I walked around, I stopped and looked at the memorial that was there for the young man who was murdered there the other day, and said a pray for him and his family, along with a prayer for the person who shot and killed him in hopes that he thinks and realizes what he had done and how it has effected lives.

 I stopped by the spot where people had left note of well wishes for the young man who apparently hit by something a police officer had shot. He made it through several military deployments without a scratch, then this happens to him. I quietly said a pray for him in that he will fully recover, and one for the cop who did it in hopes that the cop takes a quick second to consider what he is about to do, but is still have to go home to family at the end of the shift.

 I then walked over by City Hall where I saw a bunch of people standing and sitting. Some person was talking over a bull horn about something as the people listened. I couldn’t quite understand what she was saying, but I guess that she was interesting to the crowd. As I walked away, I look and see about 6 Oakland cops standing around, and one had what appeared to be a cell phone pointed at me. The a flash went off and I realized that he had just taken my picture. I thought about going over to him to tell him that I wasn’t apart of the things going on, but then I realized that he was just doing his job, and I knew that I hadn’t done anything wrong.

 As I continued to walk, I then realized that there were a number of cops around. When I had been down there before, I never really did see a police presence, but this time it was different. Something was going on. Would the police be planning on coming in and breaking down the encampment again? Were they looking for someone special that they figured would be there then? I just didn’t know.

 After jumping online to check my email, I then walked through the encampment. Now I have a bad sense of smell, and it is at a point where I really can’t smell flowers even if they are right under my nose, but I could smell the stink of the encampment. I needed to get out of there in hopes that none of it went into the clothes that I was wearing. I then went home.

 I went back to the plaza after church on Sunday. On most Sundays lately I have been there because a group of us hold an Open Cathedral service there. The services where planned for there long before the Occupy Movement set up camp, and even though we don’t do the service in the spot where we wanted to, they have been done. Some of the campers join us, but most of them don’t.

 I had gotten there early, and again I noticed the presence of the police. As they walked around, I noticed that some of them were taking pictures, and interacting with the people. Ok, I was sure that something was going to happen. The police were there to do surveillance and gather information for whatever plan that they were going to do.

 As we started setting up the table and getting ready for the service, I noticed two cops were standing not to far from us watching. They were trying to act like they weren’t paying attention to us, but I could tell that they were. Not to long before the service began, I saw them get into their car and just sit there watching us. Other cops from time to time would come over to the car and talk with them, but they were surely keeping and eye on us.

 We did the service, then began to pass out lunches that were brought. I grabbed one of the boxes that had lunches and walked over to them and offered them a lunch. They said no, and I wished them well as I walked away. Oh something was going to happen, but I couldn’t figure out when. I walked around some and passed out the lunches that I had, then went back to were we had gathered. The group spent some time talking, then we all headed home. I walked around the camp some more realizing that it would most likely be the last time that I would see it how it was then.

 I awoke this morning and turned on the TV. It had happened a few hours before I awoke, but law enforcement had come in and closed the camp down. 34 people had been arrested (only 9 of the people live in Oakland,) and were off to jail. As I sat and watched, I was so glad that I wasn’t there when it happened. I had figured that they would do it early in the morning, as there are fewer people there, which would make it easier on them.

 This afternoon I went to the main library here in Oakland. I had heard reports that the protest was going to gather outside there, and even thought I was taking a chance, I was wondering how things would be. I arrived at the library about 90 minutes before the event was suppose to happen, as I needed to return some stuff that was due today, and I wanted to do some research.

 I posted on Facebook that being at the library and knowing about the protest that was suppose to happen. Some people messaged me saying that I should go, but I knew that I would be safe inside of it. I had realized that the library would be safe because it contained something that the protesters felt was important, that being “Knowledge”.  If they were to destroy the library, it means the inability for people to gain access to knowledge, which in a way would defeat the ability for people to read the books that the protesters want people to read and hopefully start to think like them.

 I heard the protesters outside after a bit, then I took the items that I wanted to bring up and checked them out. I sat back down and surfed on the Internet for a while.  After a bit, I figured that since it seemed as though the library was going to let us stay in and not close, I went up into one of the Men’s Bathrooms and pulled out my camera, as that bathroom has windows that face out towards where all of the people were. I took a few shots, then took some shots from a few other areas inside.  I hear someone tell the crowd that they were going to march to the plaza. I thought for a moment, then I decided that I was going to follow the march, but from a safe distance behind them.

 I knew in my heart that something would be interesting to watch, but I wasn’t sure what it would be. I’ll write about it in Part II.

 With the one here, I wish that they had done it at another spot, as I think that the events that happened earlier this week wouldn’t of happened with so many police coming. I think that the police would of basically left them alone, and I think that they could really get more attention to them if they had gone to where I think that they should of camped out, but then again I have a strange mind, and it could be that very few people would of noticed it.

 While I was down at there today, some thing came into my mind, and I thought about talking with some of the people there, but I decided that I wouldn’t, as I may off been seen as a trouble maker.

 I don’t know why, but I have a feeling that the 1% that they are all against are somehow going to make money off of this movement. Seriously, I really do think that they will, but I don’t know how, but let me throw out some things that have crossed my mind.

 1) Through The Press – Now think about it. The press coverage that most people are seeing are through companies that are owned by very rich people. They have been putting this on their news shows, “Talking Heads” shows, in their newspapers, on their radio stations, etc. People are wanting to know about this movement, and this is where most people are finding out about it.

 2) Book Publishing – I am betting that within the next few months several of the major publishing houses will be selling books about this movement. So called “Experts” will be writing books about it, photographers will be publishing picture books about it, and other things will come out of it.

 3) Camping Equipment Companies – Ahhhhh, these people are sleeping in tents in sleeping bags, using camping equipment to cook, and so forth. I bet that if one were to look at the sales of this stuff over since it started, the numbers have risen.

 4) Oil Companies – The press and law enforcement have been flying helicopters over these encampments, and it takes fuel to fly them. Let’s not forget the fuel being used by the press trucks to get to the places. The film maker Michael Moore flew from NYC to Oakland, and I am sure that that it took fuel to get that plane in the air.

5) Hollywood – I bet their are people in Hollywood are hoping to get in contact with the guy who was hurt here so that they came make a story of his life? They really don’t see someone who was injured, but someone that they can make a buck off of. I am betting that Michael Moore will come out with a “Documentary” about this movement that will make him big bucks. Yes he may really support the movement, but the truth is that he also see a payday with it. I think that if he should do one, any and all profits from it should be given away to charities.

 There are also tons of other ways that these people are making money in some way that the rich  are getting richer off of this.

 Now I have nothing major against the movement, and I really do hope that they do get some changes made, but I really wonder if those changes will make a huge difference?

 Where I do pity the people involved is that some will find themselves in blogs, newspapers and other things that are and will be put out by groups that they really disagree with. I am wondering how many radical groups are going to try and claim that they were the ones that got this started, and how many will try this action in the future for their own cause?

 But I also wonder how many of these encampments will still have the same number of people in 6 months? How many of these occupations will no longer exist? How many of these people are really in for it for the long run?

 I am sure that the Republican Party will try and blame this whole thing on President Obama, but the truth is that they are as much to blame as he or any other person or group is. We already know that Congress will be useless for the next year, and President Obama will be blamed, but if they aren’t willing to work with him, they are as much at fault as he will be, if not more.

 How do you think that the rich will get richer off of this? I am really interested in reading your reply here on the blog.

]]> http://stclinton.wordpress.com/2011/10/30/and-the-rich-become-richer/feed/ 0 stclinton DCIM100MEDIA http://stclinton.wordpress.com/2011/10/19/hiding-behind-a-mask/ http://stclinton.wordpress.com/2011/10/19/hiding-behind-a-mask/#comments Thu, 20 Oct 2011 01:50:18 +0000 Clinton http://stclinton.wordpress.com/?p=305 ]]>  I just realized the problem that I have with some of the people doing the protest, in that they hide their face behind masks and bandannas. Wall Street needs to see the faces of America. Wall Street and the rest needs to see the faces that they are screwing over…

 As I think about it, the more that I grow deeper in my feelings about the events of the 1950s & 60s in the fight for Civil Rights. The people that marched in different places could of done it wearing mask, but didn’t, as they wanted the world to know and see who they were. They weren’t afraid who would see them.

 But I think about the protest that I see going on all over the world, and I do understand the wearing of mask in some cases, but here in the USA we aren’t protesting against large armies that are on our streets being directed by a dictator. But then again I think about one of the protest that happened in China a number of years ago where a man stood in front of a tank. He wasn’t wearing a mask.

 I also think about the protest that I know about here where the Clergy of this Episcopal Diocese have gone and shown their faces. They are not only showing their faces in what they believe in the protest, but they are also showing that they are showing that God cares.

 But I also think about some of the protest that have happened here in Oakland over the last few years, and I also think about some of the protest that I have seen via the news that have occurred all over this country and in the UK. Many of the people who cause damage wear mask. I guess that these people really aren’t there for the reason that the others gathered, but are only there to cause trouble. When I went to watch several protest that have occurred here in Oakland, on the news that night I would see people doing damage that I had seen earlier without their masks, but they had their mask visible when I saw them.

 I think that it is time for the media to stop showing those who don’t show their faces at protest. Don’t interview them, just interview those who show their faces during these protest, as they are willing to really be the face of the protest.

I think that one who truly believes in the cause that they are protesting about are willing to show who they are to the world. But then again, I could be wrong…

I first noticed it with the Microsoft Office products. They had such a wonderful product that anyone could use, now it seems impossible to figure things out. Things were very clear as to how one gets to stuff, now it seems like you have to have a Doctorate in order to figure things out. I think that it took me about 3 years for me to be able to figure out how to simply save something. Who knows how long t would take me to figure out how to do some of the things that I used to do. I like others have simply switched to Open Office and other like products, as they are so user friendly.

With all of the changes going on with Facebook and it’s look, I am so happy that Google+ has come along. When I first went onto Facebook about 5 years ago, it looked so good and was great to use. Things were easy to find., and it looked so nice. But they keep changing it. The more that they change it, the worse that it becomes. Now they want to do this “Timeline” thing that has made it into something that is only going to make it worse and worse. Now I know that the Press and Businesses are pissed with Google because they have made it so hard to be able to promote crap that people have no real interest in and that they can’t control like they did with MySpace and now Facebook, but Google played it smart and used the KISS method where it really is user friendly.

About 10 years ago, I hear about this thing call Linux. Very few people used it, but it was catching on. I finally saw it and was impressed, but I choose to stick with the Microsoft products as Linux had what I felt was a learning curve that I had no interest in learning. At some point a few years later, I bought a computer that had a version on it that really impressed me, but for what I had bought the computer for I had to put Windows onto it.

Not to long ago, I was doing something and the idea of moving to Linux came to mind. I checked it out at a few places, and I was still impressed. The desktop that I had at the time was giving me problems, and I figured that it would be a good machine to convert to Linux. Then one day the machine simply just died. I ended up with another machine, which was older, and I tried different flavors of Linux and found on that I really liked, so I stuck it onto the machine.

Now because the machine didn’t have all of the hardware needed, and because of other reasons, I discovered that I couldn’t use the full version of the Linux distribution that I had. I tried another distribution, and that one had a problem with the one area that I needed. Well, to shorten this story, I ended up with another computer and things went great.

I noticed that when I went t o do an update that it said that a new version had come out of the Linux distribution. “Great” I thought to myself, so I installed it via update. I now wish that I hadn’t bothered to do the update, as now it has lost the great things about it. Started looking online who how to change it to the other desktop, and I did find instructions on how to do it, but the things that I am suppose to use doesn’t exist in what I have, so I am looking at either having to deal with the new setup or go and reinstall the old version from the jump.

The software and computer industry doesn’t quite understand why it has been having trouble. I expect that some day Apple will turn be trying to figure out why people aren’t buying the newest products. Some will say it is because of the death of Steve Jobs, but the truth of the matter is that people will tire of the changes that will of occurred and simply stop buying. The software and hardware companies really need to stop and have a seriously deep talk with others outside of the usual suspects when they are going to make huge changes.

Yes I am for change and new innovation, but they really need to think about the loss…

 Who is really responsible for the problems that we have now? We ALL are. Seriously. I spent over 20 years in the book business, and I watched it grow from being a large industry to something that is on it’s way to dying. Why? It used to be that we held actual books in our hands, but not we read books and newspapers online and with our Kobos, Kindles, computers and other devises. As I was riding back from San Francisco on BART from a meeting, there I was sitting there reading a book on my Kobo, and the woman sitting next to me reading something on her Kindle. I looked around as best as I could at one point and didn’t see a single person holding and actual book in their hands, as those who were reading were reading things on a device. I thought back for a little bit, and realized that it was just a few years ago that I would see people riding public transit and actually reading an actual book.

 I have been thinking about it and watching things for the last few years, noticing that more and more people are ordering stuff off of the Internet and not going into stores to buy things. More and more people do it on a daily basis. Their used to be a time when one would be traveling somewhere that a person would actually go to a travel agency to buy tickets for fly or book a cruise, but look around now and try to find a travel agency. Oh yes some still do exist, but not like they used to. Remember when video stores were around where you would rent a movie or two? How back record stores, where singers would actually come to sign autographs and promote their newest album? You would buy an album and actually find several other songs on it that you actually liked, but now you just download the one hit and never hear the others.

 Remember when You would go to your mailbox and would get excited to get a letter some someone? Yeah, people used to actually spend the time and energy to put things down on paper, seal it in an envelope, put a stamp on it, drop it into a mail box, then the postman would actually bring it to you. When was the last time that you actually wrote a letter to a friend or family member that way?

  Remember back when a movie would come out in the theater and actually stay in their for several months, then once it was out you would have to wait years before it came on TV? I was walking down the street in San Francisco today and saw someone selling DVDs of movies that weren’t even in the theater yet. Heck, I just dropped my Netflix account down to a level were I only stream movies. I think that over the last year I have actually gone to a movie theater twice to see a movie. We have films now that will be up for an award already out on DVD, where it used to be that Hollywood would wait until after the awards season to put things out. Before they did that, with some films they would re-release it into the theaters.

 So who is the blame for the way that things are now? We all are.  What can we do to put really help out this economy? The next time that you plan to buy something, then go into a store and buy it. Instead of sending someone an e-mail, send them a hand written letter. Go out and actually leave the cell phone at home. Buy an actual book and enjoy the feeling of it in your hands as you read it. The next time that someone tries to convince you to pay your bill at a kiosk, remind them that it is taking away their job when you do it. Actually go into the back to deposit your money and enjoy the smell of the money in there. If the newspaper or magazine you love to read says that you can find more news on their website, inform them that since they feel that they are wasting their time by putting it up there, as you will be sticking with that is in the physical newspaper itself, and that the only thing that you read online are my blogs. If they say that they are going to stop the print edition and just stick with doing things online and will charge you, then inform them that since they want to make it so that little Johnny or Sue can’t make extra money delivering papers, then you will not be paying to read it online and are going to use the extra money to buy an alarm system because the kid who wanted to be a paperboy might want to rob your house instead for get money.

  As far as the politicians go? When they start blaming another party, they should really look at themselves and what they have really done to make things better. If they start blaming the President, ask them what bills they have introduced to make things better, and remind them that when they refuse to truly work with the other party, they themselves are part of the problem with what is going on in this country.

 But also remember, look at the person in the mirror, for they could be part of the problem also.

]]> http://stclinton.wordpress.com/2011/09/16/the-blame-game/feed/ 0 stclinton