Hiding Behind A Mask

 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…

Software Company Changes…

Maybe it is just me, but I am trying to figure out why people want to screw things up which are perfectly fine in the way that they look and operate. Over the last four or five years it seems as though the aim of software people is to make things more and more unusable. It seems as though they have forgotten the basic “KISS” thought. You know the term, “Keep It Simple Stupid.”

 

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…

 

 

The Blame Game

 I have become tired of the politicians all over this country blaming everyone else for the problems that we are encountering in this country. Seriously, they all seem to be laying the blame on someone else. Michael Jackson had a song that people really need to listen too and think about. “The Man In The Mirror”.

 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.

Avon Walk

Even if you can’t help with much, everything counts.

Here is the link that Bryn mentions

http://info.avonfoundation.org/goto/walkforeilene

 

It’s Just A Show

 Ok, I will admit it, I am addicted a few of the “Reality” TV shows. Now most of the ones that people call “reality tv” really should be called “Game Shows”, as there is really no reality in these shows. I’m talking about shows like Survivor, America’s Next Top Model, Hell’s Kitchen, Project Runway, Big Brother and so many other shows. Now of the ones that I mentioned, I will admit that I watch all but Project Runway.

 I was reading online on one of the “social network” sites about the events going on in Big Brother. Now I had noticed it before, but had never really thought about it, and that was people saying that they “Hate” one of the people on the show. I then read that their are now death threats not only against one of the people on the show, but against their child. Now I have never been a fan of the person on the show, but I realize that what we are seeing are snapshots in people’s lives that have been put together by the people producing the show.

 I am now beginning to wonder if it is time to put an end to these “reality” shows? Yes some of these shows do bring out goodness in people, and there are many good people on these shows, but with some people in the public taking so overboard serious, what really is the cost? Who will be at fault if something should happen to a child of someone on one of these shows, or if something should happen to one of the people after the show is over? Oh I am sure that the networks have “lawyered up” and have in the contracts that they bare no responsibility if something should happen to the person and/ or there family because of the show, but in reality they do bare some of the blame.

 I put some of the blame on the entertainment industry itself. Instead of letting us really know how things happen, they try to create their own storylines that they then feed to us and we don’t think or really complain about it. Instead of coming up with new ideas for new shows, they bring us more “reality” show and bring back remake of shows and movies that are so far away from being good that it is sad. Oh sure most shows now are remakes of old shows with the same storylines, but at least they make you think that they are something new and original.

 We the public should also take some of the blame. Yes, YOU and ME need to take some of the blame also because we watch the stuff. Not only do we watch these reality shows, but we will sit and watch the credits role by and see that most of these shows have writers, but yet believe that this stuff is real. We try and get onto these show thinking that we would end up winning the grand prize and becoming famous, but in reality we know deep in our hearts that we have a very slim chance of getting onto these show, and even a slimmer chance of being the winner.

 But their are people would are taking things to far. we are seeing a small snipette  of these people’s lives, then making judgments about them. We don’t like when other people judge us, but yet we are so quick at judging someone else. We have people out there wanting to kill people who are on these shows, and worse people make threats against family and friends of people on these shows. we have forgotten that these are just shows. The people will be on these shows up to about 6 months, then most of them go back to their regular lives. Now imagine if it was one of your family members or friends who was on one of these shows, and was being shown in a very bad way. Suddenly you are getting phone calls from people that you don’t even know who are threatening to kill you. You know the person on the show as being a very sweet and kind person who would stop and help someone who was in trouble, or would give something to eat to a homeless person, or would do so much more wonderful things. Now when you watch a “reality” show, imagine that is the person that you don’t like so much is that friend or family member. Imagine if you were in trouble in a way that you could die, and they show up and try to help you. Are you going to refuse their help?

 You have to remember that these are just tv shows, and you are only seeing a small slice of their life. Sit back and enjoy these shows as the entertainment that they are.

Hillary Clinton II ?

 Sitting here watching the news and they showed Michelle Bachmann, who is running for President of the USA., then suddenly I began to wonder about something.

 I remember 4 years ago this country was just starting to gear up towards the election of a new President and people were announcing there nominations. Among those running was Hillary Clinton, then one of the Senators from New York and former 1st Lady of the country. Straw polls and types of polls where done that said she would be her political party nominee. The news and the talking mouths on the political shows were saying how scientific these pools were, which to me means that I should take no value in them. But anyway, Sen Clinton was the person to beat in the political party she was/is in. This little known Senator, Barak Obama really had no chance.

 Sen Clinton had her catches phrases and most  of the hype, and on a daily basis we would her about her on the news. She would show up in different states at different events. People would clammer around her. She was sure enough going to become the parties nominee.

 Then out of nowhere came this guy named Barak Obama. I think that people thought of him as a type of novelty act who was running, and he really had no chance. He had his catch phrases, good looking guy, great family, etc. One thing that people did say is that he had no experience so he shouldn’t be elected. Well it was really the “Talking Heads” who were saying that, but then it happened to their surprise. He won a primary. Over time, well we all know what the end result has been.

 But through all of this, it was interesting to watch what happened with Hillary Clinton, as she had to change up on things in what she was saying and doing in her campaign, as I think that the people had become so tired of her catch phrases, the amount of news coverage, etc that she people lost interest in her.

 I will admit that I really did become interested in her and her views, and if she had won the nomination I would of voted for her, but that was not to be.

 As I was watching the news a few minutes ago, I suddenly wondered about Michelle Bachmann. All I seem to hear from her is her catchphrase that President Obama will be a “one term President”. She talks about being a conservative, but I really don’t hear anything that she can really do to change things in the country.

 Then a something hit me that is so true that people had been saying about President Obama. She has NO experience as President of the United States. None. Zilch, Nahdah, Zero. Think about it. in 2008 the Republican Party said over and over again how important it is that we elect someone with experience, which tells me that I have no choice to vote for President Obama.

 But I also wonder, will Michelle Bachmann become the next Hillary Clinton in the end? Are we seeing Hillary Clinton II ? hmmm, I guess that we will see.

Thinking Outside Of The Box

 I find it amazing the number of people that I hear who talk about “Thinking Outside Of The Box” who in reality really don’t, as they are so far into sticking to there comfort zone that they really don’t see it. After watching the video that I posted of a talk given by Bryn Drescher, I am beginning to realize how much I also do that myself. Maybe it’s age or something else, I don’t know. But over the last few days I have been trying my best to step outside of my box as much as possible.

 Ever since I had my first website, each site has pretty much been the same in many ways. Yeah I have built them from the ground up, but I never really have taken them a step further, as to do so would mean that I would have to step outside of my comfort zone and let people know more about me than I wanted them to know. Some people knew some things about me, while other people knew other things. The sad thing is that the people who think that they know me the best (outside of family and people that have known me all of my life,) are so clueless as to who I am. Oh they think that they have figured me out, but how little do they know.

 The other day I decided to make a change, and that is with my personal website. I actually went and changed it to a different format. I have actually posted some of my poetry and short stories, and have written more about myself than I have ever before. I really like the fact that I stepped outside of how I had been making sites, and am really pleased with what I have put together. Now all that I need to do is to take even further steps with my web design.

 The one thing that I haven’t done ever since I have lived in the area that I do is to have a library card. I had been stopping by the library quite often lately, and today I finally got a library card. When I got the card I did something that I have rarely done, and that was to flirt with someone that I found really attractive. Now she isn’t as attractive as a certain someone, but I stepped outside of my comfort zone to do it.

 As I walked back form the library, I began to wonder how some people really survive and feel good about themselves when they basically refuse to step outside of their zone? I know a person who finds it impossible to admit that they errored and will even blame their upbringing and parents, along with any other excuse to the can think of instead of simply apologizing for their action(s). I really pity this person, as they have driven people away from them who have ended up talking with others who could have a major effect on their future. I am at the point where I am simply going to let them continue to dig their own grave. They talk about stepping outside of comfort zones, but yet they stay in it themself.

 But I am going to try my best to live as much as I can outside of my comfort zone. I am going to do this by being the person who drives my life and not let others drive it for me. I, through the help of the Holy Trinity, am going to do what is best for me. Oh I am sure that some people will say that I have changed, but it will be because I am no longer allowing them to drive my life in the way that they thing that it should go, as it is time for them to take a look at their own life.