Anthony Cox, if you're reading... you're the inspiration ...
----
Most of you know I live in the .com world -- not in terms of always being online, but working in it, as well -- and I was struck this morning by a conversation I had with said Cox that led me to do some research.
We were talking about Google's new "Buzz" feature, which appears to be a miniature foray into the Twitter/Facebook universe -- I had joked about how I'd never bet against Google -- when he brought up Orkut, which was basically a "Google failure" in some respects because it was a social networking site that didn't destroy/swallow up Facebook and MySpace in typical Google fashion.
I'd forgotten about Orkut, so I did a little check using Alexa traffic to see where it ranked in the world.
Google owns the world.......
----
http://www.alexa.com/topsites
By my count, they own/operate 13 of the top 60 most visited websites in cyberspace (aforementioned "failure" Orkut closing out the chart at 60, mainly due to its influence overseas), and that's not including sites in which they serve significant roles in, as well.
Other quick Alexa observations:
By my count, 3 of the top 61 are porn sites. Not sure what to make of that....
ESPN is 77th. Fans of sport know the power of The Universe. (I actually expected them to be in the top 50, perhaps top 30. Color me surprised.)
People love blogging, apparently... two of the top twenty, plus several more in the top 100...
BBC > CNN > Fox News, according to internet traffic. I doubt you'll see that on the O'Reilly Factor tonight though, to be fair, Keith Olbermann and co. @ MSNBC still aren't on the radar screen.
Checking in at 397: Sheffield's employer
----
The first moral of this story: Sheffield should've bought stock in Google when the company first started.
The second moral of this story: I'm a nerd...
Saturday, February 13, 2010
Wednesday, January 27, 2010
Running Diary: State of the Union Address
Let's go.
“Madam Speaker, the President of the United States!”
Barack Obama was followed in tonight by Senator Harry Reid. No joke to insert here. None whatsoever.
Hey! Fox News has Sarah Palin as a special guest commentator! This blog just became a little more interesting.
Palin looks and sounds a little better than she did in the Couric interview. “I read all of ‘em, Katie. All of the magazines and books!”
Pelosi’s dressed in purple. In a related note, Sheffield just determined that he’ll never drink grape Kool-Aid again.
Pelosi has the “high privilege and distinct honor of presenting to you the President of the United States.” I wonder if she’d have said that two years ago. With a straight face.
Barack thanks us behind the transparent teleprompters. Five bucks says that gets a mention tonight on Fox.
First observation of Obama at the podium: Pelosi isn’t smiling as much tonight as she was at the beginning of last year’s speech.
Obama opens by giving a history lesson of Bull Run, the Civil Rights movement, etc.. I didn’t fact-check him because I don’t want to study history at the moment. It's time to look into the present and future with this one.
The Recession is bad, Mr. President. You don’t need to remind us of this.
Obama, unlike Santa Claus, reads his mail from children. Also unlike Santa Claus, the children under his watch aren’t interested in his thoughts on the economy. Wait. Apparently they are. Who knew?
Obama says Americans are tired of partisanship. Meanwhile, Nancy Pelosi doesn’t hide under her desk. Sometimes I wonder if she has a reflection in the mirror or if she has a shadow.
It’s because of America’s decency and great strength that President Obama has never been more hopeful about America’s future tonight. (Everyone stands on cue. Even the Republicans.) If I were the President, I’d follow that up with a Mao joke, just to see what happens…
And that, ladies and gentlemen, is why I would never make it as a President.
Republicans are looking around to determine whether or not they should clap at Obama’s commentary that “we all hated the bank bailout.” Good times. (Immediate Fox cutaway shot to Tim Geitner, who looks about 10 years older than he did this time last year.)
John McCain isn’t buying the bank bailout. The fundamentals of the American economy were strong, after all.
Obama is talking about cutting taxes for 95 percent of working families; he then goes on an inspired commentary about cutting taxes for home buyers, college students, etc.. The Republicans are sitting on their hands at this point.
Line of the night so far: “I thought I’d get some applause on that one.” (In reference to his tax cuts.)
Obama’s measurement: 2 million workers right now are employed who otherwise wouldn’t be because of his actions with the economy. He then goes on to name fire fighters, teachers, first responders, etc.. I doubt he mentions bank executives in this list of names.
I was right. Regrettably.
Republicans sneer.
The personal anecdotes come a little early tonight, but with the same political expediency as they have in SOTU addresses past. A school teacher in middle America told Obama she wouldn’t be employed without the Recovery Act.
Jobs must be our number one focus in 2010! (Careerbuilder.com, stand and applaud.)
The true engine of job creation in this country will always be America’s businesses. Historically speaking, here’s where I say the following: Laos, get ready. We have shoes for your 10 year olds to make…
Quick question: Republican or Democrat, has there been a President in our nation’s history that didn’t talk highly of small businesses? I wonder if Taft waddled around D.C. talking about small businesses back in the early 1900s…
Joe Wilson is as purple as Nancy Pelosi’s woman-suit right now.
Even the Republicans know to stand on the talk of eliminating capital gains taxes on small businesses. Maybe they were just resting their legs earlier.
Obama wants to build infrastructure. He’s going to Tampa tomorrow, in fact, to discuss the implementation of a high speed rail system. I bet Raheem Morris would like him to stick around to discuss the NFL draft….
Estimation on standing O count to this point: Democrats 18, Republicans 2.
On a serious note, I am all about some of the job creation chatter that’s going on. We’ve needed some of this stuff for several administrations, particularly the infrastructure stuff. How do we get there? Reason 32 why I’m glad I’m just a blogger, and not the President.
“How long should we wait? How long should America put its future on hold? Washington has been telling us to wait for decades, even as the problems have gotten worse.” Words that I’ve heard from every American president that I can recall in my lifetime. But I’m only 30. I am pretty sure my great-great-grandparents would say the same if they were still alive today.
This standing O/sitting staunchly routine really is starting to feel like one of those old Saturday morning pump-up sessions as a car salesman. I’m really tired of watching politicians treat each other like the other party is solely to blame for this crap.
Obama doesn’t like lobbyists much. Funny, neither did Bush.
Pelosi won’t even look at the Republican side of the aisle. Bi-partisanship in action!
Time to talk about nuclear power plants, or as President Bush referred to them…. Nevermind. Too easy.
Offshore areas for oil and gas development brought a really sarcastic smile and clap from Nancy. Personally, I find her more interesting to watch than the President. That woman annoys the heck out of me, in case you cannot tell.
(And, on cue, she jumps out of her seat at the mention of a clean energy bill. I really would like to see just a streaming video, without sound, of her in this thing. She’s incredibly animated behind him, like she’s not even in touch with what he’s saying beyond the buzz words.)
Exports: We will double our exports in the next five years, an increase that will support two million more jobs in America. Or Laos.
I agree with this: We have to seek new partnerships aggressively. The question is, how do we do this?
Obama wants to trade with South Korea, Panama, and Columbia. Republicans stand, Democrats sit? What in the worldl? I’m going to have to Google some stuff tonight. Particularly the following. (“Minority Party Stand” AND “Majority Party Sit”)
Now for the educational sector…
In the 21st century, the best anti-poverty plan is a world class education. Or to be the son of a politician.
Didn’t we talk about revitalizing our community colleges last year? The only reference to community colleges I’ve heard since was the show featuring that Talk Soup guy on NBC…
Hey, Mr. President: Can I get that 10,000.00 to pay off student loans retroactively?
Wait a second… You have a plan proposing that students are only required to pay 10% of their student loans? All debts forgiven after 20 years, 10 if they choose it in a public sector? I like it, but how does it work? And does it apply to 30 year olds that haven’t been inside a school building since they were cleaning out their classroom for the last time?
Healthcare reform! Obama wants to “clear a few things up.” Ruh roh, Raggy.
I have to give Barack credit; he’s funny in crises. “By now, it should be apparent to every American that I didn’t take on health care because it’s ‘good politics.’”
Michelle Obama is tackling fat kids. Wait. She’s planning on taking on obesity in America.
Obama takes his share of the blame for not explaining his agendas more clearly to the American people. But these problems aren’t going away, and he’s not going to walk away from the problems of these Americans, and neither should those in this chamber. (Editor’s note: President Obama, if you follow your words on this one, I’ll have gained a serious newfound respect for you. While you’re a great speaker, the jury is still out on whether or not I like you for your policies as much as I do for your speaking ability.)
Please mean these words, Mr. Obama. If you truly do want to carry bi-partisanship, please do. And Republicans, please do your part respectfully, as well.
The man from Scranton sure nods a lot.
Obama just rolled the wheels on a certain Yale-educated rancher in Crawford concerning the surplus to deficit that he inherited and left.
Starting in 2011, government spending aside from Medicaid, Social Security, etc. will be frozen for two years. “It’s called budgeting,” he says. (Barack’s tossing a few barbs tonight.)
In what may be the single most memorable thing I’ve ever seen in a State of the Union address, he just spanked the Supreme Court who, not coincidentally, were seated right in front of him, not twenty feet away.
With all due deference to separation of powers, last week, the Supreme Court reversed a century of law that I believe will open the floodgates for special interests, including foreign corporations, to spend without limit in our elections. I don't think American elections should be bankrolled by America's most powerful interests or, worse, by foreign entities. They should be decided by the American people. And I urge Democrats and Republicans to pass a bill that helps correct some of these problems. AKA, the single-most stunning series of lines I can remember being uttered in a Presidential address. And that includes Morgan Freeman telling the world that there’s an asteroid coming. ABC cut to an immediate shot of the judges in response, and they looked alternately like scorned children and exasperated parents.
I’m in shock right now. Immediate glance at my Facebook friends’ status updates confirm that I’m not the only one stunned by what just happened. Immediate thought: I agree with Obama in regard to his general assessment of the situation, personally, but that was almost as disrespectful in my opinion as Joe Wilson. I laughed initially, but man… that was harsh… I alternately can’t wait and dread seeing the news response to that one tomorrow. I’m willing to bet my bonus that Hannity and co. have a field day with that moment this week. Looks like sports talk radio for me for a couple weeks…
Here comes the speaking to both parties stuff…
Obama wants to meet with the leadership of both parties. That’s a positive, in my view. He also talks of how “reform isn’t possible unless the thought processes reform as well.” Or something along those lines. In the middle of all this bi-partisan talk, I still have the sight of Ruth Bader Ginsburg from a few moments ago, hunched over in her chair while Obama took her team to task for the corporation ruling, burned in my retinas.
Obama wants to show the American people that he and Congress can work together. Somewhere, Keith Olbermann just removed his glasses. Again.
Stuart Smalley sighting: he’s seated behind the military contingent as Obama talks about beefing up Afghanistan and capturing/killing Al Qaeda. Obama says he promised as a candidate that he was ending the war, and that he’s doing this as President. Gotta give him credit for that.
(On second thought, can the praise, Sheffield: let’s just take care of our kids in Afghanistan and Iraq.)
I’m going to be honest with you guys: I disagree completely with Obama’s continuation of the talk about nuclear weaponry being the greatest danger to the American people.
Back to the word nuclear, though this time it’s of the last guy’s ilk. Barack Obama is talkin’ nukes in the Axis of Evil, where they’re not exactly known to be enriching uranium for peaceful purposes.
Tough talk on North Korea and Iran. The usual, in other words. Meanwhile, North Korea and Iran talk tough about us to their own citizenry. Funny how that works. Head shrinking. Must… move… on….
Ah, the obligatory CEO rewarding himself for failure remark. I expected that one to come earlier in the evening, but it’s good to know that it’s there. That sort of talk is an old friend at this point. (Just once, Democrat or Republican, I’d like to see a man stand up there and say “You know what? Rich people suck. No really, they do. Come to think of it, politicians suck, too! America, I’ve decided tonight to empty the coffers of AIG and divide it equally among you all!” And it’s not solely because of selfish reasons. Well, yes it is…)
My favorite part of tonight, and not in a Supreme Court shock sort of way: The more that TV pundits reduce serious debates to silly arguments, big issues into sound bites, our citizens turn away. No wonder there's so much cynicism out there. No wonder there's so much disappointment. I campaigned on the promise of change, change we can believe in, the slogan went. And right now, I know there are many Americans who aren't sure if they still believe we can change, or that I can deliver it.
That phrase alone, if acted on by all whom it encompasses, could be the most powerful words ever spoken in his Presidency. Sadly, Glenn Beck will probably have mocked it in a squeaky voice, to the disdainful response of Rachel Maddow, by this time tomorrow night.
America lives on. She’s on life support at this point, but she lives…
----
Overall thoughts on the speech: As I’ve told many people in recent months of conversation, blogging, etc., I’m cynical. Completely cynical. And I’m not just cynical because I want this person or that person in office, or because I listen to so-and-so on talk radio or the evening news.
I’m cynical because we’ve been stretched to the limits as a nation, and rather than responding in a collectively mature fashion, we’ve seen our voices reduce themselves to being first graders fighting over sand in a sandbox.
Obama hit a lot of things on the head tonight, in my opinion, and I would rate the speech – minus the stuff about the Supreme Court, which part of me hopes he retracts (or at least explains to a gentler detail, thus practicing his own preachings of the evening) the statements made in their presence this evening – a solid B.
That said, Barack’s proven himself in the past to be an inspiring speaker.
And we need more than that, my friends. We need action on this talk of unity, from him and from the members of Congress. We need people to stop pulling the same wheel into opposite directions.
I cheated a little bit in this thing; in between watching the address and typing, I was glancing at the Facebook status messages of folk to see what they’d say during the stuff, and from what I saw, it was the same familiar frustration toward the parties.
I feel it, too. And that’s why I’m going to do something relatively radical for me, just to see if it works.
Starting tomorrow, I’m self-imposing a one-month fast of political conversation, either personally or in the media. I am not going to feed into this frenzy any further. I’m putting this out there for y’all to read and comment on, but if you comment on anything I said tonight, don’t expect to see a response from me until the final day of February.
In the time I do this, I’m going to instead focus on the things I can do to make the world a better place. (Blogging likely isn’t it, but I like to blog, so I’ll probably keep doing that… ) I’m going to be looking for ways to brighten the world around me, whether through volunteer work, focusing more on my position of employment, or simply by looking to establish/build meaningful relationships with those around me.
I'm going to practice what I preach.
We all have a part to play in this world, my friends, and I haven’t been taking my role as seriously at times and in ways as I should. If you feel like joining me on this fast/endeavor, don’t hesitate to email or call me and we can share ideas and ways to do this. If you can post it in a non-poltiical fashion at the end of this blog, we’ll discuss there, as well. ;)
Either way, there’s work to be done, and rather than sitting back and commenting on things, I’m going to pick up my proverbial shovel and start digging. Hopefully I’ll see you on the other side…
“Madam Speaker, the President of the United States!”
Barack Obama was followed in tonight by Senator Harry Reid. No joke to insert here. None whatsoever.
Hey! Fox News has Sarah Palin as a special guest commentator! This blog just became a little more interesting.
Palin looks and sounds a little better than she did in the Couric interview. “I read all of ‘em, Katie. All of the magazines and books!”
Pelosi’s dressed in purple. In a related note, Sheffield just determined that he’ll never drink grape Kool-Aid again.
Pelosi has the “high privilege and distinct honor of presenting to you the President of the United States.” I wonder if she’d have said that two years ago. With a straight face.
Barack thanks us behind the transparent teleprompters. Five bucks says that gets a mention tonight on Fox.
First observation of Obama at the podium: Pelosi isn’t smiling as much tonight as she was at the beginning of last year’s speech.
Obama opens by giving a history lesson of Bull Run, the Civil Rights movement, etc.. I didn’t fact-check him because I don’t want to study history at the moment. It's time to look into the present and future with this one.
The Recession is bad, Mr. President. You don’t need to remind us of this.
Obama, unlike Santa Claus, reads his mail from children. Also unlike Santa Claus, the children under his watch aren’t interested in his thoughts on the economy. Wait. Apparently they are. Who knew?
Obama says Americans are tired of partisanship. Meanwhile, Nancy Pelosi doesn’t hide under her desk. Sometimes I wonder if she has a reflection in the mirror or if she has a shadow.
It’s because of America’s decency and great strength that President Obama has never been more hopeful about America’s future tonight. (Everyone stands on cue. Even the Republicans.) If I were the President, I’d follow that up with a Mao joke, just to see what happens…
And that, ladies and gentlemen, is why I would never make it as a President.
Republicans are looking around to determine whether or not they should clap at Obama’s commentary that “we all hated the bank bailout.” Good times. (Immediate Fox cutaway shot to Tim Geitner, who looks about 10 years older than he did this time last year.)
John McCain isn’t buying the bank bailout. The fundamentals of the American economy were strong, after all.
Obama is talking about cutting taxes for 95 percent of working families; he then goes on an inspired commentary about cutting taxes for home buyers, college students, etc.. The Republicans are sitting on their hands at this point.
Line of the night so far: “I thought I’d get some applause on that one.” (In reference to his tax cuts.)
Obama’s measurement: 2 million workers right now are employed who otherwise wouldn’t be because of his actions with the economy. He then goes on to name fire fighters, teachers, first responders, etc.. I doubt he mentions bank executives in this list of names.
I was right. Regrettably.
Republicans sneer.
The personal anecdotes come a little early tonight, but with the same political expediency as they have in SOTU addresses past. A school teacher in middle America told Obama she wouldn’t be employed without the Recovery Act.
Jobs must be our number one focus in 2010! (Careerbuilder.com, stand and applaud.)
The true engine of job creation in this country will always be America’s businesses. Historically speaking, here’s where I say the following: Laos, get ready. We have shoes for your 10 year olds to make…
Quick question: Republican or Democrat, has there been a President in our nation’s history that didn’t talk highly of small businesses? I wonder if Taft waddled around D.C. talking about small businesses back in the early 1900s…
Joe Wilson is as purple as Nancy Pelosi’s woman-suit right now.
Even the Republicans know to stand on the talk of eliminating capital gains taxes on small businesses. Maybe they were just resting their legs earlier.
Obama wants to build infrastructure. He’s going to Tampa tomorrow, in fact, to discuss the implementation of a high speed rail system. I bet Raheem Morris would like him to stick around to discuss the NFL draft….
Estimation on standing O count to this point: Democrats 18, Republicans 2.
On a serious note, I am all about some of the job creation chatter that’s going on. We’ve needed some of this stuff for several administrations, particularly the infrastructure stuff. How do we get there? Reason 32 why I’m glad I’m just a blogger, and not the President.
“How long should we wait? How long should America put its future on hold? Washington has been telling us to wait for decades, even as the problems have gotten worse.” Words that I’ve heard from every American president that I can recall in my lifetime. But I’m only 30. I am pretty sure my great-great-grandparents would say the same if they were still alive today.
This standing O/sitting staunchly routine really is starting to feel like one of those old Saturday morning pump-up sessions as a car salesman. I’m really tired of watching politicians treat each other like the other party is solely to blame for this crap.
Obama doesn’t like lobbyists much. Funny, neither did Bush.
Pelosi won’t even look at the Republican side of the aisle. Bi-partisanship in action!
Time to talk about nuclear power plants, or as President Bush referred to them…. Nevermind. Too easy.
Offshore areas for oil and gas development brought a really sarcastic smile and clap from Nancy. Personally, I find her more interesting to watch than the President. That woman annoys the heck out of me, in case you cannot tell.
(And, on cue, she jumps out of her seat at the mention of a clean energy bill. I really would like to see just a streaming video, without sound, of her in this thing. She’s incredibly animated behind him, like she’s not even in touch with what he’s saying beyond the buzz words.)
Exports: We will double our exports in the next five years, an increase that will support two million more jobs in America. Or Laos.
I agree with this: We have to seek new partnerships aggressively. The question is, how do we do this?
Obama wants to trade with South Korea, Panama, and Columbia. Republicans stand, Democrats sit? What in the worldl? I’m going to have to Google some stuff tonight. Particularly the following. (“Minority Party Stand” AND “Majority Party Sit”)
Now for the educational sector…
In the 21st century, the best anti-poverty plan is a world class education. Or to be the son of a politician.
Didn’t we talk about revitalizing our community colleges last year? The only reference to community colleges I’ve heard since was the show featuring that Talk Soup guy on NBC…
Hey, Mr. President: Can I get that 10,000.00 to pay off student loans retroactively?
Wait a second… You have a plan proposing that students are only required to pay 10% of their student loans? All debts forgiven after 20 years, 10 if they choose it in a public sector? I like it, but how does it work? And does it apply to 30 year olds that haven’t been inside a school building since they were cleaning out their classroom for the last time?
Healthcare reform! Obama wants to “clear a few things up.” Ruh roh, Raggy.
I have to give Barack credit; he’s funny in crises. “By now, it should be apparent to every American that I didn’t take on health care because it’s ‘good politics.’”
Michelle Obama is tackling fat kids. Wait. She’s planning on taking on obesity in America.
Obama takes his share of the blame for not explaining his agendas more clearly to the American people. But these problems aren’t going away, and he’s not going to walk away from the problems of these Americans, and neither should those in this chamber. (Editor’s note: President Obama, if you follow your words on this one, I’ll have gained a serious newfound respect for you. While you’re a great speaker, the jury is still out on whether or not I like you for your policies as much as I do for your speaking ability.)
Please mean these words, Mr. Obama. If you truly do want to carry bi-partisanship, please do. And Republicans, please do your part respectfully, as well.
The man from Scranton sure nods a lot.
Obama just rolled the wheels on a certain Yale-educated rancher in Crawford concerning the surplus to deficit that he inherited and left.
Starting in 2011, government spending aside from Medicaid, Social Security, etc. will be frozen for two years. “It’s called budgeting,” he says. (Barack’s tossing a few barbs tonight.)
In what may be the single most memorable thing I’ve ever seen in a State of the Union address, he just spanked the Supreme Court who, not coincidentally, were seated right in front of him, not twenty feet away.
With all due deference to separation of powers, last week, the Supreme Court reversed a century of law that I believe will open the floodgates for special interests, including foreign corporations, to spend without limit in our elections. I don't think American elections should be bankrolled by America's most powerful interests or, worse, by foreign entities. They should be decided by the American people. And I urge Democrats and Republicans to pass a bill that helps correct some of these problems. AKA, the single-most stunning series of lines I can remember being uttered in a Presidential address. And that includes Morgan Freeman telling the world that there’s an asteroid coming. ABC cut to an immediate shot of the judges in response, and they looked alternately like scorned children and exasperated parents.
I’m in shock right now. Immediate glance at my Facebook friends’ status updates confirm that I’m not the only one stunned by what just happened. Immediate thought: I agree with Obama in regard to his general assessment of the situation, personally, but that was almost as disrespectful in my opinion as Joe Wilson. I laughed initially, but man… that was harsh… I alternately can’t wait and dread seeing the news response to that one tomorrow. I’m willing to bet my bonus that Hannity and co. have a field day with that moment this week. Looks like sports talk radio for me for a couple weeks…
Here comes the speaking to both parties stuff…
Obama wants to meet with the leadership of both parties. That’s a positive, in my view. He also talks of how “reform isn’t possible unless the thought processes reform as well.” Or something along those lines. In the middle of all this bi-partisan talk, I still have the sight of Ruth Bader Ginsburg from a few moments ago, hunched over in her chair while Obama took her team to task for the corporation ruling, burned in my retinas.
Obama wants to show the American people that he and Congress can work together. Somewhere, Keith Olbermann just removed his glasses. Again.
Stuart Smalley sighting: he’s seated behind the military contingent as Obama talks about beefing up Afghanistan and capturing/killing Al Qaeda. Obama says he promised as a candidate that he was ending the war, and that he’s doing this as President. Gotta give him credit for that.
(On second thought, can the praise, Sheffield: let’s just take care of our kids in Afghanistan and Iraq.)
I’m going to be honest with you guys: I disagree completely with Obama’s continuation of the talk about nuclear weaponry being the greatest danger to the American people.
Back to the word nuclear, though this time it’s of the last guy’s ilk. Barack Obama is talkin’ nukes in the Axis of Evil, where they’re not exactly known to be enriching uranium for peaceful purposes.
Tough talk on North Korea and Iran. The usual, in other words. Meanwhile, North Korea and Iran talk tough about us to their own citizenry. Funny how that works. Head shrinking. Must… move… on….
Ah, the obligatory CEO rewarding himself for failure remark. I expected that one to come earlier in the evening, but it’s good to know that it’s there. That sort of talk is an old friend at this point. (Just once, Democrat or Republican, I’d like to see a man stand up there and say “You know what? Rich people suck. No really, they do. Come to think of it, politicians suck, too! America, I’ve decided tonight to empty the coffers of AIG and divide it equally among you all!” And it’s not solely because of selfish reasons. Well, yes it is…)
My favorite part of tonight, and not in a Supreme Court shock sort of way: The more that TV pundits reduce serious debates to silly arguments, big issues into sound bites, our citizens turn away. No wonder there's so much cynicism out there. No wonder there's so much disappointment. I campaigned on the promise of change, change we can believe in, the slogan went. And right now, I know there are many Americans who aren't sure if they still believe we can change, or that I can deliver it.
That phrase alone, if acted on by all whom it encompasses, could be the most powerful words ever spoken in his Presidency. Sadly, Glenn Beck will probably have mocked it in a squeaky voice, to the disdainful response of Rachel Maddow, by this time tomorrow night.
America lives on. She’s on life support at this point, but she lives…
----
Overall thoughts on the speech: As I’ve told many people in recent months of conversation, blogging, etc., I’m cynical. Completely cynical. And I’m not just cynical because I want this person or that person in office, or because I listen to so-and-so on talk radio or the evening news.
I’m cynical because we’ve been stretched to the limits as a nation, and rather than responding in a collectively mature fashion, we’ve seen our voices reduce themselves to being first graders fighting over sand in a sandbox.
Obama hit a lot of things on the head tonight, in my opinion, and I would rate the speech – minus the stuff about the Supreme Court, which part of me hopes he retracts (or at least explains to a gentler detail, thus practicing his own preachings of the evening) the statements made in their presence this evening – a solid B.
That said, Barack’s proven himself in the past to be an inspiring speaker.
And we need more than that, my friends. We need action on this talk of unity, from him and from the members of Congress. We need people to stop pulling the same wheel into opposite directions.
I cheated a little bit in this thing; in between watching the address and typing, I was glancing at the Facebook status messages of folk to see what they’d say during the stuff, and from what I saw, it was the same familiar frustration toward the parties.
I feel it, too. And that’s why I’m going to do something relatively radical for me, just to see if it works.
Starting tomorrow, I’m self-imposing a one-month fast of political conversation, either personally or in the media. I am not going to feed into this frenzy any further. I’m putting this out there for y’all to read and comment on, but if you comment on anything I said tonight, don’t expect to see a response from me until the final day of February.
In the time I do this, I’m going to instead focus on the things I can do to make the world a better place. (Blogging likely isn’t it, but I like to blog, so I’ll probably keep doing that… ) I’m going to be looking for ways to brighten the world around me, whether through volunteer work, focusing more on my position of employment, or simply by looking to establish/build meaningful relationships with those around me.
I'm going to practice what I preach.
We all have a part to play in this world, my friends, and I haven’t been taking my role as seriously at times and in ways as I should. If you feel like joining me on this fast/endeavor, don’t hesitate to email or call me and we can share ideas and ways to do this. If you can post it in a non-poltiical fashion at the end of this blog, we’ll discuss there, as well. ;)
Either way, there’s work to be done, and rather than sitting back and commenting on things, I’m going to pick up my proverbial shovel and start digging. Hopefully I’ll see you on the other side…
Thursday, January 21, 2010
Thoughts on Massachusetts and Scott Brown
A warning in advance: I have conservative friends who are going to read this and think, "Ben's turned into a liberal." Some of them think it already, despite my best efforts of distancing myself from the label.
To those friends, I want you to read what I have to say and fully digest it before going down the road of simple minds ("Ben is this." "Ben is that."), though, because I'm only offering an observation with this one, not a statement of whether or not I believe Mr. Brown's the man qualified. All that stuff, in my opinion, is to be determined at a later date; further, despite the fact that I know much about the guy (and despite the stuff you're about to read that may lead others to think otherwise), I'm glad he got in. I prefer, above all else (despite the fact that it seems to have broken things somewhat lately due to mishandling of the rule), checks and balances in our government.
For a guy who literally followed political happenings feverishly as a five year old -- and I remember following Reagan/Mondale in 1984 and being the only kid in my class to vote for Michael Dukakis (it was the name that did it, for the record, as I really liked the name "Dukakis") -- in 1988, Benjamin Sheffield is more cynical than ever.
----
Regardless of what those in the media and in Washington wish to tell you, Scott Brown's victory last night wasn't a monumental win for Conservative America so much as it was a continuing of the script that's been played out in front of us for generations. I write that with full knowledge of the Kennedy history in the seat, not to mention the understanding that an R hasn't held the post since my grandmother was in high school. While so many people are "energized" by this -- even in my own circles, as some of my closest friends have dedicated their status messages to it, and I've heard it in conversation on several occasions today -- I am more shaking my head in amusement than anything at this point.
In truth, this election wasn't about Scott Brown, not even by the slightest bit. One could push a trained monkey into either the Democrat or Republican role, and I guarantee you that, without knowing much about the other party, there'd be signs marching up and down Main Street in Boston last night stating "Vote the Chimp." Chances are, media outlets from both sides would be at the chimp's headquarters, too, alternately singing its praises and condemning it for a comment it made through sign language in 2005. That's pretty much the state this country is in right now; both sides claim their anger, both sides are arguably justified, and neither side seems to understand the role their own "team" has played in creating this mess.
This election was, like 2008, 2006, and 1994 before it, a backlash against an establishment that has been dividing and conquering this nation for some time now. It was a response to the Glenn Becks and Rush Limbaughs of the world, just as it was a response to the Barack Obamas and Keith Olbermanns of the world. (For the record, I miss Keith Olbermann on ESPN; go home, Keith. Please.)
The majority opinions which used to reside in the middle are now, due to differing and widespread influences, pushing themselves toward the fringes, right and left, and what we're seeing is a macrocosm of sorts where moderate voices are trampled by talk of teabaggers and socialism. What should've been a relatively local election ballooned into a continuation of the national circus act that I've talked about and studied with growing intensity since Bill Clinton turned the Oval Office into... well... nevermind.
Long story short, it's a rock fight that -- UNFORTUNATE SPOILER ALERT -- neither side will win. (The system, great as it is, currently isn't designed to allow a winner, but rather someone who can keep the proverbial seat warm until public opinion polls, with the help of talk radio and dodging Congressmen, sway again.)
----
The America we live in today is far too polar for any long-standing "change" to occur, as public opinion polls find themselves based on the tension we're feeling from a representative government that, quite frankly, shares equal blame in putting us into the position we're in right now, regardless of what Glenn Beck or Keith Olbermann tell you. Both sides have had "majority rule" since 1990; conservatives who bash Obama for the economy and stimulus package completely push aside the fiscal irresponsibility of the R before him, and liberals who thought Obama was getting into office to "bring our troops home" have seen him basically repeat Bush's Iraq strategy in Afghanistan, for example.
Want another example? Here's one that hits closer to home for me personally.
Even today, three years after I left a classroom for the final time, I thrive on studying educational trends. I earned the degree, taught in high school back home while doing so, and came to Atlanta to fulfill a lifelong dream to teach in the inner city. Therefore, any time I've seen federal influence on the classroom, I've watched with a pretty careful eye dating back to the end of Clinton's presidency. I've studied the history of the relationship between the government and the classroom back to the beginnings of the nation. I know a thing or two about the history of the educational system in our country, in other words.
The situation that happened back in September -- the one where Barack Obama was supposedly "indoctrinating our schools" with his "You can do it!" motivational speech to the students -- was the crockiest of crocks that were told about the guy. It was dishonest, Rovian debate done beautifully, because it managed to fire up an entire constituency and, in some cases, sell more books. But it was still a crock. Care to know why?
In October 1991, we were also at war in the Middle East, when President Bush made an announcement that he wanted to speak to school children on an eerily similar topic around the country early in the school year. I'll give you two guesses as to how the Democrats responded. (Want a hint? Sure, you do... "Campaign commercial!" I'll bet I can guess how the Republican congressmen and congresswomen felt about that at the time, as well...)
In the past five people who sit in the Oval Office, I know for certain that four of them have spoken directly to school children; and I'm no Presidential historian, either, but my guess is that more have done so than that and all have faced whining from the opposition. (I'm just glad MSNBC wasn't around to pull a Fox News when Bush Sr. gave his speech in '92.)
----
If I may make a prediction -- and I'll even preface it with an "I hope I'm wrong on this one, guys." -- it is this: we will not have any governmental continuity lasting longer than two terms again in our lifetime. And it's not because of the sides, or even the issues, as I don't see a lot of actual "changes" that have been made on a national level, administration to administration, but rather because both sides have stirred the pot into a slow boil, and they've left the burner on while leaving the house.
And, as some of you knew before this piece, I'm sick of the lot of them, as well as the "us vs. them," "left vs. right," "good vs. evil" mentality that has come about because of the games they've played with the American population. They've argued themselves into a standstill over everything from health care to the economy to the war to a myriad of the other issues that have spawned about while they've struggled for power and wealth, and I really do believe that in order for the "American people to take their country back," we as individuals need to not only step back from the argument and look at things again from the proverbial 5,000 foot view.
Accountability shouldn't begin in Washington, though a good dose of it is needed; accountability should begin at home.
----
I don't have kids. I used to have 120 or so, but I only got to see them 30 or so at a time, for an hour and a half, and I couldn't tell them the same stuff that I'm telling you tonight for fear of losing my job. But, if a single man with no children that he knows of could offer you a single bit of advice tonight without fear of being dragged like a pinata through the media for attempting to indoctrinate them, it's this: teach your children, among other ideas, to do the following things...
Respect themselves.
Respect their elders.
Respect their fellow man.
Respect the Lord.
Go after what they love. (...and forget about the rest.)
Manage their resources.
Avoid mind-rotting vices like cable news and the internet. (...it's too late for me.)
Learn to think critically...
Our future depends on it.
To those friends, I want you to read what I have to say and fully digest it before going down the road of simple minds ("Ben is this." "Ben is that."), though, because I'm only offering an observation with this one, not a statement of whether or not I believe Mr. Brown's the man qualified. All that stuff, in my opinion, is to be determined at a later date; further, despite the fact that I know much about the guy (and despite the stuff you're about to read that may lead others to think otherwise), I'm glad he got in. I prefer, above all else (despite the fact that it seems to have broken things somewhat lately due to mishandling of the rule), checks and balances in our government.
For a guy who literally followed political happenings feverishly as a five year old -- and I remember following Reagan/Mondale in 1984 and being the only kid in my class to vote for Michael Dukakis (it was the name that did it, for the record, as I really liked the name "Dukakis") -- in 1988, Benjamin Sheffield is more cynical than ever.
----
Regardless of what those in the media and in Washington wish to tell you, Scott Brown's victory last night wasn't a monumental win for Conservative America so much as it was a continuing of the script that's been played out in front of us for generations. I write that with full knowledge of the Kennedy history in the seat, not to mention the understanding that an R hasn't held the post since my grandmother was in high school. While so many people are "energized" by this -- even in my own circles, as some of my closest friends have dedicated their status messages to it, and I've heard it in conversation on several occasions today -- I am more shaking my head in amusement than anything at this point.
In truth, this election wasn't about Scott Brown, not even by the slightest bit. One could push a trained monkey into either the Democrat or Republican role, and I guarantee you that, without knowing much about the other party, there'd be signs marching up and down Main Street in Boston last night stating "Vote the Chimp." Chances are, media outlets from both sides would be at the chimp's headquarters, too, alternately singing its praises and condemning it for a comment it made through sign language in 2005. That's pretty much the state this country is in right now; both sides claim their anger, both sides are arguably justified, and neither side seems to understand the role their own "team" has played in creating this mess.
This election was, like 2008, 2006, and 1994 before it, a backlash against an establishment that has been dividing and conquering this nation for some time now. It was a response to the Glenn Becks and Rush Limbaughs of the world, just as it was a response to the Barack Obamas and Keith Olbermanns of the world. (For the record, I miss Keith Olbermann on ESPN; go home, Keith. Please.)
The majority opinions which used to reside in the middle are now, due to differing and widespread influences, pushing themselves toward the fringes, right and left, and what we're seeing is a macrocosm of sorts where moderate voices are trampled by talk of teabaggers and socialism. What should've been a relatively local election ballooned into a continuation of the national circus act that I've talked about and studied with growing intensity since Bill Clinton turned the Oval Office into... well... nevermind.
Long story short, it's a rock fight that -- UNFORTUNATE SPOILER ALERT -- neither side will win. (The system, great as it is, currently isn't designed to allow a winner, but rather someone who can keep the proverbial seat warm until public opinion polls, with the help of talk radio and dodging Congressmen, sway again.)
----
The America we live in today is far too polar for any long-standing "change" to occur, as public opinion polls find themselves based on the tension we're feeling from a representative government that, quite frankly, shares equal blame in putting us into the position we're in right now, regardless of what Glenn Beck or Keith Olbermann tell you. Both sides have had "majority rule" since 1990; conservatives who bash Obama for the economy and stimulus package completely push aside the fiscal irresponsibility of the R before him, and liberals who thought Obama was getting into office to "bring our troops home" have seen him basically repeat Bush's Iraq strategy in Afghanistan, for example.
Want another example? Here's one that hits closer to home for me personally.
Even today, three years after I left a classroom for the final time, I thrive on studying educational trends. I earned the degree, taught in high school back home while doing so, and came to Atlanta to fulfill a lifelong dream to teach in the inner city. Therefore, any time I've seen federal influence on the classroom, I've watched with a pretty careful eye dating back to the end of Clinton's presidency. I've studied the history of the relationship between the government and the classroom back to the beginnings of the nation. I know a thing or two about the history of the educational system in our country, in other words.
The situation that happened back in September -- the one where Barack Obama was supposedly "indoctrinating our schools" with his "You can do it!" motivational speech to the students -- was the crockiest of crocks that were told about the guy. It was dishonest, Rovian debate done beautifully, because it managed to fire up an entire constituency and, in some cases, sell more books. But it was still a crock. Care to know why?
In October 1991, we were also at war in the Middle East, when President Bush made an announcement that he wanted to speak to school children on an eerily similar topic around the country early in the school year. I'll give you two guesses as to how the Democrats responded. (Want a hint? Sure, you do... "Campaign commercial!" I'll bet I can guess how the Republican congressmen and congresswomen felt about that at the time, as well...)
In the past five people who sit in the Oval Office, I know for certain that four of them have spoken directly to school children; and I'm no Presidential historian, either, but my guess is that more have done so than that and all have faced whining from the opposition. (I'm just glad MSNBC wasn't around to pull a Fox News when Bush Sr. gave his speech in '92.)
----
If I may make a prediction -- and I'll even preface it with an "I hope I'm wrong on this one, guys." -- it is this: we will not have any governmental continuity lasting longer than two terms again in our lifetime. And it's not because of the sides, or even the issues, as I don't see a lot of actual "changes" that have been made on a national level, administration to administration, but rather because both sides have stirred the pot into a slow boil, and they've left the burner on while leaving the house.
And, as some of you knew before this piece, I'm sick of the lot of them, as well as the "us vs. them," "left vs. right," "good vs. evil" mentality that has come about because of the games they've played with the American population. They've argued themselves into a standstill over everything from health care to the economy to the war to a myriad of the other issues that have spawned about while they've struggled for power and wealth, and I really do believe that in order for the "American people to take their country back," we as individuals need to not only step back from the argument and look at things again from the proverbial 5,000 foot view.
Accountability shouldn't begin in Washington, though a good dose of it is needed; accountability should begin at home.
----
I don't have kids. I used to have 120 or so, but I only got to see them 30 or so at a time, for an hour and a half, and I couldn't tell them the same stuff that I'm telling you tonight for fear of losing my job. But, if a single man with no children that he knows of could offer you a single bit of advice tonight without fear of being dragged like a pinata through the media for attempting to indoctrinate them, it's this: teach your children, among other ideas, to do the following things...
Respect themselves.
Respect their elders.
Respect their fellow man.
Respect the Lord.
Go after what they love. (...and forget about the rest.)
Manage their resources.
Avoid mind-rotting vices like cable news and the internet. (...it's too late for me.)
Learn to think critically...
Our future depends on it.
Wednesday, January 20, 2010
My Momma is 50, plus 2...
Editor's note: The below-given piece is a repost of sorts, not because I've ran out of ideas to write about, but rather because my mother turned 52 at midnight. For 30 years, I haven't hidden the fact that I have supreme regard for my mother from the world. If there is a person on the planet who has alternately managed to be there whenever needed (...and without question) while also being hands-off enough to let me choose my own path, it's the lady who almost died with me in a Stephens Co. delivery room some 30 years and two months ago. I am, without shame, a "momma's boy" through and through; she deserves no less, in my view. Happy birthday, momma. I might even let you read the things I have to say about you this weekend.
Originally posted Sunday, May 10, 2009 on Facebook as a Mother's Day reflection entitled "Tribute to Mom"
Because I don't think she could turn on a computer, I doubt my mother will ever read these words, but I'm going to type them anyway. It's Mother's Day, after all, and as sometimes happens when I find myself staying awake at night, my thoughts turn into words which then become public view, and ten paragraphs later I wrap it up as nicely as I can before closing out of the browser, shutting down the computer, and shutting my eyes.
Long story short tonight, Sheffield loves his mother. You can read the rest if you like, but that's pretty much the main idea of the piece that I'm bringing to you this evening.
----
I've never really told the story on this, but from what I've been told (and it doesn't get discussed much in the family meals, for obvious reasons), the night I was born, we both almost died. I had the cord wrapped around my neck a few times and came out blue, and she had some problems post-birth in introducing me to the cold hands of some doctor at Stephens County Hospital in Toccoa, Georgia, but we managed to both make it out of that experience with minimal damage done to the relationship. She doesn't begrudge me for making her life difficult from the beginning and I only slightly hold it against her that her mis-diagnosis of my wrist that my buddy Keith snapped like a twig in middle school -- despite the fact that I literally pushed the bones together before walking into the living room to announce my arm had been broken, she managed to convince me it was only a sprain until Baron Mullis broke my right hand two weeks later in an ill-fated game of Battleball -- led to me having almost no range of motion in my right arm below the elbow.
All in all, my mom has been pretty remarkable to me and my family over the years, even in times when we didn't really deserve it. I can still remember some of the punk things I did as a boy in taking advantage of her love. It never stopped her, though. That woman loved me regardless, without condition or expectation. I hope to one day have proven myself worthy of all the love she's given me.
----
Without going into too many personal details tonight, I think she's one of a select few that have stood by me through literally every decision I've ever made in the time knowing her, and that goes all the way back to the year I played linebacker (for one play a game, at least, not to mention a bunch of practices where guys twice my size would kick the crap out of me and laugh their way back to the huddle, looking back over their pads to make sure I was still alive) for my elementary school football team. She's always had my back. When I moved to Atlanta to teach in the inner city, several people close to me worried for me and told me not to do it -- and I'm disregarding the fact that they turned out to be "right" -- she supported me and prayed for me through it all. The night my best friend died in a car accident at 19, it was her voice on the other line calling to tell me that she was coming, and it was her who held me close while I screamed and cried like any teenager would do when confronted by the death of a loved one for the first time. When I would come home from college after blowing most of my money earned on the rinky-dink jobs college students hold to pay for Friday and Saturday night, she was the one stuffing hundred dollar bills in my bookbag and making sure I didn't see the cash until Tuesday.
And she was the one who, every time things have unraveled in the rapids of life that we all have to fight our way through from time to time, has always made it a point to call me every day, without fail, even if only to say a tired "I love you" before telling me she'd had a long day and needed to go to bed.
And she's the one I vent to when I've had a long day at the job she doesn't quite understand, but somehow manages to brag about to her friends at the hospital all the same.
We didn't have a lot when I was growing up, but one thing I never had to want was love. She and my father proved it time and time again, whether through her sacrifice in working three jobs at times to make sure we had food on the table and clothes on our backs, the day she realized a dream that furthered the entire family by walking through the door in tears, announcing that she'd passed her nursing boards that somehow never took a night's meal away from us (two years of schooling), or even in the aftermath of our house fire when I was an adolescent, which took everything we owned except for my baseball cards and my Nintendo.
----
Earlier tonight, a friend and I discussed, among other things, our parents' sacrifice over dinner, and she told me that she wondered if she could ever be the rock her parents had been in raising her and her older brother. Six hours later, I've reflected on that comment and determined that I doubt I could be the rock my parents were to me.
There's a reason Sheffield is an unabashed Momma's boy -- in fact, I'd go so far as to say there are countless reasons -- and without her in my life, God knows where I'd be today. To all the mothers out there, this is your day. I know a few of you who may be reading these words, and if you are, know that I'll be saying a little prayer for you tonight. I know at times that it can be a bit difficult to balance all the roles that you have to play: counselor, disciplinarian, comforter, etc.. You ladies are truly special, and I applaud you for, in the cases that I've seen anyway, sinking your lives into your families. Jennifer, Kristi, Sherie, Kayla, Debbie, Mary, and the others, you are fantastic women and outstanding mothers. May God continue to bless you and your families always. Thank you for being great friends to me over the years.
Happy Mothers' Day, everyone. Be safe if you're traveling for the holiday...
Tuesday, January 19, 2010
Thoughts on Haiti
Last week's devastating earthquake in Haiti was a tragedy, as it always is when thousands of people die in a catastrophe, natural or otherwise.
That's it, really. I could stop there, but it'd be a pretty boring blog and you guys would be wondering why I wrote it to begin with, as would I.
----
The real reason I'm writing this tonight is to discuss Pat Robertson, Danny Glover, Rush Limbaugh, Hugo Chavez, and the rest of those who've decided to take Haiti and turn it into an agenda-fitting talking point. And the list, I'm quite certain, goes on beyond there, but I'm just speaking of the people I know of off the top of my tiny, work-drained brain.
In order, Haiti was not, nor should it be described as:
*God's vengeance for Haiti's turn to voodoo to beat the French.
*God's/Mother Earth's response to the Copenhagen summit on Global Warming.
*Obama's saving grace.
*America's opportunity to occupy Haiti.
----
One of my best living friends wrote in his Facebook status message the other day that he'd "won the lottery -- the ovarian lottery -- big time," which I thought was a rather odd way of saying that he was having a child, particularly since my understanding was that he was single. My first thought: maybe he'd slept with Oprah or something, but it turned out he was merely referring to the fact that he'd been born in the United States rather than some impoverished third-world country. My buddy has spent the past couple years going all over the planet for both work and leisure, much of it in southeast Asia, and he's seen things I've never laid eyes on.
In other words, I'll yield the floor to him in terms of his right to make the assessment.
Life is a lot different for even the folks making 30,000.00 a year in this great nation than it is for 90% of the world. If your place of birth lies somewhere within the boundaries of our 50 states, you were practically born into the wealthiest of classes in terms of the world's population. And it angers me these days when I catch even myself acting any different. It doesn't take but a YouTube search of the Haiti coverage, studying the situation in Darfur, receiving emails/letters from my friends that are missionaries around the world, etc. to understand any different.
In short, I'm grateful I drive a truck that cost me a dollar.
And, quite frankly, I've been tired of a few things for a long, l-o-n-g time when it comes to poor folk being used as tools of political/social/spiritual division.
Haiti is and, since the dawn of Western civilization, has always been an impoverished country. The Spaniards and French welcomed themselves to an island of peace and relative prosperity dating back to Christopher Columbus's sailing of the ocean blue, and it's been riddled with strife ever since. One of my favorite books -- Rick Bragg's "All Over But the Shoutin'" -- details in a significant portion of his time spent there as a beat reporter, talking about how (as with most poverty-ridden countries) the 5% minority control the resources there. It speaks of the direct effects of political corruption, the direct effects of a population that essentially is left to fend to their own devices. In truth, it describes Haiti as, in my opinion, a black hole of sorts.
And it wasn't God's hate or global warming that put them there.
----
You know who I do like in all this?
Anderson Cooper (warning: the link is graphic) and Don Miller.
Say what you will about Anderson Cooper, by the way, but that guy has made a career out of being a real voice in times like these. His Hurricane Katrina coverage, in my opinion, was absolutely amazing, and any man who is willing to wade into a mob and grab a badly bleeding child like he did deserves credit. I love the guy.
----
My church took a special offering last week where they basically said they were taking 100 percent of the offering itself and shipping it along; they've also worked to encourage people to donate to places like the Habitat for Humanity, the American Red Cross, etc., thus to me proving that their heart in this wasn't with the church's interests, but with a struggling nation. That, to me, is a beautiful thing, and an example of light shining even in the darkest of moments.
I appreciate people who use their voices without spouting a personal or political agenda, who go through real measures just to show that they care. We don't need to hear "George Bush hates black people." from bazillionaire rappers with political agendas in these moments, regardless of whether or not they truly feel that way. We need men and women of action, those who are willing to roll up their sleeves in some constructive form or another in aid of those who are hurting.
----
I apologize for ranting tonight. I'm just tired, really.
I'm tired of living in a TMZ world. I'm tired of out-of-touch celebrities looking for sound bytes. I'm tired of religious leaders screwing up their own agendas. I'm tired of politicians and media figures spouting on and on about their side of the coin, using the same tactics of condemning those who condemn them.
I'm tired of exclamation points equaling ratings, and question marks and periods being viewed as either "indecisiveness," "weakness," or any of the other adjectives the talking heads have tried to brainwash a broken/mind-numb society into believing.
There is evil in the world. I don't need Danny Glover's take on Global Warming to prove it to me.
My general take, for those who seek to be a light to the world: The first step is found in conducting oneself in a manner worthy of being a lightbulb...
That's it, really. I could stop there, but it'd be a pretty boring blog and you guys would be wondering why I wrote it to begin with, as would I.
----
The real reason I'm writing this tonight is to discuss Pat Robertson, Danny Glover, Rush Limbaugh, Hugo Chavez, and the rest of those who've decided to take Haiti and turn it into an agenda-fitting talking point. And the list, I'm quite certain, goes on beyond there, but I'm just speaking of the people I know of off the top of my tiny, work-drained brain.
In order, Haiti was not, nor should it be described as:
*God's vengeance for Haiti's turn to voodoo to beat the French.
*God's/Mother Earth's response to the Copenhagen summit on Global Warming.
*Obama's saving grace.
*America's opportunity to occupy Haiti.
----
One of my best living friends wrote in his Facebook status message the other day that he'd "won the lottery -- the ovarian lottery -- big time," which I thought was a rather odd way of saying that he was having a child, particularly since my understanding was that he was single. My first thought: maybe he'd slept with Oprah or something, but it turned out he was merely referring to the fact that he'd been born in the United States rather than some impoverished third-world country. My buddy has spent the past couple years going all over the planet for both work and leisure, much of it in southeast Asia, and he's seen things I've never laid eyes on.
In other words, I'll yield the floor to him in terms of his right to make the assessment.
Life is a lot different for even the folks making 30,000.00 a year in this great nation than it is for 90% of the world. If your place of birth lies somewhere within the boundaries of our 50 states, you were practically born into the wealthiest of classes in terms of the world's population. And it angers me these days when I catch even myself acting any different. It doesn't take but a YouTube search of the Haiti coverage, studying the situation in Darfur, receiving emails/letters from my friends that are missionaries around the world, etc. to understand any different.
In short, I'm grateful I drive a truck that cost me a dollar.
And, quite frankly, I've been tired of a few things for a long, l-o-n-g time when it comes to poor folk being used as tools of political/social/spiritual division.
Haiti is and, since the dawn of Western civilization, has always been an impoverished country. The Spaniards and French welcomed themselves to an island of peace and relative prosperity dating back to Christopher Columbus's sailing of the ocean blue, and it's been riddled with strife ever since. One of my favorite books -- Rick Bragg's "All Over But the Shoutin'" -- details in a significant portion of his time spent there as a beat reporter, talking about how (as with most poverty-ridden countries) the 5% minority control the resources there. It speaks of the direct effects of political corruption, the direct effects of a population that essentially is left to fend to their own devices. In truth, it describes Haiti as, in my opinion, a black hole of sorts.
And it wasn't God's hate or global warming that put them there.
----
You know who I do like in all this?
Anderson Cooper (warning: the link is graphic) and Don Miller.
Say what you will about Anderson Cooper, by the way, but that guy has made a career out of being a real voice in times like these. His Hurricane Katrina coverage, in my opinion, was absolutely amazing, and any man who is willing to wade into a mob and grab a badly bleeding child like he did deserves credit. I love the guy.
----
My church took a special offering last week where they basically said they were taking 100 percent of the offering itself and shipping it along; they've also worked to encourage people to donate to places like the Habitat for Humanity, the American Red Cross, etc., thus to me proving that their heart in this wasn't with the church's interests, but with a struggling nation. That, to me, is a beautiful thing, and an example of light shining even in the darkest of moments.
I appreciate people who use their voices without spouting a personal or political agenda, who go through real measures just to show that they care. We don't need to hear "George Bush hates black people." from bazillionaire rappers with political agendas in these moments, regardless of whether or not they truly feel that way. We need men and women of action, those who are willing to roll up their sleeves in some constructive form or another in aid of those who are hurting.
----
I apologize for ranting tonight. I'm just tired, really.
I'm tired of living in a TMZ world. I'm tired of out-of-touch celebrities looking for sound bytes. I'm tired of religious leaders screwing up their own agendas. I'm tired of politicians and media figures spouting on and on about their side of the coin, using the same tactics of condemning those who condemn them.
I'm tired of exclamation points equaling ratings, and question marks and periods being viewed as either "indecisiveness," "weakness," or any of the other adjectives the talking heads have tried to brainwash a broken/mind-numb society into believing.
There is evil in the world. I don't need Danny Glover's take on Global Warming to prove it to me.
My general take, for those who seek to be a light to the world: The first step is found in conducting oneself in a manner worthy of being a lightbulb...
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