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This image has been making the rounds on many of my friends' facebook pages as of late: http://a3.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/384813_2864055324189_1343911384_3123831_1381864166_n.jpg I wanted to take a moment and address why I think this sentiment is so misguided. The text reads: "I'm disillusioned by the people who are disillusioned by Obama, quite honestly, I am. Democrats eat their own. Democrats find singular issues and go, 'Well, I didn't get everything I wanted.' I'm a firm believer in sticking by and sticking up for the people whom you've elected. If (Obama) was a Republican running, because Republicans are better at this, they'd be selling him as the guy who stopped 400,000 jobs a month from leaving the country. They'd be selling him as the guy who saved the auto-industry. If they had the beliefs, they'd be selling him as the guy who got rid of 'Don't Ask, Don't Tell,' who got Osama bin Laden. You could be selling this as a very successful three years." George Clooney I am a liberal. I am one of those liberals that is, apparently, eating my own, but let me explain why that is. If Obama was a Republican then individuals—individuals like George Clooney—would be attacking him on his social liberties policies. The worst abuses of the Bush administration continue into this administration and have been embraced by Obama: you can still have your phone tapped without a warrant, you can still be snatched off the street and be outsourced to another country for detention (extraordinary rendition), Guantanamo Bay still stands, these are just some of the problems that he continues, not to mention the additional rights that have been suspended for the duration of the permanent war. Liberals—liberals like George Clooney—have rightly and historically been highly critical of these very issues when Bush implemented them, but now that Obama does the exact same things I am supposed to "support who I voted for". There is no other way to put this: that is bullshit. I am not here to argue Obama's record. He has done some wonderful things that I strongly agree with: he has done some bad things that I strongly oppose: he has done some things which I am utterly indifferent to. He has been consistently a center left politician—exactly as those that actually looked at his record knew he would be. Certainly Clooney has a point, liberals will always find something to complain about ("Oh no, he didn't mention organic free range sustainable potato farming, I hate him now!"). I get it, we are annoying. I contend that part of the reason Obama has been disappointing to liberals is because they did not take the time to do their homework and realize that he is not a liberal—unless you watch Fox News in which case Obama is somewhere to the left of Stalin. So I understand where Clooney is coming from and can respect it to a certain degree, but I find the notion behind the statement distasteful. His statement rests upon this air of duty that is antithetical to the nature of a democracy. In a representative democracy, I owe those that represent me nothing. They owe me everything. I have given them the most precious thing I possess: a fraction of my autonomy to speak with my voice and forward my interests. Should the representative that I have not actually represent me, I have every right—every duty—to not support that representative and work tirelessly to have them voted out. We have every right to hold our representatives to promises, to remind them they speak for us. One of the great problems our democracy faces is that it is viewed as a team based system. Too many believe, like Clooney seems to here, that we owe our loyalty to individual politicians and political parties, and so when those individuals let us down or those institutions fail us –as they will inevitably—our misplaced loyalties compel us to bend over backwards to excuse those individuals while condemning the "other team" for the same infractions. Which is why many republicans may feel that Clinton's infidelities are abominable, but Gingrich's infidelities are a part of his grand redemptive story (democrats feel the opposite). Both sides likely agree that infidelity is wrong, but rather than be loyal to an ideal, they are loyal to parties and politicians they are, as Clooney says, "sticking by and sticking up for the people whom [they've] elected" to the point of cognitive disconnect. That mantra of "stick by your man" that Clooney advocates reverses the very point of democracy: the president should speak for ME: I should never be asked to speak for the president. So long as the president's voice is my voice, I can speak for myself and through my articulation of my principles hear them echoed by those in power, but it should not be the case that I am asked to echo the voices of power for that is a kind of intellectual and moral slavery. Rather than "sticking by and sticking up for the people whom you've elected", stick by the ideals that drove you to cast the vote in the first place. The ideals are the catalyst, the ideals are why the vote was cast, the promise of an accurate representation. Do not blindly support the one you voted for. Ask if that individual has forwarded your morals, ideals, and values that you hold: ask yourself if the elected official has forwarded your voice. If the answer is yes, then they have earned another term, if the answer is no then they have failed. Our democracy has nothing to do with those whom hold the office, and everything to do with how well that individual represents the people. If liberals feel Obama has failed to represent them, they should not stick by him no more than conservatives should have stuck by Bush if they feel he did not speak for them. Do not give your loyalty to people or institutions, for both are fallible and must be policed as such, put your loyalty only behind ideals. |
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My poor Macbook Pro. I bought it my second year of JET making it about 5-7 years old. Those 7 years have seen it lugged back and forth over the Pacific a couple time, move around the US, and pretty much be on 24/7 in that time period.
About a year ago, the battery died. That's okay; I run it off AC current 90% of the time anyway.
About half a year ago, I was putting batteries in my mouse and dropped it directly onto the track pad, messing it up so that there is really only one "sweet spot" where the click still works easily. That's okay; I have a mouse anyways!
Today, I put a DVD in the drive, and it spit it out. I put another in, and it spit it out. It looks like the optical drive has failed. That's... damn.
I'm kind of in a bind right now. Doing a quick peek online, to fix the problems looks like it will run me $500 easy, and I'm not sure a 7 year old computer is worth that work. I love this computer, it's a tank, but it's also an ailing tank that may need to be taken off the front lines. But here's the problem:
1) I'm a poor grad student
2) I'm saving to visit my friends' wedding in England
1+2=crap
I don't know what I'll do. I was thinking of getting a mac mini as a media center for my TV, so, this computer (if I get around to fixing the drive) could do that role quite well, so that could work. I don't know... I've had a crappy week.
Hey, Life, boo! |
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One of my favorite, and I believe most engaging, shows on TV right now is Deadliest Catch on the Discover Channel. The show chronicles 4-6 crabbing vessels as they venture out into the Bering Sea and fish. The job is one of the deadliest in America. Every season people die doing this job. Part of the original appeal of the show was that the job was so dangerous and every episode some horrible things nearly or actually happen. People have been swept off of deck (and recovered), had fingers broken, but no one that the show directly follows has died.
As the seasons progressed, and you get over your initial shock of just how brutal and dangerous going out and fishing is; you begin to grow attached to the human beings that do the work. They are not characters or the abstract "bad asses" that you originally thought. You learn of Keith's battle to quit chewing tobacco with his daughter's frequent pep talk phone calls and hand made anti-chewing propaganda posters in his wheel house. You see Edgar and Scotty's struggles to be good fathers despite being absent most of the year. You see the interpersonal triumphs and fall outs. You grow to love these people not as characters on a TV show, but as human beings. I know reality TV is all the buzz, but somehow this feels more real. It captures humanity at its most tired, desperate, and joyous. Deadliest Catch is a picture into amazing people, and also what it means to be human. And, although surrounded by death, no one has ever died on the show. This season that changed.
One of the captains, Phil Harris, passes due to complications of a stroke he suffered while offloading his boat. Because he passed with the camera crew on the ship, the cameras followed him to the hospital, through his partial recover, and (tonight) his passing. I have found watching this season--knowing as I do that he will die (the crabbing season actually takes place in January--difficult. At times, I have found the show too painful to watch, at times it felt to voyeuristic. Now that I can name all the men that work on the Cornelia Marie, I suddenly do not feel that I have the right to watch them in this their grimmest of times. Somehow knowing them (as much as one can know another through the medium) I feel I owe them their privacy. I feel I owe them the distance and separation that the show does not afford them. Part of the reason is that the show follows them only when they are on the boat, we only hear from the crew what is happening back at dock, or when they are not fishing, so the show is about their life at work. It is not, it seems, about their life as a whole. So when the cameras left the Cornelia Marie and traveled to Anchorage to Phil's hospital room, somehow it felt wrong. It felt like I--and I do mean "I" here, as lived vicariously through the lens--was following him; was breaking the covenant that I only watch him while he works. I only know him through his work. It felt like I was invading a world that I was not supposed to see, his private space and the life of his family.
I struggle with the difference between documenting events and engaging in voyeurism. I have always felt Deadliest Catch (and the Discovery Channel in general) has balanced those roles. When there was a death in Jake's family, the crew did not film the phone call the young deckhand received. We heard him wailing through a wall, but he was given, to some degree, a moment of distance from the lenses--as much privacy as any ship can provide. I don't know if I will watch tonight's episode, or watch it all the way through. I liked Phil. I can say that honestly. Which seems odd to say about someone I've never actually met, but I liked him. I am deeply saddened that he passed. I am saddened whenever I hear that someone has died, of course, but that is kind of an abstract pain. A kind of sadness that a fellow human is gone, this is different. I am sad because someone I feel as if I knew is gone. Perhaps I knew him, perhaps I didn't, but I feel as if I did, and, in this case, that is all that matters. And it is because of that feeling of familiarity that I now am not sure if I can or even should watch Phil's final episode, because, in the end, it isn't Phil's final episode. It is the final moments of his life. He's not going to come back in the surprise twist at the end of the season. The show remains about actual humanity and actual human beings, and, unlike being voted off the island or not getting a rose, Phil's last episode is about the last moments of his life rather than his last moments in front of the camera before returning to a world where the cameras do not follow.
So I return to my misgivings, do I have the right to see that? |
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I'm not big on the meme scene, but ![[info]](http://l-stat.livejournal.com/img/userinfo.gif?v=91.6) sheryden had a fun meme, so I stole it from her. Here are the rules:
1. Take five books off your bookshelf.
2. Book #1 -- first sentence
3. Book #2 -- last sentence on page fifty
4. Book #3 -- second sentence on page one hundred
5. Book #4 -- next to the last sentence on page one hundred fifty
6. Book #5 -- final sentence of the book
Story:
The bells of St. Mark's were ringing changes up on the mountain when Bud skated over to the mod parlor to upgrade his skull gun. But if one of these slowly rotating stars collapses down to a small size, the rate of rotation increases dramatically. True enough, one wall was all covered with silver screen, and direct opposite was a wall with square holes in for the projector to project through, and there were stereo speakers stuck all over the mestro. This one promeses to be bigger and bertter than ever before, and I wouldn't be surprised if four hundred million people showed up. "About an hour ago he took a sudden turn for the worse."
Works Cited:
The Diamond Age -- Neal Stephenson
Black Holes and Warped Spacetime -- William J. Kaufmann
A Clockwork Orange --Anthony Burgess
The Mystery Science Theater 3000 Amazing Colossal Episode Guide -- Writes of MST3
Deep River -- Endo Shusak |
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So David gave a nice little teaser on his blog about his story in the upcoming Inhuman: Flash Fiction Challenge #4 which is an anthology of stories all written from the perspective of a non-human character. I liked the idea so much, I decided to steal it outright.
I have 2 stories to be published in the work:
"Duet" is the story of a futuristic knight and what he must give up for justice in an unjust universe. He struggles to maintain the delicate balance between his personal morality and the absolutist morality of his code which is personified in his sword.
"A Mathematician's Galatea" is inspired by G.H. Hardy's "A Mathematician's Apology" and a retelling of the Pygmalion myth. It is a character portrait of a mathematician struggling to come to grips with the realization that he is in the twilight of his career and his inability to meaningfully connect with anyone other than his "companion" robot.
So if these sound interesting, Inhuman: Flash Fiction Challenge #4, is due out at the end of July. Expect further updates as I get them.
BONUS: This is a teaser for the piece they would have accepted, but did not becasue I already had 2 pieces from me that they really liked. I may just publish the story here, or try to get it into another publication (let me think about it)
"Everyone Against Everyone" is a retelling of the Hobbesian notion of the Absolute Sovereign. The story takes place in the future where the inner terrestrial worlds are completely controlled by the omnipresent artificial intelligence, the Ω-L Sovereign, while the outer Jovial worlds are at best libertarian free states and at worst anarchist. The Jovian main character speaks to the the Sovereign as part of the citizenship exchange program where, once of age, individuals can decide to be a citizen of either state. The story is an examination of the application of Hobbes' argument and the character's final decision.
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| » I'm a Published Author! Part Duex |
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I finally got an email from Absolute XPress (it actually didn't take that long, it just FELT like forever). I am very pleased to announce that they accepted two of my stories for publication in their next anthology. Hurray! I thought 3 were strong enough for publication, but I'm happy that they picked my two favorites, so I am very pleased.
Expect tons of annoying "I'M AWESOME" updates :P
EDIT 6-14-10:
One of the great things about the publisher is that they will provide reasons why stories are rejected. That is unbelievably rare and awesome in the publishing world. Needless to say, I always ask for it. Of the 6 stories I submitted they were going to accept 3 of them(!), but had so many entries this time that they had to implement a 2 story limit per author. Of the 3 they selected their 2 favorite entries. Which is cool because I don't live off of my writing so I'm happy getting less money and knowing that some new author got a spot that one of my stories would have been in. Still, I'm officially claiming I batted .500 on this one, better than my original round of .333 :)
Jun. 14th, 2010 @ 03:00 pm
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| » The Continued Problem with Transparency |
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So the company that published my short story a while back, holds many similar contests. Currently the publisher is informing the next round of winners if their submissions will be published in the upcoming anthology. Because I had such a great experience with Absolute XPress last time, I naturally jumped at the chance to enter the latest contest as well. Many of my friends (David, JR, Amie) also submitted stories to this latest flash fiction round. Some of my friends have heard back from the publisher, but I have not... AND I AM GOING INSANE. The lack of response doesn't mean anything as far as will I be published/will I not be, AXP informed everyone that the decisions would be made prior to the 15th, so my concern is purely becasue I want to know rather than I fear what is coming. BUT I WANT TO KNOW!
Making matters worse, I'll be at work today without internet connection. Okay, okay, that may not actually make matters worse because I won't spend my time at my email frantically clicking "Check for New Messages", but it will feel like it is making matter worse.
Boo to you transparency!
Jun. 11th, 2010 @ 08:58 am
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| » Flickr Update |
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It's been a long time since I've updated my Flickr page! So I've dumped a lot of photos on there from the snowstorm, to the great flowers we had this year, and also the recent thunderstorm. See them all from my Flickr page.
Jun. 5th, 2010 @ 01:15 pm
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| » Just when you think you're out... |
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So the Mobile Mencken, my old IBM laptop, is coming out of retirement. The Timken branch of the Writing Lab has no computers or internet connection, so the little black trooper that I lugged back and forth to Tanigawa Junior High School every day of the week is going to be getting stuffed into my backpack once again. That way the Traveling-Tesla (aka my Mac) can remain safe and sound at home diligently doing whatever I tell it to do. The IBM has superior battery life, is lighter, and has a better track pad, plus if something were to happen to it the loss would not be as great as loosing my more expensive Mac, so the Mobile Mencken is just the computer for the job!
Mobile Mencken, you just got stop-lossed!
Jun. 3rd, 2010 @ 10:16 pm
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| » Dear Rand Paul |
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Dear Rand Paul,
Listen to this at 9:30. Before we all "follow the Constitution" maybe you should "read the Constitution". The 14th Amendment Section 1 reads: "All persons born or naturalized in the United States, and subject to the jurisdiction thereof, are citizens of the United States and of the State wherein they reside. No State shall make or enforce any law which shall abridge the privileges or immunities of citizens of the United States; nor shall any State deprive any person of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law; nor deny to any person within its jurisdiction the equal protection of the laws."
As a strict constructionists, who believes the Constitution should be followed exactly as written, you can't go picking and choosing which Amendments "count" and which ones need to be changed. That would be the job of the Judicial Branch of government. You'd think someone that has absolute respect for the Constitution would have at least some understanding of the document.
May. 28th, 2010 @ 07:43 pm
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