Crossposted from another blog

Credit to Emma VC

sarah palin.
04Sep08

She fails to separate her religion from her leadership. And, as we learned last night, she has the terrifying talent of speaking in a way that commands attention while distracting listeners from the content of her words. She could read from a phonebook and command attention.

This country is supposed to be about the separation of church and state. Our beginnings are based in choice and freedom, the idea that we’re free to do as we will, to make our own way, worship as we like (and if we like). But this woman stands on a platform defined by religion, and her own religion at that, a platform that restricts personal freedom rather than protect it. It’s defined by the highly subjective and easily abused notion of ‘morality,’ where things are right and wrong and good and evil and anyone who raises questions is unpatriotic. This is the sort of rhetoric that girds fascists. Look at history. Look at recent history.

Americans are notorious amnesiacs.

A good friend of mine used to be an admissions officer at Princeton. She once said that she started getting applications with the acronym WWJD in the essay sections, one after another. Whole chunks of the application were supposed to be devoted to unpacking complex issues and she was getting a lot of white space - a sea of white space - broken by this single acronym. Thinking it was some kind of objection to the nature of the question, she gathered the applications up and took the stack to the dean to ask him what this acronym meant.

“What would Jesus do,” he said. “That’s their answer to the question.”

“But the whole point of the question is to display your ability to think critically,” she said.

The dean shrugged.

That story really struck me because it wasn’t about belief systems or spirituality or religion. It was about mindless obedience, so much so that when called to address a complicated issue, the response was an acronym, like a secret handshake. No thinking involved. Just a passive nod of the head.

Palin scares the crap out of me because her platform requires no real thinking either, and plenty of blind obedience. Gays are deviant. Books are dangerous. Abortion is murder. Evolution is wrong. War is right. And all it takes to win with a platform like that is charisma.

Two Thoughts

Firstly, I'm afraid that Twitter is becoming too commercialized. It seems like The World At Large has discovered a hive-mind of people - people who are generally living way too fast for their own good - and is taking the opportunity to advertise to them there.

And it's not just advertisement in the form of 'BUY OUR STUFF', 'SUNDAY SUNDAY SUNDAY', etc. Warning: the following is an advertisement. Take the Starbucks twitter feed - http://twitter.com/starbucks - it almost acts like public customer service in shorthand. Trying to build that grassroots community support at the lifestyle speed that Starbucks likes to cater to. Do you get what I'm saying, or is this too far out there? Starbucks: energizing people who move fast - now addressing their thoughts 140 characters at a time.

Or CNN, for example - http://twitter.com/cnn - keeping the world up-to-date in it's slantist-fashion, 140 characters per serving! Here's a great headline: "Jobless father kills family, self."

I can't get over the idea that twitter was created, and wasn't monetized. It's free - anyone can create a twitter account ( http://twitter.com/protodeka ) - including companies like Starbucks, and CNN, for example. We can even see squatters - http://twitter.com/generalelectric - and they all come together and feed into the stream.

The fans follow, like the fans do. Those who don't care, don't follow. With more and more comapnies joining the fray, and more and more people on twitter who may be fans of Brand X whatever, the framework has been built for a complex opt-in spam / adverts network.

Except you get to pick-and-choose what you want to see adverts for. Like Starbucks. But what happens when you get enough Twitter followers, and you start subletting your 140 characters (say, one Twitter adspot every eight tweets) to hock Brand X Ware. It's reaching an audience measuring in the tens of thousands. That's gotta be worth something.

That being said - my favorite Twitter feed to date: http://twitter.com/marsphoenix - GO PHOENIX, GO!

This concludes the first thought. Onto the second thought: DOG WALK

I'd love to figure out how to make walking the dog slightly more efficient. The following snapshot outlines our path tonight.

Now, to put a GPS in the dog. You know, for plotting purposes. Can mark where she goes, in order to compile a list of favorite spots over time.

And in case she ever gets lost.

On Camping...

This blog needs some love..

Camping trip over the farth of july was awesome. I still love Lindsay.

I will have to post more to these points in time...

From the Mr. Taggart

'So I had this weird dream last night. [My wife] was having the kid, and the doctor comes over to me and says 'Yeah, so there are some minor complications due to the size of his head, and the fact that he's an Eskimo.''

Huckins, Jeremy (GE EntSol, Digital Energy)

[Over my cube wall]

"I have two things in my hands right now that you very much enjoy. Coke. And balls."

Tool - Ten Thousand Days

"Listen to these tales and romanticize, how we follow the path of the hero.
Boast about the day when the rivers overrun, how we will rise to the height of our halo.
Listen to the tales as we all rationalize our way into the arms of the savior.
Feigning all the trials and tribulations - none of us have actually been there - not like you.

Ignorant fibbers in the congregation, gather around spewing sympathy; spare me.
None of them can even hold a candle up to you, blinded by choices these hypocrites won't see.
But enough about the collective Judas;
Who could deny that you were the one who illuminated my little piece of divinity?

This little light of mine, the gift you've passed onto me, I'm going to let it shine.
To guide you safely on your way. Your way home...

Oh what are they going to do when the lights go down, without you to guide them all to Zion?
What are they going to do when the rivers overrun, instead of trembling incessantly?
High is the way but our lives are on the ground;
You are the light - the way - they'll only read about.

I only pray that heaven knows when to lift you out; ten thousand days in the fire is long enough.
You're. Going. Home.

You're the only one who can hold your head up high. Shake your fist at the gates saying
"I have come home now!"

Fetch me the spirit, the son, and the father. Tell them their pillar of faith has ascended.
It is my time now. My time now! Give me my wings! GIVE ME MY WINGS!
You are the light - the way - they'll only read about.

Set as I am in my ways of arrogance - burden of proof tossed upon you non-believers.
You are my witness. My eyes, my evidence. My unconditional one.

Daylight dims, leaving cold fluorescents; difficult to see you in this light.
Please forgive this bold suggestion, but should you see your makers face tonight,
Look him in the eye, and tell him "I've never lived a lie. Never took a life.
But surely saved one."

Hallelujah. It's time for you to bring me home."

For Surrah, the strongest young woman I've ever met.

Music is powerful...

A song is simple - it's like a little poem that carries a catchy tune to infect your brain.

I can feel you all around me, thickening the air I'm breathing;
Holding onto what I'm feeling, savoring this heart that's healing...
Take my hand - I give it to you - now you own me, all I am.

Some often say this is about God. It is. Atleast, that is how the artist intended it. We, as listeners, are free to interpret as we see fit. Which is why so many people, so many cultures have entirely different versions of 'God'. I choose to interpret this as a feeling you get when you can let go. The feeling you get when your world is more colorful, more vibrant, more fulfilling. Something tangible - that you can really sink your teeth into and enjoy. And it feels so good.

Yeah. There's shadowing here. I don't need to be lame and spell it out. Those of you that get it, get it. And it's great, I assure you.

I believe...