Apple is making a huge mistake by Banning the publisher of an unauthorized Steve Jobs Biography
Not only does it create more buzz than just not carrying the offending book and keeping quiet would have, it also perpetuates that idea that Apple is run like a dictatorship. What would we think of Microsoft if Bill Gates responded similarly to anything remotely critical?
Worse, it also overshadows the buzz they did want this weekend over the release of Tiger
The New York Times has The story on NY Atty General Spitzer’s suit against an LA tech company accusing them of distributing spyware.
I particularly like their comment–more or less “oh, we resolved that issue months ago.” Yeah, and if a serial killer stopped killing, they’d let him off the hook, too.
In the wild world of the internet I almost prefer it if we’re on our own, though. But of course, it’s not so wild as it was a few years ago.
One of my relatives forwarded an email which contained this “letter.”
Usually, I’d ignore it, and even after writing it, I debated whether I should post it. But since it came to me from a reasonable person, I took it on and posted my thoughts. And I feel better.
So as Jules in Pulp Fiction says, “Well, allow me to retort!”
“…the ‘politically correct’ crowd began complaining about the possibility that our patriotism was offending others.”
I don’t remember hearing that one before, so maybe this was something that happened in Tampa (or wherever) and not here. I think people who were critical of such full-blown patriotism were afraid that it would cause us to do something stupid, like allowing our government to take some of our freedoms in the name of “security.” And it turns out those fears were well-founded. I think America is great, but I think a lot of post-9/11 patriotism was really sugar-coated nationalism. You know, that same force that the government of the PRC mobilized against Japanese living in China a few weeks ago.
“Immigrants, not Americans, must adapt.”
That is, to the extent anyone has to adapt. I mean, obviously if you speak another language, it’s in your best interests to learn English. If you can’t, your children should at least learn it. But that has always happened, with ermans, Italians, Eastern Europeans, Asians and yes, Mexicans. There are plenty of 2nd- and 3rd-generation Americans with Latin American backgrounds who speak perfect English. But why should you give up your religion, cultural practices and so forth just to assimilate? Frankly, as someone whose family has been here for a very long time, I wish I had some “old-country” traditions as many of my friends do. I think my idea of tradition is so thoroughly Americanized, I think of my culture as pizza, beer and burgers. Not that there is anything wrong with that, but what would be wrong with a second set of traditions?
“‘In God we trust’ is our national motto…it is certainly appropriate to display it on the walls of our schools…” As I’ve said before, I’m a nth generation American. I think, quite literally, that somewhere along the line someone came over on the Mayflower. But somewhere along the line, my ancestors gave up on religion. So I was raised in a house where religion (although not spirituality) was of minimal importance. I probably attended church a handful of times as a kid, mostly with friends and their families. Say what you will about my parents, but they’re good people. (And for what it’s worth, they are raising my youngest brother with more emphasis on Christian religion.)
But as for me, well, I’m without a religion. How does this feel? I’ll tell you. You can’t, if you were raised without a religion, just go out and get one. I mean, what are you going to do, shop around, weight the good points of one versus the other? This is Supreme Truth we’re talking about. I can’t say, “Well, I like Catholicism, but I’m not all about their stand on birth control. I like Judaism, but I don’t want to have to leave my stove on during Passover.” If I chose a religion, what would be the point–it’s just going to confirm the set of morals I already have. So here I am, trying to let that pre-existing moral voice guide me, and yes, my choices are based largely on Judeo-Christian values. I don’t claim to know whether there is a God or multiple gods or just space dust out there. And I’m not offended by God. I am however offended by people who try to tell me how to live in the name of God. One wonders why they care so much whether I’m destined for Hell. It’s not their place to judge–if anyone’s, it is God’s. But to be quite clear, mandating that schools put “In God we Trust” on their walls, or adding the words “under God” in the Pledge of Allegiance, people like the letter’s author lay out their expectations, and you better believe they’re going to judge you. And that is offensive. Frankly, my ancestors were probably here first and if you have a problem with my attitude toward Christianity, maybe it’s you who should leave.
“We…have no desire to change”
The author is speaking for himself here. I have another word for someone with “no desire to change” and it is “complacent.” And the complacent person loses every time. Here is an example I think the author would appreciate. Remember the little stir about the lack of female and minority op-ed writers? At the time, I was thinking that some of the women I was reading kind of expected the white males who were packing the opinion pages to just step aside. Hey, I’m in favor of diversity, but I’m not going to ask white men to stop striving to be the best just for that end. Everyone should always be working toward being better. And immigration is just one more force that gives us an economic incentive to be better. If you’re happy doing what you’ve done for 20 years, you’ll eventually be reporting to an immigrant boss who wasn’t satisfied. And eventually, you’ll be on the street, replaced by an immigrant worker who wasn’t satisfied. Don’t forget, these people went through hell to get the same job you have. If you aren’t willing to fight your complacency, to be better, you don’t deserve to keep it. If we encourage complacency in all Americans, the world will pass us by in no time. I hear that there are a few people looking for good jobs over in India and China.
“But once you are done complaining, whining, and griping about our flag, our pledge, our national motto, or our way of life, I highly encourage you take advantage of one other great American freedom, THE RIGHT TO LEAVE.”
If you’re happy with the way things are, then you should shut up. It’s the people who are never satisfied who force us to think and help us see how to move forward and upward. And for the record, it’s the author who is whining. I have to think he or she feels threatened. Yes, the world is changing at a crazy pace, and I understand a little anxiety. Sure, it sucks that things aren’t perfect like the good ol’ days. But putting up this irrational resistance just hurts our chances of seeing that today is pretty good or that the future will be any better.
I find it interesting that Congress is finding such urgency in regulating professional sports.
I mean, would it be so bad if they let professional sports destroy themselves? We lived through a year without hockey, and I feel confident something else could take their place.
Perhaps I’m being hyper-cynical, but is it possible they want to save professional sports as an “opiate of the masses?”
Occasionally, whoever it is who brings a newspaper into the break room
brings a copy of USA Today instead of The Denver Post. So on the days when this happens and I happen to be bored enough to be in the break room, I glance over it. It seems to me to be a very bizarre publication…as if they’re reporting news from a very different place…or our news through a psychedelic lens.
The front page of whatever section that caught my eye today (Entertainment?) had a column praising administrative professionals. It also had a colorful graphic about the top selling cookbooks and a list of top musicians. I guess what struck me is that even the candy section of this publication has an aura of “candy-coating.”
Am I wrong?
I was happy to come across Joshua Holland’s column on progressive capitalism on Alternet.
I second his points–”conservative” capitalism would be great if the only measure of quality of life were money. But we have a whole host of other things (which are somewhat more difficult to measure, to be sure) which are also important.
Ahh, insurance companies strike again.
Today, my fiancee received a bill for a routine medical exam she received in December. This seemed a little odd, since she’d already received a bill for the same exam, and since it had been nearly five months since the exam. But this bill came from a different group (the lab that ran the tests.) And the long and short is, she was nailed with $150 in charges after already paying well over $200. Again for a routine exam. Worse, she has insurance, but it is so expensive, she only buys coverage for emergency situations, and that still runs her about $1000/year.
Now, rising medical costs aren’t big news, but those costs are getting passed on to Joe Sixpack and worse, his employer, and it’s getting scary. Such a large company as General Motors is pointing to the costs of it’s health care to it’s poor performance as of late. And it’s easy to imagine that many large companies in the US are facing the same challenges. It used to be a job with a large company created some security against huge health care expenditures, but I don’t think that’s going to remain the case for long.
And it would be one think if the quality of medical care was improving as fast as the cost, but I don’t think that’s the case. Most of us, when we see a doctor, are going for colds that have stuck around, or routine exams–the same stuff people were seing doctors for 15 years ago, or 50 years ago. The treatments are by and large the same, aren’t they? So why does it cost us so much more?
A good Republican might say that doctors are getting hit by higher premiums for malpractice insurance and, by necessity, passing their costs on to their patients. So their answer is tort reform. And yes, I think that keeping some of the egregious cases out of the courts would help.
But imagine for a minute you’re in the insurance industry. Ok, you are charging more for malpractice insurance because doctors are getting sued more. (Damn those lawyers!) And then doctors are passing those costs on to patients. Health care costs have now gone up. So health insurance is going to cost more too. Hmm, insurance is starting to look like a good meal ticket, isn’t it? I’m curious about the family of insurance companies, especially at the top level. Is there anyone who stands to benefit from both medical malpractice and health insurance?
Perhaps I’m just upset at the industry that adds 30% to my cost of owning a car every year even though if something happens to it, they won’t pay me a dime. But if laywers lose, and doctors lose, and patients lose, well, the money they’re losing is going somewhere.
Kentucky Horse Park in the spring
Antenna on the roof of a local tavern. Hinckley, OH
Heavy drainage from rainstorms on 9/21-9/22/06 (as seen 9/23)
Yes, these two people are really shoveling the snow and slush...
The lower arch of the Natural Bridge. There are places to get...
Reflected sky colors on a lake in Jacksonville, Florida
A Random Photo