Waxing Philosophic » Culture

Bittersweet election for opponents of Prop 8

jguttman — Tue, 11 Nov 2008 22:34:48 +0000

In last week’s election in California, Proposition 8, a measure to reverse the right of same-sex couples to marry (a right that had been granted them by the State Supreme Court in May with a 4-to-3 vote), passed 52% to 48%. An interesting wrinkle here is that, according to exit polls, Black voters came out in favor of the proposition more than any other voting group, by a 70/30 split. In an election year when as many as 90% of Black voters supported Obama and the Democrats, a large majority of them also voted to take away a right that had been granted same-sex couples in their state. (In all fairness, Obama voiced opposition to Prop 8 as well, though that was widely considered to be a political move.) Many of the articles I’ve read on this topic point to churches and religious groups as key influencers on this vote that drove many to vote the way they did. No matter, it strikes me as odd that so many people care so much about the behavior of others. Has there ever been an initiative on a ballot that contained so much hatred? A vote in favor of Prop 8 is a vote that same sex couples SHOULD NOT have the right to marry, a right that had already been granted. The only rational reason I can think of for someone to feel this way stem from fundamental religious beliefs or severe homophobia. Though even in the case of the homophobic voter, I have a hard time envisioning why they would want to strip the rights from this group that scares them so. Keith Olberman gives a particularly poignant op-ed on this topic comparing it with slavery, during which rights were stripped from fellow human beings. In this case, we’re repeating the exact same injustices, except the rights are being stripped because of their behavior or lifestyle rather than the color of their skin. Is being gay legal? If so, then gay people deserve the same rights as everyone else. Exerting control over who has the right to marry and who doesn’t seems to me to be a gross merger of church and state and a bastardization of one of the fundamental principles on which this country was founded.

The Day After

jguttman — Wed, 05 Nov 2008 21:06:01 +0000

I’m riding on the train back to New York from a whirlwind two nights in DC. On Monday night, I went with some friends to the Redskins-Steelers game – a Monday night tradition before Election Day – and the mood was electric. Last night, after the results arrived and we watched Obama’s acceptance speech, we left The Willard and walked two blocks away to the White House. On the street closest to the front of the house, thousands crowded the plaza to revel and celebrate. All sorts of people – white, black, arab, asian – gathered to celebrate together. On 16th Avenue, throngs of cars crowded the street forming a huge traffic jam of honking horns with people hanging out of windows and sunroofs, slapping high-fives to all who passed. Never, in my 18 years of living in DC (which included several Super Bowl victories) did I ever see anything like last night. It seemed like the whole country collectively exhaled. Exhaled from nearly a decade of injustice and unpopular leadership. Exhaled from the knowledge and reassurance that this country is still of and by the people. Exhaled with rejoice in the confirmation that we live on a more level playing field today, where nearly any one individual can achieve any thing to which they commit themselves. While I would have supported Obama regardless of his race, I do believe his victory represents a particularly special achievement for black men and women in the country. Though there are plenty of racial injustices committed daily still, President Barack Obama and the Obama family will serve as role models with which black men and women can identify far better than any leader before. I think that for the first time in our nation’s history, black men, women and children will truly feel that they have a voice and a leader who understands their position. That is just an incredibly powerful occasion. Moreover, Barack Obama is not just a role model for African Americans, but a role model for us all, and this reality should accomplish much to heal wounds within communities and reduce racial divisions. Beyond our shores, some of the effects have already begun to be felt. I received messages from friends in Europe with whom I hadn’t spoken in years. Friends of friends from Spain showed up at our party, which was already attended by several expats, to help us celebrate. CNN showed video from Kenya and Time reported on Desmond Tutu’s reaction from S. Africa, where a good friend, Tal, also commented as he watched from afar. I truly believe that some of the “hate” directed towards us around the world softened last night and some of the militants rested their arms. It’s just a lot harder to hate a country led by Barack Hussein Obama, than the one led by George Walker Bush. There is a ton of work to do and Obama has just won an incredibly difficult job, but should he accomplish absolutely nothing during his term, the significance of his election will still remain. It truly is a new morning in America.

Barack Obama, the patron saint?

jguttman — Sat, 04 Oct 2008 00:39:39 +0000

On sixth avenue today, I passed a street vendor who offered the standard wares – statuettes of nyc scenes, the statue of liberty, the empire state building, photos of Malcolm X, Che Guevara, Mother Theresa, Barack Obama and even one of the entire Obama family. I stopped to ask him why (and to also express my displeasure) and he explained that he offered them because they sell. Every day. In fact, they’re some of the first photos to go.

I voiced my displeasure despite my political support of Barack Obama as a candidate because I find this dangerous, on so many levels. First, Obama hasn’t yet fulfilled even a fraction of what the others pictured accomplished in their lifetimes. I hope he does and even exceeds the expectations being set, though as those expectations continue to rise, in part as a result of such displays, that becomes a more and more distant possibility. Second, and even more importantly, several of the others pictured met unfortunate fates, taken from us before their times, largely because they were fighting for wholesale change against the establishement. Grouping Obama in the same camp concerns me because it fuels the ire of those most resistant to his candidacy and what an Obama administration may represent. Selling photos of a senator and presidential candidate on the street rubs the possibility of his leadership in their faces, almost daring them to do something about it. I can’t think of a single example where excessive pride or hubris ever helped a cause. More often than not, it’s a cause of downfall. In this case, let those of us supporting his cause display a quiet pride and a quiet excitement for what may come. Let’s avoid rubbing it in others’ faces. Doing so does nothing towards advancing our own efforts, but rather puts them further at risk.

Sarah Palin with Katie Couric

jguttman — Fri, 26 Sep 2008 16:41:01 +0000

No words are necessary with this one. Sarah Palin is on the verge of becoming the leader of our nation and one of the most important players on the world stage.

Sarah Silverman for Obama – The Great Schlep

jguttman — Fri, 26 Sep 2008 03:19:53 +0000

The convergence of our economic woes and the presidential election is producing some of the most creative and entertaining soundbites from those in the public eye. Sarah Silverman, always hilarious, campaigns here to help get out the bubby vote in Florida. She’s also the spokesperson for an impressive grassroots campaign called The Great Schlep to influence the Florida vote.

The Great Schlep from The Great Schlep on Vimeo.

Why I haven’t bought an IPhone – and still won’t

jguttman — Sat, 12 Jul 2008 21:29:39 +0000

I’ve been hearing pleanty of hubub about the new iPhone from friends and the media over the past few weeks – in some cases the same people representing both. The new iPhone’s launch was only slightly less eventful as the original. Back then, my dad called early on the Friday to let me know he was waiting in line and to ask if I wanted one. Interestingly, he reported that the line was 3x as long this past Friday, when he returned to the same AT&T store. Back then, I took the bait and bought one….how could I pass up such a gracious offer. I played with it for two weeks (mostly in the first few days) before selling it on eBay to a guy in Switzerland at a 20% premium. I sold it back then because I disliked the form factor, the keyboard, the battery life, the email functionality and most of all, because I had no complaints with my blackberry and my current email/calendar/contacts setup (this hasn’t always been the case). I had high hopes for the second rev, but early reports are unencouraging. Users I spoke to claimed that battery life has, in fact, decreased. It’s true there is a more powerful battery in the phone, but the 3G circuitry and chip drains battery life faster and net-net, the new phone dies sooner. This is a non-starter for me. My blackberry almost always lasts a full day, even when on the road under the most extreme circumstances. Tony’s iPhone frequently requires multiple recharges during a day, a situation that leaves him searching for outlets in restaurants, and one that would frustrate me. The other feature I had hoped for was a rotating keyboard so that typing long emails would be made easier. Everyone was calling for this initially so I’m surprised Apple didn’t follow through. Anyway, I’m even more comforted by my recent purchase of RIMM two weeks back. The blackberry is a solid product and one that I believe has a good life ahead of it.

Cell phones bad for your health?

jguttman — Thu, 12 Jun 2008 21:31:12 +0000

I’ve been preaching this for a long time. A few years ago, I compiled a folder full of studies on damage inflicted by cell phones. Now, it’s getting mainstream media attention. CNN devoted an entire Larry King to the topic two weeks ago. This article (and forthcoming scientific study) sound ominous. Those 4 years of I-Banking with that old school Nokia glued to my ear may come back to haunt me, in more ways than I realized….

Cancer and Technology: Top 10 Highest-Radiation Cell Phones

Memorial day thoughts….

jguttman — Tue, 27 May 2008 06:34:57 +0000

Andy Rooney, brilliant as usual, sharing his thoughts on Memorial Day this year…

MLK Day

jguttman — Mon, 21 Jan 2008 18:58:23 +0000

In honor of MLK Day, this is the full "I have a dream" speech from 1963. I remember memorizing this speech in high school….

Doritos plugging into world of user generated content

jguttman — Tue, 10 Jul 2007 00:06:26 +0000

Doritos plopped themselves in the center of user generated mania recently with a campaign to name the next flavor of chips. There were several different flavors in circulation, but the one I picked up, code-named X-13D, had a char-broiled meaty flavor. The process of ID-ing the specific source consumed approximately 15-20 minutes and most of the bag of chips. In the end, my friends and I agreed it was the Whopper, in all its flame-broiled glory. For someone who is, for the most part, a vegetarian, this realization was mixed with some confusion and despair. Having read Fast Food Nation though, I remained confident that the flavor was manufactured from 100% inorganic chemicals. The truth be told, we wouldn’t have finished as much of the bag were it not for the challenge of ID-ing the flavor. I commend Doritos for this campaign though. They’ve designed a rich website, with lots of interactivity. In addition to selecting and naming the new flavor, they are empowering users to create the audio track for the video ad. As a product line, Doritos hasn’t done much since the revolutionary Cool Ranch flavor appeared in 1992. I take that back…Baked Doritos was a good idea, but they borrowed that one from Lays, and it didn’t seem to catch anyway. It seems Whopper didn’t make it to the final bracket of the Dorito challenge. The two finalists are wild white nacho and smokey cheddar BBQ. While I love BBQ, I’m pulling for wild white nacho in this match-up.

Waxing Philosophic » Culture

Bittersweet election for opponents of Prop 8

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The Day After

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Barack Obama, the patron saint?

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Doritos plugging into world of user generated content