A Rubber Door

Komen, Planned Parenthood & the power of an angry mob

Speener — Sat, 04 Feb 2012 14:16:17 +0000

How great has this week been? When I first heard about the Susan G. Komen Foundation eliminating funding for the breast cancer screening services that Planned Parenthood provides to poor women, I was shocked. I took to my blog, Facebook and Twitter to express my dissatisfaction as did a lot of people. I sent them $50 and others sent them 2,999,950 more. I wouldn’t have been surprised if that was it.

It wasn’t.

Over the next few days, the mob got louder and angrier, and they kept it up. It got so bad, that today Komen apologized and stepped back (albeit a little) from their original plan. It’s a testament to the power of an angry mob.

What amazes me, is that companies and organizations continue to make the same mistake. First there was Lowe’s, then there was SOPA and now the Komen debacle. You’d think they’d learn. The damage to Komen’s brand and reputation may be irreparable. This controversy has forced many people to take a deeper look at them and what was found wasn’t pretty. The founders of Komen have been found to be big GOP donors. They had no issue putting their brand on pink guns,and a new part of their management team is a major anti-abortionist. Many of the supporters they lost this week will not be coming back.

At the end of the proverbial day, I’m happy this happened. Planned Parenthood collected $3 million to help people who need it the most and we know what the Komen Foundation really is. And the internet and social media has become of age as a tool of mass activism.

It’s been a really good week.

Komen vs. Planned Parenthood: Choosing a charity based on politics

Speener — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 02:29:12 +0000

Pick a side, everyone else has.

The partisan attitude that has infected our politics and ruined any hope of partnership in Washington has spread throughout the country. There is no better example of this than the fact that I now have to choose my charities based on their politics. This is what the Susan G. Komen’s decision to defund Planned Parenthood means to me. From now on, every time I see a pink ribbon on the back of a car, a pink bat in Major League Baseball, or pink sneakers in the NFL, I’ll see pro-lifers and their rabid attack on women’s health. Judging by the outcry on the internet, I’m not alone.

I’m not sure that the Komen Foundation expected this.

By choosing to side with the right on abortion, they have forced the hands of anyone that is pro-choice.

My simple solution: any charity that is attacked by the right, is now on my list to support. As such, I sent donations last night to Planned Parenthood and National Public Radio.

What about you? What are you going to do?

Occupy Philly – Please

Speener — Fri, 07 Oct 2011 13:56:51 +0000

Occupy Philly started their occupation of city hall yesterday. Anyone that’s bringing attention to the huge inequity in wealth distribution needs to be listened to.

I thought it amusing and ironic that right after I took that picture, I see a guy riding around in a rare Ford GT ($200k new) so close to where I see people sleeping in doorways.

Foo Fighters Friday: All My Life

Speener — Fri, 07 Oct 2011 13:00:09 +0000

I’ve always thought that David Grohl has one of the best screams in rock – this is the song to use as an example (when I try and sing along at this in the car, I can’t talk for days after).

Big time rock anthem and a highlight of any Foo show.

Steve Jobs

Speener — Thu, 06 Oct 2011 03:16:50 +0000

Does a man really die when the world we live in is defined by his work?

The bondi blue iMac, white headphones, that original 5GB iPod, the iPhone.

1234; black turtlenecks and blue jeans; glass stairs and the Apple Store look; put the lowercase “i” in front of any word and an Apple lawyer will be at your door in a flash. A computer without a floppy drive or a CD. Hell, computers without keyboards.

Apple made innovation art under Steve Jobs. He showed us the way, now we can lead, create, innovate on our own. But we should start that tomorrow.

Tonight we mourn.

RIP Steve.

Foo Fighters Friday: Best of You

Speener — Fri, 30 Sep 2011 16:31:42 +0000

One of the staples of any Foo Fighters’ show.

Foo Fighter Fridays: Big Me

Speener — Fri, 16 Sep 2011 17:39:37 +0000

One of my favorite touring acts, the Foo Fighters are touring this fall. For all of my reader, I’ve decided to post my favorite Foo songs eachFriday until they hit Philly on Thursday, November 10th (why not Foo Fighter Thursday – it doesn’t sound as good and I just remembered today.)

This week I start with Big Me: this is the first Foo Fighters’ video to show off the humor that they’ve become famous for. Not the first single from that album, but probably the most well known.

Remembering 9/11

Speener — Sun, 11 Sep 2011 12:46:16 +0000

10 years ago I decided I needed to go into work early; something seemed important. On 9/11, I was scheduled to fly to San Francisco in the afternoon, but went into the office to try and catch up on a couple of things (in those days you could get to the airport at the very last minute).

I was one of two people in the office at the time. I remember Annie, our office manager coming in and telling me about the first plane (some stupid recreational pilot I thought); and then listening to KYW News radio when the second plane hit (oh shit.)

The rest of the day is a blur to me. I remember not wanting to fly that day, as if that were going to be an option. I remember that the Internet was useless, and that our only visual line to the world was little black and white 13″ TV which didn’t have cable.

We stayed at work that day – not that much work was done. I specifically remember spending a lot of time with my co-workers in that conference room.

I kind of wished I had just walked out and planted myself in front of a TV all day. Even without doing that, the images are seared in my mind to this day.

And while that day feels like it was just yesterday, so much has passed, so many lives have been lost, and so many questions still remain, that it also feels like another lifetime.

What are your memories of that day?

Ultra-high doses of “Breaking Bad”

Speener — Tue, 28 Jun 2011 13:06:31 +0000

When Breaking Bad debuted 3 years ago, I heard and ignored all of the accolades and all the recommendations from friends. Recently though, we decided to go through an intense round of Breaking Bad to catch up. Two seasons in about a month.

Wow.

I’ve done this before with other series, but Breaking Bad is as intense a show as I’ve ever seen, so watching this many episodes in such a short period of time is mentally exhausting. At the beginning of season 1 and into season 2, Breaking Bad seemed to be a weekly expose on how to suck at being a drug dealer. As season 2 has progressed, it’s become much more character driven and dealt with some weighty themes. Walt’s sinister side. Jesse’s vulnerability. Cause and effect. The thin line between good and bad.

Some of these episodes require a break after watching, but we’ll power through so that we’re all caught up in time for season 4 to begin on July 17, 2011.

I may need a Valium by then.

Waiting for Radiohead – King of Limbs

Speener — Fri, 18 Feb 2011 13:14:01 +0000

UPDATE: Wait no longer – Radiohead released the album a day early. In true Radiohead fashion, it was released early because “everything was ready and in place, so Radiohead decided there’s no need to wait an extra day.”

Back in the day I remember buying albums unheard. No 30 second samples. No streams. No bootlegs. Maybe you’d hear a song on the radio, but that was it.

Now we make decisions based on an avalanche of information and access, and the experience has long ago changed.

Tomorrow Radiohead’s next album “The King of Limbs” will be released and I haven’t heard a damn thing – and I like that.

Don’t get me wrong, I love new technology opening me to more music than I’d ever have access to before. But I don’t need any information to know that I would buy Radiohead’s album and enjoy.

Going into tomorrow with all my expectations in tact is refreshing.