I wish people would stop picking on Obama. It’s ridiculous.

Lots of people laugh at his name. They say Obama Osama, Osama Hussein, Obama Osama Hussein, and any combination possible linking an American Senator to known fascists and terrorists. Why? Coincidence. That’s it.

Why is it that when a Senator, Governor, or Congressman decides to run for presidential office we suddenly have the desire to demean, demoralize, slander, abuse, derogate, and discriminate against them? Yes, we have that right because we fought and died for that right. But is it really necessary?

Do we slander Congressman Rahm Emanuel because his name is a little different? Do we compare him to a terrorist or a fascist because his name sounds distantly mid-eastern? Do we tell him to go home to the desert even though he too was born in Chicago, Illinois? What about Senator Joseph Leiberman? Do we paste his face on Stalin’s because they share the same first name? We didn’t in 2000 when he ran for vice president under Al Gore, Jr.

If you were at a cafe, chatting up a stranger and found out he/she was a Congressman, what would your reaction be? I would hope/think one of respect and admiration. These are the people that run our country. The ones that fight for our rights, and toil relentlessly over philosophic conundrums to make our country great.

Have you seen people putting Obama’s face on the body of Sadaam Hussein or Osama Bin Laden? Do you realize how racist that is? Think about it. Just because someone is a little different, has a different name, skin color, you compare them to something they aren’t. America has been trying to stamp out racism for centuries, and by making these childish comparisons, we are just perpetuating the idea that America is not ready for racism to end, and isn’t mature enough for a president that isn’t a euro-Caucasian. Obama obviously isn’t a fascist dictator or a terrorist, so why make the comparison? How do you think the other nations of the world react when they see us picking apart one of our own and shaming them in a racist way? America is said to be one of the most progressive nations of the world, and these comparisons are so counter-productive to that paramount.

Do we have the right to say these things? YES! Absolutely, and neither candidate would have it any other way. But is it RIGHT to say them? Think about it. If you respect the people that pour sweat into our country, and you believe that America is a progressive nation that strives to destroy the corrosive hate of discrimination you might change your mind.

Don’t get me wrong. I’m fine with NoBama and McCan’t. That’s great. I think candidates should be critical of each other and people the same. It’s good to say “well he says this but he voted against it two years ago”, etc. We need that, and it is absolutely essential. You can come up with catchy slogans, and ads until your heart is content. However, there is a line that should not be crossed.

I’m also not calling anyone a racist. That’s a strong word that I wouldn’t inflict on anyone without a serious warrant. But you can’t show me a person in the USA that hasn’t made a slightly off-color comment in their lives. It’s ok. We do it. The important thing is to learn for our mistakes and to take a step back and realize the gravity of our words.

That’s all I have to say. Vote for who you believe in, and who you believe can support, sustain, and perpetuate our great nation. I hope no one was offended by anything I said, but if you were I apologize, but I remain firm in what I said. Have a good election, and good night.

http://www.myspace.com/mouthmovements

To google, the web browser IS their operating system.

Welcome to Google Chrome, a multithreaded web browser that gives the power to the browser and finally gives the operating system some options.  For the longest time, the web browser has been just a little program that the OS ran.  As webapps grew and browsers were being used more and more, the web browser did not.  It got built upon over and over until we finally ended up with a bloated chunk of code that wobled on it’s own feet.  Chrome is supposed to change all that.  Instead of piling update after feature after fix on top of what was already created, google started much lower and leveled the playing field.  They took all the stacks of stuff piled up and spread them out on the ground.  That way, if something crashes or goes wrong, the entire tower doesn’t come tumbling down.  It also gives the operating system more choice on how to manage memory, and address code.

I did a little messing with Chrome (in fact, i’m in it now) and it seems like a pretty solid piece of work for a beta release.  I havne’t had it crash on me yet, in fact I haven’t had any page show anything abnormal at all.  It seems to display just like firefox or safari would.  In fact, what little google did start with (the not-from-scratch part), they used the baseline for safari.

I think with a little refinement, Chrome could be a great thing.  It is catchy, intuitive, and easy to use.  It isn’t the fastest so far, but i’m sure some of that will be addressed.  It is also open source, so if you know what you’re doing, pop the hood and take a look.

“Yeah, you should facebook me later.”

“I don’t know what that is, so I’m gonna google it.”

Then it went over to words like spa.

“We’re going to spa later, would you like to come?”

I am all for it.  Next thing you know, you might hear me talking like this:

“I’m gonna sofa here for a while and TV.  Then I’m going to sandwich.  Crap!  I beveraged on the        remote!”

We have a wonderful language.

Bands:

1. NEVER let the lead singer wear your own band’s t-shirt.  Shameless self-promotion is not just tacky, it’s pathetic.  Basic etiquette states that the only member of a band that is allowed to wear it’s own t-shirt on stage is the drummer, and it has to be highly modified (sleeves cut off, paint splattered, slashes, cuts, etc)
2. Know your way around a PA system so you can tell the stage crew specifics on what you need.  If you don’t… don’t pretend to.  The crew would rather have someone who doesn’t know anything than an arrogant jerk who thinks they’re right.  Some of the most frustrating moments from a stage crew are the ones where some idiot has a completely moronic way of doing things that they insist “works every time” and “sounds great” and “they’ve done it a million times before”.  Baloney.
3. Don’t crank the crap out of your guitar amps and then wonder why you can’t hear the vocals.  It’s ridiculous.
4. Be cool to your fans.  Without them, you do nothing, you go nowhere, you get paid nothing, and you’re a douche.  You have to sign CDs, give away a few t-shirts, shake a bunch of hands, and listen to some stories.  The second you’re a jerk, people will remember it.  It’ll get posted online, and everyone will hear about it.
5. Stay sober.  I don’t care what kind of music you play, you can’t play it right baked, wiped, or strung out.
6. Terms you should be familiar with:  merch, bass, kick, treble, mids, gain, trim, feedback, monitor, main, XLR, line signal, mic signal, powered line, board, effects, lead, stage right, stage left, overhead, cab,

Stage Crew:

1. You are partnered with the band in this production.  That means you work with them to make a good show.  That means YOU work with THEM.  Bands will remember a great PA guy that helps them out.  If you are set in your ways and won’t cater to a band’s specific needs, just quit the business… you’re more worthwhile driving a truck or flipping burgers.
2. BE FLEXIBLE.  You’ve got to be able to think on your toes and improvise.
3. Don’t kill time between bands.  If there are two bands and one is headlining, set up all the second band’s equipment behind the first and have all the sound checks already done.  Then all you have to do is tear town the first band’s stuff and you’re ready.  Even if you do have to do a full change, don’t doddle.

Fans:

1. If you do jump up on stage, jump back off immediately.  It’s cool to get in a stage dive and a crowd surf.  What’s not cool is running around stage, hitting the cymbals, trying to strum a guitar, going backstage, or just generally drawing attention away form the band.  Don’t ruin it for everyone else.
2. Don’t bug the stage crew.

The world is nearing an energy crisis wether we like it or not.  This isn’t about gas and oil prices, although that is a participating factor, but it’s about creating cleaner energy that lasts and puts out enough for our electricity-hungry lifestyles.  

Why not help yourself and the world community by conserving power?  It doesn’t take a lot of effort and it saves you on your power bill, so even a selfish and greedy person has reason to do it.  Go ahead and turn off devices when not in use.  Set your thermostat a little more conservatively.  Carpool or schedule your errands for less trips.  Every little bit helps.

This actually speaks volumes about how our society works.  America is a country that is solely based on economy.  Economics seeps into everything, from the way we do business to the way we eat food.  We have buffets where we stuff ourselves to get the best value.  We throw away cars because it’s cheaper than fixing them.  We outsource and outsource the outsourcing to save a few pennies.  We fire people to avoid paying benefits.  We are a use-once-and-destroy culture.  Anything to save a buck or make it go father is something on our list.  

Is this the kind of world you want to live in?  Is america doomed to live penny to penny?   What can you do in your life and at your job to prevent this? 

The response was this:  “In some ways I am not smart, in some ways I am, but this I know; You and I will ALWAYS be smarter than me.”

Think about it.

Of course… I wanted a mac.

Versatility is key here.  When presenting in the College of Business, I had a “secret” weapon called Keynote.  IF you’ve never used it, check it out.  It’s Mac’s Powerpoint substitution.  I use the word substitution because it most definitely isn’t a clone.  I even had a professor beg me for my secret.  She’s converted now.

With a mac I can use either or both.  I have infinite options in software, all built on a solid hardware platform.

The best part?  I’m not paying for it.

I was happy they got the Pro.  It has the better video card.  It also has a 200 gig hard drive, so I have plenty of room to dual boot and do VMs. 

This is the coolest laptop ever.  

And just how long of a drive is this?  How’s 10 hours for ya?

Nice.  I like a good challenge.

So we left Wednesday and drove for about 4 hours.  We crashed for the night at about 1am, just to get up at 7am and drive the rest of the way.  We took a “scenic” detour thanks to Google Maps (GRRRR, AAARRGGHH!) that wasted about an hour.  We finally got to the hotel and opened the door to our room at 5:15.  After a quick shower and a change, we showed up at the wedding at 6:20, just in time to miss the bride and groom walking in.

After the wedding we crashed at 11:30.  We woke up at 8 and hopped on the road once again.  I had a tire that was loosing pressure that I had to keep filling a little.  We got to a our former stopping place again and I took a 2 hour nap.  After that and dinner we hit the road again and got home at midnight.

All in all it was about 1,175 miles.  I was mean and didn’t let my wife drive a single mile of it.  So here’s the meat of the post:

1.  Never underestimate any amount of sleep.  Naps are amazing.

2.  Caffeine often doesn’t work unless your heart rate increases.  Just getting out of the car and doing some push-ups can really get it started for you.

3.  Pick good music.  Dave the classical, the power-ballads, the acoustic stuff for later.  No sappiness.  Also something fast paced that you can sing along with.  I’ve sang the same song 10 times in a row just to get me to my destination awake before.

4.  Don’t stop moving.  Dance if you can.  Heck, even just moving your arms and your neck around helps.  You will feel retarded… get over it.

5.  If nothing else, call a friend.  I’m sure they would like to catch up with you, especially if it keeps you from falling asleep and dying.

6.  Cruise control will get you there faster when you’re tired and not paying that much attention, although it does take control away from you… therefore freeing up your concentration.  Too much freedom of concentration and you’re unconscious.

Got any more ideas?  Let’s hear your comments!