Obsolete watch – things about to disappear

Here’s my initial list of things that will largely disappear in the next decade. Sure, you can still find buggy whips in certain places, but they don’t permeate the market like they did 100 years ago.

• Wristwatches – who needs them when everyone carries a cell phone?
• Alarm clocks – ditto
• Video rental stores – Can you say, “bye-bye Blockbuster?”
• Film – remember Fotomat’s? Forget largely any kind of film for photography and the equipment that goes with it.
• CDs – the music and data storage disks, not the investment option. Not sure if I am thrilled about his one. Seems like every time I get all my crap transferred onto a new storage medium it goes out of date. Everything’s going digital or to the cloud, wherever the heck that is?
• Chain bookstores – personally, I am sad about this one. Love wandering through a good bookstore. Used and niche bookstores will remain, but the chains are being replaced by electronic options.
• College bookstores – same reason, but I won’t miss the price ripoffs, especially on returns.
• Daily newspapers - neighborhood-oriented and specialty ones may remain, as well as national publications like the New York Times, but most small to mid-sized cities will have none.
• SUVs – the sooner the better for these gas hogs.
• Schedule planners and non-photographic calendars – who needs them in our electronic world?
• Dial-up internet – sorry AOL hanger’s on, time to join the 21st century.
• Phone books – despite how many they pile up at your doorstep.
• Land lines for homes. Haven’t had one for a year myself. Still may be necessary for work.
• Keys – with electronic door locks, keys may all but disappear for many uses. This prediction will not be true for Florida where they have many lovely keys dotting its coastline. : )
• Key chains – ditto.

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“In Between: Memoir of an Integration Baby” by Rev. Dr. Mark Morrison-Reed

NOTE: This post was first published on my other blog – Panethos.wordpress.com. The topic is so important, I felt it should also be posted here. 

Source: uugcb.org

I first met Rev. Dr. Mark Morrison-Reed several weeks ago when he spoke at my church and gave the sermon on Sunday morning. Upon hearing about his life story which led him to becoming an Unitarian Universalist minister, I decided to purchase and read one of his books - In Between: Memoir of an Integration Baby. The book is both a memoir and a valuable and poignant history lesson about what it was like growing up as an Afro-American during the Civil Rights movement.

Throughout the book there are thoughtfully vivid and endearing reflections about his family and childhood, important facts, and above all, crucial discussions about race relations in the United States and elsewhere. Having personally grown up in a fairly privileged, white family just a few years after Dr. Morrison-Reed, I could relate in part to his general perceptions about those tumultuous times, but not to the direct, day-to-day impacts he and his family faced. As a result, I found his perspective enlightening. At the same time, I found my poor understanding of the differences between our experiences to be troubling, which caused me to reconsider my “semi-Pollyanna” memories of youth.

Right from the get go, the book noted an important historical fact that I had either forgotten, overlooked, or was never taught – all three of which are pitifully shameful excuses – the United States Capitol building had been built with slave labor (page 4). I have no idea why that historical detail escaped my attention all these years when it makes perfect sense, given the time frame of the building’s construction. If I didn’t even know that factoid, then how in the world could I ever considered myself to be an enlightened and open-minded person regarding the topic of race?

To this day, I can recall being on spring break with my family at Longboat Key, Florida when Dr. Martin Luther King was assassinated. I can remember my parents discussing whether they should try to bypass Atlanta and Nashville on our way home back to Indianapolis – neither city had a completed beltway at the time. In the end, we took the traditional route through the two cities.

I can also clearly remember the debate, both in the media and around the dinner table about school busing and desegregation in my hometown of Indianapolis. I was opposed to the idea of transferring to a private school after eighth grade, but not because I was taking a righteous, ethical, or moral stand in favor of integrated schools, but because the majority of my friends were staying in the public school system. Wow…does that memory ever sound selfish, ignorant, and hypocritical in hindsight.

The reason I am potentially boring everyone about certain segments of my youth is that is what is so great about Dr. Morrison-Reed’s book — it causes one to look back and reflect. Not just on one’s own life, but at our society as a whole. When two people as well-educated and esteemed as Mark Morrison-Reed’s parents can still face the ugly  blots of racism, one must rethink our precepts about the United States. Even today, Afro-Americans, Muslim-Americans, women, and immigrants continue to face similar treatment by so-called freedom-loving Americans who think our country is some sort of massive, private, white males-only, flag-waving membership club.

One only need to turn to the recent tragedy in Sanford, Florida to see exactly what the Mark Morrison-Reed is talking about in his book when he cites the differences in growing up as an Afro-American in our nation. Here is an example that eerily sound like it could have come from today’s headlines:

“Many white folks find this impossible to believe, but being a black man in America is risky business — you never know when something bad is going to happen for no other reason than that you’re black and you’re there.

Several years earlier, it had happened to my brother, Philip. After he had moved to Denver he’d been riding his bicycle home from work when he found himself pinned spread-eagle against a squad car, and all he could do was pray that the cops didn’t do anything even more idiotic. His crime was riding through Lakeview, a white neighborhood, just after a drugstore had been robbed, and he happened to be the first black man the police encountered. Philip was carrying his security clearance for the United States Geological Survey, but they just wanted to know how he got his hands on it. They kept him sitting on the curb until their supervisor arrived; the, opening his backpack, they found a geology textbook and a research paper. They eventually released him, but offered not a word of apology, and it took the threat of legal action by the director of the Geological Survey to force them to expunge Philip’s arrest record.” (page 178)

In Between is a superb and thought-provoking book that I highly recommend reading. I also believe it would be a particularly useful textbook in high school and collegiate history classes which focus on the 20th century, Civil Rights, or Afro-American history. Dr. Morrison-Reed’s book will make you smile, laugh, shake your head, and cry. Above all, it will cause you to reflect — and that in itself is an important step towards healing a nation so fractured  by race relations for far, far too long.

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Valentine’s Day “ughs”

I don’t know about the rest of you, but I am not particularly looking forward to Valentine’s Day this year. There are several reasons for this less than sunny outlook on my part, all of which are personal and inappropriate to discuss in this format. Those who know me well, know the reasons why and that is good enough for me.

Setting aside a day for expressing love sounds like a noble cause in theory. However, Valentine’s Day is not a formal “holiday” in the truest sense of the word. In reality, it’s largely another way to promote consumerism in the midwinter – a sort of spending orgy for the economy. Usually, I have no problem with that aspect, except when it puts undo pressure on men and women to achieve a certain expectation. Sound familiar?

So, it looks like I will be sitting in my apartment with my pet dog watching another winter evening of television, writing, or  possibly reading a good book. Would I rather be celebrating love, joy, and happiness with someone special in my life – of course. But, that does not appear to be in the cards for Valentine’s Day, 2012.

The scariest part is that none of us ever knows when or whether true love will cross our paths again. So we muddle through day after day waiting and hoping that we just might meet  the person of our dreams, so we can escape our lonely nightmares. Valentine’s Day and Sweetest Day handily serve as “in your face” reminders.

Perhaps, I am sounding a tad morose about all of this Valentine’s Day stuff. That may be true. Sometimes I wish that all of us with heavy hearts at this time of year could either fast forward through the day, push rewind to go back and correct past mistakes, or change channels and start a new chapter of love and happiness in our lives at the press of a button. Adam Sandler’s movie, Click demonstrated this well in 2006. 

But, if it were that simple, then we might not appreciate the good things we do have as much, we might miss the little things that make life special, and it would likely make our relationships more shallow. Adam Sandler certainly learned this lesson the hard way in Click. So, my advice is to be sure and take the time to express your love and friendship to those in your life that are important. I know I will, because that is what friends and family are here for – love.

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The best of 2011 – A “Wales” of a year

The small nation of Wales left an indelible mark on the music scene in 2011, as The Joy Formidable have emerged as one of rock’s most exciting and energetic acts. The band and their debut full-length album, appropriately entitled The Big Roar, have literally scorched music charts and concert venues around the globe.

But, there were other exciting aspects to 2011 and my list of the best are provided below. For 2012 I am very excited about new albums due out by Metric and Garbage.

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Album: The Big Roar by The Joy Formidable

The Joy Formidable

Honorable mentions: Codes & Keys (Death Cab for Cutie); Delay Trees (Delay Trees); Belong (The Pains of Being Pure at Heart); Father, Son & Holy Ghost (Girls); Bon Iver (Bon Iver); Raven on a Grave (Raveonettes); King of Limbs (Radiohead); and 11:11 by Ember Swift

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Song: “Whirring” by The Joy Formidable

Honorable mentions: “In February” (Delay Trees); “You Are a Tourist,” “Doors Unlocked and Open,” Unobstructed Views,” and Underneath the Sycamore” (Death Cab for Cutie); “Too Tough” and Even in Dreams” (Pains of Being Pure at Heart); “Cradle,” “Llaw = Wall,” and “A Heavy Abacus” (The Joy Formidable); “Turn Off This Song” (The Lonely Forest); “Codex” (Radiohead); “Recharge & Revolt” (The Raveonettes); “Anti-D” (The Wombats), “Is it Me?” (Kooks); and “Simple Math” (Manchester Orchestra)

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Best previously released song heard for the first time in 2011: “Transatlanticism” by Death Cab for Cutie

Don’t know how I missed this song previously, but it is now an all-time favorite.

Honorable mentions: “Does Me In” (Frontier Ruckus) and “Hellhole Ratrace” (Girls);

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New bands: The Lonely Forest and Delay Trees

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Music video: “Anti-D” by The Wombats

Honorable mentions: “Is it Me?” (Kooks); “Perth” (Bon Iver); “Simple Math” [geometric video with lyrics] (Manchester Orchestra); and “Whirring” (The Joy Formidable)

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Concert: Death Cab for Cutie at the Fox Theater in Detroit

Honorable mentions: U2 at Spartan Stadium and Ember Swift at the Pumphouse

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Book read: The Life and Times of the Thunderbolt Kid (Bill Bryson)

Honorable mentions: Makeshift Metropolis (Witold Rybczynski) and Crossing the Heart of Africa (Julian Smith)

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Movie: 50/50

Honorable mentions: The Descendants and Hugo

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TV Drama: Person of Interest

Honorable mentions: Fringe and Unforgettable

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TV Comedy: Modern Family

Honorable mentions: Two Broke Girls, Big Bang Theory, Suburgatory, How I Met Your Mother, and Last Man Standing

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Sports moment: Britain’s Dan Wheldon winning the Indy 500 (though his death near the end of the racing season was the saddest moment in sports in many years. So tragic – first time I ever recall crying at the passing of a sports icon).

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The genius of Dr. Seuss

I always enjoyed reading Dr. Seuss books as a kid, but never realized how much social and political commentary was included in a number of his children’s stories until years later. My personal favorites are Yertle the Turtle and Other Stories, The Lorax, and Oh! The Places You’ll Go. Below are some of my favorite Dr. Seuss quotations both from his books and personal statements.

“You know you’re in love when you can’t fall asleep because reality is finally better than your dreams.”

“I am the Lorax. I speak for the trees. I speak for the trees for the trees have no tongues.” from The Lorax

“UNLESS someone like you…cares a whole awful lot…nothing is going to get better…It’s not.” from The Lorax

“I know, up on top you are seeing great sights, but down here at the bottom we, too, should have rights.” from Yertle the Turtle and Other Stories

“And the turtles, of course…all the turtles are free, as turtles and, maybe, all creatures should be.” from Yertle the Turtle and Other Stories

“Be who you are and say what you feel, because those who mind don’t matter, and those who matter don’t mind.”

“Don’t cry because it’s over, smile because it happened.”

“Maybe Christmas, the Grinch thought, doesn’t come from a store.” from How the Grinch Who Stole Christmas

“You’re off to Great Places!
Today is your day!
Your mountain is waiting,
So… get on your way!” from Oh! The Places You’ll Go

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If you’re not reading Mother Jones, you should be

I’ve never been a huge fan of Huffington Post, and that feeling solidified recently when it came to light Arianna Huffington refuses to pay her bloggers for their work (Why I’m boycotting the Huffington Post, and I hope you will too). Not only do her business practices leave much to be desired, but her site seems more interested in sensationalism than actual news.

If you are looking for an alternative to HuffPo, you can’t do much better than Mother Jones, which describes itself as “bimonthly magazine of investigative journalism that exposes the evils of the corporate world, the government, and the mainstream media.” The magazine has a print edition as well as a website that is updated 24/7. There are excellent photo essays and daily photos to remind us We’re Still at War. Reporters have written more than 500 posts about the Gulf of Mexico oil spill in the year since it happened, and for the anniversary this round-up post of coverage was compiled. This listicle of America’s 10 Most Overpaid CEOs is guaranteed to make you see red. Today Kate Sheppard wrote about “Climategate: What Really Happened?” to investigate “the best-funded, best-organized smear campaign by the wealthiest industry that the Earth has ever known,” according to climate scientist Michael Mann.

If you are a progressive looking for great reporting on important topics, you don’t want to miss Mother Jones.

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Etiquette for the digital era

I like reading a funny e-mail as much as the next person, but I think 80 percent of e-mails that get passed around are junk. Many are chain letters that promise something exciting will happen if you forward the message to 10 people; these are, of course, lies. Others take aim at specific groups of people. I tend to delete junk forwards without looking at them, but in the past couple of years I have replied to three e-mails, all sent from relatives, that attacked Muslims and immigrants. The most recent one was about a supposed Muslim stamp that President Obama introduced. I exchanged a couple of messages with the sender, then checked out Snopes.com and found out the whole thing was false. No response when I pointed this out to the sender.

Even if your message is funny, I’m less likely to look at it if you send me five or six messages a day. Same with Facebook posts. Even if I’m interested in the topic, I’m going to scroll on by because reading everything takes too much time. I’m much more likely to pay attention if you post or e-mail once a day.

Petitions are another thing I think there should be limits on forwarding. I sign one or two per day, probably, but then I post them on Twitter or mention them on the blog. I don’t necessarily think my whole contact list will be interested in the same causes I am.

One of the reasons I started this blog with Rick is because I don’t feel comfortable sharing all of my political opinions on Facebook. I’m not ashamed of them, and I do make occasional posts that are political, but in general I don’t think a personal Facebook page is the proper outlet for passionate interests, whatever they are. I’m more interested in what and how you’re doing personally than a story I could find myself on CNN.com.

So here are a few general guidelines for today’s digital age:

1. Think twice before passing along an e-mail that targets a specific group of people (Muslims, Christians, men, women, the mentally ill, etc). You’re likely to make yourself look racist or sexist to at least one person. When in doubt, err on the side of caution and don’t send it.

2. Check Snopes for urban legends before passing along a message. Just because you get it in an e-mail doesn’t mean it’s true.

3. Keep in mind not everyone has a chance to constantly monitor her e-mail. Try to be considerate by passing along or posting one or two things a day instead of five or six, which can quickly clutter inboxes.

Are there any digital habits you wish people would rethink?

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WHM Day 21: Jessica Mitford

Jessica “Decca” Mitford was one of the first women on my list of Women’s History Month topics. I have her most famous books, “The American Way of Death” and “The American Way of Birth.” Decca was born the sixth of seven children to a baron in England in 1917. Two of her older sisters admired Hitler, but Decca was on the complete opposite end of the political spectrum, eventually becoming a member of the Communist Party. She eloped with her first husband to Spain and made a point of living as impoverished a life as possible. She’s the focus of one of Persephone Magazine’s Badass Ladies of History series, although only the first part is available so far. Decca and her husband came to the United States during World War II, and she lived there for the rest of her life.

“The American Way of Birth” was very informative for me and made me aware of how highly structured and unnatural giving birth has become. For thousands of years women gave birth with the aid of midwives, yet today some states make it illegal for midwives to practice without a license or overseeing physician. Scroll through the entries at My OB said WHAT?!? and you’ll see plenty of comments from medical professionals who don’t believe women should have control over how they give birth: they’re against home births, water births, VBAC, birth plans. Many births are planned around the doctor’s convenience, not the mother’s. That’s part of the reason the U.S. C-section rate is about 32%. And many insurance companies don’t cover care from doulas, midwives or birthing centers, which forces women to give birth in hospitals. Some hospitals refuse VBACs, which brought to light the story of an Arizona mother who had to travel hundreds of miles to deliver her baby because her local hospital refused to let her deliver the way she wanted. The hospital CEO even told Joy Szabo she could be taken to court to be forced to have a C-section.

I’m happy that medicine has advanced far enough that C-sections exist to help mothers and babies in distress and to care for babies born prematurely. However, part of being pro-choice is also advocating for women to have the options to give birth in a way that makes them safe and comfortable. Decca’s book is a powerful argument for listening to women, who know their bodies better than anyone.

If you’re a “Harry Potter” fan, you might owe more to Decca than you realize. Author J.K. Rowling has said Decca was her most influential writer, and even named her daughter after Decca. So if you’re looking for something to read, pick up one of Decca’s books, which are informative and funny at the same time.

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WHM Day 20: “Uncle Tom’s Cabin”

Harriet Beecher Stowe’s “Uncle Tom’s Cabin” was published today in 1852. I read the book last year after owning it for a long time, and it was hard going because the treatment of the slaves was so brutal. Although the tale is fiction, Stowe based it on real accounts she read and people she met while living in Cincinnati, just across the river from the slave-holding state of Kentucky. The book is remarkable for several reasons: 1) it wasn’t common for any woman to be published; 2) the subject matter was highly controversial. Reports say the book had a hand in starting the Civil War, as it sold 10,000 copies in its first week in the United States and 300,000 its first year, and forced Americans to confront the ugly reality of slavery.

Stowe said of her motivation to write the book:

“I wrote what I did because as a woman, as a mother, I was oppressed and broken-hearted with the sorrows and injustice I saw, because as a Christian I felt the dishonor to Christianity — because as a lover of my county, I trembled at the coming day of wrath.”

She also said, “…the enslaving of the African race is a clear violation of the great law which commands us to love our neighbors as ourselves.” Stowe was ahead of her time in advocating that message, and it’s one we would do well to remember even today.

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WHM Day 18: National Women’s History Museum Online Exhibits

Today I was thrilled to see a link to the National Women’s History Museum’s online exhibits. There are nearly 20 exhibits on a wide range of fascinating topics, including Women in Early Film,  Clandestine Women: Spies in American History, American Women in the Olympics, Young and Brave: Girls Changing History and Women with a Deadline: Female Printers, Publishers and Journalists.

There are so many interesting exhibits I almost didn’t know where to start, but I began with Chinese American Women: A History of Resilience and Resistance. It talks about some of the first Chinese women in the United States, who were unfortunately exploited as curiosities:

Large crowds attended the Chinese women’s “acts,” which again included lessons on how to count and speak in Chinese, and play Chinese instruments and use chopsticks.  Such shows gave rise to the earliest stereotype of Chinese women as foreign curiosities.

By marketing Chinese women as a form of public entertainment, businessmen like P.T. Barnum and the Carne Brothers developed and exploited a sensationalist mass culture in America, instructing American audiences to view the Chinese, especially Chinese women, as human oddities.

There’s so much information it’s going to take me awhile to digest it, and I can’t wait to read some of the other exhibits. Thank you, National Women’s History Museum, for all of your great work. Please consider signing their petition to build a permanent museum in Washington, D.C. A bill has come before Congress but was blocked by male Republican senators.

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