Tuesday, October 4, 2011

remember two things...

Couple things have been amusing me of late. And I'll handle them in in one massive angst ridden, vitriol laden blog. OK, maybe I'm not that passionate about the subjects.

One: Apple brought out it's newest version of the iPhone. Which, really, it's just a phone. A crazy, amazing, sexy, miraculous phone. But the genera consensus amongst the interwebs is the newest option is a bit of a let down. I'm not sure how I feel about it. Yes, I would have liked something a bit more grandiose like say, a holographic projector or fortune telling app. But the new phone, while not changing anything on the outside, is a total rework of the innards. They of course have thrown around all kinds of numbers and statistics... and I'm waiting to pass judgement when I see a few things... how it works on multiple networks, being a "world phone". For example, can I buy an unlocked one and use it on Verizons network, then change sims and us AT&T, then back to T-Mobile. This is of most interest to us world traveler types.

The second is if it will work on T-Mobiles 3G and pseudo 4G network. One of the issues being it's not a true "4G" phone. But since there are 3 different 4G standards... well, it's a lot to ask from one phone.

But the best part is that every major news outlet ran stories on the phones unveil. Apple has done something HTC, Samsung, Motorola, and the likes haven't... they make their tech so mainstream everyone is curious. My mother, who thinks a rotary dial phone is still a good idea, probably is aware a new iPhone was announced.

Now, if Apple is a master at putting it's ideas and marketing out there to the public, the exact opposite can be found in southern Manhattan. The Occupy Wall Street protests seem to be a general assembly of random ideas and pissed off people. No one can truly tell me what they're protesting, other than everything.

Anytime a seemingly random group of people get together to protest I'm always interested to hear what they are protesting. In my effort to be fair and balanced when forming an opinion, I've tempered the Fox News reports with the New York Times articles. Like every group, you get your more opinionated folks out there with signs protesting Andrew Jackson or wearing a giant penny mask. And there are your slackers, who I imagine are there for the party and the social interaction. Let's face it, in NYC, where will you find cheaper entertainment and still have a chance to express your ideas for society to the hippy chicks while being chemically enhanced? And you get to meet Susan Sarandon!

But when you wade through the crazy, you can find a group or two with some serious and worthwhile agendas. For instance, how can people who bankrupted a financial system by lying and stealing walk away with millions in taxpayer funds and not be considered criminals? And I do agree that the US has the best government money can buy.... and that's wrong. Unless we amend the constitution to say "We the Multinational Corporation..." Corporations aren't inherently evil, but they are designed to maximize profits for the shareholders. The common good isn't part of their charter.

It's good to see people exercise their rights to free speech and freedom of assembly. And it's funny to see some deride them for doing that... though those same critics claim to love the America and hold the Constitution dear to their hearts. OK, yes some of these people are nuts... Roseanne Barr for instance and shouldn't be given a second thought. But a little civil disobedience can be refreshing.. and I'll take the stance best described in the movie quote.."Maybe something good will come from it. A little revolution now and then is a healthy thing, don't you think?"

Now, some chillaxing before work while the laundry dries. Somehow I ended up scheduling myself for 6 days this week... that was a bad idea... later.

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