Author: docthink

no one of consequence

White Guy Can’t Rap

To the category of over-developed sense of importance I would like to add the white guy who wrote about how if he didn’t buy those hip-hop joints with bad messages, then hip hop would clean up. You know, less guns, less drugs, less ‘hos and the n-word all because he–and other influential white folk–are going to stop buying it.

Hey, Dude, you didn’t invent the Internet, either!

While you can listen to hip hop, that doesn’t mean you make it. And while your $16 for a CD adds to the bottom line, hip hop don’t need you. You need hip hop–for whatever has been drawing you to it for the past 20 years.

Stop whining about the fact that your 3 year-old can’t listen to your IPod. Duh. It makes sense that you listen to music–see movies, read books, and partake in other adult activities–that you wouldn’t share with your children. You are the grown up.

Did you hear Nickelback’s Rockstar? It follow the classic, formula rock song about the dreamlife of drugs, big cars and houses, and easy women. But you don’t classify that as a problem–why is the problem rap not rock?

Is it okay because white people are not susceptible to “bad” music messages aimed at them? Are whites only immune to the plight of poor, urban African Americans? Don’t we also ignore poor whites, Latinos, Asians and, of course, Native Americans?

Here you go, that’s the way you do it!

Practically, did you know that most artists don’t make money on record sales? The record companies do. The artists make money on tour and from merchandise. So you can put away your white man’s wallet and skip the CD and not make a penny’s worth of difference to 50 Cent’s bottom line.

BTW 50 has decided that the market is too hot for “hard-core” joints, with the Don Imus thing and all. So he released the “softer” Curtis CD. You know more family-friendly songs like “My Gun,” and respectful lyrics like “We got to share the same b*tch, okay I go first.”

White Guy, it’s okay for you to buy–or not buy–whatever you like. It’s okay for you to be offended by music you like. I, too, have cringed at lyrics that escape my lips. But you can probably do more to make a difference in your community by doing a good job doing your job–don’t sweat the music, and good luck.

(c) 2005-2016 Doctor of Thinkology. Some rights reserved under Creative Commons License.
Posted on by docthink 0

No Mas, No Match

My sibling called.

Sib: Mom’s dead.
Me: silence
Sib: Still.
Me: Oh, it’s that social security thing?
Sib: Yup. The hospital, ambulance and nursing home are all on me to pay the bills that Medicare is refusing because Mom is dead.
Me: How is she?
Sib: She’s doing great. She is getting out of her room more, and the nurses said that she is interacting more with the other residents.

See, the Social Security Administration has randomly decided that Mom is dead. In fact, they have her pre-deceasing my dad by two weeks.

I say random, because they can’t say how they decided that Mom is dead. Except for this type of error happens all the time. They don’t have a death certificate (since she’s not dead, yet), or a call from anyone. She just appears dead in their records, and they can’t identify why.

This is the type of error that causes SSA to take money that you are entitled to–and in fact NEED–from your bank account. It is the type of error that doesn’t surface when you go to their offices in Roseville, Mich., to check on your widow’s benefits. When Mom and Sib were in the offices, about 5 weeks after they thought she was dead, nobody mentioned her demise.

Social Security requires an in person verification that you are still alive. They say you need to come to their offices. See, the burden of proof is on you. But since Mom was in the hospital, they generously agreed to comes see her to clear this up. Their representative seemed to recognize that she was still alive. Yet here we are, almost a month later, and she is still dead in some records.

This is the same Social Security Administration that we are asking to provide correct information to crack down on illegal immigrants working in the U.S. Do you think that they might get it wrong? That people working in this country legally will be fired or unnecessarily investigated–at a big cost to our economic engine–because the no-match info from Social Security is faulty?

Me: So do you need me to do anything with this Social Security mess?
Sib: No. But once they decide that Mom is alive, they will probably decide that she is illegal and have her sent to Mexico.

(c) 2005-2016 Doctor of Thinkology. Some rights reserved under Creative Commons License.
Posted on by docthink 0

Google-icious

Was interviewing someone for a job, and he said that he Googled me. I know that I get Googled all the time–people want to know a bit about who they are dealing with. Like are you higher or lower on the food chain?

But I have to say that I did feel a bit weird about someone in an interview–like when they are trying to impress you–saying, “Oh, I Googled you.” Seems a bit personal, almost like I was violated.

The 13-year-old found something from Google on YouTube about Gmail that I found diverting, if not a surprise.

Looks like Google finally figured out what to do with YouTube. But here’s my question.

Did Google think that it was a good idea to do this project? Are they really so cool, corporately, that they get it? Or is this something that came from YouTube, or–more sadly–an advertising agency?

I guess the answer I seek is that the corporate guns would “get” that media and advertising belongs to everyone. But maybe that’s just wishful thinking. And I mean wishful thinking that they would get it. Not wishing that it’s a fact, because it is.

(c) 2005-2016 Doctor of Thinkology. Some rights reserved under Creative Commons License.
Posted on by docthink 0

And ANOTHER Thing, Fredo

Really goofy picture of Gonzales looking like a Campbell Soup kid.I don’t know why I can’t let go of Alberto, but here I go again.

Who the hash-browns does Alberto Gonzales think he is?

I often remind our fellow citizens that we live in the greatest country in the world and that I have lived the American dream. Even my worst days as attorney general have been better than my father’s best days. —From resignation statement of Alberto Gonzales

I don’t know, but I bet his dad had some pretty damn good days. He was a construction worker, husband and father of eight. Maybe he had a great day when he married Alberto’s mom. Or when the kids’ were born.

Or maybe, he had a pretty good day when his son went to the Air Force Academy or was accepted to Harvard Law School, especially since Alberto was the first of his kids to go to college. He didn’t live to see his son work in the White House or serve as Attorney General, so we can’t count those.

Maybe the elder Mr. Gonzales once had a great day playing with his kids or was extremely satisfied with a day’s worth of bricklaying. Or making a mortgage payment or putting money down on a winning horse. I don’t know about the man. But I have a really hard time believing that Alberto’s worst days were better than his father’s best. Like Fredo didn’t know that he had a bad day?

Like I said, I don’t know, Mr. Gonzales, and his, perhaps. challenging relationship with his dad. But it seems to me–and I might be wrong–that he might be stretching out the difficulties of his dad’s life or the best of his own worst.

Okay, done with Gonzales.

(c) 2005-2016 Doctor of Thinkology. Some rights reserved under Creative Commons License.
Posted on by docthink 0

So Long and Thanks for All the Fish

Oh, what a long, strange trip it’s been. Finally, Attorney General Alberto Gonzales (gonzo), has resigned.

He was called “dead man walking,” and his imminent resignation has been foreshadowed and predicted for months–frequent reports of his demise rivaled those of Mark Twain and Paul McCartney.

And now, another of the most divisive characters from the Administration is packing his bags, and leaving D.C. I have been looking for him to get the message since March.

He might be a good man–the Prez thinks so–but he sure was a lousy attorney general. Beleaguered or embattled, he was the lightening rod that replaced Rumsfeld and then Rove. Unknown is who will be the next whipping boy for this group. They have another 18-months, and it seems prudent to have a target rod in place. To protect the Executive.

Not to be mean, Mr. Gonzales, but, “buh-bye!”

(c) 2005-2016 Doctor of Thinkology. Some rights reserved under Creative Commons License.
Posted on by docthink 0

What Does YouTube Tell Us About Us?

I admit that I am a bit freaky about data. Numbers, and what they tell you. I also admit that I am a bit Rain Man about them–perhaps much more idiot than savant. But sometimes I see stories in flat numbers.

The story begins with this video.

Since being posted 4-months ago, it has been viewed 9,037,074 times. That includes 1 million views since I first saw it two weeks ago. For some odd reason, I am entertained by the video, and have since learned to do the Crank Dat Soulja Boy dance. Very aerobic. [as an aside: you can do it, too. Here is a link to the instructional video which has been viewed 1,266,561 times since August 2nd. ]

Now here is the story. Somehow millions of people have seen the simple, low-res video of three guys doing part of a dance. It has become a viral thing of beauty. I have seen it and sent it on to more than a few people. They have seen it and sent it on, too.

Why do people like this video? I don’t know.

Looking at other videos on YouTube can give a window into what people are drawn to–maybe even the zeitgeist.

What are you watching? What do you value?

(c) 2005-2016 Doctor of Thinkology. Some rights reserved under Creative Commons License.
Posted on by docthink 0

Sir, Yes Sir

Prince Humperdinck from the Princess Bride. He is an arrogant man, not used to being trifled withOccasionally, my job duties include trying to save my organization from itself. Bad decisions or worse implementations. Times when people who are extremely well-qualified to practice law decide that they are therefore well-qualified to do everyone else’s job, too. Like, they made it through Harvard Law, so how hard could it be to to engineer the space shuttle?

This afternoon, I had a first-time visit from a “senior counselor” to the big cheese. It had to do with recommendations I made for a project. Turns out that he didn’t think my recommendations would fly. Not that they were bad, but that they flew in the face of what the Man wanted. I proceeded to restate my case for the good of the organization.

“Wow,” he said. “This is really refreshing.”

I didn’t know where this was going.

“Really refreshing. Usually, people just say ‘yessir!’,” and he shook his head. He wasn’t mad, just bemused.

The 15-year-old thinks that the guy went home and said to his wife, “I think that is the first time that someone disagreed with me.”

Somehow I don’t think that I will be rewarded for being the first.

(c) 2005-2016 Doctor of Thinkology. Some rights reserved under Creative Commons License.
Posted on by docthink 0

Why Mike? Why?


This is one of those questions that will remain unanswered. Why does somebody do something so bone-headed, that destroys a career and future? Like run a dog-fighting ring.

So let’s say I have a $130 million dollar contract, and my red no. 7 jersey is one of the best-selling in the NFL. [Heck, Doc Think bought one, and at least one pair of the Vick sneakers]. And my team isn’t even any good.

So, now, I am going to spend my free time running a dog-fighting ring. I am sure that nobody will notice. Or maybe I don’t even notice that someone might find this behavior troubling.

Did Paris H. think that? What about Britney? Or Mel? Or Prez Bill? Do they think they will go to jail, lose their kids, be arrested, get impeached?

So I wonder, WHAT WERE THEY THINKING? Or not thinking. Were they just doing? Did Vick think that there wasn’t an issue with his “hobby”? Or did he just do it (TM?

And then I wonder, is there something that I am doing that would not stand up to scrutiny? Am I at risk of being blinded by my own sense of righteousness? But what if you can’t see it until it’s too late? Is that what happened, Michael?

(c) 2005-2016 Doctor of Thinkology. Some rights reserved under Creative Commons License.
Posted on by docthink 0

Remains Of A Three Legged Stool

Dear Members of Congress,

Thank you for taking the time to fight over the renewal of the terrorist surveillance law. You know, the one that gives all oversight for executive branch spy agencies eavesdropping to the executive branch (seems a bit circular, no?). The Senate guys among you have decided to agree with the Exec that it takes too long to get an emergency court order to spy on people in the U.S. Despite the lack of any real examples that support that assumption. Maybe just a gut feeling?

We know that the executive branch thinks this is a good idea–heck, they proposed it! And the judicial branch doesn’t have a say. So, it’s up to you in the legislative branch to do your job and provide a check and balance to the executive branch by letting the judicial branch do their job.

I know, when the President says TERRORIST the knee-jerk reaction is to buckle to whatever formula he proposes. But you guys need to remember that the Prez is not boss over you.

According to the first three articles of our nation’s founding rules, there are three equally powered branches of our government. And, through the separation–and interleaving–of powers as conceived by James Madison and Co, there exists a precarious balance of power.

I believe Madison when he says it’s pretty important to have judicial oversight of the executive branch. It’s the legislative branch can see that this happens. My dearest Members of Congress, any abdication of your constitutional role–to the manipulations of an increasingly imperial president–means that you are weakening the judicial leg of the stool, as well as your own.

Our government can’t stand on only one leg. So stand up yourselves and prop up the wobbly judicial checks on the executive before the stool collapses.

Sincerely,
Doc Think

(c) 2005-2016 Doctor of Thinkology. Some rights reserved under Creative Commons License.
Posted on by docthink 0

Shut Up and Drive

And yet another great thing about our beach locale is the proliferation of low trafficked roads. Just what the 15-year-old wanted.

Him: Can I drive?
Me: Okay!
Him: Alien, return my parental unit.

We drive standard transmissions, so part one of the lesson is getting the clutch, brake, gas thing together. Oh, and the shift part. He caught on fast.

Next was getting out of the driveway and around the circle in the cul–de-sac. Not bad.

So we went to the next phase–driving on the road, turning and down-shifting. That went well, too. Even that time when there was opposing traffic–a pick-up lumbering in our direction–no freak out. Smooth sailing.

Next was going more deeply throughout the neighborhood, all the way to the main road where we played a version of the Chinese fire drill to swap drivers. Very well done.

On the way back from town, we swapped just as we got off the main road and he drove back. We were coming up to an intersection.

Me: Hey, that was a stop sign.
Him: Hunh? (hitting the brakes a bit late.)
Me: Back up a bit and let’s try that again. What do you do at a stop sign?
Him: You mean that was for me? I saw it, but I didn’t know that it was for me.

Turns out that he was used to seeing them and ignoring them from the passenger seat.

Next lesson, basic traffic rules.

(c) 2005-2016 Doctor of Thinkology. Some rights reserved under Creative Commons License.
Posted on by docthink 0