I don't get it.
I really don't. I understand our 1st Amendment right to publicly assemble, to voice our opinion. In fact, I'm adamant about that right as an American, and oftentimes I don't feel like I fit in as an American. With this journey of pursuit of growth, I truly believe in the empowerment of everyone being heard and respected.
Which is why I don't get the Occupy Oakland movement.
First off, I'm impressed that so many people are able to "CAMP" out in Downtown Oakland for this amount of time WITHOUT ONE HOMICIDE OR VIOLENT ROBBERY. I've heard that a sexual assault occurred at one point, which is damaging to all those involved, but I really have to give kudos that for the most part, it's been relatively safe for those who CHOOSE to camp in Oakland. Bear in mind that the campers were living outdoors within the city limits of the Bay Area city with the highest homicide rate. In fact 8 homicides have been reported within the City limits since the camps begun. Why wasn't the "hood" occupied?
Secondly, as a native of Oakland, I'm very flattered that Oakland is considered to be part of the 1%. I've grown up with so much negative reaction over the years upon people learning about my origins. This and that about violent crime, political corruption, unsafe area, not deserving any type of professional sports franchise because of having a poor economy, ect. Now Oakland is currently a 1% target. Funny, I could've swore Oakland was so broke, they laid off quite a few police officers, firefighters, ect. So OK, Oakland is part of the 1%. Good to know, that way Oakland can "save" their exiting sports franchises: Raiders, A's, and Warriors. (Hell, if Oakland was part of the 1%, you'd think the Warriors would've called themselves "Oakland" by now instead of "Golden State")
I hear the frustration amongst the protesters about the economic situation. I've worked very sparingly especially these past two years. If anything I'm lucky to have worked a total of SIXTY days during the past SEVEN-HUNDRED-THIRTY. The thing is I know camping out and protesting does very little for me. In fact, I believe occupying anything would work against me. All this talk about 1% hoarding the wealth but you're taking down small business along with you by blocking and driving people away from the area. In fact, based on articles and interviews there's an unapologetic stance against the local business owners. All this talk about representing the 99% which these small business owners belong to, and you're deliberately taking them down? That sort of behavior is no better than the supposed behavior you're protesting against.
So the question again, why are you occupying Oakland?
Of all places. I can understand Wall Street where all the major commerce eventually intersect. Even the Financial District in San Francisco. Why not Washington DC? or Sacramento? Or even the IRS? But Oakland? Back up the folks already at the Federal Reserve in SF.
This game of entitlement is played out. Notice that I don't condone the police action. I learned early in life that if a pit bull dog chases me out of an area, even if I'M IN THE RIGHT, it's best not to "take back" the area where the pit bull is located. If I'm nursing a bite after my attempt to "take back" that area, I'M THE ONE WHO HAS TO ACCEPT RESPONSIBILITY for that bite. No one else.
OH BTW, please do not take up any causes unique to Oakland as justification for Occupy Oakland. That's utter bullsh!t. Honestly the majority of you occupiers in Oakland don't give a rats a$$ about the problems with Oakland. Otherwise why wait until Wall Street and San Francisco went up first? Problems unique to Oakland, such as homicides, police brutality, political corruption did not just showed up right after camp started in NY and SF. How about Occupy EAST OAKLAND then? Set up camp in the Havenscourt area. There are a lot of people in Oakland who are actually honest and hard-working, who's struggling as much as you are. In fact, they're NOT the 1% you're protesting. Yet, they received another unwanted perceptive "black eye" because of the ruckus last week. Do you really care about them? If you don't, then from a moral standpoint, you have no right to protest the 1%, cause in reality you're no better than them.
Saturday, October 29, 2011
Sunday, October 9, 2011
RIP Al Davis
Wow, seems like this is the 2nd "RIP" entry I've done within a week!
What can I say about Mr Davis? I suppose I can share my first exposure and impression of him. I'll be honest to say that I did not see him in the most positive light. I was about 10 years old and my parents were irate over the fact that the Raiders publicly announced the news that they signed an agreement to move to L.A.
My father, grandfather and great-uncle, though not season ticket holders, would go to the game regularly. I was promised by them that once I reached the age of twelve, they'd take me along with them. Unfortunately the team had moved to L.A. A year after the team moved, my grandfather passed away.
So much for the grandfather-father-son bonding sports event.
At that time I also learned to read bumper stickers on cars and trucks. From 1981-1985, the most common bumper stickers seen on the back of vehicles all over the 510 area code (it was still 415 then) stated:
"Thank You Al! You SOB!"
That was my early impression of the man who recently transitioned.
I can tell you that growing up in a town like Oakland where a professional sports team left casts a shadow especially over those who remembered that a team once existed. Granted, the SF Forty Niners were becoming an 80s NFL dynasty at that point, and who could forget the USFL's Oakland Invaders? Neither team filled that void the Raiders left. Even though my father vowed never to watch a Raiders game again, I privately held an inner vigil at the possibility of a Raiders return. I followed every rumor about the dissatisfaction of the team in L.A. I may not have followed the games, (Kinda hard when NBC and KRON would black the games out in the SF Market) Hell, I remembered when the school district went on strike, it was revealed that the City of Oakland set aside a few millions in hope of purchasing the Raiders back.
In August 26, 1989 the Oakland Coliseum held an exhibition pre-season game between the Raiders and the then Houston Oilers. Game was sold out in less than two hours and the Raider rumors were in full tilt. For the first time in over ten years, I purchased Raider gear. From that point, I would possess a Raider item of clothing. My Raiders gear purchasing frenzy peaked at the news that the Raiders would indeed return to Oakland in 1990. The shirts would meet the scissors in September of that same year when the team announced that they were staying put in L.A.
I was cautiously excited in 1995. I would not wear any Raiders gear until the first game was played in the Oakland Coliseum. My father watched the game in utter disgust taunting me as a "sucker" if I decided to purchase a ticket to attend any of the game.
I did not attend any games until the Gruden years.
Yup, waiting three seasons before I went to my 1st game. My father scoffed at the idea of a PSL, and passed away less than a year after the return to Oakland. I became a devout Christian within The Salvation Army church in 1995, so my Sundays were "for God." In fact my only visits to the Oakland Coliseum since the Raiders return and before my 1st Raider game were for three different events: Promise Keepers 1995, Promise Keepers 1996, and the Billy Graham Crusade.
There was only one question I consistently asked about the Raiders and towards Al Davis over the years from the move to L.A. to now.
"WHY?"
Why did you leave Oakland when the games were sold out? Why was Marcus Allen benched? Why fire Shell the 1st time when he produced winning seasons, including one trip to the AFC Championship? Why Mike White, Joe Bugel before Gruden? Why trade Gruden? Why why why?
I'll never have those questions answered and people outside of Mr Davis' circle will only speculate, but that's all that is: speculation.
Don't know if the Raiders will remain in Oakland or not. In some ways I've outgrown the ambiance or lack of in the Raider Nation. It hasn't been that fun going to the games these past few seasons and it's not because of the losing record. When my elders attended the games back before the L.A. days, win or lose, they returned home energized. When I attend the Oakland Raiders version 2.0, I return home drained, lethargic regardless of the win/loss outcome. They just weren't the same Raiders of old, yet they were Al's team.
They're still Al's team. That's what makes them The Raiders.
What can I say about Mr Davis? I suppose I can share my first exposure and impression of him. I'll be honest to say that I did not see him in the most positive light. I was about 10 years old and my parents were irate over the fact that the Raiders publicly announced the news that they signed an agreement to move to L.A.
My father, grandfather and great-uncle, though not season ticket holders, would go to the game regularly. I was promised by them that once I reached the age of twelve, they'd take me along with them. Unfortunately the team had moved to L.A. A year after the team moved, my grandfather passed away.
So much for the grandfather-father-son bonding sports event.
At that time I also learned to read bumper stickers on cars and trucks. From 1981-1985, the most common bumper stickers seen on the back of vehicles all over the 510 area code (it was still 415 then) stated:
"Thank You Al! You SOB!"
That was my early impression of the man who recently transitioned.
I can tell you that growing up in a town like Oakland where a professional sports team left casts a shadow especially over those who remembered that a team once existed. Granted, the SF Forty Niners were becoming an 80s NFL dynasty at that point, and who could forget the USFL's Oakland Invaders? Neither team filled that void the Raiders left. Even though my father vowed never to watch a Raiders game again, I privately held an inner vigil at the possibility of a Raiders return. I followed every rumor about the dissatisfaction of the team in L.A. I may not have followed the games, (Kinda hard when NBC and KRON would black the games out in the SF Market) Hell, I remembered when the school district went on strike, it was revealed that the City of Oakland set aside a few millions in hope of purchasing the Raiders back.
In August 26, 1989 the Oakland Coliseum held an exhibition pre-season game between the Raiders and the then Houston Oilers. Game was sold out in less than two hours and the Raider rumors were in full tilt. For the first time in over ten years, I purchased Raider gear. From that point, I would possess a Raider item of clothing. My Raiders gear purchasing frenzy peaked at the news that the Raiders would indeed return to Oakland in 1990. The shirts would meet the scissors in September of that same year when the team announced that they were staying put in L.A.
I was cautiously excited in 1995. I would not wear any Raiders gear until the first game was played in the Oakland Coliseum. My father watched the game in utter disgust taunting me as a "sucker" if I decided to purchase a ticket to attend any of the game.
I did not attend any games until the Gruden years.
Yup, waiting three seasons before I went to my 1st game. My father scoffed at the idea of a PSL, and passed away less than a year after the return to Oakland. I became a devout Christian within The Salvation Army church in 1995, so my Sundays were "for God." In fact my only visits to the Oakland Coliseum since the Raiders return and before my 1st Raider game were for three different events: Promise Keepers 1995, Promise Keepers 1996, and the Billy Graham Crusade.
There was only one question I consistently asked about the Raiders and towards Al Davis over the years from the move to L.A. to now.
"WHY?"
Why did you leave Oakland when the games were sold out? Why was Marcus Allen benched? Why fire Shell the 1st time when he produced winning seasons, including one trip to the AFC Championship? Why Mike White, Joe Bugel before Gruden? Why trade Gruden? Why why why?
I'll never have those questions answered and people outside of Mr Davis' circle will only speculate, but that's all that is: speculation.
Don't know if the Raiders will remain in Oakland or not. In some ways I've outgrown the ambiance or lack of in the Raider Nation. It hasn't been that fun going to the games these past few seasons and it's not because of the losing record. When my elders attended the games back before the L.A. days, win or lose, they returned home energized. When I attend the Oakland Raiders version 2.0, I return home drained, lethargic regardless of the win/loss outcome. They just weren't the same Raiders of old, yet they were Al's team.
They're still Al's team. That's what makes them The Raiders.
Wednesday, October 5, 2011
RIP Steve Jobs
We knew the inevitable when Steve Jobs made his announcement last August. (It was on my birthday, August 24 when the announcement was made) We had a suspicion that he was more ill than thought. It all came the day after his successor presented the new Apple items.
I'm not going to argue over how great a contribution Mr Jobs made not only to technology, but to humanity overall. That's been debated over and over on the message boards since August 24 of this year. I won't get into any debate over the definition of what makes a "hero." Within the context of Apple and the high tech industry, he's viewed as one. For those more military-minded, Jobs is viewed as a great innovator but not as a hero per se.
Any great contribution to society is heroic in my eyes period. But then we'd have to define "great," "contribution," and clarify who's included in "society."
So everything is debatable.
I'm typing away right now on my Macbook Pro which is 5 years old. (35 in dog years, 50 in tech years) I've owned 3 different iPods over that period of time. In spite of the announcement of the upcoming release of iPhone 4S, I've held off upgrading my phone this past 3 years on Verizon waiting for the iPhone release. There's no doubt in my mind about how much contribution Mr Jobs made in my life personally.
Today the world grieves over the loss of TWO great innovators and contributors.
As the internet and social media and mainstream media cover the loss of Mr Jobs, there's a second figure we must mourn over. For Steve Jobs transition reminds us of that second figure. In fact anytime a well-known public figure passes on, we recall the legacy of their contribution. (Side note: let us not forget the contributions made to the Civil Rights Movement by Rev Fred Shuttlesworth who passed on earlier today)
No, Rev Shuttlesworth is not that "2nd Figure" I'm referring to.
That Second Figure is the one who's regularly seen in the mirror.
For the past hour and a half, I've been bombarded with status updates and Twitter feeds about the great contributions made by Steve Jobs and I for one will not debate his contributions. His passing means he's no longer physically able to continue creating innovations and contributions. This past 24 hours before it was known about Mr Jobs death, there were unwarranted criticism towards Tim Cook for "not being Steve Jobs." Tim Cook has two main jobs right now: CEO of Apple, and Tim Cook. Let Steve Jobs rest in peace, let Tim Cook be Tim Cook, and let YOU be a GREAT YOU.
We shortchange ourselves in life when we believe we cannot make a significant contribution as a Steve Jobs or as a military hero fighting for freedom. In fact, we not only shortchange ourselves, but those around us. I know people will read this and say "yeah right. (Sarcastically) I'll be as great as Steve Jobs." I'm not saying that we all have the capacity to come up with simple, user-friendly, cutting edge technology devices, I'm saying that the greatness, the contributions within all of us can match and have as much impact as the great contributions made by him.
Mr Jobs passing reminds us of the greatness within each of us, and how we mourn not over the loss of our greatness but the fact that up until this point, our greatness has not outwardly lived. But the good news is that we need not mourn. While we take the time to mourn and reflect over Mr Jobs passing, we have the power to revive and resurrect our greatness. Whether it makes as big an impact as the Late Mr Jobs is totally up to us.
In other words, while we reflect on the impact Steve Jobs made, we overlook the great potential within us to make a dare I say, as great or even a greater impact. Mourning over that Second Figure is always a choice.
"Remembering that I'll be dead soon is the most important tool I've ever encountered to help me make the big choices in life. Because almost everything -- all external expectations, all pride, all fear of embarrassment or failure - these things just fall away in the face of death, leaving only what is truly important. Remembering that you are going to die is the best way I know to avoid the trap of thinking you have something to lose. You are already naked. There is no reason not to follow your heart. ... Stay hungry. Stay foolish."
-Steve Jobs, Stanford University Commencement 2005
I'm not going to argue over how great a contribution Mr Jobs made not only to technology, but to humanity overall. That's been debated over and over on the message boards since August 24 of this year. I won't get into any debate over the definition of what makes a "hero." Within the context of Apple and the high tech industry, he's viewed as one. For those more military-minded, Jobs is viewed as a great innovator but not as a hero per se.
Any great contribution to society is heroic in my eyes period. But then we'd have to define "great," "contribution," and clarify who's included in "society."
So everything is debatable.
I'm typing away right now on my Macbook Pro which is 5 years old. (35 in dog years, 50 in tech years) I've owned 3 different iPods over that period of time. In spite of the announcement of the upcoming release of iPhone 4S, I've held off upgrading my phone this past 3 years on Verizon waiting for the iPhone release. There's no doubt in my mind about how much contribution Mr Jobs made in my life personally.
Today the world grieves over the loss of TWO great innovators and contributors.
As the internet and social media and mainstream media cover the loss of Mr Jobs, there's a second figure we must mourn over. For Steve Jobs transition reminds us of that second figure. In fact anytime a well-known public figure passes on, we recall the legacy of their contribution. (Side note: let us not forget the contributions made to the Civil Rights Movement by Rev Fred Shuttlesworth who passed on earlier today)
No, Rev Shuttlesworth is not that "2nd Figure" I'm referring to.
That Second Figure is the one who's regularly seen in the mirror.
For the past hour and a half, I've been bombarded with status updates and Twitter feeds about the great contributions made by Steve Jobs and I for one will not debate his contributions. His passing means he's no longer physically able to continue creating innovations and contributions. This past 24 hours before it was known about Mr Jobs death, there were unwarranted criticism towards Tim Cook for "not being Steve Jobs." Tim Cook has two main jobs right now: CEO of Apple, and Tim Cook. Let Steve Jobs rest in peace, let Tim Cook be Tim Cook, and let YOU be a GREAT YOU.
We shortchange ourselves in life when we believe we cannot make a significant contribution as a Steve Jobs or as a military hero fighting for freedom. In fact, we not only shortchange ourselves, but those around us. I know people will read this and say "yeah right. (Sarcastically) I'll be as great as Steve Jobs." I'm not saying that we all have the capacity to come up with simple, user-friendly, cutting edge technology devices, I'm saying that the greatness, the contributions within all of us can match and have as much impact as the great contributions made by him.
Mr Jobs passing reminds us of the greatness within each of us, and how we mourn not over the loss of our greatness but the fact that up until this point, our greatness has not outwardly lived. But the good news is that we need not mourn. While we take the time to mourn and reflect over Mr Jobs passing, we have the power to revive and resurrect our greatness. Whether it makes as big an impact as the Late Mr Jobs is totally up to us.
In other words, while we reflect on the impact Steve Jobs made, we overlook the great potential within us to make a dare I say, as great or even a greater impact. Mourning over that Second Figure is always a choice.
"Remembering that I'll be dead soon is the most important tool I've ever encountered to help me make the big choices in life. Because almost everything -- all external expectations, all pride, all fear of embarrassment or failure - these things just fall away in the face of death, leaving only what is truly important. Remembering that you are going to die is the best way I know to avoid the trap of thinking you have something to lose. You are already naked. There is no reason not to follow your heart. ... Stay hungry. Stay foolish."
-Steve Jobs, Stanford University Commencement 2005
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