A Walk on the Beach

This morning it was sunny and beautiful on the south Puget Sound.  I walked from our cabin through the woods onto the north-eastern shore on Harstine Island to enjoy the warmth of the sun and the low tide.  Just me, my dogs and a few ducks.  I didn't have to walk far though, to be disturbed by an unusually large amount of thrash on the beach.  I tried to ignore it at first as I did not have proper tools to collect it, but soon I realized I had to improvise and pick up all the trash into a doggie bag.  In about twenty minutes my hands were too full to go on.  All the trash was coffee cups and PVC pipe ends.  No Starbucks, just "Eco-friendly" Greenware cups... Nice.

Hillary Would Have been Better

Everyone else seems to agree: Hillary would have been better.  I told you so.  T

Hillary Told You So (By Leslie Bennetts at The Daily Beast)

As Democratic disgust with Obama’s debt fumbling spreads, Clinton supporters recall her '3 a.m. phone call' warnings—and angry, frustrated liberals are muttering that she should mount a 2012 challenge.

At a New York political event last week, Republican and Democratic office-holders were all bemoaning President Obama’s handling of the debt-ceiling crisis when someone said, “Hillary would have been a better president.”

“Every single person nodded, including the Republicans,” reported one observer.

At a luncheon in the members’ dining room at the Metropolitan Museum of Art on Saturday, a 64-year-old African-American from the Bronx was complaining about Obama’s ineffectiveness in dealing with the implacable hostility of congressional Republicans when an 80-year-old lawyer chimed in about the president’s unwillingness to stand up to his opponents. “I want to see blood on the floor,” she said grimly.

A 61-year-old white woman at the table nodded. “He never understood about the ‘vast right-wing conspiracy,’” she said. (Read whole article via link.)

Below is what I wrote in March of 2008.  One of the reasons I supported Hillary over Obama: experience.

Thursday, March 06, 2008

Open Letter to Keith Olberman

Keith,

I have been a faithful viewer of Countdown for about a year and a half. I have loved your no-nonsense approach to politics. You spoke up to George W. Bush when nobody else dared; you were courageous and funny, and your suits and your haircut are nice.
But since the democratic presidential campaigns heated up this winter your antipathy toward Hillary Clinton has become just too much to bear. You love Barack Obama, that's clear, but for God's sake give Hillary a break. She is not as evil and conniving as you would like to think. Why do you frame every conversation about her so negatively?

I have not been able to watch Countdown for the last two, three weeks because of your overly obvious bias against Hillary Clinton. Yes, I support her but I also think Obama is a decent candidate. I just think that Hillary is better qualified at this time.

When people run for office they try their best to paint the opponent in less favorable light. It has been done for years - Hillary is not the first one to do it. Obama has done his best to paint Hillary in dark colors ("You are likable enough") - why is it bad only when Hillary does it?

Tonight I tried to watch Countdown again (I miss the show) but my stomach was in knots listening to you frame Hillary in such harsh, pessimistic terms. According to you she has hit the new low by "preferring McCain over Obama" with his lifetime of experience. Have you ever thought that maybe what she means is lifetime of experience. Both McCain and Clinton are quite a bit older than Obama and have experienced many more things in this world than Obama - that alone teaches one humility and understanding that only comes with age. It does not mean that Hillary agrees with McCain's politics or thinks that his politics are better that Obama's. (And no, it doesn't mean that every "old" person is wise, but it gives an opportunity to be wise.) And for a position such as president of the United States we do want life experience.

Keith, give Hillary a break! I know you can and I know you think you should!

Thanks, T

Visiting Europe

I have just returned from three weeks in Europe: two in Finland and one in Paris.   What a lovely trip it was!  Seeing family in good health was a relief, seeing Helsinki progress into an international hub of culture with its soul still intact, and experiencing Lapland in its beauty and solitude was truly rewarding.

We drove across the whole country, swam in the lakes, shopped in the local markets, and marveled at the midnight sun in the north.  Sauna was always at the center of social life.  No meeting of friends takes place without sitting in the heat of the sauna at some point.

In Lapland the reindeer wandered across the road several times and we had to keep one foot on the brake just in case.  While walking in the woods several lemmings crossed our path.  They are the cutest little creatures with hamster shape and size but colored like a calico cat.  They say this is the year of the lemming.  Thousands begin their migration as I write.  Mosquitos were scarce this year - lucky us!

We also drove into Norway through Kilpisjarvi just a day or two after the horrible tragedy in Oslo.  We visited Skibotn and Nordkjosbotn, two tiny towns in the north.  We did not notice anything unusual except that there was a moment of silence at noon.  The horror of the recent events had not sunk in yet.  (I don't know if it ever will.)

Our last week was reserved for Paris!  A city so full of life and wonder it is difficult to put it into words!  Versailles, Louvre, Arc de Triomphe, Sainte-Chapelle, Musee d'Orsay, Eiffel, Seine, Latin Quarter...  And we just scratched the surface.  Paris is so big and full of history it's mind-boggling.  And all those locks on the bridges across the Seine!

Although I felt like I could have stayed in Europe, returning to Seattle was sweet: own bed, our little dogs, an efficient clothes dryer, my iPhone (did not want to turn it on in Europe except in free wifi spots).

Someone told me that I am a gentler person in Europe than in the States.  Made me think about the way of life here: hectic, competitive, non-trusting.  How can I preserve the gentleness and trust without being exploited?
I must try.

Social Production as Catalyst for Change

Capitalism won the Cold War just twenty years ago; it was a triumph of entrepreneurship, free markets and private ownership.  But now, in 2011, we are faced with new, unprecedented problems: our capitalistic system continues to create wealth but it is increasingly benefiting only a few at the very top of the economic ladder.  The near-collapse of the world banking system two years ago made us question our unwavering faith in the free-market system, and it opened our eyes to see that we must change course.  As we struggle to find a new economic equilibrium, our market ecology is being challenged by a completely new paradigm: social production of information and culture.

What exactly is social production?

This research paper examines how social production of information and culture is changing our thinking about what’s possible in a networked society.  No longer are we passively waiting to be told what’s newsworthy, or what a good story should look and feel like: we make our own news and stories. Sharing and collaboration is the new black – but not just a fad – it’s a way to create lasting wealth.

Please follow the link to read the whole post on my WordPress blog!

Adopting New Inventions

When I was 13 years old I had a dream that some day I would have a telephone I could carry in my pocket.  How cool it would be to talk to my friends while walking outside, or hiding in the woods!  This was in the mid-70’s; mobile phones were still years away and the only thing resembling a mobile was Maxwell Smart’s famous shoe phone.

     DonAdams.jpg

I bought my first Nokiaphone in 1996, when I was pregnant with my first (and only) child.  It was important to have a phone available, in case something happened while I was riding the bus, we thought.  Ever since our first Nokia phone I was very loyal to the brand; it was, after all, a Finnish phone.  I had several Nokia phone models, and each new phone seemed better with more useful features.  I had sliders and shells and music and texting.  These were all pre-smartphone.

In 2007, when the first iPhone appeared I was not moved.  I had my iPod and I was happy with it as my music device: it was easy to use and very handy for storing all my music.  I did not need another gadget that was less a phone and more a multi tool for the web, music and applications.  I was using “selective exposure” in my relationship to the iPhone (Rodgers, 1995).  My continued loyalty to the Nokia brand kept me from getting too familiar with this new invention called the “iPhone”.   The iPhone was not consistent with my “existing attitudes and beliefs” about what a phone should be ( p. 171).  I did, however, purchase an Apple desktop computer in 2008.  My first.  For many years several of my friends had recommended an Apple computer for its reliability, superior performance and virus-free operation.  I had had some exposure to an Apple ten years earlier but now was a PC user.  We needed a new desk top with a big screen, and my daughter was also using Apple computers at school; it was time to make the switch.  In my case, the “awareness-knowledge” of this invention preceded the need, but once the need (justification) was there, the purchase decision was easy (p. 172).

My ongoing exposure to the new Apple computer made me more curious about the iPhone.  I loved the computer, my daughter loved the computer; it was reliable and quite easy to use (although there was a bit of a learning curve with Apple software).  Many of my friends and colleagues had purchased an iPhone – they seemed to spring up everywhere.  I heard them discuss the many ‘amazing’ features of the phone, such as the downloadable applications, maps, email, etc.  According to Rodgers (1995), this was for me, “trial by others” (p. 177).  My friends were vicariously testing the device and reporting to me how useful it was.

It was time to get more exposure to the device.  I stopped at a Mac Store several times to familiarize myself with the iPhone.  I was impressed how easily I was able to manipulate the phone and how it responded to my requests.  It seemed like magic!  Rodgers (1995) states that “ Principles-knowledge consists of information dealing with the functioning principles underlying how an innovation works… It is usually possible to adopt an innovation without principles-knowledge, but the danger of misusing an idea is greater and discontinuance may result” (p. 173).  I had be sure I was comfortable using the iPhone before I rejected my Nokia brand.  It was an emotional decision for me but in the end functionality, esthetics and sex-appeal won.

References

Rogers, E. (1995). Diffusion of innovations. Free Press, New York, NY.

Wikipedia.org  Retrieved April 15, 2011. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:DonAdams.jpg

Amerikan vauraus

Suomen Kuvalehden pääkirjoitus (SK 44/2010) kertoi vakuuttavasti Yhdysvaltain viime syksyn kongressin vaaleista ja republikaanien voitosta edustajainhuoneessa.  Olin kuitenkin erittain hämmästynyt, kun kirjoitus sanoi että “Talouden kannalta oikeiston voitto kuitenkin on yleensä merkinnyt hyviä aikoja – ja sehän ratkaisee tässä maailmassa.”  Suomen Kuvalehti, jota arvostan ja luen uskollisesti (joskin aikamoisella viiveellä), on yleensä erittäin tarkka Yhdysvaltain analyyseissään, mutta tällä kertaa meni ihan metsään.  Amerikan politiikka on kääntynyt huimasti oikealle sitten Ronald Reaganin vaalivoiton vuonna 1980, mutta talous on heikentynyt suhteellisesti kansalaisten osalta melkein koko ajan viimeiset vuosikymmenet.  Amerikan talous on edelleen mahtava ja BKT huima, mutta jos tuijottaa vain näihin numeroihin ei saa käsitystä siita mitä on tapahtunut tavallisille kansalaisille: vaikka Amerikan talous on kohonnut 62% vuodesta 1989 työntekijöiden todelliset palkat ovat nousseet vain 11%.  Tuottavuus on kasvanut huimasti, mutta työntekijät eivät ole saaneet paljolti nauttia kättensä työstä.  Suurin osa vauraudesta on mennyt huippurikkaille ja suurille yhtiöille.

Ohessa linkki josta näkee tilastoja siitä mihin Amerikan vauraus on mennyt viimeisten vuosien aikana. Economic Policy Institute seuraa tarkkaan Yhdysvaltain taloudellista kehitystä. 

Se, missä republikaanit ja oikeisto ovat onnistuneet, on kansalaisten uskottaminen siihen, että heidän politiikkansa tuo vaurautta koko kansalle (sokaistuihan koko muu maailma republikaanien toittottamaan neoliberalismiin enemmän tai vähemmän viime vuosina).  Amerikkalaiset ovat äänestäneet omaa taloudellista etuaan vastaan Reaganista lähtien - “arvojen” pohjalta.  Vain demokraattisen presidentti Clintonin aikana kansalaiset vaurastuivat oikeasti, vaikka Clintonkin oli hyvaksynyt neoliberalismin opit omakseen ainakin osittain.

Nyt käytävat poliittiset taistelut eri osavaltioissa joissa republikaanit saivat enemmistön ja kuvernöörin paikan, ovat luonnollinen seuraus jo Reaganin aikana pohjustetuista periaatteista: (osa)valtio ja (osa)valtion menot on kutistettava äärimmaisen pieniksi; kaikki mikä vain on mahdollista, on yksityistettavä; (osa)valtion työntekijät on nujerrettava ottamalla heiltä pois lakko-oikeus, sillä he “syövat” (osa)valtion varoja.  Periaatteena on pieni ja voimaton osavaltio, ja vahva yksityissektori.  Kansalainen on yksin, ja vastuussa vain itsestään.

Wisconsinin osavaltiossa alkanut kuvernööri Scott Walkerin taistelu ammattiliittoja vastaan on herättänyt demokraatit ja ammattiliitot 30 vuoden unestaan: he taistelevat nyt olemassaolostaan.  Mielenosoitukset ovat levinneet muihinkin osavaltioihin, joissa republikaanit ovat ryhtyneet riistämään työntekijöiden oikeuksia: Michigan, Ohio, Florida, Tennessee ovat saaneet kansalaisensa barrikaadeille.  Aika näyttää, kääntyykö Amerikan kelkka takaisin vasemmalle (“vasen” amerikkalaisessa mielessä ei ole sama kuin eurooppalainen vasen, vaan paremminkin “vähemmän oikea”).

T

Sally Clark and Linda Mitchell Interview

Watch this video I made!  I interviewed Sally Clark, Seattle City council member, and Linda Mitchell, National Women's Political Caucus of WA President.  We talked about leadership in the digital age, authenticity, and women as leaders.

T