It's Not Just Ok, It's Beyond Our Control

I'm not sure why this is coming up so much lately. I guess it's a sign of our times. Recently, a Facebook friend (yes, another one) posted a meme. It was a picture of a woman wearing rainbow stockings. Actually, the picture was mostly her legs, but it was fairly (though not completely) apparent that it was a woman. It could have been a femboy or trans, I'm sure, but that's not the point. The point of the meme was that you were supposed to 'know' that this is a woman. And the caption said "Rainbows. Not as gay as you thought". I have to admit, that gave me pause. Because here's the thing: if rainbows are 'as gay as I thought', the implication there is that this would be a bad thing. If it's bad that rainbows are representative of gay culture, then the implication goes further to suggest that being gay is a bad thing. And that bothers me.

Now, at this point, some of you reading this may be wondering "holy shit, is Destry gay/bi?". (Although there's only 4 of you reading this and you know the answer to that lol) But those of you who truly know me know that I don't just take up a fight only if I have a dog in it. I take up fights when I know it's the right thing to do. When I know, or feel, that I might be able to affect the outcome of a fight in a positive way for those affected, and I feel that it's the right thing to do, I do it. It doesn't matter if it affects me or not. It only matters insofar as it affects my sensibilities. I'm married. To a wonderful woman. So having the right to marry a man has no effect on me. But I think allowing it is the right thing to do. I believe that people are born the way they are, be that L, G, B, T, Q or hetero. I don't believe it's a 'lifestyle choice'. It's who you are. It's decided by genetics and hormones. For some people, it's not immediately apparent, and so when they finally 'come out', their friends and family might wonder why the sudden change? Not realizing that it's not a sudden change, it's just something that the person has finally come to realize, after perhaps years or even decades of introspection. It's not always immediately clear. But genetically, it's always been there.

And it's not always cut and dried either. Recently, on another blog I follow, a trans girl posted about how she hates hearing the names Ann Coulter, or Lady Gaga, because invariably, after some time, somebody will always make the joke that 'she's a guy'. Or "She's a tranny". The term 'tranny', is of course a derisive shortening of 'transexual' or 'transgender'. But the 'joke', made by these people, is that 'she's a guy'. And this trans girl writing the blog goes on to say that she can't get over the fact that these people don't understand how insulting they're being toward her and all trans persons. Because the implication is that a girl who might have a penis is a subject for ridicule. Just that fact is what makes the joke a joke.

A few decades ago, similar 'jokes' were made using racial slurs instead of sexual slurs. They're not different. They're no less offensive, no more acceptable. I think I've reached a boiling point with this sort of thing, and I think some of my 'friends' are going to start finding themselves with one less friend on their list, as I see these things continue. It may not seem like much, but it's a small contribution to the cause of defending LGBTQ rights. We all have the right to not be ridiculed for those things about ourselves which we cannot control.

~Mahalo~

H8rs gon h8 (is that how it's said?)

So, while I'm in blogging form, what's up with the Bieber hateage? I mean, hating his music is fine, we all have different preferences, but why hate him? He hasn't done anything to deserve personal hatred. He's a kid. He's a teen pop star, and good for him. He gets death threats all the time. I've seen Facebook comments talking about castrating the poor kid. Recently, I guess Justin said that he felt he was the Kurt Cobain of his generation. In response, I've seen Facebook comments to the effect of wishing he'd take that comparison all the way and off himself. Why? What has he done that is so bad that people want to castrate him, or see him take his own life the way Cobain did? I don't care for his music, but to each their own. I don't get this level of hatred for the kid.

I was young when Michael Jackson hit the solo scene, and nobody was hating on him like this. But not everybody liked his music. Britney Spears. I can't stand her or her music. But I don't wish harm upon her. I think maybe some people need to tone things down a bit. Hate his music, even hate him if he's doing or saying things you don't like. But until he commits a heinous crime, back off on wishing him harm. Seriously. Let the poor kid live his life. I know, some people are going to take exception to the phrase 'poor kid', and say sarcastic things like "oh he's got it so hard", and talk about how much money he's worth. But seriously, no amount of money is worth having to surround yourself with bodyguards because you know there are people out there who would love to kidnap you and cut your testicles off.

And that's not to mention the effect that his level of fame can have on a person with raging hormones and a still-developing mind. His recent displays of narcissism are a direct result of the fame and fortune he experienced at such a young age. With luck, time and patient parents and handlers, he'll get over it. I just hope his marketers don't just try to milk him for all he's worth and then toss him aside.

I'm tired. It's bedtime.

~Mahalo~

B-I-G-O-T-R-Y

Those of you already following this blog have seen it. Late Monday, a Facebook 'friend' responded to a post of mine with an appalling display of bigotry, the likes of which I've not seen in some time, and would hate to see any of my LGBT friends have to endure. Yes, I do have some. In this day and age, most of us do, even the bigot in question, though he's likely unaware.

Needless to say, I've removed him from my friends list and added him to my 'blocked' list. He has the dubious distinction of being the first.

The post in question was an internet 'meme', as they're known. It was a still photo of Gene Wilder in his role as Willie Wonka. In the picture, Mr Wonka has a very patronizing smile on his face, and the caption goes on to question the claim made by some people that homosexuality is unnatural. The caption disputes this by listing many other 'unnatural' things that we happily accept, like heart surgery.

I shared this meme because I agree with the sentiment and support full equality, regardless of race, creed, ethnicity, religion, gender or gender/sexual orientation. I even have a bit of a 'dog in this fight' as i have family members who are openly gay. My 'friend', who shall now remain nameless as he doesn't deserve the attention, decided to educate us poor equality supporters. To wit: I'll have you know that Gene came from a time when gays were thrown in the gutter. I'm sure he was against homosexuals like anyone else. To put his face on a poster with a gay caption is an insult to him & to me...I'm hardly wrong & theres nothing to get over, but the fact that gays need to disappear fo r good!!!!

Now, nowhere was it claimed that Gene was gay, but regardless of the 'time' he was from, Gene is a progressively-minded man, and even if he does not support equality (which we don't know because he's never been asked) I'm sure he would not be insulted, in fact probably finds the meme funny.

My 'friend' went on to say "He was married to Gilda Radner & practically everyone hated gays back then. Shows how much you know about those times honey, if you were gay or even stuck up for gays you got the shit beaten out of you!!!! & I could care less if you don't like hearing it. Today if you want to be gay then get ready to take the flac that comes with the territory....SIMPLE!!!!!"; and "I could care less if you think I'm wrong, your just one person...remember there will ALWAYS be more against gays than with them...the nagging & the flac will never stop. Gays are too stupid to know that they've opened a BIG fucking wound that will never close..society will never let them live in peace....again SIMPLE!!!!"

More against than with? Hardly. If anything, studies have shown that society as a whole is becoming more accepting with each passing day. As for the rest of it, it sounds like something Strom Thurmond would say. About blacks or gays, take your pick. He was a KKK Grand Dragon, after all.

Anyway, this kind of bigotry really bothers me. Blogging is therapeutic. Comments?

~Mahalo~

Of Love And Circuses...

Love and War? Bread and Circuses? Ah, who cares? Love is a circus. Love is a rollercoaster. All you need is love. John Lennon, smart man, shot in the back, very sad. (Apologies to Judd Hirsch) Anyway, what am I babbling about? Valentine's Day Incorporated.

You all know what I mean. That one day of the year when if you don't do something for your partner, you must not love him/her. And if you don't have a partner, oh you poor, miserable, sad excuse for a human being. That one day of the year when you pay $150 for a restaurant meal that would normally have cost you $50. That one day of the year when you pay $60 for a dozen roses that would normally cost you $20 any other day. $40 for a $10 box of chocolates.

Why do we do it? I don't. I'm happily married over 2 years now, and we don't need to. If you ask us, it's the little things that matter the most anyway. Doing those little things for your spouse/partner on a daily basis shows them that you're constantly thinking about them, much more than a once-per-year box of chocolates will.

What did we do for Valentine's Day? Well, we acknowledged the day and said "Happy Valentine's Day" to each other, but that was about it. Aside from that, chinese takeout for dinner and playing on our computers. Romantic, huh?

~Mahalo~

And Now, An Update On My Quandary

So now that I've waxed philosophical about the Apple vs Samsung lawsuit, it's time to update my personal views, in re the quandary that I discussed in the prior blog entry.

The new keynote was a great success. The unveiling of iPhone 5 was done right. Tim Cook did a good job this time of delivering the address with his own style (albeit sometimes with too much emphasis on certain words, but he's getting there). He no longer looks like an attempt at Steve Jobs 2.0. The team has gelled since Steve's death, and Phil, Scott, Greg et al were all solidly behind Tim in this address, and each played their own parts well. The redesigned iPhone 5, in my opinion, is suitably wowing. I really like the new chassis. It retains the successful elements of the 4 chassis, while innovating that design and updating it with cleaner lines, and a beautiful surface. Johnny's team did a fantastic job with it. Rolling in an 8mp rear facing camera, 720p front facing camera, Facetime over LTE, upgrades to Siri and iOS 6 in the wings, not to mention the 2x faster Apple A6 processor and an increase in battery life, all makes for a great new model of an already great line of smartphone.

Has my quandary been solved? Mostly. In fact, it was greatly narrowed down even before the Sept 12 release of the iPhone 5. I don't trust Google. Yes I know, this blog is on a Google site. That may be changing. It may not, I'm not sure yet. Google is admittedly a front for the US gov't's data mining efforts, and I simply don't want to willingly give them that much of my personal information. My blog is one thing, as is my email. But all the information that gets stored on a smartphone these days? No. Even though I am an Alex Jones fan and viewer, I honestly do not believe that Apple participates in those data mining efforts. At least, not on behalf of the government. Steve was very anti-big government, and I really don't believe he'd have stayed on as CEO if Apple were involved in spying for Big Brother. It is true that the iPhone is capable of being used in that way, but I don't believe Apple actually does. I do however believe that Google does.

So that brought me to a choice between a Windows 8 phone or iPhone 5. Honestly, that choice is a fairly easy one. Microsoft, Steve Ballmer and Bill Gates are a part of the global elite. Would a Microsoft-branded or -powered phone mine data for the gov't and NWO? Most certainly. Again, Steve Jobs was anti- NWO, anti - Big Brother, and pro - individual privacies. And although Steve is no longer with us, I like to believe that Tim, Phil, Scott, Johnny, Greg, etc still follow Steve's ideals in that regard. I believe that the iPhone and iOS will actually allow me to protect those privacies more than its competition.

It's not just the privacy issues though, although that is a big factor in my decision making process. It's also design. The Galaxy is huge. I've played around with one at the local big box store, and it's uncomfortably huge, in my opinion and perception. As is the Nokia Lumia 920. Both sport screens of 4.5 inches or more, making the overall frame of the phone uncomfortably large. That alone tips the scale in favour of the iPhone 5, for me. Combined with the updated features of the iPhone 5, as revealed this week, I believe iPhone 5 is still the leader in this race. At least for me it is. I admit to still being a little unwowed by the New iPad's specs, as compared to the iPad 2 and iPhone 4S, but the iPhone 5 has brought me back.

I also revealed, in my first 'quandary' blog post, some thoughts and ideas about Samsung, Android, Apple, and the lawsuit. Well, some of those opinions have been modified, some still stand. One notable modification is my opinion of the lawsuit. After educating myself more on what the lawsuit was about, I'm on Apple's side.  I wish more people would educate themselves before dissenting. I don't care if your opinion still differs from mine after educating yourself, so long as you took the time to do so. I really hate it when people form an opinion without getting all the facts. I still think Samsung has some great products, by the way, and I think Samsung can provide strong competition for Apple. I think Samsung has it within the company to be able to truly innovate, not just copy, and really give consumers a good reason to be undecided. But as my opinions and understanding of Google have changed, my opinion on Android has changed as well, and not for the better.

And that's how my mind wanders. Scary, innit?

~Mahalo~

The Apple vs Samsung Lawsuit

Well, it's over. It's decided. And Apple won. The court decided to award Apple $1 billion of the $2.5 billion they were seeking in damages, too, so it's not a superficial win. It's pretty much a slam dunk. So now I get to rant. Incidentally, I just may start using YouTube for rants. But this one will be typed.

Now, I've been seeing videos and reading blogs with all sorts of arguments about this lawsuit, and a good many of them are chiding Apple for suing in the first place, or the courts for granting this judgement. One vlogger stated that Apple is stifling competition, and they used to be all about competition. Well, I disagree. In fact, I think this is promoting good and fair competition, and attempting to stifle piracy. Now before all the Galaxy/Android fanboys get all up in arms, consider the products that Apple was saying infringed upon their patents. It's not just rounded corners that's the problem. The problem is how Samsung's entire design strategy changed when Apple released the iPhone. And yes, other companies have changed their design strategy similarly, but none as aggressively as Samsung. If Samsung is to compete against Apple, then Samsung should be forced to be as innovative as Apple, not simply take Apple's own design and try to improve on it. The people who argue that the Galaxy looks nothing like the iPhone are being intentionally obtuse. It's a flat bar rectangle with rounded corners, a large screen, volume buttons on the side, and a home button at the bottom of the screen. Sure it's a bit larger, sure the back is curved, but seriously, without seeing logos, and without seeing the screen turned on, first time buyers who know nothing about them wouldn't know which is which. And I know that in the narrow world view of some people out there this may be hard to believe, but there really are people out there who know nothing about the designs of various cell phones on the market, and need to go to various stores to be educated. When they see such similar designs, it makes it difficult for each company's sales personnel to educate the consumer on the differences.

The iPad/Samsung Note 10 issue is another prime example of that. Again, Samsung fanboys don't like to hear it, but Samsung is literally riding on Apple's success and by copying it so blatantly, hoping that consumers won't know the difference, and will buy the lower priced offering. But lower price is not necessarily better price. The consumer needs to decide for themselves which OS is better suited to their needs, as well as which hardware serves them better. Again, for consumers who know nothing about these devices, the difference is hard to see when companies copy each other.

Samsung has even done the same thing with their latest offerings of laptop computers, looking very much like a MacBook Pro. Now, Apple isn't concerned about those of us who know the differences. They're concerned about those who don't. Apple really does appreciate fair competition. But copying their design so close that the uneducated consumer can't readily see the difference in hopes that they'll buy your product because it's a little lower priced is not fair competition. That's not innovation that pushes your own company, or your competition, to do better.

And let's not forget: The jury (none of whom owned Apple products) decided that certain Samsung documents requested by the court indicated quite clearly that Samsung fully intended to copy Apple in this way, and was fully aware that they may be infringing upon Apple's patents. So fanboys, your beloved Samsung is far from innocent here.

Incidentally, I saw a comment on a YouTube video stating something to the effect basically that this decision meant that Microsoft could sue Apple for copying their OS. The poster was rather young of course. Obviously not old enough to have educated him or herself on the actual OS timelines. Apple came out with the graphical OS first, not Microsoft. So going by that person's logic, this decision would mean that Apple could sue Microsoft. Now, it doesn't, of course. That would be a great stretch of the ramifications of this decision. But I just wanted to set that straight. Apple had the GUI first, not Microsoft. And in case anyone reading this thinks I'm just a diehard Apple fanboy, read my previous blog entry. You'll see that I'm currently on the fence with my loyalties. All I'm doing here is pointing out the facts of the lawsuit, which some Samsung fanboys would rather gloss over and intentionally obfuscate.

~Mahalo~

Apple? Or Samsung/Android?

I find myself in a bit of a quandary as of late. Those of you who know me will know that I am a pretty diehard Apple fan boy. I'm not exactly a card carrying member of the Church of Jobs, I don't worship everything Apple does, or Steve did. But I've owned Apple equipment since the Apple IIe. I currently have an iPhone4, a 3rd Gen iPad and a (core duo model) MacBook Pro. I'm not exclusive though, my desktop, self-built, is a Windows 7 system, and my primary laptop (because the MBP is old) is a Windows 7 Samsung. So I'm not one of those fanboys who uses only one in exclusion of all else. I'm also a big fan of Linux-based Operating Systems, and have watched Android's progress with great interest.

But come we here to the aforementioned quandary. I'm disappointed in Apple. There, I said it. Tim Cook has not been wowing me like Steve Jobs did. The 3rd gen iPad was released to very little fanfare and lack lustre reviews. I'll grant the display upgrade was phenomenal, and a dual core processor was a nice boost. But how about the camera(s)? 5Mp is nothing to sneeze at, but when the competition is using 8Mp cameras, it leaves the consumer a little wanting. Even the iPhone 4S has an 8Mp iSight camera, so why doesn't the iPad? Yes I know, it's still 1080p. I know, it sports Bluetooth 4.0, 802.11 a/b/g/n, and 4G LTE. I know. But they hardly even tried to wow us with its release. And honestly, Tim looked like an attempt at Steve Jobs 2.0 as he delivered the keynote address. I'm sorry, but he needs his own style. 

But ok, the iPad isn't my biggest gripe. My biggest gripe is the lawsuit. These Samsung lawsuits are already ruining Apple's public image. Apple wants to make the statement not to mess with them. Not to steal from them. (Whether or not Samsung *did* steal anything from Apple is a topic for a totally separate debate.) But that's not the message they're putting out there. The message the public is seeing is that Apple fears Samsung. Apple fears Samsung's innovation. The public is seeing Apple saying "Samsung's products are just like ours but less expensive." Now of course, that's not what Apple *wants* to say. But it is what the public is seeing. 

And to be totally honest, Samsung's products are becoming as good as Apple's, and are indeed less expensive. There was a day when I'd have backed Apple's refutation, and their rebuttal that their products cost more because of the higher cost of manufacturing such high quality products and designs. And I don't know, maybe this is a case where Apple spend millions on R&D to come up with these great manufacturing processes, and along comes Samsung and follows those same processes, but because they didn't have to spend the millions on R&D, they can sell it to the consumer for less. Maybe, I don't know. But even if that's the case, it's time for Apple to stop trying to recoup the R&D money. They have to stay competitive, especially if they're going to survive Steve's death. And maybe that means they have to stop trying to recoup that money, and instead, price their products more at par with their competitors.

Has anyone reading this really looked at Samsung's latest offerings? Their hardware is really, really good. And paired with Android 4.0 ICS, they have a really good platform. Steve once commented on how the reason why he didn't think Android would be as successful in the developer marketplace, and therefore in the consumer marketplace, was because it was Linux-based, and therefore inherently insecure. Not meaning that the Linux kernel was insecure, but that the Open Source model is insecure, because if anybody can write code for it, anybody can break it too. I thought he may have been right at the time. But Android has come a long way since then, and I haven't heard of any significant security issues or exploits.

So, to the specifics of my quandary. With my cellular providor, I have the "new every 2" option, meaning every 2 years, I can upgrade to a new phone and extend my existing contract, as though I were a totally new customer. That 2 year mark will arrive in January 2013, and I'm faced with the choice of upgrading to an iPhone 5 (which is supposed to be coming out around October of 2012), or totally switching and picking up a Samsung/Android phone. If the latter, I would also likely sell my iPad and pick up a Samsung Note 10.1. 

I'm going to wait and see if Mr Cook manages to wow me in October. What are your views? And please, let's keep the Apple or Android bashing to a minimum. I'm looking for reasoned input, not inflexible and often untrue dogma. Comments of the latter variety will be removed. This blog is not a democracy, it's a totalitarian dictatorship. :)

~Mahalo~