Rough Draft

Prologue:

Was supposed to do some music thing for my local paper...  lost focus after a wonderful fall weekend in the Northeast.  Pumpkin picking with all of Brooklyn.  Hikes in National Parks.  Overseeing lemonade stands on my front yard.  Raking leaves under the bluest skies.  Jersey bagels for breakfast.  Playoff baseball and football on the tv.  Quaint street fairs in historic towns.  The best of seasons and it isn't close.  Anyway the music thing did not happen.  I guess I can get to that sometime this week, unless it was due today.  I will look into that.  For the moment I would love some feedback on what I did start.

And I think Tuesday or Wednesday I would like to devote a few hours to the movement in NYC.  Anyone want to join?  I mean it.

And also, if anyone wants to guest blog I strongly WELCOME IT!!!  Become a fan on Facebook: Guide To Somewhere http://www.facebook.com/pages/Guide-to-Somewhere/138984679520649 Follow me on Twitter:  @Suburbandad23  Anyway this is what I wrote for better or worse.  Carry on.

I was trying to think if someone’s death was more significant in my life than that of Steve Jobs.  John Lennon was 1980 but I was merely 8.  I have been witness to President’s dying and certain other celebrities untimely passing.  I guess Kurt Cobain was big.  Princess Diana.  Michael Jackson.

Not all that surprising and although noteworthy, not as economical or politically important.  You will get no argument from me on artistic merit and/or philanthropic work.  Mr Jobs passing might be a symbolic end to a time soon forgotten.

The Monarcy will live on.  Pop music stands strong today.  And as I have been telling you Alt music is fine too, thank you very much.  Should Caleb Followill (of Kings of Leon) marry a train wreck and die early I will not be surprised.  If Lady Gaga is being administered Propofol to get herself to sleep in 20 years I can be found in the “Not shocked” category.  And believe me, if Princess Kate is being hounded by paparazzi in a tunnel with some Saudi prince in the not so distant future…  you get the rest.

Jobs’ passing seems more unpredictable.  If only because I wonder, who now will wear the black turtleneck?  Where will our next tech innovation come from?  Do we have someone in Silicon Valley who will be our next savior?

Cause I don’t know what the hell we do here anymore? 

Our banks have steered us into a mountain of bad debt.  Those people who we trust to handle our investments have also failed us.  We stopped making products for other humans to purchase.  We are a nation of customer service workers who fail to serve customers.

But we like to buy stuff.  Really cool stuff.  We like paying too much for it and going out and getting the newest one when it comes out.  We like buying dvds and songs on Itunes.  We like Youtube videos and social networking at a moment’s notice.  We crave something viral and search out the nauseating.

All these events require devices.  Steve Jobs and his team at Apple made some super cool ones.  Folks lined up to buy them.  Slowly buy surely our economy grew a bit.  People were excited by Jobs had to offer.  Jobs in turn created jobs.  Hard to get good figures but 50,000 employees and about $64 billion in profits last year. 

I heard someone mention our own Thomas Edison when speaking of Jobs.  A stretch I thought at first.

For a minute it struck me though.  Should we keep losing the tech wars, and alternate fuel wars, and war wars…  will we fall further behind?  The joke from the left and Tea Party early on was “Who cares about the tiny Occupy Wall Street” movement?”  Then dozens of people became thousands.  Thousands might turn bigger.  The 99% senses danger and understands there is strength in numbers.  The revolution was televised in places like Cairo and Tripoli.   

I am very intrigued by the ground swell and passion but there needs to be some clarity.  There has to be an end game.  Several points need to be addressed.

1) Get a better name.  Wall St is still trying to re-define itself.  Do you really want to “Occupy” it?   And when you do “occupy” it what do you suppose we do?  I really want to know.  Lower interest rates?  Tear up all existing mortgages and start over?  How do we put more money in the economy?  Everyone gets a $500 Wal_Mart giftcard?  I get that we have all suffered but what do you all propose we do???

2) We are going to need a spokesperson.  OK maybe 2 depending on how far this thing gets.  One voice.  One vision.  Guess you gotta real nail point #1 to achieve that.  You have work to do.

3) Get focused.  If you are really want to call attention to banks go to the banks.  The traders at Wall St are hard working and really not the problem.  Go to Bank of America Headquarters.  Or AIG.  Fannie and Freddie.  The US Treasury.  City Hall or State Capital.  Worked in Madison, Wisconsin in the dead of a Flatlander Winter, didn’t it??