We’ve all been there – busy. Remember those days you’ve had with boatloads of tasks to accomplish and things to say and do. After thirty plus years, I’ve only just finally started to keep a list of things that I need to get done, both at work and at home. I used to believe that I could keep track in my head – and while I might have had a seventy-five percent success rate in doing so, that’s not nearly as good as my ninety-five percent success rate when armed with a list.
I know that in Anna and I’s cases, we’ve had important things to do – and in order to remember, we’ve both written on our hands to “call someone” or “pay bill” or something along those lines. I would imagine that roughly half the people in the world have ever done that – there’s obviously no way to measure how many people do it, but given the simplicity of writing a quick note on your hand, and the urgency of tasks that people have to do – is it that hard to believe?
Now, for an awkward transition: I think it’s a good thing that our administration is the most internet & communication saavy we’ve had. I think by default, every new administration will be the most internet & communications saavy – but right now, this is what we’ve got. However, this transition into using the internet effectively as a ruling administration is a bit tricky.
What they need to learn is that there is a huge difference between what fires up real people, and what fires up internet people. Real people get mad when they can or can’t have things. Real people get mad when they feel like they’re talked down to, or made to feel insignificant. Real people get mad when they have to pay for things they don’t want to pay for.
Internet people? The above also applies to internet people, as does so much more. They get mad. Not necessarily at anything in particular – but they get fired up and vitriolic about just about everything. Even things that have no effect on them whatsoever. Internet people want robots and free money and unlimited kittens, as well as giant sharks and the abolishment of the internet. Internet people can take insignificant events and turn them – internet wide, into giant, hulking things of importance.
This morning, on our local news, I saw a segment showing that the White House Press Secretary wrote something on his hand. Apparently this was a jab at Sarah Palin, who over the weekend, delivered a speech or something and had notes on her hand. OK.
Now, I like to think I’m a unique citizen, in that every once in a while when I’m motivated, I like to figure out why things happen. So I wanted to check up on this apparent jab and see what the deal was. My analysis is as follows: some people that are politically opposed to the administration got together and had a nice little party. Some people on the internet – and even some news media – covered it. The main message that came out of this little party was that, Lord save us, Sarah Palin wrote notes on her hand! The internets were all aflutter about how dumb this lady was, and how trite, and how silly, and O-M-F-G!
Enter the White House Internet Team – cape aflutter. We must make fun of this potential political opponent, who is obviously very silly because internet people that agree with our politics think so. Real people had no idea it even happened, and wouldn’t have until the White House’s joke.
With politics aside, I interpret this as – the administration just made fun of anybody who has ever written a note on their hand. Because really – that’s the only, um, offense that the lady made, other than not agreeing with their politics. Basically, an inconsequential speech by a potential opponent, which got very little press coverage and attention – now will get more attention, because the White House felt it needed to make fun of a lady who had written notes on her hand.
If the White House hadn’t done that – nobody ever would have known or cared, other than people who already know and care. So, they’ve gotten a laugh from the people who already agreed with them, and possibly alienated a bunch of other independent voters, or people who don’t drink from the font of their political party’s kool-aid.
Of course, the right did make fun of Obama for this. Is that better or worse than writing notes on your hand?
