No matter how mature you are, no matter how much you value feedback, no matter who you are or how much you know, nobody likes to accept blame.
This is what made the Bush years so revolutionary — when the state of the world got so daft people started crashing airplanes into buildings, the only blame we were asked to accept was for not spoiling ourselves enough.
At about that time, Bill Maher released his book, “When you ride alone, you ride with Bin Laden.” In it he bemoaned the fact that for the first time in 60 years the indolent self-absorbed culture that produced Brittany Spears and Paris Hilton actually asked what they could do for their country.
What could have been an American renaissance became a Romanesque orgy or consumption. Gas prices rose, poor countries began making fun of us, then loaning us money. We started a ludicrous war and killed hundreds of thousands of innocent people.
When those planes hit those buildings, I was in Japan, watching it live. The only thing keeping me from falling right back into the insanity I had left in Hawaii was my job at Alaska Airlines. I had no idea what was happening in my country or the world at large, but one thing was clear — my career was about to take a turn.
I’ve come a long way in the intervening years, transforming myself from a hispanic blue collar union cog to an arrogant rich white elitist wanker. (Note to people in the habit of telling me who I am — I am Japanese.)
In that time I came to resent the people I blamed for the world I lived in. I had no kind words for President Bush or his administration, nor the “red state” religious zealots who put them there. They became the cause of everything wrong in the world, and I wanted nothing more than to smash the headlights of every SUV in every Wal*Mart parking lot in the world.
Then I met a man who just didn’t tolerate crap. What he told me was hard to hear, and to his credit, hard to say. He told me I was full of crap. He told me that there was no such people as “them.” The people in red states are the same as people in blue states.
We might differ in some fundamental ways, but not in as many ways as we’re the same. Talk to people, he said, and you’ll find that you like them and they like you. We’re meant to be social, and our happiness, to say nothing of our health, depends on our being nice to each other.
But then, if they’re cool, who’s to blame? That was the hardest part of the whole thing — it turns out, I’m to blame. Don’t feel too superior about that — you’re just as bad. We all are.
“You are the change you’ve been looking for.” That simple idea is one of the most profound things I’ve ever heard. At the end of the day, nobody is going to be your hero. Nobody is going to rescue you. Nobody is going to do anything for you, not so you can rely on.
The first thing we need to do is get over ourselves enough to admit that America isn’t the best country in the world just because we say so. We need to admit that we — all of us — are lazy, spoiled, and willfully ignorant — at least some of the time. Then we need to have the intelligence to come up with a plan, and the discipline to follow that plan.
This is common sense. It’s what we founded this country on, then steadily proceeded to lose for most of our history. The time has come for Americans to meet their neighbors, not as masters or competitors, but as servants, and as friends. It’s time for us to ask what we can do for each other, because when we stop to think about it, that’s the kind of world we want to live in.
So after I had already committed myself to an insane schedule to get United Lemur running and funded, Raven Zachary, my chief rival for the title of “Mr. iPhone,” told me he had a project I was just going to love. Understand, I’ve had a lot of people tell me this lately, and was not expecting to be impressed.
When he told me the project was an official iPhone app for Barack Obama, I knew my priorities had just shifted. Understand that I have everything riding on October 9th. My 401(k)? My AAPL stock? None of these things exist any more. There is only October 9th.
But come on, Sarah Palin? All jokes aside, the very idea of the application is an indictment on my own life. I know lots of people who aren’t going to vote for Barack Obama, or at all. Some of these people are beyond help, but most of them just don’t get it. They don’t get that Barack Obama is not just another politician making us promises that he’ll fix everything.
Quite the opposite! Barack Obama is an experienced and charismatic leader who has dedicated his life to helping people who are motivated to help themselves. He’s exactly the kind of person I want to be. His particular skill is politics and mine is engineering, but we both know what the internet is.
Wouldn’t that be great in a president? Wouldn’t it be worth going through the trouble of voting, something you know good and well is your civic duty as a citizen? In fact, wouldn’t it be worth calling some friends to talk about? Hey, who are you voting for? Nader? Why? Wouldn’t it be great to have a president who knows what the internet is? Yeah, exactly. Vote Obama.
And if you just so happened to be some kind of expert at human interaction and halfway decent at writing software, would it be worth writing an iPhone application to help people talk to their friends about why Barack Obama is not a man — he’s a movement.
Barack Obama is the idea that it’s time to cut the crap. It’s time to stop acting offended, to get out of the suburbs, and to make this world the kind of world we want for ourselves and our children. United Lemur is part of that movement, but Barack Obama is bigger than United Lemur.
So I did what I always do — what has to be done. Obama ‘08 — available now on the iTunes App Store. As for whether I still manage to get Mary Ann out the door on the 9th, I suppose we’ll have to wait for the 9th.
Oh, as an addendum, there are some people out there who still don’t grok that everything I do is a team effort, but that on my blog I tend to talk about things as they pertain specifically to me. Just so we’re clear, let me crib from team leader Raven Zachary’s blog:
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Raven Zachary (Project Director)
Jason Grigsby (Project Manager)
Jonathan Wight (Lead iPhone Development)
Lyza Gardner (Server Development, Design)
Aileen Jeffries (Design)
John Keith (Server Development)
Dom Sagolla (QA, Community Development)
Mike Lee (iPhone Development, UI)
Louie Mantia (Design)
Tristan O’Tierney (iPhone Development)
The views expressed in this blog are my own and do not represent Barack Obama, his campaign, the Obama ‘08 team, or anything of major importance. You’ d do well to just forget the whole business.
Addenda 
Steven Fisher
First, up front: I’m not a US citizen. If I was, I’d be voting for Obama, but I’m not.
Barack Obama is not a movement. Obama is not an idea. Obama is a man. Has a man ever fully lived up to your expectations? No? Then why is everyone so sure this time will be different, that this man is not a man?
The hope here is for the least possible amount of crap. The hope is for less crap than ever before. Far less crap. But if you hope for no crap at all, you’re going to end up disappointed, because everyone craps.
But when the crap happens? Don’t tolerate it. Don’t react with passivity and grumbling. Do something. Don’t talk about it. Don’t be passive. Act. Be the change. Hope for others to be the change, too, but regardless don’t let go of it yourself.
First, up front: I’m not a US citizen. If I was, I’d be voting for Obama, but I’m not.
Barack Obama is not a movement. Obama is not an idea. Obama is a man. Has a man ever fully lived up to your expectations? No? Then why is everyone so sure this time will be different, that this man is not a man?
The hope here is for the least possible amount of crap. The hope is for less crap than ever before. Far less crap. But if you hope for no crap at all, you’re going to end up disappointed, because everyone craps.
But when the crap happens? Don’t tolerate it. Don’t react with passivity and grumbling. Do something. Don’t talk about it. Don’t be passive. Act. Be the change. Hope for others to be the change, too, but regardless don’t let go of it yourself.
Brent Royal-Gordon
I’m not an Obama supporter; I can’t vote anything but my conscience, and while Obama’s probably better than McCain, I disagree with him on a lot of points. (But I expect he’ll win by a landslide anyway--McCain’s campaign is looking like a slow-motion train wreck.)
But I *am* a fellow iPhone developer, and from that perspective I’d like to congratulate you and your collaborators on a stunning app. From visual design (where Obama is *always* strong, much to his credit) to feature set to social features, this looks brilliant in every way. You guys deserve a victory party for this sort of effort.
I’m not an Obama supporter; I can’t vote anything but my conscience, and while Obama’s probably better than McCain, I disagree with him on a lot of points. (But I expect he’ll win by a landslide anyway--McCain’s campaign is looking like a slow-motion train wreck.)
But I *am* a fellow iPhone developer, and from that perspective I’d like to congratulate you and your collaborators on a stunning app. From visual design (where Obama is *always* strong, much to his credit) to feature set to social features, this looks brilliant in every way. You guys deserve a victory party for this sort of effort.
Mike Lee
The reason Barack Obama is a movement is because when Barack Obama the man fails to meet every little expectation, we will know that the underlying ideals are sound and should be fought for. These are the ideals we fight for, more than the man himself.
As an aside, I have to run out the door, but when I get back, I will update this entry with full application credits and linkage. This was, after all, a massive team effort.
The reason Barack Obama is a movement is because when Barack Obama the man fails to meet every little expectation, we will know that the underlying ideals are sound and should be fought for. These are the ideals we fight for, more than the man himself.
As an aside, I have to run out the door, but when I get back, I will update this entry with full application credits and linkage. This was, after all, a massive team effort.
Presumptive Lemur
“So I did what I always do — what has to be done. Obama ‘08 — available now on the iTunes App Store.”
Let’s try not to forget this was a team effort, eh?
“So I did what I always do — what has to be done. Obama ‘08 — available now on the iTunes App Store.”
Let’s try not to forget this was a team effort, eh?
Mike Lee
See, I would never forget that. If you think I’ve ever forgotten that, you don’t know the first thing about me. See also, the comment before yours.
See, I would never forget that. If you think I’ve ever forgotten that, you don’t know the first thing about me. See also, the comment before yours.
flydadfly
well put...
well put...
Chuck Burt
While I’m not a fan of his positions on a great many things, he is pragmatic and stands the best chance of actually getting some things accomplished while in office. There is something to be said for that.
Great work on the app!
While I’m not a fan of his positions on a great many things, he is pragmatic and stands the best chance of actually getting some things accomplished while in office. There is something to be said for that.
Great work on the app!
Raavi
I’m not a US citizen either, but wish I could vote, as my country seems to operate as a subservient proxy of America - your President is essentially mine too.
But one simple test that every American can apply when entering the polling booth come election day that could easily ensure your future President or Vice-President is the right choice is by answering the following question:
Can my choice of candidate correctly pronounce the term “Nuclear”? If there is anything that has ever emitted from my candidates’ lips that in any way resembles “Nuke-ular” then I must alter my vote.
Obviously, I’m just joking, but my cynicism/pessimism precludes an intelligent leader coming to power in a country that has just endured 8 years of categorical, undeniable failure and is still even considering the Republicans a viable option.
I’m not a US citizen either, but wish I could vote, as my country seems to operate as a subservient proxy of America - your President is essentially mine too.
But one simple test that every American can apply when entering the polling booth come election day that could easily ensure your future President or Vice-President is the right choice is by answering the following question:
Can my choice of candidate correctly pronounce the term “Nuclear”? If there is anything that has ever emitted from my candidates’ lips that in any way resembles “Nuke-ular” then I must alter my vote.
Obviously, I’m just joking, but my cynicism/pessimism precludes an intelligent leader coming to power in a country that has just endured 8 years of categorical, undeniable failure and is still even considering the Republicans a viable option.
Random Lemur
Eep!
Eep!
Andre
I hope you are right about Obama.
I will be in JP, and can’t vote myself, but maybe I can still make a difference. Good luck to you, and see ya on the “other side.”
Peace.
I hope you are right about Obama.
I will be in JP, and can’t vote myself, but maybe I can still make a difference. Good luck to you, and see ya on the “other side.”
Peace.
Random Douchebag
Reading Mike’s endless praises of himself is just something you have to get used to if you read his site. He’s absolutely right - this page really is all about him. If you don’t like it, don’t read it.
Sure he always “thanks” his “co-stars” (eventually), but it’s really all about him. Read back to the entry where “his” app Tap Tap Revenge was featured by Apple. Um...yeah. Everyone knows who created TTR.
One thing I really enjoy is his need to constantly give himself titles/nicknames. “World’s Toughest Programmer” is now also “Mr. iPhone”. Might I also suggest “Most Vulnerable to Humidity”?
Eep indeed.
Reading Mike’s endless praises of himself is just something you have to get used to if you read his site. He’s absolutely right - this page really is all about him. If you don’t like it, don’t read it.
Sure he always “thanks” his “co-stars” (eventually), but it’s really all about him. Read back to the entry where “his” app Tap Tap Revenge was featured by Apple. Um...yeah. Everyone knows who created TTR.
One thing I really enjoy is his need to constantly give himself titles/nicknames. “World’s Toughest Programmer” is now also “Mr. iPhone”. Might I also suggest “Most Vulnerable to Humidity”?
Eep indeed.
Mike Lee
Those who can, try. Those who can’t post anonymous comments on people’s blogs lambasting them for arrogance over obvious jokes, dismissing any attempt to give hard working people their due, and defending someone who is neither under attack, nor interested in your attacks on his friend and former boss.
Those who can, try. Those who can’t post anonymous comments on people’s blogs lambasting them for arrogance over obvious jokes, dismissing any attempt to give hard working people their due, and defending someone who is neither under attack, nor interested in your attacks on his friend and former boss.
I hope you never have a stoke. If everyone were like you, they’d just make jokes about your facial expression and give themselves high fives while you died as meaninglessly as you lived, a pathetic ass hat.
A.P.W.B.D.
Good grief, what is with this bizarre Mike-bashing? Is there anything wrong with a guy being proud of something he did? It’s not like he falsely claimed the work was solely his in a submission for an award or something. He was just talking about his involvement from his perspective on his personal blog. I think it’s very cool to see somebody actually try to make the world a better place. No reason to hate on that (even if I am a dreaded libertarian).
Don’t let the douchebags get you down, Mike. I’d hate for anonymous comment brats to make you stop wanting to share your ideas.
Good grief, what is with this bizarre Mike-bashing? Is there anything wrong with a guy being proud of something he did? It’s not like he falsely claimed the work was solely his in a submission for an award or something. He was just talking about his involvement from his perspective on his personal blog. I think it’s very cool to see somebody actually try to make the world a better place. No reason to hate on that (even if I am a dreaded libertarian).
Don’t let the douchebags get you down, Mike. I’d hate for anonymous comment brats to make you stop wanting to share your ideas.
So I did what I always do — what has to be done. Obama ‘08 — available now on the iTunes App Store.
Thursday, October 2, 2008
Mea Culpa
