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November 18, 2004
Absurd stock photography of the day
Posted by gene_wood at 12:33 PM | Comments (3)
November 11, 2004
I'm a total asshole and I can't stop
I received an email forward today (big news huh?) from a friend, and replied to him about it. I don't know how to stop being a dick and manifest just a hint of social decorum. You'll want to skip down to the forward first to have some perspective on the how and why of me being a dick.
Hey ****, I'll bite,
Ya, I'm offended by this. I think the only thing worse than horrible things, are when people take action against those horrible things which causes them to feel like they're doing something but doesn't accomplish anything. When this happens (like when people forward emails around that are supposed to end up at president@whitehouse.gov) they feel like they're doing their part, are less inclined to do something that would *actually* affect change, and we are all thereby worse off than if the email forward had never gone around.
This is the primary vector through which email forwards function. Someone recieves an email forward, regarding this kind of thing, or a good luck chain letter or whatever, and they forward it on because "It's easy to do, and it might help". The problem is that everyone is working under this pretense, so you end up with a totally dysfunctional (though memetically sound) social aberration occurring, these viral forwards.
The reason I disagree with this is that I believe that the total cost of email forwards like this (aggregate time, network costs, and lulled-into-a-sense-of-having-done-one's-partedness) far outweigh the infinitesimally small benefit of the chance that a staffer at the whitehouse is going to read these emails, make a recommendation to the president, who would then reverse his action and realize that unlike every other policy which has a bunch of people in opposition to it this one is different because of an email forward.
So I don't mean to be harsh, I just thought I'd answer your question about if I was offended or not and request my commensurate smacking-around.
-Gene
> Folks-- > I don't usually do the forwarding thing as I find it annoying and petty, but > the events of the last week have made me keep my ear closer to the ground than > usual. Please read this--if me forwarding this offended you in any way, let > me know so I can smack you around a little. > >> >> >> Dear friends, >> President Bush has announced his intention to appoint Dr. W. David >> Hager >> tohead up the Food and Drug Administration's (FDA) Reproductive Health >> Drugs >> Advisory Committee. This committee has not met for more than two years, >> during which time its charter lapsed. As a result, the Bush >> Administration >> is tasked with filling all eleven positions with new members. This >> position >> does not require Congressional approval. >> >> The FDA's Reproductive Health Drugs Advisory Committee makes crucial >> decisions on matters re-lating to drugs used in the practice of >> obstetrics, >> gynecology and related specialties, including hormone therapy, >> contraception, treatment >> for infertility, and medical alternatives to surgical procedures for >> sterilization and pregnancy termination. >> >> Dr. Hager is the author of "As Jesus Cared for Women: Restoring Women >> Then >> and Now." The book blends biblical >> accounts of Christ healing women with case studies from Hager's >> practice. >> His views of health care are far outside the mainstream for >> reproductive >> technology and modern gynecological practice. Dr. Hager is a practicing >> OB/GYN who describes himself as "pro-life" and refuses to prescribe >> contraceptives to unmarried women. In the book Dr. Hager wrote with his >> wife, entitled "Stress and the Woman's Body," he suggests that women >> who >> suffer from premenstrual syndrome should seek help from reading the >> Bible >> and praying. As an editor and contributing author of "The Reproduction >> Revolu-tion: A Christian Appraisal of Sexuality Reproductive >> Technologies >> and the Family," Dr. Hager appears to have endorsed the medically >> inaccurate assertion that the common birth control pill is an >> abortifacient >> (causes abortion). >> >> We are concerned that Dr. Hager's strong religious >> beliefs maycolor his assessment of technologies that are necessary to >> protect women's lives or to preserve and promote women's health. Dr. >> Hager's >> track record of using religious beliefs to guide his medical >> decision-making >> makes him a dangerous and inappropriate candidate to serve as chair of >> this >> committee. >> >> Critical drug public policy and research must not be held hostage >> by anti-abortion politics. Members of this important panel should be >> appointed on the basis of science and medicine, rather than politics >> and >> religion. American women deserve no less. >> There is something you can do. Below is a letter to be sent to the >> White >> House, opposing the placement of Hager. Please copy all the text of >> this >> message and paste it into a fresh email; then sign your name below >> and >> SEND THIS TO EVERY PERSON YOU KNOW >> WHO IS CONCERNED ABOUT WOMEN'S RIGHTS. >> Every 100th person, please forward e-mail to: >> >president@whitehouse.gov >> I oppose the appointment of Dr. W. David Hager to the FDA >> Reproductive Health Drugs Advisory Committee. >> >> Mixing religion and medicine is unacceptable in a policy-making >> position. >> >> Using the FDA to promote a political agenda is inappropriate and >> seriously threatens women's health. Members of this important panel >> should >> be appointed on the basis of science and medicine, rather than politics >> and >> religion. American women deserve no less. >> *************************************************** >> >>1. Carl Burns, New York City BIG LIST OF NAMES CONTINUES DOWN HERE.
So thanks Carl Burns of New York, for making me make an ass of myself to my friends.
Posted by gene_wood at 09:34 AM | Comments (12)