Happy Birthday Macintosh!

Can you believe it? Today we celebrate the 25th birthday of the Macintosh. My first computer experience was on a "Fat" Mac in 1986. The first Mac I wanted to buy was the Macintosh SE/30. The Mac I finally bought and joyfully use is a MacBook Pro. In my way of celebrating the birthday of a revolution, and an expression of appreciation, I offer below an article I wrote (and tried to publish) in the early 90s. Happy birthday Mac! Thanks for the ride.

"As the countdown continues for the long awaited release of Windows 95, Apple continues its pursuit of peaceful co-existence. Talk of a PowerPC that will run Windows and Mac software on the same platform fills on-line message boards and magazines. I guess the IBM vs. Mac war is over. It now has become the Mac vs. Microsoft war and Apple has entered into some strange alliances to do battle with the Redmond giant.

"What has happened to the Apple that I grew up with? Should they settle for this peaceful co-existence as if accepting an inevitable truth? 'Our machines will run Windows better than IBM machines and we will throw in Mac software running under System 7.5 as a bonus!' The world has fled a long ways from the Mac world that I remember—a day when the letters IBM stood for 'I’ll buy Mac!' Oh, how the Mac-patriots rallied!

"It was 1986 and I was beginning post-graduate work at Utah State University. I received my first introduction to Macintosh. It was a desktop publishing seminar and I was in computer heaven. I cut my teeth on a Mac and then was weaned from it in a matter of a year. I eventually gave in to the reality of being employed in an IBM world and succumbed to the DOS disease and nearly died. I watched the Mac from a distance. I loved its revolution. I loved its daring philosophy. I loved its appeal. I loved the fight with the IBM enemy. But I owned an IBM clone.

"Now, all these years later, my IBM looks more and more like a Mac with each passing day. Yet, I know that it will never be the same. Windows brought ease of use to a whole generation of users who once upon a time argued for DOS. Now they feel as though they are part of a revolution and a daring philosophy. It’s a mind game; a facade. The revolution is over. It came and left almost unnoticed by the lion share of computer users around the world. There are those now who enjoy WYSIWYG (what you see is what you get) and wonder how they lived without it; others marvel at the promise of plug-n-play and dream about adding a modem without the worry of proper IRQ’s, etc.; still others salivate as they ponder the articles regarding Windows 95 Explorer that will free them from Program Manager’s constraints; others consider the joy of making up titles for files that actually represent what is in it rather than some eight character cryptic code that looks like a foreign language when they scroll through their files. Yet, at the true revolution, the Mac revolution, all of these things already brought joy and peace to Mac-patriots.

"Is it true then that since Apple has been dealt the deaf ear by so many for so long, that the war is over? Should they raise the white flag and concede the victory to Microsoft? To many, that is what peaceful co-existence appears to be. Maybe Apple could still keep a place in history as a trailblazer while Microsoft builds the cities. If there is any truth to this image, sadly, people will flock to the urban areas for work. Once again, Mac will be left out in the cold.

"I don’t say that it’s fair nor does it mean that the best man wins. It may come down to the simple fact that the DOS world won the 'it makes sense' war. With all the marvelous things that the Mac environment brought, business only wanted to crunch numbers and novices only wanted to type letters. They never took notice of the special features that made the Mac different.

"Besides it made dollar sense. Mac’s appeared pricey because its specialties weren’t noticed as necessary. As people became aware of computer talk and techno-jabber and once again looked at that other machine they would notice some startling differences. They would see a 68040/33 with a 170 meg HD and one 3.5@ disk drive and go goo-goo eyed over a 486/33 with a 420 meg HD and two disk drives to boot! What gives! Who’d buy a Mac? Who can afford one? They’d never realize for example that you can fit a lot more Mac programs on its hard drive because of code variances. They’d fall for the 'it makes sense' ideology once again. 'Besides, I have Windows now.'

"Yes, that’s it. 'We have Windows now.' It all seems like a betrayal to me. The great coup! The Mac revolution may have seen its final days. Or has it? Time will give us the answer. In the mean time, Apple needs to send out its disciples once again, declaring the doctrine of first cause. 'Why get a clone when you can have the original?' Then Apple needs to back it with an even better pricing structure. It may mean some lean times but that is the nature of the beast these days. Capture the hearts of patriots. Win the battle for the home and patriots will want to work in that environment at the office. Only don’t delay. Start another revolution by capturing people’s imagination. Win the war of ideas. And when they look this time make sure that 'it makes sense.' Remember, there is no revolution in peaceful co-existence.”

"There's No Place Like This Home"

We recently had our son and his family spend a week with us. My son is in his last year of law school in Nebraska and had come for some potential job interviews. It was a great week to have him, his wife, and three kids with us. We don't see them that often. So when the week ended, it was hard to watch them drive away.

Since it is a long drive home we naturally worried about them. We called every so often to check on their progress. After they got home, I asked my son if his kids were glad to be home. He said as soon as they arrived, the two oldest jumped out of the car and ran to the front door of the apartment complex. Once inside, he said he found his 4 year old son excitedly hugging his bedroom wall. Now, if that isn't happy to be home, what is?

Isn't that the way it is? Like Dorothy declared in the Wizard of Oz: "there's no place like home." And so there isn't. I suppose that most of us are like that. We have a place we call home and prefer to be there. It is the place we are most comfortable; the place where our best memories have a life of their own. There is no place we'd rather be for the holidays.

In some ways that's how I feel about my country. I'm comfortable with its beginnings and history. I love its institutions and ideals. All are created equal and have access to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. It just feels like home. In fact there's no place like this home.

Sadly, like so many homes of the past, this home is being sold for a price. New owners are threatening to move the furniture, change the carpet, and paint the walls. It won't be long and it won't feel like home anymore. From the Whitehouse to Wall Street to Main Street, the storm clouds on the horizon portend an Ozian twister that will sweep us to a place that cannot really exist in a constitutional world. I hope that there will be masses of basicguys like me longing for Kansas because "there's no place like this home."

America's Hope or Last Breath

I was a little surprised recently to find out that their are those in this country who believe that Western civilization as we know it is nearly on life-support (for example, see Pat Buchanan's "The Death of the West"). Since I'm a fully vested Western civilization person (actually a 4th generation Norwegian American), I must admit, the premise caught my eye. I kind of like our Western civilization. I know it has its flaws, but I'd take it over other offerings around the globe.

Now one of the main insights by those who warn us about our lifeless Western civilization, is population demographic numbers. I have to admit, the numbers are very disconcerting. However, there is one bright spot in the midst of all the gloomy news. That is Ben Steyn's "America Alone." According to Steyn's numbers, the United States still produces enough children per couple to replace our society. The news isn't so good for any of the other countries considered part of Western civilization. They are slowly dying.

Sadly, America isn't fairing all that much better, but at least we are still on the positive side of the ledger. Along with having fewer children, smaller families, what makes things worse for the propagation of American civilization is the 1,000,000 plus abortions that take place each year. If we continue on this path, America, the last gasping breath of Western civilization, will die and disappear into the fabric of some other social order.
Are we willing to listen to reason? If so,

First, let's keep America (indeed Western civilization) alive by holding fast to the ideas and institutions that have made this country free and great for over 200 years. That will be a challenge because there are people arguing for and promoting different ideas and institutions that contribute more to the demise of America than its life.

Second, let's get excited about family again. The traditional family is the best suited option for propagating our species and nation; the larger the family, the better. Now I do realize that there are some legitimate restraints for capping family sizes. Some can have more than others. But if we would all have as many as we are able to under our separate circumstances, America will live on and even get up from its bed of affliction.

Finally, we need a sane approach to abortion. There are way too many frivolous abortions in this country and throughout the world. There are those who say that most Americans support abortion (or a woman's right to choose). That's just nonsense. Fortunately, the US Conference of Catholic Bishops recently commissioned a study (which surveyed a cross section of American society) on the matter. Deirdre McQuade, assistant director of the study said:

"Four out of five American adults -- 82 percent -- think abortion should be either illegal under all circumstances or with limited legality, and only nine percent said that abortion should be legal for any reason at any time during pregnancy."

Well, there you have it. That's my take on saving Western civilization. Now, I know I'm only a basicguy, but being a father of five and a grandfather of four (# five is due any day now), I think I can speak from a position of knowledge and experience. My family loves our Western culture, and especially this great country we live in. I'd hope that all similar loving folk respond before America's last breath.

One Bad Apple

A few months ago, eating an apple during a lunch-time walk, I bit into an area that immediately tasted bitter. As you might expect, I quit chewing and looked at the apple. It was rotting from the inside out. I spit out the offending chunk into my other hand. If I hadn't, it would have come up anyway... an involuntary expelling of matter.

Now, some have tougher stomachs than I do and could have finished that apple without a skipping beat. Or is it that their taste buds are numb... so they can get anything down? I know I'm just a basicguy, but I'd prefer to be able to taste things and repulse food that is rotten.

Now why am I talking about such a silly subject? One reason. I've been following the multitude of news stories that reveal a rotten core in American society. We see it in politics, business, schools, families, neighborhoods, entertainment, and even religion. The recent story of corruption in Illinois politics is just the tip of the ice berg. Watching the evening news shows waves of corruption throughout American society.

Are American societal taste buds numb? How can we continue to stomach such corruptness in our midst and not do something about it? Will we continue to allow individuals with rotten cores to take office without a fight? Personally, I'm sick of the ever growing rotten core. I say cut it out before it corrupts everything else.

Now, it will take an effort. We need more interest at the grassroots level in this country. It's in the grassroots that most normal people reside. That's right... we need to get back to basics. I know, we need a bunch of basic guys and gals to step forward and challenge the rotten status quo. Too many are in business and politics for power, prestige, and profit... what's in it for me. That attitude corrupts. Basic guys and gals tend to think of others and do things for the greater good. Somehow, we've lost that feeling in much of public America.

Now, most apples that I eat have no rotten core. I know America is yet full of good apples. Let's find them and encourage them to stand up to the growing corruption. Then let's support them so they have an opportunity to win and help set new standards for our country. It won't be easy... there is a lot of money in the hands of all the wrong people. But their money can't by votes, only the ability to deceive.

We, the people, the grassroots, must become more vigilant in finding the right people to lead us. We have to take more ownership for the information we obtain, understand, and believe. But we can do it. If we will. I'll do it if you will. Good luck.