moving, not still, life

The limitation of riots, moral questions aside, is that they cannot win and their participants know it. Hence, rioting is not revolutionary but reactionary because it invites defeat. It involves an emotional catharsis, but it must be followed by a sense of futility.

Martin Luther King, Jr., The Trumpet of Conscience, 1967.

I love autumn, it’s my favorite time of year. The days here are warm enough to wear short sleeves, the light low enough to take great photos, the air is crisp and the colors of fall abound.

I have Venetucci pumpkin ale from Bristol, local bratwurst and pretzel sticks from Wimberger’s. Life is good!

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The news of Steve Jobs’ death hit me pretty hard yesterday, which is surprising to me since I never knew the man or met him. But I’m a user of the delightful products he’s created. Jobs touched my life just as I was leaving high school with his Apple line of personal computers and touches it today in nearly all creative and practical activities. That’s 30 years of appreciation for his emphasis on design and usability. He is undoubtedly one of the greatest designers and inventors of this generation.

And he had a fucking right-on attitude about life:

If today were the last day of my life, would I want to do what I am about to do today? - Steve Jobs

There are probably 50 gems in that speech, but that one stands out most because it’s the deepest truth that we will all die at a time we know not; every moment not spent doing what you want to be doing is unrecoverable and unfulfilling.

Of course, like so many others, I saw the news break on Twitter. Lots of news breaks on Twitter. But this was remarkable: within a 10 minute period, every tweet in my timeline lamented his passing - even the snarkiest of accounts was filled with admiration and grief. #RIP Steve Jobs jumped to the top search within a 30 minute period. And I don’t just follow nerds or artists. It was an emotional experience to observe the world’s reaction to his passing.

Thanks, Steve, for all you’ve given both our times and our future, both tangible and intangible.

At least one in every six dollars of U.S. spending for contracts and grants in Iraq and Afghanistan over the past decade, or more than $30 billion, has been wasted. And at least that much could again turn into waste if the host governments are unable or unwilling to sustain U.S.-funded projects after our involvement ends.

Our final report shows that the costs of contracting waste and fraud extend beyond the disservice to taxpayers. The costs include diminishing for U.S. military, diplomatic and development efforts; fostering corruption in host countries; and undermining U.S. standing and influence overseas.

From Christopher Shays and Michael Thibault, authors of a report from the Commission on Wartime Contracting in Iraq and Afghanistan.