Barackface: 5.0 With Manhattan Organizations

Monday, January 21, 2008

5.0 With Manhattan Organizations

Earlier I showed up for this DL21C debate watch party event. (It Is A RSVP: Here I Come DL21C) It was the same venue as this: Iowa: One And A Half Victory Parties. So I was not so sure. I got there at seven, right on the dot. I felt a little uneasy. I went to the restroom downstairs. When I came back I had to wait only a few seconds. Dan Berger came down the stairs. He was on the phone. He looked like he was uneasy. I just waited, making small talk with the receptionist, this young woman who was encouraging me to go upstairs, "There already are about 15 people up there."

I patiently waited until Berger got off the phone. Then we had the best, shortest, the only non-tense conversation we ever had.

"Can't come upstairs."

"Okay," I said.

We were both totally relaxed. Otherwise every time I have been in his presence for as long as I can remember, the vibe always has been like he wants to blame me for 9/11 or something. Every single time.

I don't know for sure but I am guessing Berger is a Jewish last name. Spitzer is Jewish. There is that er at the end of both names. I am getting better at this.

I felt good about the exchange. No, it is not easier to ask me to leave if the guy is Sicilian rather than Jewish.

The meeting with the women was good, but we really did not get to the discussion part. (Martha Outed Kenton And Women With Issues) And Martha never really wrote back on my proposal, so I guess that is a no: 2.0 Penetrates DL21C.

I really liked the setting, and finally it was going to be an event where you get to talk instead of just watch.

I am getting a little better with the Jewish angst, I think. Getting a better feel for it.

I am guessing Dan Jacoby, that is also a Jewish name. Met him at DFNYC. I was talking to this European journalist woman and he rudely interrupts to say money can be made by appearing in porn movies. As in, no money brown guy - and this was back, way back - talking to white woman: what is this about? I took offense, and I do want to leave it at that. But now I wonder if that was an expression of the angst. Black people like sex, Jewish people like money, and the rest of us are monks.

There was another incident with Liz of MYD. Here, let me take my bag away from here where you are standing. I am guessing now that was also an expression of the angst. At the time I equated it with Obama complaining "only a few years back people were throwing keys at me in the parking lot."

I don't know for sure but I am guessing Liz is Jewish.

At first you take the incident literally, and you take offense. But over time you step back a little and realize there are a few different things at play. I don't know a whole lot about the Jewish identity, but I know enough to be able to say it is an identity that Jewish people still grapple with.

What is anti-Semitism? When someone comes across someone Jewish, they suddenly react a certain way that end in social exclusion of the said person, almost like a chemical reaction. Is that the mainstream version?

I could talk at great length about the ethnic prejudices inside the mini Nepal in Queens. It is unbelievable. People are 10,000 miles away from home, but it is like if you were to bring along a piece of rock from the moon, that would still be moon rock on earth.

There is a coral reef aspect to this ethnic, racial stuff. It is fascinating to watch it unfold, especially when it is the garden variety, social setting, pretty much harmless kind. You soak it in. So far I have limited myself to experiencing political events. Sorry, not interested in holding an Officer position, or sitting on committee, or anything like that.

DFNYC, MYD, DL21C. They now appear in the rear view window, kind of. Either their organizational structures are too primitive or I am not cut for politics, or whatever. They are designed to make you feel like, okay, so you were part of something like a French Revolution, but in this hierarchy here, who are you? You don't need a place in the hierarchy to experience an event.

Barackface: The French Revolution And DFNYC

I did not move to NYC even for Nepal, or Obama, but to launch a company. Nepal and Obama were distractions. I have absolutely no interest in the local races. As long as the subway keeps running, let me be. My fascination with NYC is that it is the capital city of the world, the Amazon forest of humanity, a feast to the eyes, a feast to the mind.

5.0 with the Manhattan organizations is offensive at two levels: they are not cutting edge group dynamics at all, not enough embracing of 2.0, and they are socially not progressive, it is not exactly post-ISMs variety. Or perhaps my standards are high.

My team member two with my young company Adam is already pissed he thinks I give too much time to politics. Forget these organizations and their events, forget Obama, let's go run with this baby. Give it total attention.

I have resisted getting structured into Obama 2008 in the city. (Barackface: NYC, Obama, Structure, Me) It has been the same resistance with the organizations before that. I function like the Wikipedia was written. There is something to be said of leaderless organizations.

Silicon City
Web 5.0: Face Time
A Web 3.0 Manifesto

What does your NYC socializing look like when the only work socializing is 2.0 with some techies in Mumbai? That is so much less stress than trying to get the message you are here only to experience an event.

I am getting better by the day with saying hello and making small talk and just plain schmoozing. My baseball is politics, and I watch it best online.

I go to an event like this one looking for some hard core political action: Martha Outed Kenton And Women With Issues. Whereas for most people it is just socializing, politics is just the excuse. And nothing wrong with that, it is a free country. When the event is over, it is over. Don't give me homework.

I am at a point where I am like, so do you still go to Dave Pollak's parties? That will have to be decided one Facebook email at a time. Go with the mood, time permitting. Or what?

Seamless 2.0 and 5.0 and the political organizations in Manhattan: that is a culture clash, a clash of civilizations.

Some of the racial thinking of white folks in Manhattan is like some Hindus I know of in Nepal: they think Christians and white people generally are the fifth caste, somewhere down there. It is a mindset, largely quixotic. The weirdest part is when they will ignore your email. They had a similar theory about email in Kentucky. Are you shy? No, I am online. And I thought it would be quicker.

It is just that all roads lead to Jerusalem, all roads leads to Silicon City.

I was kinda sorta interested in this event. Do I go? Do I not go? To be? To be no be?

Thursday, February 7

6:00 pm

Planned Parenthood and DL21C's Women's Issues Committee present
A Night Out with Women in Politics
6:00-9:00pm
The Zipper Factory, 336 W. 37th St. between 8th & 9th

Please RSVP!