Sports

Just to stay consistent with the mood of the season, watched The Happening last night which sufficiently creeped me out and held my attention, however it didn't truly impress me either if that makes sense.  Let's have a quick discussion regarding the work of one, M. Night Shyamalan.  I'll post my thoughts next week.

My apologies for this post being a day or two late, I've been lazy and I procrastinate.

So let's talk about sports, more specifically, sports in America.  Now, as many of you know, football is my favorite sport - I view it as a physical chess game where not all the pieces are equally matched, but either way you have to play to your strengths.  There are good days and bad days, and in my mind - it's the only truly team sport.  The defense cannot win without a solid offense, and the offense cannot win without a sufficient defense and each player has their place.  It's the modern sport for the post-industrialism era as specialization is key.

That being said, I have a great respect for baseball, which I'm afraid has truly been replaced by football as the American pasttime, but in the meantime, it still holds strong as a worthy sport all its own.  I think I respect baseball the most because it's so easy to just turn on and watch - I hardly follow baseball, but if a game is on, I have no problem sitting down and taking in a couple hours (especially now in the playoffs as it all seems somewhat relevant).  Baseball is a simple game to understand, whereas football - I was a fan for the longest time and I had no idea what ninety percent of what the broadcasters said meant.  Now, of course, after following football relgiously, and studying for no apparent reason - I could probably top some of those announcers (especially the D-class wannabes they get to broadcast the Lions games...it's Calvin Johnson, not Curtis Johnson and #29 is Chester Taylor, not AP...how hard is your job?).  The point is, someone who has no concept of football cannot sit down and watch a game without...well, completely losing all grasp on what's going on.  This is probably my greatest argument as to why the sport hasn't caught on worldwide...nobody understands it.  How on Earth did these rules even come to exist?

Enough of that - of the remaining two major sports, Hockey and Basketball, I think we find two sports heading in different directions.  Hockey is on the rise - after the strike, hockey saw a major drop in fan base and ratings, and at the moment, it's not particularly easy to find a game anyone on cable television - but with the Red Wings (perennial favorites) and a few camera friendly faces (Crosby in Pittsburgh), the sport is catching some ground again.  In addition, the yearly outdoor game (this year at Wrigley - I'll go if anyone has tickets), adds a fun element to the game that people can really get behind.  On the other side of the spectrum is Basketball.  After enjoying an early 90s peak in interest, the sport has slowly declined in past years and is probably the most effected by the downturn in the economy.  The Celtics played the Lakers in the finals this past season, arguably two of the largest basketball dominated markets in the nation and hardly anyone cared...that's a problem.  When I look at the NBA right now, I see a league without an identity - no niche in the national sports world.  The Olympic team going out and hitting gold helps, but it's a minor boost - nothing sustainable.  Add into this the increased popularity of the sport in other nations worldwide, who can now afford to outbid our stars who are locked in a salary cap league well...you get the idea.

So that's a quick rundown of sports in the eyes of Nathan - opinions appreciated.  I'm tired so I'm out - ta.

"Are you sad we're missing it?" "We aren't missing it...this is it."

Are all Americans watching the debates and staying up on all the political three ring circus which is getting more and more ridiculous with every election? I hope so. I'm not going to go on a political rant or anything, as last week's was kind of in that vein.

So Friday night, Tori and I saw Nick and Nora's Infinite Playlist, which I think I'll continue this blog's unnecessary promotion of Michael Cera.  Sure, his roles aren't exactly diverse, but man - he's got that one down.  Basically, the film is about the New York City nightlife - some kids go out to have a good time and various misadventures follow them, as is known to happen, especially in movies.  So what is my topic for discussion tonight?  The nightlife.

I've been to New York City.  My freshman year at RIT, instead of going home for Thanksgiving, I travelled East with Michael DiRoma (RIP) and Taylor.  We spent the first part of the week at DiRoma's Central Park West Apartment (seriously) and then went up to Conneticut for the holiday with Taylor's family.  So while we were in NYC, Taylor and I took off one day and wandered Manhattan island.  Taylor and I walked, unescorted, for 22 hours (over the course of 2 days) - from the upper west side to the southern tip, down the entire stretch of Broadway and by the United Nations.  We were out until 3 in the morning...lost in Central Park!  And at the time, it was the most exciting adventure I had during my college days.  In retrospect, however, it was somewhat of a letdown.  Why?  Because we did none of the nightlife things - not due to lack of trying, mind you, mostly because of lack of age (we were both 18 at the time).  I think I can also attribute this to growing up in lame towns with a complete lack of anything but grocery stores and the occassional Steak'n'Shake open 24/7.  This brings me to gripes about Kalamazoo.  Kalamazoo has a major university, a well respected liberal college and various small time colleges like Davenport and KVCC.  By no means does this translate into NYC by any stretch, however, I think it warrants us to be labelled a college town, given the amount of population being college aged.  Why is nothing open 24/7?  Why are there close to zero local bands worth seeing?  No - scratch that, where would they play?  We have a larger college aged population in Kalamazoo versus Grand Rapids, yet they have the clubs and even those are pretty crappy.  Now, for those who know me, you could argue that I make these statements although I'm not really the "clubbing" type and I wouldn't go out even if those options were there, etc...however - I've been to clubs, I've been to crappy little hole in the walls to see nobody bands and you know what?  I love that environment, I feed off of it.  Had I grown up in an environment where that option was available to me in high school, I would have been there.

I think it's time the world stops this obsession with this 9-5 cookie cutter lifestyle.  The world needs to become more global, more 24-hour based.  Why should the world close?  Side note - what is gained from bars not serving alcohol at 2?  I think that more emphasis needs to be put on diversifying our hours.  I understand - work the same hours every day, establish routine, efficiency follows.  However - why do I have to work 7-3?  Maybe I'd be more productive later in the day or earlier in the day.  Why do banks close?  I don't have money transactions at three in the morning (don't talk to me about ATMs)?  I think this another one of my half-baked ideas - what do you guys think?  Would you like to see more 24 hour lifestyles or are you good with routine?  I'd like to see the option of spontaneity out there...promote creativity, perhaps.  Thoughts?

There are just more chocolate bars than fruits, it's a fact

First and foremost, a source of inspiration...recently in my podcast obsession I found a nice little one entitled "The Definitive Word", apart of a larger podcast blog...a blogcast, if you will (Simply Syndicated- although it would be easier to find them in the iTunes podcast store, honestly) .  Basically, it's a couple of British guys who discuss "21st Century Living" - essentially, Sociology 101 from guys who don't have Sociology degrees or anything.  They talk about a wide variety of topics from Transport, Beer, Growing Up, Fat Nation, etc...just to name a few.  Their general disposition and format of discussion is very similar to what I would like to promote here...so maybe we just need to pick out a weekly time to hop on Skype, kick back some drinks and shoot the breeze with whatever topic we decide is to be discussed that week.  Either way, it's a good source of inspiration and opinions, as we can easily contrast and compare off of them.

Secondly, anticipate a novel of a post here as I am stripping and waxing a large area at work and will likely be within the same 20x20 square for the next 6 hours or so and a lot of that time will be spent waiting for wax to dry...oh what fun.

So jumping off my previous post - personal responsibility, dumbing down, the bailout and society's other various problems.

First, let's start with the bailout proposal, since I think this is an excellent real world situation that kind of deals with a lot of the issues we're discussing here.  Here is a pretty good summation of the bill which recently passed - House Approves Historic Bailout.  Now, I don't claim to be well informed enough to confidently say I know that this was wrong or this was right, however, based on what I do know, I have been able to form my own opinion.  If you are better informed than me and I make a mistake, or don't understand something correctly, please let me know.  So let's go over how we got to this point, the way I understand it.

1) Housing boom - people buy up houses like crazy thanks to low interest rates and relaxed credit requirements.

2) Housing crash - predictably, these people with bad credit can't pay their loans...also, the banks raise the interest rates on houses over time to turn a profit and more people can't pay.  Lot's of foreclosures.

3) Natural Recession in Economy - come on, no economy can grow continuously, so it slows down...there are so many factors involved in this, I don't even think I could imagine going into exact details (even if I knew them all).

4) Gas Price - as gas prices go up, so does the cost of all goods and services, further reducing the economy's growth potential.  The gas price increase wasn't helped by the very costly war in Iraq (not to point fingers or anything).

~I'd like to break here to bring up something...World War II got us out of the depression as the war effort in general created jobs (this wasn't the only factor at work here, but it was a primary key to the economic boom of that decade).  Can anybody think of any other American war that has actually hurt the economy any more than this one?  What's different this time?

5) Denial - so here in Michigan, we were the first to realize that we were in trouble as the auto industry was the first to fall and it fell hard (ask Port Huron, Flint, Detroit) and yet, during the primary election season, we saw commercials telling us "It's unheard of for Michigan to be in a one state regression when the rest of the nation is thriving" - really?  Thriving?  I notice now how that candidate isn't one of the two remaining candidates...probably not a coincidence because he obviously has no concept of what's going on.  For far too long, this issue was ignored.  Things were tight, but not bad enough that people would admit that the economy was in trouble and now the economy is in so much trouble that the government has to, essentially, give free money to the banking system that is struggling to hold up our economy.

So who is to blame for this problem we're in?  Is it the greedy bankers and Wall Street gurus for their get-rich-quick scheme of lending money to people with bad credit with low initial interest rates only to jack them up when the rest of the economy started getting them down?  How about the people who bought these homes and then came up unable to pay their mortgages and having to go into foreclosure?  (On a side-question - is it wrong to want the American dream of owning one's own home for their family?  I know as a fact I will not be able to own a home until I am at least 35 - pending any lottery winnings or unexpected inheritances - because of mistakes I have made in the past few years and my continued troubles with credit and money) Is it the credit system in general (wasn't this one of the main contributing factors in the great depression?)?  Is it the leaders who sent us into a costly war (without getting too far into the politics of if we needed to go in or not, although that's obviously tied in and will probably need to be discussed on another day)?  Is it the gas companies or our nation's current energy policies (preserving domestic oil, not enough emphasis on alternative fuel sources, etc...)?  Is it quite simply that we just didn't do enough, as a nation, soon enough to avoid this?  Was this inevitable or avoidable at all?  And I would like to mention now that this is a global crisis we are entering here; it's not just here at home.  I know for certain that the housing market crash is the same, if not worse, in most of developed Europe and I firmly believe we are just entering the first string of a very bad series of events that will drastically change the course of (the global) us as a society - nay, a civilization...a species.

Essentially - all of those seemingly random and rambling inquiries sums up to one question; who, if anybody, can us hold ACCOUNTABLE for the impending economic crisis?  And anybody with any political ties, I implore you to get that answer out of either candidate (townhouse debate potential?).

~Election side note - as I'm focusing primarily on the economy in this post, although it will soon be turning to more existential topics branched from this reality, I would like to mention how pleased I am with how much focus is being put on the economy in the overall election coverage.  For far too long, I feel, that the issue was ignored or sugar-coated and no longer are we seeing it with those rose-tinted glasses and we're demanding action from our next president and I think that's quite admirable, if nothing else.

Now my personal thoughts on the matter are this - we are all responsible for this mess.  Some more than others, obviously, but responsible none the less...and I think it comes down to one flaw we share - excessive spending and it starts at the top.  What kind of credit report do you think our nation would have if it were a person?  Sure it's got the income...but it's got more expenses than income.  It's already got an impressive amount of debt, very little of which has been paid back.  In the past couple of years, it's had a frightening increase in amount of debt accrued (a red flag for all credit companies if you have a sudden increase in your credit requests).  I bet we'd be hard pressed to find a good personal reference right now as well.  How do we keep borrowing money?

 

Now I'll be the first to admit, I have an overspending problem as well...I think we as a society have this problem.  Not only do we spend funds we don't necessarily have on things we don't need, we far outspend our own means, setting ourselves up for future failure.  What does this mean?  Well you know how the housing market crashed because people with bad credit couldn't keep up with their debt?  How are our nation’s fortunes going to be any different?  America has bad credit and our debt is reaching ridiculous proportions with only more in the foreseeable future.  Somebody in the future is going to have to pay that bill, because we've been passing that buck around for far too long and when it catches up with us...well, I hope I'm not around then because it's going to be crippling.  You think the Great Depression was bad?

~Paragraph side-note: thoughts in my mind are so muddled, I wonder if cows sleep standing up like horses, and if all hoofed animals sleep this way (looking at you giraffes, zebras) and somehow, the jargon you just read comes out.  My apologies if I occasionally don't make sense or aren't clear and concise enough to get my point across.  Questions are welcome and encouraged!  Any interaction is highly motivating for me and others to continue to writing for this community.

So let's hop back on topic to the bailout.  So the banks tell the government that because of this housing market crashing, along with the recession in the economy and whatever other determining factors...the banks are in debt.  Let me get this straight - the banks...are in debt.  Who, exactly, does a bank borrow money from?  Oh yeah - it's customers!  So the banks admit to squandering away America's money.  Already you can tell this is a great situation.  So the banks tell the government that they messed up and need a little help.  Okay...a lot of help.  In exchange for adding a devastating amount to the national debt (in the grand scheme of things, doesn't this feel a bit like paying off a credit card...with another credit card?) we, the American people who are essentially paying for this...whether it be now or later, the buck still gets passed to the taxpayers...get no guaranteed returns unless the government gets back it's share first.  There are some other political stipulations that I don't fully understand nor am in the mood to research, but that's essentially the deal to my understanding.  I'll admit, I'm putting a pretty negative spin on it, it seems, and I'll openly admit I'm biased against it and the more I understand, the more my passion for that stance grows.  So what could make this deal worse?  The individuals - the CEOs, the boards, etc...All the decision makers behind these banks are still in control!  So the government is basically saying, "Everyone fucks up, it's going to be okay."  NO!  You failed at your job!  You make a disproportionate salary based on a title and you didn't do the job you were hired for successfully!  You get fired!  If I overspent and had to borrow money I didn't have guess what...I'd be fired!  I'm essentially running a small business here, although I have nice perks like a steady income and corporate support, but the fundamentals are the same - stay within your budget and promote company growth - that's it!  Those are two main tasks of any company leader...and it's a tricky give take because growth costs, so you can't grow beyond your immediate means.  There is no reason that these irresponsible executives should be allowed to stay in control of companies they clearly have not been successful running in the past.

So now 'passing the buck' is becoming, not only the trend, but the policy?  Okay - that's a problem.  And this is where I kind of sway into the concept of responsibility.  I agree with Heather on this one - we are coddling our children too much and we are not reinforcing the concept that actions have consequences.    Now don't get me wrong - I'm all for child self-esteem and encouraging them to dream big, but in that - we need to also keep them realistic.  You're not going to graduate college and fall into a high paying job...no - you get entry level and you get to toll away in the dregs for awhile.  Tough shit - that's life.  You're not going to get married and live in the house you grew up in - your parents worked long and hard to get there, you're not going to get there overnight.  Too often parents hide the harsh realities of the real world from their children in hopes of "protecting" them.  So the children can hold on to that innocent naïveté for that much longer...only to have it come crashing down when that bubble bursts upon entering a world where mistakes are strongly punished and jobs aren't as easy to come by as doing some extra chores for your parents over the weekend.  Essentially, we are destroying the next generation's immunity to the hardships of adulthood.  Some will adjust, sure, but most won't.  So we have an impending financial crisis thanks to America's poor credit score and an incoming workforce unable to cope with hardship.  Wow - if that's not a recipe for disaster, I don't know what is.

I have two more real life questions to pose in terms of personal responsibility - smoking and obesity.  Let's start with smoking as the government is stepping in more and more in order to discourage this very unhealthy lifestyle choice.  I can tell you now I am for banning smoking in enclosed public areas (bars, restaurants, etc...) for the simple fact that myself, as a non-smoking patron, am not given a choice as to whether or not I want to inhale those toxic fumes.  When we're outside, as long as you're not standing in a doorway or something where I have no choice but to walk through your bad decision, I don't care - do what you want, it's your body.  However - is more action required?  Should we expect our government to increasingly get involved?  Police are enlisted whenever someone has the potential to harm themselves or others - in my mind, smoking can fall under this category, can it not?  Is there a line of fine print there that says 'potential harm must be immediate'?  I understand that this is a personal choice to smoke and, in America, you have to be 18 or older to buy which in most accepted logic, is a reasonable enough age to make educated choice in the matter.  It's this little detail that brings us to obesity...let's face it - we're fat.  I am responsible for what I eat.  It is my choice if I grab that Snickers bar or that apple.  I know that cutting pop out of my diet would greatly improve my overall health and longevity, and yet, I give in much more frequently than I would ideally.  I am an adult and if I become obese - it is as a result of my own choices.  That being said - who is responsible for the overall health and well being of the children?  Is it the parents?  The government via school system?  Food companies?  Surely we cannot hold the children accountable as we've already determined that education decisions cannot be made until the age of 18 has been reached (by the way - the concept that once a certain age has been achieved, suddenly we are much wiser and responsible is bull...just saying).  So parents, who pig out on junk food all day as part of their own personal choices feed their children the same crap regardless of their educated desire to be healthy or eat better.  The schools, stretched for money, offer a sub-standard healthy alternative or the cheapest junk they can put together.  Food companies blitz the market attracting children to their product.  Should the government step in and put regulations on food deemed unhealthy?  Obesity is a much more deadly force than cigarettes, it effects many more people and often times, goes unchecked.  Perhaps taxing snack foods and pop or offering some sort of benefit (other than good health) for buying fruits or vegetables would be enough of an intervention?  I don't know.

Jumping around to the concept of dumbing down I brought up a post or two ago, I think there is an element of this in our societal trend.  In public schools, many have deemphasized a lot of the computer based courses under the ideology that typing skills will be sufficient enough to land any high school grad a job.  We already know music and sports are on the decline for financial reasons...  I think pop culture has begun simplifying itself (not in a classic way or in a statement fashion) and people are pandering to it for lack of alternatives (or pop culture is pandering to people's lower standards...why make quality work when shoddy will sell the same?)

Okay - so topics for discussion that are bringing down America, and probably to an extent - lack of responsibility (pass the buck mentality...which isn't that far off from Rand's anti-dog-eat-dog dystopia in some respects), the combination of instant gratification along with self-entitlement (things come easy mentality) and the ideology that the bare minimums are all that's required for success (do enough mentality).  I know I didn't touch on these probably as much as I would have liked, but I think I'm kind of typed out for the night (see wicked long post you're currently reading) and I'm just about done with my project.  I hope this post kind of brings up at least a few ghosts from our past and starts some conversation.

Cheers.

This is going to be disappointing...

Alright, a quick post just so I can say I didn't take this weekend off.

First and foremost, not only thank you for your post, Jana, but also - thanks for leading me right into where I wanted to take this topic...what is up with the government bailout?  How does this even make sense?  Why should tax payers have to pay for a multinational corporation's screw up?  How is that our responsibility and how would them going out of business fatally wound our crippled economy?  Ever think maybe our economy is sinking faster than the Titanic because our national debt has nearly doubled in the past 10 years?  Or we're now apparently encouraging failure and rewarding incompetence?  Hopefully by next weekend, I'll have read a bit more on the bailout and come back better informed, but in the meantime, take a look at TMQ's take on the subject here and here.

I agree completely that it seems that the current generation stepping into power is better at pointing the finger of blame than actually solving any problems and that doesn't bode well for the future.

I have a lot more to add, but my mind isn't focusing as of this moment.  My apologies.  Hopefully I'll be more concious later.  Ta.

seven, eight, nine...then seven, eight, ten

I'll respond to that. I don't know that I would use the term dumbing down. It seems like it is more of a complacency. Children these days aren't taught respect because people tell them that they are smart and capable and don't need to listen to their elders. They therefore never learn the value of what has come before them. 

I have experienced this first hand. I have watched a group of capable, intelligent people completely ruin something that was working just fine before they got there. Nothing changed about the setting and the group other than the people making it up. And yet, when it came time to be in charge these people spent more time blaming each other than trying to deal with the problems before them and fix things.

So I don't know what to call it but there is a self-destruction going on within society. Hopefully I'll be back to respond to this again later.

Idiocricy

Good evening all. Short post this evening, and my apologies for taking this past weekend off.  So my quick question tonight, which hopefully sparks a bit of conversation - are we, as a society, dumbing down?  And if so, can we take any consolation in the knowledge of this fact?  As if conciously reducing our intelligence, as a society, somehow cancels out the negative aspect of this concept.  Discuss.

Night.

Kensey - you'll be sorely missed, you were one of the good ones...

Good evening everybody.

In today's edition I hope to touch on, among other things...love and attraction (probably the first of a series here) and a return to horror movies.

First and foremost, let's throw out a good quote to get things rolling; “When facism comes to America it will be wrapped in the flag and carrying a cross.” - Sinclair Lewis

Second, my list of approved horror movies. I am planning on going more in depth with all of these over the course of the next couple of posts (I have to rent a few of them to jog my memory a bit). These are presented in chronological order, although I don't know if I'll elaborate on them in this order.

1. Strangers on a Train (1951)
2. Psycho (1960) - see also: Silence of the Lambs (1991)
3. Last House on the Left (1972)
4. Texas Chainsaw Massacre (1974)
5. Jaws (1975)
6. Carrie (1976)
7. Suspiria (1977)
8. Halloween (1978)
9. Friday the 13th (1980)
10. The Shining (1980)
11. Children of the Corn (1984)
12. Scream (1996)
13. The Blair Witch Project (1999)
14. House of 1000 Corpses (2003)
15. Saw (2003)

Honorable Mentions:
1. The Exorcist (1973)
2. Child's Play (1988)
3. The Sixth Sense (1999) - see also: The Village (2004)

So there you have it - 15 arguments for horror movies. As I mentioned, I'll get down and dirty in the details at a later date.

Moving on...what attracts us to another human being? And how does that attraction eventually translate into love? For instance, when you first look at someone, while I'm never one to believe in "love in first sight", as it were, but with some people there is that definite immediate attraction that is undeniable. And from that point we can ask ourselves - is it purely physical or subconsciously can we read something deeper? I think the root of all attraction is based in values, and I think part of us can see that in other people, whether it be how they carry themselves or how they speak or their mannerisms, to even how they stylize themselves (hair, clothing, accessories). Therefore, is the sensation of "love at first sight" the result of a spot read or am I looking too far into it and it really is just all physical? I ask this because there are some girls who I look at and think to myself, "that is an attractive person." However, on the flip side, that I look at some and think to myself, "I'm attracted to this person." What's the difference? What makes that difference? Is it a simple matter of realizing societies expectations of what is attractive/unattractive in a female versus my own personal physical preferences (I can actually tell you the precise features I find most attractive, if anyone cares)? How does this initial attraction or lack thereof play into the concept of love?

Also, I have a continued thought on the previous post which I think I left open...Gary said, "...(The prisoners dilemma is a great example of how being selfish will catch you out. )" - now he put this merely as an afterthought, then I ignored it completely, but I think this is an important point that needs to be made upon reevaluation. As Michael mentioned, it is the responsibility of the government, in Rand's capitalist society, to protect against monopolies created through force or coercion. This policy would also trickle down to the individual level and criminals. Stealing is a method of physical force which would need to be stopped. I believe that Gary is taking 'selfish' in the literal sense to have no regard for other's...this is a common misconception. To be selfish is not necessarily to have little or no thoughts for others, but rather, act on what is best for one's self in the aspect of what is most beneficial to you without resorting to violence or 'bullying' techniques, as these would be more harmful to society than beneficial. At the moment, I'm not exactly sure of the words I'm searching for, so I'll leave it at that. My apologies for my lack of wordiness at the moment.

That's what I have for you folks tonight - discuss and respond, all input is appreciated...I'm starting to feel like a crazy person again, always talking to myself. Cheers.

My Reply

This is my response to the conversation found here - Cheaters. Enjoy.

"The trouble I have always found (prepare yourself for a socialist paragraph) is that parents never have time to sit down and play with their kids – like board games. When both the parents have to go out & work full time to pay the bills, it’s not as if they can come home and spend time with the children. Even if they do have the evening free, all they want to do is flop down on the sofa and watch TV. In this, I reckon that you were very luckily to spend time with your family as a child playing board games – that’s what I really like about the US, is that people have a good attitude toward the family – I kind of got that vibe from Boogieman and other southerners that were in our tribe in RIP. In Britain, not much emphasis is put on bringing up children – probably another ailment of an increasingly secular society. "

I wouldn't get off the mark thinking family is the major asset of the American cultural landscape. More often than not, our lifestyles are dictated by our jobs first and foremost, and like you mentioned - adults get home and crash on the couch to watch TV. I'm attempting to get out of that habit (although the computer is my vice, not the TV), trying to walk the dogs more, etc...but it's not easy. Society as a whole has started to promote group, physical activity - or at least doing something other than sitting and watching passively, but I've seen little to no difference in the lifestyles of those around me. The fact that I was able to sit around with my brothers' and play board games as a youngster was probably more a telling of the times than anything else. We didn't have a Nintendo yet or anything, so really, on rainy days - what options were there but to play board games? I've just kind of carried that fondness and excitement with me because I'm nostalgic and somewhat childlike, so it says nothing of our society as a whole.

"I have to say that personally I have a very low regard for the virulent, unscrupulous, and sometimes violent multinational companies that seek to force their ‘freedom’ upon us. This links into my hatred of ‘free’ markets, contractualist ethics, and rampant individualism. =)

"In this, I have little or no sympathy for western capitalism and democracy, depending on my mood. "

First and foremost, I think you're confusing yourself a bit in that you are somewhat arguing for contractual ethics, in that the governed are of course willing participants in any government intervention whereas in a truly free society, such intervention would be non-existent...at least to my understanding of it. Also, I'm in no way encouraging the bullying techniques of some of the world's largest companies...I'd say it is without doubt, the responsibility of the world's governments to protect companies from each other. However, the only time that intervention would be necessary is if, indeed, unfair play is suspected. It is not the responsibility of the government to balance the scales, however, if one company is just plan better than it's opposition - innovate, expand, improve...those are the keys of success, not begging the government to help you. Lobbyists are a direct result of the government's interference within the economic landscape and those people are just parasites on this world.

"I’ll explain my point of view of what the government should be, which may help to explain my view. I regard the government as a doctor, sent in to cure society’s illnesses. There is no place for ‘managerial’ government, where the government seeks to administrate the markets, and to solve disputes, making sure that all stick to a social contract. My ideal government would be in the business of leadership, giving society a series of projects that all aspire to achieve – and it’s not to ban smoking in public places!! (Done a couple of years ago here). The Atlee government of 1945-49 is a good example of the kind of government that should be in power. Pity they got voted out by a selfish and ignorant British public. The government should also be a cultural elite, not the richest candidate."

I agree with a lot of points you made here, in particular that the government's duty is to help an ailing society, not necessarily run it. People, more often than not, can be pretty impressive when left to their own devices and should be allowed to do so as often as possible. However, when you get into the government project direction, we start to differ. Societies have a way of righting their own ship when heading down a bumpy road, for instance the increased awareness of environmentalism in the workplace. The United States government has done very little in terms of setting any sort of plan or even legislation encouraging companies to clean up, despite many scientists globally, behind those sentiments. However, we've been seeing a recent run of companies aggressively cleaning up their operations. This is simple economics - it's cheaper to produce less waste, that makes perfect sense, but it applies to pollution as well. All pollution is just that...waste, the more you eliminate, the more efficient your work processes.

Then you have the dieing American car companies (GM and Ford). Foreign cars are doing much better in the market because of their insistence on good gas mileage and less emissions. This follows that same concept - for the consumer, it's more cost efficient because they can go further while buying less gas, and for the company because they are selling more cars this way. They are generally, also cheaper up front (both to make and to the consumer), so it's a win all around for these car companies. Ford and GM and now scrounging to catch up with this seemingly obvious advance in the industry. My biggest issue, after reading up on the Labor Party and the Atlee Government, is that a nationalizing industries was considered good practice. This leads me to my picture perfect government...

While it may be different in the UK, our government is extremely inefficient. Everything goes through four or five agencies, it's all bureaucratic time wastes, but necessary because they are indeed the government. So I think the government should be in charge of the non-profitable needs of society - namely police, firemen, limited education and health care. The government should also operate entities who watch the other industries to protect society as a whole, not individual companies. Things like roads and prisons can be operated by private companies, with lower costs and more overhead than the present systems in place, all while under the watchful eye of a government protector. Education should be viewed as a business, from the standpoint of administration. The best schools should get the most money, because they provide the best end product - currently, in America, there is a system of giving the most money to the public schools that struggle the most. This is encouraging failure! This is supporting a system that is leaving our children behind. If a company had a department that failed to meet any of their targets, they wouldn't get more money to help them through this tough time - the whole team would be sacked instantly and replaced! Health care should be provided, free of charge, to everyone. That being said, I think that private practices must still be encouraged to operate. If one goes entirely free, than a hospital overload (see Canada) is likely. On the converse, if one goes entirely private - most citizens can no longer afford to be healthy. Therefore, standard medical treatment should be available to all members of society, regardless of social standing, but at the same time - those who can afford it, may go into the private sector and find their own care. This is by no means a perfect system, especially when discussing health care, but it's a work in progress...I'll alter that as I think more and more about it.

"As for individualism as a theory, I believe it’s inherently flawed. It believes that all have free will, and are able to float about with nothing but self interest, determining their action. Its ignores the important point that humans are not individuals, but are social beings – they live in groups, they always have, and always will. Humans are like ants – one is absolutely useless, but taken as a whole, are a strong being. Humans are not like cats, which are indeed creatures that relay on themselves, and only on themselves. In this, it can be said that humans that are selfish are dysfunctional humans – for they are not contributing anything to the group, and thus everyone, including themselves, will suffer. (The prisoners dilemma is a great example of how being selfish will catch you out. )"

I could not agree less with this statement. I believe that all individuals have complete free will and all actions do stem directly from self interest. While humans are indeed social beings, we are in the end - individual beings. A person is perfectly capable of surviving on their own as they are in a society. We do not require one another to survive and require only one person of the opposite gender in order to procreate and continue society (although any further generations would obviously need more participation). An ant, on it's own, will likely survive a day or two, because it will find food and water, but will ultimately die without the protection and shelter offered by their hill. Humans, on the other hand, can survive alone in the wilderness indefinitely - we are capable of producing our own shelter, defending ourselves, foraging for food and water, and probably would even find some downtime to improve our primitive ways of life. That being said, I don't think there's any doubt that humans have much more potential of wealthy survival in the constructs of modern society, that society was a result of individuals realizing the potential of specialization ages ago and utilizing it. 

I'm going to use Tribal Wars a metaphor here, if you don't mind. A single village is like a person, give or take, and to start...this is a mixed village. It has to defend itself, so it produces defensive troops. In order for continued survival, however, expansion is necessary - so one needs to produce offensive troops as well. This is a decent system - this village, an a network of village designed in a similar way, would do well...for awhile. However, if the villages specialize (after the first one, this is a necessary side step, unfortunately) - one can defend both, while the other insures continue growth and expansion by producing only offensive troops. This exponentially improves the potential both village have of success. Therefore, it is in the best interest of village A, to produce defense while it is in the best interest of village B, to produce offense. It is also in the best interest of society. To kind of conclude this point - what is best for the individual, is also best for society as a whole.

It's important, however, to put the individual first in this statement though because without the individual's full, 100% willingness to participate, the society will not benefit. Society cannot demand the individual to follow what society deems is in societies (and therefore the individual's) best interest, the individual has to come freely and willingly or the final product will be compromised. To make this point even more clear is who is "society" - who has the right to deem what is right for society as a whole? Who has that authority? No individual, or council, or committee, or even general election could actually capture what is "best" for society - this is why it is vital for individuals to go only for personal gain, which in turn will benefit society, assuming fair business practice.

------------------------

Also, another topic that I think got lost in the larger debate going on here - global currency...discuss.

Ta.

A Quick One While He's Away

Google Chrome

Good evening - real quick, Google has released their own version of the web browser (see link above, if you Windows XP or Vista)

Also - what are thoughts on open-source programming versus proprietary software?

Another quiet Saturday night (or so it seems...), so expect a good post then.  Ta.

Ahoy! Another nautical expression!

Good evening everyone, per tradition - we made it to the weekend and thus, you all get a nice post from me. I try my best to post something during the week, but I'm just far too busy, unfortunately. Also, I start school this week, so the likelihood of posts during the week, and even possibly, weekly posts, is somewhat diminished based on that schedule.

Also, I would like to thank Michael M. for his very informative comments on my conversation with Gary. Those can be found here...Cheaters - Comments. Unfortunately, Michael didn't leave an email address or anything, so I'm unable to add him as an author - so I'm guessing we won't be seeing his participation in our discussions anymore.

That being said, I would like to reply directly to those comments, just to kind of keep the conversation going. Again, I would like to thank Michael for increasing my general understanding of Rand's philosophies and objectivism as a whole. I've never claimed to be an expert, and I attempted to make it clear in my conversation with Gary (although I'm not sure if that part got moved over here), that my views are kind of a distorted version of objectivism to kind of match my own life. My only true issue with the monopolies argument, is once a monopoly arises due to course 3), how is society supposed to be protected from these monopolies from abusing their control over the market? I'm all for a company coming out and completely dominating the competition, and those companies should definitely be rewarded for their efforts. However, in a situation where they have no remaining competition due to either buyouts or bankruptcy, than there is no reason to continue innovations and the market becomes stagnant and overpriced. In markets where the upstart cost would far outweigh any potential gain from possible success, this industry standstill would continue until some kind of interference. Yes, there is some argument that consumers would stop purchasing an outdated or overpriced product at some point, but where is that line? This is my only concern regarding completely unregulated monopolies.

I think that responds somewhat to those comments, although I would very much like to continue the discussion with someone so obviously wiser than myself, so Michael - should you stumble upon this again, please leave your e-mail address in a comment (or you can e-mail me directly if you prefer) so that I may add you as an author.

I still have not prepared a well thought out response to Gary's last, although I'm foreseeing a quiet night so perhaps I shall put something together tonight yet.

Moving on to Gary's response in regards to horror movies. First and foremost, I would like to note that most horror movies released since...let's say, circa early 80s, with few exceptions have been formulaic and empty. This could actually be said about most of Hollywood's releases these days, but since we are focusing on horror - the window is much larger, unfortunately. That being said, that is no reason to write off horror as a genre entirely. Some horrors do indeed aspire to something more, like you mention with Southern Comfort (although, I've never scene that one myself, I will make it a point to keep an eye out for it).

Now the worst movies, mostly of the main stream crop, have all of the flaws that Gary mentioned - mindless characters, plots designed around further bloodshed, played out story lines and far-fetched endings. I'm not going to argue that these are a waste of time, but again - we cannot write off an entire genre based on mainstream misinterpretations.

As for the argument that we are being desensitized to violence, in many ways I agree, and yet - I am able to distinguish between fiction and reality. I find it hard to understand that others have a difficult time with this distinction. In no way would my copious hours of viewing mass amounts of bloody murders in anyway take away from the effect of an actual murder happening right in front of me. I am comfortable with horror movies because I know that the people being stabbed, shot, tortured, etc...are actually just fine. I mean, I am capable of drinking and spending time with people without violent tendencies, which you mention as an issue, but I see more going on culturally, than just an obsession with violence. Blaming modern media, while probably at least to some degree - a factor, I see it as more of a cop out more than anything. Modern media is, in theory, a representation of our society - so a society obsessed with violence will produce a violence-center medium, which in turn would likely create a more violence obsessed culture...in which case, this is an endless cycle. My biggest issue with this argument is that it takes the blame off the individual again, and places it on society. As if one person's burden, one person's inability to control their own impulses is everyone's problem. Responsibility of one's self should be reserved for...one's self, not society or culture on a whole.

Prior to my next post (which may, or may not be tonight yet - no promises), I shall attempt to comprise a list of good horror films that may, or may not be bloodfests, but truly embody the spirit I feel horror is trying to convey. To pigeonhole such a diverse genre because of it's mainstream appearance would be judging a book by it's cover.

Damn flawed system respecting the record companies' right to distribute music as they see fit...
So anyways, tonight's list was SUPPOSED to include -

Song of the Moment: The Stills - Without Feathers (album). I wanted to include highlights "In the Beginning" (that one I found!) and "Helicopters" (that one didn't happen...). First and foremost, everyone should check out their debut album, Logic Will Break Your Heart, although if plan on checking out Without Feathers as well, prepare for a bit of a culture shock. LWBYH was a very keyboard driven album (think Joy Division) whereas WF took on a more guitar approach, with a bit of experimentation with various degrees of success. While LWBYH is likely more consistent, the highs on WF are higher (the lows are also lower, unfortunately), but I always make it a point to applaud experimentation within a formula band, so this is good. Check them out (I have mp3s and Google Talk if you would like me to send you some samples)...

Song That Makes Me Feel...Nostalgic (again): Harvey Danger - Old Hat (off of Where Have All The Merrymakers Gone). Key lyric - "I forget what my friends look like / and they forget why they like me / but that's old hat / I'm so happy / how do you write about that?" This song works in the same vein as Greetings in Braille, in that as we grow older and further apart from our childhoods (and subsequently, childhood friends), we find ourselves regrettably missing those relationships (platonic and romantic) - however, in 'Old Hat', we find our singer pleading "Call me freaky, call me childish, call me Ishmale. / Just call me back, call me back, call me back and I'll / Follow you around" indicating that those feelings have gone beyond simple nostalgia and taken a proactive precedence in his mindset...or I'm reading into it wrong - how do you take it? Lyrics.

BONUS Songs of the Moment: Harvey Danger - Wrecking Ball AND Problems and Bigger Ones.

The former is all about running away...running from nowhere, unfortunately, as nowhere always catches up. Key line - "Burn down the house / make sure the family is inside / Nothing more to tether you / also no one there to catch you crying" Lyrics. This song also works intentionally against the formerly established childhood yearnings previously indicated on the album (this is track nine - nostalgia come up as a common theme in both 'Old Hat' (track 7) and 'Private Helicopter' (track 4)) in the line "Don't let a childhood linger..."

The latter is all about a failing relationship...this is moreso just a good song, not necessarily a reflection of my present life (so don't try to read into anything). Lyrics.

Again, mp3s available to those interested...good songs, maybe in my next batch I'll have some I can actually add to the playlist.

Bonus Topic - Alice in Wonderland, in all it's variations...discuss.

Bonus Quote - "Faith is a cop-out. If the only way you can accept an assertion is by faith, then you are conceding that it can’t be taken on its own merits."
- Dan Barker...discuss

Night.

The horror of horror!!

**Current track, Gorlliaz - Sound Check** It's my first listening of this track, so as of yet, I cannot pass any judgement on it. =/

Picking up on Nathens' post on horror films:

I am in the main, appalled by modern horror films. The endless blood-letting, the mindless characters, unimaginative stories, the unrealistic situations all contribute to me avoiding them at all costs... accept one.

The film in question is called 'Southern Comfort' and is easily one of the best films I have ever seen. The film revolves around a group of National Guard soldiers on exercises in the swamps of Louisiana. They are armed with the standard M16A1 rifles, backed up with a squad machine gun (sorry, I don't know my MG's - looks like a browning though) all loaded with blank rounds.

They set off into the swamp, following a route on the map, but come across a river that has changed course. They 'borrow' some of the natives' boats to cross the river, and leave a note. However, half way across the river, the owners of the boats come back, and start shouting at them in French. Trouble is, no one speaks French, and as a joke, MG man fires off a burst of blank rounds at the natives. The natives panic, and fire back with rifles, killing the Captain of the men.

So begins a game of cat & mouse with the locals, fighting a war that sees the men hounded and eventually killed off.

What makes this film so much better than more recent films, is that the characters act like the characters they would play in real life - the brave sergeant trying to hold the squad together as one unit, yet failing to the stronger & louder voiced men; the weapons acting as the real life weapons would - ie there are no super human efforts were a man in a bandana firing wildly from the hip is able to shoot hundreds of enemies with one 30 round clip.

The film even has a critical, political undertone - ie Vietnam - now name me one modern horror film that seeks to do that!!

Anyway, enough on the art, that is the film Southern Comfort.

Another point I have on modern horror movies is that they are desensitizing many people to violence. See the often brutal and common beatings that result from a Saturday night drinking in the town - and it’s not just young men - its women as well. Over here they call it 'Ladette culture'. Personally, I see it as a new equality between the sexes.

But I digress - the point is, is that a society that is desensitized to violence is a bad society indeed - and here’s the next clichéd sentence: someone think of the children!!

What kind of example is it setting to them!?

In conclusion: treating humans as mere objects, for cutting up, for sex, or for your own monetary gain is wrong, and the morality of this should, and in my opinion, needs to be questioned in our 'modern' society.

((By the way - notice that the characters in Southern Comfort are not treated as objects - they are treated like ordinary people put into extraordinary situations, though their vices, and also though their virtues, they got into this situation)

Cheaters

So Gary and I have been cheating on you all by having an intelligent conversation behind your backs. We're sorry. Here's what I've got thus far...

Nathan - As for technology, I think I'm a little jaded by my youth in that I've only really seen the Internet explosion, home PCs were somewhat common for most of my youth and while I didn't get my own until I bought one in high school, my family had one since I was a wee little lad. Heading into the future though, I don't know how anyone couldn't be excited about things to come. With the advances in nano-technology and flash storage, we're entering a whole new realm of computing, we're going to see a lot of exciting things, very soon.

I've actually never thought of myself as being dragged down by the machine, because it's typically those systems that help me think outside of the box, or however you want to look at it. I've known for sometime that ideas and theories can only carry you so far. I've always been a world-view kind of guy though, always looking and trying to understand everything that's around me and how it all interacts, that's probably one of the elements that draws me to TW.

Gary - I have found that having a world-view is very inadequate to explain ones’ opinions – it does not allow one to have an imagination & to think outside of the box – for example, my world- view used to be that of a socialist – I ended up ignoring it after a while, as I found that it did not reflect my true opinions, and no amount of flag waving could make up for that.

One of the most important of my opinions is that I believe in a social elite, however, by very definition, socialism disregards that, and seeks to rid society of the social élite. (Or the ‘bourgeoisie’). I think when it comes to this kind of thing (world –views), I am also influenced by a passage from a Haruki Murakami book, Kafka on the shore.

(I am sorry, but I have been waiting to bounce this passage off of someone, but no one has ever shown any interest – so you are going to be the unwilling victim of my digression!! =D )

[quote] “that’s it,” Oshima say. He taps his temple with the rubber end of the pencil. “But there’s one thing I want you to remember, Kafka. Those are precisely the kind of people who murdered Miss Saeki’s’ childhood sweetheart [murdered by a student union in their ‘revolution’] . Narrow mind devoid of imagination. Intolerance theories cut off from reality, empty terminology usurped ideals, inflexible systems. Those are the things that really frighten me. What I absolutely fear & loathe. Of course it’s important to know what’s right and wrong. Individual errors in judgement can usually be corrected. As long as you have the courage to admit mistakes, things can be turned around. But intolerant, narrow minds with no imagination are like parasites that transform the host, change the form and continue to thrive. They’re a lost cause, and I don’t want anyone like that coming in here”.

Oshima points at the stacks [of books] with the tip of his pencil. What he really means, of course, is the entire library.

“I wish I could just laugh off people like that, but I can’t.”[/quote]

I interpret what you said in your last mail ( [quote] I've always been a world-view kind of guy though, always looking and trying to understand everything that's around me and how it all interacts, that's probably one of the elements that draws me to TW.[/quote]) as on of those people that’ll probably agree with what I say here – what’s your opinion??

Nathan - As far as that passage goes, please, I'm sure I'll be dropping quotes on you eventually, so hammer away at me as much as you please. I did enjoy the passage though and I do indeed agree with what it's saying, for the most part. Systems need to be fluid and thoughts malleable as we live in an ever evolving world and what worked yesterday, probably won't work tomorrow...the whole theory of entropy, etc...

However, I do somewhat disagree with your socialist aspect. I'm actually an objectivist, to some degree...altered to fit my own life and situation, but the philosophy more or less, is the same. While I agree that the trouble with inheritance and simplicity of life for those in the social elite versus those in the gutter is quite drastic and gives an unfair advantage to those who start out ahead, in an ideal society - hard work would be paid off appropriately. That is my biggest qualm with socialism, that one is rewarded the same for giving 100% and giving 10%. I hate to say it but it's just human nature to take what they can get and give nothing more if they don't have to.

Probably the two most influential things in my personal philosophy was my childhood psychologist and Ayn Rand's "Atlas Shrugged." As I already mentioned, I'm an objectivist to a degree, which is where AS comes in, but I think it was my psychologist who set me down that path with a very simple metaphor - "Why does a father run into a burning building to save his son?" "Because the pain and guilt of losing his son would hurt much more than any fire could do to him" - it was that statement that made me realize, everyone is self-serving, to some degree. Every action can be traced to some self benefiting result, whether it be conscious, or not. I don't know if that makes sense, I still haven't really been able to articulate my actual philosophy into words, but I'm getting closer it seems.

Gary - As I said before, I am most defiantly not a Socialist – but I disagree with what you say – Marx actually commented that one should be rewarded proportional to the amount of work done. I am not exactly sure how, but that was the upshot of the very same discussion in my politics class once.

I read a bit about the book on Wikipedia, and it seems to me that Rand was just trying to justify Western Capitalism & individualism… Perhaps this book should be added to my reading list. =)

Quick digression – you had a childhood psychologist?? If you don’t mind me asking – why?? (Just ignore this bit if you don’t want to answer ^^ )

I don’t like the idea that all action is motivated by self interest. For example – why does a father run into a burning building to save his son?? Answer – because he loves him & does not want to see him hurt.

I give you that there are simply selfish actions, like if I take my sisters sweets without telling her, for example. But, it’s all in moderation – if one is too concerned about oneself, then one is selfish; however if one cares too little about oneself, then one is selfless, which is a vice as well.

If you’d like me to dig out my philosophy teachers’ theory of action, I’ll send it over for you to have a look at.

Nathan - Remind me later in Weekend Philosophers to bring up the benefits of a global currency. Also, I was wondering if it would be alright with you if I took our ongoing conversation regarding societal policies, and edited into straight conversation form and posted it on WP, hoping to strum up some dialog that way. I understand most people don’t have the hour or so it takes to write up my ridiculous posts, but I’m trying to encourage people to write a little bit, at least on a somewhat regular basis, if nothing else.

I’ve heard good things regarding Chekov, although my own personal reading hasn’t taken me that direction as of yet. Right now I’m drifting towards the utopian writings, like Paradise Lost, and such. I’ve always been interested in the concept of a Utopia, not as an actual goal to aim for, but the fatal flaws of attempting to develop a perfect system. I enjoy discovering the cracks in a societies veneer…somewhat justifies the corruption and weaknesses I note in our own government systems.

When speaking specifically of socialism, I’m not speaking directly of Marx’s theory, per se, as in theory – it’s an excellent work of art. However, the implementation of it is, and has been, difficult at best. China gets away with it through a Big Brother-esque military system keeping their people in line and that’s the only reason they have a thriving communist economy. Most everything is somewhat fictionalized, at least to my understanding, and how can man be as productive as to his potential when he doesn’t even know what’s real or not. Rand does indeed encourage a western capitalist system – she grew up in communist Russia before fleeing to the US, and that has obviously greatly influenced her. She encourages a system that more or less, has never existed in that there would be no government influence whatsoever. While I disagree slightly with this aspect, as we cannot allow monopolies to go around and the place thus some regulation is required, however – as of right now, the government in all parts of the world have too many fingers in the economy, and this only leads to further forms of corruption. This is in stark contradiction with Rand’s concept in which hard work and innovated business practices lead to economic success whereas mooching off others or looting the latest trends, will eventually lead to failure. Rand’s other well known novel, “The Fountainhead” is a brilliant piece of work in its own right, focusing on the power of the individual, and the potential of man as a whole – it’s really more person based rather than society, like “Atlas Shrugged.”

As for the argument as to the motives behind anybody’s actions, it’s an impossible argument one way or another – there are always two sides to the coin, one can say the father is risking his life for personal gain (or avoidance of personal loss) and another could argue just as strongly that he is risking his life for another whom he loves. However, because it’s impossible to have any insight as to what motivates this action, we’ll never know. In all honesty, do we know why we do most things we do? Do we know our own true motivations? How much of it is subconsciously influenced in ways we can’t even comprehend at this point? Rand promoted “rational selfishness” which was more based – not on whims, like stealing candy, but rather on well thought out and executed plans. Basically, she’s asking us to not be guided by God or society, but by our own internal compass.

Gary - A global currency… hmmm. I reckon that the economics behind that would be really complicated… sure would make things easier though. The only example I can think of is the Euro, introduced back in the day in the EU (we didn’t join in though, *insert bitching about British mentality of being an island, here*) the countries with strong currencies such as Germany & France lost out ( I am not too sure of the economics behind it) where as it was much in the benefit of countries like Italy, who had a weak currency. What I am saying is, is that at the moment Britons do very well, when we buy online from other countries – see previous example for details – I sometimes make a point of buying books from the US, because the exchange rate makes it stupidly cheap for me… I am not sure if I would like to give that up.

It’s interesting to hear your taste in literature is more for the utopian. I figure that some of the best art is set in these, and in dystopias. I am still finding my taste in Literature at the moment –it is mostly inspired by role models I have. I don’t think I’ll know exactly what I like until a couple of years worth of reading down the line. After all, literature is not like music – it takes longer, and is more expensive to get hold of. That and, one needs a certain amount of cultural capital in order to hear of it – kind of like Classical music – one needs someone to tell you about it, as it is not in the mainstream of everyday life. In conclusion, I guess one has to look for art that is good, not wait passively for it to come to you on the back of a massive corporate campaign, or hear of it on TV, when watching something that has nothing to do with Art.

The trouble I have always found (prepare yourself for a socialist paragraph) is that parents never have time to sit down and play with their kids – like board games. When both the parents have to go out & work full time to pay the bills, it’s not as if they can come home and spend time with the children. Even if they do have the evening free, all they want to do is flop down on the sofa and watch TV. In this, I reckon that you were very luckily to spend time with your family as a child playing board games – that’s what I really like about the US, is that people have a good attitude toward the family – I kind of got that vibe from Boogieman and other southerners that were in our tribe in RIP. In Britain, not much emphasis is put on bringing up children – probably another ailment of an increasingly secular society.

I have to say that personally I have a very low regard for the virulent, unscrupulous, and sometimes violent multinational companies that seek to force their ‘freedom’ upon us. This links into my hatred of ‘free’ markets, contractualist ethics, and rampant individualism. =)

In this, I have little or no sympathy for western capitalism and democracy, depending on my mood.

I’ll explain my point of view of what the government should be, which may help to explain my view. I regard the government as a doctor, sent in to cure society’s illnesses. There is no place for ‘managerial’ government, where the government seeks to administrate the markets, and to solve disputes, making sure that all stick to a social contract. My ideal government would be in the business of leadership, giving society a series of projects that all aspire to achieve – and it’s not to ban smoking in public places!! (Done a couple of years ago here). The Atlee government of 1945-49 is a good example of the kind of government that should be in power. Pity they got voted out by a selfish and ignorant British public. The government should also be a cultural elite, not the richest candidate.

As for individualism as a theory, I believe it’s inherently flawed. It believes that all have free will, and are able to float about with nothing but self interest, determining their action. Its ignores the important point that humans are not individuals, but are social beings – they live in groups, they always have, and always will. Humans are like ants – one is absolutely useless, but taken as a whole, are a strong being. Humans are not like cats, which are indeed creatures that relay on themselves, and only on themselves. In this, it can be said that humans that are selfish are dysfunctional humans – for they are not contributing anything to the group, and thus everyone, including themselves, will suffer. (The prisoners dilemma is a great example of how being selfish will catch you out. )

So now you know my opinion on current society – I hope I am not too muddled on it.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
So that's where that stands, I am yet to reply as I am forming my rebuttal. For anyone wondering - this is exactly how I foresee conversations going here, as time rolls on. So there you have the set up - take it from there, and I'll try to narrate this conversation once Gary loses Internet (we are going to use snail mail).

Cheers.

Subject lines please, no matter how meaningless they are...

To answer your questions directly - no I have never seen the show Big Love on Showtime, although I've heard good things about it. Perhaps I will rent the first season some weekend and have a marathon.

The answer to your second question is yes - it can go in any direction deemed necessary, gender is negligible.

Here's my logic (albeit, I'm still very busy, so this is abridged yet) - view the modern family: man, wife, 2 kids for the sake of argument. What is the greatest stress on this dynamic? I'm almost willing to bet in most, it comes down to money (or infidelity...). Now add in a third person, regardless of gender, that both already present adult members of the family can equally "love" - all of a sudden we have a person who can take on a third job, providing a third income without greatly increasing the cost of living for the clan...or this person can take up the homemaker position and have a more proactive role raising the kids...or free up one of the fellow members to do the same. I'm not viewing this as one man married to women (or vice verse), I'm viewing this as a true three-way marriage, where it is a mutually understood relationship between all three. This setup has the added benefit of assisting in covering the flaws of your partners, allows for more romance as there is more freedom as all members are flexible to take on multiple roles in the household.

I think I'm rambling and I've lost the plot...that's a good start though, I think. Ask more questions and I'll flesh out from there this weekend. Cheers...I mean, ta.

Big Love

Have you watched the show Big Love on Showtime?

does this polygamy go both ways? multiples of men or multiples of women?

I think dealing with one significant other at a time is all i can handle.

Thoughts on Horror, part 1 - isolation

Good Evening. So I just concluded watching The Ruins, which was not too bad...and made me think about a topic that's very...let's say fascinating to me, although "close to my heart" was a close second - horror movies.

So basically, the plot is...well, four friends get into somewhat of a tight spot while on vacation and get killed off one by one in a foreign land, by a mysterious killer. Man, we've heard that one before - right? So anyways, I say this one wasn't too bad because they played it straight. The "mysterious killer" was something natural, and didn't seem forced and they didn't try to hide it until the end for some crap twist ending. There were obviously some things they could have done a lot better...one scene in particular, could have taken a nod from their predecessors, but unfortunately - in today's horror film industry, the general consensus is that blood sells.

So the basic fear point of this film is isolation - the concept of being alone and facing an unknown danger. There are many ways to approach the isolation horror film, however the most common is to put your group of protagonists in a foreign land (see The Ruins, Hostel). This is a simple plot tool simply because it's universal - what's more frightening than being surrounded by people and not being to ask for help?

~~Unfortunately tonight, I don't have too much elaboration in me...again. Maybe my problem is that I have a million ideas that just don't go very deep...maybe that's why I want you to people, to flesh out my thoughts for me. Anyways, back on topic.~~

Now, my personal favorite (and I doubt I'd find many who disagree) isolation film is easily Jaws. This is a true isolation movie - 3 guys and a boat versus a big ass shark, who at one point you really have to ask yourself...is this shark just fucking with these guys? The true beauty of the isolation technique isn't the killed itself, but rather, the mental anguish the protagonists go through. This is because, at a certain point you realize, either you or your friend are next. You're constantly looking for a means of escape, you're constantly holding in that panic button (although too many characters in the horror movies, fail at this concept), you're constantly looking for a way out or a bargaining chip. Basically, you are forced to go through the five stages of loss on repeat until...well, you die. And then think of the mental anguish if you survive! Would you want to be that sole surviving member in the original Texas Chainsaw Massacre? That's years and years of therapy and even then, I'd be hard pressed to find a well functioning adult after that tragedy.

All in all, isolation is a tricky method to use in causing fear. When in the right hands (Mr. Spielberg), it can be a useful device in not only creating that panic in the audience, but also instantly make your characters personable and they sympathize with their plight. In the wrong hands, however, isolation is just plain boring and/or sinks into the mindless void of slasher films.

I apologize for the poorly written essay, I shall take this core and clean it up a bit, I think...I'll repost when I'm done. Input?

Night.

"All the guys like her? Great...you forgot to say 'away' which makes it sound a little..."

So I'm going to say something out there and controversial. I think marriage, like many other conventional traditions that we follow we blindly, is outdated. I don't think it has properly evolved within the confines of our societal structure and families would be better suited with a strong foundation of adults (I'm talking polygamy). I will elaborate more at a later date.

Also - if you haven't noticed, I found a way to add music to our little game here, so we can listen to music that we're talking about. Here are some quick directions - create an account at Project Playlist. Search add music to a playlist and then get the HTML code and post it here.

"I'm looking for something....subtle" "It's going to be real...colorful"

Good morning! I know in my last post I said tomorrow, but...well, I distracted myself and then the day was gone. My apologies. Also, I apologize in advance as this post isn't going to be nearly as long or analytical as usual. I'm actually going to set it up and let you guys take it away and then bounce back to it when I'm a bit more awake.

Pop Culture Versus Culture - what is it that comprises a societies cultural identity? I think I could objectively define it as books, music, movies, television, video games, print media (newspapers, magazines), art (painting, sculptures, 'modern'), celebrities and sports - not only in what is produced in this society, but also what is popular. Given the recent Olympic games (which I think deserve a post of their own if someone wants to throw out their perceptions from the recent games in Beijing), I think I'd like to focus on sports for at least the first part of this post. Sports, as a whole, I think are underrated, or at least looked down upon by other "cultural elitists" as a simple clashing of two physical entities in frivolous games. First and foremost, let me get this out there - every aspect of culture is frivolous on every measurable scale. That being said, I think culture not only makes up an important aspect of every society, I'd go as far as to say that it is a required element if any society is to thrive. Culture brings entertainment to the masses, keeps morale high and everyone knows, happy workers work while unhappy workers don't...or at least don't do as good of a job. All work and no play make America a dull nation. So back to sports - sports offer society an outlet for our competitive nature. We have an inherent need to feel as if we are the best, but of course, most of us...aren't the best. Therefore, we personalize ourselves with a team or an athlete and through their achievements and success, we achieve and succeed - we feel like we a part of it. And sports and much more complicated beast than people give it credit for. Sports are constantly evolving, always attempting to find that edge over the competition, and just as one trend becomes universal (see NFL spread offenses over the next two season), something new comes along. While every other cultural medium I listed flows seamlessly with trends or fads, sports are the constant sine wave that follows our society, changing much more slowly, like our economy or our political environment. I speak specifically of football, as that's the sport I follow most closely, but I know we could find fans of every sport that regardless of the age of the sport, or the traditions we typically associate, have evolved and adapted for a greater competitive edge.

Music, I think, is the second most important aspect of a society's cultural identity and this is because music is the most diverse of the cultural aspects, which is even more impressive given the relatively similar roots all music has derived from. Somehow, between classical music and traditional, tribal drum-based music, we have achieved an amazingly eclectic tree of musical genres and sounds. In addition, music proudly utilizes the most recent technological advances to bring something new to the table...always going for the latest or the newest sound. Music also is in the unique position of having changed society, or having a major impact on large scale societal changes. Music often represents the sound of the streets, or the sound of the masses, but really - there is a music for everyone, music is universal in that it doesn't discriminate. However, this is where my topic really hits it's stride - pop culture versus culture. Is there any difference, value wise, in some indie production with strong, meaningful lyrics aimed at political or economical issues or some pop song constructed for the soul purpose of selling records? How would one even measure the worth of a cultural entity? Number of people reached? Lasting impression (test of time)? Message? I think completely excusing "pop culture" - the items produced and marketed for the sole purpose of sales over content, is a mistake. I think this is as vital a part of our cultural imprint as anything done in order to invoke change or express strong opinion.

Then there's the cross pollination of culture - the instant celebrity of Olympic heroes like Michael Phelps, Shawn Johnson and Usain Bolt. Then there's the flip-side, like Ashley Harkleroad posing for playboy - positive or negative? This actually leads into my next area of discussion - celebrities and a little insight into their train-wrecks they call lives, but that's for next time I reckon.

So that's my diving board - take it from there people. I'll probably have more at some point in time, possibly even in the next week, but no promises.

Also - Heather and I came up with an awesome idea for an ongoing game or conversation starter that we can kind of finish (or start) each post with. Current song of the moment (what song do you find yourself listening to more and more these days) and this song makes me feel...(list an emotion or feeling, and what song really captures that for you)...then simply elaborate. I'll go first.

Song of the Moment: Belle & Sebastian - Mary Jo. Off their original record, Tigermilk, this little diddy closes the album with perfect ease. It's simple tune and could easily fade into any background comfortable, but where is exceeds - as with all B&S songs, are the melodies and the subtly strong lyrics. The key lines are "Mary Jo, no one can see / What you've been through / Now you've got love to burn"and then ends with a fading round of "Life is never dull in your dreams / A sorry tale of action and the men you left for / Women, and the men you left for / Intrigue, and the men you left for dead." The song is essentially about the regrettable lose of youth and innocence, which I think all of us go through in that moment when we realize...we aren't kids anymore, we are guilty beings (and I didn't even need Catholicism to tell me that one), and we've made mistakes. Our own mortality becomes apparent in that moment - we make mistakes, and through mistakes, it becomes evident that we will someday die (maybe I'm the only one who makes that connection, but either way - it's there).

Song That Makes Me Feel...Nostalgic: The Elected - Greetings in Braille. One of my top songs (actually has been in the top five since I first heard it), this captures perfectly that idea that we aren't who we were when we were kids anymore, yet simultaneously, we aren't really ready to handle what the world has to throw at us yet either. Key line - "And I miss Tara and Melissa, Allen and John. / And you'll never have friends like you did when you were young. / But our bodies were pulled away and swept out to the sea / And I'd call and say hi if I thought you'd remember me." It'll be interesting to see how the Internet effects childhood friendships as we all grow older, already we're seeing a difference as I've kept up with more people through the Internet (all of you, for example), than I would have ever imagined and definitely wouldn't have had this option not been here. However, even as the Internet is changing the way we view and react to friendships, the sentiment is the same - the friendships when we were young were unbeatable, and even if we stay in touch or we keep contact with those individuals - those bonds of friendship we shared when we were young, they will never be matched, they will never be replicated and it's very easy to miss those, to regret wasting those days away - but it was wasting those days that made them so memorable. Perhaps that's a missing lesson in all of this - the most memorable days are those we wasted.

That's all I have. I recently got the Sims 2 IKEA Stuff and the Sims 2 Apartment Life, so I'm going to fiddle around with that for an unhealthy amount of time. Ta.

Hole in the Wall

Good evening everybody - who's ready for today's post?

First and foremost, welcome to my pal Gary - the first international user here, hopefully not the last.

Next, in my pondering of what might stir up a good post AND instill a little sense of community here within the group, I came up with an excellent idea for a post, with a little help from a friend. Basically - a little personal survey because come on - who doesn't like talking about themselves? So anyways, I've swiped these 10 topics to discuss about yourself, it will give the rest of us a good idea of where you're coming from (more or less) and get us all a bit more open with each other...in theory, once again. Also, please elaborate - open ended answers drive conversations.

Personal Survey

1. First Name: Nathan. I'm not particularly sure how I feel about the name Nathan, or to be more specific - Nathaniel. The entire concept of being named by your parents is somewhat self - defeating in my mind. A name should be reflective of one's self and while I may or may not be a Nathan, in terms of generalizing a name, sometimes I don't feel like one. That being said, I anticipate naming my own children - Tori and I already have names picked out, whether we actually go with them or not, I don't know. We're assuming 2 boys (August Always, Sebastian Royce) and 2 girls (Anna Marie Kimberly (I'll call her Kayla Lynn because I'm like that), Kahlan Veda), but we'll see.
   
   
2. Age: 22, although I'm less than a month away from 23. I'm not really sure how I feel about age either - it's a tricky subject. I still have to pause and think about it when someone asks me how old I am because, frankly, I don't feel like I'm 22. I work with people much older than me, my employees are older than my mom, and I'm the youngest of my group of friends... At times, I feel older than my age - maybe it's the stresses of work, I never felt that way at Taco Bell...maybe it's just getting older and I'm multiplying the effect in my mind. At other times, however, I feel younger than my age - this is probably because I have no bearing on where I'm supposed to be at this stage...some of my friends are done with college and have moved on to good jobs, others have messed around and are still working near minimum wage jobs and then I'm there in the middle - I'm working management, going to school, where do I go from here? Where do I fit in? It's very contradicting and confusing.
   
   
3. Location: Kalamazoo, MI. The real question here should be - how long will I be here? As soon as I'm done with school, I'm hoping to find myself a job elsewhere so I can move. I've got nothing against Kalamazoo, at least something compared to how I felt when I left for college, but overall - I think the town doesn't offer me as much as other towns could. As I mentioned in various other posts, I'm looking for a suburb of a major city, I think, but where I truly land - I have no idea at this point.

4. Occupation/Education: Well, first and foremost, I work as a housekeeping manager up in Allegan, which is a good 45 minute drive to the northwest of Kalamazoo. I also go to school, ITT Tech in the programming department, in Grand Rapids, which is a good hour drive north of Kalamazoo (an hour northeast of Allegan as well). All in all, because of these two factors, I'm dropping a quarter of my paycheck ($200-250) on gas every other week. Right now work is pretty hectic and even before everything else that's going on, I was questioning my satisfaction in the work. I've never been truly unhappy doing the job (I was miserable at Taco Bell, which was my previous employer), but I'm rarely satisfied with my work either. I find myself struggling often because, quite frankly, I'm not a clean guy...I'm not a total slob, but when asked to spot little detail things that I'm expected to and required to notice. I'm currently looking, albeit somewhat passively, for something different. I'm even willing to take a slight pay cut if it's in Kalamazoo, to offset all the driving. I have a potential interview at my dad's work, but it's still thirty minutes away and it's more of a pay cut than I might be willing to take given the drive still exists. As for school - I'm about a year away from an associates and I love programming, I honestly can't wait until I'm done. On the other hand, this associates I'm getting isn't going to get me very far and the local ITT doesn't offer the bachelor program from programming, which means either I get lucky and end up with a new job in a town with an ITT that has the bachelor program, or I have to find a new school to finish off that degree so I can really make a splash in the business world when I'm done. Therefore, both of these places are in complete limbo and that's just about the short end of it.
   
   
5. Partner: I'm married! I know, crazy, right? Well, I'm married to a wonderful woman, Tori (Victoria) who loves me despite all my problems. We met at BD's Mongolian BBQ, which is an excellent restaurant here in town (it's a chain, I was familiar with them prior to them opening here). My roommates at the time and I would go two or three (or more) times a week and eventually, I got to know most of the waitresses pretty well, and overtime we met and talked and then we hung out one day and since then, we've only been apart a total of 5 nights...literally, we spent that first night together and most night since then. We've been married for over two years now and it's not always easy, but we make it through somehow. The funny part about our marriage is that 1) we eloped on our third month anniversary and 2) on our one month anniversary, she totaled my car and THAT was when I knew I'd marry her. So we're not traditional, but we're happy and that's all that matters, isn't it?
   
   
6. Kids: As I already mentioned, we plan on having four kids (right now), although we admit that the number may change as we discover the harsh reality and troubles of actually raising children. We both love children, although we both have clear flaws when it comes to children (patience, ability to be serious) that we know we will have to greatly improve before the big day arrives. Currently we are off birth control, in case you were wondering, and taking a "if it happens, it happens" approach - we're not putting any pressure on ourselves to pop one out this year or anything, but we think we're ready enough now that we're willing to give it a shot.
   
   
7. Pets: We have two wild and crazy dogs - Henri (Henrik) and Cuppie (Cummupins - pronounced like Comeuppance). The former is a Beagle/Bassett Hound (we think) and the latter is a Beagle/Jack Russell. Basically - they are the most fun on four feet and everyone loves them...even if Cuppie tends to get into people's faces all too often. We hope, when we move, to get a place with bit more land for them to run around in (with a fence because neither would hesitate to run away, unfortunately) and likely get a cat someday as well, although I think the adjustment for the two troublemakers to a cat would be a bit of a stretch, so we'll see. We'll have to be very careful as to how we approach that future. I also have fish ambitions, but no plans to implement those as of any time soon.
   
   
8. List the 3-5 biggest things going on in your life:
1. School: As I already mentioned, this is an ongoing process in my life. When I graduated high school, I got a full ride to RIT (Rochester Institute of Technology) which gave me the best 12 months (approximately four quarters) of my life, but unfortunately, I didn't get a whole lot of anywhere with my time there as far as education goes. I started out as a mechanical engineer, unfortunately - it turns out, that's not what I wanted to be, so I jumped over to accounting (after my father) and then ran to mathematics (my strength) prior to calling it quits - I had lost my scholarship because of grades, I was working part time at Taco Bell again to afford things and overall, I didn't see why spending 30k/year to figure out what I want to do with my life would be beneficial to anybody. So I dropped out, moved to Kalamazoo, and now I'm going to ITT for programming, which I could have taken at RIT but alas...didn't realize my own potential in that field at the time. Write it off as a youthful indiscretion and move on. I have more friends from my time at RIT than high school, and I really wish I had kept up with more of them more often...hopefully I can trick some of them into joining me here.
   
2. Work: So I started working at Taco Bell when I was 15, before my 19th birthday I was a manager and before my 20th birthday, an assistant store manager and just after that, I worked as an interim store manager for 2 months. Shortly after that, however, I quit. I quit Taco Bell because they hired someone to take the place of store manager and after six months in a three month training they still didn't know anything, so when put in charge - everything fell apart and who was called upon to fix it? It was very frustrating that I was not thought of as "mature" enough and didn't take my responsibility "seriously" enough for consideration for promotion. In retrospect, I can see their point, but I'm still a tad bitter in their decision to pass me over when I knew my stuff better than anyone else who had held the position before me and I'm guessing, since. After a month of unemployment, which was heartbreaking for me, I landed my present job which has been a roller coaster ride if nothing else. In my two years in the nursing home business, I've been in two buildings full time - I've had 5 administrators, 6 director of nurses and countless other admin positions cycling in and out like months in a year. In my 21 months at [my building], I've become the second most senior person in morning meetings (in terms of longevity in present position), which I guess says something about my abilities in my own position, but really - the place is in constant turnover and recent events guarntee another year, if not more, of the same. Very frustrating. Also, I hate dealing with employees - hiring, firing, etc...all a big headache I'd be better off avoiding, in my opinion. Oh well, not really an option, is it? A large part of me doesn't see myself as management material, but I guess a large majority of others do...so I'm kind of stuck at this point.
3. Health: Well, overall I'm a pretty healthy guy, I'd say - I could shed a few pounds, if I'm being honest with myself. Right now, however, my biggest concern is my left shoulder which I dislocated in January of '06. When I dislocated, the doctor's told me that my cartilage hadn't healed back correctly and I would someday require surgery in order to repair the damage. Well, unfortunately, I think this day may come sooner rather than later, as lately my arm has been popping out much easier and frequently than the two years prior, which is increasingly painful, not to mention the soreness and stiffness. I have an appointment on the 5th with my new doctor and I plan on getting the ball rolling on getting the surgery done so I can have my arm back to full ability.
4. Leisure: Right now, I spend most of my time playing Tribal Wars, although I'm hoping to get back into the Sims 2 (as soon as I get Apartment Life...come on birthday money) and maybe even Spore someday soon. Besides that, I'm all about music and (American) football. Seeing as autumn is rolling in nicely, it's almost time for the NFL season and I couldn't be more excited. My other love, music, is one obsession that I hope will never die, although it has taken a recent backseat because of monetary issues. I used to buy 2 or 3 CDs a week, at one point, but recently, I'll be lucky to get that in a three month span. I'm hoping someday to get back to my new music hounding ways.
5. Miscellaneous: See I put this on here as a kind of free section to talk about whatever, however - I've already typed so much and covered so many aspects of my life, I really don't have much to go on. Feel free to put something of your own here though.
   
   
9. Family: Well - my mom works in Washington, D.C. for the secretary of defense, which isn't nearly as exciting as it sounds. My dad works in Plainwell (thirty minutes north of Kalamazoo), but lives in Marshall (thirty minutes east of Kalamazoo), so he suffers the same as me when it comes to driving. I have two half-brothers (brothers from another mother, as I like to remind them). Doug, the eldest (October 1979) lives in California, is a divorced, but now engaged and is awesome because he works for Google (which is actually more exciting than it sounds) - I too wish to get in good with Google, if through him or through my own skills. My other brother, Jamie (January 1981) lives in Vicksburg (thirty minutes south of Kalamazoo). He is married with two kids - Jessie (4) and Cody (2). Cody is cool because he's built like an offensive lineman and laughs every time he falls down, even if he hits his head on the table or something. Jessie is a character - she once stabbed me in the eye with a fork while I was napping and I plan on bringing that up the rest of my life. Jamie works for Flowserve, which produces industrial seals and whatnot, it's actually the largest international company based in Kalamazoo with a net worth well over 1 mil, or something like that (I suppose 1 mil isn't that much in modern times, is it?). Pretty neat. As for my wife's family - I went from no sisters to four (Erica - the missing one (I've only met her twice), Lexi, Lauren and Morgan) and got to add a brother (Parker). Thus far, I have no qualms with them...I probably have more beefs with my various sides of family than them, so that's good I suppose.
   
   
10. Friends: Finally, #10 - I have only one true friend of note and that's Josh. I spend all the time I can with Josh and he is my undeniable heterosexual life partner. I have other friends, in theory and in mutual respect, but in terms of spending an abundant amount of time with a person and sharing otherwise private information - Josh is only beat out by my wife and no one else comes close.

So that's it - feel free to copy down the questions and write out your own responses. Sorry for my short story worth of self promotion, but I had a good time. Maybe that's what I'm in this for - getting to see myself type up massive amounts of nothing, just for the satisfaction of forcing others to read my run-on sentences. Seriously though, something about seeing my little fingers jump across the keyboard and see my thoughts displayed so uniformly on a computer screen...something about that, I don't know...it amazes me. That's it for tonight - tomorrow, culture versus pop culture, night. I mean - ta.