Ah, the holidays, a time of celebration, relaxation, and consumption. Christmas gives us a reason to be with friends and family. Hanukkah is incentive to kick back and chug some eggnog, and Kwanzaa is why we spend so much money on crap we'll never use. And it just so happens to be my favorite part of the year.
The cold weather and jolly holiday spirit validates my slothful lazing around, doing absolutely nothing, not that I needed a reason. I should be working on apps right now, but fuck it! It's Christmas, I deserve to unwind. The holidays give us something to strive for in our pathetic day-to-day lives, a short-term purpose.
But the holiday season also reeks of hypocrisy. The purpose of Christmas or any of the aforementioned holidays is to give, goodwill and love to all. Giving usually implies presents, fueling the absolutely unstoppable behemoth inundation of consumerism. While we clamor and gibe about giving to the less fortunate, about how "giving is better than receiving," it's plain to see that at the back of everyone's mind is a simple and irrevocable desire to have more stuff. And because we're a species of followers, once everyone decided to follow this pattern of behavior, everyone does. But this is one of those hypocrisies that are relatively harmless. What does it matter if little Timmy says one thing but really feels another? It's the holidays! Nobody cares if you're a hypocrite because they're too busy engorging themselves on turkeys and trips to the mall.
One of the most tragically humorous things about me is that while I'm shamelessly cynical and pessimistic, my tasty nougat center is composed entirely of romanticism. I'm a big huggy-wuggy teddy bear at heart, if by teddy bear you mean ferocious polar bear defending her cub. But in all seriousness, there are things that make me melt, like the movie Atonement, polar bear cubs, and corny romantic gestures. It provides a nice balance to my personality. The holiday season should also be on that list. It's a time of togetherness, love, and happiness. A time where we should all set aside pointless bickering, grudges, and ill-disguised animosity. You can resume that shit after New Year's, I don't have a problem with that. But somewhere around this time, I feel myself smiling a lot more (which is like once a day as opposed to the perpetual grimace I have on most of the time), prone to outbursts of Christmas songs, and just generally jolly and jovial, like a big fat Santa Claus. If you want to see an anomaly, just look at me during Christmastime. If I'm willing to brush off hypocrisy, then you know something's going down.
So dismiss the usual message I give out through this blog. Forget contemplating the meaningless of life, forget pondering the futility of being nice to people, forget musing the benefits of staying true to yourself and loving only what truly matters, forget wondering whether unconditional love exists or not, forget ruminating the downfalls of a capitalistic society.
Forget it all and just enjoy the holidays. One love, bruddah.
PS. The holidays make me hornier than a rhinoceros with genital warts.
Saturday, December 20, 2008
Friday, December 19, 2008
Peepz
Geographically, in the greater sense of the universe, human beings have been around for a few thousand years, effectively surviving and thriving in the time it took Jason Biggs' character to have an orgasm in American Pie.Isn't it remarkable, then, that in that extremely short amount of time, we've caused so much degradation, destroyed so many habitats, and ruined the lives of so many other species on earth, along with ourselves? We are capable of so much more than the wildebeest living in Africa, and yet we have consistently, time after time, done just as much bad as we have good.
The 'good' I speak of, of course, refers to what we've done to propel ourselves up the ladder in the animal kingdom - what inventions we've made to prevent us from being lion food, the weapons we've forged to fight off the Megalodons. In other words, all that we've done as a species is ensure our further propagation. I suppose you could call that a success, and indeed that's what animals use to mark their success in the world, whether or not they can survive. The only things we've done are entirely self-serving, and utterly meaningless in the scope of the universe.
Everything is meaningless in the cosmic sense. Nothing ever holds significance because it's all going to be gone when the Big Crunch happens. Armed with that knowledge in mind, wouldn't it be ideal for everyone on earth to just get along? The wars, the conflicts over oil and energy and money are all futile because you're all going to die. That's just the reality. I believe the phrase "Make love, not war," applies about ten times over in this situation. Life is what you make of it, and when you fill it with war, self-righteousness, and hypocrisies, one would think you're doomed to a life of misery, but they somehow manage to still believe what they're doing is right.
People are vain. They're susceptible to making rash decisions based on impulse and floods of hormones. That's what makes us human. What else makes us human? The ability to make rational decisions and exercise judgment. That, in my opinion, is what we should pride ourselves on. But history shows us that the average human is more likely to act impulsively, aggressively, fearfully, and without reason. See: the Crusades, the Spanish Inquisition, the Holocaust. Whatever we can't control, we actively seek to destroy so that the issue of not being able to control it no longer bothers us. But look at what rationality and reasoning has brought us. Democracy, the notion of liberty, business, and countless other things. There's almost a perpetual split between absolute pants-on-head retarded impulsiveness and stalwart rational thought. We humans, we're in a permanent state of drifting between PMS and normality. And when it's that time of the month, our periods are so bad we need to control it with medication.
In all seriousness, this whole, very rambly and inarticulate entry was just to show how my misanthropy has kind of tempered. Mankind is capable of the worst things you can imagine. We will commit atrocities without a second thought, all in the name of some abstract cause. But in the rare instances where we aren't indulging our impulsive whims, like juggling breadsticks, we're capable of so much. We can improve our world in so many ways, we just have to take our birth control pills and start taking the initiative. Because when the time comes, we'll want to have something to show to the Tralfamadorians. And I believe we're fully capable of that if we just try. The Greeks did it, our Founding Fathers did it, and our economic prosperity speaks volumes of our success. Just gotta pull our heads out of our asses and stop yapping about terrorists. There are more pressing matters, like building hovercars and colonizing Mars.
PS. I expect absolutely no one to get the jokes I made in this entry. And by no one, I mean stupid people.
The 'good' I speak of, of course, refers to what we've done to propel ourselves up the ladder in the animal kingdom - what inventions we've made to prevent us from being lion food, the weapons we've forged to fight off the Megalodons. In other words, all that we've done as a species is ensure our further propagation. I suppose you could call that a success, and indeed that's what animals use to mark their success in the world, whether or not they can survive. The only things we've done are entirely self-serving, and utterly meaningless in the scope of the universe.
Everything is meaningless in the cosmic sense. Nothing ever holds significance because it's all going to be gone when the Big Crunch happens. Armed with that knowledge in mind, wouldn't it be ideal for everyone on earth to just get along? The wars, the conflicts over oil and energy and money are all futile because you're all going to die. That's just the reality. I believe the phrase "Make love, not war," applies about ten times over in this situation. Life is what you make of it, and when you fill it with war, self-righteousness, and hypocrisies, one would think you're doomed to a life of misery, but they somehow manage to still believe what they're doing is right.
People are vain. They're susceptible to making rash decisions based on impulse and floods of hormones. That's what makes us human. What else makes us human? The ability to make rational decisions and exercise judgment. That, in my opinion, is what we should pride ourselves on. But history shows us that the average human is more likely to act impulsively, aggressively, fearfully, and without reason. See: the Crusades, the Spanish Inquisition, the Holocaust. Whatever we can't control, we actively seek to destroy so that the issue of not being able to control it no longer bothers us. But look at what rationality and reasoning has brought us. Democracy, the notion of liberty, business, and countless other things. There's almost a perpetual split between absolute pants-on-head retarded impulsiveness and stalwart rational thought. We humans, we're in a permanent state of drifting between PMS and normality. And when it's that time of the month, our periods are so bad we need to control it with medication.
In all seriousness, this whole, very rambly and inarticulate entry was just to show how my misanthropy has kind of tempered. Mankind is capable of the worst things you can imagine. We will commit atrocities without a second thought, all in the name of some abstract cause. But in the rare instances where we aren't indulging our impulsive whims, like juggling breadsticks, we're capable of so much. We can improve our world in so many ways, we just have to take our birth control pills and start taking the initiative. Because when the time comes, we'll want to have something to show to the Tralfamadorians. And I believe we're fully capable of that if we just try. The Greeks did it, our Founding Fathers did it, and our economic prosperity speaks volumes of our success. Just gotta pull our heads out of our asses and stop yapping about terrorists. There are more pressing matters, like building hovercars and colonizing Mars.
PS. I expect absolutely no one to get the jokes I made in this entry. And by no one, I mean stupid people.
Thursday, December 18, 2008
We don't need no education
In the time it took for me to read this article, plus however long it took for me to start giving a shit, I've had the time to ponder whether a college education is truly crucial to getting ahead in this world. It's not complete, however, without a rant on how this article rings true in almost every regard. And about how it applies to me, of course.
In this day and age, a college education is practically required to get anywhere in life. You want to be a lawyer? Go to law school. You want to teach? Gotta earn a Postgraduate Certificate in Education. The job scene is so competitive and dog-eat-dog that a post-secondary education is the bare minimum for getting a job. You'll need leadership experience, the ability to perform well under pressure, to able to work with other people, and have creative ideas and a drive to succeed. College prepares you for all that while bolstering your knowledge. Anyone who can graduate from college is practically guaranteed a job, unless they decide to go flip rocks on the corner instead of meeting with a lawyer.
But success is what you make of it. Someone could be working a minimum wage deal at a coffee shop or book store or something for several years, get promoted to manager and continue working there for the rest of their life. They didn't go to college, didn't major and excel in a competitive field, but they're just as happy as the person who secured a lucrative position at a law firm. Likewise, someone could be begging for money in a college town for thirty years and they could be just as happy. People who get college educations can hardly look down on them and judge, "Man, why don't you make something of your life, like I did?" because you don't know what their situation is. Also, someone like that is a really big douchebag.
I suppose another reason why you go to college is for the experience you get alongside whatever education you pursue. You meet people, do exciting things, learn about yourself. And in a way, that could be more important than any silly psychology major. Is it necessary? Probably not. Is it enlightening? Absolutely. And it is my opinion that knowledge and self-enlightenment take precedent over anything else in life. You could take ecstasy and achieve the same thing; college is just another tool with which "to discover yourself."
The aforementioned article is interesting and thought-provoking, to know that the world's elite, this nation's top students are not only as messed up as the rest of us, but also probably going to do even worse than we are, in the long run. The advantage of a big, public university versus a small, tiny one is just that - the size. In a public university, it's a dog-eat-dog world; the professors, students, and system will chew you up and spit you out if you so much as sneeze, whereas in a school like Harvard, hell, like Claremont or Swathmore, there's individualized attention, as the teacher-to-student ratio is quite small, compared to the veritable crowds that you would see at UC Berkeley. According to the article, once you get in, it's a cakewalk - extensions are abound, you can miss class with impunity, and clemency is available if you ask for it. In that sense, then, you can make the argument that public universities, the schools were the crowds will eat you alive, prepare you better for whatever is out there in the workplace.
I guess a sense of superiority is festering in me when I think to myself "Public school is going to brutalize me, but I'm going to be much better prepared for whatever is lurking under the surface than those Ivy League scumbags." But that could just be the fact that I can't get into an Ivy League even if I mailed them a certain appendage in tribute.
What's life like for the kids that graduate from an Ivy League school? They become rich and famous? Practically swim in the piles of money that their jobs afford them? Live cushy, comfortable lives? For some reason, that just doesn't appeal to me either. Again, this may be because I'm seething in jealousy, but it's also because that kind of life is terribly predictable. Wake up, go to work, do absolutely nothing because you're set for life. I want to be a lawyer, sure, but I'm not just going to go to the office and review briefs every day. I'll dabble in various aspects of the law, maybe go to court, criminal law - I'll make and ensure my life is about learning different things and loving everything I do. Mr. Millionaire from Yale may be able to squeeze in sky-diving and having sex with Gisele Bundchen in between his lunch meeting with Donald Trump and those guys from Saudi Arabia, but that's never the case. You're not living when you do the same thing over and over.
To sum up, I'm not worried about not going to an Ivy League school. I can still get an excellent education from the schools I've applied and am going to apply to. To me, getting an education isn't just learning things that are important to whatever field you want to go into - it's preparing for the next big step. And while I would love to party down at Colombia some day, it wouldn't be giving me the toolset I need to survive in the next life. I do need an education somewhere though, God be damned if I start begging for change down at Telegraph Avenue near Rasputin's.
God, I can't wait for college. Probably will be the most terrifying journey I'll ever take, but I have a distinct feeling it'll be very much enjoyable.
PS. Thanks for the article. Also, thanks for nothing. And for chlamydia. You're supposed to finish your course of antibiotics!
In this day and age, a college education is practically required to get anywhere in life. You want to be a lawyer? Go to law school. You want to teach? Gotta earn a Postgraduate Certificate in Education. The job scene is so competitive and dog-eat-dog that a post-secondary education is the bare minimum for getting a job. You'll need leadership experience, the ability to perform well under pressure, to able to work with other people, and have creative ideas and a drive to succeed. College prepares you for all that while bolstering your knowledge. Anyone who can graduate from college is practically guaranteed a job, unless they decide to go flip rocks on the corner instead of meeting with a lawyer.
But success is what you make of it. Someone could be working a minimum wage deal at a coffee shop or book store or something for several years, get promoted to manager and continue working there for the rest of their life. They didn't go to college, didn't major and excel in a competitive field, but they're just as happy as the person who secured a lucrative position at a law firm. Likewise, someone could be begging for money in a college town for thirty years and they could be just as happy. People who get college educations can hardly look down on them and judge, "Man, why don't you make something of your life, like I did?" because you don't know what their situation is. Also, someone like that is a really big douchebag.
I suppose another reason why you go to college is for the experience you get alongside whatever education you pursue. You meet people, do exciting things, learn about yourself. And in a way, that could be more important than any silly psychology major. Is it necessary? Probably not. Is it enlightening? Absolutely. And it is my opinion that knowledge and self-enlightenment take precedent over anything else in life. You could take ecstasy and achieve the same thing; college is just another tool with which "to discover yourself."
The aforementioned article is interesting and thought-provoking, to know that the world's elite, this nation's top students are not only as messed up as the rest of us, but also probably going to do even worse than we are, in the long run. The advantage of a big, public university versus a small, tiny one is just that - the size. In a public university, it's a dog-eat-dog world; the professors, students, and system will chew you up and spit you out if you so much as sneeze, whereas in a school like Harvard, hell, like Claremont or Swathmore, there's individualized attention, as the teacher-to-student ratio is quite small, compared to the veritable crowds that you would see at UC Berkeley. According to the article, once you get in, it's a cakewalk - extensions are abound, you can miss class with impunity, and clemency is available if you ask for it. In that sense, then, you can make the argument that public universities, the schools were the crowds will eat you alive, prepare you better for whatever is out there in the workplace.
I guess a sense of superiority is festering in me when I think to myself "Public school is going to brutalize me, but I'm going to be much better prepared for whatever is lurking under the surface than those Ivy League scumbags." But that could just be the fact that I can't get into an Ivy League even if I mailed them a certain appendage in tribute.
What's life like for the kids that graduate from an Ivy League school? They become rich and famous? Practically swim in the piles of money that their jobs afford them? Live cushy, comfortable lives? For some reason, that just doesn't appeal to me either. Again, this may be because I'm seething in jealousy, but it's also because that kind of life is terribly predictable. Wake up, go to work, do absolutely nothing because you're set for life. I want to be a lawyer, sure, but I'm not just going to go to the office and review briefs every day. I'll dabble in various aspects of the law, maybe go to court, criminal law - I'll make and ensure my life is about learning different things and loving everything I do. Mr. Millionaire from Yale may be able to squeeze in sky-diving and having sex with Gisele Bundchen in between his lunch meeting with Donald Trump and those guys from Saudi Arabia, but that's never the case. You're not living when you do the same thing over and over.
To sum up, I'm not worried about not going to an Ivy League school. I can still get an excellent education from the schools I've applied and am going to apply to. To me, getting an education isn't just learning things that are important to whatever field you want to go into - it's preparing for the next big step. And while I would love to party down at Colombia some day, it wouldn't be giving me the toolset I need to survive in the next life. I do need an education somewhere though, God be damned if I start begging for change down at Telegraph Avenue near Rasputin's.
God, I can't wait for college. Probably will be the most terrifying journey I'll ever take, but I have a distinct feeling it'll be very much enjoyable.
PS. Thanks for the article. Also, thanks for nothing. And for chlamydia. You're supposed to finish your course of antibiotics!
Wednesday, December 17, 2008
Another list of people I admire
With the prospect of six weeks of absolute freedom from anything and everything, I've decided to return to regular blog updates. I wouldn't want my skills atrophied over this exceptionally long break. Without further ado, here's the exciting sequel to a list of people I admire.
Alan Moore: I would go so far to call this graphic novelist, comic book writer, a visionary. Author of amazing works such as Watchmen, V for Vendetta, Batman: The Killing Joke, and The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen, all of which are imaginative, exciting, and well-drawn, Moore also manages to combine adult thematic material with fantastical settings and characters. The juxtaposition of the two makes every one of his works utterly flawless. Leo Tolstoy and Fyodor Dostoevsky be damned, Alan Moore can bend your mind with naked blue men contemplating the misery of man's existence while building a gigantic palace on Mars. That's just as awesome as it sounds.
Natalie Portman: She isn't just the ideal woman, beautiful, talented, and Jewish; she's the ideal human being. Smarter than most of you, more beautiful than the skinniest supermodel, and an extraordinarily talented actress, Ms. Portman is just perfection. Furthermore, she's done a lot of things to alleviate poverty in other countries, namely the promotion of microfinance. While it hasn't taken off yet, the fact that she's actively pursuing it, by lecturing at various college campuses and such, means she's leagues above those superficial bitches you see on The Hills or something. Marry me, Ms. Portman.
Man, what is it with me and Jewish girls?
John F. Kennedy: I used to think he was the most overrated president of all time until I looked closely at what he's done. JFK was the manifestation of the emerging youth/hippie culture that was emerging at the time, and every one of his policies reflect a move towards peace and love. While he still had the Cold War to contend with, he didn't openly condemn the Soviet Union and risk mutually assured destruction. Impeded by a bunch of warmongering douchebags and a bullet to the face, he could've done so much more for the world. Imagine if he'd handled the Vietnam War instead of inciting it like Lyndon B. Johnson did. On second thought, if JFK had handled it like he handled all foreign crises, I'd probably be living in Vietnam right now, and not blogging. Probably de-mining the rice fields.
Nas: His catchy beats, excellent rhymes, and deep, thought-provoking lyrics, Nas is easily one of the greatest hip-hop artists of all time. It was a toss-up between him and Lupe Fiasco and Immortal Technique, but Nas' debut album was called Illmatic, and that, in a word, is ill. This man speaks from the heart, and the glorification of the ghetto, "hoes," and drug use are not the main attractions. Rather, gritty, first-hand experiences with the dark side of inner cities and urban desolation is what this guy talks about. Combine that with his clever plays on various words and vocabulary that would make me blush and you've got a recipe for one damn good rapper and musician.
Indiana Jones: Ah, the three Indiana Jones movies. I'm so glad they decided to leave it be after they made three movies. So glad Spielberg and Lucas didn't milk the franchise for what sweet, juicy milk it had left. Indiana Jones is the ideal that everyone wants to be. A savvy adventurer with the ability to kick ass, take names, and save priceless artifacts that melt people's faces. The "everyman" notion appeals greatly to us when we look at Indiana Jones and kind of makes us feel like even we, the dreary, day-to-day, paycheck-to-paycheck, white collar worker can break out of the ordinary and do something awesome, like swinging over a pit of spikes using a bullwhip and breaking up a child labor ring.
Jesus of Nazareth Jesus, the embodiment of all that is good within the hearts of humanity. Unfortunately for him, he vastly underestimated all that was wrong with humanity, like greed and intolerance. But you have to give him props for being so consistent in his kindness. Healing the poor, turning water into wine, and walking on water, his miracles inspired what goodness mankind can afford to summon, which is sadly not much. Atrocities have been committed in the name of God, of religion, but that's not the fucking point of religion, now is it? The point is to be like Jesus, to be kind, forgiving, and benevolent. Just goes to show you that not even divine intervention can efface the worst mankind has to offer.
I think I may be missing someone...nah. That's probably it. i love you, my three readers, if even that. <3
Alan Moore: I would go so far to call this graphic novelist, comic book writer, a visionary. Author of amazing works such as Watchmen, V for Vendetta, Batman: The Killing Joke, and The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen, all of which are imaginative, exciting, and well-drawn, Moore also manages to combine adult thematic material with fantastical settings and characters. The juxtaposition of the two makes every one of his works utterly flawless. Leo Tolstoy and Fyodor Dostoevsky be damned, Alan Moore can bend your mind with naked blue men contemplating the misery of man's existence while building a gigantic palace on Mars. That's just as awesome as it sounds.
Natalie Portman: She isn't just the ideal woman, beautiful, talented, and Jewish; she's the ideal human being. Smarter than most of you, more beautiful than the skinniest supermodel, and an extraordinarily talented actress, Ms. Portman is just perfection. Furthermore, she's done a lot of things to alleviate poverty in other countries, namely the promotion of microfinance. While it hasn't taken off yet, the fact that she's actively pursuing it, by lecturing at various college campuses and such, means she's leagues above those superficial bitches you see on The Hills or something. Marry me, Ms. Portman.
Man, what is it with me and Jewish girls?
John F. Kennedy: I used to think he was the most overrated president of all time until I looked closely at what he's done. JFK was the manifestation of the emerging youth/hippie culture that was emerging at the time, and every one of his policies reflect a move towards peace and love. While he still had the Cold War to contend with, he didn't openly condemn the Soviet Union and risk mutually assured destruction. Impeded by a bunch of warmongering douchebags and a bullet to the face, he could've done so much more for the world. Imagine if he'd handled the Vietnam War instead of inciting it like Lyndon B. Johnson did. On second thought, if JFK had handled it like he handled all foreign crises, I'd probably be living in Vietnam right now, and not blogging. Probably de-mining the rice fields.
Nas: His catchy beats, excellent rhymes, and deep, thought-provoking lyrics, Nas is easily one of the greatest hip-hop artists of all time. It was a toss-up between him and Lupe Fiasco and Immortal Technique, but Nas' debut album was called Illmatic, and that, in a word, is ill. This man speaks from the heart, and the glorification of the ghetto, "hoes," and drug use are not the main attractions. Rather, gritty, first-hand experiences with the dark side of inner cities and urban desolation is what this guy talks about. Combine that with his clever plays on various words and vocabulary that would make me blush and you've got a recipe for one damn good rapper and musician.
Indiana Jones: Ah, the three Indiana Jones movies. I'm so glad they decided to leave it be after they made three movies. So glad Spielberg and Lucas didn't milk the franchise for what sweet, juicy milk it had left. Indiana Jones is the ideal that everyone wants to be. A savvy adventurer with the ability to kick ass, take names, and save priceless artifacts that melt people's faces. The "everyman" notion appeals greatly to us when we look at Indiana Jones and kind of makes us feel like even we, the dreary, day-to-day, paycheck-to-paycheck, white collar worker can break out of the ordinary and do something awesome, like swinging over a pit of spikes using a bullwhip and breaking up a child labor ring.
Jesus of Nazareth Jesus, the embodiment of all that is good within the hearts of humanity. Unfortunately for him, he vastly underestimated all that was wrong with humanity, like greed and intolerance. But you have to give him props for being so consistent in his kindness. Healing the poor, turning water into wine, and walking on water, his miracles inspired what goodness mankind can afford to summon, which is sadly not much. Atrocities have been committed in the name of God, of religion, but that's not the fucking point of religion, now is it? The point is to be like Jesus, to be kind, forgiving, and benevolent. Just goes to show you that not even divine intervention can efface the worst mankind has to offer.
I think I may be missing someone...nah. That's probably it. i love you, my three readers, if even that. <3
Monday, December 15, 2008
Another list of people I hate
As Three Six Mafia once eloquently put it, "All them haters talkin' shit." Or something like that, it's a mainstream rap group, what can you expect from them? So in this exciting continuation of a list of seething hatred and fury, I round off another six people or general entities that fill my rotten apple core of a heart with further cynicism and misanthropy. Some of these people are already dead, so I guess they got what they deserved, but their legacy lives on and refuses to die, much like Jason Voorhees.
Andrew Johnson, the 17th President of the United States: Let's face facts, people. The American South is backwards, ignorant, and racist in this day and age. Andrew Johnson is who we have to thank for that. With the end of the Civil War and the initiation of Reconstruction, Johnson could've done so much to help the African Americans and freed slaves. But what does he do instead? He makes the ex-Confederate leaders kiss his ass and begins to openly oppose the ratification of various amendments that would grant civil rights to all. His resistance to change forces Congress to act radically and gravely, alienating everyone in the South, which leads to the formation of vigilante groups like the KKK. The reemergence of white supremacy spreads like wildfire and leads to the perpetuation of racism in the South. Generation after generation is raised with the mentality that blacks are inferior, and while it's been getting better, the South is still an embarrassment to most third-world nations. If Mr. Johnson had been a bit more decisive in his actions, perhaps we wouldn't have such an atmosphere of hatred and inbreeding.
"Protectors" of Marriage: I recently had the opportunity to yell obscenities at Prop 8 supporters recently, in an act of fury and mob mentality. In what is possibly the bluest state in the nation, gay marriage has been prohibited, thanks largely in part to the collective efforts of nearly every religious organization (though there are a few that didn't openly bash it) and affluent bigots. While I can't bring myself to care about the question of marriage, it's the greater conflict that makes me facepalm myself. It's a civil right, an undeniable freedom and denying anyone that liberty is discrimination. I thought we were past this people. I thought the Civil Rights Act of 1964 was enough for all of us. How is it we can still summon the last dregs of hatred and intolerance and deny a group of people their rights? Furthermore, how can these "crusaders" look at themselves and believe what they're doing is right? You're not protecting children from the harsh realities of gay marriage, you're not preserving a sacred institution, you're being bigots, and no matter what pretty dress you put on your ideals, that what it boils down to. Because all your pretty dresses are flat-out lies.
The Church of Scientology: Lots of religious bashing on my part, huh? But I'm not demonizing religion, I'm demonizing the utterly idiotic behavior it inspires. How people can believe in and defend the acts of an alien warlord whose ships shot souls back to Earth in soul nets is frankly ludicrous. The almost maniacal fervor that their followers exhibit really speaks to the efficiency of their brainwashing. It also quite disturbing to see healthy individuals being preyed on by a near-evil cult. The death of Lisa McPherson is a testament to this: a mentally ill woman brainwashed into only wanting church-provided medical care. She died of a pulmonary embolism, probably preventable had they taken her to a hospital. I hate the organization, but at the same time I'm deathly afraid of it.
Kanye West: Man, is this guy a tool.From the whole "George Bush doesn't care about black people" to the "I'm the voice of the generation, the best and the loudest," or whatever shit that he spews from his craw, the arrogance that he displays is completely unwarranted and the fact that he views and hails himself as some kind of visionary is unbelievably pretentious. The fact that his latest album, 808s and Heartbreak is entirely vocoded, it's not even his voice that's "the voice of the generation." I respect his lyrical skill and talent as a musician, but as Dr. House once said, "Arrogance has to be earned. What have you done to earn yours?" Kanye West will likely answer with a bunch of waffle, followed up by how it's just "haters" talking.
Vladimir Putin: Like the Israeli warhawks, this guy is on his hind legs, rearing for war and hawkish military action against small third-world, former Soviet satellites, so he must be taking a few pages out of the Bush Administration's playbook. The future of Russian foreign policy looks like aggressive expansionism, something that Soviet Russia was known for. So congratulations, Putin, your little puppet Medvedev has proven quite useful for a move back to the totalitarian Communist society. In a few years, you'll be moving missiles back to sunny Cuba, while we move missiles back to Turkey. Terrorism be damned, we'll be seeing Red for the next few years with this guy. South Ossetia was the beginning, Cold War: The Sequel will be the end.
Tina Mosleh: No list would be complete without an Ohlone professor that was so abhorrent and awful that I wanted to stab myself in the hand during class just for something exciting to happen. With an impenetrable accent and an awful and tenuous at best grasp on the English language, Mrs. Mosleh is everything wrong with a professor. She teaches, hell, reads right out of the book, and has very poor wording on all her exams and quizzes. It's no surprise that I cut the class at least once a week, and am probably going to get a B at best, but if you truly want to experience painful suffering and have the interesting subject of economics dulled away, take this lady's class. Don't say I didn't warn you.
And how to end this long ranting entry full of hatred and anger? Wif wuv of course <3.
But no love for you. Yeah, you know who you are, you little Napoleon. AND YOU BENJAMIN FRANKLIN.
Andrew Johnson, the 17th President of the United States: Let's face facts, people. The American South is backwards, ignorant, and racist in this day and age. Andrew Johnson is who we have to thank for that. With the end of the Civil War and the initiation of Reconstruction, Johnson could've done so much to help the African Americans and freed slaves. But what does he do instead? He makes the ex-Confederate leaders kiss his ass and begins to openly oppose the ratification of various amendments that would grant civil rights to all. His resistance to change forces Congress to act radically and gravely, alienating everyone in the South, which leads to the formation of vigilante groups like the KKK. The reemergence of white supremacy spreads like wildfire and leads to the perpetuation of racism in the South. Generation after generation is raised with the mentality that blacks are inferior, and while it's been getting better, the South is still an embarrassment to most third-world nations. If Mr. Johnson had been a bit more decisive in his actions, perhaps we wouldn't have such an atmosphere of hatred and inbreeding.
"Protectors" of Marriage: I recently had the opportunity to yell obscenities at Prop 8 supporters recently, in an act of fury and mob mentality. In what is possibly the bluest state in the nation, gay marriage has been prohibited, thanks largely in part to the collective efforts of nearly every religious organization (though there are a few that didn't openly bash it) and affluent bigots. While I can't bring myself to care about the question of marriage, it's the greater conflict that makes me facepalm myself. It's a civil right, an undeniable freedom and denying anyone that liberty is discrimination. I thought we were past this people. I thought the Civil Rights Act of 1964 was enough for all of us. How is it we can still summon the last dregs of hatred and intolerance and deny a group of people their rights? Furthermore, how can these "crusaders" look at themselves and believe what they're doing is right? You're not protecting children from the harsh realities of gay marriage, you're not preserving a sacred institution, you're being bigots, and no matter what pretty dress you put on your ideals, that what it boils down to. Because all your pretty dresses are flat-out lies.
The Church of Scientology: Lots of religious bashing on my part, huh? But I'm not demonizing religion, I'm demonizing the utterly idiotic behavior it inspires. How people can believe in and defend the acts of an alien warlord whose ships shot souls back to Earth in soul nets is frankly ludicrous. The almost maniacal fervor that their followers exhibit really speaks to the efficiency of their brainwashing. It also quite disturbing to see healthy individuals being preyed on by a near-evil cult. The death of Lisa McPherson is a testament to this: a mentally ill woman brainwashed into only wanting church-provided medical care. She died of a pulmonary embolism, probably preventable had they taken her to a hospital. I hate the organization, but at the same time I'm deathly afraid of it.
Kanye West: Man, is this guy a tool.From the whole "George Bush doesn't care about black people" to the "I'm the voice of the generation, the best and the loudest," or whatever shit that he spews from his craw, the arrogance that he displays is completely unwarranted and the fact that he views and hails himself as some kind of visionary is unbelievably pretentious. The fact that his latest album, 808s and Heartbreak is entirely vocoded, it's not even his voice that's "the voice of the generation." I respect his lyrical skill and talent as a musician, but as Dr. House once said, "Arrogance has to be earned. What have you done to earn yours?" Kanye West will likely answer with a bunch of waffle, followed up by how it's just "haters" talking.
Vladimir Putin: Like the Israeli warhawks, this guy is on his hind legs, rearing for war and hawkish military action against small third-world, former Soviet satellites, so he must be taking a few pages out of the Bush Administration's playbook. The future of Russian foreign policy looks like aggressive expansionism, something that Soviet Russia was known for. So congratulations, Putin, your little puppet Medvedev has proven quite useful for a move back to the totalitarian Communist society. In a few years, you'll be moving missiles back to sunny Cuba, while we move missiles back to Turkey. Terrorism be damned, we'll be seeing Red for the next few years with this guy. South Ossetia was the beginning, Cold War: The Sequel will be the end.
Tina Mosleh: No list would be complete without an Ohlone professor that was so abhorrent and awful that I wanted to stab myself in the hand during class just for something exciting to happen. With an impenetrable accent and an awful and tenuous at best grasp on the English language, Mrs. Mosleh is everything wrong with a professor. She teaches, hell, reads right out of the book, and has very poor wording on all her exams and quizzes. It's no surprise that I cut the class at least once a week, and am probably going to get a B at best, but if you truly want to experience painful suffering and have the interesting subject of economics dulled away, take this lady's class. Don't say I didn't warn you.
And how to end this long ranting entry full of hatred and anger? Wif wuv of course <3.
But no love for you. Yeah, you know who you are, you little Napoleon. AND YOU BENJAMIN FRANKLIN.
Sunday, December 14, 2008
Untitled
In an infinite array of vast black sky
Flies a celestial body, of great magnitude, capable of leveling worlds
And on the tiny world of plebians full of discontent we wonder
How the omnipotent, how the immortals will dictate our lives
Will it be fast, swift and purging?
Or slow, destroyed with fire and brimstone?
The spear in our side, the unpreventable wound is that of curiosity
Wondering, perhaps what will happen to us when this journey expires
And the answer, in this vast black sky, simply is nothing.
Our personal world ends with death, peace and joy nevermore.
Flies a celestial body, of great magnitude, capable of leveling worlds
And on the tiny world of plebians full of discontent we wonder
How the omnipotent, how the immortals will dictate our lives
Will it be fast, swift and purging?
Or slow, destroyed with fire and brimstone?
The spear in our side, the unpreventable wound is that of curiosity
Wondering, perhaps what will happen to us when this journey expires
And the answer, in this vast black sky, simply is nothing.
Our personal world ends with death, peace and joy nevermore.
Saturday, December 6, 2008
Reflections
You know those employee evaluation thingies? Like self-evaluation? I think it's time for me to do that, because I have yet to do such a task, in a broader sense. I think I've evaluated my faggotry in specific instances, but 'tis time for a general survey of my life. If it isn't satisfactory, I'm going to have to terminate my employment. Although I'm still a valuable employee. Where's my stapler?
Obviously the most immediate of things have been college applications. I applied to most of the UCs, and am planning on applying to USC, University of San Diego, and Boston University, all very good choices. I think I have a fair shot at getting into my first choices, Berkeley and USC, respectively. Academics and extracurriculars are solid, but I fear my downfall will be my terrible SAT score. It's not that bad, but it's not very remarkable either. My personal statements, which I went to great lengths to embellish and exaggerate, were not welcomed with critical acclaim from others. But it doesn't matter because they're just looking for the best-written cliches anyway.
I have a few apprehensions about the application process, but what I'm most afraid of is college itself. The reality of it is that I will be accepted to some school and I will attend said school. One constant I've always noticed is that college is big and scary. Big and scary enough to induce change in people. Sometimes its for the better, sometimes its for the worse. Change is inevitable, and that scares the living hell out of me. This is something I can't control and like it or not, some part of me will be different once I leave the rosy gates of whatever school I attend. Moreover, the roots I've established here, what friendships, influences, or whatever will also be gone. Maybe less so if I attend Berkeley, but if Boston accepts me, the only thing I'll have left here in California are my smelly, old parents.
When mothers have to let their kids go, it's unbearably hard for them. I can't say I'm a mother, or gone through it, but just considering the looming prospect is enough for me.
School is pretty satisfying, to be honest. But I've found I no longer give a shit about classes unless they're interesting. During my time at Ohlone and just in general, I've realized the futility and stupidity of the current education system. School is an institution for learning, not proving what you've learned. Some kid may grasp the concept of something, and that should be plenty. The only reasons why I have high grades in classes is because I actively want to learn, to become a more informed person, and that in turn, makes me a better person. Economics is plenty interesting to me, but I shouldn't have to take a bunch of stupid tests, listen to god-awful lecture, or anything like that. Bad teachers are like, the worst thing on this planet.
"How's your love life, tiger?"
Short answer: Fuck you.
Long answer: The few excursions I had into this kind of thing, as brief as they were, were loads of fun; the experience and learning from it was what I valued about it most. I convinced myself I was head-over-heels in love with her, which I think to be entirely plausible. I was entirely devoted to her well-being and comfort without any regard for my own happiness. And when things went south, I desperately (and successfully) turned it back to the way it was. I even endured...stories...shall we say, that I didn't want to hear.
Sounds like the fucking definition of "Friend Zone" to me.
But as time went on, I got a little better, didn't mind nearly as much. But it's still at a point where getting over it would be nigh impossible, so I'm not even going to try. The idea of it becoming more than friends, while certainly, appealing, is also nigh impossible, so I'm also not even going to try. The only way that would come into fruition is if the other party initiated it. I certainly still care a great deal about her, which will make the aforementioned switch to college all the harder, but shit happens. I do have to concede I feel like she's a whole other half that I need. A yin to the yang. The House to Wilson, the Holmes to Watson, the Rob Halford to Judas Priest. I could go on. I asked a question, "Why do we keep people who are the opposites of us around? To keep us balanced or because we enjoy their company." That works for me. In the end, I can just take comfort in knowing that the experience, the process I went through over the summer was something I wouldn't trade for the world. Maybe if they threw in some pie with it, I may consider it.
So in the words of Whitesnake, "Is this love?"
Yep.
I've also resigned myself to the fact that finding female companionship while I'm still here will also be nigh impossible, not going to try, etc, etc. The fact of the matter is that it takes too damn long for me to get close to someone, which I feel should be the basis for any relationship, faggoty as that sounds. I'm not too miffed about it; maybe I should get a dog.
I've always felt like a cultural heathen. Never seen enough movies, read enough books, listened to enough albums. I've started up a process of watching a fuckton of movies, reading all kinds of books, poems and plays, and listening to good music. I feel like I'm compensating for something while also feeling like it's a separate education of some kind. I'm enjoying it greatly. Maybe I'll use the blog as a record of shit I've done. You know what? That's a pretty good idea...
It's been a very comfortable, amusing ride. But in about eight, nine months time, the slate is wiped clean? The next great adventure? Certainly. But even Indiana Jones was scared when he recovered the Ark of the Covenant.
PS. I can't believe I ended all that meaningful rambling with an Indiana Jones joke.
Obviously the most immediate of things have been college applications. I applied to most of the UCs, and am planning on applying to USC, University of San Diego, and Boston University, all very good choices. I think I have a fair shot at getting into my first choices, Berkeley and USC, respectively. Academics and extracurriculars are solid, but I fear my downfall will be my terrible SAT score. It's not that bad, but it's not very remarkable either. My personal statements, which I went to great lengths to embellish and exaggerate, were not welcomed with critical acclaim from others. But it doesn't matter because they're just looking for the best-written cliches anyway.
I have a few apprehensions about the application process, but what I'm most afraid of is college itself. The reality of it is that I will be accepted to some school and I will attend said school. One constant I've always noticed is that college is big and scary. Big and scary enough to induce change in people. Sometimes its for the better, sometimes its for the worse. Change is inevitable, and that scares the living hell out of me. This is something I can't control and like it or not, some part of me will be different once I leave the rosy gates of whatever school I attend. Moreover, the roots I've established here, what friendships, influences, or whatever will also be gone. Maybe less so if I attend Berkeley, but if Boston accepts me, the only thing I'll have left here in California are my smelly, old parents.
When mothers have to let their kids go, it's unbearably hard for them. I can't say I'm a mother, or gone through it, but just considering the looming prospect is enough for me.
School is pretty satisfying, to be honest. But I've found I no longer give a shit about classes unless they're interesting. During my time at Ohlone and just in general, I've realized the futility and stupidity of the current education system. School is an institution for learning, not proving what you've learned. Some kid may grasp the concept of something, and that should be plenty. The only reasons why I have high grades in classes is because I actively want to learn, to become a more informed person, and that in turn, makes me a better person. Economics is plenty interesting to me, but I shouldn't have to take a bunch of stupid tests, listen to god-awful lecture, or anything like that. Bad teachers are like, the worst thing on this planet.
"How's your love life, tiger?"
Short answer: Fuck you.
Long answer: The few excursions I had into this kind of thing, as brief as they were, were loads of fun; the experience and learning from it was what I valued about it most. I convinced myself I was head-over-heels in love with her, which I think to be entirely plausible. I was entirely devoted to her well-being and comfort without any regard for my own happiness. And when things went south, I desperately (and successfully) turned it back to the way it was. I even endured...stories...shall we say, that I didn't want to hear.
Sounds like the fucking definition of "Friend Zone" to me.
But as time went on, I got a little better, didn't mind nearly as much. But it's still at a point where getting over it would be nigh impossible, so I'm not even going to try. The idea of it becoming more than friends, while certainly, appealing, is also nigh impossible, so I'm also not even going to try. The only way that would come into fruition is if the other party initiated it. I certainly still care a great deal about her, which will make the aforementioned switch to college all the harder, but shit happens. I do have to concede I feel like she's a whole other half that I need. A yin to the yang. The House to Wilson, the Holmes to Watson, the Rob Halford to Judas Priest. I could go on. I asked a question, "Why do we keep people who are the opposites of us around? To keep us balanced or because we enjoy their company." That works for me. In the end, I can just take comfort in knowing that the experience, the process I went through over the summer was something I wouldn't trade for the world. Maybe if they threw in some pie with it, I may consider it.
So in the words of Whitesnake, "Is this love?"
Yep.
I've also resigned myself to the fact that finding female companionship while I'm still here will also be nigh impossible, not going to try, etc, etc. The fact of the matter is that it takes too damn long for me to get close to someone, which I feel should be the basis for any relationship, faggoty as that sounds. I'm not too miffed about it; maybe I should get a dog.
I've always felt like a cultural heathen. Never seen enough movies, read enough books, listened to enough albums. I've started up a process of watching a fuckton of movies, reading all kinds of books, poems and plays, and listening to good music. I feel like I'm compensating for something while also feeling like it's a separate education of some kind. I'm enjoying it greatly. Maybe I'll use the blog as a record of shit I've done. You know what? That's a pretty good idea...
It's been a very comfortable, amusing ride. But in about eight, nine months time, the slate is wiped clean? The next great adventure? Certainly. But even Indiana Jones was scared when he recovered the Ark of the Covenant.
PS. I can't believe I ended all that meaningful rambling with an Indiana Jones joke.
Subscribe to:
Comments (Atom)