In this world of ours, is there such a thing called right and wrong? Black and white? Good and evil? Has our image of evil been so tainted and corrupted by news media and propaganda that we view anything foreign as evil? Or is everything so relative that it'd be pointless to try and argue that it depends on the perspective? See, my opinion lies somewhere between the two, surprise, a gray area.
Like I said, I recently finished Watchmen, which really got me thinking about this issue, but being that my audience still haven't read it (Austin, Nina, Tep, whoever), I won't illustrate my example with it. But here's my point. Anything good or bad depends on the perspective of the person viewing it - it's all relative. This is why I don't think the Crusaders were evil, per se. We can agree that it was idiotic of them to persecute and wage war over religious values, but they had their supporters, did they not? They had the support of likeminded religious individuals who probably justified their moral crusade as righteous. "The Road to Hell is paved with good intentions," indeed.
Nothing is good or evil. Only varying degrees of evil. Hitler's regime was pretty horrible, but you couldn't call his reign equivalent to a Satan milkshake. His Afrika Korps, led by the honorable Field Marshall Erwin Rommel fought with distinction and was never suspected of any wrongdoing on the battlefield. So he was really evil, but his Afrika Korps weren't.
Our world today presents the concept of good and evil to the ignorant chimp masses, presumably to mollify their desires to rally hatred behind something. People like to be unified in their hatreds, to know that it's not illogical and to know they're part of a common group with a common goal. The rules of sociology apply - we must obey the rules of the game.
I really have no idea where I'm going with this. I'll be more coherent tomorrow when the topic isn't quite as abstract.
Thursday, August 7, 2008
Wednesday, August 6, 2008
Hustle and bustle
In recent years, I've come to the realization that I've been trying to grow up, become an adult as quickly as I could. And apparently, that meant adopting mannerisms and habits that most grown-ups do, such as smoke, drink, and gamble, vices, to be honest with you. But upon contemplation, I realize that it's not all about that, I'm not just trying to be cool by doing the things that are limited to only adults, I'm trying to grow up mentally as well, trying, and sometimes succeeding but most times failing to mature and "transcend" my age group.
Within the media, literature, and even social circles, the stereotypes of teenagers and kids have been solidly established. They're self-centered, self-absorbed, selfish, emotional, horny, intolerable, generally even worse than the kids I mentioned in yesterday's entry. The thing is though is that all these characteristics are natural, everyone goes through them when they grow up, it's a part of the process, and it's understandable why these traits rear their heads; hormonal changes, increased stress from various facets of life, etc. But in spite of all this, I have waged an invisible campaign to make sure the aforementioned are kept to a minimum, at least, for me.
A friend of mine recently told me that one of the things he loves about me is the fact that I'm "able to recognize all the things that make us human and then go on attempting to eliminate them from yourself." I wondered to myself, why have I gone on and tried to do this? And I answered, just seconds later, because they're all negative traits, weak and needless, and we all know how much I hate needlessness (See entry Declaration of Suckdependence). The aforementioned characteristics are what make us human, but they're also negative values, and I suppose that being the crazy staunch believer in Darwinism that I am, I'm trying to rid myself of them, and adopting traits that are more useful.
That's not to say that smoking, drinking, and gambling are useful. They're not. They're vices, but enjoyable vices, if kept in moderation. I'm talking about things like contemplation before taking action, speaking with some air of sophistication rather than shooting your mouth off and swearing every other word (I'm still guilty of this though, doubt that will ever change), and knowing the world doesn't revolve around you. I've work to accomplish these, at least to a minimum. I don't think I'm egotistical or lecherous, and I like to think I use my mental capacities to mull over before I go through with anything.
Of course, I still swear like a sailor with Tourrette's Syndrome, so it's all for naught. On serious note though, I wonder if I'm missing out on anything by trying to mature so quickly. Dating? Parties? Loads of fun, I'm sure. Though on second thought, you only live once, right?
PS. I haven't been doing PS notes or swearing very much in the last few entries. I enjoy challenging myself, so I'm going to continue writing without swearing, or at least keeping it to a minimum. I know I'm phasing out PS notes.
Within the media, literature, and even social circles, the stereotypes of teenagers and kids have been solidly established. They're self-centered, self-absorbed, selfish, emotional, horny, intolerable, generally even worse than the kids I mentioned in yesterday's entry. The thing is though is that all these characteristics are natural, everyone goes through them when they grow up, it's a part of the process, and it's understandable why these traits rear their heads; hormonal changes, increased stress from various facets of life, etc. But in spite of all this, I have waged an invisible campaign to make sure the aforementioned are kept to a minimum, at least, for me.
A friend of mine recently told me that one of the things he loves about me is the fact that I'm "able to recognize all the things that make us human and then go on attempting to eliminate them from yourself." I wondered to myself, why have I gone on and tried to do this? And I answered, just seconds later, because they're all negative traits, weak and needless, and we all know how much I hate needlessness (See entry Declaration of Suckdependence). The aforementioned characteristics are what make us human, but they're also negative values, and I suppose that being the crazy staunch believer in Darwinism that I am, I'm trying to rid myself of them, and adopting traits that are more useful.
That's not to say that smoking, drinking, and gambling are useful. They're not. They're vices, but enjoyable vices, if kept in moderation. I'm talking about things like contemplation before taking action, speaking with some air of sophistication rather than shooting your mouth off and swearing every other word (I'm still guilty of this though, doubt that will ever change), and knowing the world doesn't revolve around you. I've work to accomplish these, at least to a minimum. I don't think I'm egotistical or lecherous, and I like to think I use my mental capacities to mull over before I go through with anything.
Of course, I still swear like a sailor with Tourrette's Syndrome, so it's all for naught. On serious note though, I wonder if I'm missing out on anything by trying to mature so quickly. Dating? Parties? Loads of fun, I'm sure. Though on second thought, you only live once, right?
PS. I haven't been doing PS notes or swearing very much in the last few entries. I enjoy challenging myself, so I'm going to continue writing without swearing, or at least keeping it to a minimum. I know I'm phasing out PS notes.
Tuesday, August 5, 2008
Mongrels
Children - the spark of innocence, the hope of the next generation, and the continuation and perpetuation of ideas. Accurate words to describe them, for sure, but do you know what other description fits them to a tee? Bratty, disrespectful, pugnacious, intolerable. Admittedly, you must be a pretty bad parent for your kid to embody all these characteristics, but some times they can arise from out of nowhere, like a vengeful bear emerging from a long hibernation (How many times am I going to use this metaphor? As long as it's still cool).
My opinion on children fluctuates from "Aw, so cute." to "Euthanize that thing." Funnily enough, babies don't cause me much annoyance. Something inherent about them prevents me from seizing them from their inattentive caretaker and tossing them down a flight of stairs - they're babies. Cute, innocent, helpless, poopy babies. It's entirely understandable that they cry into the night. It's understandable why they crap more than a fat man who just devoured an entire buffet and had a bit of chocolate laxative - it's because they're babies!
On the other hand, if your kid is crapping all over my floor, crying because they didn't get the Kid's Meal toy they wanted, or generally being unbearable, I reserve every right to wish swift death, pain, and retribution upon him. The kid is five years old, what did you spend all that time and money on, taking baths in ice cream!? If you're not prepared to raise your child properly, why'd you get knocked up in the first place? I'm sure there's varying degrees of how to "properly" raise a child. Here's my definition:
The kid musn't make a scene over trivial matters. The kid musn't crap or piss himself.
I don't think that's unreasonable to ask of a five year old. Of course, by age 5, my ideal kid has read most of Shakespeare's work, learned to play the guitar, dance salsa, write thought-provoking pieces with a saucy lexicon, and be able to fence. You know, pretty much everything I wish I could be.
My opinion on children fluctuates from "Aw, so cute." to "Euthanize that thing." Funnily enough, babies don't cause me much annoyance. Something inherent about them prevents me from seizing them from their inattentive caretaker and tossing them down a flight of stairs - they're babies. Cute, innocent, helpless, poopy babies. It's entirely understandable that they cry into the night. It's understandable why they crap more than a fat man who just devoured an entire buffet and had a bit of chocolate laxative - it's because they're babies!
On the other hand, if your kid is crapping all over my floor, crying because they didn't get the Kid's Meal toy they wanted, or generally being unbearable, I reserve every right to wish swift death, pain, and retribution upon him. The kid is five years old, what did you spend all that time and money on, taking baths in ice cream!? If you're not prepared to raise your child properly, why'd you get knocked up in the first place? I'm sure there's varying degrees of how to "properly" raise a child. Here's my definition:
The kid musn't make a scene over trivial matters. The kid musn't crap or piss himself.
I don't think that's unreasonable to ask of a five year old. Of course, by age 5, my ideal kid has read most of Shakespeare's work, learned to play the guitar, dance salsa, write thought-provoking pieces with a saucy lexicon, and be able to fence. You know, pretty much everything I wish I could be.
Monday, August 4, 2008
The Children's Crusade
In the past few years, controversy has re-emerged like a particularly vengeful grizzly bear awakens from hibernation, bringing with it much public condemnation across all sorts of entertainment media - music, movies, video games, and even books. This disturbing trend has been exploited time and again by politicians (Remember Joe Lieberman and the Mortal Kombat debacle?). But do these fear-mongers have a fair point in that these forms of entertainment, sick and wrong, should be prohibited from sale, at the very least, to minors? What course of action should be taken when video games get increasingly realistic, movies become spectacles of sex and nudity, and music is rife with profanity and sexism? Do they have a fair point?
Short answer. No.
Long answer. No, and all your arguments are ignorant and misinformed.
I'm not going to cite statistics to disprove the mind-numbingly flawed arguments that these crusaders drape over their bodies like some sort of self-righteous cloak. My opinion on this matter is that it is ultimately futile to attempt to regulate sales, or prohibit them altogether to a certain demographic. For one, it wouldn't change anything, for two, it'd be unbelievably difficult to enforce, for three, it'd be bad for business, and for four, remember the last time you tried to prohibit sales of a certain something that supposedly corrupted people? Remember how that turned out?
Hawks like Hilary Clinton, I believe, don't even care about the effects of these games on kids, they're just looking for supporters, playing off the insecurities and outrages of parents.
Whenever I go to my friend's house and we play something like Gears of War, (which we haven't in quite some time because he'd know I'd thrash him six ways to Sunday ;)), he immediately kicks out his younger siblings due to the extremely high level of gore, violence, profanity, and the idiots over Xbox Live. That's responsible, that's wise, and it's the right thing to do in regards to this situation. Instead of outright banning them, exercise responsibility as to what you let your kids get exposed to. It's why you became a parent, isn't it? Know what your kid is playing: Halo 3 has cartoonish violence, complete with purple alien blood, nothing worse than you'd see on TV. Ninja Gaiden 2, however, features rivers of blood, dismembered limbs flying in every direction, and if there isn't a decapitation every fifteen seconds, you're playing the game wrong.
This doesn't just apply to video games. I wouldn't want my kid to listen to Enter the Wu-Tang or watch Rambo: First Blood, for example. The rating system exists for a reason. In the end, my point is simply this: raise your kid, don't let the politicians do it for you.
Short answer. No.
Long answer. No, and all your arguments are ignorant and misinformed.
I'm not going to cite statistics to disprove the mind-numbingly flawed arguments that these crusaders drape over their bodies like some sort of self-righteous cloak. My opinion on this matter is that it is ultimately futile to attempt to regulate sales, or prohibit them altogether to a certain demographic. For one, it wouldn't change anything, for two, it'd be unbelievably difficult to enforce, for three, it'd be bad for business, and for four, remember the last time you tried to prohibit sales of a certain something that supposedly corrupted people? Remember how that turned out?
Hawks like Hilary Clinton, I believe, don't even care about the effects of these games on kids, they're just looking for supporters, playing off the insecurities and outrages of parents.
Whenever I go to my friend's house and we play something like Gears of War, (which we haven't in quite some time because he'd know I'd thrash him six ways to Sunday ;)), he immediately kicks out his younger siblings due to the extremely high level of gore, violence, profanity, and the idiots over Xbox Live. That's responsible, that's wise, and it's the right thing to do in regards to this situation. Instead of outright banning them, exercise responsibility as to what you let your kids get exposed to. It's why you became a parent, isn't it? Know what your kid is playing: Halo 3 has cartoonish violence, complete with purple alien blood, nothing worse than you'd see on TV. Ninja Gaiden 2, however, features rivers of blood, dismembered limbs flying in every direction, and if there isn't a decapitation every fifteen seconds, you're playing the game wrong.
This doesn't just apply to video games. I wouldn't want my kid to listen to Enter the Wu-Tang or watch Rambo: First Blood, for example. The rating system exists for a reason. In the end, my point is simply this: raise your kid, don't let the politicians do it for you.
Sunday, August 3, 2008
Understanding
I spent my day shucking corn, which was hilarious and fun (ANY LAST WORDS!?), and then spreading butter on them, like I do my thighs every Thursday. I thought manning the booth would just be sitting there doing absolutely nothing, but it got pretty stressful. It's okay though, I found it to be enjoyable nonetheless, if a bit tiring.
After a bit of a consultation, I felt a bit better about myself, though I still feel like I'm a selfish jerk. Started V For Vendetta yesterday. Alan Moore is a genius, to be frank. His stories transcend stereotypes of most comic books - their supposed silliness and two-dimensional characters; there is an elaborate and remarkably dense narrative in each of his stories, with an even heavier emphasis on cogent characterization. His work is better than most "greats" of literature. I'm taking my time with V for Vendetta, soaking up every nuance and word, because I blew through Watchmen way too quickly. I'm definitely going to reread that too.
The play's going well too. I recently wrapped up Act 2, the ending to it was a bit cornier than I would've liked, but I thought it was decent, if not good foreshadowing and setting up for the next Act. I plan on introducing a lot more plot points, hopefully I can do them some justice.
I haven't been feeling the blog lately. Not to say I'm not going to post something every day, but it just hasn't been on my list of priorities. The last few entries have been made at night, right before the next day. Oh well.
Cheers to it all being worth it in the end.
After a bit of a consultation, I felt a bit better about myself, though I still feel like I'm a selfish jerk. Started V For Vendetta yesterday. Alan Moore is a genius, to be frank. His stories transcend stereotypes of most comic books - their supposed silliness and two-dimensional characters; there is an elaborate and remarkably dense narrative in each of his stories, with an even heavier emphasis on cogent characterization. His work is better than most "greats" of literature. I'm taking my time with V for Vendetta, soaking up every nuance and word, because I blew through Watchmen way too quickly. I'm definitely going to reread that too.
The play's going well too. I recently wrapped up Act 2, the ending to it was a bit cornier than I would've liked, but I thought it was decent, if not good foreshadowing and setting up for the next Act. I plan on introducing a lot more plot points, hopefully I can do them some justice.
I haven't been feeling the blog lately. Not to say I'm not going to post something every day, but it just hasn't been on my list of priorities. The last few entries have been made at night, right before the next day. Oh well.
Cheers to it all being worth it in the end.
Saturday, August 2, 2008
Gay shit and feelings Part Deux
I hate myself for becoming so reliant on another's attention. The seesaw-esque banter, the quasi-sexual idle chatter was more than just that, it was the sole source of attention that I so desperately craved. And I got what I craved, like a junkie getting his hourly fix. I'm not trying to be funny, the metaphor is extremely fitting. I'm, bummed, you would say, a little bit at the lack of reciprocation. And like some junkies, relying on escapism to take me out of the withdrawals, I.E. reading Alan Moore comics, writing my play, and playing drunken Monopoly.
And with these realizations, I further comprehend that I am weak. I let myself get entranced by all this attention, not considering the consequences when it would be inevitably taken away. And while I may be able to justify it, rationalize it perhaps as "just human," maybe I don't want to be human. I don't want to suffer from this stupid withdrawal, which shouldn't even be that big a deal. But it is. If it makes me think I'm weak, it definitely is taking a toll on something.
I understand why this "heroin" was taken away from me. She moved on, past my stupid, idiotic words, beyond my platitudes and confessions, like the person she is: not one to dwell on idiocy and negativity. And despite my rampant cynicism and caustic critique on others that do, I find myself to be a hypocrite, guilty of that which I deride others for. I am glad of two things, that I realize my own hypocrisy and her ability to roll with the changes. But at the same time, I also feel like I'm no longer important, even though I probably hold some modicum of importance in her life, no matter how small. But again, the banter that used to downright pollute our conversations has been completely annihilated, to the point were I don't even want to talk any more, because I know there won't be those sparks of attention, those little exciting moments.
How does one fix this problem? As a friend of mine said, simply get over her. And despite my best efforts, I can't seem to bring myself to do it, or try. Not only because I would lose, for sure this time, the aforementioned attention, but also the one girl I ever loved. Corny, for sure, but I can't describe how I feel any other way. From the beginnings of my realization that I liked her, as time marched on, those feelings just became more and more powerful, and now, it seems they can't be removed, no matter how hard I try. Of course, that doesn't mean I'm going to stop trying. But I'm holding onto that last thread of hope like a two-year old hanging onto a security blanket. That's what I am. A toddler, clouded by too many emotions.
I really had to purge these thoughts from my head. I couldn't stand just thinking about it any longer. My hope is that shit just goes back to normal, 100%, as if nothing ever happened, as if I never divulged my feelings. But that's wishful thinking. I'll be lucky if it goes back to 50%. Here's hoping. If there's anything I learned in the past two months is that repression is bad. Let it all hang out. I'm probably coming off as crazy and needy, but I swear that isn't the case. Le sigh.
Sorry, princess. I've just dropped another bomb on you. I hate doing this to you, but like I said, I seriously can't keep it inside any longer. I realize you don't need these kinds of drama and complications in your life, and you shouldn't have to deal with it. For that, I apologize. I'm still hoping for things to return to normal. Lastly, I hate how impersonal this is, ranting over a blog entry. I would think that this kind of thing deserves better.
And with these realizations, I further comprehend that I am weak. I let myself get entranced by all this attention, not considering the consequences when it would be inevitably taken away. And while I may be able to justify it, rationalize it perhaps as "just human," maybe I don't want to be human. I don't want to suffer from this stupid withdrawal, which shouldn't even be that big a deal. But it is. If it makes me think I'm weak, it definitely is taking a toll on something.
I understand why this "heroin" was taken away from me. She moved on, past my stupid, idiotic words, beyond my platitudes and confessions, like the person she is: not one to dwell on idiocy and negativity. And despite my rampant cynicism and caustic critique on others that do, I find myself to be a hypocrite, guilty of that which I deride others for. I am glad of two things, that I realize my own hypocrisy and her ability to roll with the changes. But at the same time, I also feel like I'm no longer important, even though I probably hold some modicum of importance in her life, no matter how small. But again, the banter that used to downright pollute our conversations has been completely annihilated, to the point were I don't even want to talk any more, because I know there won't be those sparks of attention, those little exciting moments.
How does one fix this problem? As a friend of mine said, simply get over her. And despite my best efforts, I can't seem to bring myself to do it, or try. Not only because I would lose, for sure this time, the aforementioned attention, but also the one girl I ever loved. Corny, for sure, but I can't describe how I feel any other way. From the beginnings of my realization that I liked her, as time marched on, those feelings just became more and more powerful, and now, it seems they can't be removed, no matter how hard I try. Of course, that doesn't mean I'm going to stop trying. But I'm holding onto that last thread of hope like a two-year old hanging onto a security blanket. That's what I am. A toddler, clouded by too many emotions.
I really had to purge these thoughts from my head. I couldn't stand just thinking about it any longer. My hope is that shit just goes back to normal, 100%, as if nothing ever happened, as if I never divulged my feelings. But that's wishful thinking. I'll be lucky if it goes back to 50%. Here's hoping. If there's anything I learned in the past two months is that repression is bad. Let it all hang out. I'm probably coming off as crazy and needy, but I swear that isn't the case. Le sigh.
Sorry, princess. I've just dropped another bomb on you. I hate doing this to you, but like I said, I seriously can't keep it inside any longer. I realize you don't need these kinds of drama and complications in your life, and you shouldn't have to deal with it. For that, I apologize. I'm still hoping for things to return to normal. Lastly, I hate how impersonal this is, ranting over a blog entry. I would think that this kind of thing deserves better.
Friday, August 1, 2008
I hate the 80's.
I know a few people who are absolutely enamored with this decade, my mother shamelessly being among them. I also know a few people who have such a seething hatred for the era that they count their blessings every night to not have been born during the Reagan administration. So where do I fall? I lean towards the seething hatred, to be honest.
When I was about 12, I was wrapped up in Grand Theft Auto: Vice City, and being the impressionable bugger I was, I absolutely loved it. Outside of the great, Scarface-esque story and the endlessly replayable gameplay, I was amazed with Rockstar's ability to send the player back in time to the 80's. Barring the aforementioned elements, what I also loved about Vice City was the atmosphere. I was so into it that I bought the official soundtrack to the game, so I could be washed away in the sounds of the 80's.
And then I grew up a bit, and realized that the 80's fucking sucked.
I'm not just talking about music and movies. I could go on for days about glam rock and John Hughes, which I will later, but outside of that, look at the decade as a whole. Recession, the explosion of AIDS, the introduction of crack cocaine, and all those fucking neon lights. And while we had a bit of prosperity while Reagan was in office, Reaganomics would ultimately skyrocket the public debt. Not to mention he nearly risked all-out nuclear war with the Soviet union by forgoing detente and outright confronted Gorbachev. I mean, good for you, ending the Cold War, but you could've done the same thing using Nixon's strategy.
I'm glad you had a good time snorting coke and having unprotected sex, but come on. How could anyone think that this was even moderately enjoyable? Even the culture sucked, for God's sake, people were wearing leisure suits like Tubbs and Crocket:
And somehow, the people of the 80's were too in love with all this bullshit to not notice their president selling weapons to Contras in Iran. Brilliant!
The 80's were also responsible for jumpstarting Tom Cruise's career. I'll admit that Top Gun,Risky Business and, to a lesser extent, Cocktail(>_>) were fun to watch. I will concede that the 80's weren't a bad decade for film, outside of the cavalcade of Jason movies, which, while awful, were fun to poke fun at. But I do love me some National Lampoon's Vacation.
Music of the 80's:
Enough said, I think.
PS. Very few bands escaped the 80's ability to turn good music into crap with a bunch of synthesizers in it.
PPS. At least this wasn't too bad
PPPS. This was probably extremely rambly and didn't make much sense. But that's ok.
When I was about 12, I was wrapped up in Grand Theft Auto: Vice City, and being the impressionable bugger I was, I absolutely loved it. Outside of the great, Scarface-esque story and the endlessly replayable gameplay, I was amazed with Rockstar's ability to send the player back in time to the 80's. Barring the aforementioned elements, what I also loved about Vice City was the atmosphere. I was so into it that I bought the official soundtrack to the game, so I could be washed away in the sounds of the 80's.
And then I grew up a bit, and realized that the 80's fucking sucked.
I'm not just talking about music and movies. I could go on for days about glam rock and John Hughes, which I will later, but outside of that, look at the decade as a whole. Recession, the explosion of AIDS, the introduction of crack cocaine, and all those fucking neon lights. And while we had a bit of prosperity while Reagan was in office, Reaganomics would ultimately skyrocket the public debt. Not to mention he nearly risked all-out nuclear war with the Soviet union by forgoing detente and outright confronted Gorbachev. I mean, good for you, ending the Cold War, but you could've done the same thing using Nixon's strategy.
I'm glad you had a good time snorting coke and having unprotected sex, but come on. How could anyone think that this was even moderately enjoyable? Even the culture sucked, for God's sake, people were wearing leisure suits like Tubbs and Crocket:
And somehow, the people of the 80's were too in love with all this bullshit to not notice their president selling weapons to Contras in Iran. Brilliant!
The 80's were also responsible for jumpstarting Tom Cruise's career. I'll admit that Top Gun,Risky Business and, to a lesser extent, Cocktail(>_>) were fun to watch. I will concede that the 80's weren't a bad decade for film, outside of the cavalcade of Jason movies, which, while awful, were fun to poke fun at. But I do love me some National Lampoon's Vacation.
Music of the 80's:
Enough said, I think.
PS. Very few bands escaped the 80's ability to turn good music into crap with a bunch of synthesizers in it.
PPS. At least this wasn't too bad
PPPS. This was probably extremely rambly and didn't make much sense. But that's ok.
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