Just ganna jump right into it today.
There are lots of philosophers who believe that humans are naturally wicked, so everyone needs rules enforced by a strong authority figure to be good.
Even though lots of other philosophers disagree, we are raised to expect punishment in return for doing something we know to be wrong. We affect something negatively, and some our own lives are affected negatively.
In a way, our parents enforced an external form of guilt. Guilt doesn't just mean the opposite of innocence, being responsible for something, it can also mean feeling bad about being responsible for something.
That's why most people go easy on you if they can tell you have remorse for what you've done. Feely guilty is an internal punishment so you require less external punishment.
As a person with a rather vocal Jiminy Cricket, I really resent authority figures trying to make me feel even worse about it when I screw up.
Bad enough that this is a Western society that won't allow people to bow to make up for whatever it was, but if a formal and heartfelt (and usually very long) apology is coming, (not that that will spare the remorse feeler their internal raging torrent of self loathing) than any other punishment is just overkill. Overkill that they daren't object too. Afterall, don't they deserve it?
Not really.
I mean, okay. There are cases when it's best to turn things over to whatever authority figure is in charge of dishing out external remorse. It can be a problem though, if someones job is making sure people get what they deserve.
Suddenly some poor guilt ridden saps are "made and example of", which is another way of saying "treated unjustly".
All this has been talking about matters of things like writing something mean on someones facebook, or other teenage drama crap. When you get into things that can get you capital punishment, things get really skeevey.
Note: The word "Skeevey" is a regional expression used exclusively in Upstate New York. Apparently it comes from some Italian verb. Did you know that Upstate New York is loaded with Italians? Seriously.
"Skeevey", adjective. Untrustworthy, distasteful, deserving of contempt, gross, immoral.
Anyway, you know you're ganna have problems when you get into capital punishment. Now you're stuck asking yourself why we even have a criminal justice system? Should we take criminal and turn them into honest men, or are we protecting society? How far does the rights to Life, Liberty, and Pursuit of Happiness stretch?
Side note: There is some really unnecessary capitalization in the Bill of Rights. Proper nouns and beginning of sentences only, guys.
So, uh, don't kill people, and if they aren't in court and they're sorry, let it go. Kthxbai.
Sunday, October 3, 2010
Wednesday, September 1, 2010
Marxism makes gross cabbage
Marxism: For starters, it's not Communism.
When people try to implement Marxism on a large scale it always fails and Communism is what they end up with.
Marxism includes the idea that there is no leader, government, or organizing body. Everyone is equal. The revolution comes from the people, and after it's over the leaders are supposed to melt back into the people.
Communism happens because they don't. Whether the leaders fear that their new society isn't ready without them, or (more likely) they're ego tripping, the individuals who start the revolutions don't step down.
Maybe that makes sense. You spend seventeen years leading your army to victorious conquest against seemingly unsurpassable odds to the betterment of all man kind...
And then you grow cabbages until you die.
(I bet they aren't even very good cabbages either. Seventeen years of war is bad for the soil.)
With that level of hero status even if you wanted to it'd be hard to live normally.
Then there are the other enemies of Marxism. Even if you manage to overcome to hurdle of autonomy, you then need to face anonymity. Marxism has never been successfully used for a community larger than about fifty.
Now you may be thinking to yourself "Self, I think Marxism can still work large scale."
Well you'd be wrong.
When you know everyone your work is going to, it's cool. The work is hard, but you know that Samantha and Franks' son is sick, and if you don't grow your disgusting cabbages he might not make it.
When everything you do is swallowed up by "The People", sloth takes over.
Incidentally, The People must have a pretty good gag reflex to eat up all your cabbage. It's nasty.
Reliving the monotony without seeing a change, without it earning a better life for your children, knowing on the day your body finally gives out you will be just as much a cabbage farmer as you were when you still thought vegetables were ewwy? (Bearing in mind that you're cabbages really are pretty gross.)
Humans aren't mentally equipped for that. Not with the life spans we have now, especially.
Ultimately Marxist revolutions offer nothing but well meaning oppression, which is maybe better than the cold unfeeling oppression of Capitalism. (But Capitalism has better cabbages.)
When people try to implement Marxism on a large scale it always fails and Communism is what they end up with.
Marxism includes the idea that there is no leader, government, or organizing body. Everyone is equal. The revolution comes from the people, and after it's over the leaders are supposed to melt back into the people.
Communism happens because they don't. Whether the leaders fear that their new society isn't ready without them, or (more likely) they're ego tripping, the individuals who start the revolutions don't step down.
Maybe that makes sense. You spend seventeen years leading your army to victorious conquest against seemingly unsurpassable odds to the betterment of all man kind...
And then you grow cabbages until you die.
(I bet they aren't even very good cabbages either. Seventeen years of war is bad for the soil.)
With that level of hero status even if you wanted to it'd be hard to live normally.
Then there are the other enemies of Marxism. Even if you manage to overcome to hurdle of autonomy, you then need to face anonymity. Marxism has never been successfully used for a community larger than about fifty.
Now you may be thinking to yourself "Self, I think Marxism can still work large scale."
Well you'd be wrong.
When you know everyone your work is going to, it's cool. The work is hard, but you know that Samantha and Franks' son is sick, and if you don't grow your disgusting cabbages he might not make it.
When everything you do is swallowed up by "The People", sloth takes over.
Incidentally, The People must have a pretty good gag reflex to eat up all your cabbage. It's nasty.
Reliving the monotony without seeing a change, without it earning a better life for your children, knowing on the day your body finally gives out you will be just as much a cabbage farmer as you were when you still thought vegetables were ewwy? (Bearing in mind that you're cabbages really are pretty gross.)
Humans aren't mentally equipped for that. Not with the life spans we have now, especially.
Ultimately Marxist revolutions offer nothing but well meaning oppression, which is maybe better than the cold unfeeling oppression of Capitalism. (But Capitalism has better cabbages.)
Monday, August 30, 2010
Masochism
As a human being, I think that a certain tolerance for pain is something all people should develop. However, as a cross country runner I know that what we do is fracking nuts, and if you can't find some way to honestly enjoy your own suffering you quit.
Masochism is one of the most helpful ways to be crazy. It may even top paranoia, since chances are everyone around you is too self centered to actually be out to get you in this day and age.
Just to point out, that last bit was much more comforting in my head.
Wait, back on topic. All runners are crazy. It's the only way anyone could run five point six miles before breakfast knowing that there are two more runs that day. Everyone who runs has to be able to say "I'm going to do this even though it hurts so much that everyone else would quit, and most people wouldn't start in the first place."
Another thing- never confuse cross country running with Track. Track is for whimps. Running a single mile on a flat surface, and they think that's a big deal? Track is a sport for people who can't hack it in cross country, and people who are using it to help train for cross country. Real runners go for miles not yards, and we do it in forests and mountains away from the cheers of spectators.
Masochists take no comfort in those motivational childrens' stories. Puffing up a hill saying I Think I Can doesn't do a thing. Bursting up an incline eyes wild with a battle cry loose on your lips is what it's all about. Actually, no. But it's a fun image.
Oh, and then there's the tortoise and the hare. Let's get something straight here for all those supporting Team Tortoise- slow and steady doesn't win the race. Fast wins the race.
In fact, the mark of a good runner is that after a meet, they vomit. As the saying goes "If you're puking your guts out, you're running your heart out." Real runners make it across that line then veer off to the left (or right, where ever is out of camera range) to jettison all the carbs that had weighed them down. Is it disgusting? Oh, yes it is. But secretly we all want to do well enough to puke.
Another mark of a apt athlete is running with an injury. All preventative measures aside, when you run thirteen miles in eight hours things get shifty. Especially, in the knees ankles and arches. Generally the only thing to do when you get hurt is take it easy so it doesn't get worse... As if that'll happen. You don't get to the point of throwing up by taking it easy!
As I read over this post, I realize that this sport is fit only for the twisted, but I never want to stop.
- Mind you, I just spent a week training in the mountains and had to take yesterday off running so that my left knee and right arch were fit to stand on. Still though. My sport doesn't play games. We run meets. And what we lack in fun we make up for in masochistic satisfaction.
Masochism is one of the most helpful ways to be crazy. It may even top paranoia, since chances are everyone around you is too self centered to actually be out to get you in this day and age.
Just to point out, that last bit was much more comforting in my head.
Wait, back on topic. All runners are crazy. It's the only way anyone could run five point six miles before breakfast knowing that there are two more runs that day. Everyone who runs has to be able to say "I'm going to do this even though it hurts so much that everyone else would quit, and most people wouldn't start in the first place."
Another thing- never confuse cross country running with Track. Track is for whimps. Running a single mile on a flat surface, and they think that's a big deal? Track is a sport for people who can't hack it in cross country, and people who are using it to help train for cross country. Real runners go for miles not yards, and we do it in forests and mountains away from the cheers of spectators.
Masochists take no comfort in those motivational childrens' stories. Puffing up a hill saying I Think I Can doesn't do a thing. Bursting up an incline eyes wild with a battle cry loose on your lips is what it's all about. Actually, no. But it's a fun image.
Oh, and then there's the tortoise and the hare. Let's get something straight here for all those supporting Team Tortoise- slow and steady doesn't win the race. Fast wins the race.
In fact, the mark of a good runner is that after a meet, they vomit. As the saying goes "If you're puking your guts out, you're running your heart out." Real runners make it across that line then veer off to the left (or right, where ever is out of camera range) to jettison all the carbs that had weighed them down. Is it disgusting? Oh, yes it is. But secretly we all want to do well enough to puke.
Another mark of a apt athlete is running with an injury. All preventative measures aside, when you run thirteen miles in eight hours things get shifty. Especially, in the knees ankles and arches. Generally the only thing to do when you get hurt is take it easy so it doesn't get worse... As if that'll happen. You don't get to the point of throwing up by taking it easy!
As I read over this post, I realize that this sport is fit only for the twisted, but I never want to stop.
- Mind you, I just spent a week training in the mountains and had to take yesterday off running so that my left knee and right arch were fit to stand on. Still though. My sport doesn't play games. We run meets. And what we lack in fun we make up for in masochistic satisfaction.
Saturday, August 14, 2010
Normalcy
Sometimes I think that normalcy is an arbitrary scale. That everyone thinks of themselves as unique, when in reality almost everyone is completely ordinary. Sometimes I think that I've deluded myself by assuming I'm strange at all.
... Then I remember that I paint the flags of different countries on my fingernails, put cocktail umbrellas in my caprison, and memorize information on Lithuania, quantum physics, and mental disorders in my free time.
Side note- 16% of all people in Lithuanians are born naturally resistant to HIV and AIDS.
Still though, it's worth thinking about. Recently (well not so recently. Last school year. Recent in comparison to, say, the time humanity has spent on Earth) I had a pair of teachers who assigned us an essay on how we see ourselves in comparison to how other people see us.
To research this people starting circulating anonymous sheets saying "What do you think of Jennifer" and "Describe Anthony", ect. A funny thing happened.
Every sheet called the person smart and unique.
As it happens, no one actually described me. I got a list of adjectives. But "smart" "intelligent" "knowledgeable" "unique" "weird" "strange" "freaky- in a good way!!" were all used multiple times.
A couple people also said "wears hats alot". Come on, really? You have to summarize my entire existence, and you say I wear hats a lot? Besides, a lot is two words! Honestly, people these days.
Right, back on topic. Not everyone can be out of the ordinary, but every individual you look at seems to be. Why? Are we afraid to see monotony? Is the problem that humanity, a species long obsessed with discovering familiar patterns in the world around us, doesn't wish to see the patterns emerging from within our own ranks?
On a brighter note, I'm doing a self improvement stint known as the Drok Plan. Born from individual lack of motivation and a typing error.
... Then I remember that I paint the flags of different countries on my fingernails, put cocktail umbrellas in my caprison, and memorize information on Lithuania, quantum physics, and mental disorders in my free time.
Side note- 16% of all people in Lithuanians are born naturally resistant to HIV and AIDS.
Still though, it's worth thinking about. Recently (well not so recently. Last school year. Recent in comparison to, say, the time humanity has spent on Earth) I had a pair of teachers who assigned us an essay on how we see ourselves in comparison to how other people see us.
To research this people starting circulating anonymous sheets saying "What do you think of Jennifer" and "Describe Anthony", ect. A funny thing happened.
Every sheet called the person smart and unique.
As it happens, no one actually described me. I got a list of adjectives. But "smart" "intelligent" "knowledgeable" "unique" "weird" "strange" "freaky- in a good way!!" were all used multiple times.
A couple people also said "wears hats alot". Come on, really? You have to summarize my entire existence, and you say I wear hats a lot? Besides, a lot is two words! Honestly, people these days.
Right, back on topic. Not everyone can be out of the ordinary, but every individual you look at seems to be. Why? Are we afraid to see monotony? Is the problem that humanity, a species long obsessed with discovering familiar patterns in the world around us, doesn't wish to see the patterns emerging from within our own ranks?
On a brighter note, I'm doing a self improvement stint known as the Drok Plan. Born from individual lack of motivation and a typing error.
Sunday, August 8, 2010
Quirky thought procceses
Hey, two posts in one day! That's not like me.
Anyway, it bothers me when people who are confessing their love to someone employ the line "I think about you all the time".
Does that include the toilet?
I mean really. I always feel awful if I'm thinking about something on the toilet, like I am dishonouring the thing I'm thinking about.
I feel even worse if I'm thinking about a story and have to use the bathroom.
"Oh no- what if from now on using the bathroom makes me think of my story?
What if I can only come up with ideas on the toilet from now on?
What if I am forced to abuse laxatives to overcome writers block?
What if people find out about the abuse and think I have bulimia nervousa because of this?
What if I actually develop bulimia because of this?
What if this thought pattern is evidence that I'm developing OCD and I won't be able to escape this spiral and for the rest of my life all my thoughts will begin with the words "What If"?
What if thinking I have OCD means I'm actually hypochondriac?
Holy shit, believing I have hypochondria simultaneously proves and disproves that diagnoses."
The curse of intelligence! Left unchecked, the connections I make degrade swiftly into nonsense.
Anyway, it bothers me when people who are confessing their love to someone employ the line "I think about you all the time".
Does that include the toilet?
I mean really. I always feel awful if I'm thinking about something on the toilet, like I am dishonouring the thing I'm thinking about.
I feel even worse if I'm thinking about a story and have to use the bathroom.
"Oh no- what if from now on using the bathroom makes me think of my story?
What if I can only come up with ideas on the toilet from now on?
What if I am forced to abuse laxatives to overcome writers block?
What if people find out about the abuse and think I have bulimia nervousa because of this?
What if I actually develop bulimia because of this?
What if this thought pattern is evidence that I'm developing OCD and I won't be able to escape this spiral and for the rest of my life all my thoughts will begin with the words "What If"?
What if thinking I have OCD means I'm actually hypochondriac?
Holy shit, believing I have hypochondria simultaneously proves and disproves that diagnoses."
The curse of intelligence! Left unchecked, the connections I make degrade swiftly into nonsense.
being yourself, and preppy motivation
It's impossible not to. Part of who we are is our ability to completely alter our personality and behavior to fit our situation. "Be yourself" is an impossible task, because it doesn't recognize that we don't have one self.
Think about what would happen if the way you act with you best friend was the way you acted when you were meeting class mates for the first time. Most people wouldn't want to associate with you because acting to idiosyncratically while making a first impression just pushes people away.
Mom: Oh hi sweetie.
You: Hi.
Mom: Criminal Minds comes on later. You interested?
You: No thanks, maybe some other time.
Friend: Oh, hey!
You: Hey what's up?
Friend: There's a Criminal Minds marathon on!
You: Ugh, why do you watch that?
Friend: Because it's amazing!
You: Enjoy your Reid fandom, I'll be on facebook when you rejoin the sane.
By the way, Criminal Minds is the best crime show there's ever been.
More importantly, we do stuff like this every day. Part of "being yourself" is the knowledge of when to be polite and when to be casual.
The most revolting preppy bee hive clone is still in their own way being themselves- Part of being them includes following trends. If they pretended that abercrombie and sillybandz didn't appeal to them, they wouldn't really be being them.
It doesn't matter that the appeal comes from the familiarity of seeing it often, or from attracting the kind of people who they don't find alarming. Part of them being them is the fear of people who look and act different, a fear of unpredictability. They don't know how to handle people who express a desire to behave differently from most people, so they wear things that push them away.
Hell, I do the same thing. I was letting my hair go back to blonde after having it dyed an odd color, usually pink, for over two years. It's been normalish looking for months, but two days ago I made it purple because I was invited to a costume type party and didn't have a costume but since then I've become aware of just how bad looking normal was for my self esteem.
Looking weird I feel better, more confident... It assures me that the people who want to alienate me will stay away, and anyone who is dealing with alienation will get comfort from seeing me, and might even help me if some does try to make my life shit as punishment for my abnormality.
It's sort of a
"If I look normal, people might get the impression I care what they think and judge me
and since I do care about what they think and don't want to be judged
I'll make it seem like I don't and then they won't bother."
I have a friend who wears scripted tee shirts every day, because she's really socially awkward and hopes that people with the same interests as she has on her tee shirt will defend her when people make fun of her.
Part of being her is that she's care free and spontaneous with some people, but tense and frightened with others. Another part of being her is that she deals with this fear by being uncontrollably hyper with people she knows won't accept her, or meekly intellectual with people who might.
She can't "just be herself"- what is that even supposed to mean? Should she scream the Yeah We Like Waffles song, inquire about the nature of the universe, or talk about how she wants to hold a game of "everybody's it" in the local supermarket?
Next time you feel nervous about something and somebody says "just be yourself", remember that despite the useless crap advice you've just been given, it'll turn out alright. You already are yourself.
Think about what would happen if the way you act with you best friend was the way you acted when you were meeting class mates for the first time. Most people wouldn't want to associate with you because acting to idiosyncratically while making a first impression just pushes people away.
Mom: Oh hi sweetie.
You: Hi.
Mom: Criminal Minds comes on later. You interested?
You: No thanks, maybe some other time.
Friend: Oh, hey!
You: Hey what's up?
Friend: There's a Criminal Minds marathon on!
You: Ugh, why do you watch that?
Friend: Because it's amazing!
You: Enjoy your Reid fandom, I'll be on facebook when you rejoin the sane.
By the way, Criminal Minds is the best crime show there's ever been.
More importantly, we do stuff like this every day. Part of "being yourself" is the knowledge of when to be polite and when to be casual.
The most revolting preppy bee hive clone is still in their own way being themselves- Part of being them includes following trends. If they pretended that abercrombie and sillybandz didn't appeal to them, they wouldn't really be being them.
It doesn't matter that the appeal comes from the familiarity of seeing it often, or from attracting the kind of people who they don't find alarming. Part of them being them is the fear of people who look and act different, a fear of unpredictability. They don't know how to handle people who express a desire to behave differently from most people, so they wear things that push them away.
Hell, I do the same thing. I was letting my hair go back to blonde after having it dyed an odd color, usually pink, for over two years. It's been normalish looking for months, but two days ago I made it purple because I was invited to a costume type party and didn't have a costume but since then I've become aware of just how bad looking normal was for my self esteem.
Looking weird I feel better, more confident... It assures me that the people who want to alienate me will stay away, and anyone who is dealing with alienation will get comfort from seeing me, and might even help me if some does try to make my life shit as punishment for my abnormality.
It's sort of a
"If I look normal, people might get the impression I care what they think and judge me
and since I do care about what they think and don't want to be judged
I'll make it seem like I don't and then they won't bother."
I have a friend who wears scripted tee shirts every day, because she's really socially awkward and hopes that people with the same interests as she has on her tee shirt will defend her when people make fun of her.
Part of being her is that she's care free and spontaneous with some people, but tense and frightened with others. Another part of being her is that she deals with this fear by being uncontrollably hyper with people she knows won't accept her, or meekly intellectual with people who might.
She can't "just be herself"- what is that even supposed to mean? Should she scream the Yeah We Like Waffles song, inquire about the nature of the universe, or talk about how she wants to hold a game of "everybody's it" in the local supermarket?
Next time you feel nervous about something and somebody says "just be yourself", remember that despite the useless crap advice you've just been given, it'll turn out alright. You already are yourself.
Wednesday, August 4, 2010
Oi, just pick an ideal, Society!
I am currently enrolled in summer school to take Health class early.
Health class, apart from making me Existantial, makes me realize that society is hypocritical. We need to make up our minds.
Either we encourage people to be healthy by praising the flexible, the athletic, and [big breath] the thin, OR
We tell people to be happy with themselves.
In this summer health class, the Eating Disorders unit immediately precedes the Nutrition unit. What I've learned is that as the number of obese and overweight Americans goes up, so does the number of Americans who are anorexic or bulimic.
That's not a coincidence!
I'm sick of renditions of Christina Aguilaras' "We are Beautiful" being used to convince me that I'm okay the way I am, while at the same time getting whacked over the head with messages about Getting Active and Eating Right.
By pushing these at the same time, we essentially make it a choice between obesity and easting disorder.
Why lose weight if you can resent everyone for not thinking the way you are is good enough?
How can you take the time to lose weight the healthy way when being over weight is so shameful?
I'm not even an unhealthy weight! I can't imagine what it's like for people who aren't low quality cross country runners.
Anyway, since it's illegal to advertise cigarettes on T.V why shouldn't food and beverage corporations get the same treatment?
They argue that they are not to blame for America being a bunch of fat asses because we should have personal resposibility, but let's see what happens if they can't spend billions annually to impair our ability to choose?
(Oh, by the way, the Advertisment unit came right after Nutrition.)
Amoung the many other things I was outraged to realize no one else noticed in health class (besides the trends of weight extremity and the hypocracy of Food Corps.) was how susceptiable most people are to commercials.
Appearently putting commercials on T.V, radio, and the Internet really works.
Am I the only one who resents every commercials she sees? Every time I see one I get angry that they think I'm so easy to manipulate. Products that I see Ads for get a special mental note that they can't be very good. If they were worth buying, they could get by on word of mouth.
I even play a game when watching T.V trying to spot the hidden messages.
For instance, the reason Ford commecials so often feature their cars driving through forests or deserts is that it appeals to two mindsets.
Option one: Buy our car. It allows you to go out and do the exciting things you really want to do.
or option two: Buy our car. It will keep you safe no matter where you are.
And the people. Every person in a commercial is actually you. Especially if they are your gender, and attractive. Age doesn't matter as much. "Buy our make up- it makes you mature" sells just as well as "Buy our make up- it makes you young".
Go forth, run eight miles, and egg a billboard! And a skinny person. And a fat person. And then a Lobbyist, just to be safe.
Side note: Oi, how many times did I use the words "commercial" and "advertisment"?
Health class, apart from making me Existantial, makes me realize that society is hypocritical. We need to make up our minds.
Either we encourage people to be healthy by praising the flexible, the athletic, and [big breath] the thin, OR
We tell people to be happy with themselves.
In this summer health class, the Eating Disorders unit immediately precedes the Nutrition unit. What I've learned is that as the number of obese and overweight Americans goes up, so does the number of Americans who are anorexic or bulimic.
That's not a coincidence!
I'm sick of renditions of Christina Aguilaras' "We are Beautiful" being used to convince me that I'm okay the way I am, while at the same time getting whacked over the head with messages about Getting Active and Eating Right.
By pushing these at the same time, we essentially make it a choice between obesity and easting disorder.
Why lose weight if you can resent everyone for not thinking the way you are is good enough?
How can you take the time to lose weight the healthy way when being over weight is so shameful?
I'm not even an unhealthy weight! I can't imagine what it's like for people who aren't low quality cross country runners.
Anyway, since it's illegal to advertise cigarettes on T.V why shouldn't food and beverage corporations get the same treatment?
They argue that they are not to blame for America being a bunch of fat asses because we should have personal resposibility, but let's see what happens if they can't spend billions annually to impair our ability to choose?
(Oh, by the way, the Advertisment unit came right after Nutrition.)
Amoung the many other things I was outraged to realize no one else noticed in health class (besides the trends of weight extremity and the hypocracy of Food Corps.) was how susceptiable most people are to commercials.
Appearently putting commercials on T.V, radio, and the Internet really works.
Am I the only one who resents every commercials she sees? Every time I see one I get angry that they think I'm so easy to manipulate. Products that I see Ads for get a special mental note that they can't be very good. If they were worth buying, they could get by on word of mouth.
I even play a game when watching T.V trying to spot the hidden messages.
For instance, the reason Ford commecials so often feature their cars driving through forests or deserts is that it appeals to two mindsets.
Option one: Buy our car. It allows you to go out and do the exciting things you really want to do.
or option two: Buy our car. It will keep you safe no matter where you are.
And the people. Every person in a commercial is actually you. Especially if they are your gender, and attractive. Age doesn't matter as much. "Buy our make up- it makes you mature" sells just as well as "Buy our make up- it makes you young".
Go forth, run eight miles, and egg a billboard! And a skinny person. And a fat person. And then a Lobbyist, just to be safe.
Side note: Oi, how many times did I use the words "commercial" and "advertisment"?
Thursday, July 29, 2010
Birthdays
Happy birthday to me. I turn fifteen tomorrow. Yes I am only fifteen, which goes a way to explain my thought process. That's not to say I think like other fifteen year olds, but the teenage mind is not one that can function in the busy world of grown ups, and mine is no exception.
Really, I don't think my mind could function anywhere except maybe Japan. Every time I learn one of Japans' cultural quirks that make all the Westerns go "What the heck, that makes no sense!" I always find myself thinking "Oh, is that not how I'm supposed to be?"
Unfortunately, I have thus far failed to learn Japanese, and a mind that thinks in English probably can't function in Japan terribly well even though starting in a few short years all Japanese school children age six and up will be required to learn English.
This all brings me back to my mind is not fit to function in adult life.
Which brings me back to adult life, AKA my birthday.
I don't like getting older. Right now I am young peppy and exuberant. I have only had one proper job so far in my life, working on a fabulous llama farm, and I loved it. Having a job made me happy. The hard physical labour for minimum wage? Again- Loved it!
So why do I want to get old and burned out and hate work and hate life? I already hate myself, why add in that other stuff?
Speaking of other stuff, being born on July thirtieth makes me a Leo.
Leos are cool, because we're all a bunch of arrogant pricks, but being Leo also is supposed to guarantee that the person is spectacular.
The "planet" of Leo? The sun. Source of all energy on Earth.
The animal of Leo? Lion, the "King of the Jungle". Yes, yes, they live on the savanna. But they were believed to be the greatest animals alive.
The element of Leo? Fire. (Well, that goes along with sun.) Fire is the supposed most powerful element.
The organ of the Leo? The heart.
The bone? The spine.
The metal? Gold.
Leos' were made to be the leaders of the Zodiac. Our dominatingly bitchy personalities come from our natural inclination to be better then everyone else. As long as we have a Taurus around to slap the smirks off our faces, Leos are pretty beast.
Also if a Leo manages to get over themselves, we are the most generous, selfless, determined and fearless sign as well. Good luck finding a Leo without an ego, but if you do, MARRY THEM. It's the only sensible thing to do.
My ego is weird. I am of course an arrogant over confident bitch, but I also realize that nothing I say will ever be any good, and everything I create is worthless. Long ago I decided that talking about how much I suck is far more endearing then the reverse.
So for my birthday tomorrow, we're playing Zombie. A game which I will happily explain... Later.
Really, I don't think my mind could function anywhere except maybe Japan. Every time I learn one of Japans' cultural quirks that make all the Westerns go "What the heck, that makes no sense!" I always find myself thinking "Oh, is that not how I'm supposed to be?"
Unfortunately, I have thus far failed to learn Japanese, and a mind that thinks in English probably can't function in Japan terribly well even though starting in a few short years all Japanese school children age six and up will be required to learn English.
This all brings me back to my mind is not fit to function in adult life.
Which brings me back to adult life, AKA my birthday.
I don't like getting older. Right now I am young peppy and exuberant. I have only had one proper job so far in my life, working on a fabulous llama farm, and I loved it. Having a job made me happy. The hard physical labour for minimum wage? Again- Loved it!
So why do I want to get old and burned out and hate work and hate life? I already hate myself, why add in that other stuff?
Speaking of other stuff, being born on July thirtieth makes me a Leo.
Leos are cool, because we're all a bunch of arrogant pricks, but being Leo also is supposed to guarantee that the person is spectacular.
The "planet" of Leo? The sun. Source of all energy on Earth.
The animal of Leo? Lion, the "King of the Jungle". Yes, yes, they live on the savanna. But they were believed to be the greatest animals alive.
The element of Leo? Fire. (Well, that goes along with sun.) Fire is the supposed most powerful element.
The organ of the Leo? The heart.
The bone? The spine.
The metal? Gold.
Leos' were made to be the leaders of the Zodiac. Our dominatingly bitchy personalities come from our natural inclination to be better then everyone else. As long as we have a Taurus around to slap the smirks off our faces, Leos are pretty beast.
Also if a Leo manages to get over themselves, we are the most generous, selfless, determined and fearless sign as well. Good luck finding a Leo without an ego, but if you do, MARRY THEM. It's the only sensible thing to do.
My ego is weird. I am of course an arrogant over confident bitch, but I also realize that nothing I say will ever be any good, and everything I create is worthless. Long ago I decided that talking about how much I suck is far more endearing then the reverse.
So for my birthday tomorrow, we're playing Zombie. A game which I will happily explain... Later.
Monday, July 5, 2010
Fathers Day
This is a blog post about my personal life! Never done this before, but no one has ever read this blog, so I don't think it will bother anyone.
In most ways I am very abnormal for a teenage girl. My sister is two years older, but we go to the same school and have lots of them same friends and do things together. Bearing in mind that I get better grades then her, and she's better looking then I am, and all these things that cause rivalry in most people it's pretty strange that we get along alright.
Additionally, as if that lack of a problem isn't odd enough I have a really good relationship with my mom. Is she in possession of in depth knowledge of all my problems and thoughts? Not even close. I mean come on, the teenage mind is crazy. If I wrote in this thing every damn day it still wouldn't capture the Essence of My Inner Being. But we talk almost every day, and never fight, and that seems pretty good to me.
My father- who has been divorced from my mother since I was about two- is still in my life, my sister and I visit him every other weekend and we talk on the phone every other day, and even though I do argue with him sometimes it's mostly friendly-ish debates about art and music.
The problem is my "Step Dad", Robbie. He's been living with my mom sister and I since I was like two and a half. Even then I didn't like him, and I like him less the older I get. The kicker is that this jerk isn't even really my step dad. I am expected to give him fathers day gifts every year, but
1) He and I are not biologically related.
2) He is not my father emotionally or spiritually.
3) He and my mom have never been legally married.
4) Even if he was actually my step dad, which he isn't legally, society does not view step parents as the equivalent of parents- hence the addition of the prefix "step".
Honestly, I've never understood why I have to honour him as a parent on fathers day. Okay, there is one tangible connection. Because he and my mom have been living together for 8+ years they have to file taxes as a married couple.
I really hate this guy though. You've no idea how stupid he is, and how ignorant.
Intelligence and knowledge are actually unrelated, no matter what misconceptions we may have about this. Getting As or spouting facts doesn't make you a genius, it's your ability to form connections with whatever information you do have.
He can't.
He doesn't even know he can't make connections so he tries and fails so miserably and doesn't realize that he's said something idiotic and continues on these ill conceived tangents to prove how smart he is.
If you are knowledgeable then you can balance out what an imbecile you are, but he's not.
If he's watching T.V with us and anyone says "Too bad that can't happen!" (like while Harry Potter is on) he will start talking over dialog for twenty minutes attempting to explain how you could wire a password activated light to turn on when you say the word lumos and you would need to set up a fake wood mold to turn into a wand but it would be possible and contrary to popular belief (he loves saying that) we do have the technology to do it but with todays technology it would unfortunately impossible.
And the entire time everyone is trying to listen to the movie and resisting the temptation to shout "No we can't do that you damn fool, and you are contradicting yourself because you have no actual point to make and you are an idiot."
In most ways I am very abnormal for a teenage girl. My sister is two years older, but we go to the same school and have lots of them same friends and do things together. Bearing in mind that I get better grades then her, and she's better looking then I am, and all these things that cause rivalry in most people it's pretty strange that we get along alright.
Additionally, as if that lack of a problem isn't odd enough I have a really good relationship with my mom. Is she in possession of in depth knowledge of all my problems and thoughts? Not even close. I mean come on, the teenage mind is crazy. If I wrote in this thing every damn day it still wouldn't capture the Essence of My Inner Being. But we talk almost every day, and never fight, and that seems pretty good to me.
My father- who has been divorced from my mother since I was about two- is still in my life, my sister and I visit him every other weekend and we talk on the phone every other day, and even though I do argue with him sometimes it's mostly friendly-ish debates about art and music.
The problem is my "Step Dad", Robbie. He's been living with my mom sister and I since I was like two and a half. Even then I didn't like him, and I like him less the older I get. The kicker is that this jerk isn't even really my step dad. I am expected to give him fathers day gifts every year, but
1) He and I are not biologically related.
2) He is not my father emotionally or spiritually.
3) He and my mom have never been legally married.
4) Even if he was actually my step dad, which he isn't legally, society does not view step parents as the equivalent of parents- hence the addition of the prefix "step".
Honestly, I've never understood why I have to honour him as a parent on fathers day. Okay, there is one tangible connection. Because he and my mom have been living together for 8+ years they have to file taxes as a married couple.
I really hate this guy though. You've no idea how stupid he is, and how ignorant.
Intelligence and knowledge are actually unrelated, no matter what misconceptions we may have about this. Getting As or spouting facts doesn't make you a genius, it's your ability to form connections with whatever information you do have.
He can't.
He doesn't even know he can't make connections so he tries and fails so miserably and doesn't realize that he's said something idiotic and continues on these ill conceived tangents to prove how smart he is.
If you are knowledgeable then you can balance out what an imbecile you are, but he's not.
If he's watching T.V with us and anyone says "Too bad that can't happen!" (like while Harry Potter is on) he will start talking over dialog for twenty minutes attempting to explain how you could wire a password activated light to turn on when you say the word lumos and you would need to set up a fake wood mold to turn into a wand but it would be possible and contrary to popular belief (he loves saying that) we do have the technology to do it but with todays technology it would unfortunately impossible.
And the entire time everyone is trying to listen to the movie and resisting the temptation to shout "No we can't do that you damn fool, and you are contradicting yourself because you have no actual point to make and you are an idiot."
Thursday, June 24, 2010
Story Book Villians. (Eragon spoilers)
I am pretty unimpressed with the characters passed off as evil in stories, as a whole. Most of them would be the good guy, if they were in the protagonists position.
Take the Chronicles of Narnia for instance.
All my nerdiness aside, Edmund was evil for liking the White Witch, and then stopped being evil when he met Aslan. Isn't that a bit odd? He's evil for not siding with someone he's never had the chance to meet. All he did was befriend the first person he met over some food, Lucy did the same thing!
The order of events goes like this-
1) Child enters Narnia
2) A stranger shows them kindness
3) The stranger earns the childs' loyalty
4) It is revealed that this person might wish to harm the child
5) The stranger forces the child to go home at once
Lucy would have been "evil" too, if she hadn't come through when she did. Think about it. Ed goes through, meets a guy who wins him over with some neat stories. He'd go back and talk about it, and I bet only Lucy would believe him. She'd try getting in and meet this nice old woman.
I've never seen Starwars before, but my English teacher talked about it a lot. Didn't Darth Vader turn evil because to be a Jedi he was expected to stop being in love with someone? Or something? Anyone with his hormone balance would have done something just as drastic.
In Eragon -the book, the movie is not fit to bear the same title. If it didn't you wouldn't know they were supposed to be the same thing.
Anyway.
In Eragon, Murtagh turns evil, thus disappointing thousands of fangirls who really need to look at the whole story and not become obsessed with single characters-
Anyway.
Murtagh turns "evil" and helps Galbatorix- after being captured, dragged into an abyss against his will, forced into the Kings fracking dungeons and discovering the dragon that completes his soul. I mean come on give the guy a break. Dragon hatchlings are pretty pathetic, and you know if Murtagh didn't agree to help His Royal Craziness he would have had to watch the adorable baby he had dreamed of all his life and loved with all his heart killed before his eyes, thus literally slashing apart his soul and sending him spiraling into suicide, or life long insanity. Which he would be imprisoned and tortured during.
And then he lets Eragon go later. Sort of. It's sort of only because Eragon was weakening his dragon. But he and Eragon were friends, and if he caught him then he could stop trying to murder him. And he had that whole speech about how they were trying to unite the country so that there would never be wars again. And he's trying to save the species of dragons.
If he hadn't been captured he'd still be a good guy. And he's doing pretty well under the circumstances. He's got morals. His actions are reasonable.
All in all? Not impressed with the people literature labels as "evil". That's a pretty strong word. Because if the options were presented bluntly, who wouldn't choose to be good?
Take the Chronicles of Narnia for instance.
All my nerdiness aside, Edmund was evil for liking the White Witch, and then stopped being evil when he met Aslan. Isn't that a bit odd? He's evil for not siding with someone he's never had the chance to meet. All he did was befriend the first person he met over some food, Lucy did the same thing!
The order of events goes like this-
1) Child enters Narnia
2) A stranger shows them kindness
3) The stranger earns the childs' loyalty
4) It is revealed that this person might wish to harm the child
5) The stranger forces the child to go home at once
Lucy would have been "evil" too, if she hadn't come through when she did. Think about it. Ed goes through, meets a guy who wins him over with some neat stories. He'd go back and talk about it, and I bet only Lucy would believe him. She'd try getting in and meet this nice old woman.
I've never seen Starwars before, but my English teacher talked about it a lot. Didn't Darth Vader turn evil because to be a Jedi he was expected to stop being in love with someone? Or something? Anyone with his hormone balance would have done something just as drastic.
In Eragon -the book, the movie is not fit to bear the same title. If it didn't you wouldn't know they were supposed to be the same thing.
Anyway.
In Eragon, Murtagh turns evil, thus disappointing thousands of fangirls who really need to look at the whole story and not become obsessed with single characters-
Anyway.
Murtagh turns "evil" and helps Galbatorix- after being captured, dragged into an abyss against his will, forced into the Kings fracking dungeons and discovering the dragon that completes his soul. I mean come on give the guy a break. Dragon hatchlings are pretty pathetic, and you know if Murtagh didn't agree to help His Royal Craziness he would have had to watch the adorable baby he had dreamed of all his life and loved with all his heart killed before his eyes, thus literally slashing apart his soul and sending him spiraling into suicide, or life long insanity. Which he would be imprisoned and tortured during.
And then he lets Eragon go later. Sort of. It's sort of only because Eragon was weakening his dragon. But he and Eragon were friends, and if he caught him then he could stop trying to murder him. And he had that whole speech about how they were trying to unite the country so that there would never be wars again. And he's trying to save the species of dragons.
If he hadn't been captured he'd still be a good guy. And he's doing pretty well under the circumstances. He's got morals. His actions are reasonable.
All in all? Not impressed with the people literature labels as "evil". That's a pretty strong word. Because if the options were presented bluntly, who wouldn't choose to be good?
Monday, June 14, 2010
Where I've been
If I get readers one day who read through my posts and care enough to look at the dates, you'll know that I haven't written in a few days.
That's because I've been busy trying to write a story!
Note: "Trying" is the operative word here.
Other note: "Busy" really isn't.
I'm sick of magic being something that drains you. In certain stories, that works really well, but it's started to become normal, and that just makes it seem unoriginal after a certain point. And there are lots of stories where magic is something that requires vigorous training. But how did the teachers learn it? Isn't anyone self taught? Plus it's such a huge part of peoples lives in stories. It's hardly ever seen as just an unimportant supporter feature of society.
And although there's nothing like a good Chosen One story, I didn't want to write one.
So, I'm only two pages in. I know exactly what I want to do, but I've got to make sure I avoid these fantasy fiction pitfalls.
That's because I've been busy trying to write a story!
Note: "Trying" is the operative word here.
Other note: "Busy" really isn't.
I'm sick of magic being something that drains you. In certain stories, that works really well, but it's started to become normal, and that just makes it seem unoriginal after a certain point. And there are lots of stories where magic is something that requires vigorous training. But how did the teachers learn it? Isn't anyone self taught? Plus it's such a huge part of peoples lives in stories. It's hardly ever seen as just an unimportant supporter feature of society.
And although there's nothing like a good Chosen One story, I didn't want to write one.
So, I'm only two pages in. I know exactly what I want to do, but I've got to make sure I avoid these fantasy fiction pitfalls.
Tuesday, June 8, 2010
Burial
Burial is considered to be a sign of belief in the after life, apparently. At least, it is if the bones are found straight and orderly, not like they've been dumped in a hole to avoid bears.
When you think about it, organized religion has caused nothing but trouble. Yet burial may be the single most comforting thing we can do to brace for our own demise.
Once burial is common practice, in the back of your mind, you always know that you will be cared for after death. Not in a "I will hold your memory to my heart forever" sort of way, it just shows that after you die, you still exist.
Is that enough to push away all nervousness about the great abyss? No, certainly not.
But it helps, right?
When you think about it, organized religion has caused nothing but trouble. Yet burial may be the single most comforting thing we can do to brace for our own demise.
Once burial is common practice, in the back of your mind, you always know that you will be cared for after death. Not in a "I will hold your memory to my heart forever" sort of way, it just shows that after you die, you still exist.
Is that enough to push away all nervousness about the great abyss? No, certainly not.
But it helps, right?
Monday, June 7, 2010
Fantasy on the internet
The Internet is a MAGICAL place for many teens in need of a creative outlet. The number of small, unprofessional fantasy stories online grows exponentially everyday. Of course, the number of those stories that are worth reading is somewhere lower...
I am going to try to write a proper story, set in a MAGICAL realm.
"But Kirti," my non existent readers ask "How can you be sure your story won't get lost among all the others?"
Well my gentle and non existent friends, the answer is that it will get lost among the others. But at least my story will be filled with sociopolitical issues.
Hurray for sociopolitical issues!
I am going to try to write a proper story, set in a MAGICAL realm.
"But Kirti," my non existent readers ask "How can you be sure your story won't get lost among all the others?"
Well my gentle and non existent friends, the answer is that it will get lost among the others. But at least my story will be filled with sociopolitical issues.
Hurray for sociopolitical issues!
Saturday, June 5, 2010
Mike- Tu nombre es un pregunto!
Yesterday my friends started discussing what we would want to name our children, should we get old and choose to have some.
This is an incredibly fun way to spend time. I know a girl with every intention of naming her first born Mariadock and Paragrin her second. I love my nerd friends. Another friend wants a boy named Xavier for no reason other than the fact that any name beginning with X is awesome.
I said that though I'm a celibate who hasn't had a XY born into her family for... Uh... Ever actually. Like, you can trace the family tree back and nothing but girls have been born. The guys are always married in, and then their wives have daughters who marry and have daughters.
But if I had a son, somehow (Omaigawsh, virgin birth?) I said I would name him Ashely, because Ashely was originally a boys name and it is so unfeminine. People started jumping in to say the Joshua be a girls name...
Makes me think about BabyNames.com, places like that. You would not believe how many names actually mean things like "God is Gracious" (Joe, John, Jane, Janet, Janice, Janette, ect) and "Who is like God?" (Micheal. The answer is supposedly that no man is like God. And yet it's thought to be good Christian name. When Christianty centers around a man who they think is like God. Huh.) It seems so strange that we look at babies, something we created, whose survival is stringent on us, and think of our Gods. Is it because we are reminded of our own vulnerability before Zeus and Thor and Jehovah and whoever else, or because we have doubts in our faith?
Or, you know, because we are a species of suck ups. Seriously our ancestors were that insecure? Naming their kids that? Can't they just hang a sign round their own necks saying "Please don't smite me mister God, I fully regret doing the nasty,"? I mean really. Now it's a tradition. How any Mike be sure of his identity when his name is actually a question I may never know.
This is an incredibly fun way to spend time. I know a girl with every intention of naming her first born Mariadock and Paragrin her second. I love my nerd friends. Another friend wants a boy named Xavier for no reason other than the fact that any name beginning with X is awesome.
I said that though I'm a celibate who hasn't had a XY born into her family for... Uh... Ever actually. Like, you can trace the family tree back and nothing but girls have been born. The guys are always married in, and then their wives have daughters who marry and have daughters.
But if I had a son, somehow (Omaigawsh, virgin birth?) I said I would name him Ashely, because Ashely was originally a boys name and it is so unfeminine. People started jumping in to say the Joshua be a girls name...
Makes me think about BabyNames.com, places like that. You would not believe how many names actually mean things like "God is Gracious" (Joe, John, Jane, Janet, Janice, Janette, ect) and "Who is like God?" (Micheal. The answer is supposedly that no man is like God. And yet it's thought to be good Christian name. When Christianty centers around a man who they think is like God. Huh.) It seems so strange that we look at babies, something we created, whose survival is stringent on us, and think of our Gods. Is it because we are reminded of our own vulnerability before Zeus and Thor and Jehovah and whoever else, or because we have doubts in our faith?
Or, you know, because we are a species of suck ups. Seriously our ancestors were that insecure? Naming their kids that? Can't they just hang a sign round their own necks saying "Please don't smite me mister God, I fully regret doing the nasty,"? I mean really. Now it's a tradition. How any Mike be sure of his identity when his name is actually a question I may never know.
Friday, June 4, 2010
Romance and Pansexuality
Greetings non existent readers! Sorry for the late update, my girlfriend was over. Right now I am in my pajamas, not at A-prom. So I think now's a good time to talk about homosexuality.
First off- I'm not. Allow me to explain.
1) I am a girl
2) I am in a sixth month long romantic relationship with a girl
3) My girlfriend is a lesbian
4) I am not a lesbian. What's more, I am not bisexual, nor transgender.
Ladies and gentlemen , I am what is known as a "Pansexual". I feel romantic attraction regardless of gender, because genders do not interest me. I don't give a crap, and I don't see why I should. I don't understand why other people do, actually.
Out of curiosity, I often ask girls what they look for in a soul mate. The list is extensive and features things like "Smart, funny, sweet, honest, cute", etc. All the traits girls seem to look for are gender neutral. Plus, when asked "So if you two are really true loves, does it matter if they aren't awesome in bed?"
Que the hip cocked,the arms crossed, the jaw set and the nose goes flying into the air as they inform me that obviously they wouldn't care. "Sex has nothing to do with true love!" they say.
Okay, so maybe it's unfair to trick people like this, but every girl I've tried this on ends up saying that love and sex are disconnected for them, so I ask the critical question- if love and sex are different, and you desperately want to find your soul mate, why do you only date guys?
Try it sometime. Girls will stutter, or go wide eyed, some even gag. And then they do their best to explain that they're straight. Straight; That's a sexual orientation! They feel they can't possibly fall in love with girls because they can only have sex with boys? When they agree that sex is unrelated to love?
But pansexuality is a sexual orientation too. Just like asexuality is a sexual orientation. Just like atheism is a religion, and bald is a hair color. Back on topic, I realize I can't logic people into thinking that sex doesn't matter. For most of you, I guess it does. It's just weird.
But despite my general repulsion towards all reproductive organs, I fully support gay rights. I even read comics and manga about gay love (there are several that I am a huge fan of). Any straights who say being gay is a choice...
I can explain the hormone spikes in the womb that cause men to rely of their left brain more than is typical another time. For now, all homophobes should know you're wrong and illogical. G'night!
First off- I'm not. Allow me to explain.
1) I am a girl
2) I am in a sixth month long romantic relationship with a girl
3) My girlfriend is a lesbian
4) I am not a lesbian. What's more, I am not bisexual, nor transgender.
Ladies and gentlemen , I am what is known as a "Pansexual". I feel romantic attraction regardless of gender, because genders do not interest me. I don't give a crap, and I don't see why I should. I don't understand why other people do, actually.
Out of curiosity, I often ask girls what they look for in a soul mate. The list is extensive and features things like "Smart, funny, sweet, honest, cute", etc. All the traits girls seem to look for are gender neutral. Plus, when asked "So if you two are really true loves, does it matter if they aren't awesome in bed?"
Que the hip cocked,the arms crossed, the jaw set and the nose goes flying into the air as they inform me that obviously they wouldn't care. "Sex has nothing to do with true love!" they say.
Okay, so maybe it's unfair to trick people like this, but every girl I've tried this on ends up saying that love and sex are disconnected for them, so I ask the critical question- if love and sex are different, and you desperately want to find your soul mate, why do you only date guys?
Try it sometime. Girls will stutter, or go wide eyed, some even gag. And then they do their best to explain that they're straight. Straight; That's a sexual orientation! They feel they can't possibly fall in love with girls because they can only have sex with boys? When they agree that sex is unrelated to love?
But pansexuality is a sexual orientation too. Just like asexuality is a sexual orientation. Just like atheism is a religion, and bald is a hair color. Back on topic, I realize I can't logic people into thinking that sex doesn't matter. For most of you, I guess it does. It's just weird.
But despite my general repulsion towards all reproductive organs, I fully support gay rights. I even read comics and manga about gay love (there are several that I am a huge fan of). Any straights who say being gay is a choice...
I can explain the hormone spikes in the womb that cause men to rely of their left brain more than is typical another time. For now, all homophobes should know you're wrong and illogical. G'night!
Thursday, June 3, 2010
"Music equals Life"- Well, actually...
I really like music. But here's the thing-
EVERYONE DOES.
The tee shirts and icons and buttons saying "music is my life" and "I <3 music" were cute at first, but now they're just annying. And they're multiplying.
Liking music doesn't make you cool, and it doesn't make you emo. It makes you normal. It's completly typical, and not out of the ordinary for anyone in anyway.
"But I like wierd music!" You and most of the people I know.
"But I love music." Uh huh. I can't think of anyone who doesn't.
"But you don't get it. Music is my life." Yeah. I got that.
"No seriously, I'd die without it." No. You'd be sad, but you would definately live. If you commited suicide because you couldn't listen to music, that means that you have psychological imabalances that really have very little to do with music.
This cultural obsession with music is just insane. I don't argue that it should be a part of our lives, but we have a whole generation trying to devote their lives to it alone. Being a singer or a rock star or a guitarist, or whatever- that's not a noble pursuit. It's great if you make people happy with your music, but doctors and lawyers make people happy too.
Actually, we put too much emphasis on being doctors and lawyers as well... The people who work on renovating peoples houses make people really happy. When you walk into a newly finished room and you breath in air that still smells a bit like paint... That's a good feeling. It doesn't "equel life", it just makes people happy.
Really, isn't living a happy life more important? If you think your life is awful and you listen to nothing but depressing music, it'll seems like it is all that your life is- but your life is more important then a bunch of sad songs.
Live and be happy, and listen to lots of songs along the way. But don't say your life is nothing but the music.
By the way, I had a concert today. I sang pretty well, considering.
EVERYONE DOES.
The tee shirts and icons and buttons saying "music is my life" and "I <3 music" were cute at first, but now they're just annying. And they're multiplying.
Liking music doesn't make you cool, and it doesn't make you emo. It makes you normal. It's completly typical, and not out of the ordinary for anyone in anyway.
"But I like wierd music!" You and most of the people I know.
"But I love music." Uh huh. I can't think of anyone who doesn't.
"But you don't get it. Music is my life." Yeah. I got that.
"No seriously, I'd die without it." No. You'd be sad, but you would definately live. If you commited suicide because you couldn't listen to music, that means that you have psychological imabalances that really have very little to do with music.
This cultural obsession with music is just insane. I don't argue that it should be a part of our lives, but we have a whole generation trying to devote their lives to it alone. Being a singer or a rock star or a guitarist, or whatever- that's not a noble pursuit. It's great if you make people happy with your music, but doctors and lawyers make people happy too.
Actually, we put too much emphasis on being doctors and lawyers as well... The people who work on renovating peoples houses make people really happy. When you walk into a newly finished room and you breath in air that still smells a bit like paint... That's a good feeling. It doesn't "equel life", it just makes people happy.
Really, isn't living a happy life more important? If you think your life is awful and you listen to nothing but depressing music, it'll seems like it is all that your life is- but your life is more important then a bunch of sad songs.
Live and be happy, and listen to lots of songs along the way. But don't say your life is nothing but the music.
By the way, I had a concert today. I sang pretty well, considering.
Wednesday, June 2, 2010
And on the Eighth day (and counting)
Everyone is getting psyched for the end of school. Which means that they're whining that we're still in school. Honestly, calm down. It's not as if additional days have been added.
Maybe I'm just too nostalgic, but I'm going to miss this year. The fact that it was total shit does not take away from the knowledge that next year and the years following will be shittier. This year would go on longer if I had my way. Not to make vacation shorter, just to learn more. Can a thirteenth month be added?
If we lost some mass, the earth might spin fast enough to fit another thirty days in before we finished going around the sun. I know it's dangerous, but I think it's worth the risk. The real question is what to jettison. I volunteer the Republicans!
Back on the subject of school, I might be spending more than eight days anyway. I'm at risk for summer school for math. The bizarre thing is that I love math. The idea that there is an answer, one answer, and it's possible to find- If you can get into the right mindset, it's thrilling.
I just happen to be lousy at it. What can you do, right? My teacher's great, I work hard, and I like it, I'm just awful. If summer school will help, of course I'll be happy to go...
No, not really. It's all true but I don't want to go to summer school. That'll be on my records. So fingers crossed that I pass. Oh wait, I have exactly zero readers to cross their fingers.
Maybe I'm just too nostalgic, but I'm going to miss this year. The fact that it was total shit does not take away from the knowledge that next year and the years following will be shittier. This year would go on longer if I had my way. Not to make vacation shorter, just to learn more. Can a thirteenth month be added?
If we lost some mass, the earth might spin fast enough to fit another thirty days in before we finished going around the sun. I know it's dangerous, but I think it's worth the risk. The real question is what to jettison. I volunteer the Republicans!
Back on the subject of school, I might be spending more than eight days anyway. I'm at risk for summer school for math. The bizarre thing is that I love math. The idea that there is an answer, one answer, and it's possible to find- If you can get into the right mindset, it's thrilling.
I just happen to be lousy at it. What can you do, right? My teacher's great, I work hard, and I like it, I'm just awful. If summer school will help, of course I'll be happy to go...
No, not really. It's all true but I don't want to go to summer school. That'll be on my records. So fingers crossed that I pass. Oh wait, I have exactly zero readers to cross their fingers.
Tuesday, June 1, 2010
I'll umpa your lumpa
Traditional standards of what represents wealth and beauty are getting reversed lately, especially with us XX's.
It used to be that being pale was good, like we had time to sit around inside doing nothing while everyone else labored beneath the hot sun while they considered Communist revolutions that would force them into further oppression.
But now everyone is being oppressed by capitalism and so we have to stay inside in our cubicles without seeing the sunlight except through screen savers, so being pale is pretty normal. Now being tan is what prooves you're rich. It means you have time to lie around in the sun, or wander around on far off beaches, or go to expensive tanning salons.
Granted, nobody cares about the origins of these trends except me, so now fake tans are all the rage. When girls walk around with bright orange skin, it's not because they're good girls who eat their carrots (mind out of the gutter please) and they aren't umpa lumpas- Adolescent XX's just think that orange is the new sexy. XY's get in on the doopity doo too.
If you're like me and don't buy into the tanning craze, worry not! Eventually these current icons of beauty may get skin cancer, and their bleached silky hair may be sacrificed during chemotherapy. And then people with cancers lives will improve because wigs will no longer be seen as out of the ordinary!
Or fashion will keep on moving. Either or.
It used to be that being pale was good, like we had time to sit around inside doing nothing while everyone else labored beneath the hot sun while they considered Communist revolutions that would force them into further oppression.
But now everyone is being oppressed by capitalism and so we have to stay inside in our cubicles without seeing the sunlight except through screen savers, so being pale is pretty normal. Now being tan is what prooves you're rich. It means you have time to lie around in the sun, or wander around on far off beaches, or go to expensive tanning salons.
Granted, nobody cares about the origins of these trends except me, so now fake tans are all the rage. When girls walk around with bright orange skin, it's not because they're good girls who eat their carrots (mind out of the gutter please) and they aren't umpa lumpas- Adolescent XX's just think that orange is the new sexy. XY's get in on the doopity doo too.
If you're like me and don't buy into the tanning craze, worry not! Eventually these current icons of beauty may get skin cancer, and their bleached silky hair may be sacrificed during chemotherapy. And then people with cancers lives will improve because wigs will no longer be seen as out of the ordinary!
Or fashion will keep on moving. Either or.
First blog
Hello. I'm Kirti, and many people I know are under the impression I am insane, and(/because) I think too much.
I have long since given up on convincing anyone that this isn't so when talking to people in person so I'm hoping to get enough of my thoughts and opinions down here, in this blog, for strangers to understand my way of viewing things.
My posts could be about anything from what's going on in the world, to what's going on in my life, to what's going on in my head. This blog is basically the boarding schedule for my train of thought, so expect delays, derailment, and possibly the running over of screaming girls who got themselves tied to the tracks.
Fair warning that my sense of humor might throw certain people through loops, or catapult them over the loops completely, depending on personality. Really though, I'm just hoping someone will find this entertaining enough to bother reading.
This post was written on the first of June twenty ten. Hopefully it all goes up hill from here!
I have long since given up on convincing anyone that this isn't so when talking to people in person so I'm hoping to get enough of my thoughts and opinions down here, in this blog, for strangers to understand my way of viewing things.
My posts could be about anything from what's going on in the world, to what's going on in my life, to what's going on in my head. This blog is basically the boarding schedule for my train of thought, so expect delays, derailment, and possibly the running over of screaming girls who got themselves tied to the tracks.
Fair warning that my sense of humor might throw certain people through loops, or catapult them over the loops completely, depending on personality. Really though, I'm just hoping someone will find this entertaining enough to bother reading.
This post was written on the first of June twenty ten. Hopefully it all goes up hill from here!
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