…You swim in the mainstream, the story ends, you wake up in your bed and believe what everyone else believes. You read the Blue Anchor, you shift viewpoint and I show you how deep the rabbit hole goes. A world has been pulled over your eyes to blind you from the truth. All I'm offering is that truth, nothing more....
For some time, I have had a growing conviction that Congress is not operating as it should. There is too much partisanship and not enough progress -- too much narrow ideology and not enough practical problem-solving. Even at a time of enormous challenge, the peoples' business is not being done...
To put it in words most people can understand: ...I do not love Congress.
I am constantly reminded that if Washington, D.C., could be more like Indiana, Washington would be a better place.
Define the state of democracy if elected officials can't even stand the stench in Washington.
"...And on the eighth day God invented free time. Humanity could diversify. Each person was no longer tied to subsistence and could now dedicate life to activities formerly too "expensive" to enjoy.
Education flourished, human bonds matured and strengthened, and every individual became a font of wisdom and experience."
Ironic then, that you probably discovered this post on your Facebook NewsFeed—A well-spring of knowledge boasting gems such as:
Amber can't stop thinking about his eyes.
FML!..., IMAO..., lol
Only 12 more days until CHICAGOOO!!
...coming to grips with the dark shroud of life without you...
What convinced modern man that other people cared so much about his melodramatic, pithy self-expression?
Who decided that free time should be best used to wallow in constant introspection instead of the pursuit of additive meaning and the construction of a more beautiful humanity?
Demographics
If you've ever been married you know that marriage (and especially kids) cuts down on free time and eliminates the waste of this precious resource.
I don't know what it used to be like back in the day ;) but statistics alone demonstrate that the marriage age for both men and women has risen about 5 years over the last 50 years while the divorce rate for first marriages has risen from 25% to 50%. The factors combine to produce a plethora of single adults: bored single adults with lots of free time.
A Little Rant
So, into which vessels does our generation pour its creative energies and time? The following comes from the lips of Brad Pitt in Fight Club, an all-too-apt expression of the meaninglessness of so much of our activity.
"I see all this potential. And I see it squandered.
Goddamn it, an entire generation pumping gas. Waiting tables. Slaves with white collars.
Advertising has us chasing cars and clothes. Working jobs we hate so we can buy shit we don't need.
We're the middle children of history. No purpose or place. We have no Great War. No Great Depression. Our great war is a spiritual war. Our great depression is our lives.
We've all been raised on television to believe that one day we'd be millionaires and movie gods and rock stars. But we won't. We're slowly learning that fact. And we're very, very pissed off."
Non Serviam
All in all, our decisions suggest an new theology...
The Economy is now God. He seeks profit.
His creatures best serve him through self-transformation into factors of production. They go to school so that they can work for the rest of their lives.
To keep them from achieving the autonomy that could lead them astray he plies them with television, the Internet, meaningless possessions, and any other opium that will occupy their minds without actually effecting true personal formation.
Humanity accepts the Economy's Matrix: the alternative demands too much effort.
I will not serve. The light of humanity has not gone out in my soul. Today will be an investment in the subtle riches of tomorrow. So help me God...
Michael Moore (Fahrenheit 911, Bowling for Columbine) unveiled his newest film at the Venice film festival this week. The film closes with the warning: "Capitalism is an evil, and you cannot regulate evil"...
Despite its many failings, consider Mr. Moore, that the system you condemn has the potential to make you very rich indeed.
After a summer in DC, it's a good reminder that some people don't feel the need to pretend to care.
Detroit manager Jim Leyland on whether or not Tigers' pitcher Jeremy Bonderman was ready to play after being recalled from Triple-A baseball: "He better be, or else he could have stayed down there and gone walleye fishing."
If indeed you must be candid, be candid beautifully. ~Kahlil Gibran
Pumpkin Spice Latte
At the register:
Good morning, welcome to Starbucks can I take your order?
Um, yes, I'd like a quad grande pumpkin spice latte, no whip.
Ok, your total is $3.79, Cassandra will have that right up for you.
At the bar:
Hey, how's it going?
Good, how about you?
Do you even care?
Now, that you mention it, not really, no.
I didn't think so. I'm not crazy about you either, mostly because your eyes reveal no intelligent life within. You speak and yet say nothing.
The preceding conversation has never taken place. And yet it takes place every day: People treating people like things. Perhaps its recurrence shouldn't afford the bat of an eye. The Starbucks barista is just like the guy at the tollbooth. He hands you your ticket. You say thank you. Rewind and repeat: 10,000 times a day.
But man (and by man I mean woman) owes it to himself to demand more. Humans have a range of expression that exceeds that of the universe itself. Nuance, passion, undertone, irony, humor, love: The list could go on... We can do all that. For humans, communication can become an art.
Ingredients
Part of communication consists of its words or gestures: its language. Still, even a perfectly crafted message owes dependence to its receiver. Take the famous Japanese game show "Takeshi's Castle." This exquisite show took on a whole new meaning when Spike TV revealed it to American eyes as MXC (Most Extreme Elimination Challenge). Talk about lost in translation.
So obviously it’s also necessary to understand the recipient(s) of a message. Since that’s often impossible, tact is vital. Tact is like smiling: It communicates an idea in a way that everyone accepts and understands.
Good Form
Observe the application of these two ingredients. In the following scene, Don Corleone greets Bonasera in his office on his daughter's wedding day. His communication is smooth, efficient, and effective.
As a Sicilian, Don Corleone cannot refuse favors on his daughter’s wedding day. He’s over the barrel but he leverages the request to get what he wants: respect and family unity. Watch him carefully. Every word he utters works toward his ends. He listens, questions Bonasera’s loyalty, and demands his respect. Words, tone, and body language all flow in unison: The Godfather is a master.
Bad Form
The Internet provides an ideal medium for poor communication. Please observe the result of a message stripped of its artistic value:
starfish: worried about dave (stepdad). he had a heart cath today. days like these i wish i believed in a god so i could ask someone to look after him. i hate feeling helpless in these situations : \
iamwaldo: Yet you're still happily atheistic?
starfish: that's comparable to something ill fated happening to your family & my asking "still happy believing in your god?" sorta tactless
The entire exchange lacks beauty. The Internet lays no claim on lingual accuracy and 'starfish's' reply serves as a fine example. Conversely, 'Iamwaldo' has language down, apostrophe and all, but he has the tact of a staff infection. He doesn’t understand ‘starfish’ and he doesn’t care. His point of view has become more important than the people with whom he shares it.
Assassin A master of the communicative form wields a rare weapon. He or she can sense the needs and desires of others and choose to ignore, fulfill, or abuse them. Seduction and manipulation come as easily as kindness and compassion.
Yet regardless of intent, all communication bears the potential to exceed mere information exchange. Treating Cassandra like a person instead of a clever answering machine does more than acknowledge her humanity—It proves your own.
Sociology treats gender as a culturally generated phenomenon. Can Wanda and Darryl really teach Hammie his gender role before they can teach him to use a toilet?
Today two-term Senator Evan Bayh (D-IN) announced that he will not seek re-election in November.
