Greed Is Go(o)d

Among all of the vices in humanity, greed is probably the most misunderstood. The masses can quickly relate to lust, hatred, and anger. Of course there are heroes in the media that reflect these emotions, but where's the love for Scrooge? Why are people so hostile towards greed?

The answer is simple: people are broke. They prefer to whine about getting screwed over rather than get hip and be greedy themselves. They'll never get enough money to actually be qualified as a miser or greedy, because they'll spend it to sate other emotions long before then.

Commerce is the most polite form of warfare known to man, and yet the losers still have the audacity to complain about losing. On other battlefields men lose their lives, all you lost was your pension plan. What do you expect when all you do is march along to the beating of the war drum, stand up straight and fall in line everyday, letting your masters dispense your pay as they will.

No, we must slaughter our peers and neighbors, leaving only the most able to serve you. All things are in a state of change, no things are held sacred. Food and shelter is a privilege. All gifts have strings attached. Greed acknowledges these truths, instead of deluding yourself in illusion and allows you to wallow in the cynical world of fact.

Usually greed is connected with cartels and thugs who get their money by beating down competition through 'unfair' means. However we must also realize that greed can be at work in the most inventive and intelligent schemes to get capital. Greed, and the suffering that comes from it all help fuel people towards innovation. It gives them a real world material reason to get up off their asses and do something. High minded ideals are nice, however when it comes to motivating people to actually take action and produce results, they tend to fail. Curiosity is probably one of the few higher methods of inspiring people to get things done, but I will leave that for another post.

And now, I would like to leave you with a prayer I say every night before I go to bed:

Forgive us our daily debts,
As we leverage the accounts of those who have borrowed against us.
And hold me not back from profit lord,
For I seek the lion share in all endeavors.
Let the river of profit flow,
Through the untaxable canals of fortitude,
And make the current of currency well valued,
And let my accumulation have no equal.
Amen.

This is reality?

US answer to global warming: smoke and giant space mirrors
The answer to all of our global warming problems: let's block out the sun with a giant mirror. Maybe they can ask Dr. Evil to alter that giant magnifying glass he has orbiting the earth to deflect the light.

Smelly Orange And Yellow Snow Falls In Siberia
Perhaps those Russian Astronaughts should start aiming better when they dump their waste, that way only the dolphins will suffer. I can't help it, I love watching those cute little guys squirm.

Fireman has surgery to look like Bruce Willis
I can really relate with this story. When I'm in a burning building, I'm very concerned about how ruggedly handsome the firefighter is who is saving me. If the Fire Fighter's jawline isn't developed enough I usually decline be saved and just wait they can send in one with 6 pack abs.

US immigration cavity search ends in agony
Unfortunately the immigration officer refused an offer for a second date, saying that he had to take a trip out of town later that week.

Magic Energy Drink

America is a dynamic culture fueled by change. We love trends, consumption, we like to keep moving and compete. We may criticize people who enjoy the benefits of consumption, more often than not we are guilty of simply belonging to another marketing demographic. It's much like calling working for a corporation 'wage slavery', but still going to work 9-5 every day. Americans do have culture. It's just changing so fast that no one can pin it down.

Once again, we must look to Steven Seagal for ideas. His movies speak perfectly to the need for competition and violence, with a 'noble' ideal behind it. Everything must be perfectly justified, even it is simplistic. He also speaks towards Generation X's tendency to adopt 'pieces' different of religions (though the preferred term is spirituality) to create something that makes sense to themselves. On the other side are the reactionaries that become fundamentalists.

And finally, his energy drink wraps up the example nicely. It is part of the American desire for more. More energy, more capacity, more space, more Ridilin, just more. It hits both the roots of our culture and a niche of people who prefer 'natural' alternatives to the dirty & mass produced consumer world.

The Man Gets Even With Chico

"I must end it. There's no hope left. I'll be at peace. No one had anything to do with this. My decision totally."

Freddie Prinze
(June 22, 1954 - January 29, 1977) Star Of The T.V. Series "Chico And The Man"

"In the last episode to star Prinze, which was filmed just hours before he shot himself -- ironically titled Ed Talks to God -- there are many scenes in which Prinze appears to be "out of it," although it has also been said that he was always sober while on the job." From: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chico_And_The_Man

Police, of course, do not suspect foul play. Yeah, well, who owns the police? More of The Man's dirty tricks I'm afraid. The real Chico was kidnapped early on in the show, and replaced with a skinny body double. Then, they slowly drove the body double mad with forced feeding of alcohol and drugs. Finally, the man broke after so much stress. I don't buy that he offed himself, not for one minute. He had waaay to much to live for.

But, if he did, then why was he so selfish? Why not finish off the series, or at least suggest that make an episode with a decent character closing. No, instead everyone acts awkward and says "Chico has to go away on a trip" whenever it is asked where Chico is. A long, long, long trip out of town.

Never Give It 100%

Looking back, throughout these months, I've learned a lot of lessons and have really grown as a person. If you enjoyed the above sentence, then you'll be happy to know I've spent the last three months ripping out pages from self improvement books that I got from the library so that I could have something nice glittery to say.

But I did it all out of love for you, the faceless readers of my blog... or perhaps just to make myself feel important. But enough about you, let's talk about me, K?

This is one insight I've gained: Never give 100% on any given task. Save that for the Wal-Mart greeters on a fixed income and the teenagers who have to go out in the rain and get the shopping carts.

100% means you will exhaust your effort too quickly and it will no longer be fun. There's a thin line between obession and passion, and sometimes it can feel like your walking a faded line. Go for around 70%.

Till next time.

Reborn Again: New Content

Witty Banter (Err... reflections on Power, Politics, & Commerce)

Leon: Some things are better left unspoken, Ivana.

Ivana: I am the result of what is better left unspoken.

Leon: Anything repeated or trumpeted too often loses it's meaning, an idea in the mind of the masses is but a superficial reflection, it is a surface.

Ivana: People only have surfaces. Do you hide the truth to keep it safe, are you afraid your truth is only a reflection and not the true essence?

Leon: No, I simply wish to keep clean that which will be dirtied by the masses. All of our hands our dirty, but at least I wear gloves when I handle the truth.

Ivana: Then this truth is nothing more than a puppy you lock away in your closet, feeding it scraps from your own mind rather than letting it run free and grow.

Leon: I don't feed it much because I am picky about what I put in it. Fast food is not a 5 star dining experience. The very best meal has several courses, to excite the appetite for more. It compounds on itself.

Ivana: Only violence can mend this problem.

Leon: Physical touch, in one way or another, heals all problems.

Ivana: You have grown apathic to your own people, you forget where you come from.

Leon: I wage a constant war against the past, I keep my eyes set firmly on the beast that stands in front of me. What moral obligation do you have to wage war against me? I have entered into no contract, I am a free man.

Ivana: You don't have morals, you have empathy. You deny your own empathy, supressing that has made you lose that invisible essence that is reflected in form.

Leon: Well, I have some moral fiber. Your a fool to think you can act as you will without intervention from the masses.

Ivana: Too much moral fiber makes you morally constipated. Action is the result of planning, it is a reflection of my determination to the truth.

Leon: The more that you make yourself known, the more there is to strike at. In this age of advanced technology, where identification and tracking is common, it has become easier than ever to slip past the kings of our age. Simply be easy to read, and you are free to go about your business.

Ivana: I shouldn't have too hide, I am stronger. But it is necessary to keep these others in line. We have a very large population, all of them have access to dangerous information.

Leon: And they never use it. That's why they are different. It doesn't matter if we have failed to pluck the sheeps eyes out. All that means is he can see his inevitable slaughter. If we suppress them then they will go underground, much better to simply ignore it so that we can openly watch them.

Ivana: They say they aren't sheep, they bark like wolves, but then they go to the farm to be shaved, and ultimately killed for profit.

Leon: That's the beautiful part, they are too distracted to bother freeing themselves. If they knew the depth of what we do then they wouldn't. The curtain gets ripped in small parts, but it is patched, and their memory is too short for it to matter.

Ivana: Oh yes, our evil Satanic agenda *giggle*.

Leon: They might as well be a modern-day preacher getting up on top of a box and spouting words from his holy book. I wouldn't be surprised if those types envied us secretly. Otherwise they wouldn't of bothered to look so deeply.

Ivana: To research you. I have nothing to hide. I'm out there in the open, no one looks at me. Don't sidetrack me. This matter will see the light of day.

Leon: Until politics turns against you, then you're a refugee. Or maybe an opponent comes into power and decides it's time to have your assets frozen and heavily taxed.

Ivana: Then you'll just have to fund me, until I play my victim card and promote an image of pacifism to the media. Meanwhile I'll be digging up dirt, and dividing up Mr. Opponent's party. Wouldn't be the first time we kept one another from falling out of power.

Leon: Careful not to tell anyone that, else they'll start making up theories about how we're blood-relatives from the 12th century having scandalous incestuous affairs on the side.

Ivana: Call me what you will, I've got a job to do.

Leon: This is already out in the open, everyone sees it. I'm not going let you point it out to them. The key to power is to know your opponents moves. Either deal him the cards he will use, or give him room and let him expose his strategy.

Ivana: Real power means not having to worry about what other people think.

Leon: The show of naked force always ends up with you being isolated, and powerless.

Ivana: Only because you rely on others to do everything for you. Specialization is for insects. Those who lie and manipulate are almost always only good at that alone.

Leon: The same can be said of anyone. A movie star with an eating disorder, a professor who can't pay his rent, an executive who can't make time for his family, the stereotypical nerd who can't get laid. Few people bother to take the principles that bring them success in one area and apply them everywhere.

Ivana: I'm quite sure we've managed to stray ten thousand miles away from our topic in the course of looking for something... I don't even know what it is... but it will see the light of day. I have questions, and I want them answered now!

Leon: I've got a bunch of answers, and I want them questioned immediately.

Goood Morning

Plant your dreams in your soul, harvest them in the field. :)

The Art Of Balance

I think opposites are needed, at least in this dimension, for us to grow. It's interesting to figure out how destruction leads to creation, and how out of a dark-age something new can be born.

For example, firefighters used to put out forest-fires that occur naturally, but they have stopped because the fire clears out dead stuff to make way for new plants. On face value a lot of destructive actions serve no purpose, but sometimes it is necessary to tear something down so that you can build it up.

Putting this to use, let's consider two examples of warriors:

On one hand, we have the passive, the invisible, the 'servile', the feminine. Even though on the surface it gives into the will of others, it can still manipulate others and have it's will done. It is subtle, can serve as a trickster. Rather than get into conflicts, you conserve your energy and stay under the radar.

On the other hand we have aggressive brute force, making a show of force for the world to see. This can intimidate some, but if gone to far it creates lots of unneeded conflict. This kind is much more open, and if left uncontrolled it is very easy for others to manipulate.

If your completely passive, than you wouldn't have any personal boundaries, but you would probably push into other peoples boundaries if your completely aggressive.

It's a hard balance trying to create an environment where the whole group remains respected while still promoting individuality.

The more I think about it, it seems necessary to keep a balance between the two in your life. Any thoughts on this?