In the past decade, we have seen more people become famous than in the last 100 years. What do we have to thank? YouTube. Thanks to YouTube, otherwise unpopular and ostracized people can get their time in the limelight. All you have to do is be yourself. If you are weird enough, the online community will find you and capitalize on your eccentricities. I don't know how the trend began, but it seems people have an obsession with viewing people more 'weird' than they are. Whether this enforces the viewers' self-confidence or just brightens their day, these internet sensations make up a large majority or YouTube views. The amazing part is the authors' willingness to continue video production. You would think the myriad negative comments would discourage their efforts...but no such luck.
Users like Dax Flame gain hundreds of thousands of subscribers that love seeing his take on life. Note that this user, real name Bernice Jauch, is a paid actor who understands all of what Im saying. He knows he will get millions of views for being different and he is making money off of that. So, now that you have the know-how, conjure up some personal oddities of your own and put em' up for money.
On another note, what makes a celebrity a celebrity? Why do we care to know the personal lives (fictitious or not) of these people? Are they not just like us? They make the same mistakes as us, why is it worse when they do it? Tiger went to sex rehab...but how many other guys are there in a similar situation?? Well the educated person would realize that he went for PR reasons...but the fact remains, why does he care about PR? Its because consumers pay part of his salary...
Saturday, March 27, 2010
Wednesday, March 24, 2010
Are You Really Connected?
It is hard to say, at least for North Americans, that social media has not taken over our lives. A trend that began early this decade has undergone explosive growth and now has a place in the history books. If Facebook were a country, it would be the 7th largest in the world. Think of how much power Mark Zuckerberg has. If he posted his political views on the homepage, more than 400 million people would be forced to see it.
I think a lot of us can readily admit that we've developed a dependency on such conveniences. What is so compelling about YouTube, Facebook, Twitter? Is it the constant interaction? The desire to read into someone's life? Think about how much media is geared towards giving you a second life...any game with an avatar, say, Second Life; or any movie where you inhabit a host body through the power of mind, like Surrogates. This genres is built to give you another shot at life, this time around, having more control over what happens. Of course, people find this really compelling. So compelling, in fact, that a Chinese couple let their newborn baby starve at home as they played Second Life at two separate internet cafes. The ironic thing is, they were working over the internet to raise a virtual daughter.
It amazes me how lost we are without a stimulus. If you just imagine yourself taking a seat in the chair next to you and not doing A THING, can you do it? I can hardly imagine it; I would probably pull out my iPod or check my cellphone. It is disgusting. We are putting all our energy into being more places than once. You want to be in the homes of your readers via Twitter, or in the ears of your friends via cellphones. Stand in front of a public entrance; eg. a school or hotel. Notice the second people get out of the building they put their hand to their ears and begin chatting. Do they really have something meaningful to say??! How did we say these things before cellphones?
Our generation may possibly be remembered for our multi-tasking. We can do ten things where our parents could only do two. How many (browser) tabs do you have going right now? How many different conversations are you carrying on via text? Doing homework with the music on? And when we are not multi-tasking, we feel lost and bored. At work, do you check your Facebook? Play Brickbreaker? It seems as if everyone is connected to somewhere else; a virtual realm. However, Facebook usage will eventually decline, but then a new and improved, shiner form of social media will take its place. Currently, software developers are creating an application that allows you to access all you information from any social media site you may have membership. This means, instead of logging in and updating every status, you just input it in the application and it applies it to all of your sites.
Where will this all lead us? Is it a bad thing? I cant say for sure, the only thing I know, is that our kids are about to step into a world we never thought possible.
I think a lot of us can readily admit that we've developed a dependency on such conveniences. What is so compelling about YouTube, Facebook, Twitter? Is it the constant interaction? The desire to read into someone's life? Think about how much media is geared towards giving you a second life...any game with an avatar, say, Second Life; or any movie where you inhabit a host body through the power of mind, like Surrogates. This genres is built to give you another shot at life, this time around, having more control over what happens. Of course, people find this really compelling. So compelling, in fact, that a Chinese couple let their newborn baby starve at home as they played Second Life at two separate internet cafes. The ironic thing is, they were working over the internet to raise a virtual daughter.
It amazes me how lost we are without a stimulus. If you just imagine yourself taking a seat in the chair next to you and not doing A THING, can you do it? I can hardly imagine it; I would probably pull out my iPod or check my cellphone. It is disgusting. We are putting all our energy into being more places than once. You want to be in the homes of your readers via Twitter, or in the ears of your friends via cellphones. Stand in front of a public entrance; eg. a school or hotel. Notice the second people get out of the building they put their hand to their ears and begin chatting. Do they really have something meaningful to say??! How did we say these things before cellphones?
Our generation may possibly be remembered for our multi-tasking. We can do ten things where our parents could only do two. How many (browser) tabs do you have going right now? How many different conversations are you carrying on via text? Doing homework with the music on? And when we are not multi-tasking, we feel lost and bored. At work, do you check your Facebook? Play Brickbreaker? It seems as if everyone is connected to somewhere else; a virtual realm. However, Facebook usage will eventually decline, but then a new and improved, shiner form of social media will take its place. Currently, software developers are creating an application that allows you to access all you information from any social media site you may have membership. This means, instead of logging in and updating every status, you just input it in the application and it applies it to all of your sites.
Where will this all lead us? Is it a bad thing? I cant say for sure, the only thing I know, is that our kids are about to step into a world we never thought possible.
Monday, March 22, 2010
Religion is Simply a Tool
Religion is regarded by the common people as true, by the wise as false, and by the rulers as useful.
-Seneca
How true (and flawlessly elucidated)! Now to really drop the bomb....I do not believe in today's take of religion. I think it is a money grabber, just like most other things. I believe that it was created because at the time, there were few strict governing bodies. You simply belong to the monarch of your village. Some innovative genius came up with the idea of a shared belief to rule the people. So to make sure the people did what (he) wanted, he told them, if you don't abide by my rules, you will be sent to "hell". The perfect ultimatum. Nobody could prove him wrong, and they wanted to live the good life, so they went along with him. He created a story. I wont go into detail picking apart the Bible because so many others have, but I will say, whoever created it may not have been the first. I implore you to read this .
It would be hard for me to live my life based off something that doesn't have any empirical evidence, instead, it relies on my faith to function. And if it doesn't function, they say you're not giving enough faith; kind of a Catch-22. Now, for those of you arguing "Why do you need evidence for something to be real? Who doesn't believe in a soul?" Read the Age of Spiritual Machines by Ray Kurzweil. It goes into detail of what the "spirit" really is. It is simply a lucky sum of chemical bonds with our neurons. Consciousness? Well that is explained too. There is science telling us what a spirit is. Why would I devote my life to something that can substantiate itself? If it were that important, it would get its facts straight!! (Refer to movies in aforementioned article).
As for the "healing" powers of religion, sure there's some merit there. People have claimed to rise from their hospital bed after being in a paralyzing or debilitating condition, by believing in a god. It doesn't matter what you believe in, as long as you think it will heal you. Some of you may be familiar with The Secret. Agreeably, it says that the power of the mind is one of the greatest tools we possess. When the mind is in such a desperate state as in a hospital bed, it will realize its powers. Whether you believe in god, yourself, your child, or the flastscreen TV in front of your bed, it doesn't matter. The fact that you think you will get healed (may) heal you.
I just don't understand why people continue with religion today. Is it the fear that they will end up in the underworld? Is it their hope that religion will guide them to the good life? Are they so lost, that prayer is the only constant in their life? Maybe they don't realize how much money the churches are sucking from them. Famous television evangelists have said, "Buy my DVD to achieve enlightenment!" Or you will find books entitled, "The Secret to a Happy Life." They all tell the same old tale...
Consider who the wisest people in history are. Most of them have been known to delve into philosophy, if not, concentrate solely on philosophy. How many philosophers believed in religion? Find out here. In fact, some well known ancients have died in opposition to religion. As we know, impiety was cause of serious charges, and the most relevant case here may be Socrates' death. Again, philosophers are some of the most well-regarded, revered people. If 3/4 of them do not believe in a god, doesn't that say something about religion?
-Seneca
How true (and flawlessly elucidated)! Now to really drop the bomb....I do not believe in today's take of religion. I think it is a money grabber, just like most other things. I believe that it was created because at the time, there were few strict governing bodies. You simply belong to the monarch of your village. Some innovative genius came up with the idea of a shared belief to rule the people. So to make sure the people did what (he) wanted, he told them, if you don't abide by my rules, you will be sent to "hell". The perfect ultimatum. Nobody could prove him wrong, and they wanted to live the good life, so they went along with him. He created a story. I wont go into detail picking apart the Bible because so many others have, but I will say, whoever created it may not have been the first. I implore you to read this .
It would be hard for me to live my life based off something that doesn't have any empirical evidence, instead, it relies on my faith to function. And if it doesn't function, they say you're not giving enough faith; kind of a Catch-22. Now, for those of you arguing "Why do you need evidence for something to be real? Who doesn't believe in a soul?" Read the Age of Spiritual Machines by Ray Kurzweil. It goes into detail of what the "spirit" really is. It is simply a lucky sum of chemical bonds with our neurons. Consciousness? Well that is explained too. There is science telling us what a spirit is. Why would I devote my life to something that can substantiate itself? If it were that important, it would get its facts straight!! (Refer to movies in aforementioned article).
As for the "healing" powers of religion, sure there's some merit there. People have claimed to rise from their hospital bed after being in a paralyzing or debilitating condition, by believing in a god. It doesn't matter what you believe in, as long as you think it will heal you. Some of you may be familiar with The Secret. Agreeably, it says that the power of the mind is one of the greatest tools we possess. When the mind is in such a desperate state as in a hospital bed, it will realize its powers. Whether you believe in god, yourself, your child, or the flastscreen TV in front of your bed, it doesn't matter. The fact that you think you will get healed (may) heal you.
I just don't understand why people continue with religion today. Is it the fear that they will end up in the underworld? Is it their hope that religion will guide them to the good life? Are they so lost, that prayer is the only constant in their life? Maybe they don't realize how much money the churches are sucking from them. Famous television evangelists have said, "Buy my DVD to achieve enlightenment!" Or you will find books entitled, "The Secret to a Happy Life." They all tell the same old tale...
Consider who the wisest people in history are. Most of them have been known to delve into philosophy, if not, concentrate solely on philosophy. How many philosophers believed in religion? Find out here. In fact, some well known ancients have died in opposition to religion. As we know, impiety was cause of serious charges, and the most relevant case here may be Socrates' death. Again, philosophers are some of the most well-regarded, revered people. If 3/4 of them do not believe in a god, doesn't that say something about religion?
Monday, March 15, 2010
Theft the Only Sin?
…There is only one sin, only one. And that is theft. Every other sin is a variation of theft… When you kill a man, you steal a life. You steal his wife’s right to a husband, rob his children of a father. When you tell a lie, you steal someone’s right to the truth. When you cheat, you steal the right to fairness.
– From The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini
Think about how differently theft is treated in different countries. There are still people today who cut someone's arm off for stealing goods. But what defines one's possession of something? A wife: is it the ring? Your unquantifiable love? A television: because its in your house? Because you paid for it? Your music: because you downloaded it without being caught? Because you paid a $1 for it?
The debate over web-processed materials this decade is raging, and will only get worse. Once something is available on the internet, does the creator give up the rights to it? Absolutely not, but how can we track it? Is it yours if you didn't pay for it? Is it yours if you downloaded it from someone else? No.
Anything free is the result of an imbalanced transaction, stealing or not. Even clothes or food offered by Red Cross is the result of an imbalanced transaction. They received donations from people who were willing to give up some of what they had for nothing in return (it is arguable that they did it for altruistic reasons, but we can get to that in a second).
If I were a popular musician with my music selling on the web, I would feel at a loss if I found out people were downloading it for free. Traditionally (as in, before the web), there would be an exchange of goods; my musicianship for your money. However, it is hopeless to try to police the web at this point.
Back to the quote...is everyone born with these rights? The right to a life, family, the truth, fairness and equality? Refer to Socrates' argument in The Republic when asked of Justice. Cephalus says that Justice is speaking the truth and repaying what one has borrowed. Socrates counters that by basically saying, sure they have the right, but it would be unjust to give back a weapon to a man who went mad. If a neighbor gone crazy came to your door asking for his axe back, would you give it to him?
So you can lose your right to certain things? Does a murderer lose his right to life when he is sentenced to death row? Does a man lose his right to a wife when he beats her?
– From The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini
Think about how differently theft is treated in different countries. There are still people today who cut someone's arm off for stealing goods. But what defines one's possession of something? A wife: is it the ring? Your unquantifiable love? A television: because its in your house? Because you paid for it? Your music: because you downloaded it without being caught? Because you paid a $1 for it?
The debate over web-processed materials this decade is raging, and will only get worse. Once something is available on the internet, does the creator give up the rights to it? Absolutely not, but how can we track it? Is it yours if you didn't pay for it? Is it yours if you downloaded it from someone else? No.
Anything free is the result of an imbalanced transaction, stealing or not. Even clothes or food offered by Red Cross is the result of an imbalanced transaction. They received donations from people who were willing to give up some of what they had for nothing in return (it is arguable that they did it for altruistic reasons, but we can get to that in a second).
If I were a popular musician with my music selling on the web, I would feel at a loss if I found out people were downloading it for free. Traditionally (as in, before the web), there would be an exchange of goods; my musicianship for your money. However, it is hopeless to try to police the web at this point.
Back to the quote...is everyone born with these rights? The right to a life, family, the truth, fairness and equality? Refer to Socrates' argument in The Republic when asked of Justice. Cephalus says that Justice is speaking the truth and repaying what one has borrowed. Socrates counters that by basically saying, sure they have the right, but it would be unjust to give back a weapon to a man who went mad. If a neighbor gone crazy came to your door asking for his axe back, would you give it to him?
So you can lose your right to certain things? Does a murderer lose his right to life when he is sentenced to death row? Does a man lose his right to a wife when he beats her?
Sunday, March 14, 2010
Education for sale!
Lately I've been thinking about the role of education. In particular, the influence of grade's kindergarten through 12. Are the teachers really there to help us maximize our potential or are they there as babysitters? Honestly, in my grade 12 year, I learned more on my own than in the classroom, thanks to Wikipedia.
I guess teachers are there to expose you to the many directions available; to illuminate the pathways. But it still seems as if we are being taught how to be a respectable worker. Show up on time, have your work done by the deadline, collaborate with peers, ask assistance from superiors, and produce a fine finished product. These are the essentials that are ingrained into us by our mentors. Think about how restricting this is; it starves off the creative process. Artistic human beings don't allow time constraints to limit them, a lack of resources to hold them back, or the judgment of others to influence their work.
Is school simply a manufacturing plant for robots that don't break rules? Robots whose performance is graded according to how well they 'stayed within the box'. The greatest minds in history were the ones that strayed from the pack. The eccentric Albert Einstein or the volatile Van Gogh. Many people of socially conformed society labeled them mad, but they've made some of the biggest contributions to the human race.
School isn't a bad thing, but it could be greatly improved. One suggestion: philosophy being requisite in every grade. The pursuit of knowledge will set the mind free. If you aim for enlightenment, you will see the sun.
Freedom
I guess teachers are there to expose you to the many directions available; to illuminate the pathways. But it still seems as if we are being taught how to be a respectable worker. Show up on time, have your work done by the deadline, collaborate with peers, ask assistance from superiors, and produce a fine finished product. These are the essentials that are ingrained into us by our mentors. Think about how restricting this is; it starves off the creative process. Artistic human beings don't allow time constraints to limit them, a lack of resources to hold them back, or the judgment of others to influence their work.
Is school simply a manufacturing plant for robots that don't break rules? Robots whose performance is graded according to how well they 'stayed within the box'. The greatest minds in history were the ones that strayed from the pack. The eccentric Albert Einstein or the volatile Van Gogh. Many people of socially conformed society labeled them mad, but they've made some of the biggest contributions to the human race.
School isn't a bad thing, but it could be greatly improved. One suggestion: philosophy being requisite in every grade. The pursuit of knowledge will set the mind free. If you aim for enlightenment, you will see the sun.
Freedom
Saturday, March 13, 2010
Getting Slapped and Eating Frog Legs
Hey, sure you're reading this now, but what I'm about to tell you should get you off your ass.
What can you say for the experiences you've had? Would you say that you've tried a lot of different things?
In my case, I make my day by doing new things. Last month I tried squash for the first time, now I'm there every week. Just recently I thought that I would try seafood again after deciding since a child that seafood was the devil's cuisine. Tried it. Hated it. My point? Some things you try will not be enjoyable. And that is a good thing. We have lost so much of our emotionality to the desensitizing effects of Television and the news. Its amazing how we can sit in front of a TV and watch 300 Spartans rips the heads of other men (Can't wait till it comes out in 3D). That said, we've lost touch with some of the emotions that come out in sadness, horror, disgust, anger, fright, etc. These emotions can resurface by trying new things that might spark this kind of reaction.
The reason you should experience those emotions is because it keeps you in touch with yourself. You can get to know your yourself so much better. And that has amazing results.
Go bungee jumping, and if you shit your pants, all the better! The second reason I advocate trying new things is you can get yourself in so many social circles. It is a great feeling when you have something that you can relate to anyone you meet. For example, if you were in a room with 99 strangers that come from every end of the world, try to be able to relate to about 90 of them. If you're stuck on your couch all day or you stick to the same sports, it won't help.
Who knows, maybe you'll be really good at what you try. I've made impressive amounts of money discovering my proficiency in something I had never thought about before. So go now, and buy that beginners guitar handbook or take a week of work and head to Africa. You can never be disappointed if you don't want to.
What can you say for the experiences you've had? Would you say that you've tried a lot of different things?
In my case, I make my day by doing new things. Last month I tried squash for the first time, now I'm there every week. Just recently I thought that I would try seafood again after deciding since a child that seafood was the devil's cuisine. Tried it. Hated it. My point? Some things you try will not be enjoyable. And that is a good thing. We have lost so much of our emotionality to the desensitizing effects of Television and the news. Its amazing how we can sit in front of a TV and watch 300 Spartans rips the heads of other men (Can't wait till it comes out in 3D). That said, we've lost touch with some of the emotions that come out in sadness, horror, disgust, anger, fright, etc. These emotions can resurface by trying new things that might spark this kind of reaction.
The reason you should experience those emotions is because it keeps you in touch with yourself. You can get to know your yourself so much better. And that has amazing results.
Go bungee jumping, and if you shit your pants, all the better! The second reason I advocate trying new things is you can get yourself in so many social circles. It is a great feeling when you have something that you can relate to anyone you meet. For example, if you were in a room with 99 strangers that come from every end of the world, try to be able to relate to about 90 of them. If you're stuck on your couch all day or you stick to the same sports, it won't help.
Who knows, maybe you'll be really good at what you try. I've made impressive amounts of money discovering my proficiency in something I had never thought about before. So go now, and buy that beginners guitar handbook or take a week of work and head to Africa. You can never be disappointed if you don't want to.
Thursday, March 11, 2010
Philosophy for the Lazy (and Horny)
Hedonism: the pursuit of pleasure.
Hedonists strive to maximize net pleasure (pleasure minus pain). They maintain that pleasure is the only "intrinsic good."
But really? Do you think our only motivation is self-interest? In ethical hedonism, it is said we should act so as to produce our own pleasure. Imagine a physcho gets hold of this doctrine. Say.....MICHAEL MYERS?!!? Psychos seek pleasure by killing, maiming, and disfiguring! How can any person in their right mind, encourage this philosophy? That is definitely a major drawback to the theory.
However, some people make good of it. Ever heard of hedonist resorts? For the low price of only $100, you can enjoy a night full of romantic firsts. Join us on the nude beach for volleyball, or nude scuba-diving, and after that, naked spelunking!
Sound enticing? You know, some people like the pervs on NBC's Dateline could make productive use of this place. For those of you unaware, NBC hosted a show called To Catch A Predator, basically exposing online sexual predators. Instead of wasting their time and money in a chat room, these guys could spend a night or two at one of these places and (hopefully) be relieved.
All things considered, I think aspects of hedonism should be important to everyone. Something like, "you should derive pleasure from everything you do (even if long-term)." Yeah, I like it.
I'm off to break up with my girlfriend and request a student loan. See you on the bright side!
Hedonists strive to maximize net pleasure (pleasure minus pain). They maintain that pleasure is the only "intrinsic good."
But really? Do you think our only motivation is self-interest? In ethical hedonism, it is said we should act so as to produce our own pleasure. Imagine a physcho gets hold of this doctrine. Say.....MICHAEL MYERS?!!? Psychos seek pleasure by killing, maiming, and disfiguring! How can any person in their right mind, encourage this philosophy? That is definitely a major drawback to the theory.
However, some people make good of it. Ever heard of hedonist resorts? For the low price of only $100, you can enjoy a night full of romantic firsts. Join us on the nude beach for volleyball, or nude scuba-diving, and after that, naked spelunking!
Sound enticing? You know, some people like the pervs on NBC's Dateline could make productive use of this place. For those of you unaware, NBC hosted a show called To Catch A Predator, basically exposing online sexual predators. Instead of wasting their time and money in a chat room, these guys could spend a night or two at one of these places and (hopefully) be relieved.
All things considered, I think aspects of hedonism should be important to everyone. Something like, "you should derive pleasure from everything you do (even if long-term)." Yeah, I like it.
I'm off to break up with my girlfriend and request a student loan. See you on the bright side!
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