A generation of overreacters and underachievers

This thought randomly popped into my head last night, and with some friendly prompting I've decided to write a post about it.

I don't remember what I was doing/thinking about when it came to me; I just thought it, liked how it sounded, and updated my Facebook status with it. Sometimes that's just how my mind works.

What do I mean by it? Well, after some thought, I've decided that it spawned from what I see.

I see myself, 4 years and counting in college with pretty much nothing to show for it so far - I see others in the same situation as myself. I see magazines that scream out the recent celebrity drama. I see couples that break up and get back together mere hours later, only to do it all over again next week. I see the Occupy Wall Street protests chock full of my generation, pissed at our lack of job opportunities. I see teenagers having babies so they can purposefully be put on welfare, so they can be on Teen Mom, so they can have a reason to legitimately drop out of school. I see people on the Internet argue over the most pointless shit - I even see occasions where a group gets so pissed at the other that they hunt down the others phone number, call them and harass them at their own house/workplace - and it turns out to be a misunderstanding. I see people crushed under the greedy feet of a Black Friday mob. I see our public education system crumbling while churches get tax breaks (not trying to infuriate anyone out here, if you think I believe our education system sucks because of churches, you're missing my point - I just find it sadly ironic that some religions constantly spend millions on new churches, putting them in communities where the nearby elementary school is overcrowded and underfunded. And I sporadically decided to pick on churches for this - I could have used shopping malls or sports arenas if I wanted to). I see a mom choked to death by her own sons because she wanted to play Yahtzee and they didn't. I see the absurdness in the argument that gays can't marry because the sanctity of marriage will be ruined. I see one child forced to crush his pet hamster because of his bad grades.

And then...I see a child being told it is okay to fail, so long as you pick yourself up. I see my grandparents, who stayed happily married for 60+ years (rest in peace Grandma). I see a family compromise on how to spend their time, just as long as it is spent together as a family. I see the Gates Foundation donating billions of their own dollars to the American community, including public schools. I see churches care for the poor, the needy, the sick, the underprivileged. I see calm shoppers, okay with the possibility that they might not be able to buy that perfect materialistic gift this year. I see people in disagreement, remaining respectful of each other and not allowing things to get blown out of proportion, even if the topic on hand is one they feel so strongly and passionately about. I see a teenage mother cradling her newborn baby, softly swaying it and caressing it, whispering messages of love and hope in its ear. I see our economy turning around, spearheaded by cooperative effort that spans the generation gaps. I see high school sweethearts become college sweethearts, become newlyweds, celebrate their Silver Anniversary, pass on peacefully in their bed, hands clasped together  - and not a single day in between did they break it off and then get back together. I see magazines cover important news and information, feel-good stories and life tips. I see myself, in the future, happy and successful (and hopefully married to a wonderful woman).

I see the bad. I see the good. I don't see which one will prevail.

I love messing with people on Omegle

You're now chatting with a random stranger. Say hi!

Stranger: hi

You: thank god. youre not a spambot or a horny male looking to skype

Stranger: asl

You: 54 f colorado

Stranger: 54 f then u must be horny

You: nope

You: menopause

Stranger: ye ur

Stranger: lol

You: kinda took the heat away

Stranger: if ur here

Stranger: wat u wearing?

You: clothes...

Stranger: wat type?

You: tell me young lad, do they still teach proper english in school these days?

Stranger: haha wat do u know?

Stranger: as much as old frustrated grannies want young men

Stranger: so yea

You: well i know how to spell "what"

You: so there's that

Stranger: ever heard of shortenings?

You: like for cooking?

Stranger: wtf u talking about?

You: crisco shortening? for baking?

Stranger: wow ur retarded

Stranger: think a little bit

You: very ironic statement there

Stranger: hiding behind irony shows ur retarded

You: well someone better tell alanis morrisette that

Stranger: wtf u putting alanis morisette for?

Stranger: lol

Stranger: seriously

Stranger: ur fuckn retarded

Stranger: are all old hags like u this way?

You: pretty much

Stranger: wow sad

You: you may as well kill yourself rather than get married

Stranger: aswell

You: oh im happily married

Stranger: but ye sure

Stranger: good for u

You: in fact my husband is laughing at you

Stranger: lol who cares about ur husband?

Stranger: and about u

You: now he's crying because it just hit him that your generation is hopeless

Stranger: hes crying because hes bitch (you) are getting too many wrinkles

You: his*

You: and i'm currently wrinke-free

Stranger: and hes sad

You: save for that one below the belt

Stranger: cuz he cant get bitches

Stranger: u wrinkle free?

Stranger: hahahaha

Stranger: good one

You: well, bitches are overrated anyways

Stranger: thats for sure

Stranger: bet u notice that when u look in the mirror

You: only when i;m naked

Stranger: lol then its just too much

You: still havent picked up on which wrinkle i'm referring to?

Stranger: well to say 1 by 1 would take an eternity

You: here's a hint

You: it starts with "v"

You: and ends in "agina"

Stranger: dont wanna think abt them

Stranger: chill out

You: it is gettin pretty cold up here...

Stranger: bet it is

You: so. "dude". how young are you?

Stranger: 24

Stranger: why do u even care?

You: i'm just curious. does everyone your age not know how to spell?

Stranger: we already talked about that

Stranger: or do i need to remind u?

Stranger: u senile bitch

You: sorry. everytime i read your horrible spelling my brain cells commit suicide

You: so i cant retain information right now

Stranger: lol i just think u dont have any

Stranger: lol if u cant retain info it shows how retarded ur

You: your what?

You: finish your thought..

Stranger: learn to read

You: i am trying. i think "ur" is slang for "your"

You: so you have an incomplete sentence

Stranger: good morning and smell the coffee

You: if you had said "u r" that wouldve made more sense

You: sadly

Stranger: how long did it take u to figure it out?

You: about as long as it's taking you to spell correctly

Stranger: lol u shouldnt talk abt sense

You: so...forever

Stranger: ???

Stranger: huh?

You: am i going too fast for you now?

Stranger: no

Stranger: you just dont make any sense

You: your 7 brain cells must be working overtime right now

You: i pity them

Stranger: lol i pity you

Stranger: trying to act like ur somethn

You: yep. acting like someone who can spell

Stranger: why dont u just go to ur pill eating husband

You: i should really get off my high horse

Stranger: lol u should get off internet

Stranger: and btw

Stranger: ur horse

Stranger: is not high

You: we live in colorado

You: everything is high here

You: metaphorically and literally

Stranger: i dont give a shit where u live

Stranger: ur own "horse"

Stranger: is nt high

Stranger: not

Stranger: ok

Stranger: NOT!

You: why did you even bother correcting that

Stranger: cuz ur retarded head wont get it then

You: i'm doing fine, dont worry about me

Stranger: if idont

Stranger: ahahahha

Stranger: doubt it

You: i assume there are lots of things you doubt

You: like not being able to spell is important for getting jobs

Stranger: i doubt ur husand can fk ur hangy vagina

Stranger: well ur not a person on a so called high "horse"

Stranger: that can give any job

Stranger: so idont mind

Stranger: ur not worth all the effort

You: i wouldn't hire you anyways. so i dont mind either

Stranger: who cares what you would do

Stranger: doesnt have any value

You: some people do

Stranger: as i said

Stranger: dont care abt them either

You: and what are you doing with your life?

Stranger: im not "some of those

Stranger: why do u even care?

You: i dont really

Stranger: lol then shut up

You: just want to make sure i can avoid you at all costs

Stranger: u can by dc

You: dc...now that one youll have to expand on

Stranger: dc=disconnect

Stranger: there is a button

You: oh. then that should be "disconnecting"

Stranger: down on the left

Stranger: bravoooo

You: cmon now, it's not rocket science here

Stranger: u see where it says disconnect?

Stranger: down on the left

You: by george i think i do

Stranger: click on it

Stranger: twice

You: it must be some form of wizardry

Stranger: twice= 2 times

You: it's like you can see my computer screen!

Stranger: ok?

Stranger: and 2 is 1+1

You: or 3-1

Stranger: got it?

You: or 2x1

Stranger: good

Stranger: but u just need to know 1+1 for now

You: or 673 = -671

You: +*

Stranger: ??

Stranger: hahahaha

Stranger: wat a bunch of bull

Stranger: so since 1+1 is 2

Stranger: and hopefully u understood the answer

Stranger: thats how many times u need to click the dc button

Stranger: and btw DC= Disconnect

Stranger: got it?

You: nope. DC is "direct current"

You: as opposed to AC which is "alternating current"

Stranger: wow ur an idiot

You: google it

Stranger: allright im gonna go now

You: alright*

Stranger: ur boringas shit

You: what is a boringas?

You: sounds exotic

Stranger: boring as*

Stranger: ok?

You: see how much more pleasant that is to read?

Stranger: but will surely let u type watever u want

You: fragment

Stranger: so good luck

You: oh i dont need luck

You: but you might

Stranger: in typing anything that makes sense

Stranger: bye

You: dont let this ruin your day now

You: there is still hope for you

You: i...BELIEVE in you!

You: you can do it!

You: werent you leaving?

You: or are you brushing up on your english for me?

You: i know youre still there, and dont want to disconnect and give me the "satisfaction" of "winning"

You: so, adios

You have disconnected.

First Impressions

 Why do first impressions hold so much stock? This thought has been with me for quite some time now. I'm gonna go out on a limb here and say everyone has had some of their first impressions turn out to be wrong or misjudged - be it with people, food, movies, music, etc. And yet despite these occurrences, we still make snap appraisals of things and in turn that creates our perception of it, even though we could be completely wrong. I know that when we experience something new our mind needs to create a "file" about it, so it's necessary to make note of the initial things we see/feel. I'm just curious as to why we sometimes feel complete with this very basic assessment.

Most recently I bought a CD ("Mylo Xyloto" by Coldplay), and during my first listen-through I wasn't very impressed with it; but after listening to it more and more I've come to really enjoy it. There are varied factors that come into play when discussing the influence of a first impression. Continuing with my CD example: I thoroughly love just about everything Coldplay has put out, including their unreleased B-sides, so I guess I already have the preconceived that I will like their new album (plus I had heard several of the songs from it prior to its release, and liked them).
However, my first impression was that the new CD was "good, but not as good as their other stuff", and that in itself was a disappointment. Did my high expectations clash with my actual reaction to the CD and therefore result in my initial dissatisfaction? Definitely. But then an interesting thing happened: I listened to it again, and found myself enjoying the songs more and more. I think that having more familiarity with each song, knowing what it's actually like (opposed to what I thought it would be like) removed my expectations from the mix and actually let me listen to the music as it truly existed.

There's an old saying: "Familiarity breeds contempt." I used to think it meant that a person begins to hate all the material things in their lives that remain the same, day after day, like their job, relationships, possessions. Writing this post out has made me think of that quote in a different light. This new Coldplay CD was more different than their other albums, and that may have had some influence on why I didn't like it as much initially; but after listening to it more, I've come to really enjoy their new style and direction (admittedly it's not a drastic change, so that's one knock on my case here. Still, it's pretty different from their older stuff). So if this new CD was more like their older material, I probably would have liked it more at the beginning, but as time goes on I may have become more bored with it, or I wouldn't have enjoyed it as much as their newer style. I guess the point I'm making in connection with the quote is that while familiarity is "safer", it also doesn't offer you a chance to experience something new; and the whole point of human life is to experience new things. So I now think of "familiarity breeds contempt" as a more philosophical motivator, urging us to seek out new experiences.

This realization helped me understand that our first impressions are mainly based on a mixture of reactions, prior knowledge, and emotions. Not a hard concept to understand, given the fact that anytime you react to a new thing you can really only rely on those three aspects. The thing that bothers me is when these first impressions become our entire perception of something, or when they carry so much weight that it takes a lot to overcome the first judgment. I know that it's ridiculous to assume for people to simply stop making snap judgments; I just hope we can realize that we may be totally wrong, or we may change our mind later. Just keeping our minds and attitudes open can make a difference (and if we have that in the first place, perhaps our first impressions will be more accurate).

[Post composed listening to Coldplay's "Mylo Xyloto" album - go figure :) ]

A Random Rambling

- I really dislike it when I'm driving through a parking lot, see a space between two cars that I think is open, only to discover there is already a damn Volkswagen Beetle in it.

- It would be bad to be cursed, for sure. But what if you were cursed so every time you took a bite of food you had to chew 10 times? I don't think I'd be able to eat ice cream anymore.

- I find some people funny-looking. I feel bad for laughing at them because I shouldn't judge someone like that, especially on something as trivial as looks, and ones they can't really do anything about to boot. Having said that, some people look friggin' hilarious.

- A blank page can be your best friend or your worst enemy. (I hope no one famous has said this before, cause I'd rather like having credit for it.)

- When I'm driving and changing lanes, I make it a game to see if I can make it through to the next lane without running over any of the road reflectors.

[post composed listening to "Young Folks" - Peter Bjorn and John]

My Favorite Compliment - an original poem

Today I heard a compliment
from a lady unknown to me.
She paid me well, cause she could see
I was something of a gent'.

I was only myself, what was they key
that left her such an impression?
And as if I had just asked that question
she said the key was me.

Her smilin' eyes revealed she was sure
in her perception and reason,
and that intuitive female feelin'
told her I was made of good nature.

Though not much has entered this head,
out of all the advice and wisdom
(and the feel of a woman's bosom)
her words I'll keep 'til I'm dead.

A plan to end childhood obesity?

Childhood obesity is one of the more unique pandemics in our world today - from a historical viewpoint it is a relatively new problem, and one that seemingly shouldn't be as big a conflict as it's become (no pun intended). But the pop culture of today has become a fertile breeding ground for obesity: television, video games, and cheap fast food are some of the obvious culprits. Throw in parents who allow their children to feast on anything and everything they want, while simultaneously not encouraging exercise, has allowed our children to reach absurd weight levels. Parents HAVE to do a better job of disciplining and setting a good example for their children. And even then, it's not enough.

What if we allowed overweight children and teens under the age of 18 to go to the gyms and paid them to work out? Say, every hour they exercise they get $5 or $10? And if they work out every day for a week they get a bonus?

Sure, this plan has it's obvious flaws: the kids could take the money and pig out on cheeseburgers, or save up for a week and go buy a new game and never see the light of day for a month.

Food can be just as strong an addiction for these children as alcohol/cigarettes are for adults; thus I feel paying children to work out will become an addiction in itself, taking the place of food. We all know the powerful temptation money can provide, and it is my hope that the hunger for money would replace the hunger for food.

Is this a good thing though? Replacing one addiction for another? Greed can be a devastating affliction, capable of ruining the lives of many people (just look at all the recent Ponzi schemes). Perhaps though, the money these kids would receive is just the motivation they need to stick with their exercise. You know the rush of pleasure you get when you look down at the ground and see that beautiful green-tinted paper just laying there for the taking? It's like it unleashes an animalistic instinct within us.

...Maybe it would be a good idea to include a free money-management class for these kids too.

Sometimes you have to fight fire with fire.


[post composed listening to Coldplay]

Sometimes I'm not the man I want to be

One day this past school year, I was sitting in my friend's car in a parking lot on campus. I saw someone in a wheelchair (can't remember if it was a man/woman, young/old) and they seemed to be having a hard time - the road was grading uphill. I wanted to go over to them and push them, but I figured they'd get angry at me for "pitying" them. So I just sat there.

Another day I was driving in the rain and saw a man walking on the side of the road. I wanted to pull over and give him a ride so he wouldn't have to walk in the rain, but I have this paranoia about picking up murderous hitchhikers (as does almost everyone else, I'm assuming) - so I drove on by.

One day I saw a couple arguing on the sidewalk. I had no idea what they were fighting about, but I still wanted to go over and try and help, like moderate the debate in a way. But they'd probably yell at me for butting in on their lives, so I walked on by. Maybe if I had intruded, they would have forgotten their momentary hate for each other and united it against me, and in turn that would've helped them out, somehow.


Another day I saw a woman sitting on a bench on campus, looking very distraught/downtrodden. I wanted to sit down and console her, give her someone to talk to, remind her of the good things in life. Instead I just walked on by. I figured she wouldn't open up to a complete stranger anyways.

One day an old war veteran came through my line at Kroger. He was buying his groceries with a food stamp card, but he didn't have enough money on the card so it wouldn't go through. My supervisor came over and told him there was nothing we could do, and that's when he started pleading with us - I need this food, I don't have much in my house and don't have any cash. I offered my life for this country dammit, why is it so damn hard for me to live in it? - he had tears in his eyes at this point. My supervisor kept saying we couldn't do anything for him. He eventually left, and the supervisor said he was probably just trying to get free groceries out of us by pulling the "ol' war vet card". His order was only 30 bucks or so, and I had the cash in my wallet. I wanted to buy his groceries for him. But I didn't. I can't even remember what I spent it on now.

"the funniest guy she knew"

This is a conversation I had with my sister via text messages.

Me: Is it possible to place cameras in my eyeballs and be able to take pictures with them by thinking a certain phrase? (sent to Facebook as status update)
Sis: I thought about putting cameras in my eyes cuz all the pics i take never do what my eyes see justice.
Me: Haha ive always wanted to do this. Id give them to my dog too, but id have to have some sort of remote so i could turn it on and take stop-motion pics lol.
Sis: Haha i wish they could really do that. Still pics and video :) then i could show everyone all these weird ufos i see all the time - my camera cant see at night :(
Me: Yeah thats a dilemma haha
Sis: Suxs. But then everyone could see what i saw. the ultimate "in her shoes"
Me: Haha youd have to change it to "in her head"
Sis: Haha true. True
Me: True blood. Bloody mary. Mary without a sound. *what has search overload done to us?!*
Sis: Hahahaha omg. its called bing. and youre done. Bing.
Me: Bing. Sing. Sting. Jerry Seinfeld.
Sis: .....
Me: It works, sting was in a movie with jerry seinfeld.
Sis: Sure it does.....lol i wouldnt know
Me: Bee movie
Sis: Ah. I always forget about that lol
Me: Yep. Watch your step, i dont want you to trip on that knowledge i just dropped
Sis: Lmao...i love you haha
Me: Love ya too
Sis: You crack me up :)
Me: Thats always good to hear lol
Sis: Lol you always crack me up. Youre the funniest guy i know
Me: That settles it. Thats whats gonna be on my tombstone. "the funniest guy she ever knew". and just that, not even my name haha
Sis: Ill accept that :) that and calvin and hobbes' pic. Itll confuse the hell outta ppl
Me: Haha nice touch
Sis: *bows* thanx :)

[post composed listening to "Queen of Hearts" - RIBS]

You think slavery was abolished?

Controversial title, I know. Now let me explain my stance.

I am not referring to the enslavement of people to do one's bidding. That obviously was legally abolished, at least in this country.

I am referring to money. We are all slaves to money.

Think about it - just about every damn thing you want or need, you have to give money for it. Food, shelter, clothes, entertainment - the list goes on. They haven't found a way to put a price on the air we breathe as of this post, but you never know. Greed has a funny effect on people.

And it's those few people who are able to monopolize certain things and control the prices that are essentially enslaving the people. Greedy CEO's and the like will hoard as much money as they can, which leads to everyone else having less money to "share" between us. Then we (the common folk) can't buy certain luxuries, and thus reduces the demand of products. And when the demand goes down, the price must go up. Paradoxical, when you think about it: no one is buying your product, so you have to raise the price to stay in business.

Can't the government see that it would be more beneficial for the economy to have the majority of people in this country living with financial freedom? Let's use this example: there are 10 people each with $1 million, and one person with $10 million. The 10 millionaires will buy (between them) on average 10 sets of products, whereas the one multi-millionaire will only buy one set of products. Seems obvious to me that a business would rather sell 10 units versus 1 unit, no matter what the price difference is.

Which brings me to my next point - how much is too much? Does it really matter if you have $10 million vs. $15 million?  Or $900 mil vs. $1 billion? There is literally no way you should be able to spend a billion dollars in your lifetime without being a greedy, materialistic douchebag who just HAS TO HAVE twelve different sports cars and a mansion big enough to house a small town - in five different countries, no less.

We live in a free country, so unfortunately there is no way for the government to place a cap on people's wealth. But just imagine the impact that could be made if all that excess wealth could be put to good use - teacher's would finally have good salaries (not to mention a seat in a good public school for every child), there would be a hospital room for every person in the country, decent living conditions, healthier people (cause poorer people have less to spend on healthier foods, which are only expensive because they are constantly undercut by cheaply-processed shit), better law enforcement/public services, and so on.

I commend Bill Gates for promising to give something like 99% of his wealth away to charities and such - now if every other person that is fortunate enough to not be a slave to the dead presidents would follow Bill's lead, maybe one day no one else will be a slave either. I have a dream...

[post composed listening to "Cloud 9" - B.o.B.]

A question to ponder

I don't think it would be a stretch to assume most people like music. Sure, there would be varying tastes of music as you go along, but in general most people enjoy having their ears stimulated.

So my question is this - what makes humans so partial to music? And more specifically, certain types of music? Is it a case of Nature vs. Nurture? Personal taste? Genetics?

Or is it that humans need to have all their senses stimulated, and music simply fits the bill for the hearing sense? And if that is the case, why do we need this stimulation? Would personalities be radically different if there were no music in the world?

[post composed listening to "Skeletons" - Yeah Yeah Yeah's]

No I did not plan this

Most of you, I assume, have heard of people seeing religious imagery in their food - Jesus in toast, etc.

Well today, it happened to me. Here is the pic.

What does that look like to you? Cause to me, it looks like Golgothan, the shit demon from the movie Dogma.

Random things I sometimes do

- hear a phrase that sounds similar to a song lyric, and then start playing that song in my head. or, hear a phrase that sounds like a movie quote, and then think of the movie quote.
- start thinking in a narrative, memoir-ish voice, mainly after i have an idea that i think might make it big. (ex: this was the moment he realized he was onto something)
- make random noises at animals in hopes of somehow communicating with them.
- play out possible scenarios to things in my head (like after having an animal speak to me, what kinds of shenanigans we could get in to)
- when i listen to a song, sometimes i will mimic the timing of my actions with the music (so i can shut a door when a cymbal crashes, or step in rhythm with the bass pedal, etc)

thats all i got for right now, but i will definitely have sequels to this post.

[post composed listening to "Ocean" - John Butler]

Why I don't care for Bob Dylan

Ok, I had this discussion the other day. What draws me to a song is a mixture of the sound of the music and the sound of the singer - NOT what they are singing, but how they are singing it.

So, I am not a big fan of Bob Dylan. Sure, I respect the guy. Apparently he has been a big influence on just about every musician since he came around. But I really don't care for his voice, and his guitar playing (on the few songs I've heard) just doesn't cut it for me. There are songs I like where the singer is so-so but the music is awesome, or the music is so-so but the singer is entrancing. Bobby D, unfortunately, is a so-so musician and singer (to my ears).

When I pointed out this view to my friend, she said "but his lyrics are poetry!". To this, I respond: "if I want to care about what someone is saying, I'll read their words." I dig music for the feeling it gives me, and sometimes words can't deliver.

[post composed listening to "Wake Up" - Arcade Fire]

Why does a democracy need journalism and the 1st Amendment?

Why does a democracy need journalism and the First Amendment?

To answer this question, we must first define "democracy" - Abraham Lincoln, in his Gettysburg Address, defined it as "a government of the people, by the people, and for the people."

Thus, for a democracy to truly remain a democracy, the common citizens need to be aware of their government's inner workings, and also be able to interact and influence said government. Journalism is an excellent vehicle that citizens utilize to remain in the fray; journalists (assuming they are professional, place the truth above all else, and refrain from putting a spin on the story) provide a transparent view of the government, wording their reports in a way that helps us common folk understand what exactly is taking place. Journalists also often ask the questions that are on the public's mind, providing the "little guys" with a voice to be heard (now, making the government actually heed these voices is another issue).

An important aspect of journalism is their freedom from the government, stated in and protected by the First Amendment. Journalists have the power to say what they want about whatever they want (as long as it isn't libel), and this freedom can keep the governments in check. The First Amendment also helps provide and protect democracy by allowing citizens the right to speak their own minds, to practice any religion, to assemble for any reason, and to petition any issue.

I believe good journalism and democracy go hand-in-hand. If journalists are ever "taken over" and ordered what to write about, democracy will shift closer to communism or totalitarianism; inversely, if democracy is replaced with communism/totalitarianism, you can be sure good journalism will soon disappear.

[post composed while listening to the album "Tubthumper" - Chumbawamba]

Living to learn

We are living in a peculiar time - never before have people had the ability to communicate with others as quickly or as frequently as we can now, and this has resulted in a global population that is arguably the most diverse ever in terms of individual knowledge, personal beliefs, and the amount/type of information at our fingertips. The main reason for this revolution is the Internet, one of mankind's crowning achievements (though some will say it's also one of our worst - I would then argue that religion and science would fall into the "best/worst" category).

In the past, if one was inclined to learn about something, one would have to visit a library or ask someone who knew what they were talking about. Now, all you have to do is Google it or Wikipedia it, and you have your information. Whether it's correct/incorrect is another matter; the sheer speed it now takes to research any number of topics is almost mind-boggling. I feel it almost robs humanity of one of its greatest assets: curiosity.

Now, let me explain what I mean: of course, people are still curious (I said so myself earlier, when you want to know something you can usually find out about it online). However, I believe our level of curiosity has diminished. Our sense of wonder about things unknown is brief, when all it takes is a few minutes to "discover" something. I remember being young and wondering how the hell those lightning bugs glowed like that (which in turn makes me remember that Calvin & Hobbes comic where Calvin sees a lightning bug, and then tries to make his own butt glow) - was is magic? Maybe some mad scientist had put tiny light bulbs in all those insects? A wandering mind produces fanciful ideas.

Kids today merely have to search "Why do lightning bugs glow?" to discover that "the secret is nitric oxide...in a complex arrangement between nerve cells, light-producing cells, and an enzyme-assisted reaction, the lightning bug's lantern emits that greenish glow" 

Boring, ain't it? (I apologize to those that may find this interesting, but I'm guessing the general population doesn't).


Now this is pure speculation, but it's my feeling that children are growing up way too fast in today's society. That child-like sense of wonder and amazement is being lost at an earlier and earlier age, which will result in adults that are apathetic and essentially sheep. The livestock that composes the general public may cry out to the world when their governments start to clench it's fist around their rights and privacy's, but by then it will be too late.

We expect a just world; we just expect someone else to give it to us. And I trace that statement back to the fact that life's questions have become too easy for most of us - we no longer need to bust our mind's ass in order to learn something, when the answer is a few keystrokes away.

[post composed while listening to "So Bad" - Eminem]