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The New Conformity	March 1, 2010, 5:04PM
by: quirky_one
Not long ago, the businessman was an admired symbol of success. Today conforming nonconformists cut him down to size. The businessman is a loser, an anonymous cog. He has not reclaimed his identity, announced his specialness. As the rising tide of nonconforming conformity crests into a tidal wave, the roles that once symbolized respectability and normalcy (e.g., the corporate player) become targets of ridicule. As a result, almost everyone is an aspiring celeb, remixologist, or rock star biding time on the tradingroom floor. They are announcing themselves to the world as individuals dedicated to the establishment of their own fleeting narratives and recorded legacies. By regulary pursuing activities that function primarily as channels to proclaim difference, mixing ongoing performance with their everyday responsibilities and deliberately seeking a place for themselves in the global mass culture - intentionally signalling their specialness. The obsessive marketing of one's "individuality" as celebrity can be found all over the world. Jean-Marie Messier was dubbed "France's first rock star CEO" by Fortune. He wrote a book called J6M.COM where he tells us in this modest tome,"Never having to answer to a higher authority, that is what guided me. I have been lucky. At each turn in my career, I have succeeded in increasing my independence." Not long ago such crass egotism and dismissal of the idea that there might be a higher authority thatn the successful CEO would have been shocking. But in the age of new conformity, he's just very special. Reality TV further spreads the ideology of new conformity. Everyone could and should sperate themselves from the crowd, be more themselves. Losers are those who are content to stick to the crowd. Winners are those who reinvent themselves to stand out. Reality TV pulls us even further into the dreamy world of externalized perpetual performance and internal normalcy that is the hallmark of the new confromity. The message is clear: With a little tweaking, you, too can be a more and better you.
topic: Philosophy
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American Empire: A Coup D'etat	January 27, 2010, 5:26AM
by: Sgath
""I see in the near future a crisis approaching. It unnerves me and causes me to tremble for the safety of my country. The money power preys upon the nation in times of peace and conspires against it in times of adversity. It is more despotic than a monarchy, more insolent than autocracy, more selfish than bureaucracy. It denounces, as public enemies, all who question its methods or throw light upon its crimes. I have two great enemies, the Southern Army in front of me & the financial institutions at the rear, the latter is my greatest foe. Corporations have been enthroned, and an era of corruption in high places will follow, and the money power of the country will endeavor to prolong its reign by working upon the prejudices of the people until the wealth is aggregated in the hands of a few, and the Republic is destroyed. I feel at this moment more anxiety for the safety of my country than ever before, even in the midst of war. God grant that my suspicions may prove groundless." -Abraham Lincoln From watching events unfold over the last 10 years or so, it is clear that corporations have become increasingly involved in the politics of the United States. They lobby, bribe, and buy votes. Individual lobby groups have become more powerful than any senate committee or individual elected representative. Corporations shape foreign policy, and they crush any attempts to limit their power. This began long ago. Roosevelt was wary of their increasing power. As World War II was coming to an end America stood as the economic power house of the world, and set out to reap the benefits of its new found influence with its businesses and investors. Leaders staged coups, intervened militarily and sanctioned assassinations in several foreign countries to protect corporate assets acquired through means that makes mobsters look like children at play. When Eisenhower left office his final speech was a grave warning against the power of the corporate military industrial complex. America continued to intervene in countries to protect its influence and power from the will of foreign peoples by funding and installing dictators in any country where supporting U.S. interests was in question. It is clear that the policies of Reagan and Thatcher have failed. Corporations need regulation, but it has been stripped away for more profit. And now, every fundamental institution has been corrupted to the core by the influence of an unelected group of oligarchs. The Senate and Congress have been bought and paid for. Nothing can pass in either branch that does not meet the approval of any corporations affected, and billions of dollars will be spent to ensure this. No more evident is this than in the current health care debate, though debate should be a word used lightly as the money power uses its puppets to strike against the public good in the name of continued profit. Corporations even convince the public against the public good. They have hired demagogues and pose as News organizations to spread the myths of their greatness and good will. While the solution is clear to solving the countries problems, the businesses refuse to take part in the public good, even if it means the collapse of the nation's prestige, and the failure of its national interests. I believe that the latest Supreme court Ruling: That is the last separation of corporations from the democratic processes of the U.S. Republic, has been stripped away in a 5-4 vote by the Supreme Court last week. Corporations now have the legal right and authority to spend whatever money they please to influence an election. With the Congress and the Senate already in their pocket, now they may even control the elections themselves. This is nothing less than a coup d'etat against the Republic, and the last remaining obstacle that made democracy still meaningful in America. I believe America is no longer a Republic, nor is it democratic. It is a corporate oligarchy, and it's population is destined for a long, degrading ride to poverty, while its corporate institutions will stand with the wealth of all the generations of labour of slaves and foreign peoples, of miners and factory workers, of all the people who sweat and toiled: the rulers will stand on a hill with their wealth and a hallow laugh in the shadow of a broken city. And that city will be shining with rot and decay. "" The liberty of a democracy is not safe if the people tolerate the growth of private power to the point where it becomes stronger than the democratic state itself. That in its essence is fascism - ownership of government by an individual, by a group or any controlling private power. " -Franklin D. Roosevelt.
topic: Current Events
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Is it out of reach?	January 2, 2010, 3:19PM
by: Faith_Dissipates
I was talking to someone online and the question surfaced "is it out of reach", "do you really think you have a chance of ever achieving your goal", "it's impossible." My goal: to change the world. To change society, to make an impact. It sounds crazy, I know. But one day, I will have a plan. I am aware of the fact that the Utopian dream is unachievable, it is impossible. Apparent "perfection" does not occur in nature. And Brave New World was the perfect example as to how perfection, is impossible. I do not want everyone to be like me, I do not think that I'm perfect I have flaws, everyone has flaws. But one's perception of flaws differs at times from that of another; which is why society can never be "perfect". Everyone's perception of perfection differs. But one of the things I wish to change is the fact that these flaws that people possess instead of being accepted are exploited. People need to be more accepting of other people. People should care more about other people, their lives shouldn't be nearly as self-centered. A simple ways to show people you care through your actions is holding the door for the person behind you. When someone falls, it should be instinctual to extend your hand to them to try to help them up. Instead of pretending that they don't see them and walking by. People will always be judgmental, we are judged by actions but before they even see our actions we are judged by appearances. We are stereotyped. Everyone wants to fit a certain criteria. And the few who chose to rebel are instantaneously rejected by the static. Don't be the static, be the song and play it clear. Life is short, it's not meant to be lived in hatred or discrimination but in love and acceptance. So don't take anything or anyone for granted because it could all be taken away in the matter of an instance. But the real reason I wrote this was to make you know not to give up on your dreams, even if everyone is putting you down for it. Fight the static. And if you intentions are questioned, speak up. I don't know if I will ever change the world, but I will never know until I try.
topic: Life
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Love?	September 13, 2009, 7:47PM
by: baroque
Love has often been universally misunderstood. A pivotal reason for this is the vague definition that most people attach to the word. Many people even create their own definition in order to suit a specific situation as well as a specific emotion that's felt. In fact, hasty generalizations don't even apply to how people view love. Philosophers and psychologists alike have been attempting to understand and portray love to its barest foundations, as well as artists, musicians, poets, and even authors. As a result, many theories, pictures, songs, poems, and stories have emerged from the chaos that is love. Many of these avenues of expression depict viewpoints that many people agree with. Adversely, many perverse love expressions are ridiculed. With a broad spectrum of personal views, love is potentially the most confused concept in the English language. There is a vast plethora of theories involving love. According to psychologist Zick Rubin, love is made of three elements: attachment, caring, and intimacy. Rubin defines attachment as the need to be cared for and to be with the other person, caring is valuing the other person's happiness and needs as much as your own, and intimacy is sharing private thoughts, feelings, and desires with the other person. Using this basis of thought, Rubin developed a question set for “liking” and “loving” that was administered to 198 undergraduate students in order to single out 13 specific questions in each category for a test. These questions were used to define the complexity of love in people who take the test. Psychologist Elaine Hatfield's theory, love is made of two types: compassionate love and passionate love. Compassionate love is comprised of mutual respect, trust, and affection. Passionate love deals with the physical aspect involving intense feelings and sexual attraction. Building off the compassionate/passionate love idea is the Triangular Theory of Love. Psychologist Robert Sternberg suggested that there are three components to love: intimacy, passion, and commitment. However, unlike Rubin and Hatfield, Sternberg twisted his theory up by stating that each of his components could be mixed together. To illustrate, intimacy and commitment formed a compassionate love, while passion and intimacy formed passionate love. Sternberg also believed that all three components could be combined at once to form consummate love. This final form of love is not only the strongest, but also the rarest. To conclude, the final type of a love descriptor is from a book titled “The Colors of Love” by John Lee. In the book, Lee hypothesized that love is akin to the primary and secondary colors. Instead of colors though, there are styles of love: Eros, Ludos, and Storge. Eros is loving an ideal person, Ludos is love as a game, and Storge is love is a friendship. Of course, each of those, when combined with another, forms a secondary style of love. Mania (Eros + Ludos) is an obsessive love, Pragma (Ludos + Storge) is a realistic and practical love, while Agape (Eros + Storge) is a selfless love. Many other prevalent theories describe love; some theories are practical while others aren't. Despite the psychological viewpoint on love, is it possible that every moment of love you've ever experienced is based on a combination of two chemicals in your brain? Scientists have been studying prairie voles, one of only 3% of species that appear to be monogamous. The uniqueness of the prairie vole, apart from their monogamy, is that they have a very closely related genetic make up as the montane vole, over 99%. The montane vole, however, is not monogamous. During sex, the prairie vole releases two chemicals called vasopressin and oxytocin. The montane vole doesn't release these two chemicals. In fact, the montane vole, even when injected with vasopressin and oxytocin, still show signs of one-night-stand sex proving that there are no receptors in a montane vole's brain. The question still remains whether or not a human brain works the same as a vole's brain. The interaction between vasopressin and oxytocin in a human's brain is still not fully understood. Dopamine is excreted to excite a person when they think about someone they love followed by serotonin to calm people down in order to trust. Once trust has begun, the oxytocin kicks in and takes effect. The oxytocin creates a feeling of connection to the person you're with. Finally, vasopressin is released. Vasopressin has the effect of tying the emotions you have to memories. By combining these chemicals in different quantities, among other chemicals in the body such as, but not limited to, phenyl ethylamine, and norepinephrine, different behavioral patterns come into focus. Although there are apparent fall outs and anomalies to each of these descriptions, the true basis for love has not yet been fully understood. Regardless of the facts, there will always be romantics out there who will be steadfast in their beliefs about love, even if scientists pin it down to a particular chemical reaction. People will still marvel at the portrayals of love displayed by artists, musicians, poets, and even authors. Expressions of love will forever hold a place in the hearts of many individuals.
topic: Various
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Free Prizes! A Cooking Contest and a Poetry Contest	August 30, 2009, 11:46PM
by: Sgath
Cooking Contest: As connected as we are, most people don't really get to experience foods outside of our own region. Sure, everyone has food network, but that's only one vision of what food is. I propose a contest. Show us a food near and dear to you. Redefine our idea of food. Challenge our preconceptions of what constitutes a sandwich. Now is your chance to rock someone's world. The winner will be chosen by popular vote, and will recieve 30 days of Andromeda time for their account, and their entry will be posted in the DS Cooking Show. The food section is running a contest ending Sunday, September 6th. Post a recipe and the method for making it Here. It can have pictures, or videos, or anything inbetween. All that i ask is that you take the opportunity to show me what you like, and how to make it. How you do that is up to you. Full rules and more can be found at the link above. Poetry Contest Do you dream of being a famous poet someday? Do you write tirelessly through the night attempting the convey a fleeting image of the beauty and ceaseless drama of life and our surroundings? The Dead Poets Society forum is having a poetry contest, so come and show off your skills as a poet! Prizes include 30 days of Andromeda time for your Darkstarlings account, and the runner up receives 10 days. Winners will have their poems featured on the forum as contest winners. To check out the details and to submit your poem, click here.
topic: Current Events
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More Better Email.	July 3, 2009, 4:41PM
by: eon
Email service for Andromeda members has been migrated to a new platform and a couple of new email features are now available: 1. POP3 email access. It is now possible to check your @darkstarlings.com email account from any POP3 client, such as Outlook Express or Thunderbird. This also means that you can add your DS email account to another mail service such as GMail or Live so you can automatically check your DS email when you log into those services. To view your POP3 setup info, go to Control Panel -> Email. 2. New email notifications. You will now receive a notice when new email arrives in your DS email account. The notice will appear in the same place where you see notices for new comments, new picture comments, new blog comments, etc. The old email platform, located here will remain until July 20th. Sometime on or after that date, the old email service will be removed, so if you have any old important emails there, please make copies as soon as possible. If you don't have a DS email account but would like one, you'll need to sign up for Andromeda access, which includes an email account along with lots of other perks. Click here to find out more. Enjoy.
topic: Site News
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Peace and Love and Other Silly Things.	June 27, 2009, 2:31PM
by: Murph
So... It seems, increasingly in these modern times, that the youth of America is becoming increasingly "Hippie-ized." A throwback to the 1960's counter-culture, a bunch of peace, love, let's go and procreate needlessly... a crock of shite... im my opinion. I am very Apolitical. I don't care. I don't care what Bush did, don't care what Obama will do... just plain don't care. Recently reading an article on here about landmines leftover after wars... still killing people. What's the problem with that? I mean, shit, it's still serving it's purpose, it was designed to kill... that's what it does. I look on things like that as population control. If you are going to start ranting and raving about landmines, and war equipment killing kids, then why not rant about smog, and cigarettes and alcohol killing kids? Why not? Probably because you enjoy your big smog causing truck, or your Marlboro Reds, or a fifth of Jack, but you have no experience with landmines so you bastardize them. They are nifty little devices, go boom, and cause mayhem, very nifty. Most of the countries that these things are still active in, well most of the people who are going to detonate said device, are pretty useless anyhow. I look at these devices as a postbirth abortion device. It thins out the surplus population. If it's kids who happen to step on said things, well then so be it. These same "kids" in Afghanistan, Iraq, and parts of Africa are also the same shits who will have no problem blowing away American servicemembers with an AK-47 or hand grenade, so long as it makes there leader or God happy. So like I said, population control. I personally have no qualms about unloading a magazine on a small child, if I percieve the child as a threat. There is a mentality that goes with being in combat, one which very few of you on here will ever understand. It's called self-preservation, kill or be killed if you will. I love the people who will rant and rave on here about the horrors of war, without even having the balls to defend their country. It's simple, war is hell. It also means one's outlook on life changes, you stop giving a shit. If a landmine is going to take out some potential threat for me, excellent, that's more ammunition I don't have to waste. It's ridiculous the way people on here will be so opposed to something they have no idea or even an inkling about. Hey guys, here's some info for you... Fox lies, CNN lies, MSNBC lies... the media doesn't have a clue what's going on in the world, all they want are ratings. In conclusion, if you have no idea what's going on, shut your mouth, and if you feel the need to run your mouth... well, go step on a landmine.
topic: Life
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"My Daddy Ate My Eyes"	May 27, 2009, 1:37AM
by: thenakedpunk
On 28 April, a horrific event occurred that rocked the town of Bakersfield, CA. Police were called to a home for a disagreement between a man and his wife; less than an hour and a half later, however, they were called back by a neighbor who reported that she had found a naked little boy cowering behind a dresser. The child's face was swollen, and his eyes were shut. There were bite marks all over his face and hands. When he came to fifteen minutes later, that is when the truth was revealed: he was missing his left eye, and his right eye was mutilated. Angelo Mendoza Sr., 34, allegedly bit out his child's left eye; wheelchair bound from being stabbed in the back in 2004, Mendoza was found in a nearby backyard of a vacant home, mutilating his legs with a hatchet. In the initial report from the police, he claimed the "Mexican Mafia" had done this to him, and it appeared he was trying to attempt to chain himself to a lamp pole. The police realized he was under the influence of the drug, PCP, which has become ever-more popular in Bakersfield due to its cheap price. The child's mother, who only gave her first name as Desirae, had left after the argument between her and her husband, leaving behind her son who was "afraid of his father;" she did not think the child was in danger, since Mendoza had never hurt the child before. When the child was taken to a hospital near his home, he told a neighbor, "My daddy bit my hands and face. My daddy ate my eyes!" The case was put under a gag order, in which no one involved is allowed to make comments on the investigation. Mendoza missed his court appearance due to being in the hospital from his self-inflicted wounds; the nurses said he was doing fine in healing. Mendoza is being charged with mayhem, torture, and child cruelty. He could get life in prison, but there is a possibility he could get out on parole.
topic: Current Events
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Site IM	May 16, 2009, 2:40AM
by: eon
Site wide IM is now operational. You will find 'Send IM' links in various places throughout the site. If a member is available to receive an IM, you will see their link. For instance, on any profile page, if the member is online, look next to their "online" message for an IM link. Another place to look is in search results (online members, friends lists, regular searches, etc.). All preferences related to IM are located at: Control Panel -> IM Settings It should be pretty self explanatory if you try it out. I haven't decided for certain on this solution (that is, IM services provided by UserPlane) but I've tested it enough on my own that I figured I'd go ahead and launch it and see what you guys think. The major drawback would be the ads and some of the glitchy behavior (which I'm working on as much as possible). Anyhoo, give it a spin . . .
topic: Site News
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The State of Things to Come... (and it don't look pretty!)	April 13, 2009, 2:12AM
by: Murph
I just finished watching an indie documentary on the Radical Christian Right entitled 'Jesus Camp'. Not only was the entire piece hard to watch, it was more or less appalling. This segment of American society accounts for twenty five percent of the population, roughly EIGHTY FIVE MILLION people... quite a scary number... especially when the Evangelical community has some of the highest positions of power in the land, or did (aka George Walker Bush). The film covers a week long "bible" camp in Devil's Lake, North Dakota, headed by the overly obnoxious Becky Fischer and her "ministry," Kids in Ministry International. These kids are being brainwashed, by Fischer and their own parents into believing that the only way to save this planet is to be able and willing to lay down your life for Jesus... a thought which is not only irrational, but completely ludacris. It kinda sounds like radical Islam now dosn't it? Recently in the news, the government has gotten involved with the whole craziness involving Mormons in Texas and what not, the Mormons, although not the sanest bunch, are not a threat, just kinda odd. I am quite concerned why these overly zealous Pentacostal and Evangelical loonies are not being investigated. I understand fully the concept of religious freedoms, but where does it stop? These kids are going to grow up, and once they do, "God" help us all. These kids will be the guys George Carlin talked about, holed up in Montana with unholy amounts of ammunition talking to God on a two-way radio. This whole concept of using children as a weapon against the unholy hordes of Satan and what not is quite discomforting. The last time a minority group had this much... influence over people, and had these charismatic of leaders, well to be blunt, SIX MILLION JEWS, GAYS, GYPSYS, CATHOLICS, ETC. were murdered by the Third Reich. That's right guys, the Nazis tried this one, and had taken over most of Europe. They had it right down to the brainwashing of innocent children, the Hitlerjungen... or Hitler Youth, who were brainwashed into laying down their lives in suicide attacks for the Fuehrer and Fatherland. The only difference is this time the Fuehrer has been replaced with Jesus. I hope this concerns you all as much as it does me, and that you will all take action to stop these people before nutjobs in Montana with guns and God decide that America, nay the world in general is impure and need to start cleansing it for Jesus. It's quite a scary thought.
topic: Current Events
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