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Thoughts on the History of Civilization	March 9, 2010, 7:18PM
by: Sgath
Our species evolved as hunter gatherers. During the last ice age, human beings were forced into a smaller habitable area namely in Mesopotamia, leading to population crisis, where there were not enough resources for everyone. Our species was forced to adapt. This lead to agriculture. Since less people were involved in gathering food, people found new ways to operate in societies. Soon there were blacksmiths and potters, tailors and soldiers. The lack of need to be directly involved in food acquisition lead to an increasingly complex array of social functions. What happened as a result was the information available to transfer exploded in volume, where blacksmiths taught blacksmiths, soldiers taught soldiers, tailors taught tailors, leading to a need for essential information to be recorded, usually involved with trade. So came math, and writing. Then as more information was recorded, more adaptations formed around the new information. It has in a way lead to a sort of external evolution of mutating behaviours, as societies adapt to the new sum of external information available, allowing cultures to shift their behaviours as their acquired information changes. This has lead to vast changes in the structure of societies, leading to urbanization, industrialization, and the fracturing and competing of philosophies over how to organize and govern them. But this has never meant progress, only change. External evolution has actually lead to the degradation of humanity's habitat, and may ultimately lead to its destruction, so to say the changes that have taken place in our behaviours are progress is misleading, and false. Some things about modern behaviours benefit the species, some serve to its detriment. In the same way, our hunter gathering brothers and sisters adapt to their environments in the same rational fashion. But without the need of agriculture, social functions often have no need to become increasingly stratified since an environmental balance serves the culture's longevity, and there is limited need to adapt to degrading resources through war, trade, and technology. One of the major problems of modern civilization as we call it is that while our external evolution allows us to adapt to the sum of ideas of a society and therefore change our behaviour in more complex ways, they sometimes serve us very poorly in the real world, as creeds, codes and ideals fail to satisfy the real situation, and often lead to imbalances both environmentally and socially. Countless examples exist in history, as ideologies battle each other, empires collapse, opposing ideologies endanger the entirety of life on the planet and often result in severe destruction. They may yet destroy the planet. "It is not the strongest of the species that survive, but the one most responsive to change" - Charles Darwin. Whereas hunter gathers have adapted perfectly to their environment, unfortunately they have also been incapable of necessary change often and are destroyed by more aggressive cultures, not because of lack of strength, as Darwin points out, but because of lack of ability to change. So while modern civilization may seem to be more 'developed' or 'progressed' that is not the case at all, there are merely specific differences in behavioural adaptations, as humans have a remarkable capacity for changing their behaviour due to complicated communications skills. If by progress we define human capacity for survival, modern behavioural adaptations may very well lead to the end of life on Earth, and therefore cannot be identified in any way as progress. But neither can we say hunter gatherer civilizations are more progressed than modern civilizations simply because of better environmental adaptation, since they are often destroyed by failure to adapt to conquerers. I hope this gives us a better appreciation for the diversity of human behaviour, and that we can rationally reject notions of progress and merely be satisfied to identify the benefits and disadvantages of individual behaviours in individual societies.
topic: Philosophy
[reply] [4 comments]

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
[reply] [43 comments]

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
[reply] [96 comments]

Life, and the beauty it brings.	January 20, 2010, 9:39AM
by: Murderous_Breeze
As Human beings, we are physically and mentally programmed to undergo tough and often make-or-break moments. That being said, we all treat this problems and situations differently, and have various ways of solving them. Well what if life was not meant to be so hard? What if everything you ever desired your life to be, down to the kind of clothing you want could all be made possible? No more feeling depressed about seemingly stupid situations that arise. Sounds far fetched doesn't it? Well its not, believe me ITS NOT. This is not an article about something i read, or some guy on the TV that says "You can better your life if you buy this book". No. This is personal experience, heartfelt experience. Raw emotion. 2009 was a very bad year for me, constant lying and selfishness caused me to lose the most valuable assets of my life. My family. I owed my brother 8 thousand dollars which he took out a loan for so he can purchase a car for me, then i was supposed to find a job and pay him back. Well i found a job, it lasted all but 2 months. I lied to him and my parents that i was going to work, when in reality i was driving around, often finding random, hidden places so my folks and brother couldn't find me, should they drive past. I kept this up for 2 weeks straight, 5 days a week. Most of the time it was to early in the morning to go to friends houses or anything like that, as i began work at 7 am, they were sleeping. Well once, out of sheer frustration i called my brother and told him i was coming home because i left work early because they wanted me to scan some pictures from home (I was a scanner operator). Well my brother did not buy that at all. Previous lies to him and deception had caused him to lose a certain amount of trust in me. So he got his then fiance (Now wife) to call my boss and ask if she could speak to me, well my boss told Melanie (My brothers fiance) that i had quit 2 weeks earlier. At this same time, when i had called my brother and told him i was coming home early, i had this strange feeling in my stomach, i knew what i was doing was bad, and i actually realized that today would be the day i would get caught. So i went to the local psych house to speak to a Psychiatrist that i was seeing a while before this, and upon hearing my stories of deception and anger, the doctor recommended i stay at the Youth Home for a week (Mental house). As soon as i got out of the building i called my brother (who at this point had not yet taken it up with his fiance to call my boss) and he suggested i should do what i think is right. I decided i wouldn't do it. I went to my friends house and we went to the local shopping center for some Portuguese chicken, a good friend who i knew i could rely on. I had told him of my quitting the job but not of lying about where i was. Right on cue, as if some higher power had a purpose for me, my brother calls me. "Dzenan, why the f**** did you lie to us??? After everything we did for you? After all you put us through? You knew our wedding is coming up and you still f**** me around like this? You selfish little c***. Pack up your stuff tonight, me and Melanie dont you want you in the house anymore" And that was it. I explained to my friend the situation, he drove me back to my brothers house, who conveniently was not there. But upon entering my brothers house, my parents (Who were staying there to because they were waiting for the tenants to leave the house that they had just bought) welcomed me with disappointment. It seems my brother and his fiance had gotten to them first. With a million thoughts rushing through my head, i quickly ignored my mums plea to understand why i had become like this, the black sheep of the family, the lire, the deceiver, and packed up everything i could fit into 2 large rubbish bags, and quickly put that, along with my trusty sketchbook and pencils, and a few books on jack the ripper and other assorted past times, hopped into my car and drove to the mental home. This is where my life began to spiral at a pace i could not control. Upon entering the building, a group of nurses welcomed me with false smiles to the hospital and showed me to my room. Walking through the kitchen area i saw a few other patients gathered around a table. One who would be my next girlfriend for 5 months, and who would show me, in her own sick and twisted way, why i did not want to be like that anymore, and why i would change. I ignored everyone, and with my hood over my head and my bags under my arms i stormed into my new room. To be honest, it was not that bad in their. A decent sized room, with a in built bathroom and toilet, and places where i could store my clothes. The nurse assured me if i needed anything, they would be just around the corner, and that i should wait for 10 minutes for the Psychiatrist to asses me. I locked the door, had a shower and arranged all my things. I was surprised to see that the room had a really big whiteboard in it too. So i went out and took the nurses advice, and asked if i could borrow a whiteboard marker. She generously handed me a brand new blue marker and said i can have it. I returned to my room and immediately began to do what i always do when i end up in situations i cant seem to get out of. I began to draw. Half an hour later, and a lot of blue ink on my palms from rubbing out, Superman VS Captain America was displayed on the whiteboard. And when the 10 minute Psychiatrist came in half an hour later, he looked at me, looked at the drawing, and said "You have an amazing gift, what are you doing here??" I giggled. After bleeding my self out to him, and crying like a little 5 year old boy, i finally was able to retreat in the safety of my room. A Seroquel and 2 Valiums later, i was in dream land. I woke up in the morning feeling strangely free and alive. I jumped out of bed, had a shower, put some fresh clothes on and pounced out into the kitchen where breakfast was waiting for me, along with about 10 other patients. One of the patients fit the cliche of a mental home flawlessly. She was in a long white gown, with an iPod, walking around the kitchen table for about 25 minutes. But i gobbled up the breakfast and wondered what to do next. I was still not in the mood or the mind state to be socializing with anyone, so i just asked one of the nurses if they could open up the gym for me, as they previously told me that their was a gym there, when they took me for a tour. The nurse gladly obliged and i went into this gym, hoping no one was there, i really needed some time to my self. Well someone else was thinking the same thing as i was, because there she was, lifting small weights with a big, Greek man behind her for support. She looked at me, and smiled, i looked at her, and i smiled. And that was it. I would find out later, when i was dating her, that the Greek man was in fact her Ex-Boyfriend, and he 40+ years old, when she was 17 at the time, he owned the Hotel/Strippers where she was staying. This girl had problems, it didn't take a genius to figure it out, i mean come on, i met her at the Psych hospital. But to make a very long story as short as possible. We fell in love. That night, me and her went for a cruise, her finding out i had a Nissan 180sx, she was crazy to go for a drive somewhere. But we needed permission from our shrinks. They let us go, but our curfew was only till 9pm. Me and her came back at 5am the next morning. We had sex in my car that night at least 4 times, we had taken Seroquels, and had drunk energy based alcoholic beverages. We were, in term, off our faces. We were wild, rebels, and we didnt care what we did. And that was the bottom line. 2 days later we left the place, and putting our stuff, which was not much, in the back of my car, we headed for the road. We had no idea where we were going, we had no money, and no places to stay. We lived in the car for a few days, talking to each other, opening up, crying, laughing. Finally i got my fortnightly benefit pay and we were able to indulge in the luxury of a cheap motel room where we felt like a real couple with a house and a family. By this time our minds were altered by an extremely large amount of consumption of marijuana and alcohol, and we cared for nothing but each other. We were Bonnie and Clyde. After my reserve of money was running low, and the payment for the motel was approaching, we were beginning to worry. But fate has a funny way of dealing with things, and my Aunt called me and demanded we stayed with her, she had learned of my homeless situation and began yelling at me as to why i didnt come to stay with her. Um, maybe its because your a ice junkie who has a daughter and steals all the time? But hey, any bed is better then no bed, so we quickly seized the moment. We stayed at my aunts for 2 whole months, and after many suicide attempts from my ex girlfriend, who i will not name, we decided we should move to live with her mother, on the other side of Australia. Worst mistake possible. I hated every minute of being up in Queensland, even though its recognized world wide as Australia's tourist capital, i couldn't stand the isolation, no friends, not knowing anything or anyone. And after one massive fight, she cut her self, and i told her i couldn't do this anymore, and begged my parents to buy me a ticket back to Melbourne. Lectures upon lectures, promises and threats if i broke those promises later, they agreed to fund my trip back home. I came home, and i literally cried in my parents arms. You see, i was in a messed up state, extremely. A kid with a lot of rage and selfishness built up, where no one or anything else mattered but my self. And it took someone else, a girl, who is beautiful, but fights her own demons, to make me realize what i screwed up. This girl is a sweet girl, but she has problems, we all do. But the MAIN thing i learned from all this experience, all the sex, drugs, and rock and roll, is that you create your own problems, whether you realize it or you don't. Life is a constant struggle, yes, situations to come when certain factors have to be taken into consideration, but if you really, really take the time to look at these problems, you will always find a answer. You only struggle as much as you want to, depression and mental disorders are all in the head, and no amount of Seroquels or Valiums will change that. A great man once said: "The only illusion in life is disillusion". I truly believe that. If you have taken the time to read this personal journey of mine, then i thank you, and i hope you find the strength to be proud of what you have and who you are, like i did. Oh and by the way, me and my brother are all good now, and i begin my teaching drawing class in February. :) Peace everyone. And for you my ex girlfriend, one day you will find that peace as well. Love you all.
topic: Rants
[reply] [1 comment]

Human for Humanity's Sake	January 4, 2010, 5:26PM
by: Sgath
This is something I wrote nearly 5 years ago, which I am posting to give you some food for thought. What is life? An atheist would likely describe it in terms of reproduction, eating, adaptation, pleasure, and survival. A philosopher might consider it the soul, or the power that guides the unity of matter in an organism. There are as many working definitions as there are interpretations as to what makes life tick, and what makes the human life what it is. What if humanity, through technological means, suddenly ascended its biological limitations and achieved immortality? What drastic changes would shake the Earth with thisnew concept of life? The prospect of transferring consciousness from carbon to silicon-based machines is not a new one; it has been the buzz of science fiction for decades. As Hans Moravec, a research professor at the Robotics Institute of CMU suggested, “it will soon be possible to download human consciousness into a computer”(Moravec 1988). Given the explosion of computer technology in the last four decades, it should be inevitable within this millennium for humanity’s need to survive to be quenched absolutely. Though the idea of getting an infinite amount of time in which to live and grow can seem tempting, it would prove disastrous to all life on this planet. Important people would be the first to benefit, and step into the confines of a cold, calculating machine. In practice, leaders that can live forever can lead forever. Terrorists that can live forever, can terrorize forever. Life on Earth is not ready to live forever. If humanity could truly step beyond its body into a new mechanical one, would it lose anything? Indeed, the human body, even the brain itself is mechanical, guided and powered by electrical impulses, but is that all there is? Leaving behind the human brain may mean leaving behind the human soul, only to be born again in unpredictable and potentially lifeless ways. Without death, how can human beings even be alive? Everything living dies. In a world without all the drab, pain, and drama of human experience, how could life yearn towards spirituality or art, when it is fuelled by these things? The human mind has far too much to lose, to explore unknown environments. Imagine a world where Adolf Hitler won World War Two. Now imagine a world in the not too distant future, where a man such as Hitler, having conquered the Earth and subduing all resistance, is immortal. He resides somewhere in a computer, perhaps issuing orders to his armies, perhaps leading them in some monstrous machine. There are back up copies of his consciousness in case some desperate ‘terrorist’ force should manage to destroy his metallic body. This man can theoretically rule the entire planet with an iron fist for an amount of time not even imaginable to ancient Rome. There is no argument that by transferring human consciousness into a machine, humanity could preserve its best thinkers, its greatest saints, and its most brilliant artists. However, in a real life application, it is more likely politicians would have themselves immortalized, not to mention the social conflicts that could arise between humans and ‘ascended’ humans, or “posthumans” as Hayles more accurately put it(qtd. in Christmas and Mcgee 2003). Not only the best, but the worst of humanity would be preserved. This would eliminate the ability for change, and improvement. Since the very first atomic bomb, the destructive potential of mankind has been blatantly apparent. Humanity has always had a tendency to use its technological discoveries for destructive purposes. Indeed, devices such as RADAR and the internet were first used for military purposes. Technology always increases the most under the threat of war such as the first splitting of the atom. If the human mind were ready to transfer itself into a computer, it would be mature enough and advanced enough not to use its technology towards destructive purposes. It would take centuries for the maturity of humankind to reach the maturity of its technology, and considering the rate at which technology is improving, this is not likely to change. Einstein once said, “It has become appallingly obvious that our technology has exceeded our humanity”(qtd. in Quote Garden 2005). Humanity is not ready to move to another level of existence, when it has not reached the potential of the level it is at. Whatever it is that makes the human experience unique, it is certainly greatly influenced by the human brain. It contains the mind, shelters it, and helps define it through the movements therein. If the mind were transferred into another container, another shelter, or suddenly another set of movements, the mind would not be the same. It would merely become some computer spitting out all the things the mind had once learned, but lacking whatever essence, whatever soul that mind contained. This religious perspective obviously includes assumptions such as the brain not being just a computer that spits out things. In the case that it is not, humans would be throwing away their very souls as they know them in trade for a flavourless existence. When the opportunity arises, humanity should turn its back on forsaking itself. It has plenty of time to grow, improve, and evolve far beyond any imagination. It does not need clumsy technology to lock it in a static, unchanging state. To attempt to answer the question of what life is, the most dominant common characteristic between all living things is that all of them die. There is no worm, rodent, or whale that does meet its death. There is no organism that is not decaying as it grows; entropy affects all things. Human consciousness inside a computer does not need to corrode, it can be transferred to a new disk, or a new hard drive from which to remain static and stale. Since the very basic principles of life such as death are not a part of this ‘conscious’ existence, how can it even be considered alive? It does not fit the most common definitions. Philosophically it may be alive; it may be the guiding force behind the computer it inhabits, but still it will not die. Without this common trait with humans, this new robotic human would be drastically different. Without pain, could a being appreciate pleasure? Without the value of death, could a being appreciate the value of life? From a mind transferred into a computer, there may come a life form that disregards any sense of morality. Indeed, it may have no qualms in killing other beings that get in its way simply because it does not appreciate the value of that life. If humans give up their sense of value towards life, what is the point in wanting to live forever? As far as is currently known, the concepts of beauty and the creation of art are strictly human things. Could conscious machines have a concept of art, or would it simply rate it on written aesthetic principles? The love of mystery and knowledge in mankind is a unique thing. There is no telling how the concept of beauty and art would change with a brain no longer guided by its conscious and unconscious workings or its right and left hemispheres. Art comes from some chaotic mixture of chemicals, or some madly firing synapses that scratch and glide along neurons at an insane speed, with insights that are even more insane. In the confines of a silicon computer, with a silicon brain, would there be the same chaos that pulls humanity towards beauty and art? As Nietzsche, the nihilistic German philosopher once said “One must have chaos in one’s soul to give birth to a dancing star”(Nietzsche ch.5). What dancing stars can humanity create without the chaos of the organic brain? What beauty can humanity see, without a soul to say ‘I have seen it all before, and it touches me like the fire in the cosmos’? Humankind must not give up that chaotic state in which miracles of comprehension are created, for they may never be created once trapped in an eternal state of computation made of cold, hard metal. It is only a matter of time before humans discover a mode in which to transfer their minds across the organic veil of mammalian life into a silicon machine. The brain has already been discovered to closely resemble modern computers. When the option of such a transfer becomes available, humanity must be clear in its wishes to grow and evolve before it immaturely seals its fate in metal. It must be ready for such a transfer. It will not likely be ready until a very long time after the actual discovery of the technology. Given an unlimited amount of time in a mechanized reality, politicians could brutally rule indefinitely. It is hard to imagine how a logical, thinking, fallible organism could dream of a system of mind that is limited by no deadline. Without death, humans are little more than monsters, shadows of beings that once loved and lived and shiver against stone walls. Minds in silicon would be mere ghosts of the organic world in which they once lived. Without the tragedy of transience, beauty and art seems to be something totally incomprehensible, and entirely lost. Considering all of these things, any human that still wants to be immortal under the explored terms has no appreciation of what makes him or her a human being. That is what humanity needs, a little more appreciation, and a few less hasty decisions.
topic: Essays
[reply] [20 comments]

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
[reply] [1 comment]

Happy Holidays...	December 25, 2009, 11:12AM
by: eon
Happy Holidays to all! Have fun, be safe and all of that good stuff.
topic: Site News
[reply] [22 comments]

Review of Marvel Ultimate Alliance 2	October 31, 2009, 8:38PM
by: King.of.Damned.Souls
Hello, everyone and welcome to the crazy King's psycho reviews. My first review will be of Marvel Ultimate Alliance 2 for the Playstation 3. Being a big Marvel fan, I couldn't wait to get my hands on this game. I'm going to give this game an 8/10, and I'll tell you why by breaking it down into categories. Graphics: 10/10. This game has stunning visuals, backed by amazing character detail. Story: 8/10. Marvel Ultimate Alliance 2 follows the Marvel Civil War storyline for the first half of the game, which I loved because that is one of my favorite storylines in the entire Marvel Universe, but broke off into its own story, which kind of disappointed me. Gameplay: 10/10. Amazingly fluid fighting, spot-on character specific abilities, and the new fusion abilities blew me away. I have to say this is the highlight of the game. Voices: 10/10. An amazing job well done on the voices. Voice actors like David Kaye, whom anime fans may recognize as Sesshomaru from Inuyasha or Treize Kushrenada from Gundam Wing, or as Optimus Prime from Transformers Animated, Steve Blum, who plays Wolverine in Wolverine and the X-Men, and Spike from Cowboy Bebop, and last but certainly not least, Crispin Freeman, whom most recognize as Itachi Uchiha from Naruto or Alucard from Hellsing. And finally, music: 8/10. The music is incredible, but sometimes tends to be a bit weak in certain areas. In conclusion, I will start rating games overall as a Drop, Rent, or Buy. I rate this a Rent, only because the game is short, even if you play both sides. We're talking 15-20 hours to play both sides if you speed run. If you take your time, however, to find everything in the game, you're looking at a good 40 or so hours. Thank you. You are now free to move about your psyche.
topic: Game Reviews
[reply] [2 comments]

BODY RITUAL AMONG THE NACIREMA	October 9, 2009, 10:37AM
by: Ellen
Horace Miner From Horace Miner, "Body Ritual among the Nacirema." Reproduced by permission of the American Anthropological Association from The American Anthropologist, vol. 58 (1956), pp. 503-507. ________________________________________ Most cultures exhibit a particular configuration or style. A single value or pattern of perceiving the world often leaves its stamp on several institutions in the society. Examples are "machismo" in Spanish-influenced cultures, "face" in Japanese culture, and "pollution by females" in some highland New Guinea cultures. Here Horace Miner demonstrates that "attitudes about the body" have a pervasive influence on many institutions in Nacireman society. The anthropologist has become so familiar with the diversity of ways in which different peoples behave in similar situations that he is not apt to be surprised by even the most exotic customs. In fact, if all of the logically possible combinations of behavior have not been found somewhere in the world, he is apt to suspect that they must be present in some yet undescribed tribe. This point has, in fact, been expressed with respect to clan organization by Murdock. In this light, the magical beliefs and practices of the Nacirema present such unusual aspects that it seems desirable to describe them as an example of the extremes to which human behavior can go. Professor Linton first brought the ritual of the Nacirema to the attention of anthropologists twenty years ago, but the culture of this people is still very poorly understood. They are a North American group living in the territory between the Canadian Creel the Yaqui and Tarahumare of Mexico, and the Carib and Arawak of the Antilles. Little is known of their origin, although tradition states that they came from the east.... Nacirema culture is characterized by a highly developed market economy which as evolved in a rich natural habitat. While much of the people's time is devoted to economic pursuits, a large part of the fruits of these labors and a considerable portion of the day are spent in ritual activity. The focus of this activity is the human body, the appearance and health of which loom as a dominant concern in the ethos of the people. While such a concern is certainly not unusual, its ceremonial aspects and associated philosophy are unique. The fundamental belief underlying the whole system appears to be that the human body is ugly and that its natural tendency is to debility and disease. Incarcerated in such a body, man's only hope is to avert these characteristics through the use of the powerful influences of ritual and ceremony. Every household has one or more shrines devoted to this purpose. The more powerful individuals in the society have several shrines in their houses and, in fact, the opulence of a house is often referred to in terms of the number of such ritual centers it possesses. Most houses are of wattle and daub construction, but the shrine rooms of the more wealthy are walled with stone. Poorer families imitate the rich by applying pottery plaques to their shrine walls. While each family has at least one such shrine, the rituals associated with it are not family ceremonies but are private and secret. The rites are normally only discussed with children, and then only during the period when they are being initiated into these mysteries. I was able, however, to establish sufficient rapport with the natives to examine these shrines and to have the rituals described to me. The focal point of the shrine is a box or chest which is built into the wall. In this chest are kept the many charms and magical potions without which no native believes he could live. These preparations are secured from a variety of specialized practitioners. The most powerful of these are the medicine men, whose assistance must be rewarded with substantial gifts. However, the medicine men do not provide the curative potions for their clients, but decide what the ingredients should be and then write them down in an ancient and secret language. This writing is understood only by the medicine men and by the herbalists who, for another gift, provide the required charm. The charm is not disposed of after it has served its purpose, but is placed in the charmbox of the household shrine. As these magical materials are specific for certain ills, and the real or imagined maladies of the people are many, the charm-box is usually full to overflowing. The magical packets are so numerous that people forget what their purposes were and fear to use them again. While the natives are very vague on this point, we can only assume that the idea in retaining all the old magical materials is that their presence in the charm-box, before which the body rituals are conducted, will in some way protect the worshipper. Beneath the charm-box is a small font. Each day every member of the family, in succession, enters the shrine room, bows his head before the charm-box, mingles different sorts of holy water in the font, and proceeds with a brief rite of ablution. The holy waters are secured from the Water Temple of the community, where the priests conduct elaborate ceremonies to make the liquid ritually pure. In the hierarchy of magical practitioners, and below the medicine men in prestige, are specialists whose designation is best translated "holy-mouth-men." The Nacirema have an almost pathological horror of and fascination with the mouth, the condition of which is believed to have a supernatural influence on all social relationships. Were it not for the rituals of the mouth, they believe that their teeth would fall out, their gums bleed, their jaws shrink, their friends desert them, and their lovers reject them. They also believe that a strong relationship exists between oral and moral characteristics. For example, there is a ritual ablution of the mouth for children which is supposed to improve their moral fiber. The daily body ritual performed by everyone includes a mouth-rite. Despite the fact that these people are so punctilious about care of the mouth, this rite involves a practice which strikes the uninitiated stranger as revolting. It was reported to me that the ritual consists of inserting a small bundle of hog hairs into the mouth, along with certain magical powders, and then moving the bundle in a highly formalized series of gestures. In addition to the private mouth-rite, the people seek out a holy-mouth-man once or twice a year. These practitioners have an impressive set of paraphernalia, consisting of a variety of augers, awls, probes, and prods. The use of these objects in the exorcism of the evils of the mouth involves almost unbelievable ritual torture of the client. The holy-mouth-man open the clients mouth and, using the above mentioned tools, enlarges any holes which decay may have created in the teeth. Magical materials are put into these holes. If there age no naturally occurring holes in the teeth, large sections of one or more teeth are gouged out so that the supernatural substance can be applied. In the client's view, the purpose of these ministrations is to arrest decay and to draw friends. The extremely sacred and traditional character of the rite is evident in the fact that the natives return to the holy--mouth-men year after year, despite the fact that their teeth continue to decay. It is to be hoped that, when a thorough study of the Nacirema is made, there will be careful inquiry into the personality structure of these people. One has but to watch the gleam in the eye of a holy- mouth-man, as he jabs an awl into an exposed nerve, to suspect that a certain amount of sadism is involved. If this can be established, a very interesting pattern emerges, for most of the population shows definite masochistic tendencies. It was to these that Professor Linton referred in discussing a distinctive part of the daily body ritual which is performed only by men. This part of the rite involves scraping and lacerating the surface of the face with a sharp instrument. Special women's rites are performed only four times during each lunar month, but what they lack in frequency is made up in barbarity. As part of this ceremony, women bake their heads in small ovens for about an hour. The theoretically interesting point is that what seems to be a preponderantly masochistic people have developed sadistic specialists. The medicine men have an imposing temple, or latipso, in every community of any size. The more elaborate ceremonies required to treat very sick patients can only be performed at this temple. These ceremonies involve not only the thaumaturge but a permanent group of vestal maidens who move sedately about the temple chambers in distinctive costume and head- dress. The latipso ceremonies are so harsh that it is phenomenal that a fair proportion of the really sick natives who enter the temple The concept of culture ever recover. Small children whose indoctrination is still incomplete have been known to resist attempts to take them to the temple because "that is where you go to die." Despite this fact, sick adults are not only willing but eager to undergo the protracted ritual purification, if they can afford to do so. No matter how ill the supplicant or how grave the emergency, the guardians of many temples will not admit a client if he cannot give a rich gift to the custodian. Even after one has gained admission and survived the ceremonies, the guardians will not permit the neophyte to leave until he makes still another gift. The supplicant entering the temple is first stripped of all his or her clothes. In everyday life the Nacirema avoids exposure of his body and its natural functions. Bathing and excretory acts are performed only in the secrecy of the household shrine, where they are ritualized as part of the body-rites. Psychological shock results from the fact that body secrecy is suddenly lost upon entry into the latipso. A man, whose own wife has never seen him in an excretory act, suddenly finds himself naked and assisted by a vestal maiden while he performs his natural functions into a sacred vessel. This sort of ceremonial treatment is necessitated by the fact that the excreta are used by a diviner to ascertain the course and nature of the client's sickness. Female clients, on the other hand, find their naked bodies are subjected to the scrutiny, manipulation and prodding of the medicine men. Few supplicants in the temple are well enough to do anything but lie on their hard beds. The daily ceremonies, like the rites of the holy-mouth-men, involve discomfort and torture. With ritual precision, the vestals awaken their miserable charges each dawn and roll them about on their beds of pain while performing ablutions, in the formal movements of which the maidens are highly trained. At other times they insert magic wands in the supplicant's mouth or force him to eat substances which are supposed to be healing. From time to time the medicine men come to their clients and jab magically treated needles into their flesh. The fact that these temple ceremonies may not cure, and may even kill the neophyte, in no way decreases the people's faith in the medicine men. There remains one other kind of practitioner, known as a "listener." This witchdoctor has the power to exorcise the devils that lodge in the heads of people who have been bewitched. The Nacirema believe that parents bewitch their own children. Mothers are particularly suspected of putting a curse on children while teaching them the secret body rituals. The counter-magic of the witchdoctor is unusual in its lack of ritual. The patient simply tells the "listener" all his troubles and fears, beginning with the earliest difficulties he can remember. The memory displayed by the Nacirerna in these exorcism sessions is truly remarkable. It is not uncommon for the patient to bemoan the rejection he felt upon being weaned as a babe, and a few individuals even see their troubles going back to the traumatic effects of their own birth. In conclusion, mention must be made of certain practices which have their base in native esthetics but which depend upon the pervasive aversion to the natural body and its functions. There are ritual fasts to make fat people thin and ceremonial feasts to make thin people fat. Still other rites are used to make women's breasts larger if they are small, and smaller if they are large. General dissatisfaction with breast shape is symbolized in the fact that the ideal form is virtually outside the range of human variation. A few women afflicted with almost inhuman hyper-mamrnary development are so idolized that they make a handsome living by simply going from village to village and permitting the natives to stare at them for a fee. Reference has already been made to the fact that excretory functions are ritualized, routinized, and relegated to secrecy. Natural reproductive functions are similarly distorted. Intercourse is taboo as a topic and scheduled as an act. Efforts are made to avoid pregnancy by the use of magical materials or by limiting intercourse to certain phases of the moon. Conception is actually very infrequent. When pregnant, women dress so as to hide their condition. Parturition takes place in secret, without friends or relatives to assist, and the majority of women do not nurse their infants. Our review of the ritual life of the Nacirema has certainly shown them to be a magic-ridden people. It is hard to understand how they have managed to exist so long under the burdens which they have imposed upon themselves. But even such exotic customs as these take on real meaning when they are viewed with the insight provided by Malinowski when he wrote: "Looking from far and above, from our high places of safety in the developed civilization, it is easy to see all the crudity and irrelevance of magic. But without its power and guidance early man could not have mastered his practical difficulties as he has done, nor could man have advanced to the higher stages of civilization." References Linton, Ralph. 1936. The Study of Man. New York: D. Appleton-Century. Malinowski, Bronislaw. 1948. Magic, Science, and Religion. Glencoe, Ill.: The Free Press. Murdock, George P. 1949. Social Structure. New York: Macmillan.
topic: Essays
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	October 4, 2009, 1:35PM
by: baroque
This question has interested me for the longest time: why do people listen to the music that they listen to? I've tried finding something pertaining to this on the internet, yet everything I create to use as a search phrase returns garbage. I read somewhere, or heard somewhere, that music is what emotion sounds like. If this is true, is it plausible that a person's music choice depends upon their personality type? There are many personality types out there, and each one comes with its very own unique set of “built-in” temperaments. However, not everyone enjoys music for its emotional value, even though the greater majority of songs are based on love. Maybe there's an intellectual view in regards to music? Perhaps some people listen to music based on the content of the lyrics with little regard to how the song actually sounds. I know that there are songs that I can't help but sing along. I could be somehow relating to those songs, or it could just be a reflex to sing to music. I don't really even know, but it doesn't happen with every song I know the lyrics to. Any ideas?
topic: Rants
[reply] [2 comments]

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