What Have We Become?

Here we are, at what many people call the highest point in intellect, and civilization that humankind has ever reached. They say that we are more understanding, compassionate, forgiving, and charitable than we've ever been. Mankind has achieved more in the last 50 yrs, than the 200 yrs prior to that. We're taller, we live longer, and we're better looking than we've ever been.

Other than the scientifically proven points(taller, older, scientific/technological advancements), and the better looking thingy(we all know that's true), Well I'm not so sure I agree.

Actually, my opinion on the rest of that stuff is that we all need to form a caravan to the nearest Home Depot, 'cause we're gonna need bigger shovels. Yes, it's a load of pure, Grade-A, 5-star B.S. We are waist deep in it, and it's rising.

We are living in a world that isn't based on any of those virtues listed above. Quite the opposite, as it's quickly centering itself around the simple concept of detachment. Cell phone plans with low minutes and high data transfer rates are becoming the norm. People would rather type at you, than talk to you. I mean, c'mon people, MySpace and Facebook have become verbs. I hear people say "I Facebooked you last night." When I was younger that basically meant you beat them across the mouth with an Encyclopedia.

And what's worse than just the email/texting craze that is going around, is the fact that dark side of the phone system is keeping pace with it. What used to cost you $3.99 a minute on the phone, is now free o' charge. The term for it is Sexting. It's basically when dudes or chicks send dirty pics or self made videos of themselves to their main squeeze(or to whom they want to be their main squeeze anyways.) The sad part is that the majority of the people doing this sort of thing are between 15 and 17 yrs old. Wait, I misspoke, the real sad part is when I read an article about this sort of thing and a parent of one of these kids starts rationalizing their behavior. "He/she is just acting out, it's normal" or "He/she is just trying to express themselves in the only way kids these days know how to." If that's the only way your kid knows how to express themselves, consider yourself a failure as a parent. And if you think a teenage kid sending people pictures of their junk is, in any possible way, a normal way to behave... Well they should be taken away from you. Last thought on this: I love all the parents who see pics of their kids in their underthings, or in their nothings and say crap like "My kid would never do that, someone must've set them up." Sure... your daughter, just short of naked, in the mirror, holding the camera in her hand... was set up. Right. And I'm going to win the Nobel Peace Prize because I'm planning to try to make some changes in the world. Wait...What? That actually happened? Crap. CUT, REWIND, EDIT, TAKE 2...

Basically what I'm trying to pass along is this: This isn't a pretty world we live in. Yes, we are making leaps and bounds in the technological field, and we're learning more and more about our history every day. Basically anything based around tangible objects, and mental advancement is progressing in the right direction. And that is good. Anything that can make life easier, or educational can only advance society in a positive way. As long as it's used properly.

On the other hand, Mankind may be making great strides, but society is stumbling. Maybe "stumbling" is the wrong word, more like "already shot itself in both legs, plus one arm, and is dragging itself the wrong way on the hillside by the last remaining fingertips. It's going down. If you've been paying attention to the news, you know where I'm coming from. If not I offer up these links so that you may understand where I'm coming from....



(pay attention as to why the dude did it)


(just wrong in every sense of the word)


("A couple of them last night were laughing about it...")


(Written by one of my favorite writers, it's long, but it's relevant.)

Worst Ever

The last one is the most important one that I want anyone to read. Anyone who says life is fair, or easy, ought to walk a mile or two in this girl's shoes. Jesus, Muhammad, Yahweh, Buddha, Krishna, and all the other Gods that may exist should drop their problems for a moment and think of this girl. And all the other girls that go through similar situations. A situation like this, though not nearly as brutal happened right here in the Valley of the Sun just a couple months back. I read things like this on news websites way too often. And unfortunately, it's usually only just one or two links away from something that is trying to promote happiness and "how to clean your house in 30 minutes or less."

This is a huge problem. And it can only be remedied by parents. Parents need make a concentrated effort to instill principles, and the long lost art of RESPECT into their children. They need to be a mentor, and a source of instruction to these kids. And not worry so much about needing their kids to "like them." I didn't like my parents when I was growing up. Dad was the disciplinarian, and mom always told him everything I did wrong. Well, maybe not everything, but enough. It was enough for me to not like them at the time, but now, now I praise them. But mostly, I wish for society's sake, that there would've been more of them to go around.

I need to get some sleep so I'm done...

Goodnight/Good morning

Go Away.

-B-

Quote for the day:

"Don't go around saying the world owes you a living; the world owes you nothing; it was here first." -- Samuel Langhorne Clemens (Mark Twain)

The Times, They Are a-Changin'

First off, I must apologize for the titular ripoff of the song by the great Mr. Dylan. But the words just seemed right for what I intend to pass along to the one or two people that read this.

I'm not going to get into any type of deep explanation of how the world is different from my childhood,  or how it's even wildly different from just last year.

I'm going to go a completely different route with this one. I'm going to post multiple videos below that put some form of chronological order to how my musical tastes have evolved. But it goes beyond music. All of our thoughts and feelings on certain issues change over time. It's human nature. You adapt. You Evolve. You move on...

The first type of music I really got into was the what is considered "the oldies." After that it shot out in several different directions.

I'm done preaching. Here's a somewhat accurate order of musical forms that I've dug into in my life:

The old stuff:







The 80's:






Alternate version of the one above... (Does anyone besides me know this movie?)







The 90's


billy idol - cradle of love

kayla | MySpace Video












The '00's


Len Steal My Sunshine

jc [BLUEDEViL 4E] ™ | MySpace Video



Skip the next two if you don't like the loud angry stuff...





Since we are still in the '00s, I guess you could you could consider these next few as an extended chapter of sorts. I've slowly reverted back to listening to the older stuff over time. I still listen to the newer stuff from time to time, but the radio in my truck is always on the oldies stations.

Some of the stuff I've picked up lately.....







And that's all for now.

Goodnight/good morning....

-B-

Quote for the day:
"The man who smiles when things go wrong has thought of someone to blame it on." - Robert Bloch