Just a couple quick comments because, well, frankly, I don't have much to say.
Wrote Tuesday night and was pretty productive. I was worried I was running out of ideas, but I've found that as a write, I usually expound upon what I have, so its all good. The sheer weight of the project is lifted, but now there is the fear of the end. I mean, if its junk, at least when its unfinished junk I can fix it. Once its written and done, well, that's my best product. If its still junk, that ain't good. In other words: I'm in the mouth of the beast.
Ugh. That last just reminds me that I CAN NOT seem to beat this boss in Ninja Gaiden. I'd actually like to move on because I'm frustrated as hell with it and because I'd like to beat the game and play another.
Loving Scratch Beginings so far. Loving might be a touch strong, but I'm liking it a great deal.
Thursday, April 30, 2009
Friday, April 24, 2009
How can people so smart be so dumb?
I work with a pretty smart, if heavily liberal, group. The great majority of us are college educated, not that that makes you smarter, necassarily, as you'll see below.
I was talking with two guys who sit near me. We were talking, bitching really, about having to attend what seemed like a pointless meeting later that week.
Younger Guy said how he worked at Wal-Mart when he was a kid, and at the start of a shift, they did exercises or clapped in concert. Older Guy mentioned that lots of company's do "indoctrination" stuff like that, including (somewhat wrongly, I believe) our company. He compared it to the Nazi Youth Program. His suggestion was that, like the Nazis, these programs were designed to build support and belief in the "mission" and program.
I believe that, yes, corporations do these kind of team building exercises to build moral, build a "team" sense and to create good will.
But I walked away at this point. I don't particularly believe that our company does stuff like that. And I think Older Guy was expressing a blanket anti-corporate mentality that I didn't want to support. I hate that mentality.
But I was compelled to get back up from my desk and reinsert myself into the conversation. Because, as I pointed out, the difference between shift exercises at Wal-Mart (as cheesy as they may be) and Nazi Youth Program (as indoctrinare as they may be) have one thing that is vastly different.
You can voluntarily leave Wal-Mart at any point. You left the Nazi's through only one method, and it was not voluntary.
I just don't get how educated people, and not just educated, but smart, can miss this fundamental distinction.
Maybe the purpose of the Wal-Mart clapping exercise and the Nazi exercises are the same: indoctrination. But the voluntary nature of the former makes all the difference.
I was talking with two guys who sit near me. We were talking, bitching really, about having to attend what seemed like a pointless meeting later that week.
Younger Guy said how he worked at Wal-Mart when he was a kid, and at the start of a shift, they did exercises or clapped in concert. Older Guy mentioned that lots of company's do "indoctrination" stuff like that, including (somewhat wrongly, I believe) our company. He compared it to the Nazi Youth Program. His suggestion was that, like the Nazis, these programs were designed to build support and belief in the "mission" and program.
I believe that, yes, corporations do these kind of team building exercises to build moral, build a "team" sense and to create good will.
But I walked away at this point. I don't particularly believe that our company does stuff like that. And I think Older Guy was expressing a blanket anti-corporate mentality that I didn't want to support. I hate that mentality.
But I was compelled to get back up from my desk and reinsert myself into the conversation. Because, as I pointed out, the difference between shift exercises at Wal-Mart (as cheesy as they may be) and Nazi Youth Program (as indoctrinare as they may be) have one thing that is vastly different.
You can voluntarily leave Wal-Mart at any point. You left the Nazi's through only one method, and it was not voluntary.
I just don't get how educated people, and not just educated, but smart, can miss this fundamental distinction.
Maybe the purpose of the Wal-Mart clapping exercise and the Nazi exercises are the same: indoctrination. But the voluntary nature of the former makes all the difference.
Thursday, April 23, 2009
Avoiding false choices
It's Thursday, for certain reasons I have off today, and I haven't posted for a while, so I'm going to throw this up. Its from the Happiness Project blogged on Slate.com. I've been kicking it around for two weeks or so, hoping to come up with something on it, so I figure its time to kick it out.
Its about false choices. You know, stuff like "either I can be artistic or I can get married and live in the 'burbs." Why can't you do both?
Gretchen Rubin also brings up the false choice of:
“I believe it’s more important to be authentic and honest
than it is to be positive and enthusiastic.”
Why can't you do both?
Anyway, while I try to get into the mood to work on my novel here's the link.
Monday, April 20, 2009
Sigh. Maybe the American dream will die after all.
This graph is lifted from a Reason.com story about deficits.
Too bad Reagan ran up those huge deficits in the 1980s that Democrats are always crowing about.
Talk about heroic choices in every day life...
Democrats in 1987 and 2000-2008 were all up in arms about the deficit. Their almost universal reply to Reagan fans is the deficit. Their first anti-Bush (but certainly not the last) sentiment was that he turned Clinton's surplus into a deficit.
Now comes Obama, and well, the deficit, that's not such a concern anymore. Because, well, we need to "save" our economy. But since the economy shows signs of having started turning around in January 2009, before Obama was even sworn in, how much "saving" did it really do? And what will happen when the the turn around continues and runs head on into the stimulus that will begin to take affect in late 2009 or early 2010?
Before you think I'm on a rant... the Republicrats are no better. They talk up deficits and conservative spending, only to turn an about face when in power. Just look at the Bush years on that chart.
Think every day choices aren't heroic? Think choosing between two courses doesn't need to be in line with reality. If the pols had taken a second to consider the reality of economics, of growth and destruction, of the balancing of economics, they might not have done anything, and where would we be? Right about where we are now; except without the trillions of "stimulus" deficit that is coming our way, the possible inflation it will bring with it and the 100% guarantee of higher taxes in the future to pay that debt off. Think those choices won't matter? And those aren't even really "big" life questions.
I should probably read "Scratch Beginings" soon, before its either:
A) a comedy in that its no longer possible,
B) I have to sell it to eat or
C) all of the above.
This is truly, truly scary.
'WORDS' UPDATE: Add gaurantee, which I haven't been able to spell since, to my memory, 2000 and probably longer. Love to miss that first "u." Oh, and deficits, apparently, which I spelled wrong throughout.
Sunday, April 19, 2009
Success is completing something
I saw a piece on TV before I went to bed last night. It was a movie channel thing, not sure which one, though I could turn the TV on and probably find out. Anyway, this guy's kid was talking about his film-maker father and the movie "The World's Greatest Sinner."
I was going to bed and in that "half listening" state, so I'm going to slaughter this, but he said something along the lines of "success is completing something." I think, I think, he said it because his dad's movie, while not a commercial success, got done. He had to write it, direct it, and star in it himself - it was totally an Indie production. But it got done. He couldn't get noticed in Hollywood, and so he did his own thing. That's the success. The finishing.
That's my standard for writing my book. "Success is completing something."
I was going to bed and in that "half listening" state, so I'm going to slaughter this, but he said something along the lines of "success is completing something." I think, I think, he said it because his dad's movie, while not a commercial success, got done. He had to write it, direct it, and star in it himself - it was totally an Indie production. But it got done. He couldn't get noticed in Hollywood, and so he did his own thing. That's the success. The finishing.
That's my standard for writing my book. "Success is completing something."
Friday, April 17, 2009
"This [is] life itself"
Nice little slideshow from Happiness Project author Gretchen Rubin here. I won't ruin the entire thing so you can go see it. But the titular line "this was life itself" shows up and it caught my eye. Why? Well, because I think all too often we ignore that fact. We ignore Rubin's sixth personal commandment of happiness, which to paraphrase, is that its the choices and journey, not the destination. This living thing we do daily is life itself. Sometimes I get the feeling people feel like living life isn't so great - they aren't happy because they don't have the life they want. And they don't just want another career or decision they could choose or undo, but some vague situation where they are free from the restraints of life itself. Its kinda hard to explain, but they are out of touch with what "life" is. They are ignoring reality. The kids, the job, the wife, the house. This is all "life." But sometimes its like people can't be happy, can't have a "life," until they are multimillionares who can do nothing but lie around all day and eat bon bons without worry. That, to me, ignores the fact that its the journey, that the choices, the kids, the job, the husband, the house, the good AND the bad - they are all "life."
Now, certianly, some of this comes with stress, and I'm not suggesting that sometimes people won't or shouldn't get angry or upset about each individual part. But I think sometimes people decide to get married, or have kids or they choose a job, and either it was the wrong choice (this is especially true, I find, in spouses and jobs, not so much with kids) or somewhere along the line, they forget why they chose these things. Life is all about these choices. But somewhere along the line it becomes routine and boring and not "life." But "this [is] life itself." Being unhappy with the "mundane" tasks ignores that its the process; that's what life is.
That's why I think life, every part of it and every choice, even the seemingly mundane, is heroic in nature. People often overlook the fact that every choice is somewhat of a moral decision: What do I want; what is best for me?
Quoting Ayn Rand:
Ignoring these questions, or blindly chosing without considering them, leads to unhappiness. So while the decision may not always seem big and important - like whether to rush into a burning building to save a baby - the reality is the 100s of little choices we make add up and can save our soul from being trapped in a small, dark, unhappy box. That's pretty heroic.
Alright, big finish with the Happiness Project article that initiated the entire post: For most of the choices above, you have to know yourself, and that's not as easy as it sounds. But its crucial, becuase its hard, very hard, to choose what makes you happy, what is best for you, if you don't know yourself, AND REALITY, and its pretty easy to think you do when you really don't. Especially if you are ignoring reality. Another heroic aspect: once you shut off reality in one place, it becomes increasingly easy to it in others. The cognitive dissonance is hard to handle at first, but you grow accustomed; then it spreads, and pretty soon, you're unhappy and so disconnected that you don't even know how to get back on the track to happiness.
* I owe a special debt of gratitude to Ayn Rand's Objectivist philosophy for much of this post and philosophy. Its my own take on it and I doubt hard-line Objectiviststs would agree with everything I posit or that its even Objectivism, but its largely built on her foundations.*
Now, certianly, some of this comes with stress, and I'm not suggesting that sometimes people won't or shouldn't get angry or upset about each individual part. But I think sometimes people decide to get married, or have kids or they choose a job, and either it was the wrong choice (this is especially true, I find, in spouses and jobs, not so much with kids) or somewhere along the line, they forget why they chose these things. Life is all about these choices. But somewhere along the line it becomes routine and boring and not "life." But "this [is] life itself." Being unhappy with the "mundane" tasks ignores that its the process; that's what life is.
That's why I think life, every part of it and every choice, even the seemingly mundane, is heroic in nature. People often overlook the fact that every choice is somewhat of a moral decision: What do I want; what is best for me?
Quoting Ayn Rand:
"My philosophy, in essence, is the concept of man as a heroic being, with his own happiness as the moral purpose of his life, with productive achievement as his noblest activity, and reason as his only absolute. "
Ignoring these questions, or blindly chosing without considering them, leads to unhappiness. So while the decision may not always seem big and important - like whether to rush into a burning building to save a baby - the reality is the 100s of little choices we make add up and can save our soul from being trapped in a small, dark, unhappy box. That's pretty heroic.
Alright, big finish with the Happiness Project article that initiated the entire post: For most of the choices above, you have to know yourself, and that's not as easy as it sounds. But its crucial, becuase its hard, very hard, to choose what makes you happy, what is best for you, if you don't know yourself, AND REALITY, and its pretty easy to think you do when you really don't. Especially if you are ignoring reality. Another heroic aspect: once you shut off reality in one place, it becomes increasingly easy to it in others. The cognitive dissonance is hard to handle at first, but you grow accustomed; then it spreads, and pretty soon, you're unhappy and so disconnected that you don't even know how to get back on the track to happiness.
* I owe a special debt of gratitude to Ayn Rand's Objectivist philosophy for much of this post and philosophy. Its my own take on it and I doubt hard-line Objectiviststs would agree with everything I posit or that its even Objectivism, but its largely built on her foundations.*
Thursday, April 16, 2009
Wake me up, when April ends*
I've had a head cold/allergies/something for two or three days now. Didn't work out Wednesday; didn't write since Sunday.
Not to be too overly dramatic, but April, as slate.com notes, it ain't a good month:
This month is the
-16th Anni of Waco (76 dead)
-14 Anni of Oklahoma City (168 dead)
-10th Anni of Columbine (13 dead)
-2nd Anni of Virginia Tech (32)
Plus smaller copycats in Taber, Canada (1), Santee, Calif. (2), Red Lake Chippewa, Minn. (10) and Montreal, Quebec. (1).
And don't forget this year alone:
-13 at Bingham N.Y. April 3,
-3 officers in Pittsburgh April 4
-plus a father's murder of 5 children that same day.
-Two more in Charlotte over Easter.
Never mind Titanic (April 14) & Hitler's b-day (April 20; though the upside: his death is April 30).
I'm feeling better today. More rested after taking some Zertec prior to bed last night. Maybe rest was all I needed.
I'm blame it all on Spring. First there is the allergy connection. Add in cabin fever. Nice weather and people are getting out and about after months of captivity and depression. Some relish the sun, some let their cabin fever depression turn into hostility and BOOM. Not that it explains the Titanic or anything. I'm just saying.
*http://www.azlyrics.com/lyrics/greenday/wakemeupwhenseptemberends.html
Not to be too overly dramatic, but April, as slate.com notes, it ain't a good month:
This month is the
-16th Anni of Waco (76 dead)
-14 Anni of Oklahoma City (168 dead)
-10th Anni of Columbine (13 dead)
-2nd Anni of Virginia Tech (32)
Plus smaller copycats in Taber, Canada (1), Santee, Calif. (2), Red Lake Chippewa, Minn. (10) and Montreal, Quebec. (1).
And don't forget this year alone:
-13 at Bingham N.Y. April 3,
-3 officers in Pittsburgh April 4
-plus a father's murder of 5 children that same day.
-Two more in Charlotte over Easter.
Never mind Titanic (April 14) & Hitler's b-day (April 20; though the upside: his death is April 30).
I'm feeling better today. More rested after taking some Zertec prior to bed last night. Maybe rest was all I needed.
I'm blame it all on Spring. First there is the allergy connection. Add in cabin fever. Nice weather and people are getting out and about after months of captivity and depression. Some relish the sun, some let their cabin fever depression turn into hostility and BOOM. Not that it explains the Titanic or anything. I'm just saying.
*http://www.azlyrics.com/lyrics/greenday/wakemeupwhenseptemberends.html
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