tutorialists

Lately I've been wondering about the hundreds of people that take the time to record video tutorials- I'm talking about the ones that do lessons regarding specific computer applications and processes therein. One possibility is that their doing it for no other reason than to genuinely help out their fellow cyber community- In that case, it seems that their donating their time out of pure altruism... On the other hand, perhaps the driving force, is to be the first to give the tutorial, so he or she will never be accused with having learned their skillset from, "some online video tutorial".... so this one is done out of egoism...... Then again, there's always the possibility that they're getting paid by advertisers that post to their page.... My favorite one is that they do it out of this innate need to teach and pass on information because it validates them- so altruism, for the sake of self esteem.... although I'm not sure if altruism works that way.... In any case, I think the online community that spends long hours in isolation taping their actions within computer applications, is probably genuinely interested in "feeling a part of something'"..... I think these tutorials make them feel like they're doing something good for the community that usually alludes them..... Additionally, I'd say that the majority of cyber savy/ tech savy people owe their proficiency in the world of computers largely to this online virtual community of teachers- much more so then to their alma mater. There's that saying that it takes a whole village to raise a child..... either a whole village, or a whole lot of tutorialists( that ones mine)

My dad got hit with an egg.

Today my dad got hit with an egg. Today my dad got hit with an egg at four in the morning while he was riding his bike. He's 57 years old and he got hit with an egg by some guy in a van.

He gets up early because his routine is one of the few things he has that characterize him as an active human being. The physicality of riding a bicycle reminds him that he's still involved in this world. I'm not sure why this guy in the van bothers to wake up in the morning, or why he bothers to stay up late. My Dad relies on the notion that everything is interrelated in order to survive. He was pissed when a guy hit him with an egg. I wonder if the guy knew the extent of the repercussions his actions would have. I wonder if any of us do really. My Dad wanted to find him. My dad spent 30 minutes trying to find the guy that him with the egg. I wonder what he would've done to the guy. I wonder what the guy would've done to my dad. How do you console someone whos 57 years old that is forced to confront that fact that nobody really gives a shit about anything- let alone your assumption that everything is interrelated and meaningful. It's not enough to say, "that sucks"- but what else is there to say really.... I dont know, I wish I did. My dads old, and he got hit with an egg, and his whole paradigm crumbled. I wonder what the guy in the van is doing now.

Confirmation/Refutation- response (3)

Okay, so let me get this straight, the only supplier of a deadly drug, that is used and purchased by every state in the US, has blamed the shortage on “raw-material supplier issues”. What issues are we talking about exactly? Did the handoff in the alley go bad or what??

In an article distributed by the associated press, Kentucky is noted as having “ contacted other states unsuccessfully in search for sodium thiopental”. Boy would I have loved to hear that phone conversation. “Hi, Ohio? This is Kentucky, How are ya- good good...uh, say, do have any sodium thiopental lyin’ around?... No? Bummer......” Of course, Ohio would be lying because the state obtained enough for an execution on May 13, but uh, they won’t say where they got it.... Seriously, a state, not your next door neighbor, won’t tell you, or anyone else, who their dealer is. Georgia is probably playing it the coolest by saying they have an, “appropriate supply” of sodium thiopental... yes, an “ appropriate supply”..... Excuse me, but what exactly is an appropriate amount of lethal drugs? are we talkin’, like, Bob Marley appropriate, or like Bill Clinton appropriate?? Way to be mysterious Georgia.... My personal favorite however, the one that gets the gold star this time around, was given to us by that great state we call, Texas- listen to this excerpt:

“Prison officials in Texas, the nation's busiest death penalty state, refused to discuss how much sodium thiopental they have on hand, saying the information could inflame protesters outside the death house, and "people could get seriously hurt or killed."

We wouldn’t want people getting seriously hurt now would we Texas....

Perhaps this absurdity will put the death penalty in the light it deserves. The issue is in essence, the availability of sodium thiopental, but the discussion of where and how states can get it is so petty and ridiculous when contrasted with the reality, the horror, and the atrocity of court ordered executions. Hopefully postponed deaths resulting from the inability of states to get their fix, will cause the US to consider rehab.

Is nothing holy? Not even ice cream??

As if there was any way that this wasn't bound to happen. Over the years we have seen that which is dearest to us,- romance, friendship, love, raisins- all become mere fodder for selling us products like raisins. Using religion was only a matter of time. Perhaps we can do a slot for pillsbury with Buddha, or a multitasking PDA with Shiva. Jesus will be our savior, and our favorite character on that 8:oo sitcom.... "did you know he had dinner with Angelina Jolie- yeah, he calls her his little Angel"..... insert canned laugh track here.

wikileaks

I've only just recently heard about wikileaks.com. I know its been up for quite awhile, so this may not have the kairos appropriate for a good chunk 'o' rhetoric, but I think it's worth writing about. It seems it's mission has been criticized as much as it has been revered, and I think there's good arguments on both sides. Those in favor of wikileaks would probably maintain a deductive syllogism similar to:

Honest governments are good governments

wikileaks promotes honesty within governments

wikileaks promotes good governments

and those opposed:

Countries depend on a degree of secrecy to maintain safety

Wikileaks prevents countries from being secretive

wikileaks makes countries unsafe to live.

While I've noted that their are good arguments on both sides, for the sake of this entry I will argue in favor of wikileaks.

I believe honesty naturally leads us into a place of vulnerability. Admitting faults to the masses will inevitably put a faulty entity into a vulnerable place where criticism can and should be expected. It seems Criticism in recent years has gone out of style; slight of hand by government officials and the uses of fear tactics in those same governments as well as in the methods of corporate advertisements are in no shortage, and it is rare that serious action is taken against them; but until those whom such falsifiers serve are educated enough to put dishonesty in its place, and the purveyors of it into a vulnerable situation, dishonest organizations, whether governmental or private, will have no need to re-evaluate their character. A democracy by its very definition has no place for secrecy amongst its practitioners, and the thought of something in a democratic agenda being disrupted by honesty is very disconcerting. Yes, a vulnerable position can be considered less safe then a protected one, but all the more reason to expedite the process of legitimization in faulty organizations. The thought of a government or a controlling entity necessitating lies, is far more unacceptable than a period of vulnerability whilst creating an honest infrastructure.

www.wikileaks.com

It's my Birthday, and I can flush my PDA if I want to.

The nature of some of the most notable technological advances are ones of communication and social presence. This is largely the result of a growing market for such devices; there has been a "need" and a timely "use" for interfaces like iphone and facebook. Are these things contemporary solutions to contemporary issues? Are they assisting us in navigating a novel world that would have otherwise been unmanageable? Or, are they feeding off the humanistic qualities that have always been the very source of culture, leaving none for the rest of us.

Although it's evident that the technological revolution has influenced people of all ages, it's clear that social technology and it's apparatus are predominant in what could be deemed as, "a younger generation". The "younger generation", has always been characterized by how they interact with the community at large and for the most part, the manner in which they do so contrasts that of the previous generation. There is always a certain degree of nonconformity and rebellion in the new style of life that the young create for themselves. In order to establish the "brand new thing", participants create new aspects of community in which they can perfect their new role. Theatre, rock n' roll, punk rock, spandex, leather, tight jeans, bell bottom jeans, ripped jeans, bleached jeans, and club music are all examples of circumstances created by those who looked to define the new era. What they all have in common, is that they all require the individual to actually, participate, physically in the trend. By creating a physical identity in a physical world, one can always refer back to oneself in order to re-contextualize himself or herself in the community. It acts as an anchor, a foundation, a real existence. It also takes guts to represent yourself not only internally, but in the surrounding environment as well. This wonderful cartoon shows an adolescent, whom, through a commonality in our culture have come to see as tech savy and contemporary, mourning the loss of the physicality of his identity. We can see that he has made substantial effort to identify with himself outwardly through piercings and garb. And still, he feels the need to surround himself, even to a greater degree with real symbols of his existence- i.e. an actual birthday card. The "trend" thats being created for him currently, is increasingly virtual and doesn't require him to be anything more than present should he wish to participate. His demeanor shows that this is simply not enough. We need to see ourselves reflected in the actual world in order to identify with it. Lonliness, I'd argue, is a physical condition and must be addressed outwardly as much inwardly. As an even younger generation becomes curious to discover who they are and what place they have in this world, a half hearted grouping of virtual "text" won't cut it. A tangible card from a friend will always be real evidence, of a real existence, on a real day, where you really got older. Fer real.