manufactured freedom

soul meets body...

noreply@blogger.com (Court) — Fri, 09 Dec 2005 07:38:00 +0000

It's been a fun week with so many cool "ending" lectures and it has also been a bit emotional (it always feels deeper during the end of the semester) some of my friends are actually graduating and beginning their professional lives this time so it's really energizing for me.

On to the point: check out this severely-beautiful music video by Deathcab for Cutie, it's so simple and pure and yet so touching and deeply moving to me. It's a song I have always liked and this video takes the experience even further. I posted the video right here on manufacturedfreedom so you can just click the link and watch it right in the browser (I already scanned it for viruses and such so no worries there). If for some reason the video won't play use the second link to update your Quicktime software to the newest revision, Quicktime 7 HD. Watch the video closely FIRST and then read on in this post below.

Video (down temporarily)

My take on the video: For me it is an analogy of music to life. It is about the time your soul meets your body and the ambiguity that surrounds the process of life. As the lead singer walks through the forest, nature surrounds him with foliage and animals. He begins singing (creation unfolds) and you see bits of goo or fungus seeping out of crevasses and trees which symbolize our birth and emergence from mother earth. The notes rise or "grow up" and begin their ascent in life out of the forest and through the sky. they begin close to nature. As the song unfolds the notes travel through many different places which symbolize the spending of life... We see the notes facing the challenges of life, crossing the road and being blown around, huddling by the light* to keep warm. One of the first notes to go astray on this journey is coaxed by a young girl who then captures and entraps the note. At first the note struggles to become free once more and you see it tapping away at the lid but tragically without freedom the note dies and the young girl looks on, tapping the side of the jar. The second note is lost as the group enters into the core of a city and has completely left nature. It has resisted temptations of many sorts but gets hung up on razor-wire, an analogy for war and politics. Just as young men and women give their lives for our country (and others) this note has been lost (prematurely? or was that its purpose) and we see another note which gets hung up in a similar way, resting on technology (the telephone wire)... As the song nears its end and the notes continue their journey we begin to see water and dead leaves that are reminiscant of the opening segment of living nature, we recognize a cycle. One of the final notes struggles along (in old age) and crawls its last paces in a sandy embankment. In stark contrast to the sandy death, another note is shown hung up on a fence, almost over... frozen forever in a scene of purpose, "trying to get somewhere". None of the notes are flying any more, they have each traveled their path to it's end and the life is almost gone. Youth has been lost and there is hardly anything that resembles the opening scenes of the video besides the ongoing music being performed... the song of life unchanged for each of us. The notes of our lives deviate but the song remains. There is a distinct feeling of sadness with the images of the last few dying notes in the back of our minds. Each death was moddled so carefully, tugging at a primal feeling within all of us for what it means to die and what it looks like. Once more we return to nature, but this time a different scene is shown. A beach with a sunset and clear skies is pictured. A small group of notes goes floating out to sea. Are these the notes that made it? Are they the chosen notes who did not stray from the path of "God" or is this a representation for all of us going to some sort of heaven... our soul once again alone as our body decays: dust. Music, life, is unique each time it is played out. It is a living breathing form that only exists temporarily, when soul meets body.

Remember, I Remember - by Thomas Hood

I remember, I remember
The house where I was born,
The little window where the sun
Came peeping in at morn;
He never came a wink too soon
Nor brought too long a day;
But now, I often wish the night
Had borne my breath away.

I remember, I remember
The roses, red and white,
The violets and the lily-cups--
Those flowers made of light!
The lilacs where the robin built,
And where my brother set
The laburnum on his birthday,--
The tree is living yet!

I remember, I remember
Where I was used to swing,
And thought the air must rush as fresh
To swallows on the wing;
My spirit flew in feathers then
That is so heavy now,
The summer pools could hardly cool
The fever on my brow.

I remember, I remember
The fir-trees dark and high;
I used to think their slender tops
Were close against the sky:
It was a childish ignorance,
But now 'tis little joy
To know I'm farther off from Heaven
Than when I was a boy.

....pocket

Loveburn

noreply@blogger.com (Court) — Thu, 13 Oct 2005 08:12:00 +0000

I wrote this song two nights ago because it helped me to deal with my energy. It's easy to go crazy without getting some of those ideas out and sharing them and music is a fun (less dangerous) way of doing that. I might post the audio version of this song under manufactured music later this week when I can sing it better, right now I have this whooping cough thing and it's harder to sing without coughing or going off key.

I'm living up to my promises, I'm not gonna walk away
I'm living up to my weaknesses, I'll do it anyway

Cuz my life is a journey and your face is just one stop
I won't let myself down this way cuz love is all I've got

I can't make you do anything and I wouldn't anyway
I'd like to hear back from you though; I've been waiting all damn day

I'm living up to my promises, I'm not gonna walk away
I'm living up to my weaknesses, I'll do it anyway

So take your "this and that" and all those things I never knew
I made myself a friend back then and the things I did were true

I feel like heaps of shit right now but I know I'm growing strong
I told you that I loved you then now tell me how can that be wrong

I'm living up to my promises, I'm not gonna be held down
I've been my greatest enemy, lets turn this trip around.

Sometimes the greatest flower is the one left at the trail
With petals leading back to her don't be afraid to fail

October 13th

noreply@blogger.com (Court) — Thu, 13 Oct 2005 08:11:00 +0000

so, 13? Today is my birthday, October the 13th and so many people have it as an unlucky number I feel like it is abandoned and so I took it on and now it is a source of power for me. It has to do with a side of me that is a bit punk and rebellious. I like it because it is unique and original and prime. 13 is my favorite number.

GTA San Andreas... America has mixed up values

noreply@blogger.com (Court) — Sat, 23 Jul 2005 09:27:00 +0000

How can such a violent game with outright criminal activity and simulated violence and killing (which are very adult) be outcast for a simple sex game where no real nudity is shown? For the love of god, what has this world come to? What about "make love not war" what about the fact that all of us exist because of sex? What the heck is wrong with our parents and the government?
"Oh, it has sexual stuff? Gosh, I'm a fricken homophobic who is sexually embarrassed and inept (not to mention impotent) and since I'm such a dumb bias prick, I'd better over shelter my kids and teach them to express themselves with violence instead" WTF, this is such an over reaction by the American Public... Yes, I am American... proud? Not right now...

My most sincere apologies if this comment offends you, it is an expression of my own feelings and does not reflect the opinions of gamespot, hillary clinton, or you metaphorical parents. Thank you.

Star Wars: Episode III Revenge of the Sith, Conservatives / Liberals

noreply@blogger.com (William s.) — Thu, 09 Jun 2005 17:37:00 +0000

Many Hollywood film commentators have noted that many of the events in Star Wars Episode III are allegorical in nature, the metaphor being the Bush administration and the Iraq war.
Most notably the lines:
"If you're not with me your against me!" said Sith Lord/ former Jedi Knight Anakin Skywalker. The real world parallel being President Bush's state of the union speech where he also tell the terrorist of the world if you're not with peaceful democratic nations, you are against us.
And the lines said by senator Padame:
"This is how democracy ends, with applause."
The metaphor being that of the house and senate applauding after George Bush's "Axis of Evil" speech.
Although a superficial examination of the film reveals the film personifies right-wing, hard line conservatives as the evil Sith, a deeper examination of the events of the film reveals that elements of both liberal and conservative thinking are present in both the righteous Jedi and devious Sith.

All Things Equal

A common element you find in liberal thinking is the idea that all things must be equal. The shining example equivocal thinking is communist/ socialist ideas, specifically the idea that no one individual deserves more than another and therefore all should receive equal access to basic human rights: housing, food, employment, medical, etc. Another example is the liberal notion that all cultures are equally valuable, resulting in college students taking English Literature as well as Native American literature classes.
In Episode III this element of liberal thought is not present in the Jedi but in the Sith. In the scene where Senator Palpatine/ Lord Sidious and Jedi Knight Anakin Skywalker are in the futuristic opera house, Palpatine convinces Anakin that
"The Sith seek ultimate power but the Jedi also seek more power. I see no difference between the two."
A direct byproduct of this equivocal thinking is moral confusion - the inability to determine right from wrong. If you ask most liberals about their stance on the Iraq War they usually say:
"It is wrong of us (United States) to impose our beliefs and values on another culture."
If you ask a liberal, however, if Saddam Hussein is an evil person, they will often either dodge the question or retort with the statement:
"Bush is no better than Saddam, Saddam invaded Kuwait, Bush invaded Iraq."
When you equate everything the definition of good and evil becomes a shade of gray. Good people have lapses of evil actions and evil people have lapses of good actions. In Episode III the Jedi are reduced to asking Anakin to spy on Senator Palapatine and are reduced to killing their enemies instead of capturing them. After the duel between Anakin and Sith lord Count Dooku, Anakin is encouraged by Palapatine to kill him. Later Anakin is not scolded and punished for his actions but instead receives praise from his Jedi mentor Obi-Wan. Through the creation of the oppressive empire, the Sith do indeed create some form of peace throughout the galaxy. Both sides commit actions which are unbecoming of the true good and true evil and therefore the statement Palapatine made about Jedi and Sith being equal should be correct. If you ask any Star Wars fan, however, you will find they associate the Jedi with absolute good and Sith as absolute evil. Why is that? Although Jedi have lapses of correct moral behavior their intentions always remain good.

Moral Confusion

This moral confusion, although reflective of the shades of gray that exist in real life decision making, can be unhealthy when confronted with true evil. What ultimately causes the downfall of the Jedi order?
They were unable to detect the presence of evil.
Palaptine is able to mask his identity as a Sith lord and keep the Jedi unaware that he is true evil.
"The dark side clouds the force." -Yoda.
His force power of persuasion ("You don't need to see my identification") effectively influences senators to liking him and supporting him. Although one can argue that those helpless senators were unable to resist his powers, just like Tango it takes two to be persuaded. By the way the force power of persuasion only works on the weak minded.
Convincing strong minded Jedi for the Sith Lord required an appeal to emotion and intellectual deception. In the film Anakin is more easily persuaded to join Lord Sidious after Sidious/Palapatine convinces him that the Jedi and Sith are equal and then convinces him that the Jedi are evil. Anakin is also motivated by intense love for his young wife senator Padame and the desire to save her. Palapatine plays on Anakin's emotions and entices him with the learning of a force power to prevent death. Instead of accepting Yoda's wisdom of rejoicing at death and celebrating their life, Anakin chooses to greedily choose saving his wife's life and killing anyone who gets in his way.

Lethal Force Powers

Finally the largest metaphor in the movie is that the evil Palaptine manipulating the Jedi and Senate to start a war and after the chaos becomes a dictator. Most movie goers would equate this to the actions of George Bush. The use of lethal force is usually abhorred by liberals, preferring negotiation rather than start war. Conservatives usually favor war when they are unable to negotiate with un-reasonable people. It is true that the Jedi are more a defensive organization than an offensive organization.
"The Jedi are peacekeepers, not solders." -Jedi Master Windu
Although the Sith use lethal force to achieve their selfish goals, to say the Jedi do not use their power lethally is also inaccurate. In Episode I when Obi-Wan and Qui-Gon Jin are sent to negotiate with the trade federation they use their force powers to slice and dice their way through trade federation droids. No further attempts are made at negotiations throughout the film. As mentioned before, the Jedi recognize the evil of the Sith and take every measure to exterminate them with the rational that they are too dangerous to let live.
Ignoring the complexity of the issues presented in the Star Wars films and Episode III would do injustice to George Lucas's masterful sci-fi creation. If one critically looks at the films it becomes clear that both elements of liberal and conservative thinking exist in both Jedi and Sith.

Human to unwant others

noreply@blogger.com (Court) — Tue, 31 May 2005 02:09:00 +0000

This realization has been slowly building inside of me. People, even nice good people, put others down and compare them as objects would be. This is done on a regular basis. There always seems to be something negative one person can say about another. I believe there are two types of putdowns, the first one is where you put yourself down because that is what you were trained to do by your friends and family (we usually ignore bullies). The second is when our family and friends put us down and limit our potential by defining us.

Time for a story: Today I met a family friend of my mother who has a young son. The boy was young enough that his voice still sounded like a girl and he clung all over his mother for attention and affection. The mother, unfortunately, never wanted the kid (as my mother later told me) and has since separated from the man who helped her get the child in the first place. I watched her push the kid away many times as he reached out to her and I saw her making faces of disgust and embarrassment as the child was rejected. How completely terrible? At least put the kid up for adoption or have an abortion or something! The problem is, she would never choose what was right for the child; she would be too self conscious to risk alienating herself from society and her friends to admit she had screwed up and ask for help. Society is a lot like our family and friends, it guides our minds into entrapment and we torture others with our problems instead of admitting they are our own.

Some people don't believe in abortion, okay thats fine with me, I respect your beliefs. I ask you to consider acknowledging the murders of fully functioning empowered adults by unaborted unwanted children. I believe that is precisely what happens when children are raised by parents who hate them (and tell them so on a regular basis through verbal and body language) and all the kid has is TV and reckless friends, drugs and alcohol to turn to. The kid grows up and shoots his classmates, he or she resorts to violence and hatred towards others (because that is all they have been given from their own parents). We are all capable of amazing things and it is sad to see that potential to amaze acted out in such terrible ways. Maybe it adds contrast to the adult lives of the rest of us "normals" but the contrast usually comes in the flavor crimson red.

My story doesn't stop there, even though that is the most drastic and immediate example. Each day I see and hear people around me naming other people, defining them into their current state, trapping them. Is it necessary for all of us to be the same? We all know it is a blessing to have diversity among our fellows because it helps round out our shortcomings (at which point we can feel perfect about ourselves and put others down). Isn't it sad that instead of appreciating our construction worker friends, and our young pregnant friends, those who dropped out to pursue their own path or join the military, isn't it sad that we cast them away? I admit I have almost forgotten my shortcomings as they were beaten into me by my peers in middle school. At least in middle school we all felt equal externally, while a select few suffered domestic abuse and mental suffocation. Just as we cast others away, we are casting a part of ourselves away; we are limiting our own potential to follow our hearts in new directions. We set up fences around ourselves and end up avoiding the potential for greatness out of fear for being called a hypocrite. Yes, a hypocrite... That is a powerful word isn't it? Kind of sounds like "Flip Flopper" and we all know the effects that word had on John Kerry during the elections. Hypocrite, it is quite possible the worst thing anyone could be called, it makes you human.

It truly is human to unwant others, even ourselves. My goal isn't to flood this post with negativity, just ask others to recognize their inner human and forgive it for being such a piece of shit. Yes, a bit extreme, I know... The next time you feel trapped, or maybe you are trapping others by talking behind their back (really trapping the people you are talking with, reminding them of what will happen behind their backs), just reread this post please. One of my good friends believes people are part animal and part angel, forgive yourself for all of the terrible things you feel and do. Make a mental change.

Encourage those around you for what you like about them, not the things you dislike. Everyone has potential to be great when encouraged. Don't let negative encouragement guide them astray. Don't let them hate themselves and shoot your kids at school, don't let them hate in groups and blow up our busses or our buildings, don't let them hate the way they were treated. Don't let them feel like you... As we encourage others we set ourselves free to encourage ourselves.

I want to contrast the writings above by explaining that I do not believe all people are equal, nor should they be treated as such. If someone earns a black eye, let them wear it. Be the one to offer a better way. Remind yourself that everyone can be happy, that is the only thing we all have equally in common. Different things make different people happy, money, attention, solitude... let them have it and do not feel ashamed to be richer or poorer. For sickness and in health we will always have the potential to encourage those around us.

Nonexistent Noisy Past

noreply@blogger.com (Court) — Mon, 30 May 2005 06:42:00 +0000

This is a response to the following pieces:

White Noise, by Don Delillo
Plasticville, by David Trinidad
Generation X, by Douglas Coupland

Few things remain constant and fresh in our world. The ultimate expression of change which effects and also affects us at the same time is aging and death. We try to relate to each other in our own ways and although our memories sometimes overlap I would argue beyond this, that each of us seeks a constant and relatable experience which we can hold on to and share. To find the parts of ourselves that match a past we can relate to we turn to knowledge and experience. We are a highly social being and it is through our memories of TV shows, lifestyles, and our common experiences with death that we begin to comfort ourselves. The readings in White Noise, plasticville, and Generation X each communicate this human trait, and stimulate our own desire as a reader to feel "the" past.

When people have free time they often use it to relive and "relieve" the past. It is interesting that these two words are only separated by one letter. Whether it be through watching Nick at Night or going on road trips or visiting our old houses or jobs we take comfort in the past, even if it isn't necessarily our past, because it is constant and we can all use it to relate. Using the example of the road trip story in Generation X, the characters had never even lived in the valley they visited but through studying and story telling and observation they could relate and take comfort in what had happened there, as if it was a hard time they had all overcome together. Again in Generation X the example of shared past comes up when the old picture of Marilyn Monroe is exposed, (or should I say, the old picture of Marilyn Monroe exposed comes up). The media affects us in many seemingly adverse ways, but I would argue that the way it exposes everyone to common products and music and media etc. etc. is not necessarily a bad thing when it comes to bonding. Even on the other side of the world people could relate to Marilyn Monroe in Generation X and isn't that comforting? In each of these books experiences speak to us because we have lived similar lives through the media and the world we all share. It may be boring and un-inspirational but I can understand a need to feel a part of something as big as Marilyn Monroe, urban housing, or Barbie.

America sells. We here in America all buy, and buying is a constant and comforting experience. In each of these three pieces, which took place primarily in America, buying was a subject that not only came up, but was a constant part of the story. The old housing development in Generation X was set to make a fortune at one point, and its now devastated ruin fascinated the road trippers. They spoke of those who had bought in and must be weathering it out all alone in what now seemed like a wasteland. Moving on to Plasticville it is quite apparent the roll that buying has played on the characters; the book is all about the toys our characters bought as kids. The primary reason any of those characters could relate well, or rather, why their stories and poems all seemed to mesh is because of the continuity of the toys or objects being sold to them during their early adolescence. The best and most revealing example of the comforts that buying can bring is White Noise. The grocery store provides a rest haven for our characters. It is a physical manifestation of the idea that past trends repeat themselves. Just as trends seem to constantly repeat over time in our culture, the grocery store physically remains constant and is something parents and children share alike. Just as a mother and daughter living in the year 2000 could share stories about driving their VW Beetles, they could also enjoy and understand the grocery store together. There is an inherent difference between the past and the present however; grocery stores and VW Bugs get newer and nicer while we as humans get old and die. People are made to deal with change in life, but there are certain areas that we rely on for consistency, and when they suddenly re-stock our grocery store shelves differently than we are used to it can cause major upset. Buying is a big comfort in America and we rely on it for comfort. It is no wonder then that the central focus of the media in America is on selling things to us.

These books not only made me think but also feel. I am a person living in the here and now of today, and much of the material in these books worked on me as it did on the characters in the stories. It is hard to say whether painkillers are a benefit to society or rather a dangerous drug exposing us to addiction and limiting our full experience of all that life has to offer, including pain. By providing everyone with a consistent knowledge base the media gives us security and a feeling of fit. As our lives continue to overflow with comfort and consistency how will the way we deal with the pain of change? One of the biggest dangers of drugs is addiction, and if we become addicted to the idea of how other cultures are "supposed" to act our what old toys "were" like, or how our family is "supposed" to run will we lash out as in White Noise or will we continue to lie to ourselves and use the painkiller of the media.

Industrializing Africa - Developing New World Economies

noreply@blogger.com (Court) — Wed, 20 Apr 2005 05:32:00 +0000

I have a vision for a positive future in Africa. A future where there is hope, prosperity and industry. My vision kicks off by harnessing US foreign aid dollars, force field technology and the peace corps (or some organization like the peace corps)... possibly solar panels as well ;)

Currently in northern parts of Africa there are tribes killing each other, not to mention lots of AIDs. I believe there are peaceful people among these tribes, and in many cases whole tribes which are non-violent and are being exterminated by "raiders" from other tribes. This sucks and in some ways the net suffering in these areas would be a lot less if everyone was just erased and things were started anew with some sort of structure. Since erasing people isn't legal and I don't want to go to hell I have thought up another way to bring freedom to Africa.

Ownership powers America, through personal ownership people are willing to invest their lives into creating societies and industry and art and peace. Ever heard of the tragedy of the commons? Basically the example uses an open field with three farmers bordering the field on adjacent sides. Since no one owns the field and everything in the field is presumed to be "free for all" each farmer takes more than they need in order to guarantee their own survival. This results in a ruined field and a tragedy from what could have been a boon to everyone. Basically if communism worked the field would be shared and each person would take only what they needed. We all know communism doesn't work very well on a global level so we employ ownership to divvy things up. In the ownership model, a fourth farmer owns the field in the middle and since he owns it he makes sure that it is not over harvested and ruined (as it was in the tragedy of the commons. In this model the field in maintained indefinitely and everyone benefits, plus we added an extra farmer to the model!

Okay, apply this to Africa. My idea is to employ force field technology (or guards with guns) in an effort to establish ownership and safety. Safety is basically ownership of one's self, the most precious ownership. When the value of life in a country is low, you can be assured no one is investing in "life" pleasure or the pursuit of happiness. Step one, find a group of people in Africa or any other suffering nation. Verify ownership of land for this group of people and then offer them protection in exchange for adherence to a set of laws and regulations. These laws would basically prohibit violence, guarantee ownership and allow for a community run government (kind of like in the USA only the community run government would evolve from the local culture). The only real restriction would be that the earlier stated "prohibition of violence" and "ownership" could not be overruled by the community government... ever. Once people agreed to this outline protection from outside forces would be guaranteed using force field technology or guards. Inside the new community peace corps volunteers would work as police officers and labor assistants. This provision would help stabilize the new community and support the new economy (because the community would be cut off from all outside contact by the force field and would need a bit of help getting started on their own).

Once this small community was launched, surrounding people would be invited to join. These new recruits would be offered the same protections and rights that the original community agreed on (safety, ownership, government). The new people would have to either enter the force field area or allow the force field boundary to be erected around their land. As new people joined they would have to give up their weapons and agree to the set guidelines of peace, only law enforcement would be allowed to use force inside the boundary. Once again, law enforcement would be made up of peace corps officers or foreign army forces who had no vested interest in the new African community.

As more and more people recognized the success of the "Peace Sphere" community, more and more people would join in. The land contained within the force field would grow and economies of scale would take their place. Less foreign aid would be required as the internal community became self sufficient. Violence would be nonexistent because anyone who violated the code would be banished from the community. There would be limited bias in the govenment and law enforcement could be trusted because it would consist of volunteers from outside nations. Criminals and killers, reluctant to join the sphere, would be forced farther and farther from the community as the boundaries grew. The outside criminals would be separated from their "food" source and be naturally forced to change their ways or die alone in the desert. In this model peace would spread instead of violence.

I someday hope to erect a Peace Sphere as described above. The largest problem at this point would be resistance from currently established government forces. Would the UN support a "new" country created throught the use of forcefields? Maybe the UN would approve but would the current local African governments attack the Peace Sphere deeming it a threat? probably... Mature healthy markets like the US and Europe are reproducing at a slower rate and globalization is opening up new markets. I want to live in a prosperous world and I believe business is the key to survival. However, if a change is not made in the way the world works and business expands to places like Africa, business people will be murdered and war will erupt. Think diamond mines, think oil in the Middle East... These lesser developed nations are tomorrows buyers and sellers. I was given The Fortune at The Bottom of the Pyramid by an international marketing professor this year in order to explore the phenomenon of developing markets. It can also be downloaded in PDF format from Amazon. This book explores the future I am describing from a business person's point of view. In order to benefit from a world economy we need to promote freedom of choice and I think the Peace Sphere is a reasonable solution. Please share your ideas and comments.

The sad truth in today's world is that there are more than enough resources, more than enough people willing to share thier own resources, and more than enough technology to make it all possible and still it cannot be accomplished. Government is the problem. Our world is full of governments that enforce inport tariffs on free donated condoms, even though they save lives and people want to use them. Governments that discourage their people from using donated viral treatment syndroms because they believe the US is trying to kill their people out of racial hate. Governments that are run on corruption, fueled by violence and economic slavery. Would the Peace Sphere work? Where should it begin?

America the cultureless?

noreply@blogger.com (Court) — Tue, 19 Apr 2005 02:22:00 +0000

As I sat eating buffet style pizza studying for an Advertising & Promotion's final scheduled for tomorrow morning 11am... I realized that all those complainers were wrong! They shouldn't be angry that they grew up in America the cultureless! They should be happy that they grew up in an open minded accepting country that borrows from other cultures.

In my experience as a student I have identified a pattern in nations with "culture," they like to kill people who aren't like them. I stumbled onto this realization partly when I was reading an article about how the world trade center was designed by a fellow named Minoru Yamasaki who had integrated islamic patterns into parts of the base of each tower, (the area where the buildings met the ground and there were pointed arches instead of rounded ones) found here. As a side note, this may have upset the Taliban because "westerners" were defacing their culture. Anyways... my second prompting occured while I was at Cici's Italian resturaunt and I noticed a photograph hanging on the wall that showed a Venice canal where there was one of those same islamic arches! I admired the beauty of the architecture and imagined how "cultureless" American tourists who were visiting Venice at that very moment might be doing the same exact thing, admiring the beauty. Then my mind began to wonder and I thought of all my friends' parents who love to travel and bring home neat things from all around the world. Was this something cultureless people would do? Aren't Americans one of the top demographics for tourism? Yeah, maybe it's because Americans have traditionally been rich but at least they spend part of thier money appreciating culture.

Summary: okay, maybe growing up in america means you miss out on having one common dance like salsa or tango, and no one really cooks the same things like Mexican or Italian, and there isn't really any one standard for having fun except for maybe cow tipping and video games but it's a small price to pay for our openness to other nationalities and lifestyles, not to mention foods. This isn't the most powerful argument, I realize that now, but it clicked for me today and I really see America as having a culture of openness and liberty, no machismo, no foot binding, just simple boaring American equality.

Yeah, I know this article is super hypocritical, foot binding? How about body image for teenage girls? Machismo? How about the uneaqual pay scale for men and women in the US? Both of these are watered down substitutes for "culture" in other countries... I donno, were getting there - away from culture and into digital exposure to all things evAr!

A Day in the Life, University of Colorado at Boulder

noreply@blogger.com (Court) — Fri, 15 Apr 2005 05:27:00 +0000

First Published 4-14-2005

CU has received a lot of negative press and hype over the past couple of years. We've got the ignorant/sexist CU football coach, the extreme/lying Native American professor who slandered victims of 9-11, the president who just quit her job, the multiple deaths from alcohol consumption, and the multiple rapes on campus along with the racism that has recently surfaced. We have had our share of problems...

This quick post is meant to offer a better definition of CU as a place of learning and self exploration. This post outlines my day on 4-14-05. This day was not extrordinary in comparison to any other day, I just had my camera along.

Well, I woke up a bit late this morning because I was busy from 8pm-12:30am last night working on a group project and didn't get to sleep until 2am after dropping my friend off at his house. It has been great working with a team of upper class business students on a relevant interesting project. We are comparing the Nintendo DS to the Sony PSP and trying to create an integrated marketing communications plan for Nintendo. I slept right through my sociology recitation (but it's okay because I am taking that class pass/fail). It's nice to have a bit of flexibility in my schedule.

Once I got up and showered, shaved, ate some breakfast/lunch and finally got myself going it was time to book it over to my "first" class of the day. I walk to class as usual and the weather was a perfect example of why Colorado is one of the most beautiful places in the world to live. Just two days ago there was a foot of snow on the ground from what people on the news were calling a "blizzard!" You wouldn't know it had ever snowed if you came today though, I've got my shorts on and it's perfect outside, not a cloud in the sky and it's springtime so there are beautiful flowers everywhere, even on the trees. This is my third year at CU and I have befriended a lot of people so I say hi to nearly a dozen people on the short walk to class.

This class isn't my favorite but today is extra cool because there is a guest speaker. Clay Timon is the guy's name and after just a short while of listening to his story it becomes clear that he is extremely smart and influential (what else would you expect from a CU alum). Clay has worked at the top of many companies including FedEx, LG, bp, and even P&G. He is now retired from his position as the CEO of Landor, a top marketing company worldwide. I sprinted to meet up with him after class to introduce myself and thank him for the presentation (I wrote an outline of some of the topics he covered during the lecture under the "technical freedom" section of manufacturedfreedom.com if you want to see what it was like).

Well, class was over so I had some free time and I began my walk back to the dorms when I was abruptly waved over by a friend. There wass a group of students with a table set up doing a business campaign project. They were promoting new golf tees that are completely biodegradable, not to mention the tees last longer than a wooden tee in terms of durability! If you want to learn more about these tees check out: http://www.ecogolf.com/. I am floored to learn about such a cool product and the group offers me some free pizza and a chance to win a prize by trying out a sample tee and hitting plastic golf balls across the field. I also found out they have the same professor as I do for one of my marketing classes, Steven Engel. Steven is a really great professor, he challenges students but also has a great sense of humor and is easy to relate to. As I hit a few balls I was reminded of how lucky I am to be attending a world class university.

The University of Colorado is simply beautiful. We have huge green fields all over (unless it's snowing). Just the other day I went to a women's lacrosse game at another field on the other side of campus and on my way passed four open fields where students were studying or tanning or playing sports. Our girls are ranked third in the state for lacrosse and the game was enthralling to watch. Everything fits at CU, even the architecture is stunning. All of our buildings were themed to match going forward when the school was founded in 1876, the same year Colorado became the Centennial State. Red rock and Spanish style red roofing were used on nearly every building and it really sets the campus apart. Even hiking up the world famous flatirons, which are walking distance from the dorms or The Hill, one can pick out the CU campus from the rest of Boulder because of the beautiful red architecture. CU reminds me of Stanford in the way it looks.

Back to my story... I finished the little golf adventure and continued towards the dorms. On my way back I ran into my friend from last semester. It seems like I have known this guy for a long time but we really just met. He is working on a CD and he wants to become a professional singer. He has managed to get help from a local Boulderite who used to be big in the music industry, they met while golfing about a year ago, lol more golfing. My friend offered to give me his latest CD and explained that he is on his way to being signed. I am a bit jealous but the truth is I can't help but be happy for my friend. It's amazing to be surrounded by so many profound individuals. Not only are the professors at CU interesting but my classmates each have a story to tell and often times the stories are right out of a movie script! I have one friend who's family is a part of Quiksilver (not to mention the CEO and founder of Quiksilver USA visited CU earlier this year and his daughter "Roxy" is considering attending CU next year), another friend of mine is from Argentina and last year at the beginning of summer he and another friend of mine visited his country and flew around in his parents helicopter, another friend of mine is a world renown yo-yo competitor from China and yet another friend is heading to Japan to study and teach English this summer! Over spring break I had two friends who went to South America and worked with an undergrad doctors program to administer aid to people in need. They told some crazy stories when they got back about people duying and poverty as well as the extreme cultural differences. These unique students just show up to class every day at CU, each one with their own exciting background story and accomplishments.

I finally left my friend, "the rock star," and continued to my dorm... After a short while I realized that I couldn't stay cooped up in my room with such nice weather, I needed to get out again and enjoy it! I picked up my long board skateboard and cruised around campus for a while. I spoted some ducks at the pond near my dorm and even a few turtles. There are lots of birds and a few bees at the flowers doing their thing. It's crazy to see people out tanning on the grass in bikinis and shorts, it's like a beach here some days when the sun is shining like this. I get back to my room and study before my friend comes over to continue work on our group project.

We ended up working for nearly an hour and got a lot done. My friend and I are like the managers for this project and we divided up the tasks and spent quite a while deciding which team members would be the most effective for each piece of the marketing plan. Everyone in our group is doing a great job and even though we are coming down to the wire I know we will do well. My GPA is worth working for but I have definitely kept myself well rounded here at CU between being a sponsored skateboarder, taking leading roles on a student housing safety committee and joining a few clubs. I am also a web master (yeah, I like websites) and I still find time to play video games (I am on Sony's official gaming committee), hang out with friends and keep a 3.44 cumulative GPA.

Our project session finally finished (for the day) and my friend left. Soon after the group project ended I got a call from a few other friends inviting me to play volleyball tomorrow night! I gave them the OK and then got some dinner. I love the dining halls at CU because it's a great place to make friends and just relax after working all day. The food isn't the greatest but I know these are the last bits of my life where me and tons of people my age will all get to hang out and be social. At dinner some of my friends were discussing biology while others chatted about engineering. CU has top MCDB, Business, Engineering and Law schools. Top as in, some of the best in the world... We have had tons of astronauts, geniuses and even CEO's graduate right here, not to mention Robert Redford who spent a few years here before dropping out.

Okay, dinner ended and I headed back to do some blogging. After a few more greetings from friends and a chat outside with a girl who is going to Africa for school related study next semester I logged on to my computer and wrote up this blog. CU has it's ups and downs just like any community. The school has more people in it than the town I grew up in! I think there is good and bad everywhere you go and CU has it's share but there is certainly more good here than bad and I wanted to share a positive day at the University of Colorado in Boulder. This school is an adventure school with the mountains, the bike trails, the skiing, Denver with it's clubs and concerts, the high quality academic programs ranging from theatre to law, and the people who come from all over the world to spend a few years having the time of their lives. 4/14/05

Iraq Rap - Freedom For Peace

noreply@blogger.com (Court) — Tue, 12 Apr 2005 04:46:00 +0000

This outline is an idea for a rap song and music video about the war in Iraq. I wrote this piece over two years ago based on a set of feelings I saw and felt around me. Be warned that there is profanity and negative ideas contained in this rap. I do not mean to offend anyone with this rap. This rap piece does not express my actual views of the Iraq war or any of the countries or people involved in the rap. This is merely an expression of a set of emotions.

Freedom For Peace

Attention,,, there is a war strike! You will not go to your classes today.

Peace is the answer? - tell that to the pieces of refugees in Iraq, they being shot in the back when they try to surrender, but a Saddam defender sets shit off cause he's getting knocked off the top, and US troops who get spooked by the shot, fear for their lives and their newlywed 19 year old wives at home, turn innocent refugees into piles of bones, gettin shot on both sides, bullets don't care, you think not acting will put food in their mouths? Or power their houses? Kill all of the bastards! Peace is not the right answer, guerilla tactics they use, they practice framing our troops for the terrible news on TV and gassing our people, but in the end only the poor people who can't leave the towns will be duying - and our people back home just crying... Like, if they had a choice wouldn't they go (but they don't, and that's why we attack) so they can't stab us back, or in the back and do it to more people, this is our world and we respect it, were the only ones who can even afford not to neglect it! And you still want peace? I wish it were that easy, the idea is nice, but now your picket regimes and pleading for peace games are too much and I'm pissed you stupid spoiled ignorant bitch, we need this war, you can't hide in your rich assed Hobbit hole, and if you do the Nazis will gas you! And Stalin will hack you, Osamas will smash you with their plains (and then you'll feel pain) and you'll scream and you'll cry and know what it feels like to die, but not for your country and not with pride for life that's worth fighting for - you've given up, you're worthless - they've taken it all from you and I'm saying the world is done with you! While professors are mobilizing troops of their own, you think they'd be thankful at least for their home, US men and women providing a country that's free from walls and filled with halls of willing students. And yo, France! You can kiss my ass (you don't matter) you think we need the UN? We are the most United Nation in the world, you're just a prissy poodle that won't compromise and think it's wise to sell weapons and tell lies. Hey! Remember when your country was duying? 1945 was trying and all your people were screaming for us (please save us?) that was us, we been right here, and North Korea, if it's attention you want we'll be there in less than a year, and you can brain wash your people to think we are evil (it didn't work for Japan or Vietnam) but hey, you can be wrong, and you will get bombed, I hope you all hear this, I know Saddam's probably pissed, I saw him on South park last night sucking the devil's fat dick, so here's my message Saddam, you ghost loving country enslaving killer, it's not your fault, you wouldn't be dead right now if your country hadn't been too fuckt to keep you from rising up in the first place, and don't worry, you won't be the last to enslave and kill, my country is full of people just like yours who are willing to prostitute freedom for peace and surrender for good-will.

You probably hate Bush, and now you can hate me! Don't you realize that it's hate from which you want to be set free? You're hypocritical, just a child still, most adults aren't democrats, poor soldiers die to get a chance at college and life, and you shun them and thus are a spoiled disgrace.

Music Video Outline: it would start with Snoop and Chingy singing "holidea inn" and rapping and stuff and then the video would pan out to show a holiday in and then it would get blown up by terrorists. The military beat drum roll would begin and you would hear the war strike line in a voice like EMIN3M. Later when the songs speaks of 19 year old kids with newlywed wives it would show pictures of soldiers that were killed. "Poor soldiers die to get a chance at college life." This would be a great chance to show video footage of the kid (Jason Tharp) who died at boot camp from drowning who really just wanted to go to college. Powerful.

First Round of Quotes...

noreply@blogger.com (Court) — Tue, 12 Apr 2005 04:43:00 +0000

Some of these quotes are more suitable for a teen or mature audience, many of them express irony in life but I try to keep a positive attitude and use them for lighthearted fun. Still, many seem jaded (which is okay), life is full of emotion. Each of these quotes is an original expression by me.

"I'm in a struggle with life, and life is winning"

"Eventually we all lose our lives, but we try not to lose the meaning in life"

"People love to kill time before time kills them"

"Nothing in life is easy but when it is we call it a ho or a slut"

"Las Vegas, where the rich go to play, and the players go to get rich"

"If the grass seems greener on the other side, it must rain more there"

"You can only be right for so long, then you're just old"

"Veterans Day: I am thankful for the gifts I have been given, by those I never knew, and some who live around me still, who helped me as I grew..."

"Why spend time and effort blaming others when you can blame yourself for free?"

"You can't buy love, but you can love the things you buy!"

"Give them just enough to hope, but not enough to succeed - life"

"A revolution starts with one person and ends with change"

"When you would do anything to make them smile, but all it takes is being yourself - love"

Once again, these quotes express emotion, not my outlook on life or opinions about other poeple. These are all ideas I have created with words. I do my best to respect others and my hope is that others will respect my ideas. If one of these quotes seems plagiarized I appologize for having a similar thought as another being, these are all original to me. ~pocket:)

Don't Kiss Them Good-Bye, Allison Dubois - Book Review

noreply@blogger.com (Court) — Tue, 12 Apr 2005 04:39:00 +0000

Don't Kiss Them Good-Bye by Allison Dubois is a sort of autobiography about being a medium or "psychic." Allison Duboise is said to be the "Michael Jordan" of mediums and has worked on countless missing children's cases free of charge in her adult years. She also does group sessions and has helped everyone from law enforcement to random strangers. Allison promotes herself as a positive role model for young inexperienced mediums and their parents. She has two daughters who have been given "the gift" and a sizable portion of the book is spent describing ways to parent and support young mediums. She begins her story by explaining some of the events that have led her to working on missing person cases, including a near abduction she was exposed to when she was a child herself. Allison explains that writing Don't Kiss Them Good-Bye was one of 100 things she has set out to do before she dies. Her story is inspiring yet takes place through many simple events and stories that anyone can relate to. This book reminds us that it is often the little things in life that mean the most.

How does Allison make a living if she works for free? This autobiography is probably footing some of the bill for her recent humanitarian services as it has attracted a lot of attention! Allison's adventures as a psychic have not only attracted an audience for her book but have also become the inspiration for the hit TV show Medium. Allison's husband Joe is an aerospace engineer who actually authored a chapter of her book describing what it is like being married to a medium and he seems to deal with the fame pretty well. Although I agree with Allison's standards and values around being a psychic I wonder how someone who has her ability but lacks her credibility could possibly earn a living doing what she does without charging a fee, or marrying an aerospace engineer... I give Allison a lot of credit and have no intention of bashing her, I am simply challenging her high standards.

Parts of this book are humorous and lighthearted, as when Joe explains how Allison can remind him to take an extra buck to the store or use a different route on his way to work. Other parts of the book seem almost haunting. Nearly every question I had about death and the afterlife when I bought this book was answered throughout the storyline. I was very impressed with the level of thought and detail about ordinary situations that this book provided. The book is written in a stream of consciousness style that bounces around from important events in Allison's life. To be honest, some of the events that seemed important to Allison weren't especially entertaining to me but ultimately helped to create a down to earth trusting atmosphere that lent credibility to the more incredible stories. One interesting event is a visit to the Vietnam Veteran's Memorial where Allison communicated with a fallen soldier. This book is bold and sincere, yet it encompasses many fun emotions and silly events that enable the reader to relate their own life to the story being told.

This book may not convince a hardheaded skeptic to believe in ghosts, an afterlife, or even psychic abilities but it made a real difference to me. It reminds me of the times when things just seem to work, or I make a random discovery or insight one day only to use it out of necessity the next. We are all blessed. This book promotes a positive message about death and speaks to the wonderful gifts we have all been given in life.

I listened to Don't Kiss Them Good-Bye on audio CD. I chose this method because Allison actually reads the novel herself along with some help from Joe. I got my copy of Don't Kiss Them Good-Bye on Audio CD from Amazon and the printed edition of Don't Kiss Them Good-Bye can also be found there both new and used.

Thomas Hood - I remember, I remember

noreply@blogger.com (Court) — Tue, 12 Apr 2005 04:38:00 +0000

This is one of my favorite poems, shown to me by my loving grandfather. This poem was written by Thomas Hood. It is raw and true and it captures me in the moment every time I read it.

I remember, I remember,
The house where I was born,
The little window where the sun
Came peeping in at morn;
He never came a wink too soon,
Nor brought too long a day,
But now, I often wish the night
Had borne my breath away!

I remember, I remember,
The roses, red and white,
The vi'lets, and the lily-cups,
Those flowers made of light!
The lilacs where the robin built,
And where my brother set
The laburnum on his birthday,--
The tree is living yet!

I remember, I remember,
Where I was used to swing,
And thought the air must rush as fresh
To swallows on the wing;
My spirit flew in feathers then,
That is so heavy now,
And summer pools could hardly cool
The fever on my brow!
I remember, I remember,
The fir trees dark and high;
I used to think their slender tops
Were close against the sky:
It was a childish ignorance,
But now 'tis little joy
To know I'm farther off from heav'n
Than when I was a boy.

"Thomas Hood (1799-1845) was born in London, the son of a bookseller. His childhood was complicated by the death of his father in 1811 which forced him to leave school and take a position as a clerk; before becoming interested in engraving under the influence of his uncle. He became interested in writing from an early age, and following a brief stint as a professional engraver began to write for the London Magazine in 1821. This association was short lived though, but the seed had been sown for his career as a professional writer which would also see him as an early champion for Copyright reform."