The Rag Rant

How destructive, the petty diversions of our life. Americans are being destroyed by consumption, and not the Violetta type. Our TV watching is approaching a third of our lives (up to an average of 8.2 hours/day/household, according to Time Magazine), and we continually fill our waking existence with intellectual tripe. Celebrity marriages, star gossip, fashion obsession. Are these items that will help you improve your lives? Will knowing that Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes' baby looks like (even getting a glimpse of her bronzed shit) help you in your own marriage? Improve your work life? Become healthier, wiser, a more active citizen in this country?

No, they will not. Instead, these trivialities are distractions from your life. While entertainment is certainly not looked down upon, to spend hours of television programming, newspaper print space, and vast amounts of time in your own life ingesting, memorizing, prioritizing these tidbits is unconscionable. Why do we care? What relevance does this have to our own selves? Nada. Rather, we use these pieces of pop culture to remove us from our own reality, to escape from the difficult thoughts that lie with our own lives and the decisions that need to be made regarding our future. It is easier to think about Brangelina than about the impeding death of Social Security; Jessica Simpson's new fling is more fun to contemplate than trade deficits or poor education or the illegal immigrant debacle.

Hollywood will not be denied; and in their cunning they have isolated ourselves from our own rational brains, fractionated off a portion of it in order to serve no particular useful purpose. And we have swallowed, as a society, hook, line, and sinker. We buy trashy magazines, watch the tabloid shows, participate in useless water-cooler tirades and gossip trading, rather than trying to use those neurons, use that time, use those contacts to try and actually do something constructive. Heaven forbid that we attempt to improve our lives, indulge in our own artistic side, try to construct a more perfect union. We face serious issues, and to sit around diddling our lives away on such star-studded bullshit is beyond me, and should be beyond us. Put down People. It is not about you, it is not for you, it exists merely to waste your money and time.

Adieu, Les Pommes Frites de la Liberté – Et Bonjour aux Pommes Frites “Françaises”

It was with little fanfare recently that the “Freedom Fries” at the cafeteria of Congress reverted to their more familiar name, “French Fries.” This marked the end of a curious era for the lovable potatoes, and settled a good amount of the identity problems they had been going through.

In all seriousness though, the whole Freedom/French Fry thing might be a broader signal of the change of politics we can only hope is coming to our nation’s capital. The changing of the name was ridiculous at best, giving many a chance to – rather than poke fun at the French – ridicule our Congress, who should have better things to do than to try to influence what people call their deep-fried potatoes. It was a rash act, one that has now been rectified.

But rash acts were a symbol of this administration for a long time, full of bravado and brash statements, and in the end very little content. The “war” in Afghanistan, which is still plodding along amongst rumors of increased Taliban activities, as well as enormously large opium crops (didn’t we wipe that out when we “won” the war in 2001/2002?) is only one example. The total list is beyond this server’s capacity to upload.

Along with these positions goes with the unilateral feeling of the administration, lampooning allies when they weren’t totally with us, while forging relationships with foreign powers we were soon to try and reverse (gee, that doesn’t sound familiar, does it? See: Taliban in Afghanistan, Saddam Hussein in Iraq, and Osama bin Laden for more information). So, haraunge the French when they opposed our war in Iraq, but now we realize they might be crucial to any sort of peace talk in Lebanon, not to mention the Darfur region.

So perhaps we are seeing a more multi-lateral form of politics emerging, a spirit of contrition and willingness to work with others, rather than just stick it alone. That would be a big change in policy from our “decider” President. Talk about flip-flopping on issues. Fries are just the beginning.

It's a Beautiful Day for a Neighbor

It seems, as though Americans are becoming more lonely by the decade. In this report by researchers at Duke University, more and more people are without close friends who they can rely upon, talk to, relieve stress with, or just have fun. In fact, nearly 25% of people said they had "zero" close friends. While the whys of this rather sudden drop in friends (in 1985, most respondents reported having three friends they described as close) were not probed, it seemed fairly certain that America's circle of friends is closing down.

So what? you may ask. Why does this matter? I have some friends, or I don't need friends. Whatever your response, you should be concerned. Having stable social networks is a key, in my mind, to a healthy functioning society. And the possible list of factors that are causing this isolation (working longer, marrying later, longer commutes, the internet) are all factors also have a hand in creating an unhappy society. No matter how big the GDP is, regardless how prosperous financially or materially a nation is, if you neglect your social interactions, then eventually you will collapse. Why? Because you stop caring for one another, it becomes a "me-versus-the world" attitude, life degenerates into unhealthy competition between people. Remember, we are a social animal, like it or not.

This touches on a broader scope of points I would like to investigate, looking at a renewed social outlook of our nation, our politics, and our direction. But in order for any social program to work the citizens must care about what happens to one another. And a good way to start that is by having close friends.

So go out and hug your friend today, or make a new friend, or even say hi to a neighbor or a stranger on a bus. Make today, and every day, Won't You Be My Neighbor Day.

A Total Non-Issue

You've got to hand it to our President, King of Smoke and Mirrors. He has proven yet again that his political acumen has developed serious glaucoma and has no clue as what to do about it.

This Monday the President formally reassumes his position behind an amendment to the U.S. Constitution that bans same-sex marriage. His exact words were, "The union of a man and woman in marriage is the most enduring and important human institution. For ages, in every culture, human beings have understood that marriage is critical to the well-being of families. And because families pass along values and shape character, marriage is also critical to the health of society. Our policies should aim to strengthen families, not undermine them. And changing the definition of marriage would undermine the family structure. America is a free society which limits the role of government in the lives of our citizens. In this country, people are free to choose how they live their lives."

First of all, some bouts with his words. If people are free to choose how they live their lives, why can't they choose to commit to another partner that they love and respect and want to share their life with? And a society which limits the role of government in the lives of our citizens? Puh-lease. How does interjecting the government into a personal issue like this limit their influence in our lives? If you read his whole speech, you'll find holes galore that I won't waste time with now, from activist judges to treating citizens with respect and dignity. But as exemplified by the passage above, what a waste of oxygen those sentences were.

The President, in making this vague, short-sighted appeal to gut-reaction conservative politics, has successfully ignored or glossed over issues that truly are "critical to the health of society." You want to help our society? Great. Then let's talk about poverty-reduction, the war in Iraq, debt reduction for both the nation and our citizens' personal finances. Immigration reform, public health, even terrorism deserve to be the recipient of such lengthy discussion and support from our primary leader. But instead, he wastes his political capital, already so diluted, on this issue which is hardly critical to the future of the United States as a society. If you truly desire to solve the critical problems, Mr. President, it's time to focus on real issues, not pander to your mutinous political base. This grandstanding display of pseudo-authority is not fooling anyone.

Biker’s Manifesto

[a change from the political-based stories I usually share... but something important nonetheless]

Having lived life as both a driver of a car and as a biker (an actual commuter, in-the-streets-everyday biker, not an “I love using my $2,000 bike after Sunday brunch” biker), I feel it is time to give some tips to both sides of the wheeled traffic universe as to how to better get along and not kill one another. There is an inherent antagonism between these two species of transportation, each stubbornly clinging to their own ideals and beliefs while thinking the other side is either, a) tree-hugging hippies; or b) gas-guzzling capitalists. The truth lies somewhere in between.

To Cars: Your innate momentum and inertia gives you a certain feeling of supremacy over others on the road ((until you run into that 18-wheeler), and it tends to dilute your thought processes and perspective of others on the road. To you, I say the following:

• Don’t squeeze us out. Bikers have as much a right to the road as you do; don’t try to run us off onto the curb or onto the sidewalk. Since we are smaller, we usually leave the majority of the lane to you so you can pass if necessary and so we do not take up a lot of room, since we know we are smaller and slower. But, when you approach a red light and know a biker is coming up soon, do not slide as far to the right as you can to prevent them from scooting up to the front. That just annoys us and makes us more likely to scratch your car. Likewise, do not shout at us to get off the road or other such nonsense. Bikes do not belong on sidewalks, and don’t try to relocate them there by force (Bikers, see below for your own admonishments).
• Signal. For the love of all things holy, making sudden turns without signaling is dangerous, and very, very rude. Even when turning right, give us a signal so we know to slow down or swerve to avoid you, since bikes usually are traveling to the right of your front door. And when you do turn, do not speed up in order to beat us to the light. Most likely you will have to slow down to make the turn, and that has led to many an accident with a bike plowing into your passenger side doors. Just sit back, be patient, and
• Relax. Bikers do not have your acceleration or stability; sometimes they wobble, and it takes us a little longer to start up from a stand-still. So if we’re in the left-turn lane and it clears, don’t honk or get annoyed while we get up from 0mph to cruising speed. The extra two seconds it takes us is not worth losing your head over. Remember, you’re faster than us. You can make up the time.

To Bikers: You have taken on the ideas that you are some sort of privileged pedestrian pedaling through the streets; this must stop. Sharing the road with cars has great advantages, and is mandated by law, but also by that law you must obey.

• Obey traffic signs. If there is a red light, do not assume you can “jay-bike” across and everything’s cool. I have nearly hit bikes who did not see me and ventured into an intersection against a red light. If it is red, stop and wait for the light to change. It aggravates drivers to no end when you dart away, weaving through cars and busing lights. Similarly, if there is traffic and you approach a stop sign, YOU ARE REQUIRED TO STOP. Do not roll through like some bougie pedestrian. You’re part of traffic. Get with the program.
• Signal. Just like cars, make sure you signal when you are turning. Especially when turning left, bikes tend to wobble in the intersection while waiting for a clearance in traffic, and that makes drivers nervous. Giving them a sign as to your intentions will help ease the strain on both sides.
• Stay off the sidewalks. You are a part of wheeled traffic when you are on your bike. You are not a pedestrian; you move to fast and cannot stop as easily. Thus, do not ride your bikes on the sidewalk. Not only is it illegal, it is against common courtesy. Stay in the street where you belong.

If all of us could heed these suggestions, we’d be much better off as a transportative society. Be respectful and considerate of your fellow travelers; they share the same road with you and are facing the same set of problems and frustrations. Don’t hate; be at peace with one another, and you will all get to your destination on time and unfrazzled. Safe commuting!

Actors and Foundations

Throughout time, there has been a rather rigid sort of social system encapsulated in any one society. With respect to your future, it has been relatively determined throughout the ages. Apprenticeships, guilds, unions, all coalesce around the fact that your future, as an individual, is pre-determined, i.e. you were born for a particular occupation, and that is your future and there is not much you can do about it. People even were sedated into the thought of occupational pre-destination. For a long time this system existed, and no one thought to challenge it.

However, the growth of society has broadened our conceptions of personal freedom in relation to our own occupation. Now there is an ability for people to mold themselves to a variety of positions in this society. Any one person can become anything they want to. This is exemplified in the “American Dream:” anyone, no matter how humble they are, can rise up and rule the world. This is a freedom, a flexibility that we strive to, that we feel we are entitled to. We are now almost as actors, as Nietzsche would say. We are able to change, morph into any role we see fit for ourselves in this society before us. We are able to experiment, adapt, and move amoeba-like into new crevasses in this society. It is a very empowering feeling, to be able to have that chameleon-like power conferred upon us, and we use it freely for our personal betterment, as befits a capitalist society.

But, there lies a failing with this sort of thinking, one upon which we as a society are perilously gaining ground. It lies in the form of being too fluid. It is a great power to be able to assume various roles, and to be able to adapt when some new opportunity or misfortune presents itself, is immeasurable (how many blacksmiths from the 15th ,16th ,17th ,18th century were able to easily change jobs if they were injured? Or just didn’t want to follow in their father’s footsteps?). But in our curiosity to become greater actors, to be better able to mold ourselves to our own personal ends, we find a problem with our general society. Our own personal gains are not by definition related to that of society. Thus as we become more ethereal workers, gravitating towards our own gratification, the larger roles of society remain unfulfilled. Then there is an issue with the very foundation of the society upon which we rely on for our substance, for the structure of our own life.

Now I do not recommend going back to pre-destined existences for everyone in our society. It is the degrees of freedom that have been introduced to this society, which enabled us to be the innovators that we are. The computer upon which I write these words was created due to the fact that people had the gumption, and the option, to leave one facility in the society and seek out another. That is a gift many previous societies lacked, and paid dearly for it. However, we must be careful we do not lose too much, move too far towards the ephemeral side of our societal beings. We stand to lose a lot. First, we lose, to some degree, our ability to perform the jobs that we are situated in. This may not manifest itself all the time in every person or every occupation, for the ability to morph allows us to fit the mold that we are required to fill to a greater degree. However, at the same time, this ability to move, the necessity to be able to change and adapt, to pursue our own personal benefit, holds us back from being as good role-fillers as we could be. When you are always concerned about what is immediately around the corner, the present suffers. And that, in its most simple version, hampers the essential roles of this society, and their ability to be productive and innovative in their furtherment of this society.

Along that thought there is a fundamental lack of foresight that we develop. In being actors, moving back and forth, experimenting with our being, changing, always becoming something new all the time, we discourage the development of people who have the courage to plan for the long-term future of a society. Again, when you are focused around the corner, who knows what path that will become in two blocks? We become a society of transients, and we lose those persons who are known to Nietzsche as “architects,” people who work to orchestrate the future of a society, or a civilization. We need these people, especially found amongst our politicians and advisors, directors, etc. because they are the ones who have the vision and the will to make our necessary sacrifices plain so that we may prosper long into the future. We need these foundations of society, like a house needs a strong, laid-out cement floor. Without it, the house of cards we build will be subject to the whims of the future, both internal and external forces that we are unable to control. Our shortsightedness will have led to the spiraling of seemingly trivial issues to forming large maelstroms of our own demise. And thus, our newborn fluidity in life, our upwards mobility and increased personal directions, have the potential to take away the planners that we so desperately need to stay focused, and help the rest of us achieve a future we know dimly of, but which will be richly rewarded in years to come.