Poverty

There was a question about Healthcare, whether or not it was a privilege, right, or responsibility, in the second Presidential Debate on 10/07.  I will not tell you which way to vote, I have faith in you to guide this country.  I do want to highlight something Obama said, "I think it should be a right, for every American.  In a country as wealthy as ours, for us to have people who are going bankrupt because they can't pay their medical bills, (removed Obama's personal mother story), there's something fundamentally wrong about that."  Now there's an idea here and it relates intimately with poverty, in this country and ultimately, around the world.  It's "raising the bare minimum" and what we believe is acceptable.

Here, in the United States, we use our Declaration of Independence to define what we all are entitled to.  "Life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness" is what that document states, and in its vague terms we understand universal truths.  Every American must have a chance to live these ideals, our laws and rights are built to ensure that.  Programs like Medicare, Medicaid and Wealthfare promise that we will not stand ideally by--while others struggle to live.  Healthcare (prevention, treatment, and management of illness) must be included, because everyone deserves a fair chance; without it, citizens cannot pursue their dreams or breathe their lives.   You've heard the cliche "we are only as strong as our weakest link," if its true then America isn't as strong as we once assumed.

That document also states "all men are created equal;" in that, regardless of what state flag one pledges allegiance to, s/he is entitled to a number of things because they are human.  It is a little known idea that America likes to spread its idea of democracy.  And lately, to say the least, it's put us in a little bit of trouble around the globe.  But the people protected by the border of the United States aren't inherently different than any other in the world.  If they are "created equal" and entitled to "life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness", than the rest of the human race deserves the same.

It isn't a question of means because we found out what we were capable of during 1942, it is a question of whether or not we choose to act.

The Surge is working

That's what they tell us about the war, but is it really? Are we truly in a better place than last year? I believe another surge is happening, working within our own borders. What difference a year makes. Last year, I commented on the idea that we (as a country) were heading in the wrong direction and needed to find the hero within us all. A part of me still feels this way, but to a lesser degree. Although most things have not changed, many things have.

This presidential election has developed into something worth watching; for the first time, I feel it is my obligation to vote. Four years ago, I felt the same need but in a different sense. Last election, I knew not enough individuals could swing the office. My vote would not count. On top of that, pulling an individual out of office during the early stages of war is not wise. If its soldiers do not trust the general immediately after the initial battle, it is the fault of the entire company--not just the commanding officer. This time around, a new chief is coming and we will inexplicably shape the next four year's of this country. We are asking to choose a leader and project the true image of this nation. This, in a nutshell, is the agenda of my post today.

America is and will always be a country in the hands of its citizens. By definition, in a democracy, government is a result of its people. When we consciously choose not to participate in government, we are then at the mercy of the people put into power. This country is a reflection of its people, and is always the sum of those that have spoken. The government's mentality may not coincide with yours or the people around you, but it resonates with more people that have chosen to voice their opinion. It is imperative that you voice yours, especially more so when yours differs from those that are in power. If you do not agree with how the government is representing you, and specifically you, then you need to take a stand. Your ballot card is the first and obvious example. You don't have to hold a rally to be a revolutionist, voicing your concerns with your fellow countrymen is enough.

You want to make this country a better place, speak. The heroes we long for are within us all. Our voices are the strength of this country.

Teaching America

To be regarded as good as those that have come before, one must be better than what we have seen. Last year's post, America is dead, was commenting on the state of affairs in this country. This year's "state of the union" address is going to be about how to move forward, where we go from here. In my own life, in order to move forward and stay on course, I always return to essence and origin. Questions like "how did I get here" and "why am I here", ultimately lead to "where do I go now?" So, how did this country get to where we are...


Well, to be frank, we've headed in this direction for quite sometime and its not a result of recent events. It is within the human condition to control our environments; businessmen sought out to control their environment and also, their capital gains--after all it is a capitalistic society. We wanted a smaller government and in that exchange, the government chose not to regulate health care, establish education and provide leadership. Communist and socialist societies were the first to establish universal health care, it does not allow for a doctor to make more money from his craft than another doctor, but it is overseen by a group or faction. Comparatively, a drug company can't charge more for a "better" drug but the government sets a higher standard to the drugs produced. Whether its good or bad, our the health care is regulated (in some small form) by the government. Here, in our democracy, they are regulated by the FDA, FCC and other such associations. But the problem with this system is, it asks for the absolute bare minimum. Don't kill the patient (or rather... client or consumer), and every other side effect is okay. "Above minimum", for drugs, is a bit scary to think about; but further more, for lawyers, educators and doctors its even more terrifying. For context, the lawyer you're paying to represent you in a case against your former doctor (who wanted just enough on his MCATs to get into Med School) for malpractice received a score high enough to pass the BAR exam. Like the majority of professionals in this country, they were looking to get enough to average standardized tests and achieve passing grades. What those mediocre teachers did not tell you in school, if you are better than everyone else you'll be heavily rewarded. Our education system does not reflect this, we're given grades and anything above an "E" is passing. This bare minimum system has shaped the way we (meaning together, whole, more than one) are.



So why get an A? This lesson is not taught until you plan on going to college, and not as severely as the rest of the world. If that's your course of action, then your performance matters enough to drive you criminally insane. [History Lesson/Sidebar: Hilter didn't have the "grades" to get into Art school and look how well he turned out.] "Oh, you want to get into the best schools, GREAT! How's your GPA? SAT? ACT?" So now, at the average age of 14, you're encouraged to change the way you've gone through academics your entire life, now you've got to motivate yourself to be the best--on your own. That's great and all, but a little too late. I mean, you've never had to do that before; and when you were the best, did you get anything for it? Not likely. The system is designed to separate those that can motivate themselves from those that cannot (the great American lesson), instead of motivating every student individually. What ever happened to encouraging students to do what they wanted to do? So what do you get, a high school diploma that says "you received (at least) the bare minimum? Thanks, but no thanks. The education system should encourage finding your passion and feeding that fire, instead of making you into a mark on a state score sheet.

To their credit, universities do have a personal statement portion of their application. That saves them, somewhat, from having to deal with hordes of bare minimum prospects (but then again, a focused two weeks could pump out a pretty good/coherent pile of bullshit if I really put my efforts to it.) The problem is, this is the first time we're asked what we want to do, academically. That's why the personal statement becomes the most difficult part of the entry, instead of the easiest.

"Wait, what do you mean? What do I want to do?"

So you see our mediocrity, as a nation, is a result of our education system. This may sound a bit communist, or socialist, but Russia is still expanding their transit system and building more public spaces. And the Japanese, well, they're driving their universally health-cared ass in 70+ mpg vehicles. Other than flying to the moon and being a "backward" country, do you know what else they have in common? A government that will pay students for going to school... if you can get into the university.

I found Captain America's shield!

You know I love all things Captain America, I'm thinking about a tattoo.

The Wisdom To Know The Difference

If you haven't seen it on my Twitter, I'm feeling more and more personally responsible for the Iraq war. I, like most Americans, was not opposed to the idea when it was presented 5 years ago. It was lumped in with the "War on Terror"; there wasn't much explanation as to why and WMD's weren't found, but all that was overlooked then. And as this war continues, the question of how the war will be inherited and how to deal with those responsible is starting to come up (well... at least in the media outlets that should be given attention). There is also much talk about Bush being tried for his abuse of power and crimes (hopefully with the rest of his cabinet as well) but to be direct we will inherit this war. Whether you believe in "We, as Americans" or not, the problems the war has caused does effect us all. Even if you opposed the war at the beginning, you're still paying $4 at the gas pump (if you drive, if not, you're paying it at the grocery store). I wish there was a way to separate those that didn't oppose the war and those that did, I can only raise my own hand, and that's about it. I foolishly thought the death of one man would save the lives of many more. I wanted Saddam out of power, by any means plausible, but after that was accomplished it should have ended. But it didn't, and trying to embody another man's judge/jury/executioner cost the lives of many American soldiers. And some think its worth it, but I don't... I feel guilty. I should've known the difference.

Thankfully, the task of the next president is to put an end to these crimes against humanity.

[image provided by: counterclockwise @ flickr]

***DISCLAIMER***|***DISCLAIMER***|***DISCLAIMER***
I apologize if I offend anyone with my preceding comments.
***DISCLAIMER***|***DISCLAIMER***|***DISCLAIMER***

Although somewhat unrelated, I want to share another train of thought that really isn't all that disconnected from the commentary above. It begins with a question...

Why aren't we all anti-war activist? Is the war something we really cannot change?

!!!Incoming!!!|!!!Incoming!!!|!!!Incoming!!!
Another post, at another date (probably July 4th) is about how we, as Americans, shape America. After all, America is a democracy, as much as some of you may want to deny it, and a democracy is shaped by its people. (That's gonna hurt, comrade.)

[image provided by: spider2544 on deviantART]

Sometimes I feel like the "The Serenity Prayer" breeds passivity. Because of this particular prayer, many people choose not do anything when things aren't quite right. I think there's a door of ambiguity that is opened that is easily overlooked. What if the prayer was read in reverse? Bottom up? Something like this:

God, grant me
The wisdom to know the difference
The courage to change the things I can
The serenity to accept the things I cannot change

If it were read like this, would you get a different message? Is it something along the lines of trying the "change" before accepting the "cannot change"? Do you know what I'm getting at, or is there a different door of ambiguity that must be resolved in another post?

The Italians got it right, why can't the Americans?

All year around there's some crazy-ass group of individuals designing outrageous pieces of wasted space. They're Architects, the majority of individuals in the profession are arrogant elitist, who have some agenda on how the world would be run. I would know. But every now again and again there's a little gem that shows up. You wanna talk about progress and sustainability, well someone needs to port this beautiful piece to the states.

Click Here for more info.

Army Strong

I'm linking an article to this post. Here.

It's about Post-Traumatic Stress and the soldiers coming home. About 1 in 5 troops come back with visions of war that never leave them; when they close their eyes, they see the innocent burning or visions of their comrades blowing up. But the saddest part, only about half of them report every having them. There's a "toughen-up" mentality in the Army, "Army strong" means you can't have an personal problems or you're weak. Well when the soldiers that we have in Iraq start coming home, their families are going to really experience the hardest times. Someone should pen a script... maybe it should be me.

Update (04.22.2008)...
Dropping off another link. Here. The article is about using Stem Cells to regrow troops limbs when they come back from war. Some 250 million dollars, in conjunctions with universities, to further cover the cost of war. Food for thought: War wouldn't fly in a society that broad casted its ill effects.

The American President

I've kept mostly quiet about this year's presidential election, and it's been mostly out of my character to do so. I haven't personally endorsed any candidate, yet. This is especially odd because two of the prominent candidates being who they are, one an African-American and one a woman. The question was brought up yesterday, "who has more of a disadvantage, the woman or the black man?" and the general census was the woman. Although it thrills me to see that ethnicity places a smaller part under gender, it saddens me because this question should not exist. Not here in America, land of the free. Whose eastern border is marked with a women, holding a lamp at the "golden door"; no, not here in America, not in the land of opportunity. This presidential race should not be about color or gender. It should be about the presidency and this country.

The election itself has never really sat well with me, the whole process of it. The parading, the mudslinging, it all seems unnecessary, but in America this is how its done. I feel like it always comes down to "which is the lesser of two evils", a terrible way to choose a leader. The only president I've ever wanted to be a citizen under was never a candidate. Unanimously, the first president was never elected, he was asked to be president, given the job because he understood what America was--better than anyone else. Perhaps this is the criteria by which we should decide who should be our leader--their understanding of what America is, in 2008.

I would rather avoid anyone that wants to be president and choose the one that has to be president. No, I have not endorsed any presidential candidate and I'm not going to. I'm going to wait and see who resembles the American President most.

I'm really big on public speaking, how anyone can elect a president that can't put a sentence together is beyond me. Obama's speech after the Iowa Caucus was incredible.

And there's something special about Hillary's choked-up response.

"It’s not easy, and I couldn’t do it if I didn’t passionately believe it was the right thing to do. You know, I have so many opportunities from this country just don’t want to see us fall backwards."

"You know, this is very personal for me. It’s not just political it’s not just public. I see what’s happening, and we have to reverse it."

"Some people think elections are a game, lot’s of who’s up or who’s down, it’s about our country , it’s about our kids’ futures, and it’s really about all of us together."

"You know, some of us put ourselves out there and do this against some pretty difficult odds, and we do it, each one of us because we care about our country but some of us are right and some of us are wrong, some of us are ready and some of us are not, some of us know what we will do on day one and some of us haven’t thought that through enough."

Does your candidate know what to do on Day 1?

Life Resolutions

I've never really been into making resolutions on New Year's Eve/Day, it's not like me to need a day to make a change. Things are a little different this year, deep in my mind I know I'm on the verge of something epic and the day simply marks the beginning of that. I'm not sure now to describe it, but I feel a new aura about myself. It's quite strange really, I'm not sure when it began. Maybe it was the haircut, the purchase of a day planner, or the opening of a new account. It's probably the combination of things, but nevertheless I feel different than the days before. Almost like a new confidence, but confidence is something that I've always had. Today is the first day of the new year, but it merely marks the acknowledgment of that difference.

Witness The Rebirth is a channel on YouTube. We release our first video tomorrow, pending editing session. The artist and I set out to achieve success through our passion for Hip-Hop, but the problem is we aren't of the mainstream ethnicity. Can we still be successful if we release good music? Hip-Hop is in disarray, the number one song is a disgrace. Long gone are the songs about political action and real issues that garnered movement. Three years ago, Jadakiss released a song entitled "Why" with very little response; politically-charged "Mosh" from Eminem also fell to the side, overlooked under sub-par songs. Numbered are tracks about political action and real issues. Now with a country at war overseas and few citizens that could care at home, is this America? Hasn't "freedom of speech" given us a chance to speak our mind, is this what we do with that privilege? The revolution will be televised. Watch as two individuals chase the American Dream, search for the land of opportunity and breathe life back into Hip-Hop music.

I can end a battle with less than three words
If "Hip-Hop is dead", "Witness the Rebirth"

Blog Action Day: Broken Promises, Missed Opportunities

For as long as we've been an ungrateful species, she has forgiven us. For the many crimes that we have committed against our fellow siblings, she has only warned “one day it would come back to haunt us.” Mother Nature has given us nothing but the best she could have offered, we took it and smiled.


Back in 1997, we made a promise amongst ourselves. A promise some of us have kept. A promise some of us knew we couldn’t keep. The Kyoto Protocol was that promise. It was an amendment, an international treaty, to address climate change—assigning a mandatory emissions reduction in greenhouse gasses. We made it five years ago but as of 2007, 172 countries have confirmed this agreement. The Kyoto Protocol was a small step, but it was no victory.

The United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) wanted a “stabilization of greenhouse gas concentrations in the atmosphere at a level that would prevent dangerous anthropogenic interference with the climate system.” Governments were divided into two parts, developed and developing. Annex I (developed) countries agreed to a greenhouse gas emission reduction obligation and to submit an annual greenhouse gas inventory; non-Annex I (developing) countries did not have a greenhouse gas emission reduction obligation but may participate in the Clean Development Mechanism.

By 2012, Annex I countries have to reduce their greenhouse gas emissions by a collective average of 5% below their 1990 levels, compared to the emission levels that would be expected by 2010 without the Protocol, this limitation represent a 29% cut. [Side note: the European Union member states, has corresponded with 15% below their expected greenhouse gas emissions]

Annex I countries can also meet their limitations by purchasing Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) from other Annex I countries or from Annex I countries with excess allowances so long as they are CDM Executive Board-accredited Certified Emission Reductions (CER). CDM Projects in Non-Annex I must also be approved before receiving CER. Joint Implementation (JI) is also a similar scheme covering mainly former Soviet Union and Eastern Europe. Non-Annex I economies can practice a “Greenhouse Gas Project” and will receive “Carbon Credit” which can be sold to Annex I buyers. This is intended to help those countries that are highly efficient, low greenhouse gas polluting industries, and high prevailing environmental standards; these countries have done this but still choose to participate in the agreement. This, in turn, encourages Non-Annex I to reduce greenhouse gas emissions since it can now be seen as an economical product—and thereby profitable through the sale of “Carbon Credits.”

All Annex-I parties have established a Designated National Authorities to monitor their greenhouse gas obligations. Many countries have started funds and supported multilateral carbon funds with the intent to purchase “Carbon Credits” from Non-Annex Countries. Nearly all non-Annex I countries have set up their own designated authorities as well. As with any exchange, non-Annex I countries want to sell at maximum value of “Carbon Credits” and Annex I countries want to buy “Carbon Credits” as cheaply as possible.

Greenhouse Gas Emissions to 2004
Climate Change Convention
Post-Kyoto negotiations have envisioned a global cap-and-trade system that would apply to both industrialized nations and developing countries. On June 7, 2007 the 33rd G8 summit would “aim to at least halve global CO2 emissions by 2050. NASA anticipates the tipping point within 10 years, 2017.

For five years now, this obligation has been a glaring reminder of who we really are. Mother Nature will survive; it is only a matter or whether or not we will be here to see it. I think its time we stop lying to her, she deserves at least that much.

Blog Action Day - 2007

As I mentioned in the last post... once again, I am a part of another whole. Blog Action Day asks the question "what would happen if every blog published post discussing the same issue, on the same day?" [I'm not even going to explore the possibilities of this, you can do that on your own.] Its intent is to raise awareness on a number of issues, the first being the environment. And it couldn't come at a better time.


One issue. One day. Thousands of voices.

So where do we go from here...?

First off, I apologize for not blogging as much as I promised I would but I've been quite busy remaking a few things (including this blog). I was thinking to myself and thought "I come across so much stuff in my daily life that shapes who I am and what I'm about. It's only right that on my personal blog, I would share it with all of you." Thanks to digg.com, the passage of images and information is incredible. People sourcing from all places, providing various material on a number of different subjects. At the tip of this iceberg, the possibilities are endless.

Digg has brought me to this article/page and it raises many questions about our industrialism and whether or not the positives outweigh the negatives. I'm not going to post all the images here, they aren't mine, but please follow the link and enjoy.

I chose this particular image because the sea on military planes is a reflection of our violent intent, as human beings.

The Good Life

Hey! Take a seat; let me talk to you about something. I know you see me out here, talking a lot about money and this and that. Plenty about material items and you wonder what happened to “it’s not about the money.” Give me a chance to explain. What I’m looking for, well… its peace through success.

It’s difficult to understand that the world is a beautiful place when all you see is people suffering. But people keep telling me this. So now I’m trying to see that. I know there are other issues I could be sitting here worry about. I can’t get distracted by things outside of me, when I dwell on things inside of me. But let me put it to you like this, maybe I could solve the issues I have internally after I solve my external issues. I look at it like this, I have so many people around me that really want to put a good message out in the world and their biggest problem… is money. So let me take away that problem. Yes, it’s good for the roses when it rains... but it’s difficult when it’s always the same.

I’m trying to find out if you really do you see “things clearer through Marc Jacob shades?” Do you really “sleep better knowing you’re going to wake up paid?” [Fabolous, Lloyd – Real Playa Like]

What does it feel like to “pop champagne on a plane?” I already know that “having money isn’t everything, but not having it, is.” [Kanye West, T-Pain – The Good Life]

I’m trying to follow “The Blueprint” to understand that “life is just a beach chair.” I know that there’s “business around corner where the sun don’t shine.” But I’m trying to “let the wheels give a glimpse of hope from one’s grind.” I want to feel the difference between a regular vacation and a permanent one. [Jay-Z, Chris Martin – Beach Chair]

I have goals to change the world and it takes money to do that.
I will “do good” with this money.

America is dead.

I saw Transformers on Monday [I caught the 8:00 PM show at AMC River East 21]… I thought it was awesome, good action [as only Michael Bay can deliver], and you can't go wrong with Steven Spielberg as an executive producer. It will probably be a bigger blockbuster, but I still believe Live Free or Die Hard is better film. And the reason for that is because the interpretation of Optimus Prime comes off as a protector, a god-like complex—which happens to overshadow Shia Labeouf ascendancy; whereas John McClane is just an everyman that becomes a hero because it is needed. What happens to John McClane time and time again happens to Shia but he's got big-ass robots behind his back to help him out. Both films discuss the idea that there is a hero in every individual and that’s what makes them good films.

Today, as Americans, we celebrate our independence day. July 4, marks the official day of United States of America, but there’s something wrong with this picture. 1776 is quite different than the country we see around us. For Michael Moore’s Sicko, the tag line is “What seems to be the problem?” Long gone are the days of hapless fun, barbecues and fireworks. These moments still occur, but let’s face it, it’s not like it was in the 90’s. In a post 9-11 world, the red, white and blue is a bit faded. Not so bold and true, as they once were. We celebrate our independence, but I believe this country has forgotten what it means to be American.

Ever the augment, media [movies, music, and associated press] do not define a country. As designers, as intellectuals, filmmakers and artists alike convey messages in our work. It’s one thing to express the sentiments of ourselves; it’s another playing field when we try to express the feelings of another or of others as a whole. As of late, the films produced have had an underlying trend, “there is something terribly wrong with this country, isn’t there?” [V for Vendetta]

Tomorrow, on comic book stores and stands everywhere, fan-boys, patriots and citizens alike bury Captain America. The idealistic patriot has died. The Sentinel of Liberty was assassinated on the steps of Federal Courthouse, he was put on trail after he defied the governments Registration Act requiring all citizens with supernatural abilities to register their personal information—thereby putting themselves and those they know in the line of fire. Every since his first issue, he has been a symbol of this country.

Brandishing the American Flag across his chest, he was the shining shield of these United States. Tomorrow the last issue of a five-part series entitled “Fallen Son: Death of Captain America” wraps-up. The chapter titles are based on the five stages of grief:

Denial

Anger

Bargaining

Depression

Acceptance

This series is unbelievable; it takes the audience through the loss of a hero, through the eyes of his friends [Wolverine, Iron Man, the Avengers, Spider-Man, etc]. The last issue is said to answer the question, “How does a nation stand without its hero?” I suspect it will be like the last two movies I’ve reviewed: there is a hero within us all and it’s the only thing keeping hope alive.

marvel.com has provided notes for the last issue.
Link:[http://www.marvel.com/news/comicstories.1262]

ign.com has provided a good interview with Jeph Loeb, writer of this epic series. Link:[http://comics.ign.com/articles/801/801414p1.html]

Live Free or Die Hard

I saw Live Free or Die Hard last night; well… technically it was this morning. You know the midnight show thang. I thought it was good, entertaining to say the least. Most of the action is over-the-top, but then again that’s why we go… to see an everyman kill some people. And it still remains true; the world needs John McClane (Bruce Willis). I’ve been mulling over something for a while and this related so well, I figure now’s a good time to talk about it.

*Disclaimer* Don’t worry there aren’t any spoilers, I wouldn’t do that to you. *Disclaimer*

There’s a scene where Matt Farrell (Justin Long, the Mac Guy) is having a panic attack, its right at the beginning and he says “I’m just not that guy.” He’s talking heroics and how he’s different than John McClane because he’s… well… he’s “just not that guy.” And John has a little speech I’m not going to repeat because I’ll butcher the dialogue (and it is done so very well), but the point is he (John) is just who he is by nature. Nothing special, he didn’t go and take special classes for this stuff… it’s just him and who he is. He goes and says more in the speech I’m not going to repeat out of fear that I may crucify the script. Either way, that scene made a definite impression on me and the theme appears throughout the film.

If I could just Live Free, I wouldn’t have all these complications in my life. I’m finding it difficult to be happy (or maybe, its content) with my choices. As a given, if I didn’t have a million things stressing me out then life would be much easier. Maybe I’m making it all too difficult, doesn’t seem like any one else carries this much of a burden.

And if I let everything go, would I then be no longer me? Maybe if I gave up this weight I wouldn’t be who I am. Is it possible that by nature (or what I was born with, whatever you wanna say), it is my duty to carry the weight of the world? And if I decided to give up this responsibility, would I ultimately be giving up myself?

Furthermore, are there no other options? Is there no gray area, some in-between? Option C?
Is that then the choice… to Live Free or Die Hard?

Survival of the Fittest

I apologize for being absent the last few weeks; other things have been occupying my mind. Nothing anyone really cares to hear about so we’ll just skip the small talk. Although real estate would be a nice introduction…

“Survival of the Fittest”
The phrase I've been pondering is from Herbert Spencer’s 1851 work “Social Statics.” Many people have made the correlation to Charles Darwin’s idea of “natural selection.” I’d like to just focus on the phrase itself for a moment. “Social Statics” was about free market economics and primarily about a company’s ability to survive. “Survival of the Fittest” meant “adaptive,” “most suitable,” and/or “most appropriate.” Meaning the company that had these attributes was in the best position to survive, so not-so-much “best physical shape or condition.” Although Darwin does use the term in his work and gives full credit to Spencer when talking about it, in Spencer’s definition no words about phenotype or genetics are discussed. I ask the question can “Survival of the Fittest” still apply to beings, beyond companies. I suggest we adjust (but not ignore) the meaning of “Survival of the Fittest” and its relation to physical features. Maybe survival depends less on “how much strength you have over another” and more “how well you can co-exist.”

Naturally, talking about extinct animals seems appropriate, so… think of some of the animals that are extinct or near-extinction. How many of those are loner creatures? The Giant Panda, an animal near extinction spends most of its life alone, only meeting during breeding season. I’m sure the consistent threat of poachers doesn’t help (habitat destruction doesn’t either), but with the removal of these threats I wonder if the panda bear would even survive. I’m not suggesting that humans aren’t responsible; I’m just saying maybe there’s another factor we’re not thinking about.

If one believes in evolution then perhaps survival depends on a species social ability, or how well a species can interact and co-exist with another of its kind. Maybe cavemen survival doesn’t entirely depend on having bigger skulls and/or being bi-pedal. Cockroaches live by the millions, even billions, and I don’t see them going extinct anytime soon. And this is playing with “united we stand, divided we fall” mentality, but maybe the only way to insure survival (for all) is to co-exist with others of our species. And I don’t think survival depends on number of people at all, who’s to say the people of China have a better chance of survival than tribes of Africa. Perhaps survival of a species is dependent on how well the species can work together.

And if that’s the case then, the threat of global warming and the impossible of world peace have a chance of being overcome… if it is understood that it depends on our co-existence.

***

The reason I thought real estate could a good introduction is because one thinks of what they need and comparing it against the typical American Dream (steady income, good health, family, white picket fence and a two car garage). Architecturally, I've been looking at Single Room Occupancy (SRO). Living in a single room, sharing kitchen and bath with someone, may be the answer against the threat of increasing density. Maybe the old American Dream and consistent needs (food, water, and choice) contradict chances for survival, in terms of life on a global basis. Maybe the neo-American Dream should be living in a major city, providing for the next individual, and functioning with the rest of the species… to insure human survival.

Hunger

As you probably [hopefully] already know, a great number of intelligent beings have graced the surface of this planet. [Galileo, Newton, and Einstein, just to name a few (not undermining Copernicus, Descartes, Freud, or anyone one else for that matter)] Each of these great individuals has left something behind. It is within human nature to record what we discover, cave paintings and this blog is pure example of this.

Some people have made the comment: there is nothing left to build because all the styles in architecture have already been processed. Furthermore, some people have said that there is nothing left to discover, because someone has already discovered it. This is when innovation is of the utmost importance. As an argument for the attainment of knowledge, by knowing what has already been done can we truly reach a higher tier. Often times, the student surpasses the teacher; after learning everything the teacher has to offer, isn’t it just obvious that one would reach beyond their scope? Socrates was a great teacher, but Plato was a great student. All great scholars left text, records and materials. Why do we have history courses? Why is it that in every course of study taken anywhere, on anything, we study the past? In physics, we study Newton’s three laws. In philosophy, we study Aristotle’s Ethics. Our nation (and all nations), poised in a position to grow, must learn the teachings of the past.

Why? Because we have this luxury; in America, and other first world countries, we are not concerned with our basic survival. Here, it’s almost taken for granted. The majority of us don’t need to worry about our next meal. America’s biggest question is… should I go to McDonald’s or Burger King. In hopes to help our fellow human race, we must understand the conclusions made in the past and move forward through innovation. I may have not figured out why we need to be together, but I believe to fully reach our potential as a human race we need to be on the same page. I believe there is one goal, and it requires one team... or else we’re just competing against ourselves.

Why The World Needs Superman

I totally saw Superman Returns last night, at the IMAX… and it was GREAT!!! [I’m postponing this post so some people can see it, but I definitely saw it June 27, 2006 @ 10:00 PM in 3D] Now so much discussion has led me to post about superheroes and why we/I love them so. What is it about those colorful characters flying/running around in spandex? Any normal individual that does that would get… a peculiar glance, if not a few items thrown in their general direction. Maybe it’s the zero-to-hero or the outcasts that are so much cooler than the regulars. Maybe it’s the need to escape from reality into fantasy or the need to believe in something that is quite all together impossible. Maybe we just like the good vs. evil. Or, maybe, we just like the powers.
As you’ve probably already guessed, I have a particular reason why I love these superheroes so much. I’ve been running around dubbing it the Hero’s Complex, I’m not quite sure if that’s a proper term or not, but that’s what I’m referring to it as.
The Hero’s Complex is simply a connection with a greater good/cause.

1. Save The World


2. Battle Evil


3. Leave Behind Personal Wants And Needs

Why do I love Wolverine? Because he knows he will always outlive any woman he comes across, so he cuts them off [literally and figuratively.] He also has a tendency to be the killer of his lover...
Why do I love Spider-Man? Because he puts his life on the line to save ordinary people, and because of this, has difficulty maintaining a “normal”/stable life. If Spider-Man unveils his true identity, they will kill Mary Jane Watson and any other lover for that matter.
Why do I love Batman? Because he works at night and no woman wants that. But more importantly, he does it because he can and not because he has to.
Why do I love Superman? Because he came to Earth alien, but is more human than anyone else. Putting on the human façade everyday, I mean physically putting it on, it’s something all together different than most other heroes. He’s here to show humans how to live. And like the fore mentioned superheroes, he’ll outlive all of the people he knows. This sets them behind a wall that only love can conquer. But they choose the other path; instead of giving into what they want, they do what is best for all. [And yes heroes do find love in other heroes, but many times it ends in tragedy.] And I can relate to that.

We the People

Wow… it's been a while since I posted… about 3 weeks, did ya miss me? There's been plenty of stuff that's been keepin' me busy, and I must apologize for that. One of those thangs that happened while I was away from the keyboard, was I witnessed the march against House Resolution 4437.

400,000 immigrants walking down the Jackson Boulevard, in Chicago. Now, this bill does a number of things like requiring a “700 mile fence along the US-Mexican border” and “requiring the federal government to take custody of illegal aliens.” Other such things as “making employers to verify workers' legal status” and “housing of illegals will be considered a felony and subject to no less than 3 years in prison”… those kinda things. Then there's these small details like requiring “all United States Border Patrol uniforms to be made in the U.S. to avoid forgeries”… sometimes I wonder. [Honestly, think about how much time is spent on the little details, what my name should be on myspace.com—I don't know how many times I've gone through this. It's not like I don't get it, I understand the significance… but c'mon man… decide on something a little bit more important… please. I'm beggin' here.] Anyways, for a list of details… click here.

Now, my major issue with this bill is—what happened to being American? I would argue that many people (possibly the majority) are not Americans—as defined by our important documents. For the definition of American, dictionary.com cannot help—instead look to the Declaration of Independence, Constitution, and the Bill of Rights to define what being American is all about. Now, I'm not going to make you read these documents (but American is defined in the ideas it holds). I talked to a few individuals, asked what it means to be an American, as this debated heated. And I went through these documents, because to the rest of the world, this is what the United States of America is defined by.

The Declaration of Independence states "we hold these Truths to be self-evident, that all Men are created equal, that they are endowed, by their Creator, with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness." I take this as "all Men" (apparently women, you are not included… hehheh)—regardless if you are American or not—are endowed with the right to "Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness." Is it then, against American policy to ban an individual who is willing to accept a job below the conditions of another man? Lemme ask you this, why do people come to America? What's the number one reason, why people come/came to America? This country was once described as the land of opportunity. I would argue that it still is. With enough work, anyone can make it. [Where else can you have a guy saying "Who is Mike Jones?" and put his own cell phone number on a CD and have people buy his music and get probably the most ignorant following on Earth. I apologize if someone is offended, but seriously… he really does half the work and then repeats what he just said. There are places for that kind of music; intellectual stimulation is not one of them. I got nothing against Mike Jones; his lyrics just don't do it for me.] What I'm trying to say is, our Declaration of Independence says "hey! All men have the right to Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness." To deny an individual work in America, to feed her/his family is against the Declaration of Independence—especially hypocritical when it's all about family, in America.

And as always there’s another perspective to this view; if individuals deny themselves the right to “Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness,” they are then not American. If I were to deny my own self the right to pursue my happiness, I am then being un-American. Saying things like "oh, it much too difficult of me to prosper in this society due to the situation I was born with," is un-American. And this is simply because “all [individuals] are created equal and endowed by their Creator, with certain unalienable Rights.” If you believe yourself to be under another individual, that is un-American. And the fact is some individuals are born with more resources [money, talent, connections], it just means another individual has to work a little harder; even still, anyone can make it.

In a response to this bill, “We the People of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect Union” [Preamble to the United States Constitution] must reconsider our citizenship. Am I American? Are you American? “America isn’t easy. America is advanced citizenship. You’ve got to want it bad, because it’s gonna put up a fight.” [The American President]

Get on board

So it finally appears that everyone got on that Fort Minor track “Where’d You Go?”, you know the one I was talking about back in November [http://tainteddragon.blogspot.com/2005/11/marital-status-retired-family.html, that’s the proof (November 23rd)]. It appears that everyone is finally realizing the totality of having soldiers leave to another country… I guess it takes that many people to leave for it to really start to hit home. Yeah, the video helps, I know. Don’t get it twisted; I’m not upset that many people just didn’t turn their heads to the guy standing in the middle of a city screaming at the top of his lungs. I guess I’m just speaking a world language and all everyone understands is American, sounds like a sad story… yeah I know. And I was thinking about that post, it’s got some serious meaning to me (the track that is) and like Linkin Park’s track “In the End,” its popularity doesn’t overshadow it’s meaning to me. [You know that song already, I’m going to say that I liked the song before it was popular… but I got no proof. That’s what makes this “Where’d You Go” more of a triumph.] The current frequent circulation of “Where’d You Go” will never take away from its meaning to me.

But since there’s this window of opportunity, I’m going to take this opportunity to give another prop to another Fort Minor track [that I can only hope will get radio play]—it’s “Right Now.” [http://tainteddragon.blogspot.com/2005/11/fort-minor-black-thought-styles-of.html, (November 22nd)] And this blog post is in that direction…

Sometime last year, I told someone I look at music and movies because what’s popular reflects on the society that we live in. The music that we listen to… it sets a general state of mind of/for everyone. For example, what I just said “it takes that many people to leave this country to fight a war many of us don’t believe in.” In the video for “Where’d You Go,” it portrays a family that was left behind; in the song, it’s about what’s happens to a family when someone’s gone away for a long time. See the parallel? It saddens me to see that it took this long… I’m satisfied that most of us got there, but sometimes—the luxury of time won’t be there.

Now you look at this past Oscars… some people say fuck the Oscars, but hold up a second. The five nominations are as follows… Brokeback Mountain, Capote, Crash, Good Night and Good Luck, and Munich. All five of these movies are highly regarded, many will tell you that they’re all a must see. So, how do we pick a winner? [I gotta do this at least once, get on this board and discuss the best movie… but anyways] Many were running around and saying Brokeback Mountain was going to win. I’m not going to say which one I chose, because at the time I did not see all five movies. [I think they’re all great films, by the way.] Now, I had a general understanding of what all the movies were about. From the way it looks, the academy people always pick the one that’s most pertaining to the rest of the audience. They voted for what is most relevant to the rest of the country, and what has more impact. Let’s put it this way, they were okay will the gay issue. Cuz I mean, I’m okay with gay people… it really doesn’t dwell on my mind, but I can’t stand when people are racist. And the academy seems to agree… if it didn’t already figure it out Crash won. And there’s another reason why I liked Crash so much, it was at the beginning. “It's the sense of touch. In any real city, you walk, you know? You brush past people, people bump into you. In L.A., nobody touches you. We're always behind this metal and glass. I think we miss that touch so much, that we crash into each other, just so we can feel something.” That put into words what I've been thinking and saying for the longest time.

I mean, I spent most of my time in the suburbs. Now I’m in the city, and I have this contact with so many people at one time. I witnessed the White Sox drive up my block after they won the World Series. I witnessed the 10,000 immigrants march outside my apartment to argue against a bill that would affect them. I don’t claim to meet someone new everyday, but when I meet someone… its never idle conversation. I detest idle conversation. When a conversation between two people happens, there’s got to be something there. If it’s about something that happened yesterday, please let there be something that was learned. If it’s something about what is going to happen tonight, please let it be about something more. Basically, let the question is asked… is this conversation going to matter tomorrow? Conversation is great, I love it. Talking to someone, getting their feelings about something, getting a different view… I could go on and on about it. But please… I’m begging you, let there be some substance—something deeper.

Now, here is where its gonna get cloudy, difficult… Idle conversation has benefits to it. [As everyone says, “What the fuck man.”] “General conversation” does a couple of things… it initiates conversation; conversation, often begins, with “hey, what’s up? What are you doing?” And even though its not gonna matter what I’m doing at 12:15 in the afternoon tomorrow, I still answer the question. As long as that’s not all the conversation is about, I’m cool with it. I’m just begging for something after that. Sometimes, idle conversation will tell you what a person is about. When I’m asked “hey, what are you up to?” I’ll answer with what I’m really doing. And that little bit of honestly, usually says something. “Chillin’, listenin’ to music,” (a frequent response of mine) that right there… that’s says a whole lot about me. And everyone’s got a story to tell.

Alright, now that you’ve finally “acquired” Fort Minor, Black Thought, Styles of Beyond – Right Now, allow me to speak on it.

Please… be aware of the encounters you have every day. Everyone lives in a world of their own design. Yet, we’re all together on this planet. This conflict with other nations, with other ethnicities, with other people/human beings… it brings a tear to my eyes. And it’s not about sadness, its anger. It makes me upset enough to say, we don’t deserve world peace. We deserve what we get—until we are really take a look at the world as one whole place. One planet. [This is going to come up again, it belongs in that series A part of a whole]
All of us, we’re going through something… we’re all experiencing something… take a moment and listen to what someone has to say. [Nelly – N Dey Say, lemme plug that one too] Stop this mentality of “it’s all about me and my struggle with life because what I’m going through is harder than what you’re going through.” With that way of thinking, you’re only bringing on your own ignorance. And…

Ignorance is not bliss.