No man is an island

The successful are built on either the cooperation of others, or on their backs

Fetishizing the World

I've been reading The Lord and the Rings and Philosophy and I am enjoying the essays in there a good deal. Not only am I picking up philosophical thought but I'm revisiting a favorite book of mine and really learning it.

One bit in there discuses how the main plot of the story seems to be de-fetishizing the world.. and then that leads into how modern culture is fetishized.

Anytime you see scantily clad people draping themselves over the hoods of cars or other appliances, fetishing is going on.

Apparently that is a common phenomenon in the modern consumeristic world since the relationship between craftsman and buyer is no longer as personal as it once was.

Responsibility Blues

One of the puzzling aspects of American culture is this negative reaction toward responsibility. It's not negative in the sense that people don't live up to their responsibilities, though there's that, too. It's like this; our teachers, our parents, and just about any figure of authority that wants to scapegoat someone else always moans about "people living up to their responsibilities." They complain and shake their fingers and lecture that we have "responsibilities" we must live up to before we go off and have fun.

Well, all true, but rather negatively phrased don't you think?

not all responsibilities have to be a torment. The ones that require us to go off the the dentist to have our children's teeth drilled into are not what I mean... but taking out the garbage, cooking, cleaning, are all things that I actually enjoy on occasion. If on everyone given time people will dump all the housework on me and go off to play nintendo and leave me by myself; on those occasions maybe responsibility sucks. If everyone pitches together and works as one, discusses the day, tells jokes, and gets into a community spirit; those occasions are the best.

So, if not all responsibilities are a chore, why don't we start talking up Responsibility and sell it as something that can be fun?

American might not have such a weak dollar today if we had done that.

Tuesday Bluesday

Well, OK. There's not to much to report.

I'm trying to organize my thoughts and activities a bit more. So, We'll see how that goes.

<3

Dems Play Republican Enabler; Again

The Democratic front runners have all pelted for the doors in order to avoid voting on the Mukasey confirmation.

This poster on HuffPO had all the questions nicely arranged for us.

1. As political cover? They are not on recorded voting for or against the nomination; staying the middle course; non controversial; sitting on the fence post undisturbed?
2. Legitimate scheduling conflicts that they could not attend; surprised by the vote they did not have time to return to D.C.?
3. The vote was scheduled to exclude these presidential candidates; to make they look bad; a calculated strategy?
4. Other? (Dems and Repubs are really all part of the same club " so the vote really was predetermined while allowing pseudo political posturing?)
5. Just plain old incompetence? Complacency? Arrogance? Spineless? SNAFU?- LDJeff

I want to see what's going on in their political crystal balls. They have to know that they are looking like mighty prats in front of the world.. so what do they have to gain from abstaining?

Their donor's contributions, perhaps?

Krugman on Cartoon Physics

The First Law of Cartoon Physics .

Any body suspended in space will remain in space until made aware of its situation.

*giggle*

Not So Much

There's not too much going atm I'm afraid. I'm just bustling to and from taking care of odds and ends and waiting for a new part for the PC to arrive.

I need to get through the general philosophy books I've acquired recently. Phew.

The Lowdown on Mr Prostrate

This lazy Sunday (btw, remember to set your clocks back) The sad consensus around the house seems to be the coming election will be nasty. The fundy Republicans are backing Giuliani with all their pathetic might, which means that the same people who back Bush will back The Moron, part two.

Of course, it is already a given as to who the nominees will be going into next year and the house analysis seems to be that these are reactionary people backing Mr Prostrate so of course, and like all reactionaries, once they have power they will never give it up easily.

It all seems ridiculous that the upcoming election will be close, considering the unpopularity of Moron one, but there you have it, the press and certain unnamed elements of the house all agree that the next election will be close, dirty, and the fighting likely to continue well past the 2008 cycle.

Popcorn, anyone?

My Friends

These are my friends of the internet!

Bardhlul! |

Queen of The Mods | politicsplusstuff

Fun Stuff

All the entertaining and diverting links I come across and wish to share;

Movies
IMDB Movie database | Rotten Tomatoes

Fun
Ranma 1/2 | The One Ring | Sorceress Supreme

Politics - Environment

All links I find interesting and are related to politics and the environment are below for your pleasure;

Baghdad Burning | Grist | Paul Krugman | Moyer's Journal | Open Democracy

Pam's House Blend | ACLU | WIKI the VOTE! | Rachel's Tavern | Beloved Communities

Saturday, Saturday

It's just another Saturday (at least I hope it is *check calendar*) before I pick the small white terrier up from being groomed. There's not too much to report except that I'm adding books onto the Shelfari stacks and cleaning house today. Revetting blogging stuff, I know, but I have to write something here (no matter how silly) or I get no practice writing in.

Anyhoo, that's all I can think of!

Keeping Up With The Eclectics

On Last.fm, I have found myself prey to the oddest fixation; that of trying to be as eclectic as possible. They have these scripts that you can run on your own user-name and it grades you and it gives you an eclectic score. Like 1 = one artist fanatic and 100 means eclectic, try-every-genre, freakazoid. Well, I'm hip, right? I wanna be 100 wooo.

Well this week I'm mentally slapping myself around with a cyber herring and wondering what that was all about.

Yes, yes. I hear the sage advice that is no doubt in your mind. "Just listen and enjoy and play around."

Yes, oh cybergod,
I hear and obey <3