Saturday, September 20, 2008
poem...
you are
you are my peace rose,
you are my sunshine,
you are my moon beam,
you are my everything --
and i love you.
you are my blue bell,
you are my precious treasure,
you are my velvet butterfly,
you are my everything --
and i love you.
Tuesday, January 27, 2009
back-words... essay/rant...
Friday, September 19, 2008
essay/rant...
PRE-PRETEXT:
the following was something i posted to [adult swim] concerning a rather bizarre schedule change in which they abruptly put their two newest shows on at the last possible time slot available from where they were originally scheduled at a more convenient time slot, then filled their prime hours with poor quality programming. it also sheds light on some of their other errors in a rather mild-mannered way. if you look at their message boards, it looks like a frenzy of ill-tempered, mutated sea bass congregated to flame the place. apparently, there weren't any sharks with laser beams attached to their heads available for the mass hysteria, name-calling, and death threats.
-------------------------------------------
pretext:
sorry, i meant to post this sunday. i was waiting for a few replies in regards to this post. this post is predominantly in layman's terms so those unaware of the processes involved will gain some appreciation of what has, in essence, destroyed their preferred evening of program watching. i am also appalled, but not surprised; however, there is no need for name calling, death threats, or gimmicks as it wont accomplish anything. i may not post much, but my opinion is as valid as any other. so, without further ado...
-------------------------------
There are many givens in this world. Of the givens, supply, demand, and discontent apply to this most recent situation. Supply and demand go hand in hand; wherever there is a demand, supply is made. Usually it's that easy, but sometimes one party is unable to adequately supply another party's demands for various reasons. That is where discontent usually enters. Many are familiar with the expression that the squeaky wheel gets the grease. Usually that wheel is sounding the squeak of discontent: "I am not happy with the current situation, so give me such and such." Depending on how realistic the demands are, one may get what they ask for or perhaps not. Why not? Well, there can be a number of reasons as to why something can't be supplied. All too often it's all about the bottom line. Unfortunately, many forget that there are several ways to achieve a more agreeable bottom line. Withholding supply is not the only way and, in fact, is often a poor business decision.
Poor business decision, how can that be? Unfortunately, not everyone who starts and/or runs a business was a business major in college or even went to college. Even then you still find people making poor decisions who have been to college. It is a part of being human and that is life. Some people have a great head for business and can evolve from lemonade stands to skyscrapers. Others seem to have the opposite effect, turning a thriving business into rubble in record time. Most manage to maintain a reasonable balance between the two.
Broadcast corporations look to service the entertainment industry and distribute their works to the masses, based selecting a specific demographic in which to cater toward. Animation is particularly favored by young males aging from late teens to young adult. Therefore a company researches which works they wish to distribute, or in this case broadcast to its select audience. If the business has trouble honing in on their target, they may refer to charts and ratings to ensure they are doing better business. Sometimes the clever ones manage to listen to the desires of their target audience and are able to find a way to cater sufficiently to what they want without hurting the bottom line of their business.
So what is good business for a broadcaster? The answer is multi-faceted. The goal of the company is to bring entertaining media to a targeted audience, but it is also to make money so they can continue to accomplish their goal. The main way to do this is through marketing and advertising, which is also based on the targeted demographic. Let's keep in mind that not all business men were business majors in college, as this point will unfold soon. A lot of comprehensive research is done into what advertising is most effective with specific demographics and populations. It becomes a matter of developing a formula based on numbers successfully tested and proven. If population x enjoys a, b, and c as a part of their daily living, then advertising products and services about a, b, and c during their routine broadcast viewing will drive up revenue as a result. How's that again? People respond to advertising. A positive response from effective advertising will result in a purchase of an advertised product or service. Advertisers pleased with such results will purchase more advertising time from broadcasters in hopes to drive up their sales, thus broadcasters have successfully driven up their own income. This income is then used to generate more supply for their targeted audience, among other things. Being happy with a successful variety, the audience will continue to remain loyal viewers.
Now if only it were always that simple. As history has indicated, sometimes ratings are inaccurate and thus analysis can be devastatingly wrong. Case in hand, Nielsen ratings are the number one way most broadcasting corporations rely on to assess what their targeted audience likes and dislikes. One problem- who gets to be a Nielsen family member? Well, in the past, it was a frightfully more selective process than it is these days, but it is still very selective and doesn't always fetch the accurate ratings one might hope to get. Then again, some content has proven itself over time as being worthy, such as animation. We all know animation will never die.
So what's going on when animation fetches poor ratings? Any number of problems, actually. It could be a poorly decided time slot for broadcast. Perhaps the marketing and advertising department failed somewhere along the lines. Or maybe some other poor business decision was made. Let's face it, those who love animation and anime in particular are loyal viewers who usually watch series from start to finish, not to mention that anime sells itself; there is little need for a test audience. If anime does well enough in Japan, then at least an English dub version is sure to follow. When a series has made the effort to rerelease itself as English dub, you know it is successful.
Regardless of individual personal preference, a mass audience has spoken in favor of a series by way of viewing, product-line purchase, and so forth. Sometimes one must listen carefully to the audience commentary as not all complaints of a series are of discontent. Sometimes aspects of a series may be under fire; however, that also indicates the viewer is avidly following a series and wants to see more favorable aspects. Unfortunately, this reaction can be misinterpreted to some that the viewer does not like the series. When this happens, a different series may replace the other series or time slots may be juggled. However, if time slots are juggled too much, then the viewer can't adequately acclimate to the changes and will lose interest as a result of frustration.
If the anime isn't the problem, then why is it treated like an unwanted step-child? Those that suffer from Cinderella syndrome usually have not been fully realized of their worth. As previously mentioned, it can be a business issue, such as ineffective advertising, poor marketing and/or representation, or a slew of other poor business decisions. I will try to illustrate this point with my own experiences, observations, and conclusions from which I can't possibly help but draw upon.
By personal experience, I can say I have never seen an [adult swim] commercial on another channel. Was it bad timing or did they simply not think to advertise on other channels? Other channels do advertise on Cartoon Network. In fact, I can go further and say I have never seen an [adult swim] commercial outside of the hours of their time slot. Once again, have I simply not been around to see one of their commercials outside of their slot or do they not do this? My TV stays on perpetually (expect for power outages) and while it may stray from cartoon network from time to time, I would think that I would be seeing some commercials somewhere at some point. Most of what I do see from [adult swim] is "bumps," which usually aren't sufficiently long enough, especially when they are text-only. There have also been times when the posted program schedule has been inaccurate and in need of an update. To have to cross-reference multiple places for a single broadcasting schedule can easily become a source of irritation for a loyal viewer. I see little to no consistency from [adult swim]. It tends to leave me disinclined to follow up on what's happening.
As I also mentioned, program shuffling can grow to be wearisome for a viewer. I have watched [adult swim] for years now. Initially, I watched every single night of the week. If I knew I was going to miss something then I would record it and watch later. Somewhere along the line, they thought it would be a novel idea to introduce "comedy" into the rotation and suddenly I found myself displeased with the Sunday night schedule and I ceased watching [adult swim] on Sunday nights. Later on, they decided to broadcast live-action features, which also irritated me so I would find something else to watch when those shows were on. My personal belief is that the broadcasting network is called the "Cartoon Network" and should only be showing cartoons, not live-action. Additionally, many of the series have been run into the ground; they've been rerun back to back ad nauseum. Eventually, I even stopped watching [adult swim] on weeknights. It gets old after a while to watch things run back to back like that. I like to see a little split in between runs of an entire series to introduce more variety.
Granted, sometimes a license expires and a show can't be seen again, but sometimes it would be nice to renew a license of a good old series rather than signing on a bad new series. What [adult swim] deems as comedy, I view as an insult to my intelligence. I feel it hasn't any place on [adult swim] or Cartoon Network and I would be happier without it. However that is my personal opinion and if Sundays are to remain nights for such programs, then so be it. Every one of Cartoon Network's slots has suffered from poor decision making. Toonami interrupts a series in the middle to show a new series, which is often interrupted as well. None of these series are ever resumed to reach completion. I have seen [adult swim] pull similar stunts- intermittent breaks between series with select episodes of another series, haphazardly juggling schedules, not airing series to completion and even cutting off the end of a final episode in a series. Under these circumstances how is a viewer expected to be loyal?
Under such frustrations as these, do viewers perpetually grin and bear it or do they stand their ground and voice their feelings? I've been annoyed by the cavalier behavior of [adult swim] many times, but I have never said a word. However, I feel this most recent shift in schedule juggling is disrespectful to both the audience and to the series they have agreed to broadcast under contract. As a viewer, I do have options aside from accepting or complaining in regards to such matters. I can watch anime on other channels or go buy something new and not bother with TV at all. I can go to web sites which feature anime recommendations and research various series that may capture my interest. I can then take those recommendations and find the episodes and view them online, if I so choose. I can also subscribe to other options presented to me by my cable provider and get more channels and/or other features which would allow me to watch what I want, when I want. So am I really bound helplessly to the whims and poor decisions of [adult swim]? I think not.
I'm sure many will find something to disagree with in part or whole in regards to what I have said, especially [adult swim], but I feel it is time I state my feelings for the record. I could make a list of what series are good to watch, but it already exists on the Wiki. Everyone should refresh their memories of all the anime that has graced us via [adult swim]. Some of it has been truly magnificent and epic. Like I said, it would be nice to see a revival of some of those series if their licenses could be renewed for another stint. One can barely predict the actions to be taken by [adult swim] as they tend to be as random as rolling dice. While head honchos at [adult swim] may shake up the schedule, I am glad I can still record the shows to view later while I still choose to view [adult swim]. I just hope they choose to take what I have said to heart and examine what truly affects their ratings. Maybe it isn't the shows. Maybe the trouble lies somewhere within the mechanics of corporate proceedings. Maybe they should handle things a little more respectfully and professionally. At this point, it couldn't hurt…
essay/rant...
PRE-PRETEXT:
the following was something i posted to [adult swim] concerning a rather bizarre schedule change in which they abruptly put their two newest shows on at the last possible time slot available from where they were originally scheduled at a more convenient time slot, then filled their prime hours with poor quality programming. it also sheds light on some of their other errors in a rather mild-mannered way. if you look at their message boards, it looks like a frenzy of ill-tempered, mutated sea bass congregated to flame the place. apparently, there weren't any sharks with laser beams attached to their heads available for the mass hysteria, name-calling, and death threats.
-------------------------------------------
pretext:
sorry, i meant to post this sunday. i was waiting for a few replies in regards to this post. this post is predominantly in layman's terms so those unaware of the processes involved will gain some appreciation of what has, in essence, destroyed their preferred evening of program watching. i am also appalled, but not surprised; however, there is no need for name calling, death threats, or gimmicks as it wont accomplish anything. i may not post much, but my opinion is as valid as any other. so, without further ado...
-------------------------------
There are many givens in this world. Of the givens, supply, demand, and discontent apply to this most recent situation. Supply and demand go hand in hand; wherever there is a demand, supply is made. Usually it's that easy, but sometimes one party is unable to adequately supply another party's demands for various reasons. That is where discontent usually enters. Many are familiar with the expression that the squeaky wheel gets the grease. Usually that wheel is sounding the squeak of discontent: "I am not happy with the current situation, so give me such and such." Depending on how realistic the demands are, one may get what they ask for or perhaps not. Why not? Well, there can be a number of reasons as to why something can't be supplied. All too often it's all about the bottom line. Unfortunately, many forget that there are several ways to achieve a more agreeable bottom line. Withholding supply is not the only way and, in fact, is often a poor business decision.
Poor business decision, how can that be? Unfortunately, not everyone who starts and/or runs a business was a business major in college or even went to college. Even then you still find people making poor decisions who have been to college. It is a part of being human and that is life. Some people have a great head for business and can evolve from lemonade stands to skyscrapers. Others seem to have the opposite effect, turning a thriving business into rubble in record time. Most manage to maintain a reasonable balance between the two.
Broadcast corporations look to service the entertainment industry and distribute their works to the masses, based selecting a specific demographic in which to cater toward. Animation is particularly favored by young males aging from late teens to young adult. Therefore a company researches which works they wish to distribute, or in this case broadcast to its select audience. If the business has trouble honing in on their target, they may refer to charts and ratings to ensure they are doing better business. Sometimes the clever ones manage to listen to the desires of their target audience and are able to find a way to cater sufficiently to what they want without hurting the bottom line of their business.
So what is good business for a broadcaster? The answer is multi-faceted. The goal of the company is to bring entertaining media to a targeted audience, but it is also to make money so they can continue to accomplish their goal. The main way to do this is through marketing and advertising, which is also based on the targeted demographic. Let's keep in mind that not all business men were business majors in college, as this point will unfold soon. A lot of comprehensive research is done into what advertising is most effective with specific demographics and populations. It becomes a matter of developing a formula based on numbers successfully tested and proven. If population x enjoys a, b, and c as a part of their daily living, then advertising products and services about a, b, and c during their routine broadcast viewing will drive up revenue as a result. How's that again? People respond to advertising. A positive response from effective advertising will result in a purchase of an advertised product or service. Advertisers pleased with such results will purchase more advertising time from broadcasters in hopes to drive up their sales, thus broadcasters have successfully driven up their own income. This income is then used to generate more supply for their targeted audience, among other things. Being happy with a successful variety, the audience will continue to remain loyal viewers.
Now if only it were always that simple. As history has indicated, sometimes ratings are inaccurate and thus analysis can be devastatingly wrong. Case in hand, Nielsen ratings are the number one way most broadcasting corporations rely on to assess what their targeted audience likes and dislikes. One problem- who gets to be a Nielsen family member? Well, in the past, it was a frightfully more selective process than it is these days, but it is still very selective and doesn't always fetch the accurate ratings one might hope to get. Then again, some content has proven itself over time as being worthy, such as animation. We all know animation will never die.
So what's going on when animation fetches poor ratings? Any number of problems, actually. It could be a poorly decided time slot for broadcast. Perhaps the marketing and advertising department failed somewhere along the lines. Or maybe some other poor business decision was made. Let's face it, those who love animation and anime in particular are loyal viewers who usually watch series from start to finish, not to mention that anime sells itself; there is little need for a test audience. If anime does well enough in Japan, then at least an English dub version is sure to follow. When a series has made the effort to rerelease itself as English dub, you know it is successful.
Regardless of individual personal preference, a mass audience has spoken in favor of a series by way of viewing, product-line purchase, and so forth. Sometimes one must listen carefully to the audience commentary as not all complaints of a series are of discontent. Sometimes aspects of a series may be under fire; however, that also indicates the viewer is avidly following a series and wants to see more favorable aspects. Unfortunately, this reaction can be misinterpreted to some that the viewer does not like the series. When this happens, a different series may replace the other series or time slots may be juggled. However, if time slots are juggled too much, then the viewer can't adequately acclimate to the changes and will lose interest as a result of frustration.
If the anime isn't the problem, then why is it treated like an unwanted step-child? Those that suffer from Cinderella syndrome usually have not been fully realized of their worth. As previously mentioned, it can be a business issue, such as ineffective advertising, poor marketing and/or representation, or a slew of other poor business decisions. I will try to illustrate this point with my own experiences, observations, and conclusions from which I can't possibly help but draw upon.
By personal experience, I can say I have never seen an [adult swim] commercial on another channel. Was it bad timing or did they simply not think to advertise on other channels? Other channels do advertise on Cartoon Network. In fact, I can go further and say I have never seen an [adult swim] commercial outside of the hours of their time slot. Once again, have I simply not been around to see one of their commercials outside of their slot or do they not do this? My TV stays on perpetually (expect for power outages) and while it may stray from cartoon network from time to time, I would think that I would be seeing some commercials somewhere at some point. Most of what I do see from [adult swim] is "bumps," which usually aren't sufficiently long enough, especially when they are text-only. There have also been times when the posted program schedule has been inaccurate and in need of an update. To have to cross-reference multiple places for a single broadcasting schedule can easily become a source of irritation for a loyal viewer. I see little to no consistency from [adult swim]. It tends to leave me disinclined to follow up on what's happening.
As I also mentioned, program shuffling can grow to be wearisome for a viewer. I have watched [adult swim] for years now. Initially, I watched every single night of the week. If I knew I was going to miss something then I would record it and watch later. Somewhere along the line, they thought it would be a novel idea to introduce "comedy" into the rotation and suddenly I found myself displeased with the Sunday night schedule and I ceased watching [adult swim] on Sunday nights. Later on, they decided to broadcast live-action features, which also irritated me so I would find something else to watch when those shows were on. My personal belief is that the broadcasting network is called the "Cartoon Network" and should only be showing cartoons, not live-action. Additionally, many of the series have been run into the ground; they've been rerun back to back ad nauseum. Eventually, I even stopped watching [adult swim] on weeknights. It gets old after a while to watch things run back to back like that. I like to see a little split in between runs of an entire series to introduce more variety.
Granted, sometimes a license expires and a show can't be seen again, but sometimes it would be nice to renew a license of a good old series rather than signing on a bad new series. What [adult swim] deems as comedy, I view as an insult to my intelligence. I feel it hasn't any place on [adult swim] or Cartoon Network and I would be happier without it. However that is my personal opinion and if Sundays are to remain nights for such programs, then so be it. Every one of Cartoon Network's slots has suffered from poor decision making. Toonami interrupts a series in the middle to show a new series, which is often interrupted as well. None of these series are ever resumed to reach completion. I have seen [adult swim] pull similar stunts- intermittent breaks between series with select episodes of another series, haphazardly juggling schedules, not airing series to completion and even cutting off the end of a final episode in a series. Under these circumstances how is a viewer expected to be loyal?
Under such frustrations as these, do viewers perpetually grin and bear it or do they stand their ground and voice their feelings? I've been annoyed by the cavalier behavior of [adult swim] many times, but I have never said a word. However, I feel this most recent shift in schedule juggling is disrespectful to both the audience and to the series they have agreed to broadcast under contract. As a viewer, I do have options aside from accepting or complaining in regards to such matters. I can watch anime on other channels or go buy something new and not bother with TV at all. I can go to web sites which feature anime recommendations and research various series that may capture my interest. I can then take those recommendations and find the episodes and view them online, if I so choose. I can also subscribe to other options presented to me by my cable provider and get more channels and/or other features which would allow me to watch what I want, when I want. So am I really bound helplessly to the whims and poor decisions of [adult swim]? I think not.
I'm sure many will find something to disagree with in part or whole in regards to what I have said, especially [adult swim], but I feel it is time I state my feelings for the record. I could make a list of what series are good to watch, but it already exists on the Wiki. Everyone should refresh their memories of all the anime that has graced us via [adult swim]. Some of it has been truly magnificent and epic. Like I said, it would be nice to see a revival of some of those series if their licenses could be renewed for another stint. One can barely predict the actions to be taken by [adult swim] as they tend to be as random as rolling dice. While head honchos at [adult swim] may shake up the schedule, I am glad I can still record the shows to view later while I still choose to view [adult swim]. I just hope they choose to take what I have said to heart and examine what truly affects their ratings. Maybe it isn't the shows. Maybe the trouble lies somewhere within the mechanics of corporate proceedings. Maybe they should handle things a little more respectfully and professionally. At this point, it couldn't hurt…
back-words... poem...
Saturday, August 9, 2008
poem...
Random Grazing
Traces of booze in my milk…
Kitty says no,
But I would trade you a bone any day.
Please don't hide-
But life is so difficult.
I think, therefore my thoughts wander…
A drinking vessel by any other name
Would stain just the same,
So change your glass often
And clean your glasses, too,
For life may offer
A clearer point of view.
Children dancing in the elements…
Free spirits and ghosts of the past
Haunt the shadows of my mind.
I would give life to you
If I knew you would keep it
And return the favor…
poem...
Random Grazing
Traces of booze in my milk…
Kitty says no,
But I would trade you a bone any day.
Please don't hide-
But life is so difficult.
I think, therefore my thoughts wander…
A drinking vessel by any other name
Would stain just the same,
So change your glass often
And clean your glasses, too,
For life may offer
A clearer point of view.
Children dancing in the elements…
Free spirits and ghosts of the past
Haunt the shadows of my mind.
I would give life to you
If I knew you would keep it
And return the favor…
back-words... poem...
Sunday, July 27, 2008
poem...
Sometimes
Sometimes I wish I could taste your lips
After you've eaten something delectable.
Sometimes I wish your scent would linger
As you walk past me.
Sometimes I wish your breath would catch my ear
When we are one.
Sometimes I wish I could hold your body
Because being near you isn't close enough.
poem...
Sometimes
Sometimes I wish I could taste your lips
After you've eaten something delectable.
Sometimes I wish your scent would linger
As you walk past me.
Sometimes I wish your breath would catch my ear
When we are one.
Sometimes I wish I could hold your body
Because being near you isn't close enough.
back-words... Mr. Rogers & breakdancing...
Thursday, May 15, 2008
Mr. Rogers & breakdancing...
another one of many reasons why i dig this man...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xatZgEZ62fU
Mr. Rogers & breakdancing...
another one of many reasons why i dig this man...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xatZgEZ62fU
back-words... domo-kun...
*** the original video link i posted was no longer valid, so i posted a new link. i hope this one lasts...
Friday, May 2, 2008
domo-kun...
ok how many of you have seen this character or heard the name, but never understood what the craze was about? here's and educational treat...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Da9X4tnW2o4
want some more info on domo-kun? here's a wiki entry to satisfy your thirst for knowledge...
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Domo-kun
Friday, May 2, 2008
domo-kun...
ok how many of you have seen this character or heard the name, but never understood what the craze was about? here's and educational treat...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Da9X4tnW2o4
want some more info on domo-kun? here's a wiki entry to satisfy your thirst for knowledge...
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Domo-kun
back-words... robot chicken - alien vs michael jackson on [as]...
Monday, March 17, 2008
robot chicken - alien vs michael jackson on [as]...
this explains everything! way too funny. this is a keeper.
http://www.adultswim.com/video/?episodeID=0792268019d034500b1801ea51716f2b
robot chicken - alien vs michael jackson on [as]...
this explains everything! way too funny. this is a keeper.
http://www.adultswim.com/video/?episodeID=0792268019d034500b1801ea51716f2b
back-words... leap year...
Friday, February 29, 2008
leap year...
So it's leap year and this is the day that makes all the difference. Without launching into song I wonder what a difference a day makes. For that matter, I also speculate how necessary DST is -- aside from being useful to farmers who still depend on daylight. I don't recall ever having felt any different for having my days extended or shortened nor having an extra day added to my year. I barely notice a difference when elections and the Olympics come around, but then again my concept of time is really poor; minutes can feel like hours and hours can feel like minutes. This has been listed as a trait for those with varying degrees of learning disabilities, but I digress.
I can't help but wonder if all these little time shifts are truly necessary. I don't recall any primitive culture resorting to any of this tom foolery in any of my studies. They didn't need to do all these adjustments to make it possible to effectively count time, plan their growing seasons, astronomical figuring, etc. so why do we? Can our culture not leave well enough alone? Does it truly make a difference to our lives to straddle the fence of time as if it were a high wire act? Does it really make sense when we have to make incremental adjustments by 30 seconds or ten minutes to our clocks to effectively count time? Most people don't even keep time that accurately in the first place so give me a break!
People have been programmed to have a need for time. Time is conceptual, not to be harnessed by faulty gadgets which incorrectly measure its units. Schedules are an invention of man which is supposed to adhere to time, but rather they adhere to these devices which measure time incorrectly. Do I need a flawed measure of time? Do I need an extra day scheduled for me? Do I need a schedule? Do I need any of this? I don't think I need a single adjustment for time in order for my life to benefit. I think I can grasp living in this world well enough without adhering to any of these flawed designs made by man. I dare say I have a better concept of time and its perpetual existence than any contemporary calendrical system.
Perhaps instead of us changing in accordance to the system, we ought to change the system. I know, how 1960s of me. Yet these are the changes that make people think. These are the changes that can truly affect our lives which may benefit us for the better. Imagine businesses operating beyond the hours of 9-5. Imagine round the clock shifts. Imagine working any time of day you wanted instead of morning or graveyard shifts. Imagine having meals at any time based on your own personal needs. Imagine you can go out to eat any meal at any time. imagine shopping, driving, conducting business, settling personal matters, receiving parcels, and more at any hour of the day because businesses were open long enough to accommodate your personal needs rather than how financially effective it was to do so.
Some cities operate all day and night. They have to have all shifts covered. I imagine eventually most of the world will operate in this way, but why wait? Why not adapt now rather than later? Why not do something that's beneficial rather than adhere to the mundane? Isn't it time we make our lives better for ourselves?
leap year...
So it's leap year and this is the day that makes all the difference. Without launching into song I wonder what a difference a day makes. For that matter, I also speculate how necessary DST is -- aside from being useful to farmers who still depend on daylight. I don't recall ever having felt any different for having my days extended or shortened nor having an extra day added to my year. I barely notice a difference when elections and the Olympics come around, but then again my concept of time is really poor; minutes can feel like hours and hours can feel like minutes. This has been listed as a trait for those with varying degrees of learning disabilities, but I digress.
I can't help but wonder if all these little time shifts are truly necessary. I don't recall any primitive culture resorting to any of this tom foolery in any of my studies. They didn't need to do all these adjustments to make it possible to effectively count time, plan their growing seasons, astronomical figuring, etc. so why do we? Can our culture not leave well enough alone? Does it truly make a difference to our lives to straddle the fence of time as if it were a high wire act? Does it really make sense when we have to make incremental adjustments by 30 seconds or ten minutes to our clocks to effectively count time? Most people don't even keep time that accurately in the first place so give me a break!
People have been programmed to have a need for time. Time is conceptual, not to be harnessed by faulty gadgets which incorrectly measure its units. Schedules are an invention of man which is supposed to adhere to time, but rather they adhere to these devices which measure time incorrectly. Do I need a flawed measure of time? Do I need an extra day scheduled for me? Do I need a schedule? Do I need any of this? I don't think I need a single adjustment for time in order for my life to benefit. I think I can grasp living in this world well enough without adhering to any of these flawed designs made by man. I dare say I have a better concept of time and its perpetual existence than any contemporary calendrical system.
Perhaps instead of us changing in accordance to the system, we ought to change the system. I know, how 1960s of me. Yet these are the changes that make people think. These are the changes that can truly affect our lives which may benefit us for the better. Imagine businesses operating beyond the hours of 9-5. Imagine round the clock shifts. Imagine working any time of day you wanted instead of morning or graveyard shifts. Imagine having meals at any time based on your own personal needs. Imagine you can go out to eat any meal at any time. imagine shopping, driving, conducting business, settling personal matters, receiving parcels, and more at any hour of the day because businesses were open long enough to accommodate your personal needs rather than how financially effective it was to do so.
Some cities operate all day and night. They have to have all shifts covered. I imagine eventually most of the world will operate in this way, but why wait? Why not adapt now rather than later? Why not do something that's beneficial rather than adhere to the mundane? Isn't it time we make our lives better for ourselves?
back-words... coming of age...
Tuesday, January 15, 2008
coming of age...
have you ever thought about the concept of coming of age? most people have and many have gone through some sort of ceremony that recognizes them as an adult, or at least having reached a certain level of maturity. many cultures and religions practice this rite. debutantes, bar/bat mitzvahs, seijin no hi... these are just a few ways young adults are recognized to have come of age.
what about the rest of us who don't undergo some ceremony? does it really matter? would everyone be better off psychologically speaking if they could be recognized ceremonially to have come of age? well, it certainly wouldn't hurt and the chances are that it might improve the results of how many might lead their lives (versus their lives leading them).
i never had any such ceremony other than birthdays, which i never felt were particularly critical to assessing where i was in life- that is, until i reached my mid-twenties and then i started to pay a little more attention to how things were going and what i was accomplishing. when i was 18, i had to sign up for selective service, which meant i became old enough to die for my country if that was what my government decided. however, i was still not yet old enough to legally drink alcohol (in a non-religious setting). in my state, virginia, i was also old enough to legally have consensual sex and vote. so i was a man and yet i still had limitations as to what i could and couldn't do. at 16 i became legally allowed to have a license to operate a motor vehicle, personally i didn't get mine until i was in my mid to late twenties. at 21 i finally could drink alcohol legally and yet it was anticlimactic as i felt like it was long since overdue. all these things together seem to sum up adulthood, as with them comes greater responsibilities, and yet they are broken down into three critical stages that are separated by a great deal of time.
this made me realize that the world had very little regard for my coming of age. as a classmate in high school said, "if i am going to be old enough to die for my country, i would like to have a drink first." it may seem silly to some, but considering that alcohol is undeniably an adult beverage which most children don't even like the flavor, most feel special when they are finally allowed to have their first beer (or other alcoholic beverage).
while growing up, i had jewish friends who went through their rite of passage. in high school, i knew a girl who became a debutante. some families decide to give their kids a small celebration in honor of graduating high school, others give it when they have completed college. some families don't do anything, ever. i never really went through a process that officially declared me as a man religiously or socially. my family celebrated my birthday, but it just felt like any other day, even though i was allowed to have an alcoholic beverage. personally, alcohol never made me feel like an adult and i had tried it on several occasions before. i recognize alcohol to be more ceremonial and social, not a major milestone in my life.
no thing or person ever declared a defining point where i was suddenly a man, or even an adult. i picked up responsibilities, jobs, dealt with difficult issues on my own, but never felt a defining point where i had suddenly come of age. yet somewhere along the line it happened, or did it? sure, legally i meet all of the qualifications, but does that really mean i have come of age? nothing spectacular happened to signify it.
because of various personal issues, a lot of things did not transpire in my life as even i would have anticipated. i never completed college yet i have spent 6-7 years in 4 colleges. i never lived away from home yet i have traveled on my own on several occasions. i do not own or rent my own home as i have spent all my time living with my mother or my grandparents. i am not married as a 5+ year long relationship failed and completely shook my world. i have no children. i am no longer employed due to several problems including depression, scratched cornea with complications, and 2 back surgeries also with complications. not to mention 2 years ago, i moved again and i am still with my mother even though i live on a separate floor in what is still considered my grandparents' house even though they no longer live here. it feels a little like an apartment, but i have no bathroom nor kitchen on my floor, nor can i access the outside from my floor although i have a pretty sweet fireplace next to my bed which i've never had before.
i have no way of affording things on my own financially and have to rely on the sometimes financially available kindness of my mother. i owe her a great deal. in some ways i feel like i am less of an adult now than i was in my twenties since i was more self-sufficient then and fairly dependent now.
i work hard on a dream of becoming a dj and producer. most of my work has never seen any monetary compensation. i have done these things for years and even more earnestly in recent years. i dj on the radio, though usually it is online only. i have a modest discography that has seen substantial popularity via online downloads, yet not a soul has purchased any of them. i had a created a record label which folded after about a year when the hosting company folded and i lacked finances to rebuild something that had no fiscal motion. i would like to resurrect that label again.
so have i come of age? yes, somewhere in time i suppose i did and yet i never realized it. like love, it is hard to define as it is more conceptual than material. imaginably if i had gone through some traditional ceremony to announce my coming of age, i might have felt different psychologically, but that didn't happen and anything past that act is simply speculation, even if signs indicate that does make a difference in a person's life.
in the mean time, i live at home, with family, single, broke, and without regular income from an employer. regardless, i continue to try to make things work on my own in the best way i know how. this year, i turn 34 on march 28th.
coming of age...
have you ever thought about the concept of coming of age? most people have and many have gone through some sort of ceremony that recognizes them as an adult, or at least having reached a certain level of maturity. many cultures and religions practice this rite. debutantes, bar/bat mitzvahs, seijin no hi... these are just a few ways young adults are recognized to have come of age.
what about the rest of us who don't undergo some ceremony? does it really matter? would everyone be better off psychologically speaking if they could be recognized ceremonially to have come of age? well, it certainly wouldn't hurt and the chances are that it might improve the results of how many might lead their lives (versus their lives leading them).
i never had any such ceremony other than birthdays, which i never felt were particularly critical to assessing where i was in life- that is, until i reached my mid-twenties and then i started to pay a little more attention to how things were going and what i was accomplishing. when i was 18, i had to sign up for selective service, which meant i became old enough to die for my country if that was what my government decided. however, i was still not yet old enough to legally drink alcohol (in a non-religious setting). in my state, virginia, i was also old enough to legally have consensual sex and vote. so i was a man and yet i still had limitations as to what i could and couldn't do. at 16 i became legally allowed to have a license to operate a motor vehicle, personally i didn't get mine until i was in my mid to late twenties. at 21 i finally could drink alcohol legally and yet it was anticlimactic as i felt like it was long since overdue. all these things together seem to sum up adulthood, as with them comes greater responsibilities, and yet they are broken down into three critical stages that are separated by a great deal of time.
this made me realize that the world had very little regard for my coming of age. as a classmate in high school said, "if i am going to be old enough to die for my country, i would like to have a drink first." it may seem silly to some, but considering that alcohol is undeniably an adult beverage which most children don't even like the flavor, most feel special when they are finally allowed to have their first beer (or other alcoholic beverage).
while growing up, i had jewish friends who went through their rite of passage. in high school, i knew a girl who became a debutante. some families decide to give their kids a small celebration in honor of graduating high school, others give it when they have completed college. some families don't do anything, ever. i never really went through a process that officially declared me as a man religiously or socially. my family celebrated my birthday, but it just felt like any other day, even though i was allowed to have an alcoholic beverage. personally, alcohol never made me feel like an adult and i had tried it on several occasions before. i recognize alcohol to be more ceremonial and social, not a major milestone in my life.
no thing or person ever declared a defining point where i was suddenly a man, or even an adult. i picked up responsibilities, jobs, dealt with difficult issues on my own, but never felt a defining point where i had suddenly come of age. yet somewhere along the line it happened, or did it? sure, legally i meet all of the qualifications, but does that really mean i have come of age? nothing spectacular happened to signify it.
because of various personal issues, a lot of things did not transpire in my life as even i would have anticipated. i never completed college yet i have spent 6-7 years in 4 colleges. i never lived away from home yet i have traveled on my own on several occasions. i do not own or rent my own home as i have spent all my time living with my mother or my grandparents. i am not married as a 5+ year long relationship failed and completely shook my world. i have no children. i am no longer employed due to several problems including depression, scratched cornea with complications, and 2 back surgeries also with complications. not to mention 2 years ago, i moved again and i am still with my mother even though i live on a separate floor in what is still considered my grandparents' house even though they no longer live here. it feels a little like an apartment, but i have no bathroom nor kitchen on my floor, nor can i access the outside from my floor although i have a pretty sweet fireplace next to my bed which i've never had before.
i have no way of affording things on my own financially and have to rely on the sometimes financially available kindness of my mother. i owe her a great deal. in some ways i feel like i am less of an adult now than i was in my twenties since i was more self-sufficient then and fairly dependent now.
i work hard on a dream of becoming a dj and producer. most of my work has never seen any monetary compensation. i have done these things for years and even more earnestly in recent years. i dj on the radio, though usually it is online only. i have a modest discography that has seen substantial popularity via online downloads, yet not a soul has purchased any of them. i had a created a record label which folded after about a year when the hosting company folded and i lacked finances to rebuild something that had no fiscal motion. i would like to resurrect that label again.
so have i come of age? yes, somewhere in time i suppose i did and yet i never realized it. like love, it is hard to define as it is more conceptual than material. imaginably if i had gone through some traditional ceremony to announce my coming of age, i might have felt different psychologically, but that didn't happen and anything past that act is simply speculation, even if signs indicate that does make a difference in a person's life.
in the mean time, i live at home, with family, single, broke, and without regular income from an employer. regardless, i continue to try to make things work on my own in the best way i know how. this year, i turn 34 on march 28th.
back-words... poem...
Friday, December 28, 2007
poem...
My Solemn Kiss
In the heat of the moment;
In love and anger,
I long to bite you;
To place my mark upon you-
A seal,
A promise,
A vow…
My commitment,
Regardless where life may lead,
To you,
Always and forever.
Shedding tears of delight,
Even through burning pain,
For my love for you
Knows no limits.
This bite,
This kiss,
This love
Is my promise
Bound unto you.
poem...
My Solemn Kiss
In the heat of the moment;
In love and anger,
I long to bite you;
To place my mark upon you-
A seal,
A promise,
A vow…
My commitment,
Regardless where life may lead,
To you,
Always and forever.
Shedding tears of delight,
Even through burning pain,
For my love for you
Knows no limits.
This bite,
This kiss,
This love
Is my promise
Bound unto you.
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