A) I think there's about twenty-five to fifty percent of the population that just goes along with whatever everybody else is doing, whether it's progressive or stagnant. Then you've got another big chunk, probably about the same size, that's just gonna be stagnant no matter what. The trick is for the cool kids, who as a demographic amount to no more than residue, to grab the first group by the nose. The problem is that in our own consumer-driven economy, which treats the media as nothing more than a medium for advertisement, the cool kids don't get much notice. Not much money in it.
Q) If the world ever starts to resemble a Mad Max movie, do you think you'll be able to survive?
a)i would assume that rob is controlled by the gubment and they made him allow the same avater in some convoluted mix of facts and rumors plot to make oil companies rich....
A.) That depends on what the purpose of cloning is. If it's just something we're doing to do it, then I say "nix". However, if the purpose is raising a better herd of cattle or creating a better harvest, then I'm all for it. Human cloning, however, in my mind, is right out.
Q.) Does absolute Truth exist, or is it something that is relative to each person's views and experiences?
A) Absolute truth exists, but our senses are subjective. To know truth, you have to go outside (or inside) your sensory world, and accept information from a more reliable source.
a) darling, i honestly don't know, though i have my suspicions. recent events may be a contributing factor. then we are also living in a society that seems content in giving lip service to freedom of thought and expression, very much encouraging the lemmings to stay complacent in their largely self-imposed slumber. that's enough to anger anyone. if you'd like, we can talk, jack. remember, your not the only one who's good at listening. let me know.
q) yesterday afternoon i took over a call when an operator informed me that the woman on the line had been beaten so badly that it was difficult communicating with her, let alone placing her call. for twenty minutes i sat there, offering comfort to my sister, and trying to find a way of helping her, as the incident had been reported to the police the night before. these calls don't usually affect me, not after my first jumper. just when i'd gotten a name from her, we lost the call. taking note of the tears welling up in my eyes, the operator touched my shoulder, saying she knew it would get to me, that the others wouldn't have given a damn about the woman's plight, which was why she summoned my aid. it was hours before i was able to smile again. i realize in this patriarchal culture, even in this day and age, women and children are still viewed as poperty by many...including some women who betray our own gender. despite this knowledge, i still wonder what the bloody hell a man is thinking when he does this. in my anger and sadness i just keep asking, why?
A: From one who sees alot; rage, hate, uncontrolable suffering with in, power hungry, superiority. Most men who are abusers want to be in complete control over the women, and when the women has a bit of freedom or will to fight back they get scared and the only way to get that hold back is with violance. Most of the time tho I think its also lack of what to do. When one is so frustrated so upset they become confussed and just want things to be in their favor or whatever so they react with voilance. Most of it is due to there family situwation from when they lived at home. usally if you look there most of the time was an abuser in the family home and the kid turn out the same way. Same with alcoholists. They may know its wrong but since they found it at home most of the time they will at some point be the same way. Whats really sad is most of the time the abuser gets away with it scott free for the other is to afraid to do something about it or doesnt want to. Sometimes its because people just dont know how to handle stress and anger and the other provoces it not backing off when they should have that sort of thing. Its sad but unless they are will to get help there isint anything you can do for them but prey and even sometimes that doesnt help. Whats weird is most of the time fights and all are started over something stupid. I dont understand it either and probolly will never. Anyway its nice to hear that someone else cares as much as I do and is doing something to help. I offer my shoulder tons of times and will continue to do so.
anyway...
Q: How can one make tons of money real fast with out doing something illegal or selling ones bod? I'm thinking armed forces...
Q.) When a man disrespects women, he's called a chauvanist and a pig. When a woman disrespects a man, she's called liberated. When a white man gets something before a black man, he's considered a racist, but when a black man gets something before a white man, the world seems to say "it's about damn time!" Why does there exist this double standard and why does it target the straight WASP males? Why can we not be proud of who we are without someone telling us that everything bad that happens is our fault?
A. That's a good question, and one I wrestle with a lot.
Partly, I think it's a karmic thing. Don't think of it as "us white kids have to pay for the mistakes of our parents -- even if our parents marched with Martin Luther King." Think of it as "us white kids have a chance to set things straight."
There's still too much inequality going on for us to say that the scales are balanced. The fact is that I'm a weirdo with no college education and no economic ambition who has no prison record only because of the ironic nature of fate, while my buddy Drake is an intelligent, articulate, financially-ambitious black man who sprays the inside of his shoes. And yet, because I'm white and he's black, if we both put on suits and walk into bank, I've got a better chance of getting a loan.
Or, I could put it this way -- the same mental process that gives us statements like, "I'm only racist because I grew up around Mexicans and got beat up by them a lot," is what gives us, "All white people are the enemy." It's the same damn thing. When one disappears, so will the other.
Q. As my buddies, one by one, pass the age of thirty, I'm noticing the weirdest thing -- former metalheads and getting into swing music. They don't always give up metal, but almost every single one of them seem to have decided that swing music is cool. What the hell is up with this?
(I'm embarassed that I forgot to ask a question on my above post.)
A: Sure, I have actually granted it was just ham and eggs colored with green food coloring but still. :)
Q: (inspired by LD and heavy metal) Do you think that hard music such as Metal or Goth really does corrupt the mind and cause kids to lash out? same goes for violance (Ouch!) and sex (uh huhuh) on tv and in movies. Thoughts?
I don't think it's music that causes kids to lash out. The problems are already there. Blame it on what you will...society, bad parenting...I think music lets people identify with situations that already exist, especially if music is self-expression. You can listen to music, but you don't relate to every kind. I watched a tv thing with M. Manson and his fans....and his fans love him because they relate to him. They too feel freakish and it's an outlet. Can he put ideas into people that weren't there before? Of course. But the door was already open for that.
Maybe in realizing that we aren't alone gives us strength to act, but I don't think it's actually the music itself.
Violence in media? I'm not so sure about. You do see cases where a child will pop a cap in another because he was imitating something he saw on television, and it was really innocent...there was no intent to kill there. Or jumping from trees trying to fly like Superman.
Same for sex. When you see it earlier, you're curious earlier, and sometimes it's just too early to try and explain things. On the other hand, sex on tv is a good tool....can you imagine "the talk" about sex with your parent(s) if you had no idea what they were referring to?
I used to would say - kids acting up...blame it on the parents...but now I see that you can't protect your children from everything out there and the only thing you can do is to explain to them early on, hope they get it the first time, and just be open when they have questions.
(Q) Interesting Question, Lor, in that with the sex and violence I'd like to hear another opinion. So, more thoughts?
While I don't think that the media is really responsible for the way people act -- I'm pretty sure that people are responsible for their own actions -- I think that media has a big role in shaping a person's world-view, especially when that person is a kid.
Sex, for example. You can't really turn on MTV without being bombarded by sex. I think this is a little irresponsible, since it gives kids the impression that all teenagers are having sex, that there's nothing in the world more important than sex, and that anybody who has a less carefree attitude toward sex is somehow aberrant.
I'm the last guy in line when somebody shouts, "All the prudes over here!" Actually, I'll probably ignore the line entirely and go looking for girls.
But that doesn't mean that I think sex is something to be treated lightly. Like most important things, sex is dangerous and needs to be treated with a certain amount of respect. It's like the equal-yet-opposite equivalent of a shotgun. Handle it wrong and people could die.
So I guess I'm of the opinion that while kids (and adults -- who are often just kids with fewer hormones) need to control themselves and not let the TV do their thinking for them, it would be nice if they could turn on the TV without being told that if you're fourteen and you've neither given nor received a blowjob, you're a loser. 'Cause you're not, it just means you're a kid. And there's nothing wrong with being a kid.
A.) The father of the funnybooks as we know them to day would likely be Will Eisner, who, beyond any shadow of a doubt, single-handedly invented comic book art as a medium. He's inspired about everyone who is in the business today, young or old, and still, despite his old age, loves to read, write, draw, and discuss comics! The man's a genius!
Q.) Who put the "bomp" in the "bomp-she-bomp-she-bomp"? Was it the same guy who put the "ram" in the "ram-a-lamma-ding-dong"?
A: naw. "golden age" typically denotes a period long ago (relatively speaking). by today's stanard, probably the period of time surrounding or just after wwII would be considered america's "golden age" (tho, by the year 2058, maybe today WILL be considered part of the same era).
Q: whutsa feature/area/aspect (other than MBs) that you like best about www.robkamphausen.com?
Whoops, I screwed up the rotation again. How do I keep being unlucky enough to be posting at the same time as someone else ... and always a second later?
A) It seems as though it should. My understanding is the Puerto Ricans are paying taxes without the representation of the House or the Senate. That doesn't seem right. Then again, the District of Columbia has the same problem, but it seems like less of a bad deal for them, doesn't it?
Q) Why can't I get this stupid chapter finished? I know what has to happen. The hero makes a foolish display of affection for the wingless girl while lesbian Amazons are attempting to woo her. And yet ... for some reason ... I can't write the damn thing. And I don't think it's entirely that that I get distracted by Neverwinter Nights ... that's just my brain's excuse.
A) Seven virtues? I thought there were three virtues: Hope, Faith and Charity. My Charity is still good, but I'm lacking a little in Hope and Faith these days.
Personally, I've always preferred the Ultima virtues: Honesty, Compassion, Valor, Justice, Sacrifice, Honor, Spirituality and Humility. Yes, it's weird to get a philosophy from a video game, but darnit, it just works.
Running on that basis, I'd say I'm doing at least reasonably well in most of them. Where I'm lacking, I think, is Humility. In a room full of a thousand people, I'm generally quite confident in the idea that I'm the strongest and the smartest. I don't know that it's a crime, exactly, but sometimes I can be downright arrogant and even Prideful. I rather enjoy, for example, the fact that I could not only beat up Britney, but two or three Britneys at the same time.
A buddy of mine said I need to turn my favorite catch-phrase into a t-shirt: "I don't think I'm better than anybody ... just smarter than you."
a) my greatest virtue is being able to expose people that try to portray thereselves as intellectuals as the prepubescent weenies they really are.... q) is there no 0ne who can beat the nature boys?
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