First in the series is immigration (for explanation of series read 'Stand for Something or Fall for Everything'). i am addressing this first because it is a huge mid-term election smoke screen to attempt to divert people's attention away from the large issues we are currently faced with. Once the elections are over it will disappear from political discourse much as the topic of abortion does. These are divisive topics to force people to choose sides for an election and then politicians push them aside until the next election to serve the same purpose. As important as these issues are voters fall for it every time.
Focus lately is surrounding illegal immigration from Mexico. To greatly oversimplify this, people cross the border because they can earn more money working in the US than in their home country. Sounds kind of familiar- like almost every immigrant group to come to this country. The US is a little more accessible to Mexico than many of our own lineages who may have faced long, hard trips at sea which accounts for a larger group of people making use of the option. If we have any knowledge of our own roots can we be too judgmental?
This causes us to look at the real issue: the pay in their home countries. The people of the US have worked hard, and continue to fight, for reasonable work days, safe work conditions, and fair wages. Unions, etc have set a certain minimum in most cases which we enjoy. The problem being that many businesses are exploiting the fact that they can produce things for vastly smaller amounts of money by setting-up factories in other countries or by sub-contracting production out. All that has been fought for in the US workplace hasn't improved work conditions, it has just moved those work conditions.
Your DVD player should cost you, lets say, $200 dollars if not more. The fact that there are many on the market for significantly less (i've seen some as low as $50) means that someone in some other country is not being paid what they deserve. They are not being paid what they need to survive and support their families. All this just so you can have a DVD player under every TV in your house and probably one in your car as well. Your sneakers cost less than $5 to make yet you pay $80. Who's getting that money? Not the workers.
Your cars and guitars are being made in Mexico because the companies don't want to pay what is required for the cost of living. Workers still need to live so they will go where they can earn enough for living (isn't that what we all want-to be able to earn a living). We contribute to this problem when we contribute to other's exploitations.
So what can you do to earn more s4s/f4e complaining minutes: buy what you can from non-exploiting sources. Now i know America can't quite go cold turkey but let's start it off. Maybe start with some pants made in the USA. They may be a bit more expensive than the cheap-o's at Gap of Old Navy Mart but isn't it worth it if there is even the possibility of everyone someday earning a decent wage. Your wallet speaks louder than your voice. Maybe next it's your guitar, someday even your car. Keeping where and how things are made in mind as you are making your purchases can make all the difference. Just start with a few things at first. Hell, maybe someday these jobs might return for the dissapearing working class in this country as well.
Fair wages are far more effective than a wall for solving this issue. What would you do to support a loved one? Find a way to get on the other side of a wall?
*i know there is a lack of humor in this one but i'm frustrated and it's late...
Aug 5, 2006
Stand for Something or Fall for Everything
i'm going to start a little series here i'll call s4s/f4e for short (see title). i am becoming increasingly more frustrated with people complaining about issues over and over again but doing absolutely nothing to attempt to have an impact on things themselves. Complaining is very useful, really. It can bring attention to problems or educate/enlighten people on situations. At times it can motivate people to do something one way or another, for or against. At the very least it can help to relieve personal stress from situations we feel very small in comparison to.
Constantly complaining about something but doing nothing to change even yourself is pretentious, condescending, mental masturbation. Eventually a point is reached where one must stand up or shut up.
We all have control over ourselves. We all can do little things. They may not seem significant but they are noble and they add up. By merely complaining you show that on some level you believe that things can get better (otherwise complaining is rather useless). Besides, by doing something you gain a certain amount of minutes to further complain about the issue. It's in the fine print of your cell phone contract...right after the bit explaining roaming charges in foreign countries.
So, in these little s4s/f4e write-ups i will present an issue and an idea of what you can do to gain the right to further complain about it. If you choose to do nothing you lose the right to further complain about it. Sound good? Well, i don't really care. This is my page, you can make up your own rules on your own page you lazy bastard.
*i do realize that because these are posted in chronological order one may read entries prior to this description, hence the s4s/f4e in the beginning of the titles. Those that can't figure it out will get lost along the way and may fall victim to swamp rats and wompas. Survival of the fittest. They can go surf mtv.com where they won't have to think for themselves.
Constantly complaining about something but doing nothing to change even yourself is pretentious, condescending, mental masturbation. Eventually a point is reached where one must stand up or shut up.
We all have control over ourselves. We all can do little things. They may not seem significant but they are noble and they add up. By merely complaining you show that on some level you believe that things can get better (otherwise complaining is rather useless). Besides, by doing something you gain a certain amount of minutes to further complain about the issue. It's in the fine print of your cell phone contract...right after the bit explaining roaming charges in foreign countries.
So, in these little s4s/f4e write-ups i will present an issue and an idea of what you can do to gain the right to further complain about it. If you choose to do nothing you lose the right to further complain about it. Sound good? Well, i don't really care. This is my page, you can make up your own rules on your own page you lazy bastard.
*i do realize that because these are posted in chronological order one may read entries prior to this description, hence the s4s/f4e in the beginning of the titles. Those that can't figure it out will get lost along the way and may fall victim to swamp rats and wompas. Survival of the fittest. They can go surf mtv.com where they won't have to think for themselves.
Aug 1, 2006
PSA
This is a public service announcement acting as a friendly reminder as we continue the current heat wave we are experiencing. Males should not wear anything that has the word 'thong' in it anywhere. This includes sandals, underwear, and anything else i don't even want to think about.
Ladies: you can continue wearing thong anythings whenever you want. Even in the winter if you'd like. Really.
...And now back to your regularly scheduled program...
Ladies: you can continue wearing thong anythings whenever you want. Even in the winter if you'd like. Really.
...And now back to your regularly scheduled program...
Tagging
Most of our city's landscapes are ugly and boring (if not dirty as well). It takes urban artists to see the true potential in our concrete, brick, and steel centers of commerce. Skateboarders (artists not athletes in my opinion) see endless possibilities in every nook, gap, and rail. Hours of fun can be had on curbs and stair sets that other drones mindlessly walk over in uncomfortable shoes and even more uncomfortable suits (ties are another rant all together) as they wait for Thursday paychecks.
Grafitti can have a beautifying effect as well on the boring grays of our concrete jungles. While stuck at railroad crossings i find some relief from my frustration watching the various murals painted on the boxcars passing by. Run down, decrepit, and abandoned mills and factories have been dressed up on more than one occasion by local artists with nothing more than cans of spray paint. Water towers and oil storage tanks are just begging for something.
One of my favorite artists was from Massachusetts in the mid 90's. His tag was "Ewok". Not only did i enjoy the Star Wars reference but his/her murals and, better yet, his/her placement was tasteful. Great art in well selected locations and limited in number. "Ewok" was not sprayed all over the place. "Did you see Ewok's mural by the train station?" was the kind of thing you heard. Part of the mystique was where the tags were. There was a bit of a rites of passage or an 'in the know' with knowing the location and having seen some of the best murals around.
Tagging, like all things, can be bastardized as well. The worst case of this seems to be in Portland, Me by the tag "Oniks". Whether a reference to the dark stone worn in the pinky rings of cheesey old men everywhere or the equally bad rap group of the early 90's, this 'tagger' (and i use the term loosely here) is making an embarrassment of himself and the helpless surfaces he is defacing.
First off his arsenal seems to consist of a case of white spray paint. Impressive selection. Now i know that white is the combination of all colors but unless he starts handing out prisms we're just going to see monochromatic shitty tags.
Second, lack of style. There isn't even enough style here for me to rip apart.
Third, he seems to be going with a quantity vs quality approach tagging everything possible. Stupid little spots, uneven brick surfaces, the tops of signs. i guess you can put your tag everywhere when it takes all of about 3 seconds to scribble it down (half as long as it probably took to design it and twice as long as he probably lasts in bed). He has even tagged the most idiotic place i have ever seen tagged: on tar roof shingles. Looks wicked sweet there buddy!
Sure it has passed my mind that this could be a local gang or group of crystal meth dealers marking their territory but seeing how the previously mentioned usually can't read or work a computer i'll stand by my comments. They'd throw shoes over powerlines if they had any style anyway.
Grafitti can have a beautifying effect as well on the boring grays of our concrete jungles. While stuck at railroad crossings i find some relief from my frustration watching the various murals painted on the boxcars passing by. Run down, decrepit, and abandoned mills and factories have been dressed up on more than one occasion by local artists with nothing more than cans of spray paint. Water towers and oil storage tanks are just begging for something.
One of my favorite artists was from Massachusetts in the mid 90's. His tag was "Ewok". Not only did i enjoy the Star Wars reference but his/her murals and, better yet, his/her placement was tasteful. Great art in well selected locations and limited in number. "Ewok" was not sprayed all over the place. "Did you see Ewok's mural by the train station?" was the kind of thing you heard. Part of the mystique was where the tags were. There was a bit of a rites of passage or an 'in the know' with knowing the location and having seen some of the best murals around.
Tagging, like all things, can be bastardized as well. The worst case of this seems to be in Portland, Me by the tag "Oniks". Whether a reference to the dark stone worn in the pinky rings of cheesey old men everywhere or the equally bad rap group of the early 90's, this 'tagger' (and i use the term loosely here) is making an embarrassment of himself and the helpless surfaces he is defacing.
First off his arsenal seems to consist of a case of white spray paint. Impressive selection. Now i know that white is the combination of all colors but unless he starts handing out prisms we're just going to see monochromatic shitty tags.
Second, lack of style. There isn't even enough style here for me to rip apart.
Third, he seems to be going with a quantity vs quality approach tagging everything possible. Stupid little spots, uneven brick surfaces, the tops of signs. i guess you can put your tag everywhere when it takes all of about 3 seconds to scribble it down (half as long as it probably took to design it and twice as long as he probably lasts in bed). He has even tagged the most idiotic place i have ever seen tagged: on tar roof shingles. Looks wicked sweet there buddy!
Sure it has passed my mind that this could be a local gang or group of crystal meth dealers marking their territory but seeing how the previously mentioned usually can't read or work a computer i'll stand by my comments. They'd throw shoes over powerlines if they had any style anyway.
Jul 30, 2006
Those who Vespa eat apples...
Alright, another positive one. Trying to build up some good karma. We'll see how long that lasts.
Vespas were made purely for fun. Looking at one: you can't help but smile (or at least smirk for those of us who don't smile). Riding one: pure joy. The name even: nothing but fun to say. Go ahead... try to say Vespa in an angry way... i double dog dare you.
i recently took a two and a half our trip down the coast (and eventually the 2 1/2 hour trip back) on my Vespa px150. i can't even begin to tell you how much fun i had (no really, i can go on for days with curmudgeon grievances but fun is a little hard for me to put into words).
Experiencing travel on two wheels where you are out in the open and aware of every crack in the road, every slight change in wind direction, every change in road slope, every change of background scenery, every smell, and every species of bug that may splatter on you is an invigorating thing. Well worth any of its inherent risk.
Furthermore, the fact that anywhere you stop someone will inevitably come up to you asking "Is that a Vespa?" in an excitable mood is forcing me to somewhat improve my antisocial ways. Listening to strangers tell me about their trip to Italy or about their brother/friend/cousin who used to have a Vespa is actually quite fun. Vespas travel at a relaxed pace and that forces you to slide into a more relaxed frame of mind. Enlightenment through Vespa? Maybe.
Vespas were made purely for fun. Looking at one: you can't help but smile (or at least smirk for those of us who don't smile). Riding one: pure joy. The name even: nothing but fun to say. Go ahead... try to say Vespa in an angry way... i double dog dare you.
i recently took a two and a half our trip down the coast (and eventually the 2 1/2 hour trip back) on my Vespa px150. i can't even begin to tell you how much fun i had (no really, i can go on for days with curmudgeon grievances but fun is a little hard for me to put into words).
Experiencing travel on two wheels where you are out in the open and aware of every crack in the road, every slight change in wind direction, every change in road slope, every change of background scenery, every smell, and every species of bug that may splatter on you is an invigorating thing. Well worth any of its inherent risk.
Furthermore, the fact that anywhere you stop someone will inevitably come up to you asking "Is that a Vespa?" in an excitable mood is forcing me to somewhat improve my antisocial ways. Listening to strangers tell me about their trip to Italy or about their brother/friend/cousin who used to have a Vespa is actually quite fun. Vespas travel at a relaxed pace and that forces you to slide into a more relaxed frame of mind. Enlightenment through Vespa? Maybe.
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