by Hakim Bey
Needless to say that I consider the Drug War an abomination, and that I would demand immediate unconditional amnesty for all "prisoners of consciousness"—assuming that I had any power to make demands! But in a world where all reform can be instantaneously turned into new means of control, it makes no sense to go on demanding legalization simply because it seems rational and humane.
For example, consider what might result from the legalization of "medical marijuana" clearly the will of the people in at least six states. The herb would instantly fall under drastic new regulations from "Above" (the AMA, the courts, insurance companies, etc.). Monsanto would probably acquire the DNA patents and "intellectual ownership" of the plants genetic structure. Laws would probably be tightened against illegal marijuana for "recreational uses." Smokers would be defined (by law) as "sick." As a commodity, Cannabis would soon be denatured like other legal psychotropics such as coffee, tobacco, or chocolate.
Terence McKenna once pointed out that virtually all useful research on psychotropics is carried out illegally and is often largely funded from underground. Legalization would make possible a much tighter control from above over all drug research. The valuable contributions of the entheogenic underground would probably diminish or cease altogether. Terence suggested that we stop wasting time and energy petitioning the authorities for permission to do what we're doing, and simply get on with it.
Yes, the Drug War is evil and irrational. Let us not forget, however, that as an economic activity, the War makes quite good sense. Im not even going to mention the booming "corrections industry," the bloated police and intelligence budgets, or the interests of the pharmaceutical cartels. Economists estimate that some ten percent of circulating capital in the world is "gray money" derived from illegal activity (largely drug and weapon sales). This gray area is actually a kind of free-floating frontier for Global Capital itself, a small wave that precedes the big wave and provides its "sense of direction." (For example gray money or "offshore" capital is always the first to migrate from depressed markets to thriving markets.) "War is the health of the State" as Randolph Bourne once said --but war is no longer so profitable as in the old days of booty, tribute and chattel slavery. Economic war increasingly takes its place, and the Drug War is an almost "pure" form of economic war. And since the Neo-liberal State has given up so much power to corporations and "markets" since 1989, it might justly be said that the War on Drugs constitutes the "health" of Capital itself.
Beyond (or aside from) economic considerations, the ban on (some) psychotropics can also be considered from a "shamanic" perspective. Global Capital and universal Image seem able to absorb almost any "outside" and transform it into an area of commodification and control. But somehow, for some strange reason, Capital appears unable or unwilling to absorb the entheogenic dimension. It persists in making war on mind-altering or transformative substance, rather than attempting to "co-opt" and hegemonize their power.
In other words it would seem that some sort of authentic power is at stake here. Global Capital reacts to this power with the same basic strategy as the Inquisition --by attempting to suppress it from the outside rather than control it from within. ("Project MKULTRA" was the governments secret attempt to penetrate the occult interior of psychotropism-–it appears to have failed miserably.) In a world that has abolished the Outside by the triumph of the Image, it seems that at least one "outside" nevertheless persists. Power can deal with this outside only as a form of the unconscious, i.e., by suppression rather than realization. But this leaves open the possibility that those who manage to attain "direct awareness" of this power might actually be able to wield it and implement it. If "entheogenic neo-shamanism" (or whatever you want to call it) cannot be betrayed and absorbed into the power-structure of the Image, then we may hypothesize that it represents a genuine Other, a viable alternative to the "one world" of triumphant Capital. It is (or could be) our source of power.
The "Magic of the State" (as M. Taussig calls it), which is also the magic of Capital itself, consists of social control through the manipulation of symbols. This is attained through mediation, including the ultimate medium, money as hieroglyphic text, money as pure Imagination as "social fiction" or mass hallucination. This real illusion has taken the place of both religion and ideology as delusionary sources of social power. This power therefore possesses (or is possessed by) a secret goal; that all human relations be defined according to this hieroglyphic mediation, this "magic." But neo-shamanism proposes with all seriousness that another magic may exist, an effective mode of consciousness that cannot be hexed by the sign of the commodity. If this were so, it would help explain why the Image appears unable or unwilling to deal "rationally" with the "issue of drugs." In fact, a magical analysis of power might emerge from the observed fact of this radical incompatibility of the Global Imaginaire and shamanic consciousness.
In such a case, what could our power consist of in actual empirical terms? I am far from proposing that "winning" the War on Drugs would somehow constitute The Revolutio --or even that "shamanic power" could contest the magic of the State in any strategic manner. Clearly however the very existence of entheogenism as a true differenc --in a world where true difference is denie --marks the historic validity of an Other, of an authentic Outside. In the (unlikely) event of legalization, this Outside would be breached, entered, colonized, betrayed, and turned into sheer simulation. A major source of initiation, still accessible in a world apparently devoid of mystery and of will, would be dissolved into empty representation, a pseudo-rite of passage into the timeless/spaceless enclosure of the Image. In short, we would have sacrificed our potential power to the ersatz reform of legalization, and we would win nothing thereby but the simulacrum of tolerance at the expense of the triumph of Control.
Again: I have no idea what our strategy shall be. I believe however that the time has come to admit that a tactics of mere contingency can no longer sustain us. "Permitted dissent" has become an empty category, and reform merely a mask for recuperation. The more we struggle on "their" terms the more we lose. The drug legalization movement has never won a single battle. Not in America anywa --and America is the "sole superpower" of Global Capital. We boast of our outlaw status as outsiders or marginals, as guerilla ontologists; why then, do we continually beg for authenticity and validation (either as "reward" or as "punishment") from authority? What good would it do us if we were to be granted this status, this "legality"?
The Reform movement has upheld true rationality and it has championed real human values. Honor where honor is due. Given the profound failure of the movement however, might it not be timely to say a few words for the irrational, for the irreducible wildness of shamanism, and even a single word for the values of the warrior? "Not peace, but a sword."
Sunday, February 12, 2006
America: Butt Ugly
by Skald
Went to the annual Chinese New Year parade last night.... Id been told it was the biggest Chinese New Year parade in the world, outside of Taiwan/China. Id seen one in Bangkok's Chinatown last year, so I was looking forward to dragon dances, firecrackers, Chinese music & dance, etc.
These things were present, but they were overwhelmed by a massive assault of corporate marketing. I had flashbacks from last week's super bowl. It seemed every other group was carrying corporate logos. Ford had a huge and incredibly tacky display... maybe a hundred Chinese people carrying white flags with the Ford logo. They also had a very nice float that looked like a traditional Chinese theater... which would have been beautiful except for the gigantic Ford logo on its front.. which was lit up.
Then there was the worst of all... the McDonalds float. It looked like it had been thrown together by a group of High School kids and was the most sickening example of racial pandering Ive seen in a long time. I can imagine a McDonalds executive committee somewhere, "We need a float for Chinese New Year.... why don't we stick Ronald Mcdonald on a trailer with a bunch of Chinese kids... and some huge blow up pics of cute Chinese kids too... we'll show em that Asians love McDonalds".
Cingular cell phones had a float... and it too was tacky and ugly... a lame copy of their logo with chinese lion heads on top. There was also an obnoxious display by UPS... their big brown trucks pulling smaller floats. Bank of America had one.
But the big sponsor was Southwest Airlines (I didnt realize they flew to China.. :) In fact they co-opted the name. Its increasingly difficult in America to have any kind of public event without it being stolen by a corporation. And so this was the "Southwest Airlines Chinese New Year Parade". In keeping with corporate tradition, they had a hideous float.. with their dorky employees wearing hats shaped like airplanes.
And so, overall, the parade felt as "Chinese" as I am. Beyond that, it was simply a tacky and ugly display. In America, beauty or elegance for its own sake is despised. Only things which generate money are honored. Every festival, every big sports game, every parade, every public holiday is seized upon by corporations and turned into a marketing event.
We are a crude and ugly nation.
Went to the annual Chinese New Year parade last night.... Id been told it was the biggest Chinese New Year parade in the world, outside of Taiwan/China. Id seen one in Bangkok's Chinatown last year, so I was looking forward to dragon dances, firecrackers, Chinese music & dance, etc.
These things were present, but they were overwhelmed by a massive assault of corporate marketing. I had flashbacks from last week's super bowl. It seemed every other group was carrying corporate logos. Ford had a huge and incredibly tacky display... maybe a hundred Chinese people carrying white flags with the Ford logo. They also had a very nice float that looked like a traditional Chinese theater... which would have been beautiful except for the gigantic Ford logo on its front.. which was lit up.
Then there was the worst of all... the McDonalds float. It looked like it had been thrown together by a group of High School kids and was the most sickening example of racial pandering Ive seen in a long time. I can imagine a McDonalds executive committee somewhere, "We need a float for Chinese New Year.... why don't we stick Ronald Mcdonald on a trailer with a bunch of Chinese kids... and some huge blow up pics of cute Chinese kids too... we'll show em that Asians love McDonalds".
Cingular cell phones had a float... and it too was tacky and ugly... a lame copy of their logo with chinese lion heads on top. There was also an obnoxious display by UPS... their big brown trucks pulling smaller floats. Bank of America had one.
But the big sponsor was Southwest Airlines (I didnt realize they flew to China.. :) In fact they co-opted the name. Its increasingly difficult in America to have any kind of public event without it being stolen by a corporation. And so this was the "Southwest Airlines Chinese New Year Parade". In keeping with corporate tradition, they had a hideous float.. with their dorky employees wearing hats shaped like airplanes.
And so, overall, the parade felt as "Chinese" as I am. Beyond that, it was simply a tacky and ugly display. In America, beauty or elegance for its own sake is despised. Only things which generate money are honored. Every festival, every big sports game, every parade, every public holiday is seized upon by corporations and turned into a marketing event.
We are a crude and ugly nation.
Saturday, February 11, 2006
No Nukes
by Skald
"In our own post-Spectacular Society of Simulation many forces are working--largely invisibly--to phase out the nuclear family and bring back the band. Breakdowns in the structure of Work resonate in the shattered "stability" of the unit-home and unit-family. One's "band" nowadays includes friends, ex-spouses and lovers, people met at different jobs and pow-wows, affinity groups, special interest networks, mail networks, etc. The nuclear family becomes more and more obviously a trap, a cultural sinkhole, a neurotic secret implosion of split atoms--and the obvious counter-strategy emerges spontaneously in the almost unconscious rediscovery of the more archaic and yet more post-industrial possibility of the band."
--Hakim Bey
The nuclear family is a depressing, isolating, force of conformity. I grew up in just such a family. My father, mother, sister, and I lived in a sealed environment. Though we had a "neighborhood" we knew none of the neighbors. In fact, I don't recall my parents having any friends at all. They never had guests at our house, except the rare visit from a relative. Other than Sunday golf, my father seemed to have no meaningful relationships other than our tiny family. My mom was the same.
We were not unique. The 1950s nuclear family is a death-trap. Its a one way ticket to boredom and stagnation. Its a recipe for loneliness and disaster. The sky-high divorce rate comes as no surprise to me. Youve got to be half dead to stomach that kind of life till you die.
Our ancestors wisely had much larger social networks. Anthropologists and sociologists typically put the "ideal" social network between 50-200 people. Most humans seem to thrive in such an environment... when they have a close core of about 20 family/friends and an extended network of another 30+. Below these numbers, depression, isolation, boredom, and alienation typically ensue.
The nuclear family is a device... a destructive meme-idea that keeps us weak and disconnected. Spouses are encouraged to abandon their friends and eliminate their social networks and rely solely on the nuclear family. Ive seen this advice in countless mainstream magazines (especially women's magazines). These articles decry men who continue to "go out with the boys". With a condescending tone, they imply that a man who keeps his friends after marriage is somehow immature. The woman is encouraged to break him of this habit.
Likewise, many women lose their social network after marriage. They too buy the lie. What's worse, many insecure/controlling men work actively to isolate their wives. They are threatened by her friends. This reaches its extreme with abusive men... whose first step (before the physical abuse begins) is to drive away the woman's social support network.
Its a sick sick sick dynamic.
But other options are fast becoming popular... as Hakim Bey notes. As conservatives love to moan, the nuclear family is falling apart... and thank god! The divorce rate has had one very beneficial side effect... men and woman increasingly realize that they need more than one person in their lives. They are building their own tribes, their own bands.. .their own extended families. Women have made great strides in this area... few women today buy the lie that they can depend on a man for life. They realize theyve got to take care of themselves... economically, socially, emotionally. And thats great!
Ive followed this new path and have found it very satisfying. It took time, but Im now part of a tribe.. an extended family. The core of this group consists of like-minded nomadic hobopoets. We've traveled from South Carolina, to Georgia, to Thailand, and now to San Francisco together.
In the past, moving to a new city was a very lonely experience. Not so now.
In addition to this core nomadic group, Ive also got many good friends all over the world.... and with the internet/email, its easy to stay in touch. Should I want to relocate to Kyoto or Osaka, Ive got a ready made social group already waiting. The same is true of Bangkok, Thailand.... or Georgia, USA.
How have I done this? In truth, Im a fairly standoffish guy in person. While outwardly friendly, it takes a while for me to warm to people. So if I can do it, anyone can.
One thing Ive done is to remain friends with most of my ex-girlfriends. This is rarely easy, but has been very rewarding. Ive never understood the idea that you can be intimate with someone one day... then hate their guts the next. It strikes me as an incredibly immature (and insecure) attitude. I also make a point of keeping contact with those rare and glorious hobopoets I befriend during my life.
Capitalist culture seeks to isolate us. Companies want us to be isolated, insecure, needy consumers. They love lonely and depressed people because they are more vulnerable to marketing. Lonely people can easily be convinced to shop in order to feel better. Depressed people will gorge themselves on food and products to fill the void.
People who are happy, who have a vibrant network of friends, family, lovers, etc... are less easily manipulated. They find happiness in their everyday social connections... and have less need to buy buy buy to fill the lonely hours.
A band/tribe is imperative. Dont buy into the bitter addiction to loneliness.... and dont buy the nuclear family lie.
Create your own band. Build your own tribe.
"In our own post-Spectacular Society of Simulation many forces are working--largely invisibly--to phase out the nuclear family and bring back the band. Breakdowns in the structure of Work resonate in the shattered "stability" of the unit-home and unit-family. One's "band" nowadays includes friends, ex-spouses and lovers, people met at different jobs and pow-wows, affinity groups, special interest networks, mail networks, etc. The nuclear family becomes more and more obviously a trap, a cultural sinkhole, a neurotic secret implosion of split atoms--and the obvious counter-strategy emerges spontaneously in the almost unconscious rediscovery of the more archaic and yet more post-industrial possibility of the band."
--Hakim Bey
The nuclear family is a depressing, isolating, force of conformity. I grew up in just such a family. My father, mother, sister, and I lived in a sealed environment. Though we had a "neighborhood" we knew none of the neighbors. In fact, I don't recall my parents having any friends at all. They never had guests at our house, except the rare visit from a relative. Other than Sunday golf, my father seemed to have no meaningful relationships other than our tiny family. My mom was the same.
We were not unique. The 1950s nuclear family is a death-trap. Its a one way ticket to boredom and stagnation. Its a recipe for loneliness and disaster. The sky-high divorce rate comes as no surprise to me. Youve got to be half dead to stomach that kind of life till you die.
Our ancestors wisely had much larger social networks. Anthropologists and sociologists typically put the "ideal" social network between 50-200 people. Most humans seem to thrive in such an environment... when they have a close core of about 20 family/friends and an extended network of another 30+. Below these numbers, depression, isolation, boredom, and alienation typically ensue.
The nuclear family is a device... a destructive meme-idea that keeps us weak and disconnected. Spouses are encouraged to abandon their friends and eliminate their social networks and rely solely on the nuclear family. Ive seen this advice in countless mainstream magazines (especially women's magazines). These articles decry men who continue to "go out with the boys". With a condescending tone, they imply that a man who keeps his friends after marriage is somehow immature. The woman is encouraged to break him of this habit.
Likewise, many women lose their social network after marriage. They too buy the lie. What's worse, many insecure/controlling men work actively to isolate their wives. They are threatened by her friends. This reaches its extreme with abusive men... whose first step (before the physical abuse begins) is to drive away the woman's social support network.
Its a sick sick sick dynamic.
But other options are fast becoming popular... as Hakim Bey notes. As conservatives love to moan, the nuclear family is falling apart... and thank god! The divorce rate has had one very beneficial side effect... men and woman increasingly realize that they need more than one person in their lives. They are building their own tribes, their own bands.. .their own extended families. Women have made great strides in this area... few women today buy the lie that they can depend on a man for life. They realize theyve got to take care of themselves... economically, socially, emotionally. And thats great!
Ive followed this new path and have found it very satisfying. It took time, but Im now part of a tribe.. an extended family. The core of this group consists of like-minded nomadic hobopoets. We've traveled from South Carolina, to Georgia, to Thailand, and now to San Francisco together.
In the past, moving to a new city was a very lonely experience. Not so now.
In addition to this core nomadic group, Ive also got many good friends all over the world.... and with the internet/email, its easy to stay in touch. Should I want to relocate to Kyoto or Osaka, Ive got a ready made social group already waiting. The same is true of Bangkok, Thailand.... or Georgia, USA.
How have I done this? In truth, Im a fairly standoffish guy in person. While outwardly friendly, it takes a while for me to warm to people. So if I can do it, anyone can.
One thing Ive done is to remain friends with most of my ex-girlfriends. This is rarely easy, but has been very rewarding. Ive never understood the idea that you can be intimate with someone one day... then hate their guts the next. It strikes me as an incredibly immature (and insecure) attitude. I also make a point of keeping contact with those rare and glorious hobopoets I befriend during my life.
Capitalist culture seeks to isolate us. Companies want us to be isolated, insecure, needy consumers. They love lonely and depressed people because they are more vulnerable to marketing. Lonely people can easily be convinced to shop in order to feel better. Depressed people will gorge themselves on food and products to fill the void.
People who are happy, who have a vibrant network of friends, family, lovers, etc... are less easily manipulated. They find happiness in their everyday social connections... and have less need to buy buy buy to fill the lonely hours.
A band/tribe is imperative. Dont buy into the bitter addiction to loneliness.... and dont buy the nuclear family lie.
Create your own band. Build your own tribe.
Sunday, February 05, 2006
No Sweat
by Skald
"In short, I am convinced, both by faith and experience, that to maintain one's self on this earth is not a hardship but a pastime, if we will live simply and wisely; It is not necessary that a man should earn his living by the sweat of his brow, unless he sweats easier than I do."
--Thoreau
That is, perhaps, my favorite quote from Thoreau (which is why its on the Hobopoet banner, of course). What I love is not only Thoreau's sane observation, but the grin with which he delivers it. Thoreau reversed our modern mental disease... he held contempt for the rich and ridiculous.
He saw the futility of chasing society's bangles.... noticed how many minds and lives were wasted by the ridiculous pursuit of social "status". Things have gotten much crazier since his time. And while I do feel despair and anger at times, increasingly I find myself laughing.
What I find funniest is the way everyone is sweating, sweating, sweating to maintain themself on this earth. Why do they make it so damn hard on themselves? Why do they buy 100,000 dollar houses? 200,000? More? (The AVERAGE price for a house in SF is 700,000 dollars!!!). Why do they spend 10,000 dollars for a car (or more)?
They then must work their asses off to keep this shit. Husband and wife both must work, so the kids are thoroughly neglected. The bulk of their waking hours are spent preparing for work, commuting to/from work, and at work. The typical American gets two weeks of vacation a year! All my "normal" relatives complain of overwork. They seem frazzled.
It doesnt have to be this hard. While I now "work",... I work only 20 hours a week. My "commute" is a five minute walk to school. I consider my apartment expensive, but for SF its quite cheap. Like Thoreau, I say this not to brag but to encourage other people. Its possible to have plenty of time and money. Its possible for life to be a pasttime, not a long hard slog.
I have a three day weekend. On the other four days, I average 5 hours a day. And since my needs are few, I can be picky about the kind of place I work. I actually love what I do (though I wouldnt want to do it more than 20 hours a week).
Mine is only one example. There are countless paths to ease. Its possible to have plenty of time for art, children, fitness, fun, friends, community, sleep, and doing nothing.
Like many, Im frustrated with the direction this country has taken. It saddens me to see so many desperate, overworked, lonely, frustrated, unhealthy people. Their loss of dignity and autonomy angers me... for I remember well how it felt.
But Im not a pessimist. Im an unabashed optimist. For despite all the bullshit, its not only possible to live free--- its easy.
We are enslaved by "mind forged manacles", its true. But we also hold the key to freedom....
Let go of social conditioning. Dare to remember your highest aspirations (or set off in search of them).
There's no need to sweat.
"In short, I am convinced, both by faith and experience, that to maintain one's self on this earth is not a hardship but a pastime, if we will live simply and wisely; It is not necessary that a man should earn his living by the sweat of his brow, unless he sweats easier than I do."
--Thoreau
That is, perhaps, my favorite quote from Thoreau (which is why its on the Hobopoet banner, of course). What I love is not only Thoreau's sane observation, but the grin with which he delivers it. Thoreau reversed our modern mental disease... he held contempt for the rich and ridiculous.
He saw the futility of chasing society's bangles.... noticed how many minds and lives were wasted by the ridiculous pursuit of social "status". Things have gotten much crazier since his time. And while I do feel despair and anger at times, increasingly I find myself laughing.
What I find funniest is the way everyone is sweating, sweating, sweating to maintain themself on this earth. Why do they make it so damn hard on themselves? Why do they buy 100,000 dollar houses? 200,000? More? (The AVERAGE price for a house in SF is 700,000 dollars!!!). Why do they spend 10,000 dollars for a car (or more)?
They then must work their asses off to keep this shit. Husband and wife both must work, so the kids are thoroughly neglected. The bulk of their waking hours are spent preparing for work, commuting to/from work, and at work. The typical American gets two weeks of vacation a year! All my "normal" relatives complain of overwork. They seem frazzled.
It doesnt have to be this hard. While I now "work",... I work only 20 hours a week. My "commute" is a five minute walk to school. I consider my apartment expensive, but for SF its quite cheap. Like Thoreau, I say this not to brag but to encourage other people. Its possible to have plenty of time and money. Its possible for life to be a pasttime, not a long hard slog.
I have a three day weekend. On the other four days, I average 5 hours a day. And since my needs are few, I can be picky about the kind of place I work. I actually love what I do (though I wouldnt want to do it more than 20 hours a week).
Mine is only one example. There are countless paths to ease. Its possible to have plenty of time for art, children, fitness, fun, friends, community, sleep, and doing nothing.
Like many, Im frustrated with the direction this country has taken. It saddens me to see so many desperate, overworked, lonely, frustrated, unhealthy people. Their loss of dignity and autonomy angers me... for I remember well how it felt.
But Im not a pessimist. Im an unabashed optimist. For despite all the bullshit, its not only possible to live free--- its easy.
We are enslaved by "mind forged manacles", its true. But we also hold the key to freedom....
Let go of social conditioning. Dare to remember your highest aspirations (or set off in search of them).
There's no need to sweat.
Saturday, February 04, 2006
They Live
By Skald
One of the best benefits of living abroad was that I did not understand the language. In particular, I could not read Japanese or Thai.
I love travel and Im a passionate language teacher. And yet, I have never been able to muster the motivation to learn a foreign language. In both Japan and Thailand, I learned just enough to get around. Once I could navigate markets, taxis, and other everyday encounters... all motivation to learn the language vanished.
Ive contemplated this phenomenon often. As a language teacher (English, of course), I feel a certain "obligation" to learn another language. Im certainly smart enough to do so. I picked up survival Japanese quite quickly, for example. So whats the problem?
Well, there isnt one. Ive come to realize that deep down, I dont want to be fluent in these languages. Why not? Because a great deal of mental peace comes with not understanding the predominant language where you live. Sitting in a coffee shop in Thailand, I found it easy to concentrate-- even when surrounded by talking Thais. But in America, one loud person will grate on my nerves and distract me.... I just can't tune out what they are saying.
Another benefit: I can't understand, and am therefore uneffected, by local marketing. The billboards are there, but I cant read them. The radio commercials seem just as banal, but I dont understand them. And so, though surrounded by blaring marketing messages.... and chattering small talk... I move in relative mental peace.
This is not so much the case here in SF. Try as I might, I cant avoid the damn marketing messages. They are everywhere. I dont watch TV... but ads are plastered on walls, on billboards, on taxis, on T-Shirts, on the sides of buses. I can read and understand every one of them.
The worst jolt for me, upon returning to the US, was this assault on my mental tranquility. My first week back I took a ride with my friend in his car. Automatically, he flipped on the radio. For the next hour I was assaulted by tired oldies and relentlessly smirky ads. I became jittery and agitated. I asked him to turn it down, but he seemed annoyed. I tried to think, or just quietly observe the landscape,.... but I couldnt get the damn radio out of my head.
There are people, MANY of them, who live most of their day like this. They wake up and read the newspaper over breakfast. They get in the car and immediately turn on the radio. When they arrive at work, they've got a radio there too. Its kept on during the entire work day. They then drive home with the radio blaring yet again. After munching a bit of food, they turn on the TV.
At the gym, you seem them with headphones in their ears. You get the feeling they are terrified of being quietly alone with their thoughts for even one minute.
Which brings to mind the fantastic B-movie by John Carpenter, "They Live". If you havent seen it, RENT IT. I think it was made in the 80s (or early 90s). The acting is cheesy, the budget is low, but the theme of the movie is dead-on. Its a great spoof (and criticism) of the way we are mentally conditioned by marketing and media. As an extra bonus, it stars "Rowdy Roddy Piper", a former professional wrestler (of the WWF type)-- and has one of the greatest (and most ridiculous) fight scenes on film (how many times can a man get kicked in the balls and still function?) !!!!
The movie is ridiculous and very tongue-in-cheek, but subtract the sci-fi elements and you've got a pretty accurate critique of our mental landscape.
After watching the film, try playing this game in your home town: whenever you see a piece of marketing (or hear one), try to decipher its central message (other than, obviously, "buy this"). Think, what exactly is this saying.... pay particular attention to the images used on TV ads or on billboards. Ive found the following messages to be most common: "You can fuck lots of women if you buy the right stuff", "You will be cool if you buy the right stuff", "Never tolerate discomfort, buy the right stuff to prevent it", "Be admired-- buy the right stuff", "The world is scary and full of danger, buy the right stuff and protect yourself", "Buy the right stuff and become powerful",.... and finally (per Fight Club)... "You are the money in your bank, the car you drive, the clothes you wear, the products you use... you have no internal worth separate from these things... you will be judged solely on these criteria".
If you think these messages don't effect you, you're kidding yourself.
One of the best benefits of living abroad was that I did not understand the language. In particular, I could not read Japanese or Thai.
I love travel and Im a passionate language teacher. And yet, I have never been able to muster the motivation to learn a foreign language. In both Japan and Thailand, I learned just enough to get around. Once I could navigate markets, taxis, and other everyday encounters... all motivation to learn the language vanished.
Ive contemplated this phenomenon often. As a language teacher (English, of course), I feel a certain "obligation" to learn another language. Im certainly smart enough to do so. I picked up survival Japanese quite quickly, for example. So whats the problem?
Well, there isnt one. Ive come to realize that deep down, I dont want to be fluent in these languages. Why not? Because a great deal of mental peace comes with not understanding the predominant language where you live. Sitting in a coffee shop in Thailand, I found it easy to concentrate-- even when surrounded by talking Thais. But in America, one loud person will grate on my nerves and distract me.... I just can't tune out what they are saying.
Another benefit: I can't understand, and am therefore uneffected, by local marketing. The billboards are there, but I cant read them. The radio commercials seem just as banal, but I dont understand them. And so, though surrounded by blaring marketing messages.... and chattering small talk... I move in relative mental peace.
This is not so much the case here in SF. Try as I might, I cant avoid the damn marketing messages. They are everywhere. I dont watch TV... but ads are plastered on walls, on billboards, on taxis, on T-Shirts, on the sides of buses. I can read and understand every one of them.
The worst jolt for me, upon returning to the US, was this assault on my mental tranquility. My first week back I took a ride with my friend in his car. Automatically, he flipped on the radio. For the next hour I was assaulted by tired oldies and relentlessly smirky ads. I became jittery and agitated. I asked him to turn it down, but he seemed annoyed. I tried to think, or just quietly observe the landscape,.... but I couldnt get the damn radio out of my head.
There are people, MANY of them, who live most of their day like this. They wake up and read the newspaper over breakfast. They get in the car and immediately turn on the radio. When they arrive at work, they've got a radio there too. Its kept on during the entire work day. They then drive home with the radio blaring yet again. After munching a bit of food, they turn on the TV.
At the gym, you seem them with headphones in their ears. You get the feeling they are terrified of being quietly alone with their thoughts for even one minute.
Which brings to mind the fantastic B-movie by John Carpenter, "They Live". If you havent seen it, RENT IT. I think it was made in the 80s (or early 90s). The acting is cheesy, the budget is low, but the theme of the movie is dead-on. Its a great spoof (and criticism) of the way we are mentally conditioned by marketing and media. As an extra bonus, it stars "Rowdy Roddy Piper", a former professional wrestler (of the WWF type)-- and has one of the greatest (and most ridiculous) fight scenes on film (how many times can a man get kicked in the balls and still function?) !!!!
The movie is ridiculous and very tongue-in-cheek, but subtract the sci-fi elements and you've got a pretty accurate critique of our mental landscape.
After watching the film, try playing this game in your home town: whenever you see a piece of marketing (or hear one), try to decipher its central message (other than, obviously, "buy this"). Think, what exactly is this saying.... pay particular attention to the images used on TV ads or on billboards. Ive found the following messages to be most common: "You can fuck lots of women if you buy the right stuff", "You will be cool if you buy the right stuff", "Never tolerate discomfort, buy the right stuff to prevent it", "Be admired-- buy the right stuff", "The world is scary and full of danger, buy the right stuff and protect yourself", "Buy the right stuff and become powerful",.... and finally (per Fight Club)... "You are the money in your bank, the car you drive, the clothes you wear, the products you use... you have no internal worth separate from these things... you will be judged solely on these criteria".
If you think these messages don't effect you, you're kidding yourself.
Friday, February 03, 2006
Discomfort
by Skald
Our German Hobopoet's scooter trip got me to thinking, again, about conditioned expectations. So much is possible that we never consider or imagine. We are brainwashed to seek luxury and comfort always. The conditioning is so pervasive, so relentless, and so powerful that most Westerners can no longer distinguish between discomfort/inconvenience and deprivation.
The scooter trip is a perfect example. To make such a trip, most folks will tell you a car is necessary. Many will insist that a fairly new car is necessary... one that has been checked, tuned, etc. In America, most people will tell you that they "need" a car.
But our German Hobopoet took his tiny scooter on an international trip with little trouble at all. He had a few inconveniences. But thats it. In exchange, he paid MUCH less money for his vehicle, he used MUCH less gas, and his vehicle occupied MUCH less space on the road. Do we really "need" cars? Wouldnt a scooter serve most of our needs... even in car-culture America?
Lets face it, Americans have become effete, spoiled, babies. They bitch and whine at the slightest inconvenience. They sell their time, their dignity, and their souls in order to acquire gadgets that will eliminate all discomfort and inconvenience from their lives. They have absolutely no perspective, no idea what deprivation really is.
A small example from my own life: Currently I live in a small one room apartment with a shared bath. I must walk down the hall to use a communal bathroom. Also, I dont have a bed, so I sleep on the floor. When I tell this to people, they act shocked. They immediately start to give me advice... to save me from the "suffering" I must be enduring. They recommend that I borrow money to buy a bed. They caution me to wear sandals in the bathroom, lest I catch some horrible disease.
For most Americans, a private bathroom is a "need". And so is an expensive, high, soft bed.
What's worse, our "needs" keep multiplying. A refrigerator is now a "need". A microwave is a "need". Most Americans would also list the following as needs: TV, stereo, oven, a bedroom for each occupant, a car, brand name clothes, a music collection, & health insurance. The media is working overtime to convince us that a cell phone, a computer, a home internet connection, a digital camera, a DVD player, a house, an ipod, and a host of medications are also "needs".
No wonder we are in debt. No wonder we "need" to be full time wage slaves. No wonder we are such crybabies.
Thoreau wrote, "A man is rich in proportion to the number of things he can let alone" ... or do without! At the deepest level, its not even our jobs that enslave us. Its our craving for comfort,... our spoiled insistence that life always be convenient and without discomfort. We are enslaved by full time jobs only because we must pay for all this shit.
But pampered convenience comes with a big price: your mind, your autonomy, your soul.
Our German Hobopoet's scooter trip got me to thinking, again, about conditioned expectations. So much is possible that we never consider or imagine. We are brainwashed to seek luxury and comfort always. The conditioning is so pervasive, so relentless, and so powerful that most Westerners can no longer distinguish between discomfort/inconvenience and deprivation.
The scooter trip is a perfect example. To make such a trip, most folks will tell you a car is necessary. Many will insist that a fairly new car is necessary... one that has been checked, tuned, etc. In America, most people will tell you that they "need" a car.
But our German Hobopoet took his tiny scooter on an international trip with little trouble at all. He had a few inconveniences. But thats it. In exchange, he paid MUCH less money for his vehicle, he used MUCH less gas, and his vehicle occupied MUCH less space on the road. Do we really "need" cars? Wouldnt a scooter serve most of our needs... even in car-culture America?
Lets face it, Americans have become effete, spoiled, babies. They bitch and whine at the slightest inconvenience. They sell their time, their dignity, and their souls in order to acquire gadgets that will eliminate all discomfort and inconvenience from their lives. They have absolutely no perspective, no idea what deprivation really is.
A small example from my own life: Currently I live in a small one room apartment with a shared bath. I must walk down the hall to use a communal bathroom. Also, I dont have a bed, so I sleep on the floor. When I tell this to people, they act shocked. They immediately start to give me advice... to save me from the "suffering" I must be enduring. They recommend that I borrow money to buy a bed. They caution me to wear sandals in the bathroom, lest I catch some horrible disease.
For most Americans, a private bathroom is a "need". And so is an expensive, high, soft bed.
What's worse, our "needs" keep multiplying. A refrigerator is now a "need". A microwave is a "need". Most Americans would also list the following as needs: TV, stereo, oven, a bedroom for each occupant, a car, brand name clothes, a music collection, & health insurance. The media is working overtime to convince us that a cell phone, a computer, a home internet connection, a digital camera, a DVD player, a house, an ipod, and a host of medications are also "needs".
No wonder we are in debt. No wonder we "need" to be full time wage slaves. No wonder we are such crybabies.
Thoreau wrote, "A man is rich in proportion to the number of things he can let alone" ... or do without! At the deepest level, its not even our jobs that enslave us. Its our craving for comfort,... our spoiled insistence that life always be convenient and without discomfort. We are enslaved by full time jobs only because we must pay for all this shit.
But pampered convenience comes with a big price: your mind, your autonomy, your soul.
Scooter Trip!
After travelling 832kms I have just arrived back in London with my Zoomer. The trek took a little over 3 days in total.. going on a slow bike you need to choose a very different route so it ended up being a lot longer than expected.
Overall, it was cold but fun! Especially going through Holland was like some sort of "Ruckus Adventure Themepark", with every possible trick you could do being required at least once. But let's start from
the beginning: After taking delivery of the bike in Bad Kreuznach on Saturday morning, my first trip on it was to the outdoor sports store next day to buy some snowboarding pants. This turned out to be the best investment of the whole trip as it was COOOLD. On average it was about 0C (32F) with the coldest being way lower than that.
So, if you ask me, what kind of clothes should I be wearing driving a Ruck across Europe in January? the answer would have to be "All of them". On top of each other. I was wearing a pair of pants under my snowboard pants, a t-shirt, fat sweater, windproof jacket and snowboard jacket over the top and at times I still got stiff... but I made it without serious discomfort and/or getting sick, after all!
After leaving Bad Kreuznach I went the scenic route over smaller roads north-west. I have to say this must have been easily the worst day of the trip because it wasn't only cold, but also WET. Just cold is fine but cold + wet is deadly. The moisture will creep into your gear andslowly rob it of its insulating properties leaving you freezing todeath. There was snow on the ground in some places and overall the scenery was pretty cool, lots of forest, rivers and going up and down hills. At the end of the day I stayed in a little guesthouse in a little town in the mountains near the famous Nurburgring. The hot shower felt like heaven. I partied it up a bit in the bar with some locals who were singing along with the radio and waving sparklers in
the air and buying me round after round.
The next morning I set out early and made it up to Aachen in the afternoon. Before I could get going I had to wipe the ice of the seat of the Zoomer. At times it was so cold there was also some ice on the speedometer -- I'll post pictures of this later. In Aachen my buddy wasn't in unfortunately, and I was dismayed to find out my favourite place to eat had folded!! I carried on west over the border into the Netherlands, and stopped in Vaals to have a fockink coffee at De Fockink Cafe. The next couple of hours were pretty shitty, going through a piece of Belgium. Generally Belgium just sucks. The people
were rude as shit. Some assholes shouted obscenities at me out of the window of a wannabe gangster BMW with tribals in the back window. I gave them the one fingered salute.
Way after dark I finally made it into the Netherlands again -- and this is where the best part of the trip starts. The Dutch are mad about bicycles. Bicycles get their little lane everywhere, with their own little traffic lights, bridges, and everything. And: small motorcycles get to use the bike lanes as well! So going up towards Eindhoven was a breeze. There was a designated cycle route in the forest running alongside the main freeway going north. Trees on the left and right and a smooth paved path right down the middle where you could easily go flat out.. what fun!
Later that night I arrived in Eindhoven, tired, cold and in need of a warm place to stay. After some hunting around I got a room in a place called Benno's, which was funky and inexpensive. I had a few beers and hit the sack.
The next morning I had some coffee and set out towards Rotterdam/Hoek van Holland. Leaving Eindhoven to the west I found an awesome mud trail again running along the freeway. Zooming through there with trees on either side and flat frozen mud was a blast and really woke me up. At the end of the trail I had to go down a 45 degree vertical slope, which I barely managed braking with my feet and holding both brakes. For breakfast, I stopped at this AMAZING McDonalds just west
of Eindhoven in a place called Best. Outside, they had a 20 foot statue of Michael Jackson (ahem) and inside it looked a bit like "Jack Rabbit Slim's" from Pulp Fiction.. Old American cars hanging from the ceiling, an old Vespa and a statue of Marilyn Monroe perpetually getting air blown under her skirt. Pretty amazing attention to detail for a fast food place for sure..
Going further west the journey got easier and I got to see firsthand to what the extend the dutch are bicycle crazy. Where in Germany going on two wheels at this weather elicted stares and "you are crazy" type opinions, in the Netherlands EVERYBODY WAS OUT RIDING. And I mean everybody. Mothers with the children in a kiddy seat in the back, all bundled up. Old women. People on tandems. People on other scooters. People on weird bicycles you sort of lie in and pedal a wheel in the
air. And where people looked at the Zoomer, it drew smiles.
Late in the afternoon I was closing in on Rotterdam and this is were the Crazy Stunts section of the trip was. At some point the bicycle/moped path went up about 4 flights of metal stairs onto a bridge to cross a river. To facilitate this, there was a sort of metal guide rail going up the middle the stairs you can slot your wheels into while pushing the bike up. Even though the Zoomer tires were a bit too fat for the groove, I managed to get the thing up the stairs by walking next to it and gunning the throttle. Picture that!
Once I reached the river I needed to cross to get into downtown Rotterdam things even got more insane. I followed the signs all the way to the tunnel where I expected to be able to cross. Only: there was nothing there except for some weird building right on the waterfront. I inquired to a local and he pointed me towards the building. Inside, there were 3 big long wooden ESCALATORS where people were holding on to their bikes on the way down into the tunnel. I asked the local security guard about if its okay with the scooter and he said "Yes. Just don't drive it when you get to the bottom onlypush. And hold the brakes on the escalator".
So head down first I crammed the Ruckus on the escalator and half expected it to go tumbling down the stairs. Somehow I managed to get to the bottom and warmed up nicely pushing the thing down a 2km long tunnel while all the bicycle riders sort of ride past you grinning where you passed them grinning on the scoot 5 minutes ago on the cyclepath. On the other side there was another escalator I had to get the scoot up and this time I managed to get some cool pictures of it
as well!! You really have to see this -- stay tuned for the "A Ruckus on an Escalator" pics.
Back at the surface the path was extremely nice, following along a canal with barges passing by, the sun beginning to set and many cool little elements like cycle-only bridges. I reached the ferryport in Hoek van Holland and booked a ticket on the 10pm ferry to England and killed the remainder of the time shopping for tasty Dutch food to bring back home and chilling at a local coffeeshop where you could buy ready-rolled joints for 3 euros.
At around 21:00 I drove the scoot onto the ferry. They let me cut in front of all the cars and trucks and get in there as one of the first. On the boat the Ruckus got tied up by an old English guy who said "how far do you expect to go on THAT THING?" When I said I already rode 600kms on from Germany he got pretty quiet.
On the boat I had some dinner, smoked the doobie I got in Holland on the deck and went to bed early in my cabin, which was pretty comfortable, if somewhat claustrophobic because it was on the inside of the ship with no windows.
I got woken at around 6am by the announcement that all drivers please get on the car deck for disembarkment. I had overslept and cruised off the ferry as one of the last vehicles out and started the wobbliest part of the trip.
England overland, in sharp contrast to Netherlands, SUCKS on a scooter. Most of the roads are dual carriageways and you are within inches of your life riding on them when people are blowing past you at a hundred miles an hour. I had some close calls when a normal 2 lane blacktop I was on all of a sudden turned into a freeway and I was stuck on the shoulder. After a while the shoulder ended and I had to ride on the mud/grass on the side -- it was very hairy indeed.
Eventually I found a nice route using B-roads through little English villages most of the way to London. Then closing in on London centre something funny happened. Up to about Ilford everybody was passing me. After Ilford I tended to pass them, sitting in queues with me just breezing by next to them.
Central London was really fun -- you never really reach your 30mph top speed and pass people left and right. I snapped a pic with the scoot at Big Ben for good measure, and drove to the office to work the rest of the day.
Some conclusions: The scoot rules for central London and Holland, but overland Belgium/UK it is just too slow. Make mental note to organize a ride over to Holland with some other UK peeps. Overall, what an adventure. Stay tuned to this place, I'll upload the pics asap -- and you're gonna want to see them!
Overall, it was cold but fun! Especially going through Holland was like some sort of "Ruckus Adventure Themepark", with every possible trick you could do being required at least once. But let's start from
the beginning: After taking delivery of the bike in Bad Kreuznach on Saturday morning, my first trip on it was to the outdoor sports store next day to buy some snowboarding pants. This turned out to be the best investment of the whole trip as it was COOOLD. On average it was about 0C (32F) with the coldest being way lower than that.
So, if you ask me, what kind of clothes should I be wearing driving a Ruck across Europe in January? the answer would have to be "All of them". On top of each other. I was wearing a pair of pants under my snowboard pants, a t-shirt, fat sweater, windproof jacket and snowboard jacket over the top and at times I still got stiff... but I made it without serious discomfort and/or getting sick, after all!
After leaving Bad Kreuznach I went the scenic route over smaller roads north-west. I have to say this must have been easily the worst day of the trip because it wasn't only cold, but also WET. Just cold is fine but cold + wet is deadly. The moisture will creep into your gear andslowly rob it of its insulating properties leaving you freezing todeath. There was snow on the ground in some places and overall the scenery was pretty cool, lots of forest, rivers and going up and down hills. At the end of the day I stayed in a little guesthouse in a little town in the mountains near the famous Nurburgring. The hot shower felt like heaven. I partied it up a bit in the bar with some locals who were singing along with the radio and waving sparklers in
the air and buying me round after round.
The next morning I set out early and made it up to Aachen in the afternoon. Before I could get going I had to wipe the ice of the seat of the Zoomer. At times it was so cold there was also some ice on the speedometer -- I'll post pictures of this later. In Aachen my buddy wasn't in unfortunately, and I was dismayed to find out my favourite place to eat had folded!! I carried on west over the border into the Netherlands, and stopped in Vaals to have a fockink coffee at De Fockink Cafe. The next couple of hours were pretty shitty, going through a piece of Belgium. Generally Belgium just sucks. The people
were rude as shit. Some assholes shouted obscenities at me out of the window of a wannabe gangster BMW with tribals in the back window. I gave them the one fingered salute.
Way after dark I finally made it into the Netherlands again -- and this is where the best part of the trip starts. The Dutch are mad about bicycles. Bicycles get their little lane everywhere, with their own little traffic lights, bridges, and everything. And: small motorcycles get to use the bike lanes as well! So going up towards Eindhoven was a breeze. There was a designated cycle route in the forest running alongside the main freeway going north. Trees on the left and right and a smooth paved path right down the middle where you could easily go flat out.. what fun!
Later that night I arrived in Eindhoven, tired, cold and in need of a warm place to stay. After some hunting around I got a room in a place called Benno's, which was funky and inexpensive. I had a few beers and hit the sack.
The next morning I had some coffee and set out towards Rotterdam/Hoek van Holland. Leaving Eindhoven to the west I found an awesome mud trail again running along the freeway. Zooming through there with trees on either side and flat frozen mud was a blast and really woke me up. At the end of the trail I had to go down a 45 degree vertical slope, which I barely managed braking with my feet and holding both brakes. For breakfast, I stopped at this AMAZING McDonalds just west
of Eindhoven in a place called Best. Outside, they had a 20 foot statue of Michael Jackson (ahem) and inside it looked a bit like "Jack Rabbit Slim's" from Pulp Fiction.. Old American cars hanging from the ceiling, an old Vespa and a statue of Marilyn Monroe perpetually getting air blown under her skirt. Pretty amazing attention to detail for a fast food place for sure..
Going further west the journey got easier and I got to see firsthand to what the extend the dutch are bicycle crazy. Where in Germany going on two wheels at this weather elicted stares and "you are crazy" type opinions, in the Netherlands EVERYBODY WAS OUT RIDING. And I mean everybody. Mothers with the children in a kiddy seat in the back, all bundled up. Old women. People on tandems. People on other scooters. People on weird bicycles you sort of lie in and pedal a wheel in the
air. And where people looked at the Zoomer, it drew smiles.
Late in the afternoon I was closing in on Rotterdam and this is were the Crazy Stunts section of the trip was. At some point the bicycle/moped path went up about 4 flights of metal stairs onto a bridge to cross a river. To facilitate this, there was a sort of metal guide rail going up the middle the stairs you can slot your wheels into while pushing the bike up. Even though the Zoomer tires were a bit too fat for the groove, I managed to get the thing up the stairs by walking next to it and gunning the throttle. Picture that!
Once I reached the river I needed to cross to get into downtown Rotterdam things even got more insane. I followed the signs all the way to the tunnel where I expected to be able to cross. Only: there was nothing there except for some weird building right on the waterfront. I inquired to a local and he pointed me towards the building. Inside, there were 3 big long wooden ESCALATORS where people were holding on to their bikes on the way down into the tunnel. I asked the local security guard about if its okay with the scooter and he said "Yes. Just don't drive it when you get to the bottom onlypush. And hold the brakes on the escalator".
So head down first I crammed the Ruckus on the escalator and half expected it to go tumbling down the stairs. Somehow I managed to get to the bottom and warmed up nicely pushing the thing down a 2km long tunnel while all the bicycle riders sort of ride past you grinning where you passed them grinning on the scoot 5 minutes ago on the cyclepath. On the other side there was another escalator I had to get the scoot up and this time I managed to get some cool pictures of it
as well!! You really have to see this -- stay tuned for the "A Ruckus on an Escalator" pics.
Back at the surface the path was extremely nice, following along a canal with barges passing by, the sun beginning to set and many cool little elements like cycle-only bridges. I reached the ferryport in Hoek van Holland and booked a ticket on the 10pm ferry to England and killed the remainder of the time shopping for tasty Dutch food to bring back home and chilling at a local coffeeshop where you could buy ready-rolled joints for 3 euros.
At around 21:00 I drove the scoot onto the ferry. They let me cut in front of all the cars and trucks and get in there as one of the first. On the boat the Ruckus got tied up by an old English guy who said "how far do you expect to go on THAT THING?" When I said I already rode 600kms on from Germany he got pretty quiet.
On the boat I had some dinner, smoked the doobie I got in Holland on the deck and went to bed early in my cabin, which was pretty comfortable, if somewhat claustrophobic because it was on the inside of the ship with no windows.
I got woken at around 6am by the announcement that all drivers please get on the car deck for disembarkment. I had overslept and cruised off the ferry as one of the last vehicles out and started the wobbliest part of the trip.
England overland, in sharp contrast to Netherlands, SUCKS on a scooter. Most of the roads are dual carriageways and you are within inches of your life riding on them when people are blowing past you at a hundred miles an hour. I had some close calls when a normal 2 lane blacktop I was on all of a sudden turned into a freeway and I was stuck on the shoulder. After a while the shoulder ended and I had to ride on the mud/grass on the side -- it was very hairy indeed.
Eventually I found a nice route using B-roads through little English villages most of the way to London. Then closing in on London centre something funny happened. Up to about Ilford everybody was passing me. After Ilford I tended to pass them, sitting in queues with me just breezing by next to them.
Central London was really fun -- you never really reach your 30mph top speed and pass people left and right. I snapped a pic with the scoot at Big Ben for good measure, and drove to the office to work the rest of the day.
Some conclusions: The scoot rules for central London and Holland, but overland Belgium/UK it is just too slow. Make mental note to organize a ride over to Holland with some other UK peeps. Overall, what an adventure. Stay tuned to this place, I'll upload the pics asap -- and you're gonna want to see them!
Sunday, January 29, 2006
Good Site
Cym recommends an excellent site called "voice yourself".... its got a great spoken word poem by Woody Harrelsson. Check it out at Voice Yourself.
Woody's spoken word: Link
Woody's spoken word: Link
Friday, January 27, 2006
Don't Support the Troops
by Skald
"When a whole country is unjustly overrun and conquered by a foreign army, and subjected to military law, I think it is not too soon for honest men to rebel and revolutionize. What makes this duty the more urgent is the fact, that the country so overrun is not our own, but ours is the invading army."
--Thoreau, commenting on America's invasion of Mexico
We have a long history of this type of behavior. So long, in fact, that I marvel at the naivety of my fellow Americans. Do these flag-waving buffoons know nothing of our history? Of foreign leaders deposed or assassinated by the CIA? Of invasions of Mexico, Cuba, Nicaragua, Panama, Vietnam, Laos, etc..? Im stunned that there are so many idiots in this country.. who honestly believe that America invaded Iraq to "bring freedom".
The worst, in my opinion, are the soldiers who daily shoot, bomb, torture, and imprison Iraqis. We are cajoled to "support the troops", but how can a decent human being support this kind of behavior. These soldiers have a choice. They don't have to participate in this invasion. They don't have to fire a shot. They can refuse to obey orders.
The army recruits young, gullible, and desperate people. These kind of people are easier to control. They more readily buy propaganda. They dont ask too many questions.
Thoreau was right. To "support the troops" is a disgrace. Better to provoke them. Better to impress upon them their obligations as human beings... to think and make their own moral decisions.. and to accept the consequences of those decisions.
For those of us who have wisely chosen not to join the army, let us stop pretending to be loyal and supportive citizens. Let us withdraw both our support and our cooperation.
"How does it become a man to behave toward this American government to-day? I answer that he cannot without disgrace be associated with it." (Thoreau).
"When a whole country is unjustly overrun and conquered by a foreign army, and subjected to military law, I think it is not too soon for honest men to rebel and revolutionize. What makes this duty the more urgent is the fact, that the country so overrun is not our own, but ours is the invading army."
--Thoreau, commenting on America's invasion of Mexico
We have a long history of this type of behavior. So long, in fact, that I marvel at the naivety of my fellow Americans. Do these flag-waving buffoons know nothing of our history? Of foreign leaders deposed or assassinated by the CIA? Of invasions of Mexico, Cuba, Nicaragua, Panama, Vietnam, Laos, etc..? Im stunned that there are so many idiots in this country.. who honestly believe that America invaded Iraq to "bring freedom".
The worst, in my opinion, are the soldiers who daily shoot, bomb, torture, and imprison Iraqis. We are cajoled to "support the troops", but how can a decent human being support this kind of behavior. These soldiers have a choice. They don't have to participate in this invasion. They don't have to fire a shot. They can refuse to obey orders.
The army recruits young, gullible, and desperate people. These kind of people are easier to control. They more readily buy propaganda. They dont ask too many questions.
Thoreau was right. To "support the troops" is a disgrace. Better to provoke them. Better to impress upon them their obligations as human beings... to think and make their own moral decisions.. and to accept the consequences of those decisions.
For those of us who have wisely chosen not to join the army, let us stop pretending to be loyal and supportive citizens. Let us withdraw both our support and our cooperation.
"How does it become a man to behave toward this American government to-day? I answer that he cannot without disgrace be associated with it." (Thoreau).
Wednesday, January 25, 2006
The Joys of Laziness
by Skald
Sitting in the H2O coffee shop. They are playing the "John Tesh" radio show-- hardly a subversive program. But tonight he's talking about the "benefits of living a lazy lifestyle." According to Mr. Tesh, research shows that lazy people live much longer. They have far less stress. And they report greater satisfaction with their lives.
Of course, readers of this blog already know that! The work world loves to send the opposite message. We are bombarded with propaganda about the "work ethic". People who work 50-70 hour weeks are admired for their "dedication" and "committment". In education, students learn that boring "hard work" is valuable, while play has nothing to do with learning.
What a crock of shit. Play is what its all about.
At my current job, I dont "work" at all. Everyday I tell stories, play games, connect with cool people, and have conversations. Since my students are not native speakers, I sometimes need to explain words/grammar. But Im not working. In fact, the minute it becomes work, Ill quit.
Work sucks. Hard workers have heart attacks. Hard workers get divorced. Hard workers never see their kids. Hard workers are resentful when they get laid off.
Lazy people celebrate (time to travel !!). Lazy people play. And in my experience, lazy people are more effective on the job. They dont want to do boring things, so they find ways to make their job fun. They dont want to work hard at drudgery, so they find easier, faster, better ways to do things. They bring in other people to make things easier... and to generate more ideas. They have a rich life away from the job, and so are more fun, interesting, and innovative.
Lazy people arent afraid to sit for hours, just thinking.
Lazy people arent afraid to remain silent and just listen.
Lazy people arent afraid to share power.... in fact, they love to give it away.
Cultivate inspired laziness and become what Kerouac called, "A do-nothing man of Tao".
You'll live longer. You might even make more money.
Sitting in the H2O coffee shop. They are playing the "John Tesh" radio show-- hardly a subversive program. But tonight he's talking about the "benefits of living a lazy lifestyle." According to Mr. Tesh, research shows that lazy people live much longer. They have far less stress. And they report greater satisfaction with their lives.
Of course, readers of this blog already know that! The work world loves to send the opposite message. We are bombarded with propaganda about the "work ethic". People who work 50-70 hour weeks are admired for their "dedication" and "committment". In education, students learn that boring "hard work" is valuable, while play has nothing to do with learning.
What a crock of shit. Play is what its all about.
At my current job, I dont "work" at all. Everyday I tell stories, play games, connect with cool people, and have conversations. Since my students are not native speakers, I sometimes need to explain words/grammar. But Im not working. In fact, the minute it becomes work, Ill quit.
Work sucks. Hard workers have heart attacks. Hard workers get divorced. Hard workers never see their kids. Hard workers are resentful when they get laid off.
Lazy people celebrate (time to travel !!). Lazy people play. And in my experience, lazy people are more effective on the job. They dont want to do boring things, so they find ways to make their job fun. They dont want to work hard at drudgery, so they find easier, faster, better ways to do things. They bring in other people to make things easier... and to generate more ideas. They have a rich life away from the job, and so are more fun, interesting, and innovative.
Lazy people arent afraid to sit for hours, just thinking.
Lazy people arent afraid to remain silent and just listen.
Lazy people arent afraid to share power.... in fact, they love to give it away.
Cultivate inspired laziness and become what Kerouac called, "A do-nothing man of Tao".
You'll live longer. You might even make more money.
Sunday, January 22, 2006
Be In Love With Your Life
by Skald
"However mean your life is, meet it and live it; do not shun it and call it hard names. It is not so bad as you are. It looks poorest when you are richest. The fault-finder will find faults even in paradise. Love your life, poor as it is. You may perhaps have some pleasant, thrilling, glorious hours, even in a poor-house. The setting sun is reflected from the windows of the alms-house as brightly as from the rich man's abode; the snow melts before its door as early in the spring. I do not see but a quiet mind may live as contentedly there, and have as cheering thoughts, as in a palace. The town's poor seem to me often to live the most independent lives of any... Cultivate poverty like a garden herb, like sage. Do not trouble yourself much to get new things, whether clothes or friends. Turn the old; return to them. Things do not change; we change. Sell your clothes and keep your thoughts...
Moreover, if you are restricted in your range by poverty, you are but confined to the most significant and vital experiences; you are compelled to deal with the material which yields the most sugar and the most starch. It is life near the bone where it is sweetest. You are defended from being a trifler. Superfluous wealth can buy superfluities only. Money is not required to buy one necessary of the soul."
--Henry David Thoreau
The entire capitalist edifice is built on shaky ground. It is utterly dependent on the big lie that happiness depends on social status earned through conspicuous consumption. Without this mass delusion, it crumbles.
In America... and many other countries... poor people are trained to be ashamed. They may have plenty of food to eat. They may have an adequate place to live. They probably have functional clothing. Most of the "poor" in America are also blessed with luxuries such as TVs & stereos. Unless they are homeless, most have running hot water. Most have access to public libraries, and thus a wealth of books (and usually computers too). Physical deprivation is not the source of their misery.
Most "poor" people in America suffer as a result of shame and insecurity, not deprivation. They are taught, from birth, to envy the wealthy.... to equate worth with luxuries. Insecurity eats at them. Trained to think of themselves as "lesser", they naturally burn with anger and resentment. Their neighborhoods are often violent, mean places.
But Thoreau is right. The rich enjoy few real advantages.... and a great many handicaps. For they too believe the big lie.
Herein lies the power and magic of voluntary simplicity.... it erodes the power of delusion. Bit by bit, you come to realize that gadgets, luxuries, and wads of cash are not necessary for happiness. Get rid of your TV..... a year later you'll wonder what you ever "needed" it for. Buy your clothes at thrift shops.... and you'll soon discover that few people can tell the difference. Give away clutter: clothes you rarely wear, books you'll never read again, music you rarely listen to, appliances you never use. Downgrade to a cheap used reliable car... or switch to a motorcycle... or, best of all, live in town where a car is not necessary.
Having done all this, move to a smaller and cheaper place. Keep the process going... continually chipping away at superfluities. It doesnt have to be done all at once.
Each step will bring greater freedom. Autonomy will increase. Financial options will increase. Insecurity will slowly abate. Confidence and independence will grow. You'll need to work fewer hours.
Vouluntary simplicity is liberating. But dont stop there... go a step further. Let go of shame and envy. Follow Kerouac's advice, "Be in love with yr life". Get drunk on sunsets.... bathe in the winter rain. Be rich in love, rich in friendship, rich in experiences. Run, dance, play, read, write, breathe, observe.
"Cultivate poverty like an herb......"
"However mean your life is, meet it and live it; do not shun it and call it hard names. It is not so bad as you are. It looks poorest when you are richest. The fault-finder will find faults even in paradise. Love your life, poor as it is. You may perhaps have some pleasant, thrilling, glorious hours, even in a poor-house. The setting sun is reflected from the windows of the alms-house as brightly as from the rich man's abode; the snow melts before its door as early in the spring. I do not see but a quiet mind may live as contentedly there, and have as cheering thoughts, as in a palace. The town's poor seem to me often to live the most independent lives of any... Cultivate poverty like a garden herb, like sage. Do not trouble yourself much to get new things, whether clothes or friends. Turn the old; return to them. Things do not change; we change. Sell your clothes and keep your thoughts...
Moreover, if you are restricted in your range by poverty, you are but confined to the most significant and vital experiences; you are compelled to deal with the material which yields the most sugar and the most starch. It is life near the bone where it is sweetest. You are defended from being a trifler. Superfluous wealth can buy superfluities only. Money is not required to buy one necessary of the soul."
--Henry David Thoreau
The entire capitalist edifice is built on shaky ground. It is utterly dependent on the big lie that happiness depends on social status earned through conspicuous consumption. Without this mass delusion, it crumbles.
In America... and many other countries... poor people are trained to be ashamed. They may have plenty of food to eat. They may have an adequate place to live. They probably have functional clothing. Most of the "poor" in America are also blessed with luxuries such as TVs & stereos. Unless they are homeless, most have running hot water. Most have access to public libraries, and thus a wealth of books (and usually computers too). Physical deprivation is not the source of their misery.
Most "poor" people in America suffer as a result of shame and insecurity, not deprivation. They are taught, from birth, to envy the wealthy.... to equate worth with luxuries. Insecurity eats at them. Trained to think of themselves as "lesser", they naturally burn with anger and resentment. Their neighborhoods are often violent, mean places.
But Thoreau is right. The rich enjoy few real advantages.... and a great many handicaps. For they too believe the big lie.
Herein lies the power and magic of voluntary simplicity.... it erodes the power of delusion. Bit by bit, you come to realize that gadgets, luxuries, and wads of cash are not necessary for happiness. Get rid of your TV..... a year later you'll wonder what you ever "needed" it for. Buy your clothes at thrift shops.... and you'll soon discover that few people can tell the difference. Give away clutter: clothes you rarely wear, books you'll never read again, music you rarely listen to, appliances you never use. Downgrade to a cheap used reliable car... or switch to a motorcycle... or, best of all, live in town where a car is not necessary.
Having done all this, move to a smaller and cheaper place. Keep the process going... continually chipping away at superfluities. It doesnt have to be done all at once.
Each step will bring greater freedom. Autonomy will increase. Financial options will increase. Insecurity will slowly abate. Confidence and independence will grow. You'll need to work fewer hours.
Vouluntary simplicity is liberating. But dont stop there... go a step further. Let go of shame and envy. Follow Kerouac's advice, "Be in love with yr life". Get drunk on sunsets.... bathe in the winter rain. Be rich in love, rich in friendship, rich in experiences. Run, dance, play, read, write, breathe, observe.
"Cultivate poverty like an herb......"
Saturday, January 21, 2006
Vermin
by Skald
" I had three chairs in my house; one for solitude, two for friendship, three for society. When visitors came in larger and unexpected numbers there was but the third chair for them all, but they generally economized the room by standing up. It is surprising how many great men and women a small house will contain. I have had twenty-five or thirty souls, with their bodies, at once under my roof, and yet we often parted without being aware that we had come very near to one another. Many of our houses, both public and private, with their almost inumerable apartments, their huge halls and their cellars for the storage of wines and other munitions of peace, appear to me extravagently large for their inhabitants. They are so vast and magnificent that the latter seem to be only vermin which infest them. I am surprised when the herald blows his summons before some Tremont or Astor or Meddlesex House, to see come creeping out over the piazza for all inhabitants a ridiculous mouse, which soon again slinks into some hole in the pavement."
--Henry David Thoreau
The mainstream stereotype of Thoreau is that he was some kind of anti-social hermit. Many imagine that he lived in a hut in a remote place... cut off from others... completely alone. But this is not the case. Thoreau often mentions visitors and friends. He lived in the woods and had a great deal of solitude, but was within walking distance of Concord.
Thoreau advocated simplicity, not isolation. And he recognized that housing was the best place to start. Even in his era (pre Civil War America... 1800s), houses had become insanely large, cumbersome, and expensive. Thoreau was bewildered. He couldnt understand why people chose to work their asses off... for 30 years to life... just to pay for an unnecessarily luxurious house. So he walked into the woods, found a nice spot next to a pond, and built a small, warm, comfortable home for next to nothing. Freed from paying outrageous rent or mortgages, he had plenty of time for writing, long walks, reading, and visiting with friends.
Thoreau's choice is still available to us. We must remember the point, however. The point is not isolation. Or forced deprivation. Read Walden and you get no sense of deprivation whatsoever. Thoreau writes of abundance, freedom, ease.
We can still go into the woods. But there are other options as well. Van living is one. Or car living. Communal living is another-- this is a popular choice for new immigrants. Its not uncommon for 4, 5, 8 or more immigrants to cram into a one room apartment. And why not.
We are not enslaved by force. We are enslaved by our expectations. No where are these expectations so ridiculous as in America.
I think, for example, of a couple I met in Bangkok. The woman was American, her husband was Thai. They had a 4 year old boy and a newborn baby. I visited them one evening and was happily surprised to find them all sharing a small one room apartment... an apartment somewhat smaller than the one Im now living in.
The parents slept in a double bed. The newborn slept with them. And the young boy slept on a rollout pad at the foot of the bed. They struck me as a particularly happy and close-knit family. I asked them why they chose to live in Thailand, rather than America. Their answer, 'Life is so much easier in Thailand. Everything is simpler.'
Their arrangement would be considered "deprived" by most Americans. In the States, many think that EACH CHILD must have their own room. A living room is thought to be necessary. So too a television, stereo. Increasingly, computers are considered a "necessity" too. And a separate room for the kitchen.
Thoreau is right. We live like vermin... infesting obscenely large spaces.
And what a price we pay. In San Francisco people tell me that my rent is "very low". Im paying $500 a month! I consider that borderline obscene. In most parts of the country, its difficult to find a house for under 100,000 dollars. One hundred thousand dollars! Madness.
We're taught that more money, more money, more money is the key to happiness. If we could only make more money, we could be free. We could retire early. We could escape.
But most of us dont need more money. Its our expectations that are the problem, not our income.
Freedom starts in the mind, not the wallet.
" I had three chairs in my house; one for solitude, two for friendship, three for society. When visitors came in larger and unexpected numbers there was but the third chair for them all, but they generally economized the room by standing up. It is surprising how many great men and women a small house will contain. I have had twenty-five or thirty souls, with their bodies, at once under my roof, and yet we often parted without being aware that we had come very near to one another. Many of our houses, both public and private, with their almost inumerable apartments, their huge halls and their cellars for the storage of wines and other munitions of peace, appear to me extravagently large for their inhabitants. They are so vast and magnificent that the latter seem to be only vermin which infest them. I am surprised when the herald blows his summons before some Tremont or Astor or Meddlesex House, to see come creeping out over the piazza for all inhabitants a ridiculous mouse, which soon again slinks into some hole in the pavement."
--Henry David Thoreau
The mainstream stereotype of Thoreau is that he was some kind of anti-social hermit. Many imagine that he lived in a hut in a remote place... cut off from others... completely alone. But this is not the case. Thoreau often mentions visitors and friends. He lived in the woods and had a great deal of solitude, but was within walking distance of Concord.
Thoreau advocated simplicity, not isolation. And he recognized that housing was the best place to start. Even in his era (pre Civil War America... 1800s), houses had become insanely large, cumbersome, and expensive. Thoreau was bewildered. He couldnt understand why people chose to work their asses off... for 30 years to life... just to pay for an unnecessarily luxurious house. So he walked into the woods, found a nice spot next to a pond, and built a small, warm, comfortable home for next to nothing. Freed from paying outrageous rent or mortgages, he had plenty of time for writing, long walks, reading, and visiting with friends.
Thoreau's choice is still available to us. We must remember the point, however. The point is not isolation. Or forced deprivation. Read Walden and you get no sense of deprivation whatsoever. Thoreau writes of abundance, freedom, ease.
We can still go into the woods. But there are other options as well. Van living is one. Or car living. Communal living is another-- this is a popular choice for new immigrants. Its not uncommon for 4, 5, 8 or more immigrants to cram into a one room apartment. And why not.
We are not enslaved by force. We are enslaved by our expectations. No where are these expectations so ridiculous as in America.
I think, for example, of a couple I met in Bangkok. The woman was American, her husband was Thai. They had a 4 year old boy and a newborn baby. I visited them one evening and was happily surprised to find them all sharing a small one room apartment... an apartment somewhat smaller than the one Im now living in.
The parents slept in a double bed. The newborn slept with them. And the young boy slept on a rollout pad at the foot of the bed. They struck me as a particularly happy and close-knit family. I asked them why they chose to live in Thailand, rather than America. Their answer, 'Life is so much easier in Thailand. Everything is simpler.'
Their arrangement would be considered "deprived" by most Americans. In the States, many think that EACH CHILD must have their own room. A living room is thought to be necessary. So too a television, stereo. Increasingly, computers are considered a "necessity" too. And a separate room for the kitchen.
Thoreau is right. We live like vermin... infesting obscenely large spaces.
And what a price we pay. In San Francisco people tell me that my rent is "very low". Im paying $500 a month! I consider that borderline obscene. In most parts of the country, its difficult to find a house for under 100,000 dollars. One hundred thousand dollars! Madness.
We're taught that more money, more money, more money is the key to happiness. If we could only make more money, we could be free. We could retire early. We could escape.
But most of us dont need more money. Its our expectations that are the problem, not our income.
Freedom starts in the mind, not the wallet.
Tuesday, January 17, 2006
The Assassination
by Skald
Watched "The Assassination of Richard Nixon" last night... a great film. Frightening in fact. I felt a visceral connection to Sean Penn's character... right up until he started shooting people.
But prior to that... dead on accurate. The degradation of being an employee. The "positive-thinking" boss. The brainwashed or beat-down friends who accept it all as "normal". The frustration and rage. The questioning of one's own sanity.
"Slavery didnt end in America. Its now called employment". Thats a paraphrase from the movie and once again echoes my own experience. Is there a more degrading experience in modern American life than employment? Other than school, I cant think of one.
And whats so sick is that its a form of degraded slavery accepted by nearly everyone. Few people even acknowledge the problem. While everyone bitches about their job, few seem to arrive at the realization that perhaps employment itself is the problem--- "working for" someone else. Taking orders. Being regulated and controlled. Scolded. Managed. "Motivated". Brainwashed. "Please Mr. Boss sir, may I visit my sick mother... Ill take a week without pay?".
In fact, not only is this sick state of degradation accepted,... its actually celebrated. Countless people speak proudly of their "work ethic". I find nothing so pathetic as the loyalty of employees to companies that mistreat them.... exploit them... and eventually discard them. These poor bastards will moan about all their years of service... their belief and loyalty in the company. They feel obvious pride for their servitude. What clueless suckers.
I cant help but feel contempt for anyone.... ANYONE.... who proudly surrenders their dignity to a so called "boss". Sure many of us have to get by. And sure, some "bosses" are decent people. But at the core, the very idea of a "boss" is twisted and flawed. A healthy dose of suspicion and wariness is the only sane attitude to have towards one's employers... however nice they are as people.
The mind is the most critical battleground. Never... NEVER... EVER... accept the notion that another person has the right to claim "authority" over you.
Let us be anarchist-kings (& queens)... absolute rulers of our own lives.... each and every one of us!
Watched "The Assassination of Richard Nixon" last night... a great film. Frightening in fact. I felt a visceral connection to Sean Penn's character... right up until he started shooting people.
But prior to that... dead on accurate. The degradation of being an employee. The "positive-thinking" boss. The brainwashed or beat-down friends who accept it all as "normal". The frustration and rage. The questioning of one's own sanity.
"Slavery didnt end in America. Its now called employment". Thats a paraphrase from the movie and once again echoes my own experience. Is there a more degrading experience in modern American life than employment? Other than school, I cant think of one.
And whats so sick is that its a form of degraded slavery accepted by nearly everyone. Few people even acknowledge the problem. While everyone bitches about their job, few seem to arrive at the realization that perhaps employment itself is the problem--- "working for" someone else. Taking orders. Being regulated and controlled. Scolded. Managed. "Motivated". Brainwashed. "Please Mr. Boss sir, may I visit my sick mother... Ill take a week without pay?".
In fact, not only is this sick state of degradation accepted,... its actually celebrated. Countless people speak proudly of their "work ethic". I find nothing so pathetic as the loyalty of employees to companies that mistreat them.... exploit them... and eventually discard them. These poor bastards will moan about all their years of service... their belief and loyalty in the company. They feel obvious pride for their servitude. What clueless suckers.
I cant help but feel contempt for anyone.... ANYONE.... who proudly surrenders their dignity to a so called "boss". Sure many of us have to get by. And sure, some "bosses" are decent people. But at the core, the very idea of a "boss" is twisted and flawed. A healthy dose of suspicion and wariness is the only sane attitude to have towards one's employers... however nice they are as people.
The mind is the most critical battleground. Never... NEVER... EVER... accept the notion that another person has the right to claim "authority" over you.
Let us be anarchist-kings (& queens)... absolute rulers of our own lives.... each and every one of us!
Sunday, January 15, 2006
Secret, Sinister, Salvia,.....
by Skald
Simplicity. Subversion. "Disciplined Hedonism".
Freedom.
These are more than ends unto themselves... they are strategies to a more relaxed, interesting, and enjoyable life. As I continually stress... there are down-to-earth practical advantages to these strategies. I feel no need to emulate Gandhi for the sake of supreme enlightenment. Nor do I take comfort from Thoreau merely for philosophical reasons.
Ive got extremely selfish reasons for advocating this lifestyle. Since Ive embarked upon it,.. Ive had a better life. Ive travelled extensively and lived abroad. Ive had plenty of "free time" for writing, walking, contemplation, reading, making home videos, and anything else that captures my whim. Ive felt more autonomy and control at my jobs... less anxiety and worry. Life has not been perfect.... but there's no comparison to the years I (lamely) tried to follow the mainstream approach.
But for all their benefits, simplicity and freedom are not the whole story for most. Except for the rare loner, most of us also require a sense of community to feel happy and engaged with our lives. We are social creatures. Like wolves, we evolved to live in packs (bands, clans, tribes,... ). We have a need for support. Its an emotional need, a biological need, and increasingly-- an economic need.
This need becomes ever-more critical as modern capitalism works to crush communities and atomize families.
Hakim Bey correctly identified "addiction to bitter loneliness" as one of the most destructive aspects of modern life.
His response: the Tong...
The secret society. A band of like-minded people who meet (in person) for conviviality and support. But the "tong" goes beyond that. Its members look out for each other... help each other into jobs,... protect each other from bureaucrats, bosses, and "the law".
Im quite fond of Bey's suggestion... though secrecy is not necessarily required (unless engaged in illegal activities). Over the years, Ive been fortunate to belong to just such a tribe... a loose collection of hobopoet friends who continually look out for each other. Im in SF because, and only because, one of my "tong" came here first, and let me crash with him till I got a place. He also set me up with "freelance" income till I got a job.
Ill be doing the same for two more friends who are currently in Thailand, but will be migrating here within the next year. None of us has family here. And none of us has family who travel much. So we've created our own nomadic family.
This is a vital step on the hobopoet path.... we need to connect. We need to back each other up. We need to cover for each other, give an assist when needed, and work together to subvert the work-consume lifestyle... in secret or in the open.
Join together.
Simplicity. Subversion. "Disciplined Hedonism".
Freedom.
These are more than ends unto themselves... they are strategies to a more relaxed, interesting, and enjoyable life. As I continually stress... there are down-to-earth practical advantages to these strategies. I feel no need to emulate Gandhi for the sake of supreme enlightenment. Nor do I take comfort from Thoreau merely for philosophical reasons.
Ive got extremely selfish reasons for advocating this lifestyle. Since Ive embarked upon it,.. Ive had a better life. Ive travelled extensively and lived abroad. Ive had plenty of "free time" for writing, walking, contemplation, reading, making home videos, and anything else that captures my whim. Ive felt more autonomy and control at my jobs... less anxiety and worry. Life has not been perfect.... but there's no comparison to the years I (lamely) tried to follow the mainstream approach.
But for all their benefits, simplicity and freedom are not the whole story for most. Except for the rare loner, most of us also require a sense of community to feel happy and engaged with our lives. We are social creatures. Like wolves, we evolved to live in packs (bands, clans, tribes,... ). We have a need for support. Its an emotional need, a biological need, and increasingly-- an economic need.
This need becomes ever-more critical as modern capitalism works to crush communities and atomize families.
Hakim Bey correctly identified "addiction to bitter loneliness" as one of the most destructive aspects of modern life.
His response: the Tong...
The secret society. A band of like-minded people who meet (in person) for conviviality and support. But the "tong" goes beyond that. Its members look out for each other... help each other into jobs,... protect each other from bureaucrats, bosses, and "the law".
Im quite fond of Bey's suggestion... though secrecy is not necessarily required (unless engaged in illegal activities). Over the years, Ive been fortunate to belong to just such a tribe... a loose collection of hobopoet friends who continually look out for each other. Im in SF because, and only because, one of my "tong" came here first, and let me crash with him till I got a place. He also set me up with "freelance" income till I got a job.
Ill be doing the same for two more friends who are currently in Thailand, but will be migrating here within the next year. None of us has family here. And none of us has family who travel much. So we've created our own nomadic family.
This is a vital step on the hobopoet path.... we need to connect. We need to back each other up. We need to cover for each other, give an assist when needed, and work together to subvert the work-consume lifestyle... in secret or in the open.
Join together.
Friday, January 13, 2006
Taming the Food Lion
by Skald
In my quest for freedom and simplicity, Ive had one constant rival: food. I hate to cook... and I love to eat out. In Thailand, this was no problem. Cheap street food was everywhere. I ate Som Tam at sidewalk cafes. I indulged in cheap restaurant eats.
In fact, in Thailand I rarely thought about money at all. There was always an abundance.
Things arent quite the same in the good ole USA. Budgets are tighter. Everything is more expensive. Especially restaurants.
Dancing on the edge of poverty, Ive been forced to find alternatives... namely, cooking for myself. While Id much rather be dining in cafes.. and sampling SF's incredible selection of restaurants... I am learning a valuable skill. I am, in fact, amazed by how little money I spend now. By sticking with simple foods, Im able to eat plenty without spending much.
Bulk items are my favorite: Brown rice, nutritional yeast, nuts, amaranth. Add some soy sauce, some veggies, maybe a few spices... and you've got a super-cheap AND super-healthy meal. I bought a cheapie rice cooker, so none of this requires much time or effort on my part.
Raw foods are another great choice-- fresh fruit, dried fruit, and nuts require no preparation whatsoever.
Finally, fresh juices provide a super-jolt of nutrition with little time or expense. Just shove a variety of fruits and veggies into the juicer.... and you've got a health-cocktail.
When it comes to living a free and healthy life.. we (drastically) underestimate the importance of basic essentials. How we feed, clothe, and shelter ourselves-- those are core issues. Luxurious houses come with large mortgages.... which necessitate long working hours to pay them. Expensive clothes likewise create an addiction to wage-slavery.
But its not too difficult to bypass these traps. Few of us need more than a small and comfortable room with a bathroom and tiny kitchen. Few of us need more than a small, cheap, used car (and some of us dont need a vehicle at all). None of us "needs" to eat crap processed food.... or dine in expensive restaurants.
Nor do we "need" televisions. Or stereos. Or huge CD/DVD collections. Or high-tech gadgets. These are all superfluous luxuries... and in most cases... they are actually detrimental to a happy, free, enjoyable life.
Thats the paradox of simplicity. Most people think "voluntary simplicity" is synonymous with deprivation. Its quite the opposite. Simplicity frees us. Simplicity enriches our lives and opens MORE possibilities. Simplicity increases our financial flexibility, freedom, and power. Simplicity gives us more time.
And simplicity makes us less dependent on wage slavery.
Less is More.
Much More.
In my quest for freedom and simplicity, Ive had one constant rival: food. I hate to cook... and I love to eat out. In Thailand, this was no problem. Cheap street food was everywhere. I ate Som Tam at sidewalk cafes. I indulged in cheap restaurant eats.
In fact, in Thailand I rarely thought about money at all. There was always an abundance.
Things arent quite the same in the good ole USA. Budgets are tighter. Everything is more expensive. Especially restaurants.
Dancing on the edge of poverty, Ive been forced to find alternatives... namely, cooking for myself. While Id much rather be dining in cafes.. and sampling SF's incredible selection of restaurants... I am learning a valuable skill. I am, in fact, amazed by how little money I spend now. By sticking with simple foods, Im able to eat plenty without spending much.
Bulk items are my favorite: Brown rice, nutritional yeast, nuts, amaranth. Add some soy sauce, some veggies, maybe a few spices... and you've got a super-cheap AND super-healthy meal. I bought a cheapie rice cooker, so none of this requires much time or effort on my part.
Raw foods are another great choice-- fresh fruit, dried fruit, and nuts require no preparation whatsoever.
Finally, fresh juices provide a super-jolt of nutrition with little time or expense. Just shove a variety of fruits and veggies into the juicer.... and you've got a health-cocktail.
When it comes to living a free and healthy life.. we (drastically) underestimate the importance of basic essentials. How we feed, clothe, and shelter ourselves-- those are core issues. Luxurious houses come with large mortgages.... which necessitate long working hours to pay them. Expensive clothes likewise create an addiction to wage-slavery.
But its not too difficult to bypass these traps. Few of us need more than a small and comfortable room with a bathroom and tiny kitchen. Few of us need more than a small, cheap, used car (and some of us dont need a vehicle at all). None of us "needs" to eat crap processed food.... or dine in expensive restaurants.
Nor do we "need" televisions. Or stereos. Or huge CD/DVD collections. Or high-tech gadgets. These are all superfluous luxuries... and in most cases... they are actually detrimental to a happy, free, enjoyable life.
Thats the paradox of simplicity. Most people think "voluntary simplicity" is synonymous with deprivation. Its quite the opposite. Simplicity frees us. Simplicity enriches our lives and opens MORE possibilities. Simplicity increases our financial flexibility, freedom, and power. Simplicity gives us more time.
And simplicity makes us less dependent on wage slavery.
Less is More.
Much More.
Sunday, January 08, 2006
by Skald
The game world, as Leary called it... the world of human society and human interaction. Easy to forget its only a tiny slice of life, the universe, and everything. Our conditioning teaches us to myopically focus on human society. We read the newspaper, watch TV news, and stay up to date on "current events". We fret and worry about the doings of far away people. We become enraged by the actions of leaders.... we bemoan the state of "the world". We feel these events are important... vital. But perhaps they are less significant than we imagine. Thoreau considered all "news" to be gossip and nothing more.
Easy to forget. To become lost in language and symbols. Its easy to be a pessimist if human gossip consumes your mind.
But other worlds and other worldviews exist. In the vast, cosmic, Carl Sagan sense.... human society appears barely significant. Could there be far bigger, and more intimate, issues than what's happening in Iraq? As a society, Americans tend to shun big issues. They steer away from questions of life and death. They avoid thinking about disease, impermanence, interconnectedness. They strap on the blinders and firmly avoid a wider perspective.
But while scary..... there are practical, game-world benefits to contemplation: thinking about the nature of life and death, detaching from human society for a while, taking a respite from language.
These activities put the game-world in perspective... allow us to be less emotionally tied to its outcomes. Optimism tends to flower when this occurs...... because its easier to be an optimist when humanity is not your only benchmark.
Quite amazing, really, how narrow and backwater our perspective is. Scientist and philosophers have given us a glimpse into the infinite: billions of galaxies... each with billions of stars and planets. Infinite, non-local connections. Awesome internal vistas of the mind.... infinite sky mind at large. Matter and energy dancing, flowing... winking in and out of existence. Our own species... spinning in a millions-of-years evolutionary dance.
But what occupies our minds on a daily basis?
How many widgets can we sell? How many numbers are in our bank account? What some jackass in Washington is doing?
Avoidance and escape-- the roots of America's tragedy.
The game world, as Leary called it... the world of human society and human interaction. Easy to forget its only a tiny slice of life, the universe, and everything. Our conditioning teaches us to myopically focus on human society. We read the newspaper, watch TV news, and stay up to date on "current events". We fret and worry about the doings of far away people. We become enraged by the actions of leaders.... we bemoan the state of "the world". We feel these events are important... vital. But perhaps they are less significant than we imagine. Thoreau considered all "news" to be gossip and nothing more.
Easy to forget. To become lost in language and symbols. Its easy to be a pessimist if human gossip consumes your mind.
But other worlds and other worldviews exist. In the vast, cosmic, Carl Sagan sense.... human society appears barely significant. Could there be far bigger, and more intimate, issues than what's happening in Iraq? As a society, Americans tend to shun big issues. They steer away from questions of life and death. They avoid thinking about disease, impermanence, interconnectedness. They strap on the blinders and firmly avoid a wider perspective.
But while scary..... there are practical, game-world benefits to contemplation: thinking about the nature of life and death, detaching from human society for a while, taking a respite from language.
These activities put the game-world in perspective... allow us to be less emotionally tied to its outcomes. Optimism tends to flower when this occurs...... because its easier to be an optimist when humanity is not your only benchmark.
Quite amazing, really, how narrow and backwater our perspective is. Scientist and philosophers have given us a glimpse into the infinite: billions of galaxies... each with billions of stars and planets. Infinite, non-local connections. Awesome internal vistas of the mind.... infinite sky mind at large. Matter and energy dancing, flowing... winking in and out of existence. Our own species... spinning in a millions-of-years evolutionary dance.
But what occupies our minds on a daily basis?
How many widgets can we sell? How many numbers are in our bank account? What some jackass in Washington is doing?
Avoidance and escape-- the roots of America's tragedy.
Friday, January 06, 2006
Authority
by Skald
Ive been accused of "having a problem with authority". But thats not quite true. The truth is, I dont even understand the concept of authority. It baffles me that people give more weight to other people than to themselves. It baffles me that they trust other people's judgement more than their own.
Many people seem to place importance on arbitrary titles... such as "boss", "president", "teacher", "student", "client". I do my best to pay lip-service to these roles... but at heart I just see people. I dont see much difference between the "boss" and the "employee". Or the teacher and student.
In the end, I instinctively feel I have the right to do whatever I want to do. How can anyone be more of an "authority" on my life than me? How can I expect them to know what is best for me?
Deference to authority strikes me as infantile... a failure to advance beyond childhood. Obedient people are emotional retards who never learned to take responsibility for their own lives. They disguise their infantile state with appeals to "morality", "patriotism", "responsibility", "maturity", etc. But at heart they are cowards or simpletons.
They love to quote "them".... "the experts". They live by "conventional wisdom"....... by the accepted "rules" of society or media. And they trust these sources more than their own experience. They love to say things like, "you cant do that"... or "you must do this".
Its not only a tragic stance on life... its vaguely pathetic. Where do all these rules come from? And why do so many accept them without question?
Simply put, there are no authorities. No one knows better than you. And no one is better than you. The concept of authority is, at its root, a demeaning one.... a lie... a control mechanism and nothing more.
Recognize no authority but your own.
Ive been accused of "having a problem with authority". But thats not quite true. The truth is, I dont even understand the concept of authority. It baffles me that people give more weight to other people than to themselves. It baffles me that they trust other people's judgement more than their own.
Many people seem to place importance on arbitrary titles... such as "boss", "president", "teacher", "student", "client". I do my best to pay lip-service to these roles... but at heart I just see people. I dont see much difference between the "boss" and the "employee". Or the teacher and student.
In the end, I instinctively feel I have the right to do whatever I want to do. How can anyone be more of an "authority" on my life than me? How can I expect them to know what is best for me?
Deference to authority strikes me as infantile... a failure to advance beyond childhood. Obedient people are emotional retards who never learned to take responsibility for their own lives. They disguise their infantile state with appeals to "morality", "patriotism", "responsibility", "maturity", etc. But at heart they are cowards or simpletons.
They love to quote "them".... "the experts". They live by "conventional wisdom"....... by the accepted "rules" of society or media. And they trust these sources more than their own experience. They love to say things like, "you cant do that"... or "you must do this".
Its not only a tragic stance on life... its vaguely pathetic. Where do all these rules come from? And why do so many accept them without question?
Simply put, there are no authorities. No one knows better than you. And no one is better than you. The concept of authority is, at its root, a demeaning one.... a lie... a control mechanism and nothing more.
Recognize no authority but your own.
Tuesday, January 03, 2006
Just Let Go!
by Skald
"Stop trying to control things and just let go....!"
--from Fight Club
This line from Fight Club is my new mantra. Its a very strange thing.. the way culture and environment effect us. Since returning to America Ive felt a surge of anxiety. The rules of the culture awaken... start chatting in my head. I find that Im criticizing myself all the time (for my "irresponsible") hobopoet lifestyle. I feel more timid... and doubts plague me.
After a month of doubt and stress, I began to question my sanity... just what the hell was going on? Where was the confidence Id had prior to coming here? Where was the audacity? The trust in my self...?
As I thought of this, one phrase came to mind: "Anxiety Culture". I followed the link to the website of that same name and found my mental state mapped out in great detail: guilt, worry, distraction, doubt.
Culture is powerful. In truth, we are not domesticated by violent methods. We are domesticated by belief systems... systems of thought that work to undermine our independence, our defiance, our natural ease. I rarely felt these systems in Thailand... a blessing of being a foreigner who did not speak the language. But as soon as I landed in my home country, they kicked in with a ferocity I didnt expect.
And they are still with me... now requiring great mental effort and discipline to root out. Though Im employed and have food and shelter and basic needs met... powerful anxiety lingers. "What if I lose my job?" (always a risk for me). "What if I can't make new friends... can I be successful socially in such a materialistic culture"? "How can I save more money and have more financial security?", "How much should I conform... or pretend to conform?", "Do I dare reveal my true feelings, thoughts, and actions to anyone here?"..... on and on and on. Some based on rational risk assessments... some completely irrational (yet very powerful).
Im sure most people have had these thoughts and feelings... and Im sure most people attribute them to personal psychology. That was my first instinct... but now Im not so sure. Why was I so much more relaxed in Thailand.... with dwindling cash? Why did these insecurities kick in so powerfully the instant I landed in the US? And why do they persist so stubbornly despite my relatively safe situation now?
Media and culture are my prime suspects. Uncharacteristically, I have watched a bit of TV since landing here... (a huge mistake I have since corrected). I also have no connection to like-minded hobopoets here. Not only do I feel foreign and alien... I feel "wrong".
Which brings me back to Fight Club. There is tremendous wisdom and power in that line. Just Let Go. I may indeed lose my job. I may indeed be forced out of my apt. as a result. I may indeed fail to connect with people here. I may go completely broke.
And so what? These are not things I normally worry about.... (being blessed with a family that would never let me starve... and two degrees that allow me to find income quickly... almost anywhere).
External enemies are easy to blame. So easy to rant about "George Bush", or "Iraq", or even "work". But its our minds that give them power. Its the guilt, insecurity, doubt, and distraction that ultimately ensure our alienation... and our obedience.
And so it is the mind that is truly the battle ground... where the root of this work-consume-die sickness begins.
And ends.
"Stop trying to control things and just let go....!"
--from Fight Club
This line from Fight Club is my new mantra. Its a very strange thing.. the way culture and environment effect us. Since returning to America Ive felt a surge of anxiety. The rules of the culture awaken... start chatting in my head. I find that Im criticizing myself all the time (for my "irresponsible") hobopoet lifestyle. I feel more timid... and doubts plague me.
After a month of doubt and stress, I began to question my sanity... just what the hell was going on? Where was the confidence Id had prior to coming here? Where was the audacity? The trust in my self...?
As I thought of this, one phrase came to mind: "Anxiety Culture". I followed the link to the website of that same name and found my mental state mapped out in great detail: guilt, worry, distraction, doubt.
Culture is powerful. In truth, we are not domesticated by violent methods. We are domesticated by belief systems... systems of thought that work to undermine our independence, our defiance, our natural ease. I rarely felt these systems in Thailand... a blessing of being a foreigner who did not speak the language. But as soon as I landed in my home country, they kicked in with a ferocity I didnt expect.
And they are still with me... now requiring great mental effort and discipline to root out. Though Im employed and have food and shelter and basic needs met... powerful anxiety lingers. "What if I lose my job?" (always a risk for me). "What if I can't make new friends... can I be successful socially in such a materialistic culture"? "How can I save more money and have more financial security?", "How much should I conform... or pretend to conform?", "Do I dare reveal my true feelings, thoughts, and actions to anyone here?"..... on and on and on. Some based on rational risk assessments... some completely irrational (yet very powerful).
Im sure most people have had these thoughts and feelings... and Im sure most people attribute them to personal psychology. That was my first instinct... but now Im not so sure. Why was I so much more relaxed in Thailand.... with dwindling cash? Why did these insecurities kick in so powerfully the instant I landed in the US? And why do they persist so stubbornly despite my relatively safe situation now?
Media and culture are my prime suspects. Uncharacteristically, I have watched a bit of TV since landing here... (a huge mistake I have since corrected). I also have no connection to like-minded hobopoets here. Not only do I feel foreign and alien... I feel "wrong".
Which brings me back to Fight Club. There is tremendous wisdom and power in that line. Just Let Go. I may indeed lose my job. I may indeed be forced out of my apt. as a result. I may indeed fail to connect with people here. I may go completely broke.
And so what? These are not things I normally worry about.... (being blessed with a family that would never let me starve... and two degrees that allow me to find income quickly... almost anywhere).
External enemies are easy to blame. So easy to rant about "George Bush", or "Iraq", or even "work". But its our minds that give them power. Its the guilt, insecurity, doubt, and distraction that ultimately ensure our alienation... and our obedience.
And so it is the mind that is truly the battle ground... where the root of this work-consume-die sickness begins.
And ends.
Sunday, January 01, 2006
Salsa
by Skald
Had a fantastic New Years eve last night.... brought in the new year at a salsa club.... shuffling like Mr. Roboto as others spun, twirled, and grooved. But what the fuck... the music was great. And Im hooked. Already thinking of taking salsa lessons. After two years in Asia.. Im ready for some salsa boogie in my life.
Last night was another illustration of SF's amazing diversity... latin music... but the dance floor was a UN assembly of nationalities/cultures. There's major mojo there.... in that blend. Its unique, few places on earth have this many cultures, religions, sexual orientations, etc. peacefully coexisting, cooperating, dancing together, dating, working, and thriving.
For all my viceral criticisms of the good ole USA, this is one aspect of America that I love. This is our power! This is our promise! And this is our future...( if we have one )!
Tear down the fences. Open the borders!
Had a fantastic New Years eve last night.... brought in the new year at a salsa club.... shuffling like Mr. Roboto as others spun, twirled, and grooved. But what the fuck... the music was great. And Im hooked. Already thinking of taking salsa lessons. After two years in Asia.. Im ready for some salsa boogie in my life.
Last night was another illustration of SF's amazing diversity... latin music... but the dance floor was a UN assembly of nationalities/cultures. There's major mojo there.... in that blend. Its unique, few places on earth have this many cultures, religions, sexual orientations, etc. peacefully coexisting, cooperating, dancing together, dating, working, and thriving.
For all my viceral criticisms of the good ole USA, this is one aspect of America that I love. This is our power! This is our promise! And this is our future...( if we have one )!
Tear down the fences. Open the borders!
Saturday, December 31, 2005
New Year, New City
by Skald
The clouds just broke.... rain tailing off... sun suddenly lights the streets of SF.
New Years Eve, 2005. A new year begins tonight, and once again I find myself in a new city... starting over. Im forever starting over.
While I adjust to this new place, I find that I am most grateful for friends Ive made all over the globe. Im grateful that now, thanks to the internet, email, Skype, etc... I am able to stay in contact with them. They have supported me from afar... helped me to deal with the loneliness and stress that inevitably comes with moviing.
For me, the best part of this technology is the relationships it makes possible... that I can stay connected to dear friends in Thailand, Japan, Malaysia, Europe, and Georgia.
Thanks to all of you.
And Happy New Year!
The clouds just broke.... rain tailing off... sun suddenly lights the streets of SF.
New Years Eve, 2005. A new year begins tonight, and once again I find myself in a new city... starting over. Im forever starting over.
While I adjust to this new place, I find that I am most grateful for friends Ive made all over the globe. Im grateful that now, thanks to the internet, email, Skype, etc... I am able to stay in contact with them. They have supported me from afar... helped me to deal with the loneliness and stress that inevitably comes with moviing.
For me, the best part of this technology is the relationships it makes possible... that I can stay connected to dear friends in Thailand, Japan, Malaysia, Europe, and Georgia.
Thanks to all of you.
And Happy New Year!
Wednesday, December 28, 2005
Among the Heretics
by Skald
Restless night downtown... sounds of drunks and sirens woke me frequently.... yet strangely happy to be among the mess of humanity. The suburban quiet in south of Mission was killing me.
Now Im where I belong, among the homeless, drunks, weirdos, freaks, and lonely souls. And so the city is growing on me. While this is America... there is something different about this place. SF in some ways seems to be its own little city-state-- far, far removed from realities in Georgia. In SF we've got legal pot clubs, and the most diverse population Ive ever seen in the United States.
Is it a coincidence that the Bay Area is a super-charged economic dynamo of innovation? That the cutting edge tech sector calls it home?
I doubt it. Diversity is SF's power source. Strolling its streets, I hear more foreign languages than I hear English. I see more Asian, Latino, and "Black" faces than "white".
At least there is one such place.
Restless night downtown... sounds of drunks and sirens woke me frequently.... yet strangely happy to be among the mess of humanity. The suburban quiet in south of Mission was killing me.
Now Im where I belong, among the homeless, drunks, weirdos, freaks, and lonely souls. And so the city is growing on me. While this is America... there is something different about this place. SF in some ways seems to be its own little city-state-- far, far removed from realities in Georgia. In SF we've got legal pot clubs, and the most diverse population Ive ever seen in the United States.
Is it a coincidence that the Bay Area is a super-charged economic dynamo of innovation? That the cutting edge tech sector calls it home?
I doubt it. Diversity is SF's power source. Strolling its streets, I hear more foreign languages than I hear English. I see more Asian, Latino, and "Black" faces than "white".
At least there is one such place.
Thursday, December 22, 2005
Bread & Circus
Thoughts from a European Hobopoet reader:
Hello Skald,
Just wanted to check in with you and let you know I can totally relate to what you're saying. The worthlessness of some of the things people concern themselves with is a big laughing point of western culture to me. It's by no means an American phenomenon though -- it's a generally western one. People in Germany watch game shows and informercials with the same fervour Brits use to read celebrity magazines, so do Norwegians or Australians.
Recently I got a job working for a company which acts as a broker between paparazzi and glossy celebrity magazines you find in your grocery checkout aisle. I work their IT systems and don't concern myself with the nature of the businesses I work for too much. At the end of the day I think of myself as a "digital plumber" and whether it's stock trades or pictures of Kylie Minogues' ass being sent down the wire doesn't matter. It's all the same to me.
But I've done some thinking on the subject, as you do. I believe you can file the whole stupid celebrity phenomenon under the "Bread & Circuses" category. But in some way it pisses me off.
People are getting killed in Iraq and elsewhere, right as you read this. Corporations are taking over the planet. The environment is being destroyed at an alarming rate. Species are going extinct every day and they are never coming back. Billions of people are living in abject poverty and all you can concert yourself with is... how Britney Spear's marriage is going? Aren't there more important things you could be reading about? When I see a person on the bus reading these trash magazines I have to fight a strong urge to slap it out of their hand and yell "Wake up! There are more important things happening in the world right now than this shit!"
But, people are free, and this means free to be as stupid to be as they'd like. They do their thing and I do mine. I consider it
bubblegum for the mind. Whatever...
I dig what you said about stupid posturing. Check the attached video. It's the ultimate example of retarded posing, possibly the best I've ever seen. Do something that's stupid enough to begin with and then fuck it up, only to try to act all cool about it afterwards trying to appear "tough". Especially check the comments near the end of the video.
Skald, for thinking, feeling people like us it's hard to accept we live in a world full of idiots, and even harder to find a niche in it that makes us happy. Please continue to write about how you get on on your quest, as it might give me clues on how to persevere on mine.
Hello Skald,
Just wanted to check in with you and let you know I can totally relate to what you're saying. The worthlessness of some of the things people concern themselves with is a big laughing point of western culture to me. It's by no means an American phenomenon though -- it's a generally western one. People in Germany watch game shows and informercials with the same fervour Brits use to read celebrity magazines, so do Norwegians or Australians.
Recently I got a job working for a company which acts as a broker between paparazzi and glossy celebrity magazines you find in your grocery checkout aisle. I work their IT systems and don't concern myself with the nature of the businesses I work for too much. At the end of the day I think of myself as a "digital plumber" and whether it's stock trades or pictures of Kylie Minogues' ass being sent down the wire doesn't matter. It's all the same to me.
But I've done some thinking on the subject, as you do. I believe you can file the whole stupid celebrity phenomenon under the "Bread & Circuses" category. But in some way it pisses me off.
People are getting killed in Iraq and elsewhere, right as you read this. Corporations are taking over the planet. The environment is being destroyed at an alarming rate. Species are going extinct every day and they are never coming back. Billions of people are living in abject poverty and all you can concert yourself with is... how Britney Spear's marriage is going? Aren't there more important things you could be reading about? When I see a person on the bus reading these trash magazines I have to fight a strong urge to slap it out of their hand and yell "Wake up! There are more important things happening in the world right now than this shit!"
But, people are free, and this means free to be as stupid to be as they'd like. They do their thing and I do mine. I consider it
bubblegum for the mind. Whatever...
I dig what you said about stupid posturing. Check the attached video. It's the ultimate example of retarded posing, possibly the best I've ever seen. Do something that's stupid enough to begin with and then fuck it up, only to try to act all cool about it afterwards trying to appear "tough". Especially check the comments near the end of the video.
Skald, for thinking, feeling people like us it's hard to accept we live in a world full of idiots, and even harder to find a niche in it that makes us happy. Please continue to write about how you get on on your quest, as it might give me clues on how to persevere on mine.
Wednesday, December 21, 2005
The Rich and The Wretched
by Skald
The streets of SF really are mean... at least for the thousands of homeless people who scrape by on the sidewalks. I was almost among them. And that was quite terrifying.
In the past I experimented with what I called voluntary homelessness. The word "voluntary" is extremely important. I chose to live in my vehicle. Thus, I had enough money to buy a vehicle in the first place... and keep it maintained. I also had the time to outfit it for living (blacked out windows, bed and storage containers, extra battery, electric fan, etc.). While difficult at times, in general I enjoyed both of my car/van living experiences.
And thats what I should really call them.. because I was not really "homeless". I had a home-- my vehicle. While tiny, the car/van still gave me privacy, shelter from rain. a place to keep my stuff, and a safe (locked) place to sleep.
Involuntary homeless people, living on the street, have none of these. They are exposed. To the weather. To the whims of the police. To criminals and hustlers. Its a mean existence.... just look into their faces. Most look worn, lined, and desperate.
I was nearly among them. In two weeks I must vacate my friends place.. where Ive been sleeping on a couch (his roommate wants me out). I was (and am) broke... and living in the city with perhaps the highest rent in the world. Over the last two weeks, my apartment search became panicked. I began to contemplate life on the street. Where would I sleep? Would I get hassled?
And how in the world would I keep my job... without a place to shower and keep clean clothes?
Yesterday, thanks to a tip from a student, I found an affordable place. I dodged the bullet and will not become homeless.
But in a strange way I am grateful for the terror.... for it made me much more sensitive to what the hordes of SF homeless are going through. How can they survive in a city where 800 a month is considered dirt cheap (and dont forget the additional 800-1500 required deposit to move in,... plus most places do credit checks)? How do they get by, day to day?
And how in the hell do they dig themselves out of that situation? For thousands and thousands of people here, there simply is no affordable housing. Worse, after a few weeks on the street, homeless people take on a dirty and disheveled appearance... making job hunting nearly impossible.
And so you see them everywhere... usually congregated near upscale shopping areas. They hold out a cup to the city's wealthy. But few give them more than an annoying scowl.
Nor is the city helping... rents just keep climbing and climbing.
I have heard and read many times that SF is at the cutting edge of America... that what starts here often spreads across the country. If true, we can all look forward to an ever widening gulf between the well-off and the impoverished.
Which is kind of ironic. Countries like India and China are growing.... but we are heading towards Indianization-- a small group of very wealthy people (say 40% of the population)... and a large group of ever more desperate strugglers.
The so called "third world" is rising. And we are falling fast.
The streets of SF really are mean... at least for the thousands of homeless people who scrape by on the sidewalks. I was almost among them. And that was quite terrifying.
In the past I experimented with what I called voluntary homelessness. The word "voluntary" is extremely important. I chose to live in my vehicle. Thus, I had enough money to buy a vehicle in the first place... and keep it maintained. I also had the time to outfit it for living (blacked out windows, bed and storage containers, extra battery, electric fan, etc.). While difficult at times, in general I enjoyed both of my car/van living experiences.
And thats what I should really call them.. because I was not really "homeless". I had a home-- my vehicle. While tiny, the car/van still gave me privacy, shelter from rain. a place to keep my stuff, and a safe (locked) place to sleep.
Involuntary homeless people, living on the street, have none of these. They are exposed. To the weather. To the whims of the police. To criminals and hustlers. Its a mean existence.... just look into their faces. Most look worn, lined, and desperate.
I was nearly among them. In two weeks I must vacate my friends place.. where Ive been sleeping on a couch (his roommate wants me out). I was (and am) broke... and living in the city with perhaps the highest rent in the world. Over the last two weeks, my apartment search became panicked. I began to contemplate life on the street. Where would I sleep? Would I get hassled?
And how in the world would I keep my job... without a place to shower and keep clean clothes?
Yesterday, thanks to a tip from a student, I found an affordable place. I dodged the bullet and will not become homeless.
But in a strange way I am grateful for the terror.... for it made me much more sensitive to what the hordes of SF homeless are going through. How can they survive in a city where 800 a month is considered dirt cheap (and dont forget the additional 800-1500 required deposit to move in,... plus most places do credit checks)? How do they get by, day to day?
And how in the hell do they dig themselves out of that situation? For thousands and thousands of people here, there simply is no affordable housing. Worse, after a few weeks on the street, homeless people take on a dirty and disheveled appearance... making job hunting nearly impossible.
And so you see them everywhere... usually congregated near upscale shopping areas. They hold out a cup to the city's wealthy. But few give them more than an annoying scowl.
Nor is the city helping... rents just keep climbing and climbing.
I have heard and read many times that SF is at the cutting edge of America... that what starts here often spreads across the country. If true, we can all look forward to an ever widening gulf between the well-off and the impoverished.
Which is kind of ironic. Countries like India and China are growing.... but we are heading towards Indianization-- a small group of very wealthy people (say 40% of the population)... and a large group of ever more desperate strugglers.
The so called "third world" is rising. And we are falling fast.
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