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Monday, February 20, 2006
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Knowledge is...
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For a majority of our existence, we are taught the age old adage that "Knowledge is Power." Every level of schooling, religion, wisdom, GI Joe ("...and knowing is half the battle!"), teaches us that knowledge is the key to a meaningful and productive existence. But at what point does too much knowledge become detrimental to our own existence? Now I'm not referring to an innocent bystander who inadvertently witnessed a mob hit, or the measly bean counter who crunches numbers in the basement of Enron, covering the tracks of the executive swine 90 floors above him. Not the kind of knowledge that can incriminate you or result in the loss of your thumbs. What I'm referring to is the simple, logical truth of life and the world around us.
I don't know if it's a result of my progressing age, or simply an innate desire to keep the wheels in my brain churning to prevent atrophy; but for the past 5 years or so I have developed a growing obsession with the current events of the world. Whether it's the madness in the Middle East, the growing economic and civil turmoil in Southeast Asia, or the rapid recession of the Arctic icecaps...if there's something going on anywhere on this planet, I want - and need - to know about it.
Looking back, if I had to pick one moment that may have triggered this current passion, it would most certainly have to be the events of 9/11. I honestly don't recall the frequency in which I watched the news before that day, but I do know that every single day since then I have become a certifiable news junkie. Every day I peruse the CNN and BBC websites 6-7 times, covering nearly every section they offer. My intent in doing so has never been a conscious thought to me, other than the fact that I felt once again...Knowledge is Power. This especially holds true in my ever-growing interest in politics. I cannot simply stand by and say, "Holy shit things are fucked up...this Bush guy is horrible" without knowing exactly why, and being able to confirm and validate my opinion. To do anything less would be just plain ignorant. And so for the most part it has been an invaluable tool in not only the votes I cast during each election from top to bottom; but has helped me to strengthen my core truths and beliefs as an individual and an American. So in that regard, my "obsession" has been beneficial.
Anyone who watches the news with regularity will tell you it's morbid, depressing, riddled with the worst of the worst. Because as we all know, the crazier the shit, the better the ratings. From the most reputable world and national news coverage, to the lowest backwoods local news broadcasts, it's crime, devastation, looting and laundering. From the grease fire in Mabel's kitchen to the insider trading on the New York Stock Exchange. Everyone knows what the news is all about. And in the time I've immersed myself in this, I always maintained a level head and a mindset that 90% of what I see is about ratings. You simply have to read in between the lines and the bullshit. Somewhere in that thick cloud of over dramatized programming lays an inevitable truth. I get it, and with my keen X-Ray glasses I have been able to see through it. Although admittedly, it can be cumbersome in large doses.
A few days ago I finished reading a book entitled "What Every American Needs to Know About the Rest of the World". It's a comprehensive breakdown of the most significant countries of the world broken down by the areas that are at the boiling point (the entire Middle East), the areas that the on the verge of hitting the boiling point (North Korea, Iran, Venezuela...), and the countries that are caught in the middle and becoming increasingly irritated by them all (most of Europe). It's loaded with facts, figures, the history of what created the current global tensions, and the direction these situations are heading in. When I saw it in the bookstore, I knew I had to have it. I would now be able to eliminate all of the bullshit, the slander, the one-sided bias...everything the current world media portrays. I would now be able to view the facts as history has written and begin to fully understand why so many of these countries are at each other's throats. Maybe then I would gain a deeper appreciation for the world we live in and see things objectively from both sides.
What did I learn? I learned that our country meddles WAY too much in the business of others and for every hand we have down the pants of one country, there are 5 more I never knew of. We arm the world...dozens upon dozens of countries with trillions and trillions of dollars worth of weapons. Most of which are now being used against us. I learned that more than 60% of all global conflicts are the result of our obsession and inability to live without oil. These things I've known about, but I never realized to what extent. It's mind-boggling.
My intent here is not to go on another political, gloom & doom rant. But as I have continued my aggressive plight for knowledge of all things pertaining to the world we live in, while having it completely dissected country by country, I came to a terrifying realization...things are not good. In fact, they are far worse than I had ever imagined.
As I concluded my book, I spent the next few days in a gloomy daze. Contemplative, pessimistic, and increasingly hopeless. And so the question inevitably arose in my head...is too much knowledge too much to handle? Have I crossed the threshold of tolerance to the world around me? Has the media machine finally broken down what was once a seemingly impenetrable and defiant fortress?
And so I find myself at a crossroad. Perhaps I should back off and take the route of ignorance. I hear it's quite a blissful place. Then again, once you know, you know...there's no turning back. Perhaps I could find a way to use this knowledge for good. Encourage others to use less of the oil that controls our existence and invokes dozens of wars. Of course as I ride around in my massive gas-guzzling SUV that gets a paltry 12 miles per gallon, I might consider changing my license plate to HYPOCRIT.
At this point, I don't know. What I do know is that the world is very cyclical. The ebb and flow has gone on for millennia. Things worsen; we wipe out a good portion of our species, use it as a wakeup call, and hopefully learn from it. We seem to be rapidly approaching another wakeup call.
Perhaps it's the knowledge of our past that we need to be more in tune with so that we may better the reality of the present and our future.
The KNOWLEDGE of our past IS the POWER of our future. Now it all makes sense... |
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posted by Boyce
8:15 PM
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Saturday, February 18, 2006
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Olympic Fever!!
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Olympic fever is here people! Can ya feel it?? OK, I'll give you a minute........
...still not feeling anything huh? Don't worry, recent estimates show that only 814 people in the continental United States possess enough Olympic spirit to watch it somewhat regularly. (Margin of error +/- 600...although it's probably minus)
What's not to love about these games? Athletes commit 4 years of their lives training like dogs, sacrificing all they have for that one moment of glory. To stand high on a pedestal with a chunk of precious metal dangling from their necks as they ever so dramatically fight back tears of joy. 4 years of blood and sweat for the grand daddy of all payoffs; the "money shot across the chest" of the Olympic games...when they play the national anthem of the gold medallists country.
For 2 minutes, this stud experiences the ultimate high when they look down on 2 far more inferior medals and proudly proclaim, "I'm the king (or queen) of the fucking world!!" (Of course, in the event of a figure skating gold it's always "queen")
This is drama at it's finest people! 4 fucking years! I can't fathom committing so much time for one single moment. Except for when I lost my virginity. I prepped hard for that. 17 years of hardcore training for one minute - OK, 45 seconds, of glory. Sure, if you succeed you are "it". No one can fuck with you. You're the BEST-IN-THE-WORLD.
BUT.....
What about the poor chumps who are primed for gold. The favorites who are destined to win it all. For the past 4 years they have absolutely dominated everyone they've faced. Like a few months ago when I took on those 4th graders in a 3-on-1 game of hoops. Man, I brought my A-game that day. Those little punks couldn't touch me! And there were THREE of them! The kid with the leg braces a la Forrest Gump...dunked on his ass. Final score: 10-7. BOO-YA!!
My point being, these athletes are put on the pedestal before they set foot in the country. Remember the speed skater Dan Jansen from the 1988 Olympics in Calgary? His sister died the very day he was to skate in the 500m and 1000m. He was a shoe-in for gold. It was the heart-warming, feel-good story every Olympic games seem to generate. You just knew Oprah was creaming her size 48 drawers at the exploitation potential of this story. He was winning this one in the memory of his deceased sister. The world was on the edge of their seats...as he fell in the 500m. Ouch. No worries. We still have redemption in the 1000m. But alas, gravity would prove to be the dominant force once again as Dan barreled into the wall, looking skyward asking "WHY?". 4 years. I swore I heard someone gently say "Toe Pick!" in the background.
And how about the people who say in the midst of defeat, "It's OK, it's just an honor to be here. I had a great time." I swear I've heard this a dozen times this year. If I was the trainer or coach who committed 4 years of my life training this jackass, and heard them utter that line of bullshit, I'd dice them into pieces with their skis, skates...whatever it took. Just happy to be here my ass. You know you're pissed. You'll never get this opportunity again. Let the world know it! 4 YEARS!!
For the most part, I find the events of the winter Olympics to be fairly exciting. Any time you mix ice, snow and altitude, the resulting speed and hang time make for an interesting night in front of the tube. Of course there are exceptions...
Curling - interesting "sport" if I do say so. I've done a little research on this one and I think I have a legit shot of making the 2010 games in Vancouver. Now correct me if I'm wrong, but I've seen this "sport" before. Cruise ships, retirement homes, Miami Beach. I believe they call it.....SHUFFLEBOARD!!
Sure it's on ice and they use 42lb. stones (in curling terminology they're called "rocks" - go fucking figure), but let's get real Canada, it's glorified shuffleboard. Any sport that utilizes a broom as one of it's primary pieces of equipment shouldn't be called a sport...housekeeping is a bit more fitting. If you ever have the chance to watch it, I highly recommend it. It's amusing as hell for about 5 minutes. The thing that kills me is the guy at the end of the ice screaming commands at the poor bastards feverishly sweeping the ice in front of the "rock". Telling them when to sweep and when not to. Faster! Slower! Harder! Softer! (where have I heard that before?) Do you believe this goofy fuck actually gets a medal?? Sport indeed.
There is one other sport that I personally find to be obsolete in these Olympic games (aside from every figure skating event, but that goes without saying). The luge. Now don't get me wrong, I have all the respect in the world for lugers -
Wait a minute, is that what you call someone who does the luge? A luger? HA!
Anyway, these guys basically lay flat on their backs - feet first - on a board with blades, somehow steering with their feet while speeding down a twisting and turning track of solid ice at 90 mph. That takes balls. But this year I was introduced to an event that one-ups the luge. And they call it, The Skeleton. It encompasses all the speed and danger of the luge...it's basically the same thing - with one minor exception. You're on your stomach barreling down this thing, again at 90 mph, but instead of being a pussy and going feet first, you go HEAD first. That's Balls baby...brass fucking balls. And even the name of the event says, I have balls the size of fucking Russia - "The Skeleton". You know these guys look at "lugers" like little bitches. It's the equivalent of comparing an ice hockey player to a figure skater.
Interesting observation - have you noticed the surprisingly few number of black people in these games? Is it because the snow is white? Do they hate the cold that much? I don't get it. Perhaps someone out there can indulge me on this racial anomaly.
Interesting observation part II - the medals this year have holes in the middle. They look like shiny CD's. I don't know about you, but I would be pretty pissed if I won a medal knowing that every Olympic medalist before me got an entirely intact medal. Why don't you cut it in half why you're at it? Cheap bastards.
But hey...it's just an honor to be here.
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posted by Boyce
8:14 PM
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