Friday, June 26, 2009
Musings: Making a Difference
As "the world mourns Michael Jackson" — at least, according to Yahoo headlines — I wanted to take this opportunity to remind everyone that even we more ordinary human beings can make a difference in the lives of others. Mahalo to Richard Kinney, Hawaiian independence warrior, for sending this along.
i just wanted to comment before dwps did, for once
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteFirst, before you get in a tizzy, that was my comment, and I deleted it, because I forgot that I wanted to include my two favorite comments of the week, which were posted yesterday on the Advertiser's very prominent and extensive coverage of Michael Jackson's death:
ReplyDeleteGotta feed the American people what they want...and it's pointless news. I cringe calling myself a citizen of the U.S. with this kind of embarassing display of priority. And this is why our education system is a joke--people don't know 99% of what is going on around the world. In fact, most other countries know about the U.S. than most of the people! It's because of this--no real news, just drama and more drama.
That's the beauti of this country. It has been built to this point where we don't have to worry about what's going on elsewhere so ALL of us can enjoy and worry about pointless things. Just one question for you. Have you live outside of the US? If not, you should try.
They (the powers that be) can't tell you what to think, but they can tell you what to think about (through constant repetition and omissions in mass media).
ReplyDeleteThey said Ed McMahon was a icon when he died June 23. They said both Micheal Jackson and Farrah Fawcett were icons when they died July 25.
An icon is a sign with salience. The relative salience of a particular sign when considered in the context of others helps an individual to quickly rank large amounts of information by importance and thus give attention to that which is the most important. This process stops an individual from becoming mentally overloaded with data.
< sarcasm > Mahalo Mass Media for keeping the country focused on the truly significant events of our times preventing us from being overloaded with trivia. < / sarcasm >
Oh please. The media takes a breath from parroting the junk science and fear mongering that passes for environmental news and you guys unleash your sophomoric critical cultural theory musings.
ReplyDelete"The media takes a breath from parroting the junk science and fear mongering that passes for environmental news" - and substitutes it with junk celebrity trivia - now that's what I call a vast improvement NOT!
ReplyDelete"I wanted to take this opportunity to remind everyone that even we more ordinary human beings can make a difference in the lives of others." Mahalo for the reminder, but formalized ritual(ribbon giving) soon becomes inauthentic loosing the force(caring) behind such acts. Mo betta try care 4 and help any kine all ways.
ReplyDeleteand substitutes it with junk celebrity trivia - now that's what I call a vast improvement NOT!
ReplyDeleteYou probably hate news about sporting events also. Get over yourself.
Joan, thank you for this refreshing story amid the story of the day.
ReplyDeleteJune 26, 2009 12:29 PM said; "You probably hate news about sporting events also. Get over yourself."
ReplyDeleteAs the outcome of sport spectacle has no effect on me (unless I am a participant, and then I already know the outcome) I do not consider reporting on sports news. What's to "hate". I just don't watch. Your "Oh please", "sophomoric musings", and "get over yourself" comments are attacks on the person (not what the person says) and indicate some deep rooted resentments (hate?) perhaps due to some correctly perceived inadequacies on your part.
IMHO - I'm not a doctor, but a check up from the neck up (professional help) seems advised. It might help you stop wasting your life living vicariously through celebrities and sports teams. Do not "get over yourself" -- find yourself, and it might help you attacking others and respond to the comments made. If you disagree articulate why.
I'm not a doctor, but a check up from the neck up (professional help) seems advised. It might help you stop wasting your life living vicariously through celebrities and sports teams. Do not "get over yourself" -- find yourself
ReplyDeleteThanks so very much for your concern. Do you really think there's help for my problem? Let me tell you a little about my disability. See, I'm the kind of person who looks at the front page of the paper and reads the national news stories, then the international news stories. I then look at the local news. If I have time, I like to read book and movie reviews and entertainment news. Sometimes I even work a sedoku (horrors!) If I don't have time for it all I fold the paper up and carry it around for the day until I do have time to read the rest. Sometimes I finish it up in bed before picking up whatever book I happen to be reading.
It's not really about living vicariously, I don't think. It's more about just keeping up with what's going on, being informed and, yes, having a little fun and frivolity. I like a couple of sports teams and I like to follow them in the news. There's some musical acts I like, and I like music reviews and news. It's not that I'm living vicariously through them. But I understand that there is a sophomoric view of the world that scowls at such prurient and wasteful interests in such non-proletariat time wasting. As I said, you should probably get over yourself.
June 26, 2009 8:34 PM said:
ReplyDelete"It's not really about living vicariously, I don't think."
Congratulations! You have taken the first step in admitting you have a problem You don't think and therefore live your life vicariously. Very good! Now that you have had that epiphany go with it. Your self-reflection of your daily activities is a great start. All the best to you as you tackle your fantastic future!
Patient: Doctor, my wife thinks I'm crazy because I like sausages.
ReplyDeletePsychiatrist: Nonsense! I like sausages too.
Patient: Good, you should come and see my collection. I've got hundreds of them.
"Patient: Doctor, my wife thinks I'm crazy because I like sausages.
ReplyDeletePsychiatrist: Nonsense! I like sausages too.
Patient: Good, you should come and see my collection. I've got hundreds of them."
Is that sophomoric or frivolous?
Both. And I love it. Can't get enough of it.
ReplyDelete"You don't think and therefore live your life vicariously."
ReplyDeleteOops! fallacious argument alert.
Not thinking doesn't necessarily lead one to live vicariously.
Living vicariously doesn't require that one not think.
Also, interpreting the sentence, "It's not really about living vicariously, I don't think." as meaning literally, "I don't think," is rather heavy handed sophistry, don't you "think"?
All in all, not a good start if you're preaching reflectiveness. Minus five credibility points.
When Farah died, she was granted one wish by St. Peter. She wished that all kids in the world could be safe.
ReplyDeleteSt. Peter said "OK", and killed Michael Jackson.
Q: What’s the difference between Michael Jackson and a grocery bag?
ReplyDeleteA: One is white, made out of plastic, and dangerous for kids to play with and the other you carry your groceries in.
Q: How can you tell if Michael Jackson has a hot date?
A: There’s a big wheel parked outside his house.
Q: Why does Michael Jackson like twenty eight year olds?
A: Because there are twenty of them.
Q: Who does Michael Jackson consider a Perfect “10″?
A: Two 5 year olds.
Q: How does Michael Jackson pick his nose?
A: From a catalogue.
Q: Why did Michael Jackson place a phone call to Boyz-2-Men??
A: He thought it was a delivery service.
Q: What has 18 balls and 3 pubic hairs?
A: A Michael Jackson slumber party.
Q: Did you know they’re putting out a Michael Jackson stamp?
A: Fans get to vote for the white or black Michael Jackson.
Q: What’s brown and often found in a baby’s diaper?
A: Michael Jackson’s hand.
All in all, not a good start if you're preaching reflectiveness. Minus five credibility points.
ReplyDeleteGood one. Two-point take-down!
"All in all, not a good start if you're preaching reflectiveness. Minus five credibility points."
ReplyDeleteA fallacy need not make a conclusion false, and how many points should be deducted for the repeated usage of argumentum ad hominem by the other respondent? How many points deducted for a point system derived from whole cloth?
"A fallacy need not make a conclusion false"
ReplyDeleteThat's right. Some early peoples believed that predictably regular confrontations between the gods, or the unhappiness of a god, caused the sun to be blotted from the sky causing darkness in the middle of the day. Their fallacy did not make the conclusion that darkness occurred in the daytime false. Congratulations on your stone-age reasoning abilities.
"A fallacy need not make a conclusion false That's right. Some early peoples believed that predictably regular confrontations between the gods, or the unhappiness of a god, caused the sun to be blotted from the sky causing darkness in the middle of the day. Their fallacy did not make the conclusion that darkness occurred in the daytime false. Congratulations on your stone-age reasoning abilities."
ReplyDeleteI have personally seen 3 eclipses so believe it can get dark in the middle of the day! Although the conclusion (eclipses do occur)is correct the fallacy as to attribution is suspect and perhaps false.
Your so-called "Stone-aged reasoning" has been replaced by science, but believe it or not even today many modern people attribute events that really do occur to god!
Science cannot disprove that god(s) creates eclipses because such belief is not subject to the scientific method.
So it may be a fallacy to say that god causes things to happen, but the fact that "shit happens" seems to be a good working hypothesis despite a potentially false attribution as to causality.
So as I said, "A fallacy need not make a conclusion false."
Well you can run out in the yard and bang pans to drive away the spirits who are stealing the sun if you want, and you can ignorantly imagine that 'not thinking' or 'living vicariously' are the explanations for someone ridiculing a group indignant hissy fit over coverage of Michael Jackson's death. Of course, you'd be wrong on all counts, but that's your problem.
ReplyDeleteAnon said: "Well you can run out in the yard and bang pans to drive away the spirits who are stealing the sun if you want, and you can ignorantly imagine that 'not thinking' or 'living vicariously' are the explanations for someone ridiculing a group indignant hissy fit over coverage of Michael Jackson's death. Of course, you'd be wrong on all counts, but that's your problem."
ReplyDeleteDo I hear the faint patter of a foot stomping pout? FYI the pan banging is all on TV, and a nostalgic breaking of wind after a supper of sentimentality it is. Not sure if this spectacle is cannibalistic, pornographic or both. Surely with your help ratings are through the roof.
Not my cup-of-tea, but hey if it floats your boat and you enjoy wasting your life-time on such melodrama be my guest. Might I also recommend Jerry Springer, Nancy Grace, and Jackass the Home Edition?
IMHO "news" is relevant, actionable intelligence. I could be wrong, but you have failed to provide a more suitable definition to convince me. Your personal attacks didn't do the trick either. You have a terrific day now and bless your heart.
PS - the "bless" above is in the sense of empathy and no religious connotation is implied lest you think me an ignorant & superstitious banger of pans, which BTW works great on chickens.
Thank goodness you're not the news decider. Whoof. No sports or entertainment coverage. Much too frivolous for your 24-hour all seriousness all the time news network.
ReplyDeleteYou're old enough to remember: How did you feel about the endless, maudlin coverage of John Lennon's death? Were you equally offended by that celebrity "non-news" or does he happen to be your kind of celebrity?
Anon said - "You're old enough to remember: How did you feel about the endless, maudlin coverage of John Lennon's death? Were you equally offended by that celebrity "non-news" or does he happen to be your kind of celebrity?"
ReplyDeleteI didn't know John Lennon anymore than I knew Ed McMahon,Farrah Fawcett, or Micheal Jackson, and yes I was equally offended. Nothing wrong with a 30 to 60 second mention of a well known persons passing. Beyond that it is not news -- its morbid fanaticism as in "fan."
"Everybody loves you when you're six foot in the ground." - John Lennon
ReplyDelete"The postman wants an autograph. The cab driver wants a picture. The waitress wants a handshake. Everyone wants a piece of you." - John Lennon
ReplyDeleteTo me, bitching about the news is about the same as bitching about the weather or bitching about bears in the woods. It's not about you. Get over yourself.
ReplyDelete"To me, bitching about the news is about the same as bitching about the weather or bitching about bears in the woods. It's not about you. Get over yourself."
ReplyDeleteNews is a human construct therefore subject to modification. Weather and bears are not. Its news to know about weather and bears in the woods to avoid being drowned or eaten. There is a difference between bitching and analysis obvious to any mind except one in dire need of such understanding.