Ha Ha Ha America....

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-Metablade-
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Ha Ha Ha America....

Post by -Metablade- »

....A wake up call
This film is funny, disturbing, and frightening all at the same time....
...Mostly disturbing..

http://festival.sundance.org/2006/watch ... ?which=402

When I see our young American people being "Ok" with being "just average" or worse, getting fat and lazy whilst playing video games all day and surfing porn, then come home with D's and "F's"...... and generally being apathetic to the world and anything outside their own shallow desires...

.....It makes me want to beat their parents repeatedly with a large Styrofoam bat.

Wake up, America!!!

..Or there may not be one (as we know and love it) someday..

..My advice to roughly 52% of America?
Put down the Big Mac, and the Xbox controller, DVD remote, and the Mouse, unclip the Ipod, and do something unheard of...Like go outside, or Read, or Make something...

Your thoughts?
There's a bit of Metablade in all of us.
IJ
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Post by IJ »

Yawn.... we have a lot to work on, yes, and a lot of us have a crummy attitude... but jesus, after five minutes of claiming superiority because they can't control their fertility, I just got bored. Why shouldn't they have a bigger economy with 1.5 billion people?
--Ian
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-Metablade-
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Post by -Metablade- »

By 2012, China and India will be fully wired, more educated, have production facilities like the world has never seen, be hungry for many many things, and oh yes, will have swelled to a combined total of almost 4 billion.

How's your Hindi and Cantonese?

:lol:

Hunger is what made America great.
Now we've been to the buffet, we are sitting back, first button on the pants undone, and are acting as if satiated.

It is wise to always stay hungry.
There can be no excellence without fiendish determination.
There's a bit of Metablade in all of us.
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Bill Glasheen
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Post by Bill Glasheen »

I'm with you on this one, Meta.

We parents are so busy that it's easy to keep the kids quiet with their X-box 360s, iPods, Gameboys, PS2s, etc., etc. And the 24/7 television, televisions in the bedrooms, etc., etc.

WE created the addiction to passive entertainment out of our own obsession with maintaining the 2-career family.

WE created the obesity by feeding the desire to get faster, more-readily-available food that tastes better.

WE are destroying the family unit with more divorce, no meals together, etc., etc.

Diversions are good. Kids need to be kids. The battle I have at home (with significant other) is not indulging my kids' every desires. And it gets more difficult when mom constantly has the guilt rap thrown on her for working, etc., etc. But you can't buy a kid's love, and there's no reason that any kid needs to keep up with the material possessions of the bratty, spoiled, rich neighbors' kids.

I have yet to buy cable for the house, and I don't have HDTV. And I don't have TVs in the kids' bedroom, and that's only because I put my foot down.

I insist on a sport. I insist on practicing one muscial instrument. And reading is made to be a good thing.

One of the problems here is the fact that we still exist as an agrarian-based society when most of us aren't farmers now and we do have A/C in the summer. Other countries have caught on, and make the kids go to school more days of the year. And guess what? It saves the parents the hassle of trying to figure out how to take care of junior during the summer. That's just nuts when you think about it...

But here's another way to look at it all. Should we really be upset that India and China are upcoming economies? Maybe... Or maybe not. How about the glass-half-full view? They are just more customers to sell stuff to. We SHOULD hope for success of folks we sell stuff too, because it means they have more disposable income. Yea, it means we're actually going to have to build products that work and are what people want and are affordable. Otherwise we lose out in the marketplace.

But people... Rich people want to buy stuff, right? You don't want to kill your competition; you want them to make you better. 8)

- Bill
MikeK
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Post by MikeK »

But they are also countries with exteme poverty and with a very big divide between the haves and have nots.
I was dreaming of the past...
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-Metablade-
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Post by -Metablade- »

Bill Glasheen wrote: WE created the addiction to passive entertainment out of our own obsession with maintaining the 2-career family.

Meta: You know this is a very interesting point.
We work harder, and longer, and for less money and some would say, less quality of life than our parents did.
And for what?
Plasma T.V.? DVD? Fully loaded truck? 24hr-crap-o-rama television programming? One cannot convince me that this is good for us, our children or society. Sadder still, we are importing this lifestyle to other countries.
In my case, I sat down a long time ago with paper, calculator and my wife's excellent accounting sense and figured out that if she were to work, once we tabulated the extra car insurance, work clothes, lunches, dry cleaning, gasoline, insurance, premade dinners, eating out, and daycare, we would have:
1. Less money than if she worked (I think we worked it out that we'd actually be in red unless she landed a job which made the same or more than mine.)
2. Less time as a family.
3. Our health would suffer due to improper nutrition
4. We'd be more tired and have less time for each other.
5. Our daughter would have less time with us.
6. Emotionally we would be a nervous wreak.

The benefits were all bad, and none good.
Now, if SHE had a higher paying job, I would have no issue being the homemaker (though I would not say I am suited for it, but in my family, it is he/she who is best suited for a role skill-wise which performs certain roles, which is why I advocate cross-training whenever possible!)
:lol:
But yet, we have it drilled into our heads that;
1. You NEED a two income family to survive.
2. A woman needs to have a career and being a "homemaker" is a bad thing.

What a crock of pure B.S. these two things are.

Living here in California, housing prices are on a scale that makes everyone pretty much retch.
I see so many couples with kids working two or three jobs
to pay mortgages for homes they can afford, (but only with the three jobs) and they are NEVER home, the kids are loose and basically "raising themselves" and they live off of pizza, hot pockets, and burger king!
And for WHAT?....
That is the key question.
:x
Bill Glasheen wrote: WE created the obesity by feeding the desire to get faster, more-readily-available food that tastes better.
WE are destroying the family unit with more divorce, no meals together, etc., etc.
Meta: It can be argued that this dilemma in which America finds itself is a bad marriage of human nature, and corporate greed. But I think you are right. Ultimately it is our choice if we want that life or not.
Bill Glasheen wrote: Diversions are good. Kids need to be kids. The battle I have at home (with significant other) is not indulging my kids' every desires. And it gets more difficult when mom constantly has the guilt rap thrown on her for working, etc., etc. But you can't buy a kid's love, and there's no reason that any kid needs to keep up with the material possessions of the bratty, spoiled, rich neighbors' kids.
Meta: Don't get me wrong... I LOVE video games and DVDs.
Up until last year I have had every system since the birth of pong....(which I have refused to partake further until such time as I can use it to excercise.)
..But regardless, they do have a time and place. (And should be highly limited with both.)

There is a new social issue cropping up in marriages these days, even with older adults, they are calling it "Video game widow". At least with football, it was only Monday nights, and there was a season. Gaming is now the #1 cash cow in entertainment. The problem will only get worse.
Bill Glasheen wrote: I have yet to buy cable for the house, and I don't have HDTV. And I don't have TVs in the kids' bedroom, and that's only because I put my foot down.
Meta: Right on! Cable (with the exception of the history channel and American Choppers) Bites A$$ and is a waste of time. If I want to see a program, they have it on DVD, and probably at the library for free, and guess what! Going there can be a family activity. I hear they also have books there! :lol:
Bill Glasheen wrote:
I insist on a sport. I insist on practicing one musical instrument. And reading is made to be a good thing.
Meta: Damn Straight.
Bill Glasheen wrote: One of the problems here is the fact that we still exist as an agrarian-based society when most of us aren't farmers now and we do have A/C in the summer. Other countries have caught on, and make the kids go to school more days of the year. And guess what? It saves the parents the hassle of trying to figure out how to take care of junior during the summer. That's just nuts when you think about it...
Meta: It's beyond nuts..
I make my daughter go to summer school, whether she needs it our not, and I have garden projects, carpentry, and anything I can do to get her out of the house and into the hills so she can LIVE for crying out loud!
Bill Glasheen wrote: But here's another way to look at it all. Should we really be upset that India and China are upcoming economies? Maybe... Or maybe not. How about the glass-half-full view? They are just more customers to sell stuff to.
Meta: The problem is, the majority of up and coming countries in the rest of the world doesn't particularly like or care for America. And who is to blame for that?
Bill Glasheen wrote: We SHOULD hope for success of folks we sell stuff too, because it means they have more disposable income. Yea, it means we're actually going to have to build products that work and are what people want and are affordable. Otherwise we lose out in the marketplace.
Meta: Which is another issue. America less and less is manufacturing it's own products. What will happen when we cease to manufacture all vital goods? We will have a society and economy (Like we pretty much do have now) of middle men...and China is for one starting to eliminate them one by one. I have a friend who lives in China, and he writes me every week telling me it's like the wild west of capitalism there! You think they'll want to play nice if they can?
Nope. They learned too well from Uncle Sam....
Bill Glasheen wrote: But people... Rich people want to buy stuff, right? You don't want to kill your competition; you want them to make you better. 8)

- Bill


Meta: "Rich" people in general here in California by and large means "New Rich" which aint good. What would happen if a lazy selfish immature slob got rich overnight with internet stock? You'd see houses piled high with SUVs, littered with fast food wrappers, malls popping up like mushrooms which displace the old cultural icons and way of life and the death of small town culture at large, or *any* culture for that matter.
That's exactly what happened here in Southern California.
The only houses being built are brand new upscale communities which are ultra cheap materials and get this: The developers make deals with big box retailers and local city governments to build vast, Ultra-malls and build the bedroom community into the architecture. I kid you not. There are at least 5 new communities which have sprung up Ultra-malls (Think every big box retail together) butted up against, in between, nestled and WORKED into the actual civil engineering of the paths, parks, and facilities of the gated community. So all nature for 5 square miles is one, big Disneyland park and all exits like a Disney ride end up in the "gift shop." And no need to leave, because there is it's own post office, and schools, and medical centers.

It's sick, sad, and is a trend coming to a open tract of land near you, sporting luxurious views of Wall mart, Home Depot and Target out of your purposely framed front living room window.

Yay...
:roll:
There's a bit of Metablade in all of us.
IJ
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Post by IJ »

Mentioned back in Bill's forum on a discussion about our current lack of savings,* I read something recently which challenges the idea that both parents work just for luxuries. While luxuries have increased, that's in large part because costs have decreased and durability and quality have increased. Offsetting some increases in certain costs are decreases in other costs due to modern conveniences and improved production and transportation. Meanwhile wages haven't shot up as much as costs such as increased mortgage expenditures. The take-home was that the large driving force behind having two adults in the workforce isn't greed but necessity, altho in a setting of increased cost of living, extending yourself to own crap surely isn't wise.

I also know it's possible to

1) make all your own food and purchase it wisely at several different locations as needed
2) do all your own laundry and ironing and cleaning
3) stay physically fit and have a variety of hobbies and activities
4) Do all your home remodeling and repairs yourself for cheap

With both of the adults in the home working. Granted, we have no kids, but the dogs are doing well, and most people don't work as many hours as we do and so would have more time to interact with em.

*Article was obtained from Harvard Alumni Magazine... will try to locate it online. It was interesting.
--Ian
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-Metablade-
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Post by -Metablade- »

IJ wrote:
I also know it's possible to

1) make all your own food and purchase it wisely at several different locations as needed
2) do all your own laundry and ironing and cleaning
3) stay physically fit and have a variety of hobbies and activities
4) Do all your home remodeling and repairs yourself for cheap
.
An excellent point!
Here's what works for me:

1) make all your own food and purchase it wisely at several different locations as needed

Meta: I avoid mainstream supermarkets at all costs. Sure, I can save money on chips, cookies, and hot dogs, but I ask myself, why the hell should I be eating that stuff anyway?
I find mom and pop places, or supermarket outlets. I bulk up on things like Rice, and fresh veggies.
In addition, My wife and I have established our own garden.
We haven't paid for staples like garlic, onions, lettuce, and herbs for about 5 years, and the taste is so different and flavorful than the store's. making food at home takes more time yes, but the benefit is, I control salt, sugar, fat and portion size, as well as type of food, and it actually is cheaper, and I can make pots of stuff which can last a few days. The other benefit is that we spend time as a family.
We do go out to eat, usually on weekends, and one day a week is always Pizza night with a good DVD. :)

2) do all your own laundry and ironing and cleaning.

Meta: A must for saving time and money. We all take turns, and if we do it each day, there is only a day's worth!
Simple.

3) stay physically fit and have a variety of hobbies and activities.
Meta: My wife still is eyeing the new gym that opened up, but for me, my backyard, a few weights and other inexpensive implements are all I need for my daily routine.
Workout Music?
Cheap $30 MP3.

4) Do all your home remodeling and repairs yourself for cheap.

Meta: Since pretty much every repair you could think of has at least 10 websites now, there should be no excuse for not doing this.
It's fun, (To me) and allows creative outlet, and besides, my daughter needs to learn these things.
On a side note, one of my pet peeves is the recent trend here in L.A. to hire a gardener.
WTF?!!!
Why would I ever need someone to mow my lawn or trim my hedges for me when I can do it myself?...It's a waste of money, prevents pride in home ownership, and is part of the hypocritical enabling mechanisms for illegal immigration to remain the HUGE problem that it is.
The same goes for maids and nannies..what are we too lazy to even clean our own houses and raise our own kids now?
Even lower middle class folks have them now!
Ridiculous if you ask me..
:roll:
There's a bit of Metablade in all of us.
Stryke

Post by Stryke »

X-box 360s, iPods, Gameboys, PS2s, etc., etc. And the 24/7 television, televisions in the bedrooms, etc., etc.
you guys forgot the intraweb
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Panther
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Post by Panther »

IJ wrote:I also know it's possible to

1) make all your own food and purchase it wisely at several different locations as needed
Been doing that and plan to be better at doing it myself rather than purchasing at other places when a few things happen that I'm working on...
2) do all your own laundry and ironing and cleaning
You mean people DON'T! Never even thought of that. Not that it wouldn't be nice to have hired help for that, it's just that even if I could afford it, I just wouldn't want someone else rummaging around my messes! :wink:
3) stay physically fit and have a variety of hobbies and activities
OK... well... I have a variety of hobbies and activities, but I'm still working towards that "fit" stuff... It's a life-long process.
4) Do all your home remodeling and repairs yourself for cheap
Minor repairs... certainly. But in the People's Republic of Massachusetts, where the various Unions have a lot of political sway to get laws passed that protect their jobs, pretty much all of the Commonwealth makes it verboten to do your own home remodeling... even just finishing off a basement room on your own. You may get away with not going through all the "proper channels" to begin with, but if anyone finds out, I know of folks who actually had to tear out and tear down some remodeling that they did when someone "dimed them out" to their local building blackmailer... ummm... I mean, "inspector". Then they had to apply for a permit (took 9 months and nearly $1k), then had to have the "plans" approved (another 3 months and $300-400), then had to hire a "licensed contractor" (who bid one price and ended up "going over budget" for nearly double the price... oh, yeah, evidently the contractor that they hired was somehow connected with the building inspector because the others bidding on the job all complained and had had problems with the building inspector), so in the end they got a job that was significantly inferior to the one they'd done themselves with family and friends at a cost (not counting the original cost to do it far superior in the first place) that was nearly triple what they'd paid for it. The response of the building inspector was that's what happens when you "break the rules". :twisted: They had done their remodeling to give themselves extra space rather than find a bigger house. By the time they realized the cost and quagmire they were in, it was too late. They didn't use the space for long... last I heard they'd sold their house and moved out west... Colorado, Nevada, somewhere in that area. And people wonder why Massachusetts is losing people in droves...

Hopefully, I can join the exodus in the not too distant future...
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Post by Valkenar »

-Metablade- wrote: Up until last year I have had every system since the birth of pong....(which I have refused to partake further until such time as I can use it to excercise.)
I take it you don't like DDR?
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-Metablade-
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Post by -Metablade- »

Valkenar wrote:
-Metablade- wrote: Up until last year I have had every system since the birth of pong....(which I have refused to partake further until such time as I can use it to exercise.)
I take it you don't like DDR?
Had it on Xbox, loved it for about 2 weeks.

I even had this back in the early 90's

Sega Genesis Activator Ring

http://www.vidgame.net/SEGA/peripherals.htm

Which sucked.....big time...

I need something that I can do kumite with ala VR.
The good news is, that several companies are already developing these types, and should be out at the end of the year, and currently, there are available in other "workout machine" forms although on the $$higher ends.$$
But yes...
The day I can combine my love of physical activity with Martial Arts and video games...it won't get any better than that...
There's a bit of Metablade in all of us.
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RACastanet
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Post by RACastanet »

Yawn.... we have a lot to work on, yes, and a lot of us have a crummy attitude... but jesus, after five minutes of claiming superiority because they can't control their fertility, I just got bored. Why shouldn't they have a bigger economy with 1.5 billion people?
Excellent point Ian.
Wake up, America!!!
No, understand the facts and ignore the hype. Here is the true situation vis-a-vis the US and the the rest of the world...

-The US accounts for 40% 0f the $ spent on R&D in the world. That is more than the other G7 nations combined.

-In 1971 the US accounted for 30.52% of the world's GDP. In 2005 the US accounted for 30.74%. In spite of the emerging economies in the east the US has a larger share of the world's GDP!

-The US produces more engineers per capita than China or India.

-Whereas the US does a mediocre job of educating kids up to 18 we excell after that. 22 of the top 30 universities in the world are in the US and the world is flocking to the US for an education.

-"The US is second to none in terms of innovation and innovative environment"... per Michael Porter of Harvard

-Under George Bush the federal scientific research budget has increased 50% to $137 Billion annually!

Finally, the US budget deficit does not take into account the enormous amount of $$ US corporations pour into continuing education and product development. Alan Greenspan noted many times that current accounting schemes are based on 19th century technologies. If you move these $$ from expenses into the investment column where they should be in our knowledge based economy there is no US deficit. There is a surplus. This intellectual capital is what drives out economy.

If you get your economic info from lightweight liberal rags like Time Magazine and the like you will believe the US is heading down the tubes. Not so. The US is so far ahead of China and India and is pouring so much into intellectual capital compared to those two nations our lead is growing!

Rich
Member of the world's premier gun club, the USMC!
MikeK
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Post by MikeK »

True Rich, India leads the world in printing impressive sounding diplommas. Calling someone an engineer and actually producing people who are engineers are totally separate things.
I was dreaming of the past...
Stryke

Post by Stryke »

Heres a scary thought ...

wait for it ......


Does it really matter if your the biggest most powerfull economy or not ?

isnt it just fine if everyones doing well .

I mean the only reason being the most powerfull economy is important is if you use it to manipualte a fair free trade market ....

oh hang on forget I said that ......
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