The Need To Be Needed

We didn’t have to look very hard to find it. It’s everywhere from reality tv, face book, twitter, to you tube etc. although these seem like a random collection of current trends, all are rooted in a single underlying shift in the our psychology: the relentless rise of narcissism in the culture. People are seduced by the increasing emphasis on material wealth, physical appearance, celebrity worship and attention seeking. Standards have shifted, sucking otherwise humble people into the vortex of you tube, twitter and face book. Like a disease caused by certain factors, spread through particular channels. Social networking sites shapes the way people view the world and mold malleable personality like clay. Just animals evolve and change to fit into their environments. We are becoming more narcissistic to fit into the demands of the new digital world.

To fully participate on these sites we need to get a lot of comments, you have to continually update your page and sent your news feed announcing new pictures or materials. These sites actively encouraging people to do the digital equivalent of yelling “look at Me”! Today, many people now keep a detailed accounting of their every move online. So much of what is done on the web is people writing their diaries as though everyone ought to care about every ones’ inner turmoil. Social sites are shared among friends, it’s a convenient way to update people of your life by writing one posting instead of making phone calls. But the system of comments, responses to comments and so on encourages argument and are often one sided. It’s not a true dialogue as a verbal conversation would be, but one diatribe followed by response to the diatribe. Doing it on screen also takes out the human element of empathy, nuance and face to face interaction.

But today, we have taken the desire for self admiration too far so far that our culture has blurred the distinction between self esteem and narcissism in an extreme self destructive way. Overdose on self admiration and our wonder drugs come with serious side effects such as ignorance and self centeredness.

Video Of The Times

Bloody Valentine (The Underbelly of the Valentine Industry)

It’s Valentine’s Day! Chocolate flowers and perhaps diamonds, how can these gifts that bring much happiness can come from so much pain. Those beautiful flowers you may get, they could have been genetically engineered, grown in Columbia in a giant pesticide soak factory ran by US own corporation or how about those chocolate, sweet and delightful like a gift from the gods is not so innocent either. 40% of the world cocoa comes from the Ivory Coast of West Africa where child labor and child slavery is widespread and the diamonds? A girls best friend, they could might have been used to finance some of the most brutal war in the last decade.


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VIDEO OF THE TIMES: Rescue Me!

When are we going to bailout/rescue L.A. Skid Row?

I talk to people of all ages and one thing is prevalent in our society today, the lack of awareness of what’s really going on or maybe just trying to play stupid. It seem like no one gives a shit about what is going or what the consequences may be. A lot of people seems not to care about our soon to be election. Our future is in the midst of utter turmoil. The American economy is about to collapse and somehow people are still worried about their fucking rims? We bitch about the bailout on Wall Street but We, on Main Street are just as guilty as the titans on wall street, their actions were continuing only because we allowed it. You, in your $850,000 house, Benz in the driveway, and Armani suit and making $60,000 a year, how can you afford it? Give me a break! We allowed ourselves to live past our means for a long time. I am not saying to run out and join a party or even picket... etc. But, please care about what we are embarking on and know that despite the popular belief WE have the authority! If your kids diaper need changing, would you talk about how gross it is and leave it that? (Unless, you’re one of the lucky one who can afford a nanny) but anyway, the answer is NO! You would get into action! “Times are tough” We are so wrapped up in what’s cool and new. I see people driving 50-75k cars and trucks cause “I wanted one” We need to open our eyes and take responsibility for our actions. Take accountability and our lively hood back into our hands and do something about this! Get out and vote, listen, discuss or debate. The power belongs in the HANDS of the PEOPLE. Government is built to SERVE the people, not RULE them. Are you being RULED or are you telling them to serve you? I for one, I’m sick of learning how to live my life according to CNN or Fox news. My threat level is not based on colors, unlike the department of homeland security.

VIDEO THE TIMES: How Far We've Come!

What Is Your Question?

Lots of social and environmental problems happen because the decisions that impact our society are made in far-away boardrooms or government offices by people who are not immediately affected by those decisions. In order to secure and affect social and environmental change through decision making, individual and local community should have a strong voice at the table to encourage change in our global society. We should ask questions, offer uncensored knowledge and inspire responsible action and amplify them to organizations, corporations and governments. Let’s begin the process by asking question. What’s Your Question?

VIDEO OF THE TIMES: 300 (Mexican Version)

Illegal Aliens

The topic of illegal immigration is a big issue with lawmakers and people in Congress, especially now on election time. Generally speaking, illegal immigrants are primarily people from Mexico, Central and South America, who enter the United States illegally to make money and help support their families here and abroad. We live in a very difficult times and people from other countries are fleeing from poverty, oppression, stricken by pains and pressures caused by chronic unemployment, homelessness, poverty, hopelessness, lack of education, low-paying jobs, hunger and little or no opportunities in their homelands. Others in the pool of illegals are people who entered the country legally but became illegal or "out of status" by virtue of overstaying their visas. Current immigration laws stand between their desire to live in and the ability to work in the United States. In the meantime, people continue to be uncertain about the consequences of massive illegal settlements in the country. The massive flow of illegal immigrants has caused individual States to face tough issues. States are affected by financial burdens imposed on tax-based services. Do illegal immigrants cost more than they contribute? Should the illegal aliens be blamed and penalized by the courts of public opinion for trying to have a better life? What about legal immigrants and citizens who also face the same economic woes? Don't we have a moral obligation to take care of our own citizens and legal residents first? Every day, there are American citizens who have no place to call home and many are hungry and exposed to drugs and violence. Shouldn't these come first?

Border Crossing

VIDEO OF THE TIMES: What Would Jesus Do

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Big Brother

We are being watched, and always have been. The reality of an eye above watching you, is no less a reality.

"Just because you're paranoid, doesn't mean that nobody's following you." On the contrary, in today's society you have to be crazy to think that nobody is watching or listening; the fact is they are. Every bank, restaurant, government office, supermarket and most street intersection are equipped with cameras. Given the high-tech surveillance, a new word would have to be coined to describe the derangement of an individual who, in the face of all the facts to the contrary, insists that he is not under constant surveillance.

The technological strides of the surveillance industry are impressive. There are computerized devices that can match faces in a crowd to digital photographs in databases. Technology that can identify patterns on the retina, hand prints or voice patterns and the establishment claims that it’s for our own good - to protect us from the criminal element especially, the terrorist! A well-placed paranoia but buttressed it by reading George Orwell's 1984 and it will generate doubts about the purity of the intentions. Whether we are to be the victims or the beneficiaries of the paranoid universe - the choice is ours. Everybody shares in the feeling that someone is watching us.

"Just because you're paranoid, doesn't mean that nobody's watching you."

Paranoland

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VIDEO OF THE TIMES: Overconsumption

Affluenza

One of the big issues of today is how our consumption habits are affecting the planet. Some argue we should focus on our needs and check our wants at the door. Somehow we have convinced ourselves that we have an inalienable right to purchase whenever and whatever we want. Critics often say capitalism produces, and we mindlessly consume it, all sorts of junk we don't really need. We could live a lot more simply, more in tune with nature, with more time for one another.

Some thinkers even say that individualistic consumerism distracts us from more satisfying collective pursuits. Others urge us to limit down our consumption. They want us to minimize our "carbon footprints," as if catastrophe or disaster draws closer with each trip to the mall and with and every each sip of Mochachino Latté no foam with a sprinkle of cinnamon.

Of course, moralizers of all stripes, from radical environmentalists to religious fundamentalists, have strong ideas about what we really need. But the fact that you think you know what's best for me doesn't mean I don't really need a 47” Hi Def 1080p Flat Screen LCD TV or an itouch ipod, Blue Ray dvd player, or Wii and PS3 or Xbox. I have my reasons.

Different people have different aspirations and plans. We have different frames of reference for adequacy and excess. What each of us needs depends on what we are trying to make of our lives.

If this wild assortment of stuff was really crushing our souls, then maybe we ought to smash our flat screen TV, burn the Mp3, etc. Is there any evidence that people are most likely to be happy or healthy in well-educated and long-lived place where people consume the most? Talk to the Danes, they’re supposed to be the happiest people in the planet. They focus more on education, family and friends like what Suzie Orman always say, People, Money then things.

Maybe we don't need all those things to be happy, or to live up to 100 years. But if we want to, then we've got a good thing going. Just don't trip over your laptop. Unfortunately, society has trained us since our birth on how to be a good consumer and it’s becoming a disease. Hopefully, one day, we will recognize that over-consumption is a disease. I can only hope that some day, it will come to our senses and do so. But it's not quite that simple.

VIDEO OF THE TIMES: Marijuanalogue

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Cannabis

There are really only two sides of the marijuana family we are talking about here. Indicas and Sativas. Sativas are just about the opposite of indicas. They are tall, thin plants, with much narrower leaves and grow a lighter green in color. They grow very quickly and can reach heights of 20 feet in a single season. They originally come from Colombia, Mexico, Thailand and Southeast Asia. Once flowering has begun, they can take anywhere from 10 to 16 weeks to fully mature. Flavors range from earthy to sweet and fruity. The effects of a Sativa is cerebral, up and energetic.

Indicas originally come from the hash producing countries of the world like Afghanistan, Morocco, and Tibet. They are short dense plants, with broad leaves and often grow a darker green. After flowering starts they will be mature in 6 to 8 weeks. The buds will be thick and dense, with flavors and aromas ranging from pungent skunk to sweet and fruity. The smoke from an Indica is generally a body type effect, relaxing and laid back. Indica's higher CBD than THC equals a much heavier, sleepy type of high. Indica plants have a heavy, stony high that is relaxing and can help different medical problems.

Combining different indicas, different sativas or a combination thereof creates hybrids. The resulting hybrid strains will grow, mature and smoke in relationship to the indica/sativa percentages they end up containing.

Gateway

Marijuana, the so called “stepping stone”, the “gateway drug” is the most widely used illicit drug in the US. This analogy somehow evokes ideas that are often confusing. It is a widely held theory of drug use and abuse that there are stages of progression, from tobacco and alcohol to marijuana and from marijuana to other illicit drugs. That somehow, this idea of progression from marijuana to other drugs arises from the pharmacological properties of marijuana itself, which is false.

The basis of the gateway theory is from the report by the Center of Addiction and Substance (CASA) using the data from NIDA’s 1991 National Household Survey on Drug Abuse. However, a new study by the RAND Drug Policy Research Center put a doubt on the claim that marijuana as a gateway drug. The study does not argue whether it should be legalized or decriminalized.

The link between marijuana and other illegal drugs stems from the fact that they are illegal. Because they are illegal, marijuana and other drugs are only available on the black market. As for the teens, it is easier to get marijuana than to buy alcohol and anyone who enters the drug market is likely to have a greater exposure and opportunity and are under greater social pressure to try other illegal drugs People who are predisposed to use drugs and the opportunity to use drugs are more likely than others to use both marijuana and harder drugs and the environmental aspects also have stronger influence on which type of substance is used. The likelihood that someone will transition to the use of illegal drugs is determined not by the preceding use of marijuana but instead by the user’s individual tendencies and environmental circumstances.

We focus and emphasized more on the drugs themselves but we tend to forget the more important factors that shape a person’s behavior. To be more effective in fighting drug abuse, we should devote more attention to early interventions that addresses the issues, such as parenting skills that shape the child’s behavior. Behavior modification, Identification of children who exhibit antisocial tendencies as well as peers and environmental factors.

Waiting To Inhale
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VIDEO OF THE TIMES: Red, Blue and Black

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Thanksgiving In The New World

For thousands of years, people have set aside a day to celebrate the autumn harvest, giving thanks for a plentiful growing season. Ancient Hebrews held a special eight-day feast to celebrate their harvest season. People in ancient Greece dedicated a nine-day harvest festival to “Demeter”, the goddess of agriculture. (Pilgrims) Similarly, pre-Christian Europeans marked a good harvest with a large feast before crops were gathered and stored for the winter. Celebrations surrounding the autumn harvest have continued throughout history, and many modern cultures have set aside a specific day to give thanks. The date and customs may vary from country to country, but the desire to take time and reflect on life's blessings remains the same (Festivals and Feasts). In the United States, this day of thanks is called Thanksgiving. It is a national holiday observed on the fourth Thursday of November. On this day, family and friends get together for a feast to celebrate their good fortune, relax and enjoy one another's company. It is also the unofficial beginning of the winter holiday season

Anyway, I could feel many things about Thanksgiving Day. Especially, after quite a bit of contemplation, although the celebration was good-natured, this event truly signifies the beginning of a drastic decline of native culture and Thanksgiving would be more fittingly observed as a day of mourning rather than a celebration. So, as we sit down for our Thanksgiving dinner, let us consider and look back upon to what happened to the American Natives when the Pilgrims arrived and welcome them with open arms, little knowing it was the beginning of the end. Ok, maybe I was a little drastic but somehow that doesn’t leave a very festive taste in my mouth.

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VIDEO OF THE TIMES: Anti-Terrorist

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Losing My Religion - An Excerpt

Religion... Since its conception, it has inspired destruction, and needless death. The bible, Talmud, and Koran all speak of great battles. The Greek and Roman civilizations destroyed native cultures by the handful to assert their culture and religion over the natives. The Romans slaughtered Jews and Christians. The Crusades were all fought to claim a “holy land” which killed 500,000 people. In a population of just a few hundred million, that’s a huge amount. The inquisitions held in Western Europe decimated anyone who wasn't a Christian. The Holocaust was genocide of a religious group. Ireland, Israel, the entire Middle East... all up in arms over whose God is better. And how many cultures are still hurting from the influence of religion? How many countries in Africa fighting after western missionaries set up societies for the native cultures and fled? The Sudan, Rwanda... just a few still embroiled in conflict.

We all know the story of Galileo, no? How he ventured a scientific theory that later proved to be true, but disagreed with the church? Where would we be if Galileo never spoke? If he was like the rest of the sheep, happy to be told how things were without second guessing? The church apologized for that incident 300 years later! 300 years?! That’s how long it took for the church to accept that the universe wasn't geocentric?

What religion accepts as fact is relative to the times. Before man achieved sustained flight, we thought heaven was in the skies and the angels sat on clouds. We couldn't dig too far into the ground, so of course hell was underground. Now? No, no no. Heaven and Hell are places that don't exist on the physical plane, they're another place entirely.

Granted, religion has provided a basis for society as we know it today. In the time when people were few and far from each other, it drew them together and formed communities. Religion has motivated people to help each other, provide homes and medicine, time and money for each other. And for a pre-modern society, that is a great asset. But hasn't religion served its cause? Hasn't religion outworn its welcome? There are homeless outreach programs, drug rehab programs, organizations that provide provisions for starving people in Africa. But do we need a book to tell us that we should be nice? Sure, these are great things these people are doing, but why do it in the name of some higher power when we can claim it for the sake of humanity? “Humans can be infinitely kind”, the message should be, not “humans can be infinitely kind when receiving God's love.” It's about motivation. And there are much better motivators than religion when religion has a track record like that.

Again, war is so destructive. Not only does it cripple countries involved, it can drive civilization backwards. Lives are lost, schools destroyed, disease runs rampant. Why do we need more reasons for this? Karl Marx once said that religion and poverty go hand in hand. Another of his theories suggested that all wars have roots in class struggle. In societies with poverty, there is sure to be class struggle. Therefore, religion and war go hand in hand. We should be working for a better tomorrow, not a war-filled tomorrow.

In conclusion, whether or not there is a God in the end, life is what you make of it. No book needs to tell us how to be a decent human being. We don't need a higher power to direct us into being good people. To resign ourselves to living our lives being kind so we can go into heaven is selfish and wasteful. Live a good life for the sake of living a good life. Be kind for the sake of having kindness returned. Don't believe everything that it is you heard, no matter how many times it is told.