A recent study I just spotted here points to the fact that fairness is an inherent value in human beings. The deep, reptilian reward centers of our brains respond to an equitable resolution to division of resources.
This led me to wonder how, on a macro scale, this property of our evolution has been impacted by modern society. Developments in the past 30 years have done away with what's fondly looked upon by history as the shared burden, and shared glory of the rise of American society. It's also been said that we've been living in the rise of an economic system that could be described as Gotcha Capitalism, whereby the standard mode of operation is for every societal exchange be designed to screw you, the individual, as much as possible.
Take, for example, the everyday banking institution. By definition a bank profits from the interest charged on loans made upon what is essentially imaginary sums of money. This power to create and then profit from the medium of exchange which ordinary individuals must labor to attain is essentially unfair, and the basis by which our capitalist society maintains it's control over allocation of resources.
Why don't we take a look at something a bit closer to my personal experience, and that of many millions of entertainment consumers around the globe. A visit to a Walt Disney Co. theme park (I was once a costumed character performer at Walt Disney World in Orlando, FL). The family-friendly atmosphere is painstakingly detailed, saturated and embellished to extract the largest sum of money per square foot as possible. This ethos did not always rule the Magic Kingdom, which is why comparisons between the ever evolving park maps tend to reveal ballooning numbers of ticky-tacky gift-shops, as well as a growth in the sophistication of retail placement and design. These sophisticated techniques, including store design, product placement, color, sound and even smell are engineered to throw your animal instincts off - essentially to overcome the pangs of unfairness you'll inherently feel when you pick up a $.02 pencil made in a Chinese sweatshop and check out the $12.99 sticker price.
This same pattern of manufacturing desires and overcoming the rational thought process in the minds of those exposed to this mass-market macro-psychology has been replicated across the spectrum of American consumer culture. From our weekly grocery trips to our political arenas, the power of persuasion continually fools our minds into making decisions which directly contradict our personal interests. Many Bush voters from the lower 98% of the economic stratosphere shot themselves in the foot, voting against their economic interests and even dooming many of their sons and daughters to violent deaths and danger in a war built upon egregious lies. What could cause someone to sacrifice their interests, even their own flesh and blood? A strong appeal to their fear, boosted by the repetition of a thousand talking heads in various, but interconnected news media, could distract a normally rational person the same way brightly colored stores scented like fresh-baked cookies would in the purchase of our $.02 pencil.
These distractions are what modern consumer culture relies upon, the system upon which they thrive could rightly be termed Mind-Control Capitalism- whereby the concentration of knowledge about human behavior and physiology allows for organizations and individuals to control, through the application of the social and physical sciences, the behaviors of individuals.
Getting back to the study about fairness, and it's effects on society at large, when entire generations are raised in this state of deception, a state where major organizations vie for a chance to deceive them into certain actions, the egalitarian fairness that seems to be hardwired into our brains' pleasure sensors no longer activates. We may have been driven to become a nation, and quickly a world, of clinically depressed beings, suffering because of the blunting of a hardwired desire to be fair to one another...
Wednesday, April 23
Friday, April 18
Just when you think you're getting ahead...
Ahhh Cleveland. Just when you think you're getting ahead (by falling behind) you realize you're still taking the top spots in internet lists. Unfortunately the list I refer to now is The Top Carbon Dioxide Emitting Cities in America - surprising really since the decimation of almost all heavy-industry in the past 30 years here in Cleveland. Guess there's still enough soot rising from our skeleton-crew steel plants, partially mothballed coal-fired power plants, meager manufacturing economy and, oh yea, the 3-million residents who took advantage of Cleveland being "the birthplace of suburbia" and it's ensuing sprawl. Last night I drove my used 2001 Buick Century from my home on the western edge of Cleveland proper to my current lover's home in what used to be a pasture, and has since sprouted homes near the base of the cooling towers of our dear nuclear power plant. My 50-mile journey burned 4 gallons of fuel, took over 45 minutes (at a cruising speed of 65mph) and didn't even result in anything more than a hastily delivered blowjob. Human beings are absolutely nuts. This country and everyone belonging to the generations which have been born since, oh, I'd say the great depression, have been suckered into an unsustainable and rather warped world. All I gotta say is I'm looking forward to 2012.
And another thing...
Hey kids! Leave your own responses in the comments section and maybe you'll wake up with an extra surprise tomorrow!
1. What time did you get up this morning? 7:30 a.m.
2. Diamonds or pearls? Diamonds, obviously.
3. What was the last film you saw at the cinema? Uhm, I couldn't tell you, it was years ago.
4. What is your favorite TV show(s)? BBC World News, The Catherine Tate Show, Strangers with Candy, Battlestar Galactica ;)
5. What do you usually have for breakfast? Protein shake, protein bar, 2 pots of coffee and a drive across town.
6. What is your middle name? Begins with a "P", ends with an "ick", hate it
7. What food do you dislike? Scallop sushi, it's absolutely terrifying
8. What is your favorite CD at the moment? Tilly & The Wall - Bottoms of Barrels (closely followed by Janet Jackson's Discipline)
9. What time is it right now? 9 a.m.
10. Favorite Sandwich? Veggie, piled high, with pickles
11. What characteristic do you despise? A sense of entitlement always gets me fired up.
12. Favorite item of clothing? Either my Casino Cowboy shirt (currently wearing it) or my velour maroon vest that looks like a McDonalds uniform circa 1983
13. If you could go anywhere in the world on vacation, where would you go? Outer space, or Russia... same difference really
14. Where would you retire to? 6 feet under
15. What was your most memorable birthday? The one where everyone forgot, and I spent the day waiting by the phone, but noone called, and then I walked into the house thinking there was a surprise waiting... but there wasn't. That's the year I stopped counting.
16. Furthest place you are sending this? My readers in Scotland should love it.
17. Person you expect to send it back? Good ol' firecrotch Fox
18. Morning person or a night person? I'm more of a mid-day type, a lady who lunches
19. What is your shoe size? 13 1/2
20. Pets? Never had.
21. Any new and exciting news you’d like to share with us? I am a freak, but, that's not that new.
22. What did you want to be when you were little? A junky-whore... and look at me now!
23. How are you today? Woke up late with a hangover and dried cum on my top lip, won't be able to sleep until tomorrow night and not particularly pleased with my roommate, so I'm pretty normal.
24. What is your favorite flower? Dead, dried and hanging on a nail in some backwoods shack. Flowers are for queers.
25. What is a day on the calendar you are looking forward to? May 28th, 2012... the day the old man told me everything would change.
26. What are you listening to right now? A clackity keyboard and the subtle sounds of traffic on 271 south.
27. What was the last thing that you ate? Balance Bar (choc and peanut butter- kinda chalky)
28. Do you wish on stars? I did until that year everyone forgot my birthday.
29. If you were a crayon, what color would you be? Brown
30. How is the weather right now? Beautiful!
31. Last person you spoke to on the phone? Curtis, or Nikki actually, I couldn't hear her over the roar of partiers at 'Lake Effects' in Madison, OH, home of the free creeps with every drink!
32. Favorite soft drink? Lemonade
33. Favorite restaurant? Liquid Planet is tops right now, simple, delicious, great nick-name.
34. What was your favorite toy as a child? My Buddy, the gay-training doll for boys
35. Summer or Winter? Winter makes me miserable, so I'll stick with that
36. Chocolate or vanilla? Coffee
37. Coffee or Tea? Chocolate
38. Do you want your friends to email you back? I've evolved beyond email.
39. When was the last time you cried? That year everyone forgot my birthday.
40. What is under your bed? The floor.
41. What did you do last night? Played with Curtis.
42. What are you afraid of? Giving myself an aneurysm because I'm such a hypochondriac.
43. Salty or Sweet? Vegetable-y.
44. How many keys on your key ring? 7, plus one miniature Eiffel tower.
45 How many years at your current job? 6 months.
46. Favorite day of the Week? Sunday
47. Do you make friends easily? No, well yes, but then I always try to sleep with them and things don't get prettier from there.
48. How many people will you send this to? The entire internet
49. How many will respond? 3
50. Do you like finding out all this stuff about your friends? No, I mainly like wasting time at work.
1. What time did you get up this morning? 7:30 a.m.
2. Diamonds or pearls? Diamonds, obviously.
3. What was the last film you saw at the cinema? Uhm, I couldn't tell you, it was years ago.
4. What is your favorite TV show(s)? BBC World News, The Catherine Tate Show, Strangers with Candy, Battlestar Galactica ;)
5. What do you usually have for breakfast? Protein shake, protein bar, 2 pots of coffee and a drive across town.
6. What is your middle name? Begins with a "P", ends with an "ick", hate it
7. What food do you dislike? Scallop sushi, it's absolutely terrifying
8. What is your favorite CD at the moment? Tilly & The Wall - Bottoms of Barrels (closely followed by Janet Jackson's Discipline)
9. What time is it right now? 9 a.m.
10. Favorite Sandwich? Veggie, piled high, with pickles
11. What characteristic do you despise? A sense of entitlement always gets me fired up.
12. Favorite item of clothing? Either my Casino Cowboy shirt (currently wearing it) or my velour maroon vest that looks like a McDonalds uniform circa 1983
13. If you could go anywhere in the world on vacation, where would you go? Outer space, or Russia... same difference really
14. Where would you retire to? 6 feet under
15. What was your most memorable birthday? The one where everyone forgot, and I spent the day waiting by the phone, but noone called, and then I walked into the house thinking there was a surprise waiting... but there wasn't. That's the year I stopped counting.
16. Furthest place you are sending this? My readers in Scotland should love it.
17. Person you expect to send it back? Good ol' firecrotch Fox
18. Morning person or a night person? I'm more of a mid-day type, a lady who lunches
19. What is your shoe size? 13 1/2
20. Pets? Never had.
21. Any new and exciting news you’d like to share with us? I am a freak, but, that's not that new.
22. What did you want to be when you were little? A junky-whore... and look at me now!
23. How are you today? Woke up late with a hangover and dried cum on my top lip, won't be able to sleep until tomorrow night and not particularly pleased with my roommate, so I'm pretty normal.
24. What is your favorite flower? Dead, dried and hanging on a nail in some backwoods shack. Flowers are for queers.
25. What is a day on the calendar you are looking forward to? May 28th, 2012... the day the old man told me everything would change.
26. What are you listening to right now? A clackity keyboard and the subtle sounds of traffic on 271 south.
27. What was the last thing that you ate? Balance Bar (choc and peanut butter- kinda chalky)
28. Do you wish on stars? I did until that year everyone forgot my birthday.
29. If you were a crayon, what color would you be? Brown
30. How is the weather right now? Beautiful!
31. Last person you spoke to on the phone? Curtis, or Nikki actually, I couldn't hear her over the roar of partiers at 'Lake Effects' in Madison, OH, home of the free creeps with every drink!
32. Favorite soft drink? Lemonade
33. Favorite restaurant? Liquid Planet is tops right now, simple, delicious, great nick-name.
34. What was your favorite toy as a child? My Buddy, the gay-training doll for boys
35. Summer or Winter? Winter makes me miserable, so I'll stick with that
36. Chocolate or vanilla? Coffee
37. Coffee or Tea? Chocolate
38. Do you want your friends to email you back? I've evolved beyond email.
39. When was the last time you cried? That year everyone forgot my birthday.
40. What is under your bed? The floor.
41. What did you do last night? Played with Curtis.
42. What are you afraid of? Giving myself an aneurysm because I'm such a hypochondriac.
43. Salty or Sweet? Vegetable-y.
44. How many keys on your key ring? 7, plus one miniature Eiffel tower.
45 How many years at your current job? 6 months.
46. Favorite day of the Week? Sunday
47. Do you make friends easily? No, well yes, but then I always try to sleep with them and things don't get prettier from there.
48. How many people will you send this to? The entire internet
49. How many will respond? 3
50. Do you like finding out all this stuff about your friends? No, I mainly like wasting time at work.
How do I talk about this without sounding like a complete assfole?
Not that I have anything against the Hebrews, of course, one ancient cult is as good as another in my mind... well, it's a special group that goes so far as to inbreed through the generations producing numerous genetic disorders, but then that goes for the Mormons too.
This post has absolutely nothing to do with religion, well, it may have something to do with religious tenets and obligations, but since I subscribe to no such rituals my diatribe can only be weakly correlated.
This post, you see, is about sharing.
It's something that we're all expected to do, as part of one 'human community'. You've most likely heard from a very early age (if you're a product of 1970 or later in America) that sharing is good for one another, that by cooperating and dividing resources we all get more.
I'm here to tell you that is bullshit. Not that you didn't already know that.
This world is not built on shared resources, it's constructed from the blood, sweat and tears of a long procession of miserable slaves - adherents to the thought that glory would come from devotion to an ideal. The ruse, that perfection could be reached by joining hands with our neighbor, offering what we have so that all may reach higher ground.
What bullshit.
My roommate keeps drinking my homebrewed beer and I'm about ready to punch his smarmy little shit-for-brains boyfriend in the face.
Sharing is for suckers.
This post has absolutely nothing to do with religion, well, it may have something to do with religious tenets and obligations, but since I subscribe to no such rituals my diatribe can only be weakly correlated.
This post, you see, is about sharing.
It's something that we're all expected to do, as part of one 'human community'. You've most likely heard from a very early age (if you're a product of 1970 or later in America) that sharing is good for one another, that by cooperating and dividing resources we all get more.
I'm here to tell you that is bullshit. Not that you didn't already know that.
This world is not built on shared resources, it's constructed from the blood, sweat and tears of a long procession of miserable slaves - adherents to the thought that glory would come from devotion to an ideal. The ruse, that perfection could be reached by joining hands with our neighbor, offering what we have so that all may reach higher ground.
What bullshit.
My roommate keeps drinking my homebrewed beer and I'm about ready to punch his smarmy little shit-for-brains boyfriend in the face.
Sharing is for suckers.
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