As the title of my new blog suggests, this is a place for thinking out, and sharing, thoughts that you might not normally have a forum for releasing. I would insist that the topic of these thoughts are limitless; only the expanses of our mind can serve as a wall to block where this cranial exploration may take us. I've been a pretty quiet person for most of my life (after a brief period of early talking-- as my mother likes to say, "what happened to that boy?!") and have been described as such several times recently. I would like to think that this blog isn't a rebuttal to them, but I suppose in some shape or form it is a reaction. It is to say, just because I don't vocalize thoughts, doesn't mean I don't have them. Initially the topics will naturally be limited to what I think about on a daily basis-- politics, philosophy, art, music, movies, relationships (or in my case the sheer lack of them)-- I would ideally like this to be a place where one can come and learn about the ideas that are floating around in the heads of others. If there is any hope for our flawed species in this toxic era of our brief existence, it exits in our willingness to set aside our differences and understand one another. At the core of my belief here is that we-- sharing in a humanness-- are essentially alike. The things that separate us-- religion, race, background, etc., are constructed and ultimately malliable divisions that need not exist. In fact, when it comes to this type of forum, I would demand that they not. Perhaps we will never really agree with eachother, but then, let us agree to disagree. Let us at least share the excess of our introspection; the overflowing sludge that pours forth from this crazy brain organ to bless the world with the mark of Man.
I suppose I will go first. I have been thinking a lot lately about the financial crisis. I suppose everyone with at least some stake in the market has. While the money I have there is really nothing to be proud of, my fear (and I think the pervasive one that is prompting this to be such a massive deal) is that things will spiral out of control and we will end up in some Kevin Costner Postman world too soon-- or worse yet, A McCarthian Road world. Thinking about the financial crisis, at least in my mind, quickly devolves into this crazy fragility fear-- that our precious day-to-day existence is really founded on such a shaky foundation. Like, when the electricity goes out. How the hell do we deal with that if it happens for days at a time? What if everyone simultaneously loses electricity? The other day I was walking to school from my bullshit internship and there were a group of people in the park handing out free "are you prepared?" t-shirts. On the back was a top-10 list for things you need in the event of a disaster. It included stupid, random things like "a first aide kit" and "three days worth of water" and "special medications." Thinking about people reacting rationally in the event of a disaster in which such a list would be necessary is so unrealistic. People can't even act civilly in the event of a newest yearly tickle-me-Elmo toy coming out at Christmas time. How can we expect them to do so when their whole world crumbles from beneath them? I think that an accurate top-10 list would resemble something like:
1- a handgun
2- ammunition
3- you get the idea
It's times like this I'm happy that I live with gun owners.
5 comments:
I don't know if a first aid kit or water are things i would consider "random" when it comes to disaster-type preparation. i will give you the "necessary medications", but only because i think their phrasing of it makes it sound like something ridiculous (i think they just meant, if youre diabetic, you should probably have an emergency stash, just in case).
and by the way, serious power-outtages have happened. i'm remembering one in NYC a couple-three years ago. and i remember people remarking that unlike the previous nyc blackout, notorious for its rioting (i think i remember people saying that), this most recent one was handled with no major disturbances to civil order.
Yes I guess it was wrong to consider those things random. I would be interested in polling people to see how many are actually prepared according to the standards of that t-shirt, though.
These "serious" power outtages are only serious for the sheer geography that they've covered, not the length of time they've lasted. What if we went without for a week or more? I for one would take to the hills and avoid the oncoming slaughter.
I would be surprised if any significan number of people were "ready" for the kind of disaster you/the shirt have in mind. it's kind of something that exists outside the realm "possibility". whether thats a valid belief or not, i'm far from prepared to say. it's a fun topic to think about if you want to go nuts.
but i'm curious to hear how you can explain the existence of the social order we have if everything is just holding on by a thread. i mean, do you think people are the source or the result of civilization?
also, you should react in a new entry. and i think there's an option to show comments. that way your blog will be published and the casual passersby will see something recent and they will see why you're addressing these issues.
that is, if you actually do address these issues.
I searched through the options and "show comments" is clicked. On the main page of the blog only my posts are listed, but I think if you click on each individual post on the left menu then the resulting page will show the text of your comments below the original post. I don't know if there is any way to get all of these up on the main page (which is what I think you were asking).
I for one think such a disaster is always a possibility and think a hand gun and a first aid kit should be in your car or on your person as often as possible. don't be scared , be prepared. ;P
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