tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30717066787751785302024-03-13T12:59:15.626-07:00Shattered DreamsTo bring a brighter technological tomorrowAnonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15746602045902544024noreply@blogger.comBlogger31125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3071706678775178530.post-23457918186075053562015-02-22T21:15:00.000-08:002015-02-22T21:15:02.725-08:00Augur - Decentralized prediction markets to improve decision-makingA few weeks ago I parted ways with BitPay and started working on a project called <a href="http://www.augur.net/" target="_blank">Augur</a>.<br />
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Augur is a decentralized prediction market that is being built on Vitalik Buterin's Ethereum platform. The idea, technology and fields of interest made this an opportunity I had to jump at.<br />
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There are plenty of better resources to learn about prediction markets, I suggest <a href="http://www.overcomingbias.com/" target="_blank">Overcoming Bias</a> and <a href="http://lesswrong.com/">LessWrong.com</a> as great starting places.<br />
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My interest in something like Augur came from studying Bayesian Statistics and how an entire field can be misunderstood by so many within it, it was a very similar feeling to how I felt about Economics. I'm very leery of professing absolute beliefs, in general I think admitting that you aren't convinced or that you don't know something is an underrated trait.<br />
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I know very little and it doesn't bother me because knowledge doesn't define happiness. But knowledge does define passion, so being a part of something like Augur has me excited.<br />
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Be sure to check out <a href="http://augur.net/">Augur.net</a> and <a href="http://twitter.com/augurproject" target="_blank">@AugurProject</a> on Twitter to get news and updates on what we are doing, oh and contribute to the project on <a href="https://github.com/AugurProject" target="_blank">GitHub</a>.<br />
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Oh and as always, follow me on Twitter: <a href="http://twitter.com/tonyswish" target="_blank">@TonySwish</a>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15746602045902544024noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3071706678775178530.post-16166949420066703422014-01-28T08:58:00.004-08:002014-01-28T08:58:38.346-08:00Why I Write In HereThere may be some misconceptions with some of the posts I have made on here and why I choose to post them, so I wanted to make a little explanation of somethings.<br />
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1. The reason I put my name behind every thing I said is because as the time of writing them I stand behind everything, sure ideas change and it's important to embrace those changes but I am honest. I would hope that these opinions do not alter anyone's opinion of me as a person as I respect every other opinion as equal to mine.<br />
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2. I am not anti-government AT ALL, I'm anti-poorly/inefficiently run government and truly believe more people need to utilize the tools available to talk about this publicly.<br />
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3. I am not anti-education! It's 2014 and there are new ways to educate, it frustrates me that some of the brightest minds are going un-nurtured because they have no opportunity to learn what actually interests them or important "life skill" information.<br />
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4. It's frustrating seeing the media manipulate the public into believing they only have two choices when voting in an election.<br />
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5. In my day to day life I notice very little discussion of these issues, so this is my place to vent.<br /><br />The world is a pretty great place and there has never been a better time to live on this planet, it's my goal to help in however I can to keep it this way.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15746602045902544024noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3071706678775178530.post-71230999862237430972014-01-10T19:23:00.003-08:002014-01-10T19:23:28.434-08:00Schools Hate Internet FreedomAs a lifelong resident of the Detroit area it saddens me that 70% of students within the Detroit city limits lack any Internet connection at home, this also most likely means that they lack Technology skills that are NECESSARY for them to exist in the current economic climate. I have no desire to go into the clusterfuck that is every aspect of Detroit Public Schools, but there is a way to disrupt that system that is leaving so many kids disadvantaged, and that is Broadband Internet Access for all at home. The sooner the well-meaning citizens figure out that teachers, administrators and government officials either really don't care or are burned out about educating the youth, the sooner they can be more open minded to how Internet access can help to change this.<br />
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To think that the public education sector and many private sectors don't have a hand in trying to block things like this from happening would be incredibly naive. School districts continue to pay MILLIONS of dollars yearly to the fucking evil Textbook industry for information that can easily be found on the Internet for free, Telecom companies continue to charge ridiculously unfair prices for Internet access (And why isn't Internet Access considered a Public Utility?), Content Control Software developers make MILLIONS on school district contracts to provide an extremely easy to bypass content blocking system and these are only a few of the obvious money pits that Public Schooling ultimately gets involved in. The cause of this is lack of education, community apathy, out of touch administrators, resistance to change and greedy corporate scumbags.<br />
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One of my favorite things about my University experience was hearing almost every professor explain how inaccurate and bad Wikipedia is for the educational process, at the time I knew they were speaking out of ignorance and history has proven just how right I was. I'm not sure if they felt this way because they were old and didn't bother trying to understand how and why it works or if they felt threatened as educators by a free online service aimed at providing quick and easy information on anything. The accuracy of Wikipedia has been seen as equal or superior to the Academic Superpower of Encyclopedia Britannica, while the methods used to measure this are hardly enough to state this definitively, it's clear it is more accurate than not because many in the Wiki community take it very seriously. I consider Wikipedia to be one of humankind's greatest creations, yet many of those in Education still give the simplistic argument of "can't anyone edit it?" not realizing that is the entire reason it works.<br />
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I'm a frequent Wikipedia editor and contributor as I believe that currently information and knowledge only have a perceived economic value and no actual economic value. Educating oneself used to require attending a school or University, purchasing expensive journals owned and sold through said Universities, purchasing books or going to a Library with a finite information, but this is clearly no longer the case. Don't get it twisted, the classroom setting works for many many people and shouldn't be abandoned, but the fact that smarter and cheaper supplements to this educational format aren't used is foolish and creating many many problems.<br />
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My previous example of the continued use of textbooks to provide knowledge is emblematic of the apathetic, self-serving attitude of those in charge of education in America. They are out of date, contain archaic and hard to understand explanations of relatively simple concepts and often do not provide any original thought or material.<br />
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When I tell people I learned significantly more from the Internet than I ever did at any point in school, I often get weird confused looks that someone can learn something in a different way than they did. Recently I was researching Sierpinski Triangles and I came across an <a href="http://www.oftenpaper.net/sierpinski.htm">amazing page</a> that explains a very complicated subject in a contemporary and interesting way. Note the description of a mathematical format as the "straight ballin'" form, something that would appall traditional Academia but actually makes the subject more relatable to the average reader. The topic is not the easiest to understand without a bit of background in mathematics, but the fact this incredible information would never be presented in a classroom setting is the problem.<br />
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All of this comes down to one thing, and it's one of the ideals I hold most valuable, that is it is the Earth's benefit for the Internet to remain 100% free of censorship, regulation and profit.<br />
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Edward Snowden made a claim that "the Internet is the most important invention in all of human history" and explained how much it meant to him and changed his life, I share the same views. The Internet expanded my mind and made me think about things in new ways I never would have otherwise. Living in America is weird because those in charge are so out of touch with the opinions of those they govern, especially those of another generation. The institutional power structure of these groups are constantly threatened by the openness of a Free Internet so it is in their best interest to stifle that when at all possible.<br /><br />Remember how many people demonized Snowden and used his age as a reason, there is a war on youth and the Internet and it's up to the outspoken to convince those who aren't a part of this culture that the value is too important to give up on.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15746602045902544024noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3071706678775178530.post-51039930583726634162014-01-10T18:17:00.001-08:002014-01-10T18:17:56.710-08:00Bill Gates' Attitude Toward Charity and Broadband Access Is Misguided....And It's Shared by Millions of Americans (Part 1)Last year Bill Gates made <a href="http://www.forbes.com/sites/timworstall/2013/08/09/bill-gates-misses-the-point-about-googles-balloons-and-malaria/">comments</a> regarding how providing free/improved broadband Internet access to impoverished nations is not as important as providing treatment for the Malaria epidemic. If you think about this only in the short term it is 100% correct, but if you move further away from the picture it becomes drastically altered, and instead should be seen like a band-aid trying to heal a gaping bleeding wound. It's shocking that someone as bright and caring as Bill Gates doesn't see the bigger picture here.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7MOYXnYXURXynu41zgP8dI8_hBHdX98P72xPh6VXFQW9Cs2WsPMZllruyGTezTb9OR4ydmE4IKiK6go9emLEbO7rer1sxD62nxyEdvoX6Tk8FqUfi837NcxSSSO7v4mBS-Jx9sdaq/s1600/Internet-access-in-emerging-markets-chart.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7MOYXnYXURXynu41zgP8dI8_hBHdX98P72xPh6VXFQW9Cs2WsPMZllruyGTezTb9OR4ydmE4IKiK6go9emLEbO7rer1sxD62nxyEdvoX6Tk8FqUfi837NcxSSSO7v4mBS-Jx9sdaq/s1600/Internet-access-in-emerging-markets-chart.jpg" height="241" width="400" /></a></div>
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America has this weird love affair with charity that sometimes results in creating bigger problems in the long run because those donating and administrating the charity believe they are doing good while missing the same bigger picture that Bill Gates fails to see. Think about every time a person, a company or a corporation donates mass amounts of clothing to third world countries. The result for the person donating is a good feeling in how they are helping others and giving a shirt to a poor kid who cannot afford one. What no one asks or thinks about is what is the actual result of this action? The result is that these countries have no economic incentive to create any sort of textile market or industry, which is one less potential job for the poor.<br />
<br />The previous example is similar to the statement Bill Gates made, which upon hearing makes complete sense but upon further examination is troublesome. Don't get me wrong, providing them with Malaria vaccines is a valid charity and definitely worthy of donations and support, but it doesn't fix the problem, only individual cases. Providing free or low-cost Internet access opens doors to these communities that could provide them with information on how to reduce the spread of malaria or how to create the vaccines used.<br />
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I truly believe that in the past 15 years 1st World nations have had something of an educational boom because of technology, and although the system of sharing information is severely neutered because of obsolete and evil patent laws, the ease of access to information is still exponentially greater than it ever has been.<br />
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Contrary to popular belief by the conservative, old and racist communities, Third-World nations full of "dark" people contain just as many brilliant and talented people as America, China, Japan or any other country, the only difference is their impact is greatly diminished due to lacking access to information. Enabling cheap or low-cost access to this information is the greatest charity we could provide to these countries and could result in many problems being solved by those within their own community.<br />
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The suggestion I have to those who still want to help their fellow man is to concentrate on helping the less fortunate within your own country and more specifically in your own community. In my job I assist many low-income students who lack Internet access at home, requiring them to come to campus or a library (often using slow/unreliable public transportation) in order to do simple things like applying for a job, paying a bill, registering for a class or typing a paper.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15746602045902544024noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3071706678775178530.post-67035255066441670972014-01-03T11:15:00.002-08:002014-01-04T00:40:27.463-08:00Cicada 3301 Update, Possible Anonymous AffiliationThe link I posted in my last entry was removed from Craigslist shortly after posting, thankfully I saved a screenshot which I will share in the near future. Unfortunately many within the Cicada community are keeping their communication about the entire thing private to the rest of the Internet.<br />
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The other interesting development that happened is a <a href="http://veridoctores.wix.com/cunctus-lexis#!project--2020/ceba">page set up by Anonymous</a> now has a "3301" link and a timer counting down until January 5th, 2014 on the front page. The addition of this is curious as nothing has been stated outright about this or anything else.<br />
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I would also be weary of any news reports stating that someone "figured out Cicada" as their authenticity and knowledge have been questioned by many.<br />
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The best rule of thumb when dealing with Cicada information (including things posted here) is DTA! I try to only report what I believe is true but this subject matter makes it incredibly difficult.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15746602045902544024noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3071706678775178530.post-38567717298167884602013-12-30T23:58:00.001-08:002013-12-30T23:58:18.341-08:00Cicada 3301 for 2014 May Have Already Begun<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7EBsIOGiJOmwgHjWAt_KJ0AGY8hgZ8BwqOuKcWIW2pBgqDyO9RtYT3zbRXky0TpzaL7GzunhHLHv16g7rT6qmiP21CeeqPR22DeYs2f-BiuqSq1deOKztg4aSoP-f1tBY0EWB_jF8/s1600/Cicada-3301.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="169" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7EBsIOGiJOmwgHjWAt_KJ0AGY8hgZ8BwqOuKcWIW2pBgqDyO9RtYT3zbRXky0TpzaL7GzunhHLHv16g7rT6qmiP21CeeqPR22DeYs2f-BiuqSq1deOKztg4aSoP-f1tBY0EWB_jF8/s320/Cicada-3301.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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Yesterday upon scouring search engines and TOR for more information about this mystery, I came upon a new potential clue. Utilizing chat logs, screenshots and other information found on the excellent <a href="http://uncovering-cicada.wikia.com/">Uncovering Cicada Wiki</a> I performed a Google search with the words "Cicada" and "Craigslist" which led me to <a href="http://portland.craigslist.org/mlt/mis/4263098670.html">this posting</a> on Craigslist's Portland Missed Encounters page that was apparently posted on Saturday. The following text was included in the posting:<br />
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When I enter a search for "Liber aL decoded" I am presented with the buzz on the mysterious "Cicada 3301" phenomena. Amusing and curious. I've only glossed over the material & challenges. High level crypto isn't my cup of tea, but that isn't what has me puzzled.</blockquote>
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Liber aL broadened my understanding of information technologies: stereograms, steganography, and holography. It helped me in my pursuit of the divine language.</blockquote>
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If you desire progress, enlightenment...or, revolutionary technology, I would suggest flexing your intellect in pursuit of the same.</blockquote>
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Why a cicada? I'm partial to bees and spiders.</blockquote>
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the(3)instar(6)emergence(9) <== I love triangles too.</blockquote>
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<b>A few things jumped out at me, first let me quote the last major Cicada clue that was found in an MP3 titled "The Instar Emergence" </b><br />
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Parable 1,595,277,641<br />Like the instar, tunneling to the surface\n<br />We must shed our own circumferences;\n<br />Find the divinity within and emerge.</blockquote>
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<b>The Craigslist posting has many references to this and other previous Cicada clues including:</b><br />
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<ol>
<li>The description clearly states "the instar emergence"</li>
<li>Mentioning the "buzz" of the Cicada phenomena when the hidden parable was found within the "buzz" of the mp3 clue.</li>
<li>The pursuit of the "divine language" and "Find the divinity" which seems to be a reference to the Divine Ratio, which is also necessary for Sierpinski Triangles.</li>
<li>"Liber aL" or "The Book Of The Law" by Aleister Crowley that has been referenced in previous Cicada clues and is known to be written in code.</li>
<li>"Shedding the circumferences" which could refer to both the snake found in the middle of the Sierpinski Triangle clue that is attached to the posting, one of the characters found in the same image and the fact that Sierpinski Triangles are known fractals and that this is only a Level 3 Sierpinski Triangle.</li>
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As the extent of my computer hardware is an iPad and my vacation is nearing a close, it's necessary that I hand this off to the community to further investigate and verify if this is in fact a Cicada clue with the public key. The little I did do on a relative's PC included using Hexplorer on both of the images and finding some interesting results. I don't want to go further into this until it is verified by someone in the community.</div>
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I am disappointed that I lack the hardware or free time to pursue this, thanks Detroit for having an interest in Mathematics and working in a field where I never get to exercise that part of my brain besides on vacation.</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15746602045902544024noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3071706678775178530.post-34750283444446421662013-12-29T13:31:00.001-08:002013-12-29T13:41:12.186-08:00Is the goal of Cicada 3301 to achieve The Singularity?The Cicada 3301 puzzle is clearly the most insane recruitment strategy ever created, but with all the speculation of what this mysterious group is recruiting for not one person has brought up what seems to be the most obvious conclusion based on the information we are led to believe is true.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKmtXgPHGlYcbwY4-4hPmNLH_zoRIDmaDZ0nbnUUWFoU_26FJrDD4OZFPRKU1q1eoJMBH2gNvQCF0R72zQD7cnm2tP1SKHcBvpcGXVVTSNA12IJpaJvylVSlA4A5BTwOBVKn21wuHt/s1600/cicada_2743132b.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="203" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKmtXgPHGlYcbwY4-4hPmNLH_zoRIDmaDZ0nbnUUWFoU_26FJrDD4OZFPRKU1q1eoJMBH2gNvQCF0R72zQD7cnm2tP1SKHcBvpcGXVVTSNA12IJpaJvylVSlA4A5BTwOBVKn21wuHt/s320/cicada_2743132b.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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My postulation is that the end goal of Cicada 3301 is to ensure at any cost that The Singularity is achieved to improve the world. There is no way I could do nearly as thorough of a job sifting through this data as those on the <a href="http://uncovering-cicada.wikia.com/wiki/Uncovering_Cicada_Wiki">Uncovering Cicada Wiki</a>, but the information we were provided about this mysterious group is as follows:<br />
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As it turned out, my opinions and my goals were very much in line with that organization: at the political level, I lean towards freedom, which is called at the time. I am well-educated in science, mathematics, and foreign policy. I was non-religious at the time in those first days. Philosophically, I agree with the ideas of Sartre and Nietzsche, Kierkegaard, and so I believe in random universe - one in humans that were not more than a coincidence. No absolute moral right and wrong. That the value of a man is what he does. I also believe that we can (and should) aspire to reach the next "level" - as individuals and mankind as a whole: Nietzsche "Übermensch". I didn’t know then, but this is one of the main focuses of the Cicada. They believe they possess wisdoms to transform human to Übermensch. Cicada give knowledge to members slowly as they progress up pyramid.</blockquote>
"Übermensch" is the death of god and the creation of new values and reaching the next "level" is using technology to enhance our physical being.<br />
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<b><br />Beliefs: </b></blockquote>
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• Believe in Heylighen’s ideas on global brain. In fact, the idea of global brain with humans as individual neurons arise on a regular basis.</blockquote>
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• Believe in absolute freedom. Individual and the information.</blockquote>
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• Believe in the philosophy of the Jesuit "the end justifies the means." Through this idea to justify their actions do not always follow their own belief systems and philosophies.</blockquote>
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• Other philosophy they use is "what you resist persists" by Jung, and the Jesuit corollary "create what you fear most." For example, if you are afraid of resistance and rebellion, then send operators to create resistance and rebellion. This way, you can direct the energy of the people, embrace it, let it dwindle, and at the same time minimize the damage.</blockquote>
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• They believe that there is no inherent meaning to anything. That all things are “empty and meaningless” and that “all things are always whole, perfect, and complete”</blockquote>
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• They believe that within each person there is a "God." Not "God" in the sense of most religions, it is more like Übermensch in the writings of Nietzsche. They also see the Global Brain as another kind of "God"</blockquote>
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• Their mantra is "I am always enough." (Again, Übermensch)</blockquote>
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• Teach followers to "Find a death every day." It doesn’t mean literal death. Instead there is a double meaning: 1) know you're going to die, so, nothing matters, and 2) Find the death of the “I” or the ego.</blockquote>
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• They teach five-levels view of human. However, they eventually put five levels down to one thing (ie “There is no soul distinct from the body”). This is a feature of the left hand path belief systems.</blockquote>
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• They teach that absolute morality does not exist</blockquote>
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• They teach there is no "real" reality. That all reality is dependent on the observer.</blockquote>
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• They teach "There is no salvation in life; For there is nothing from which we must be saved." I believed this for long time.</blockquote>
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The folly of many who have analyzed this information is that they are serving a religious or spiritual goal which seems impossible by what has been said. The "global brain" philosophy matches up perfectly with The Singularity and Transhumanism, the openness of the lack of meaning of life, reality and morality are clearly aligned with a segment that is ready to embrace Artificial Intelligence to improve their life. The phrase "I Am Always Enough" really is the most important piece of information, and doing a search of this phrase could provide some additional Cicada 3301 clues.<br />
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Cicada 3301 is, perhaps, the most dangerous organization the world has ever known. They are smart, large, well-funded, and very dedicated. The level of loyalty among their members approaches fanaticism. </blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
They're not really occult like the leaker said. But it is somewhat similar to a religion in the sense that they provide a way to change -- to transform yourself. To take yourself to the next level. The next evolutionary step. Beyond yourself. Beyond your society. Beyond your own existence. Past all and into enlightenment. As soon as a person reaches that level they are snatched up (not all go willingly, although most do). They are dangerous, because they will usher in the demise of society as we know it. They are wonderful because what they bring in to replace it will be far superior.</blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
In the mean time, they watch us all quietly. Waiting for us to achieve the enlightenment they try to lead us towards. And when we do, we disappear. To join the latest brood, and to move forward at last.</blockquote>
</blockquote>
This was posted by someone explaining the group's motivation. The description describes "the next step of evolution" as merging with computers and creating a new society that will be vastly better than what we have now. It's very important to note that 3301 is said to be well-funded, large and smart...more on this later.<br />
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The final important piece of information illustrating my belief was made by someone who claimed to have been in contact with those who were successful in the past:<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
Here's what I've learned:</blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<ul>
<li>Even after making it, you have to truly prove yourself as an individual to get anywhere. And they'll kick you out if they even think you are a security risk. </li>
</ul>
</blockquote>
</blockquote>
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<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<ul>
<li>Their structure and beliefs are accurately described in the infamous Cicada Warning document. Some people believe it really was a leak. Some people think it was a fake leak. Some think it was fake altogether. Either way, multiple people who "made it" confirmed that a lot of the info contained was accurate.</li>
</ul>
</blockquote>
</blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<ul>
<li>They are very good at what they do. Which suggests a level of professional training beyond what people get in the "civilian" world. Many of the higher-up members seem to be former intelligence officers. </li>
</ul>
</blockquote>
</blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<ul>
<li>They have their hands in information security, and international relations. They may even be involved with the TED conferences.</li>
</ul>
</blockquote>
</blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<ul>
<li>One of their leaders goes by the alias "magicicada," the genus of 13- and 17-year periodical cicadas. magicicada seems to mastermind a lot of Cicada 3301 operations. </li>
</ul>
</blockquote>
</blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<ul>
<li>They tell new recruits that their goal is to improve freedom around the world. </li>
</ul>
</blockquote>
</blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<ul>
<li>They do a lot of weird shit with prime numbers, cryptography, and ancient mystery stuff. Like Aleister Crowley.</li>
</ul>
</blockquote>
</blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<ul>
<li>They apparently try to "hack" reality, like they would hack computers. By making small changes that result in larger changes. (Not sure of a specific example, but this is what one person who had made it told me after he got kicked out.) </li>
</ul>
</blockquote>
</blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<ul>
<li>They seem to have a large and international presence. They seem to be very well funded. </li>
</ul>
</blockquote>
</blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<ul>
<li>They seem to have serious scholars in other areas than security and cryptography. Even including philosophy, art, diplomacy, etc. </li>
</ul>
</blockquote>
</blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<ul>
<li>There could be a military connection. Or an NSA connection. But it seems more like people in NSA or military joined. Not that the NSA or military created Cicada. Which is consistent with the "good at what they do" point.</li>
</ul>
</blockquote>
</blockquote>
In December of 2012, <a href="http://www.wired.com/business/2013/04/kurzweil-google-ai/">Google</a> named Rey Kurzweil as Director of Engineering. Kurzweil was the inventor of the flatbead scanner, print-to-speech technology for the blind and other innovations for computers to access new types of data. Kurzweil's greatest claim to fame however is his belief in The Singularity when computers can out think humans, therefore mandating computer-based human enhancements. The post-singularity world is also defined as Transhumanism, as many believe humans can be essentially immortal after merging with machines. Kurzweil has been making predictions based on Moore's Law for decades and so far has been astoundingly accurate. With the funding of Google the advancements necessary could enable Kurzweil to put this shift in process.<br />
<br />
In order to ensure The Singularity happens a global community of the brightest minds is necessary. What's equally necessary is the need of scientists to study the human brain, foreign relations specialists to ensure peace and lack of Governmental oversight to slow down the process which could be the reason for the covert operation.<br />
<br />
As crazy as the idea of Transhumanism seems to most people, it's actually a future I think is possible and should be a goal we strive for. Extending life, eliminating diseases, eliminating depression and improving everything we do exponentially are noble and great things that all require the lack of religious belief to occur.<br />
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I am not the only person who buys into this as the idea of Transhumanism is extremely popular among the brightest and richest minds of Silicon Valley. Bill Joy the cofounder of Sun Microsystems, Mitch Kapor the founder of Lotus, Larry Page the CEO of Google and executives representing Nokia, Cisco, Autodesk and others all are believers in Transhumanism, and they all have an awful lot of money to make sure it has the best shot possible of happening in their lifetimes. The development of this could mirror BitCoin, in fact it wouldn't surprise me at all if BitCoin was a product of Cicada 3301 as the stated inventor appears to be a phantom.<br />
<br />
The signs of Cicada 3301 are all there, from the types of people they are targeting with their recruiting, to their resources, their methodology and their stated purpose. If anyone from the organization is against my public speculation of this, please let me know as I am extremely sympathetic to your cause.<br />
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Either way January 4th, 2014 will be an interesting day, that's for sure.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15746602045902544024noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3071706678775178530.post-76235573724028706842013-10-17T15:31:00.001-07:002013-10-17T15:31:44.167-07:00High School Yearbook Photos Of A Young Bruiser BrodyIn the early 1960s one of the most famous wrestlers of the territorial era by the name of Bruiser Brody (AKA Frank Goodish) attended Warren High School in my hometown of Warren, Michigan. Brody was tragically murdered in Puerto Rico in 1988 and since then his legend has only grown. After some intense scouring I found some pictures in the 1961, 1962 and 1963 Warren High School Yearbooks of a young Bruiser Brody! I wanted to share these awesome pictures of probably the most famous person from Warren, Michigan until a young Marshall Mathers came along.<br />
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15746602045902544024noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3071706678775178530.post-91226322688397410082013-05-08T23:01:00.001-07:002013-05-08T23:25:58.616-07:00Misogyny, The Internet and GamingIn the past few months there seems to be a lot of posts about the misogyny on various internet and gaming communities, while this isn't a subject that directly effects me, it is a subject that is fascinating. These posts are quite often by women and usually have the goal in mind of ending the misogynistic attitude some have to make the Internet a more pleasant place for women. The goal is insanely noble but I think people are asking the wrong question, the question that should be asked is why, and how can we change THAT.<br />
<br />
Remember whenever talking about this that emotions run deep and quite often the worst characteristics of both genders can jump out to everyone, but the fact is that women are treated poorly all over the Internet. Unfortunately many of the theories and attitudes that some women have are just as cruel as the original comments made by men that made them feel uncomfortable. Also note that generalizations will be made and although they are not perfect, they are necessary for most dialogue on this subject, so please realize that.<br />
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Here are a few things that I am sharing from a male perspective on why it occurs besides the seemingly typical female response of "They are misogynistic because they were rejected by women" which is a cheap and cruel cop-out. There is more to it than that and unless you want to dig deeper, this problem will never get solved:<br />
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<a name='more'></a><br />
<b>1) </b>Men are men and usually say things without actually thinking if it would be intelligent to speak, and in the company of other men this usually isn't a problem because males generally understand the way a fellow male's brain works and they immediately ignore it. From personal experience I have noticed that many women are innately more thoughtful and generally have more tact when having a conversation IRL or online. With this comes a disconnect that leads to feeling alienated, which often isn't the desired reaction.<br />
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Have you ever seen conversation among a group of men? The cruelest things are said almost non-stop, and no one usually cares because we all share testicles.<br />
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<b>2) </b>When boys grow up they have unrealistic examples of adult women because of media portrayals. By the age of 10 I truly believed that most women will eventually bleed you dry, nag you to death, try to change you or cheat on you, and I only gathered this from Sitcoms.<br />
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<b>3) </b>The American education system is way too feminized and it has led to alienating an entire generation of males. We were often taught by older women who naturally cannot understand the differences in the way a boy thinks, feels, acts and learns from a girl of the same age, which leads them to make unrealistic expectations of the boys in class. When those female-based expectations aren't met, the boys are quite often reprimanded for actions with no suitable explanation of why that makes sense to them. This leads to a resentment of women from a very young age that is difficult to overcome later in life when the sex drive comes in.<br />
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<b>4) </b>A great comic once said something along the lines of: "Think of how dumb the average person is, and then remember that 49.9% of people are DUMBER than that". The men who make women feel uncomfortable are usually just fucking stupid with a very low IQ. These are the same people who have led me to avoid all multiplayer games and they buy shooter after shooter which has completely ruined the fun of video games.<br />
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<b>5) </b>The people making these comments on the Internet are very likely boys from the age of 10 to 18, it's important to realize that because maturity is a major part of this issue and the source should be considered before it's deemed a major problem.<br />
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My biggest piece of advice to these women who have felt alienated is that it's the Internet, stop taking it so seriously. I truly feel bad for some of the examples I have seen, but the internet is a place where the dumbest people can post the dumbest things without retribution. It's all about where you go and how you converse that will dictate the quality of conversation you have. With that being said, my response to the question posed by <a href="http://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2013/04/06/misogyny-sexism-and-why-rps-isnt-shutting-up/">RockPaperShotgun </a>as to why so many males don't want to discuss this issue is simply that the more enlightened male sect figured out years ago that the only thing dumber and more pointless than arguing on the internet, is talking about arguing on the internet. Among men, things like this do not need to be discussed and since these forums are often naturally populated by men there is an overall attitude to shut the hell up and move on.<br />
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For an exercise, go to a forum where women comprise majority of the posts and compare. I guarantee the tone, attitude, topic of conversation, respect for all fellow posters and the vibe of the forums are MASSIVELY different.<br />
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My personal opinion, as someone who has never and will never reply to a girl's post with "show your tits" or "you are a slut" is this: An estimated <a href="http://www.womenshealth.gov/publications/our-publications/fact-sheet/female-genital-cutting.cfm#g">3,000,000</a> women a year are forced to undergo genital mutilation, in America women still earn about <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Male%E2%80%93female_income_disparity_in_the_United_States">19% less</a> than men doing the same job and that state governments in countries with Sharia Law allow for the stoning to death of women who commit adultery and some have even been stoned for being rape victims.<br />
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These statistics make me so sad and feel so hopeless that I'm sorry I don't care much that some asshole asked to see your tits on the Internet. No woman should feel alienated for posting on a website, but fighting the bigger issues that are actually physically and psychologically hurting women around the world is much more important and will lead to changes in attitudes that will fix this problem.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15746602045902544024noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3071706678775178530.post-33762091417745507282013-02-13T02:39:00.000-08:002013-02-13T02:39:03.001-08:00The Police Burned Chris Dorner AliveLast night I listened to 4 hours of the only LAPD Scanner stream left on the internet, and what I heard was jarring and thankfully recordings made it on the net. The reason only one stream was left is because the police asked media to only use film from far away and used a 4G signal blocker while the building was strategically set on fire by "burners" mentioned in the below video. It's also of note that the building owner stated there was no Television or Internet connection in the house (which the police already knew), therefore what they stated to the media was a lie.....<br />
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Here is the video with the 5 minutes of audio as it's burning, with the way the mainstream media is avoiding this part of the story...you may want to watch it quick:<br />
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Remember the most important thing to do is to make sure your mainstream news media knows about this and also that many people know. It's about time ruthless police departments who do anything to protect themselves get their justice, Dorner's methods were savage and wrong but let's make sure something good comes of this....which is the public outing of what justice really means within the city of Los Angeles and the State of California.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15746602045902544024noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3071706678775178530.post-6800876746743390822013-02-01T19:00:00.001-08:002013-02-01T19:00:08.367-08:00Music's New Generation Gap is Drastically DIfferentThe traditional view of older generations having different tastes of music than the younger is one that may just be dead. Sure there is the whole dubstep thing, but that seems more niche than anything else...<br />
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What I have noticed in the barely relevant mainstream music media is that authenticity means more than the quality of the music being produced. Two weeks ago on some Star Search ripoff show, a contestant stated she did "the country thing" and apparently offended Keith Urban who is self-identified as a country artist. After this Mariah Carey and Randy Jackson proceeded to provide that "veteran music industry advice" and grill this girl regarding if she's Country or something. Nicki Minaj was visually frustrated at this conversation as was anyone who is sane. This conversation could only exist with two people who are oblivious to the way people listen to music in 2013. Randy Jackson then went on about his 30 years of industry experience (NOT something to brag about) and Mariah ranted about some other nonsense that didn't matter. Before she walked off stage, Nicki made it quite clear that none of this advice was helpful at all to the girl and questioned why it was even given in the first place.<br />
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It's important to realize that Randy Jackson (56), Keith Urban (45) and Mariah Carey (42) came from an era where people discovered new music by listening to the radio and watching music videos. In addition to this, every genre shared one feature which is that authenticity (or perceived authenticity) was paramount.<br />
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This same attitude is something I have noticed that many writers have shared toward artists like The Weeknd, Miguel and Frank Ocean, which essentially boils down to the ever important argument of our time: <a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/culture/2012/dec/29/did-hipsters-ruin-r-and-b">"Did gloomy hipsters ruin R&B?"</a> This whole argument is made because these R&B audiences have found an audience of white men who had little to no interest in R&B before this (raises hand).<br />
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The Guardian's Alex Macpherson seems to be the one who hates the direction The Weeknd went the most as illustrated by the quotes below and articles <a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/music/musicblog/2011/mar/29/the-weeknd-rnb">here</a> and <a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/music/musicblog/2012/jan/18/music-makers-bedroom-internet">here</a>:<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
Focusing on R&B only when it has a contrived "weird" or "arty" angle, as per the Weeknd, is to fail to adequately engage with its form and its values.</blockquote>
and<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
The Weeknd are thoroughly unremarkable: in terms of both songcraft and conveying emotion, they are painfully inadequate. The hood signifiers ladled into the lyrics sound forced and contrived, not least because the singer sounds bored out of his skull. The addition of vaguely lo-fi chillwave textures are a lazy way of connoting darkness – but the Weeknd's sound isn't too far removed from arrangements that have become commonplace in R&B. It's like a particularly shallow take on a Trey Songz mixtape.</blockquote>
Obviously I'm a huge fan of The Weeknd so I disagree with what he is saying about the artist, but taste is taste and it's all relative so arguing over that is pointless. Where Mr. Macpherson goes wrong is taking genre classification so seriously that he ignores progression and audience diversification at all costs to keep the music "pure", whatever that means.<br />
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The other aspect that he fails to realize is that somewhere between Michael Jackson and Prince, New Jack Swing, D'Angelo and Aaliyah, R&B lost a lot of it's audience and became perceived by many as repetitive and boring. I worked in Metro Detroit's largest independent record store for six years, and in that time do you know how many R&B records I liked? The answer is not very many and it wasn't from lack of exposure, but rather lack of anything remotely interesting or different. Yet, Mr. Macpherson's insistence on genre authenticity means so much that he is willing to dismiss this because it's too arty or weird.<br />
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I have no idea how old Mr. Macpherson is, but his is an attitude that I notice folks have as they age, an attitude that the internet era of music is changing beyond their recognition. White Baby Boomers who pretend rock stopped existing after 1985, aging 80's metalheads, 70's R&B fans, 90's NYC R&B purists and 80's New Wave fans all have a definite date where music "went to shit" which is also the date where they ceased caring about anything new. These music fans all shared something in common though, which is that they learned about new artists from the radio and followed whatever what popular at the time. This tradition is dying because radio's hold on music is also slowly dying, it's lack of diversification and risk taking led it to being forced to accept artists created and groomed through the internet in order to survive.<br />
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All of this led to older people not understanding how and why people can like more than one genre of music. I distinctively remember my first day at said record store, being told "you can't like Kyuss and J Dilla, it's not possible" when going in I had no idea that not everyone was as open minded as me when it came to music. My authenticity was questioned and I was viewed as someone who just liked someone because of critical praise, which then led me to throw ICP and Uncle Kracker in their face.<br />
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Until recently I assumed I was an outlier, when in reality my attitude would soon become much more normal.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15746602045902544024noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3071706678775178530.post-45400029219368460922012-12-05T19:08:00.001-08:002012-12-05T19:08:30.802-08:00Best Albums of 2012Looking back at the previous year in music is one of my absolute favorite things to do every year dating back to even before I worked at Record Time. With 2012 being the best year for music in a long long while (since at least 2005 that I can remember) it has been super fun and also extremely difficult to come up with an actual ranked list. My top album of the year is a reissue so I felt guilty having it top my list, BUT when you look at <a href="http://www.last.fm/user/tonynot/charts?subtype=artists">my Last.fm chart of the previous 12 months</a> you will see why I felt so compelled to choose it for #1.<br />
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Either way here is my yearly list and I would encourage you to check them out!<br />
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<a name='more'></a><span style="font-size: large;"><b>1. The Weeknd </b><b>-</b><b> Trilogy</b></span><br />
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Calling this my favorite album of 2012 is a bit of a cheat because it’s really just a reissue of the three The Weeknd mixtapes (House Of Balloons, Thursday & Echoes of Silence) that came out throughout 2011. Either way though, this set contains some of my favorite music I have ever heard in my life and I can’t imagine not putting this at #1 considering how much I listen to it and how much I love it. The Weeknd became one of my favorite artists ever and is now in that rare air of NIN, Deftones and The Beatles as far as my all time favorites.<br />
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When I say this is the best music ever made, I’m not kidding.<br />
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">2. Deftones - Koi No Yokan</span></b><br />
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This album just came out a few weeks ago so I was unsure if it would end up making this list, needless to say it's so good that it not only made the list but caused me to go insane trying to decide my #1 album this year. As of November 30th, 2012, Koi No Yokan is the second or third best Deftones album ever made, only behind White Pony and Saturday Night Wrist. </div>
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The song <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=67oBykAKUuk">Entombed</a> might actually be the best Deftones song ever written, which says a lot considering how highly I view them as a band. Not that it means much, but this album received <a href="http://www.metacritic.com/music/koi-no-yokan/deftones">ridiculously positive reviews</a> from every music publication that has reviewed it.</div>
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The sole point I want to make about Koi No Yokan (Japanese for "love at first sight") is that Deftones are my favorite band and I am extremely biased toward them. With that said, this album still blew me away and exceeded my expectations beyond belief. They are the only metal band I still listen to regularly for a very good reason.</div>
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">3. Purity Ring - Shrines</span></b><br />
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On July 17th Purity Ring did a show at The Crofoot in Pontiac, Michigan and I missed it, in fact I had no idea who Purity Ring were at the time! About three weeks after this show a good friend recommended them to me and I was blown away. This album sounds different yet completely accessible at the same time, something that usually signals greatness. The electronic aspects of this album are done perfectly and create music that is exactly what I pictured music in 2012 would sound like. Check out their video for the killer song Lofticries:</div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>4. Frank Ocean </b><b>-</b><b> Channel ORANGE</b></span><br />
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I'm still bitter about this one. I was supposed to see Frank Ocean on August 1st at St. Andrew's Hall but he became ill and the show was cancelled without postponement. It's obvious that I missed my chance to see him at an amazing venue as the next time he tours it will be in a much much bigger building.</div>
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Now that my bellyaching is over, I should go on about why I love this album so much... Around the time it came out I had a typical frustrating situation going on with a certain member of the opposite sex, this album has more than a few songs I deeply related to during this time. As someone who sort of enjoyed Nostalgia, ULTRA, I was definitely shocked when this album blew me the fuck away.</div>
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Oh and <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HfyWQ2AEBic">Pyramids</a> is one of the best songs ever written, he invented prog-rap while no one was even noticing.</div>
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">5. Jack White - Blunderbuss</span></b><br />
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Finally Jack White is back making amazing music as a solo artist (I would consider The White Stripes to be solo work as well due to the nature of it) and it's fucking great. This guy throws away more good songs than almost any "pop genius" you can think of. Singles like <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iErNRBTPbEc">Love Interruption</a>, <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s92smjLq_38">Freedom At 21</a> and <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DsixWMdScUI">Sixteen Saltines</a> are perfect and display the same genius that was found on all of Jack White's work with Meg.<br />
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">6. Insane Clown Posse - The Mighty Death Pop</span></b><br />
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As I stated in my intro, 2012 has been a personal highlight as far as music goes and this album is one that goes along with it. I have always felt that ICP's Joker's Cards were something absolutely monumental in music, a 6 piece concept album set that not only tell a decade long story but they also have secrets and surprises that come out over time.<br />
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ICP are often considered "The World's Most Hated Band" which I find hilarious because they offer more to their fans than almost any artist I can think of. This time around it was 3 different bonus albums; "Freaky Tales" a 60 minute long track detailing sexual exploits, "Mike E. Clark's Extra Pop Emporium" which contains remixes and guest spots from a reunited Geto Boys, Three 6 Mafia, Ice Cube, Color Me Badd and others, and finally the best of the bunch "Smothered, Covered & Chunked" which is full of covers.<br />
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I am tempted to list Smothered, Covered & Chunked as a separate album on this list as it is extremely entertaining. The standout covers include <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XU06USZr344">Hold Still</a> from the amazingly great show Yo Gabba Gabba and Michael Jackson & Mick Jagger's <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5bDbn_L-RKA">State Of Shock</a>. The full length is great because it has some of the most fun ICP songs ever made like <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H1rMNjXOKMc">Juggalo Juice</a>, <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hbm5evgQO1Q">Dog Catchers</a> which is about Dog The Bounty Hunter, and <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X_vcFAxN6Jw">Forever </a>which is one of the most uplifting and all around great songs they have ever made. This entire album is fun as hell and lacks the pretension, phoniness and monotony that so much music has today. Someday they will be considered legends and geniuses.<br />
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">7. <span style="background-color: white; font-family: sans-serif; line-height: 19.200000762939453px;">††† (Crosses) - EP 2</span></span></b><br />
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Last year when the first Crosses EP came out, everyone pegged it as "Chino Moreno's Witch House side project" just because the name of the project is <b style="background-color: white; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19.200000762939453px;">†††</b><span style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: x-small; line-height: 19.200000762939453px;"> </span>and the genre is symbolized by symbols (I had no clever way of phrasing this, sorry). It sounded NOTHING like Witch House and instead was just great dark-pop music that had a slight tinge of Team Sleep. The second EP came out earlier this year and blew the first one out of the water, it's very new-wavey and has pop songs that any other metal singer wishes they would have written. Apparently, Shaun Lopez of Far + Chino Moreno = money.<br />
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">8. Killer Mike - R.A.P. Music</span></b><br />
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The first song on here which happens to feature TI is called Big Beast, and it hits so fucking hard. Not only does it hit hard, but it has an <a href="http://pitchfork.com/news/46788-video-killer-mike-big-beast/">awesome video</a> too which features the producer of the album El-P. What really stands out on here is the track <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6lIqNjC1RKU">Reagan</a>, which may be the best political song I have ever heard. Rap is definitely a dying genre, but Killer Mike is doing everything he can to breathe some much needed life into it.<br />
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">9. Miguel - Kaleidoscope Dream</span></b><br />
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I fucking hate the term PBR&B.<br />
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">10. El-P - Cancer 4 Cure</span></b><br />
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I miss Def Jux, but a new El-P album is the next best thing.<br />
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">Honorable Mentions:</span></b></div>
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Crystal Castles – (III)</div>
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Silversun Pickups – Neck Of Woods</div>
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Twin Shadow - Confess</div>
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Odd Future - 12 Odd Future Songs<br />
Sleigh Bells - Reign Of Terror<br />
Fiona Apple - The Idler Wheel</div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15746602045902544024noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3071706678775178530.post-46004004288375538402012-11-05T18:52:00.000-08:002012-11-05T18:52:56.224-08:00Best & Worst Shows of 2012Even though it isn't over, I like to start my "Best Of" lists early and I figured it was perfect timing to do my favorite shows of the year. Since I'm a smartphone picture addict, I will include digital folksy self shot images of each show, because I care.<br />
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<b>1. The Weeknd</b><br />
St. Andrew's Hall - Wednesday, June 20th, 2012<br />
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Within the past year there is no artist I have listened to more than The Weeknd, check <a href="http://www.last.fm/user/tonynot/charts">here </a>for proof of this. So to say I was excited for this show would be a ridiculous understatement. St. Andrew's was about 250 degrees and it was my last time being around someone I ended up developing true feelings for, so the evening remains bittersweet in that way. Forgetting personal drama, this show was unbelievable and not only my favorite show of the year, but one of my 3 favorite of all time. A perfect setlist, a crowd that sang along to EVERY WORD of EVERY SONG and so much talent that it was off the charts. This was the type of show that you know you will brag about being at in the future.<br />
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This didn't stop throughout the entire show. Leading to a performance of Drake's Crew Love that had everyone in attendance singing "This Ain't No Fuckin Singalong", it was a singalong and it was the best show of the year with a bullet.<br />
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Royal Oak Music Theatre - Wednesday, October 24th, 2012<br />
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Anyone who knows me knows that Deftones are one of my two hands down favorite bands of all time, this instance was the 2nd time I had seen them this year and my 16th time ever. Deftones are one of the most consistent live bands I have ever seen and the fact that they played new songs which blew the crowd away made this the one. Sadly though in 2012, Deftones are one of the only "rock" bands I still actively listen to, hey at least I picked one of the best.<br />
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<b>3. Crystal Castles</b><br />
Royal Oak Music Theatre - Tuesday, October 9th, 2012<br />
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This was my first time seeing Crystal Castles and needless to say I was blown away. The show was two days before I had surgery so the mood I was in was oddly great and the show didn't disappoint. If I had to describe this show I would steal a phrase from a friend who said "there were a lot of lights, loud noises and it was really fun" which is simplistic but completely true. The end result of this set is dreadfully regretting missing them at Lollapalooza 2011.<br />
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<b>4. Insane Clown Posse</b></div>
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Emerald Theatre, Mt. Clemens, MI - Saturday, June 23rd, 2012</div>
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This show ended up being a swan song for the Emerald Theatre in Mt. Clemens as it was one of the last they hosted before closing. It's also hard to state just how fun and entertaining ICP are live, and this show was no exception. Explaining why I love ICP is something that I have never really been able to do well, I always thought they were absolute geniuses that were so far ahead of everyone else that no one realized it. 2012 also was the year that The Almighty Death Pop, their best album in YEARS was released (and also the year they decided to cover <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=89GguohA7N4">Yo Gabba Gabba</a> and cemented themselves as legend in my eyes). There is a reason that I listened to these guys so much in high school and maintained my love throughout this whole time, ICP are original, unpretentious and have much better music than anyone ever gives them credit for. Watch this Shockumentary style video from the show:</div>
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<b>5. Radiohead</b></div>
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The Palace of Auburn Hills - Monday, June 11th, 2012</div>
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When Brian McCollum of the Detroit Free Press <a href="http://www.freep.com/article/20120610/ENT04/206100408/Radiohead-has-changed-significantly-since-Detroit-fans-last-heard-them">interviewed me</a> about the first Metro-Detroit Radiohead show in over 15 years, I said "You'd see the tour dates every time: never Michigan, never Michigan, never Michigan," which is why I saw them in Chicago in 2008. Well in 2012 the wait was over and it was a fantastic show that lived up to expectations. The stage, lighting setup and sound were incredible, with the only slight downside being a setlist very heavy on King Of Limbs (other than Pablo Honey, their weakest album). For me 2012 seemed like the end of an era, one which Radiohead stood atop as the most creative and interesting band in rock music, so it's fitting they finally came to Detroit to end the streak.</div>
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">Worst Shows of 2012:</span></b></div>
<div>
<b>1. Frank Ocean</b></div>
<div>
Saint Andrew's Hall - Wednesday, August 1st, 2012</div>
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Was Frank Ocean's Channel Orange dominating your summer? Because if not it should have been. So the August 1st Frank Ocean show sold out rather fast and it seemed too perfect to get to see such an amazing artist right at his peak. Well it was cancelled on the day of the show due to illness, not postponed but CANCELLED! I will never have a chance to see him in a venue like this again and it makes me sad.</div>
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<div>
<b>2. Wu-Tang Clan</b></div>
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Royal Oak Music Theatre - Wednesday, January 4th, 2012</div>
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Wu-Tang Clan are one of the greatest rap groups of all time and this is an easy given, but live they suffer from the fate of having too many live mics on a stage at once, making everything just blend together in a mess. The traditional late 90's method of hip hop performances is something that fails miserably in an era with Kanye, Jay-Z, Eminem, Weezy and Drake having sick full band arena worthy performances. I waited 15 years to see Wu-Tang as a collective and while it definitely wasn't the worst show of the year, it sure was the most disappointing.</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15746602045902544024noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3071706678775178530.post-82448011249974938602012-10-12T23:45:00.002-07:002012-10-12T23:45:32.933-07:00Want to Hire/Woo Gen Y & Millennials? Ignore the InternetI just read <a href="http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10000872396390443749204578052701136725558.html">this piece</a> from the Wall Street Journal describing how oXYGen Financial use stupid marketing tactics to attempt to appeal to younger consumers and it greatly emblematic of what's wrong with America. Yes, that statement is hyperbolic but it's 100% true, businesses have absolutely no clue anymore and have completely lost their shit. Just reading that article makes me wonder how successful their business model is, because it seems to me paying $90 for "investment advice" seems like bullshit from every angle.<br /><br />People from my generation have been marked to 24/7 for our ENTIRE LIVES, so how does a company that clearly gets this fail so hard. If you look at the last sentence of the article it states "They want to know exactly how you're going to make money off of them and the last thing they want to hear is some slick sales speech" which is truthful, everything else contradicts this statement.<br />
<br />
Fuck social media, fuck generational wall building, and fuck these internet business content mills that spout shit that business leaders believe. Why do none of these articles speak of the companies successes and failures? The point of a business is to make money, this is surprising news to maney.<br />
<br />
So why do these companies spout nonsense about how attracting younger customers while also clearly missing the point? It's because there is only one way to get the "internet generation" which is a much better term I believe, and that is by offering a quality product or service. Apple is still growing because their products are great, people are cancelling their cable service because the product is shitty....does this make sense? Apparently not because companies would rather drone on about social media and "fun events" rather than providing honest customer testimonials explaining why we should use their product.<br />
<br />
Within the next few months I will be launching my own business, and I will use what I've learned from 15+ years as an internet addict to attempt to build and grow this business. Doing this won't be easy but it sure as hell will be more rewarding than watching assholes take advantage of younger customers and employees. So instead of figuring out how to value a "like", I will be charging for a product and utilizing Facebook and Twitter to promote said product. It seems alarmingly simple but it's something that most companies with 60+ year old leadership are failing at massively.<br />
<br />
This blog has a lot of posts bitching about older generations, and I feel I should end this post with an explanation. I'm so upset about this because I know I'm a better employee/worker/person than most of you, but I am stuck in a rigid system of conformity and mindless merit-based hiring practices. This is shit you started and accepted. In my past work experience (note I said PAST and not current as my current employer is fantastic and progressive) here are some things that go on which I can't believe are still happening in 2012 (AND IT'S YOUR FUCKING FAULT). So if any of you manager types that are bored and reading this online because your employees are doing all of your work, here is why they hate your guts.<br />
<br />
<br />
<ul>
<li>Why are there 2 hour meetings that should only be 10 minutes? </li>
</ul>
<br />
<br />
<ul>
<li>Why are work shifts set in hours instead of task completion? If someone completes a task in 2 hours that takes someone else 10 and then has 8 hours of boredom, why are they punished for being a better employee?</li>
</ul>
<br />
<br />
<ul>
<li>Why do you give a fuck what any employee looks like if they get the job done correctly and quickly? It's 2012 and your stupid dress codes and anti-tattoo/piercing shit is dying fast.</li>
</ul>
<br />
<br />
<ul>
<li>Why should anyone respect you just because you are older? No one has EVER given me a good reason for this, as respect is always earned and not given based on arbitrary age requirements. Oh and most of the "wisdom" they think they possess, can be Googled.</li>
</ul>
<br />
<br />
<ul>
<li>Why do we have to be your IT department and still get paid less than Everyone in the IT department?</li>
</ul>
<div>
These are all giant disconnects I have noticed in the new "generation gap" and I hope that the generation I am from stands up for themselves more and realizes they don't have to work in this system, they can change it by being outspoken or doing their own shit.</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15746602045902544024noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3071706678775178530.post-79484277193966010642012-08-06T13:28:00.001-07:002012-08-06T13:28:30.541-07:00Life's Pet Peeves<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">There
are issues that everyone has in life and some of them annoy me more than
others, here are some of the things peeve me the most:</span></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;"><b><span style="font-size: x-large;">1.
Slowness</span></b><span style="font-size: large;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">This
is my hands down top pet peeve of all time. Nothing in life angers me more than
someone else slowing me down, and it seems that slowing me down is society's
master goal. I personally believe that
slowness is one of the rudest things that a person can do.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">A
few specific examples:<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<ul style="margin-top: 0in;" type="disc">
<li class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">Driving<o:p></o:p></span></span></li>
<ul style="margin-top: 0in;" type="circle">
<li class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">Not immediately going when a
light turns from red to green<o:p></o:p></span></span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">Driving significantly under
the speed limit and blocking me in when it’s clear I’m trying to pass<o:p></o:p></span></span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">Stopping in the middle of the
road to turn around regardless of traffic situations<o:p></o:p></span></span></li>
</ul>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">Making unnecessary small talk
with the cashier when a long line is behind you<o:p></o:p></span></span></li>
</ul>
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<span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif; font-size: x-large;"><b>2. The Telephone</b></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">I hate talking on the phone, part of it is that I have a hard time hearing after years of extremely loud rock concerts, the other part is that it is presumptuous and rude. If someone texts or e-mails me something I can send a reply at my convenience without interrupting any meeting, conversation or event that I may be at. A phone call, however, requires me to drop everything to speak with you at this given second. Phone calls should be used only in times where it is easier/more convenient than a text or e-mail. </span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">Telephone use is something that is very generational, in my workplace I have noticed that those over 40 are much more apt to communicate via phone, whereas those who are younger will use alternate methods. </span><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">Under this umbrella are </span><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">Voice-mails</span><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;"> too, which are probably the most annoying thing on earth. They wouldn't bother me at all if people knew how to leave accurate, succinct messages. This </span><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">however</span><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;"> never happens and instead I have to listen to a minute or more of rambling, boring nonsense.</span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">The next time you need to get ahold of someone and have the phone in your hand, THINK. Is this a message better suited for a text? Usually it is.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif; font-size: x-large;"><b>3. People Who Don't Google First</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">In 2012 it is unacceptable to ask me questions like "How do you spell this word?", "Give me directions to Warren from here" or "When is the Nine Inch Nails concert?"</span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">This is another issue that is influenced highly by age, as those who grew up with the Internet generally know how to find information faster (although the Millennials are failing miserably at most aspects of Boolean Logic). If you want another reason that the young folks are bitter at older generations, it is that we are generally their personal library service, providing whatever information they request at the drop of a hat. This ability to do something they are too stubborn/lazy to do on their own usually results in no pay increase for us, instead just bitterness that the older generation can't figure out how to use Google.</span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif; font-size: x-large;"><b>4. Dress Codes</b></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">Another outdated custom that needs to go away for good. A good percentage of the population actually believes that there is a point to wearing a shirt and tie or "professional attire" to show professionalism. In reality all this attire does is mask incompetence.</span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">Dress Codes are something enforced by old people who are bitter that our generation is changing a meaningless custom. It is important for us to break dress codes as often as possible to ensure future generations will not have this nonsense. It's important that young folks realize that these rules do not need to be respected and this can change if you FORCE these organizations to change.</span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif; font-size: x-large;"><b>5. Overhype</b></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">This is something that isn't going away and it has ruined many great things. There is nothing worse than people talking seemingly non-stop about something you love, because it will inevitably lead to disappointment and over-saturation. Ignoring all hype is the best first step to fixing this issue.</span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif; font-size: x-large;"><b>6. The Music/Media/Publishing/Film Industries</b></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">These industries HATE THEIR FANS. Filing lawsuits against fans, making it next to impossible to effectively use their digital products on the device of your choice because of DRM and of course there is the huge factor of being a complete rip off.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">Record Labels love to waste money. They used to be able to waste as much as they wanted because of how much they gouged the end consumer who purchased their products. File sharing came along and then the record labels got angry that consumers were now able to say FUCK YOU to the greedy asshole labels. So now after failed legislation and an almost dead business model, the industry has ran out of good ideas.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">Thankfully independent artists like The Weeknd, Odd Future, Danny Brown, Trent Reznor and Radiohead have realized that the economic value of pre-recorded music in 2012 is zero and it should be used as a tool for other revenue streams.</span></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15746602045902544024noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3071706678775178530.post-72885250651745299342012-07-20T21:57:00.000-07:002012-07-20T22:29:52.993-07:00How To Get Free Or Cheap Textbooks, and why you shouldCommunity Colleges offer a variety of classes in useful subjects for an extremely fair price to anyone in the community who wishes to learn. The quality of education is the same as a 4-Year college and it is a great help to the area. The only downfall of this is textbooks!<br />
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<span style="background-color: white;">The part of the college experience that is (seemingly) a necessity at every level is a textbook. Inside this book is tons of information that you can find on the Internet for free, it's a good thing these books are very reasonably priced and usually ONLY cost between $100 and $200 each. In order to ensure maximum profits the textbook publishers make sure to release a new edition every year so that used booksellers can no longer sell the previous edition, therefore eliminating reselling. There is also the unspoken fact that the publishers often pay teachers to ensure that their books are used, this is all purely speculation of course.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white;">Well all of this is known and it annoys/rips off anyone who has ever taken a college class. So while making ridiculous (how much money goes into a $200 16th edition of a Biology textbook?) profits on each new edition, the textbook guys realized that they weren't making enough money and thought that it's about time we make sure NO ONE is able to learn for free. The </span><a href="http://torrentfreak.com/anti-piracy-patent-prevents-students-from-sharing-books-120610/" style="background-color: white;">idea</a><span style="background-color: white;"> is students must buy an online access code to participate in the class, and if they do not purchase it then their grade is lowered. Makes you wonder why Gen Y believes that a degree is something you pay for and the means don't matter as long as the end result is that piece of paper, eh?</span><br />
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This is similar to the entire for-profit college experience where schools screw their athletes, screw their employees and most importantly screw the students. Societal norms however state that in order to become a success, a college degree is necessary and since these schools are "enlightening" the students, it is less likely they will ever be called out on their shit. <span style="background-color: white;">To make sure that this post isn't just me bitching about the state of higher-education in America, I wanted to offer some good advice on how to get textbooks for nothing or next to nothing without resulting to piracy. Don't get me wrong, piracy of the textbook industry's product makes me very happy but rumor has it this archaic country still has stupid laws that must be followed.</span><br />
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So since we don't want to break any laws, here are some legal ways to fuck the textbook publishing industry and save yourself potentially hundreds of dollars:<br />
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<b>1. Buy Older Editions</b><br />
This is by far the most preferred of the suggestions, it has never failed me and most likely saved me at least $2000. As I mentioned before publishers are notorious for releasing updates every year with next to no changes, because apparently Accounting changes so much from year to year that this is a necessity. Well the trick is to buy a used book of a previous edition, which you can usually find on Amazon.com for next to nothing. An example I will use this <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Managerial-Accounting-Ray-Garrison/dp/0078111005/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1342837704&sr=8-1&keywords=managerial+accounting+garrison">Accounting Textbook</a> that is the 14th edition and an extremely affordable $195.92 to purchase new (WHY THE FUCK DOES IT COST MORE THAN AN XBOX 360!?!?!). If you were to purchase the 13th edition of the <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Managerial-Accounting-Connect-Access-thirteenth/dp/B005FA7NVY/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1342837704&sr=8-2&keywords=managerial+accounting+garrison">same textbook</a> on Amazon.com used it would cost $11.21! The changes between editions are so minimal that it is unnoticeable and the extra software they often bundle in is rarely, if ever used. Plus there is the satisfaction that the little money you do spend is going toward someone who was fucked by the publishers.<br />
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<b>2. Use Your School Library</b><br />
Almost all school libraries keep at least one copy of a textbook on hand from each class it offers, these are usually free for students to use for a certain period of time. It's fairly simple to copy any of the information and often the only information needed that can't be found online are questions for homework or assignments.<br />
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<b>3. Pool Your Money With Friends</b><br />
If you are lucky enough to have multiple friends in a class, it's simple to just throw your money together and purchase a textbook which can be passed around as needed. This isn't the most convenient but it beats wasting money on an unnecessary book.<br />
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<b>4. Just Don't Buy A Book</b><br />
The content of about 60% of the courses I had in college were entirely based on the teacher's notes and lectures, with the book being unused. Whatever you do, don't buy the book before the first class! Wait until a few weeks go by and see if you really need it, because oftentimes you don't. Effective Google search techniques found any information I ever needed.<br />
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Remember, our unethical Government is mostly on the side of "Big Education" and often will create or modify legislation to protect whatever shady business dealings the industry participates in. When can someone from the Pearson or McGraw-Hill give an honest answer as to why the fuck a book costs $100+ in 2012? The answer is never because there isn't one. The industry is taking advantage of students and most of these students have no idea there are legal methods to avoid them.<br />
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In case you have ever pirated a textbook in the past (something we would never recommend here) don't feel too bad because it only cost the publisher about $4 to <a href="http://www.studlife.com/forum/2009/09/14/textbook-economics-more-than-just-price/">print, bind and ship</a>. Of course publishers will state that this doesn't include the $15,000 spent on creating the "Professional PowerPoint" included with the book, the untold fortune spent on bland clip-art licensing and the costs of sending free sample books to every professor in the free world, all of which are completely necessary in order to create a textbook of course.<br />
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When spending money to support this corrupt industry, remember that Pearson is not just the largest textbook publisher but also the largest publisher period with revenue of over $9 billion dollars in 2011. The amount of money they are making and wasting is staggering, and that money is coming directly out of your pocket when you buy one of their products.<br />
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It's important to note that "Big Education" is the true culprit behind all of this and the blame is actually more on their shoulders than anyone else. The <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Open_textbook">Open Textbook</a> concept is one that should be integrated and utilized by every reputable educational institution in the world, yet it is finding <a href="http://www.ezran.org/blog/2009/03/problem-with-open-textbooks-they-are-free/">resistance</a> from professors, school administration and of course from their out of touch and greedy <a href="http://chronicle.com/blogs/wiredcampus/publishers-criticize-federal-investment-in-open-educational-resources">competition</a> themselves.<br />
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I guess academia's misguided and naive opinion of Wikipedia is emblematic of why something like open textbooks have not grown. Throughout college professors would lambaste and ridicule Wikipedia, repeatedly claiming that it is not reputable and "anyone can edit it!" so it must not be any good. Well EDUCATORS, tell me a better, cheaper and more thorough resource than Wikipedia that currently or ever has existed? Every single paper I completed in school was done so using Wikipedia as my main resource, of course citing it would have caused World War 3 but it's funny that I used the sources provided by Wikipedia as my sources and all of a sudden I have a finely researched paper.<br />
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Wikipedia and Open Source Education in general are a bit similar to Economics, in that aspects of human behavior create an unknown balance resulting in an efficient system. When an article is edited incorrectly, it is usually fixed quickly and when a fact is provided that is not cited, it is made clear to the reader. This along with leaving the ability to add information open creates a virtually unlimited knowledge base it is possible to tap into. Open Source Textbooks have been criticized for quality by many and this is a valid criticism, but it is one that will be remedied in the near future as the knowledge base grows. There is no way a new work can compete with a 13th edition that has been refined for anywhere from 10 to 40 years. <span style="background-color: white;">If you explain all the points I stated above to the average University Professor or Dean they would be completely unable to understand the concept because they are clueless to the shift in economic value of data.</span><br />
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I find it funny that <a href="http://josephhenryvogel.com/">Joseph Henry Vogel</a> who filed the <a href="http://www.cbc.ca/news/yourcommunity/2012/06/should-students-lose-marks-for-pirating-textbooks.html">patent</a> mentioned earlier is an Economics professor in Puerto Rico with a Doctorate in the field. While browsing his website I noticed that he values the spreading of information and also the fair market value of the work in providing that information. Unfortunately, Mr. Vogel fails to realize that the market value of that information is quickly dwindling and the medium to convey it is now free. The fact that this blog posting by a rather anonymous 27 year old will probably get more views than much of his work is a great (and terrifying) illustration of this point.<br />
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It also <a href="http://www.prweb.com/releases/prweb2012/7/prweb9661005.htm">appears </a>that Mr. Vogel views piracy of textbooks as a crime that has so far been unpunished, which comes across to me as arrogant, self-righteous and once again, naive. Joseph Henry Vogel has authored or co-authored <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Joseph-Henry-Vogel/e/B001KE2DTQ">4 works</a> listed on <a href="http://amazon.com/">Amazon.com</a>, since these are geared toward academia the cost of a new copy range from average to ridiculous ($110 for Genes For Sale) and while the high prices may be to an institution or publishing company owning the rights to the work, it is still an example of the issue at hand. There is absolutely no reason educational materials should be this expensive for the public to access, none. With all due respect to Mr. Vogel, in 2012 your ideas are simply not worth anywhere near the actual cost.<br />
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I guess our biggest difference is that you come from an era where the perception of college is the noble and upstanding pursuit of knowledge, which at that time it was. This credibility and perception, the view of someone with an advanced degree has not changed and that is where the problem lies. I and others consider myself more well read and informed than many "experts" in various fields of interest. But because I chose to not waste money and teach myself, I lack that line on my resume that says I'm an expert. Which in 2012 is what a degree means, a line on a resume.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15746602045902544024noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3071706678775178530.post-60126553143791915492012-07-13T09:54:00.004-07:002012-07-13T09:54:53.724-07:00I know what I like, and I know what I hateOften folks get the idea that I'm always mad or depressed, this isn't the case at all. The truth is there are a severely limited few things that make me happy, a few things that piss me off and a TON of things I could care less about it. As I have aged it seemed obvious to cut out the things I hate and the things I don't care about from my life, therefore there are only about 4 or 5 things that truly make me happy.<br /><br />I also know that pretty much every friend I have had in my life has fucked me over, some more than others. It seems that when people meet someone different from them (like me) they immediately want to change them into something they are not. I really don't care for most people, I fake it to get along in life but I am much happier alone. <div>
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There is also the added fact that if you don't allow anyone to become your friend you will take away their ability to hurt you in the end. I recently made the mistake of allowing someone new to be a friend, I will NOT make this mistake again.<br /><br />I will die alone, and that is EXACTLY how I want it :-)</div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15746602045902544024noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3071706678775178530.post-6185828520444517672012-06-29T10:01:00.004-07:002012-06-29T10:01:42.855-07:00So there's this girl....Personally this has been a tough week for me for reasons I don't wish to go into here. Compounding this issue is one of realizing who gives a shit and who doesn't. There is this girl that I have been friends with for months, she became my best friend and it was obvious there was something there...although neither one of us could pinpoint it.<br />
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Well after a stressful week she proved that she did not care about me at all, all she cared about was getting fucked by some guy who will treat her like shit. Maybe this is the "nice guy syndrome" but fuck that, that's who I am and I don't give a shit if someone likes it or not. So I finally give someone a chance at my friendship and they completely fuck me over.<br />
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I can't think any less of you right now, I think you are a terrible person who takes advantage of people when they are low. I wish I could tell you this all to your face but it is for the best if I do not speak to you, so instead I will sit here lamenting losing my best friend during a trying time.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15746602045902544024noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3071706678775178530.post-27125172593171194612012-06-22T13:02:00.001-07:002012-06-22T13:02:18.505-07:00Baby Boomers & Millennials, and Mitch Albom is TerribleAfter a very successful comment to one of Mitch Albom's <a href="http://www.freep.com/comments/article/20120617/COL01/206170449/Mitch-Albom-Certainly-sir-what-did-you-say-again-">horrible articles</a>, a discussion started that I felt important to share my portion here:<br />
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Yeah the Baby Boomers are screwing over my generation, but they are also allowing us to live in their houses while times are tough for our generation....so at least it evens out somewhat. It's just too bad that the media (traditionally the type that skews older) LOVES to destroy the "millennial" generation without understanding the problems or issues. I also work in an office where I am by far the youngest person, and almost all of my co-workers and I get along great (it turned out to be a huge benefit to have significantly older parents) but there are some things I noticed throughout my organization...<br />
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To make a ridiculous sweeping generation like Mr. Albom does, many of the 50+ set who make a lot of money are TERRIBLE employees and aren't very smart. It's disheartening explaining how to use Microsoft Word to someone who makes $50,000+ a year and you are making $20,000, it's also disheartening being the only person in the office who can answer a question within seconds yet still being looked down upon because you are young. I have been told and I feel that I'm better at business writing, public speaking, computer assistance of all sorts, customer service and even at things like math and spelling than almost ALL of the 50+ year old employees who believe their skills are still relevant to do today's work.<br />
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From ridiculous stereotypes I have made these generalizations about the issues between generations:<br /><br /><b>Older Generations (50+ is about right):</b><br />- Believe they are "due respect" just because they have managed not to die yet.<br />- HATES that young people have the balls to wear what they want to work, moreso that the young folks will QUIT rather than follow their stupid dress codes and other useless rules<br />- Most are the kindest, nicest and warm hearted people you have met and working with these sort of folks is amazing. One of the 50+ ladies in the office has taught me more than anyone else in the organization and did it in a humble and sweet way. There is no way a millenial could be this nice consistently.<br />- Lack of basic understanding about many aspects of life for younger generations, this lack of understanding leads to perceptions that aren't true (is the employee on the phone texting or sending a work e-mail? is he taking notes on his phone in the meeting or playing angry birds?) <br />- Get extremely mad when things aren't done "their way" because they are not used to having their authority checked. <br />- Believe that processes and policies should be followed 100% regardless of how it is violated and if the end result is successful. <br />- Many will not speak with you if you say you are an Atheist, young folks do this too but nowhere near to the degree as the older generations.<br /><br /><b>Younger Generations (About 32 and under):</b><br />- Lack the ability to have a traditional face-to-face conversation in the same manner that the 50+ set so much loves. THIS ISN'T BAD! It's just different.<br />- Far too nice, our politeness (mine included) is what is hurting us the most. We are smarter than most of the people in charge of us but we are too polite and humble to say that. If we would start being more insistent maybe things would change for the better.<br />- Too idealistic and we find declaring specific goals to be difficult (Just look at Occupy). This has a lot to do with us being too "nice" as well.<br />- Accepting of other cultures, sexuality, nationalities and religions. This is good and bad, the bad part being we have been taught to be accepting for so long that we forgot there are some people we CANNOT accept (pedophiles, rapists, murderers, thieves, evil politicians)<br />- Some of us resent the older generations dismissal of things as "not important" when in reality it's extremely important to a good part of the population.<br /><br /><b>FINAL POINT:</b><br />
My final point is this, Old people are overwhelmingly against gay marriage, ending the war on drugs, "free" internet culture, lowering taxes, global warming and a billion other things that will actually progress society. It is this reason that my connotation of old people has always been a negative one, it's not our fault that we are better educated and have access to better tools than you did. Yes your generation helped us get these, and I know this will be an example of how we are "entitled" but it also is an example of how your generation needs to grow the hell up and quick.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15746602045902544024noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3071706678775178530.post-76633141175662455652012-06-10T13:04:00.001-07:002012-06-10T13:04:02.872-07:00Why Men Don't Want A RelationshipI'm 27 and the longest relationship I have ever been in was about 6 months, the reason for this is that I was (and probably still am) completely unable at having one. The easy to describe reason for this is that I'm really really into myself, not in a narcissistic shallow way, but in a "I want to do what I want, when I want" kind of way. The older I get the more I realize that wasting my life doing unenjoyable things is not fun, therefore why do it?
This mindset has been one I've questioned a lot recently because of someone I met. I am notorious for only considering a relationshp after I've been friends with a girl for a long time, this always ends me up in the "friend zone" for better or worse. For me it was always a matter of actually enjoying spending time with a girl, so adding sex to the equation too soon will prohibit me from getting to know her better. Since most guys are into finding a hole as quickly as possible to bang, this leaves women with the perception that since I havent tried to sleep with you yet, I'm interested.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15746602045902544024noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3071706678775178530.post-19491231803452657212012-05-26T15:53:00.000-07:002012-05-26T16:04:41.416-07:00J Dilla's Record Collection and the Economics of MusicEarlier this week I had an opportunity to have a small chat with Scotty Hagen of UHF Records who lucked out and came across a good chunk of J Dilla's Record Collection while purchasing an old storage facility. In addition to the records he found TONS of beat tapes and unreleased recordings made before Dilla's passing. After this hit the net, the internet went apeshit angry about this for a reason I cannot begin to understand, especially because the folks at UHF did every single thing RIGHT in this situation. What better way to let Dilla's legacy live on than to spread his love to fans of his music?<br />
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The most hilarious response I heard was that these records should be in a museum, you know the vintage record museum we all visit to stare at records someone else owned 30 years ago, apparently attendance is booming.<br />
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UHF ended up in contact with Dilla's mother and returned the beat tapes to her, which clearly shows he isn't in the "fuck them, give me money camp" because those tapes were worth more than the entire record collection combined. The outrage persisted though as people were FURIOUS someone was selling A DEAD GUY'S old albums.<br />
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What I came to realize from this situation is that the music industry is the most dysfunctional business from top to bottom that I've seen (and this includes consumers). It's beyond obvious that the remnants of major labels are clueless, bands are so focused on the "art" they don't realize how much they get fucked financially to increase exposure and fans are the first to cry sell out when something doesn't fit their ideal of artistic integrity. This isn't even touching on the evil that is the RIAA or unlistenable terrestrial radio.<br />
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It's interesting that in this day of digital music ubiquity, the most honest and well meaning people at any level of the food chain, are those at your local mom & pop record store.<br />
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If you want to do real good, download a bunch of Dilla's music and donate money to the Ma Dukes fund to help pay off Dilla's huge medical expenses left after his death, or go to <a href="http://www.uhfmusic.com/">UHF Music</a> and support a business that does what a business is supposed to do, serve it's customers.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15746602045902544024noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3071706678775178530.post-79892452781804890242012-05-25T10:08:00.001-07:002012-05-25T10:08:23.161-07:00My Male ManifestoWhenever I read articles like <a href="http://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2010/07/the-end-of-men/8135/">this</a> or <a href="http://www.slate.com/articles/double_x/doublex/2010/03/omega_males_and_the_women_who_hate_them.html">this</a> about the "downfall of men" it makes me laugh and cry at the same time. Being a man in 2012 is sort of shitty, but saying that apparently isn't politically correct so any time someone starts to say this, they are immediately shut down. Don't get me wrong, men have had it great for centuries upon centuries, so maybe it's the inevitable Darwinian shift among our species.<br />
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I believe the starting point for this "issue" is the massive feminization of curriculum in schools that has occurred in the past 20 to 30 years. As a young child I remember having no male teachers, I did not have my first one until 7th grade which is sort of shocking. Now the demographics of teaching have always skewed female but the curriculum shift went from a focus on the basics to a focus on making learning "fun" rather than strictly teaching necessary material. This works for some people, but for others like myself it put me off from learning for almost a DECADE. Rather than solving math problems, answering questions and writing essays, we were cutting and pasting pictures off magazines onto poster board and conducted hour long interactive exercises to confirm a simple easy-to-understand point. Either way the moment when learning division became learning a complicated song instead of learning the meaning behind it, that is the second we failed. There is also the fact that this leads to consensus building when problem solving is necessary, sometimes this works but often times it leads to wasted time and effort while providing those with stupid arguments validity.<br />
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The other main issue about education is the reduction of content taught that would actively appeal to guys. Oftentimes in the classroom opinions of students are treated equally as facts to encourage openness and respect while having a discussion. This usually results in a long, arduous and unnecessary discussion that bores many of the male students in the classroom who are thinking "just move the fuck along". If this happens once in a while it's fine because that is how the world works, but when it happens daily in multiple classes it is VERY easy to see why young male students get burned out so easily.<br />
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It didn't take me long to figure out to pass many classes taught by women, all that was necessary was thoughtfulness and being open minded. Needless to say I always fared much better with male teachers who did not care about anything but the knowledge retained. Is one more right than the other? Not really, but there are advantages to each that each gender possesses, unfortunately the male aspects are disappearing.<br />
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There is more than education to this; and the declining marriage rates which are seen as a problem to many are common sense to most men my age. Why would we want to get married and have kids? What benefit is there when the current system is set up for us to fail no matter which way we go? Divorce laws, child support laws and sexual harassment laws (while all good meaning and necessary at the time) have shown us plenty of examples of why marriage is a poor investment in our future. I would much rather be alone for the rest of my life being responsible only for myself.<br />
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Another issue worth mentioning is the absolute confusion that exists when it comes to hitting on a girl, what was once something cut and dry is now a clusterfuck. Men are so concerned with not offending, not seeming creepy and not getting in trouble for harassment that we choose to instead say nothing to protect ourselves.<br />
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Throughout my life I have been told by virtually everyone to "follow my dreams", "find your passion" and "be yourself" which I have come to realize over time is not only absolute bullshit, but it is in fact harmful to the future of young people. Whenever I make TRUTHFUL statements contradicting these, immediately I am negative and a pessimist (something that people apparently don't like being around). This leads to someone getting older and not having a passion, having unrealistic dreams or not knowing how to communicate properly in society. They end up lost and apathetic, questioning the meaning behind everything they were taught seeking truth. It would be interesting to see the happiness level of the "successful" women that are always mentioned in the same breath with modern men, because I would venture to say they are just as unhappy and disillusioned as the male gender. The main difference is that the system is currently set up for women to succeed.<br />
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Women and men are different, so it's time we stop comparing them constantly and instead clearly identify each gender's strengths and weaknesses (something that has already been done) to ensure proper development without blatant focus on one.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15746602045902544024noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3071706678775178530.post-24833363093735528292012-05-09T16:32:00.001-07:002012-05-09T16:32:56.911-07:00DONATING TO A CHURCH IS NOT CHARITY!Churches and religious organizations are the only businesses in America that can get get away without paying proper taxes.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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It is also well known that donations to a religious organization can be written off as a charity.<br /><br />Donating money to a church is not charity, it is not close to charity and the fact we let people get away with this is ridiculous. These churches pay nothing or next to nothing and expect to be given complete freedom in what they say and how they act (which is fine, if they paid their part). ALL religious institutions are businesses and market themselves to the public, therefore they should be forced to pay their part in taxes.<br /><br />Whenever folks talk about how Mitt Romney is just a rich greedy asshole someone will defend him by stating his charitable constitutions. These charitable constitutions were to the Mormon Church, which isn't exactly into helping the poor and less fortunate with that money....instead they use it to fund "missions" to spread their idea of made up nonsense to others, in essence an Advertising Plan.</div>
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This also goes to the Catholics, Muslims, Jews, Hindus and any other religion that feels it's okay to accept money to promote your businesses but not pay their part. It's about time we stop giving these greedy con-men a pass for taking advantage of people who are more likely to believe in nonsense.</div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15746602045902544024noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3071706678775178530.post-66446961907959770072012-05-04T08:30:00.000-07:002012-05-04T08:30:35.311-07:00Religion is holding us back from successPeople who know me know that I am extremely tolerant of what people believe, but also that I'm intolerant of Religion. Personal spiritual beliefs are just that and I have no statement on that, I do however find Religion to be a manipulative waste of time that is hurting humanity more than helping it. So I figured it would be prudent to discuss some reasons I hate Religion.<br />
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1. Donating money to your church <b>IS NOT CHARITY!</b><br />
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2. In America if you are a Religion you are tax free. All religions should be taxed, not taxing their income is wrong and leads to financial shadiness.<br />
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3. Religious beliefs spread ridiculous, baseless "knowledge" about homosexuality, fornication and a bunch of other things that we are free to do.<br />
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4. People get mad when you bash their religion (note: ALL religions deserve to be bashed), as if you are bashing the person instead of their irrational belief pattern.<br />
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5. The three main worldwide religions are extremely sexist.<br />
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6. Many religious folks feel that their politics and religion should always go hand-in-hand, you don't have to be religious to see this is a terrible idea.<br />
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7. Because of Religion there are still ridiculous "blue laws", laws against atheists and agnostics holding office, anti-gay legislation among other prohibitions of personal freedom.<br />
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8. The acceptance of the supernatural has forced me to listen to tons of unproven stories about "spirits" and "ghosts" from otherwise smart people. It's a drag having to tell someone they are positive they saw something that didn't exist.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15746602045902544024noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3071706678775178530.post-35858172434757472842012-04-18T00:54:00.000-07:002012-04-18T00:54:44.376-07:00Music Class, Pep Rallys, Church and The Locker Room SaloonOne of the things that I loathe the most, the absolute most without question are events where useless forced participatory involvement is needed. I always feel stupid when doing whatever is requested, extremely stupid, so stupid that I can't escape the stupidity even though I look around and most people (or everyone) are doing the same thing. Here are some examples of the ones that have followed my life and why I hate them.<div>
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<b>MUSIC CLASS - Grade School</b></div>
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Whenever I had classes I enjoyed the ones where I could sit and read, sit and do math or later sit and type up a paper. Any class that involved other things I hated, with the exception of maybe gym at points. Music wasn't the worst but I sure hated singing the lame songs. Even at 7 years old I knew the songs we were singing were fucking terrible <b>juvenile</b> shit, I laughed at the fact we had to sing this bullshit when I came home and listened to Danzig, Dr. Dre and Nine Inch Nails. The only cool song I remember singing was <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MzGnX-MbYE4">People Are People</a> by Depeche Mode, which stood out so much because even at that age I hated being patronized for being young. Even though I was between 7 and 10 I knew that this class patronized my intelligence.</div>
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<b>PEP RALLYS - High School</b></div>
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Thankfully I went to a small Catholic high school that had a strong sports culture but a very low excitement level in general for it by anyone who didn't play (about half the school). We only occasionally had pep rallys, and whenever we did they were mandatory.It was usually our goal to be as annoying as possible, and not in a loud way but in a "loud and obnoxious" way. Our only goal in doing this was because there was nothing else to do, we hated high school and had no school spirit whatsoever. I felt that it was ridiculous that we should feel obligated to care whether or not our sports teams win or not, much less expect us to act overly happy about it. Fuck these.</div>
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<b>CHURCH - 1st Grade - High School</b></div>
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Since I went to a Catholic school and had to go weekly for 12 damn years, I have almost all boring mass stories, I wouldn't have minded it so much if it were only sit and chill for 50 minutes every Tuesday while we talk nonsense at you. It was never that though, it was more like this:</div>
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Arrive:</div>
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SIT</div>
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STAND</div>
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SING</div>
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SIT</div>
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STAND</div>
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SING</div>
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SIT</div>
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STAND</div>
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SIT</div>
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STAND</div>
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SING</div>
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KNEEL</div>
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STAND</div>
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SING</div>
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SIT</div>
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STAND</div>
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SHAKE HANDS</div>
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SING</div>
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WALK UP FOR COOKIE</div>
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KNEEL</div>
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STAND</div>
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SIT</div>
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Leave</div>
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I know I didn't actually go into the whole mass, that would have taken five pages. It also is important to say that this is all done in the most boring and dull manner possible, ESPECIALLY the singing! There may be a couple old women singing really happily, but everyone else sounds like they are falling asleep. Also it is important to note that I am omitting the "repeat after me" stuff that happens constantly too. It's a terrible boring mess that you have to attend, and learn nothing from it other than how much you don't want to go back.</div>
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The worst part of having to do this every week is that you know it's a waste of time. Inefficiency is something that really bothered me in my childhood, it truly made me dislike a lot of things permanently.</div>
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The best part of being an adult is you get to cut down on a lot of the shit you hate, which is all the stuff that is force fed to you. The liberation is huge, and in college everything is optional which is the way it should be in a lot of cases for kids.
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<b>THE LOCKER ROOM SALOON - Adult</b></div>
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The first time I walked into this place, it felt like walking into a headache. Upon entering you receive two drumsticks which you are expected (sometimes YELLED at) to use. The moment I realized I needed to put this place on the permanent ban list occurred when the DJ played this classical deep gem by Poison named "Talk Dirty To Me". As the crowd was encouraged to sing along to one of the all time worst songs by one of the all time worst bands, a 5'6" ex jock who looked and acted a lot like the <a href="http://blogs.4bauer.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/02/brian.jpg">waiter</a> from Office Space started yelling at me for not participating. This persisted throughout the song and I lost it and explained to him that I will not being doing that ever and he needs to leave me alone NOW. He thankfully stopped, as did I. I haven't been to Locker Room Balloon since.</div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15746602045902544024noreply@blogger.com0