Recycled Air
So - being the news junky that I am I've been a little annoyed lately with digg and have logged onto fark more and more. I know that digg is more of a "democracy" but fark actually has more articles that I'm interested in reading. Too much shit - not enough content. I still struggle for a really good international news source that gets updated often enough for me (like 8 times a second would be good...) Any suggestions? English feeds would be good (my french is okay - might be good to stay in practice, my german is pretty pathetic - and Spanish - I only know how to ask for beer... I'm a superstar!)
I'm totally a national geographic reader - AMAZING photos! - and the articles are always interesting and informative. (I also like getting InStyle - don't judge me.) The latest has an interesting history article on Pakistan (like they ever taught you anything about the history of the middle east.) I have to say that I have a very different history education than most. We had the choice of either taking western civ in 9th grade or Asia & African history in 10th. Well - history didn't fit into my 9th grade schedule - so I took African & Asian history. That was really freaking hard to get through that much material in such a short time - and we didn't touch that many countries! It was really interesting (but I've never had formal education about Alexander the Great or the Crusades... but there's always Wikipedia...) It was a really interesting diatribe on the religious dissent in the region in general, and how the majority of the population is moderate Muslims - but the extremists are the ones in power. I guess the reason the majority doesn't do anything about it is the same reason that the US population hasn't just threw up their hands - and have everyone march down to Washington and forcibly remove the president from his "throne."
I guess the lack of willingness to act is the problem. The reason that a parent is unwilling to discipline their clearly unruly child in public, why things like a public rape happen and no one does anything, the Patriot Act are allowed to pass, and why people are miserable in general. You can blame unhappiness on your boss, on the government, your parents, or your significant other. When in all reality it comes down to your own inability to conquer your own fear. Do something different, do something bold, do something and fail; but for god's sake DO SOMETHING. I'm so tired of people bitching but not acting.
I completely understand and commiserate with people who don't know what they want and are trying to find it. That in itself can be misery. I have been there - shit I am still there - I've made the decision to do something to not be a victim of my own making/mind. I have the power to change my own life (I could probably change some other people's lives if I really tried. I've probably helped to save some lives and help cure some horrible diseases at this point.) I fear failure - but I don't want that fear to stop me from even trying - because that is worse than failing - giving in to fear. It's a completely conscience decision to do something - something even if its a bad decision is better than no decision.
The hardest part of being me - is living in a world with a lot of dumb rules that defy logic and working with people who have so given into fear that they start to retaliate. I have no awe of people with "position" or "power." I don't see many differences in the way that people of power or position go about our daily lives - we still put on our pants one leg at a time (at least most of us) and we still piss in a toilet and walk on our own two feet. The people most afraid are typically the ones that try to annoy everyone else - that old adage - misery loves company. Screw that - I don't have time - I have things to do that are ... not that. What's the worst that could happen? I fail? Did you know that the average entrepreneur has three companies that fail before one succeeds? Only about 1/5 new business are around after a year - that means a lot of people quit after the first business. I don't want to be that person. Note to self - continue to work on that persistence thing.
I'm totally a national geographic reader - AMAZING photos! - and the articles are always interesting and informative. (I also like getting InStyle - don't judge me.) The latest has an interesting history article on Pakistan (like they ever taught you anything about the history of the middle east.) I have to say that I have a very different history education than most. We had the choice of either taking western civ in 9th grade or Asia & African history in 10th. Well - history didn't fit into my 9th grade schedule - so I took African & Asian history. That was really freaking hard to get through that much material in such a short time - and we didn't touch that many countries! It was really interesting (but I've never had formal education about Alexander the Great or the Crusades... but there's always Wikipedia...) It was a really interesting diatribe on the religious dissent in the region in general, and how the majority of the population is moderate Muslims - but the extremists are the ones in power. I guess the reason the majority doesn't do anything about it is the same reason that the US population hasn't just threw up their hands - and have everyone march down to Washington and forcibly remove the president from his "throne."
I guess the lack of willingness to act is the problem. The reason that a parent is unwilling to discipline their clearly unruly child in public, why things like a public rape happen and no one does anything, the Patriot Act are allowed to pass, and why people are miserable in general. You can blame unhappiness on your boss, on the government, your parents, or your significant other. When in all reality it comes down to your own inability to conquer your own fear. Do something different, do something bold, do something and fail; but for god's sake DO SOMETHING. I'm so tired of people bitching but not acting.
I completely understand and commiserate with people who don't know what they want and are trying to find it. That in itself can be misery. I have been there - shit I am still there - I've made the decision to do something to not be a victim of my own making/mind. I have the power to change my own life (I could probably change some other people's lives if I really tried. I've probably helped to save some lives and help cure some horrible diseases at this point.) I fear failure - but I don't want that fear to stop me from even trying - because that is worse than failing - giving in to fear. It's a completely conscience decision to do something - something even if its a bad decision is better than no decision.
The hardest part of being me - is living in a world with a lot of dumb rules that defy logic and working with people who have so given into fear that they start to retaliate. I have no awe of people with "position" or "power." I don't see many differences in the way that people of power or position go about our daily lives - we still put on our pants one leg at a time (at least most of us) and we still piss in a toilet and walk on our own two feet. The people most afraid are typically the ones that try to annoy everyone else - that old adage - misery loves company. Screw that - I don't have time - I have things to do that are ... not that. What's the worst that could happen? I fail? Did you know that the average entrepreneur has three companies that fail before one succeeds? Only about 1/5 new business are around after a year - that means a lot of people quit after the first business. I don't want to be that person. Note to self - continue to work on that persistence thing.
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