Countries, just like our bodies, reflect both inside and out the kinds of things we put into them. A society is made up of millions of individuals, and when those individuals insist on feeding on garbage, then we can't be surprised at the prodcuts that society produces.
Isn't it interesting that the people who get their news from Comedy Central, the Daily Show's Trevor Noah, Samantha Bee, Stephen Colbert, Jimmy Kimmel or any other late-night host, or watch Keeping up with the Kardashians more than they read books, are all the most surprised and upset that a reality TV star is president?
You'd think that would be what they've wanted all along. I mean, the state most upset (judging by the number of calls for secession), California, elected Arnold Schwarzenegger as their governor. They should be the LEAST surprised that this happened.
But it did. Whether you're happy about it (*waves*), or upset (I feel you) or you just don't care because there's a new episode of Game of Thrones, the fact remains that a large enough number of citizens of this country were sufficiently angry about the state of affairs that they believed a reality TV star was the best option to fix it.
Now, there are problems coming from both side of the aisle (unfortunately we only have one aisle, apparently, but that's a different topic), and if you're unwilling to admit that, then you're part of the problem. Both sides are guilty of feeding their "bodies," their society, with garbage, and both sides are guilty of acting on emotion rather than common sense.
I'm not saying that Trump is president because the left subconsciously wanted it (I'm no scientist, but wouldn't that be crazy?), I'm just saying I think it's funny that the main audiences for these types of shows, the main population of Hollywood, are the ones most upset that he's in politics at all. I'm also saying that when Trump began his campaign, none of the "smart," funny, stars took him seriously. They ridiculed, they joked and even mockingly encouraged him. And you know what happened? So did their viewers and fans. And they continued to do so until it was too late to actually do anything about it.
And none of these late-night bastions of morality have the guts to admit that they helped make their "worst nightmare" a reality.
Smart people don't forget the simple fact that these people are entertainers. They're there to make you laugh to make money. Nobody became a comedian, a movie star or a news anchor out of the charity of their heart. They did it because they're good at making you feel the emotions they want. And that pays their salary.
Do you get your science from Bill Nye? Or find out the important issues from Facebook's trending section? Do you get your economics information from YouTube pundits? Or your investment advice from Twitter polls? If you don't know what your opinion is until Stephen Colbert tells you what it should be, maybe you should turn the TV off and figure out your life.
Friday, June 8, 2018
Thursday, April 26, 2018
Calligraphy Progress 4/23/18
Every few months I copy the text of a passage or a quote I like into the calligraphy hand I'm practicing at the time.
And since at the moment I'm practicing traditional gothic calligraphy, that's what I use.
I find that I can't just sit down and write down a dozen As then a dozen Bs, without getting distracted and doing other things. Very early on in my practicing I discovered that if I sit down for two hours or so, spending the first while getting my station set up, then a half hour getting warmed up, another half hour practicing, then the remaining time actually working on some kind of product on finer, heavier, paper that isn't lined, then I tend to focus more on each stroke and movement because this is something I put on my practice wall until I replace it with something better.
I believe this works for two reasons:
1. When I hang it up, it forces me to compare it with an older work I completed earlier, seeing where I was too quick, or where I improved. I notice the things that are hard to see when you don't hold it up to something older.
2. Working to produce a quote I like on paper that is expensive means I force myself to take my time and be careful. When I hammer out fifteen Gs on college-ruled paper, I ted to get more sloppy and less interested, and even discouraged. I know I can do the letters, so when I mess up I get even more frustrated. But when I am halfway through a passage on paper that costs more than usual, I am motivated to not mess up. I focus more on my posture, my arm movement, so that all the work I have done so far is not ruined.
Obviously it's not a masterpiece, ever, I'm not to that point yet. I see letters grouped too close, or the tails or the stems extending too far, or the lines of the words floating up or down toward the ends of the page. But that's what it is, practice. And the next time I try a new passage, I'll remember my mistakes and I'll improve.
Here is the latest example, taken from a quote of Odysseus in Homer's Odyssey, one of my favorite books, and (in my opinion) the greatest work of literature ever written.
First, a capital F.
You can tell I got too hasty in the ornamentation, as the line is not straight. But the letter itself is pretty good I think.
Second, a capital L. Again, the letter itself is solid, and the ornamentation is good this time. However the flourishes to the left I didn't begin pulling with the full contact of the nib, so it looks broken and shabby.
Finally, the full quote I used to practice:
"Yea and if some god shall wreck me in the wine-dark deep, even so will I endure... For already have I suffered full much, and much have I toiiled in perils of waves and war. Let those be added to the tale of those." Odyssey
And since at the moment I'm practicing traditional gothic calligraphy, that's what I use.
I find that I can't just sit down and write down a dozen As then a dozen Bs, without getting distracted and doing other things. Very early on in my practicing I discovered that if I sit down for two hours or so, spending the first while getting my station set up, then a half hour getting warmed up, another half hour practicing, then the remaining time actually working on some kind of product on finer, heavier, paper that isn't lined, then I tend to focus more on each stroke and movement because this is something I put on my practice wall until I replace it with something better.
I believe this works for two reasons:
1. When I hang it up, it forces me to compare it with an older work I completed earlier, seeing where I was too quick, or where I improved. I notice the things that are hard to see when you don't hold it up to something older.
2. Working to produce a quote I like on paper that is expensive means I force myself to take my time and be careful. When I hammer out fifteen Gs on college-ruled paper, I ted to get more sloppy and less interested, and even discouraged. I know I can do the letters, so when I mess up I get even more frustrated. But when I am halfway through a passage on paper that costs more than usual, I am motivated to not mess up. I focus more on my posture, my arm movement, so that all the work I have done so far is not ruined.
Obviously it's not a masterpiece, ever, I'm not to that point yet. I see letters grouped too close, or the tails or the stems extending too far, or the lines of the words floating up or down toward the ends of the page. But that's what it is, practice. And the next time I try a new passage, I'll remember my mistakes and I'll improve.
Here is the latest example, taken from a quote of Odysseus in Homer's Odyssey, one of my favorite books, and (in my opinion) the greatest work of literature ever written.
First, a capital F.
You can tell I got too hasty in the ornamentation, as the line is not straight. But the letter itself is pretty good I think.
Second, a capital L. Again, the letter itself is solid, and the ornamentation is good this time. However the flourishes to the left I didn't begin pulling with the full contact of the nib, so it looks broken and shabby.
Finally, the full quote I used to practice:
"Yea and if some god shall wreck me in the wine-dark deep, even so will I endure... For already have I suffered full much, and much have I toiiled in perils of waves and war. Let those be added to the tale of those." Odyssey
Wednesday, April 25, 2018
Rich Millenial, Poor Millenial
A new study shows that nearly half of millennials in the USA have $0 in
savings. The same report shows that the number of millennials who have
significant savings put away has increased. What's going on? Who is to
blame? Grab your pitchforks, people. Let's do this.
If you're active on LinkedIn or other financially-focused websites, you've probably seen this Bank of America report released today.
In short, almost 50% of the "millennial generation" have nothing in a savings account. While a growing number of the same demographic have large amounts of savings. The group in the middle is disappearing. So if you're a millennial, statistically you either have a lot put put away, or nothing at all.
What does this mean?
It means that the generalization that millennials are bad at saving is more true than before, but also more false. Sorry to say, but stereotypes exist for a reason. The generalization of twitch-streamers, YouTube millionaires, adults living in mom's basement, and avocado toast with a Starbucks latte seems to have some basis in fact.
A few charts to highlight the study:
Now, the discussion regarding causation and correlation is one we don't have time (or the word count limit) to address here. But the fact that two different banks found the same data in reputable studies shows that something is happening.
Granted this study doesn't compare the numbers with other generations. Or even other generations at the same point in their timeline. That data is easy to find, and I assume that it would be very different than these data.
So, the question:
Who do we blame for this growing disparity?
The answer:
Nobody. Sometimes life just sucks, that's guaranteed. Are some millennials just terrible at cash management, putting away savings, or self control? Definitely. Are some the victims of some financial disasters? Of course. Maybe it's just a reflection of the changing lifestyles of the generation. The fact that the number of those who have significant savings is also increasing shows that nobody is out to "get" the millennials. That there is no grand conspiracy to keep them poor forever.
I attended a devotional at which Mitt Romney spoke in 2014, at one point he mentioned: "The self-help guides that I read said I was doomed, because they claimed that in order to have a successful life, you had to have a clear goal in mind and then work relentlessly toward that goal. But that isn’t how life worked out for me. As a matter of fact, almost nothing I have done in my career was planned in advance."
(Cue the comments about "taking advice from a millionaire on how poor millenials should save money is stupid. 1% this and 99% that." That's not the point of the quote and you know it. Stay focused, people!)
Maybe we should stop looking for people to blame, and instead focus on ourselves and how to make our lives, and the lives of those around us, happier, better, and more prepared for the hard times in life. Life is unpredictable and we're all in this together.
If you're active on LinkedIn or other financially-focused websites, you've probably seen this Bank of America report released today.
In short, almost 50% of the "millennial generation" have nothing in a savings account. While a growing number of the same demographic have large amounts of savings. The group in the middle is disappearing. So if you're a millennial, statistically you either have a lot put put away, or nothing at all.
What does this mean?
It means that the generalization that millennials are bad at saving is more true than before, but also more false. Sorry to say, but stereotypes exist for a reason. The generalization of twitch-streamers, YouTube millionaires, adults living in mom's basement, and avocado toast with a Starbucks latte seems to have some basis in fact.
A few charts to highlight the study:
Now, the discussion regarding causation and correlation is one we don't have time (or the word count limit) to address here. But the fact that two different banks found the same data in reputable studies shows that something is happening.
Granted this study doesn't compare the numbers with other generations. Or even other generations at the same point in their timeline. That data is easy to find, and I assume that it would be very different than these data.
So, the question:
Who do we blame for this growing disparity?
The answer:
Nobody. Sometimes life just sucks, that's guaranteed. Are some millennials just terrible at cash management, putting away savings, or self control? Definitely. Are some the victims of some financial disasters? Of course. Maybe it's just a reflection of the changing lifestyles of the generation. The fact that the number of those who have significant savings is also increasing shows that nobody is out to "get" the millennials. That there is no grand conspiracy to keep them poor forever.
I attended a devotional at which Mitt Romney spoke in 2014, at one point he mentioned: "The self-help guides that I read said I was doomed, because they claimed that in order to have a successful life, you had to have a clear goal in mind and then work relentlessly toward that goal. But that isn’t how life worked out for me. As a matter of fact, almost nothing I have done in my career was planned in advance."
(Cue the comments about "taking advice from a millionaire on how poor millenials should save money is stupid. 1% this and 99% that." That's not the point of the quote and you know it. Stay focused, people!)
Maybe we should stop looking for people to blame, and instead focus on ourselves and how to make our lives, and the lives of those around us, happier, better, and more prepared for the hard times in life. Life is unpredictable and we're all in this together.
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