I am inclined to think that SOME of us are getting smarter. And those smarter people are thinking up ways to make us dumber.
Cars that do the watching for us, mobile devices that give us answers before we have to think of them, smart toilets, smart lights, smart ovens and toasters. Seems as though everything but the general public is getting smarter.
The brain is a muscle which we must excercise, test, use on a regular basis. And, people, we are not.
Despite all of this technology to help us get through life in a smooth and easy way - most of it is not helping us GET smarter, learn new things, apply new sciences. Most of it is training us - little by little - not to think at all.
If you asked someone I would be willing to bet that what I am saying is not the general opinion. That because we have become a technology based society that we are, therefore, smarter. Not when the technology has no other applicable features other than to help us communicate without speaking, know without learning, do without training - it is downright scary when you really think about it.
We have all of the information we need at our finger tips - learn how to build a birdhouse, fix a toilet, write a paper in a certain formatt - but what is the quality of this knowledge? Certainly we don't think that someone who has installed a fuacet by watching a YouTube video has the expertise and the knowledge of someone who has actually learned about and recieved training on the subject extensively.
Now - I am not saying that I am against DIY and instant knowledge - I myself love being able to find the answer to a question just by going to the ever faithful Google. But I am concerned that even my ability to think of the answers that I do know will soon fade and that everything will be questionable and of second hand learning. That soon the masses will be relying on a small population of still thinkers to provide all of the answers to general trivia, as well as life's problems. Real or percieved.
Tuesday, March 31, 2009
Friday, March 27, 2009
BIG BANG THEORY
WATCH VIDEO HERE
Hey Everyone,
Hey Everyone,
Sorry sis and I have been slack as of lately, I don't really know what her excuse is, but mine is bad. And therefore I am going to tell you the truth. I don't have an excuse at all. Just can't think of anything to write about.
And then today I sat down and started looking through my PVR, got caught up on some really old episodes of shows that i love, and i have established that you all need to watch this show. The Big Bang Theory is by far the best thing ever. It makes the nerds funny, and big technical words HI-LARIOUS! with insults like "a homohabisilis that doesn't know what his apposable thumbs are say 'what'" and "its like finding in the middle of every black hole is a little man with a flash light looking for a switchboard". I am by far not the smartest person around, but it is so funny i don't care.
The other day i phoned my father and told him i found this awesome show to watch, and when i told him what it was he said to me "where the hell have you been, i've been watching that for two years"... TWO YEARS! the only other show my father has committed to for longer than that is tsn sportscast and NCIS.
The show itself is about 2 nerds that live together, and a beautiful blond moves across the hall from them which they befriend. they have two friends and the 5 together are crazy funny. Lenoard has the worst hair, Sheldon wears nothing but comic t-shirts and cannot pick up on sarcasm for the life of him, Penny is not so smart and works at the cheesecake factory, Raj is an east indian that cannot speak to girls, and Howard is a jew that believes he is a womanizer. please, just watch one episode, i swear you will fall in love. www.sidereel.com is a GREAT place to watch. You can also catch is Monday nights, at 930 nfld time
BTW i posted a thing about a kid who was 13 and had a baby, well it ended up that he is not the father after all. yay for him.
Wednesday, March 18, 2009
Girls can be Bros.
Code Article 54.
A Bro is required to go out with his Bros on St.Patty's Day, and other official Bro holidays, including Halloween, New Year's Eve, and Desperation Day (Feb.13).
Happy St. P's Day Yo. (and yes i know i am a day late)
Monday, March 9, 2009
RE: To music blog from SistA
Ok - so - I have to further this discussion that my sis started below simply because she got the gears in my head whirring about the topic at hand.
I have a love/hate relationship with Newfoundland Labradorian relentless support for all things from home.
I LOVE that people at home and away are fiercely proud of themselves for being from "The Rock". Whether I agree with their way of portraying it or not (I hate listening to someone correct a perfectly pronounced word of a mainlander and tell them the way ALL Newfoundlanders say it is some Idiolect* version of the word that only part of the province utters)- there is something to be said about the pride that we portray and our very unique and interesting culture and sense of it.
I HATE that we support things whether they are good or bad simply because they are from here - this seems to happen most in the music industry. Canadian Idol is a perfect example of this - I have been around the music scene long enough to know (whether it is my taste or not) what is considered to be talent/good music - but it seems to be that in order to succeed, even a little bit, on a talent show, all you need is to be from here. People will vote relentlessly for a person based SOLELY on that fact alone. It doesn't matter if you are good or bad at singing, simply say you are from Newfoundland and people will come out in droves to hear the sound of someone torturing a cat in a bag. Simply. Shameful.
What makes it shameful is that you have REAL talent (Hey Rosetta for example) that are really quite good and starting to make a name for themselves through diligence and a unique sound and an alarming amount of people from Newfoundland Labrador don't even know who they are! But say the name Craig Sharpe out loud and BINGO, instant recognition and the opinion that he is the best thing since sliced bread (even if he hasn't done anything since CI and forgot the words to Dreamer on stage with Roger Hodgeson).
****Tara Oram is a bit of an exception to this rule, but she barely had the same support as other NLers on CI and one could argue that was because there was some confusion about where she was REALLY from. Yet without this blind backing she has become something quite significant in the music industry.
A Little closer to the point that sis was making. Listening to Jiggs and Reels simply because you think it is the Newfoundland thing to do is kinda "poser". Not actually listening to the music because you enjoy it and feel it is good (like LLoyd Barlett, Masterless Men, Great Big Sea, Celtic Connection, Irish Descendant's, Buddy Wassisname and the other Fellers) and listening simply because it is from Newfoundland (Gazebo Unit, Crooked Stovepipe, Bernie Sheaves, or UGH Jimmy Flynn ((Who is not ACTUALLY FROM NL but people refuse to remember that as he parodies us relentlessly))), It is an uneducated decision and the same as cultism.
I guess what I am trying to say is that I am all about supporting your own, and having your own taste, but doing something because you feel you HAVE to in order to be a "TRUE" Newfoundlander is bull.....the same as with religion - it is something you feel on a personal level. And you don't need to have it plastered all over your car, body, home, and tape deck for it to be a show of faith. It is possible to choose what you like and dislike about what this province has to offer and it not be sacrilegious.
Believe it.
*Idiolect has no reference to the word idiot - it is a reference to individual dialect that occurs when you are surrounded by various different dialects over a period of time. A hodge-podge of different accents and words from different cultures/dialects.
I have a love/hate relationship with Newfoundland Labradorian relentless support for all things from home.
I LOVE that people at home and away are fiercely proud of themselves for being from "The Rock". Whether I agree with their way of portraying it or not (I hate listening to someone correct a perfectly pronounced word of a mainlander and tell them the way ALL Newfoundlanders say it is some Idiolect* version of the word that only part of the province utters)- there is something to be said about the pride that we portray and our very unique and interesting culture and sense of it.
I HATE that we support things whether they are good or bad simply because they are from here - this seems to happen most in the music industry. Canadian Idol is a perfect example of this - I have been around the music scene long enough to know (whether it is my taste or not) what is considered to be talent/good music - but it seems to be that in order to succeed, even a little bit, on a talent show, all you need is to be from here. People will vote relentlessly for a person based SOLELY on that fact alone. It doesn't matter if you are good or bad at singing, simply say you are from Newfoundland and people will come out in droves to hear the sound of someone torturing a cat in a bag. Simply. Shameful.
What makes it shameful is that you have REAL talent (Hey Rosetta for example) that are really quite good and starting to make a name for themselves through diligence and a unique sound and an alarming amount of people from Newfoundland Labrador don't even know who they are! But say the name Craig Sharpe out loud and BINGO, instant recognition and the opinion that he is the best thing since sliced bread (even if he hasn't done anything since CI and forgot the words to Dreamer on stage with Roger Hodgeson).
****Tara Oram is a bit of an exception to this rule, but she barely had the same support as other NLers on CI and one could argue that was because there was some confusion about where she was REALLY from. Yet without this blind backing she has become something quite significant in the music industry.
A Little closer to the point that sis was making. Listening to Jiggs and Reels simply because you think it is the Newfoundland thing to do is kinda "poser". Not actually listening to the music because you enjoy it and feel it is good (like LLoyd Barlett, Masterless Men, Great Big Sea, Celtic Connection, Irish Descendant's, Buddy Wassisname and the other Fellers) and listening simply because it is from Newfoundland (Gazebo Unit, Crooked Stovepipe, Bernie Sheaves, or UGH Jimmy Flynn ((Who is not ACTUALLY FROM NL but people refuse to remember that as he parodies us relentlessly))), It is an uneducated decision and the same as cultism.
I guess what I am trying to say is that I am all about supporting your own, and having your own taste, but doing something because you feel you HAVE to in order to be a "TRUE" Newfoundlander is bull.....the same as with religion - it is something you feel on a personal level. And you don't need to have it plastered all over your car, body, home, and tape deck for it to be a show of faith. It is possible to choose what you like and dislike about what this province has to offer and it not be sacrilegious.
Believe it.
*Idiolect has no reference to the word idiot - it is a reference to individual dialect that occurs when you are surrounded by various different dialects over a period of time. A hodge-podge of different accents and words from different cultures/dialects.
Saturday, March 7, 2009
I have been trying to avoid this topic, due to different opinions from everyone, but while eating some perfectly cooked bacon today i nearly lost it. Music is a touchy subject for me, and its NOT because I think that if I don't like it nobody should, but I think if you have the knowledge about a certain genre, and you come to the educated conclusion that you don't like it then you should be able to voice it.
I grew up in Newfoundland, small communities were my home, and I loved it. BUT THAT DOES NOT MEAN THAT I HAVE TO LOVE THE MUSIC! I woke up everyone Sunday morning to "Jigs n' Reels" blasting from downstairs, and if I had the option I think I would have blown up the radio. Why would I want to listen to a static filled radio station thats playing a song by some drunk in Port-Aux-Basque about women in the lavatory, while he is playing his out of tune guitar, with his out of tune voice, on a mic thats duct taped together with a tape deck as his recording gear. There is no way, that is good music. Newfoundland music is meant to be listened to live, it is great then, and I believe it sounds much better then. Every wednesday night I would go to the O.C.T Building, where the local bands would play.
Now I live in Fort McMurray, where all the Newfies are 50x worse, because they feel like they have to make up the distance away from the rock in stronger accents and as over protective nationalists. And I will be damned if I am going to get up on a Sunday morning, and listen to "From the Banks of Newfoundland" on the radio, and then go down and watch "Newfoundland Sportsman".
Yes, I prefer different music, and if you know about that music and don't like it then thats okay. But for someone to look at me and say that the music I listen to is stupid than they can suck my non-existant knob. I am not going to defend the genre I prefer, because thats not the point. The point is that this person knew NOTHING ABOUT IT. This is my house, my computer, my space and I will listen to whatever the hell I feel like. Thank-You.
P.S. please don't think that I am hating on just Newfie Music, it just so happened that it was the topic of discussion today, sorry if i hurt anyones feelings.
Love.
New Addiction
Lately I have been having this crazy liking to wallets, especially those made by ESPE. I have had a couple in my day, but now they are old, and although they have not fallen apart, they are in pretty rough shape.
They are made out of Vegan Leather, you can have it in Long, Folded, and Half wallet sizes.
The bright vibrant colours go with everything, and I hope you love them as much as I do. Sadly for me I have to go to Edmonton to buy Espe (I bought a purse last time)
You all in St.John's can go to the Avalon Mall, That store next to Shoppers Drug Mart, thats where I purchased my first one, and I am forever in their dept...
well not really, because I paid with debit and it didn't come up insufficent funds, so I am guessing it was fully paid for.. but yeah.. those guys.
Monday, March 2, 2009
Safety first??
So - after:
- buying a pair of snowpants I have barely been able to wear because there is no where to walk let alone stay warm while doing it ( I didn't buy them for mountain climbing)
- watching my BF's car slide half way down the street because the road was covered in ice and hadn't been salted even though it had been raining freezing rain since 7:30 the evening before
- many slips and falls on the sidewalks when they are plowed (which is once every 5 or 6 snowfalls)
- several near misses with vehicles while walking because
a) they are driving by you at lightening speed on a street you have no choice but to walk on because there are no sidewalks to be seen for miles
b) of slipping on the bottle bottom ice on the sidewalks because after they have been plowed no salt is thrown on them and sliding into traffic ( I even watched a guy slide under an idling bus and barely made it out of there in time)
- many near misses with other vehicles while driving because it has been snowing for hours and there has been no street cleaning.
- forking out more money than I care to mention on cabs because unless I had steel spikes on my feet or climbing material to get over the unplowed snowbanks that sit on the sidewalks, all of my winter gear is useless for walking to work.
I have come to one and one only conclusion, the City of St. John's does not give a rats ass about the safety of its citizens....ESPECIALLY pedestrians.
We are living in a city where it snows....EVERY YEAR. Sometimes with record snowfalls. And yet, no matter who is in office, how many budget changes are made, how many complaints are lodged, they never seem to get it right.
Now, before you go thinking I am someone who just likes to bitch and complain about things - you need to realise that I am not alone in this level of disgust about our cities street management. As a matter of fact it go to the point where we were a story on a national new station with the reporter noting how many times they were nearly struck by a car on their way from one point to another. (After this news story was placed it was one of the two times this entire winter that there was sidewalk snowclearing).
Here we are claiming to be a "have" province and what that means to use Newfoundlanders, when we are still waiting as average people to see the implications of that statement.
How about we start by plowing the f'ing roads!!! so that getting to and from where you need to go is not a life threatening decision. Lets start there.
- buying a pair of snowpants I have barely been able to wear because there is no where to walk let alone stay warm while doing it ( I didn't buy them for mountain climbing)
- watching my BF's car slide half way down the street because the road was covered in ice and hadn't been salted even though it had been raining freezing rain since 7:30 the evening before
- many slips and falls on the sidewalks when they are plowed (which is once every 5 or 6 snowfalls)
- several near misses with vehicles while walking because
a) they are driving by you at lightening speed on a street you have no choice but to walk on because there are no sidewalks to be seen for miles
b) of slipping on the bottle bottom ice on the sidewalks because after they have been plowed no salt is thrown on them and sliding into traffic ( I even watched a guy slide under an idling bus and barely made it out of there in time)
- many near misses with other vehicles while driving because it has been snowing for hours and there has been no street cleaning.
- forking out more money than I care to mention on cabs because unless I had steel spikes on my feet or climbing material to get over the unplowed snowbanks that sit on the sidewalks, all of my winter gear is useless for walking to work.
I have come to one and one only conclusion, the City of St. John's does not give a rats ass about the safety of its citizens....ESPECIALLY pedestrians.
We are living in a city where it snows....EVERY YEAR. Sometimes with record snowfalls. And yet, no matter who is in office, how many budget changes are made, how many complaints are lodged, they never seem to get it right.
Now, before you go thinking I am someone who just likes to bitch and complain about things - you need to realise that I am not alone in this level of disgust about our cities street management. As a matter of fact it go to the point where we were a story on a national new station with the reporter noting how many times they were nearly struck by a car on their way from one point to another. (After this news story was placed it was one of the two times this entire winter that there was sidewalk snowclearing).
Here we are claiming to be a "have" province and what that means to use Newfoundlanders, when we are still waiting as average people to see the implications of that statement.
How about we start by plowing the f'ing roads!!! so that getting to and from where you need to go is not a life threatening decision. Lets start there.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)