Breaking Bones (figuratively speaking)

So, I've been thinking lately about the media industry in the U.S. I learned recently that there are only a handful of companies (maybe as few as 6) that own the entire industry, at least in the U.S. I was both shocked and horrified when I found out; I guess it makes sense from a purely business/profit standpoint, but it's bad news for the public.

Think about it: the owners of a paltry six companies control everything. What does this mean for us? Look at it from a purely political stand point: the information we receive all comes through the company filter. The companies that own the industry are going to use the industry to promote their own agendas; as much as possible, they'll keep opposing viewpoints suppressed, or else try to distort facts in their favor. Big companies often have vast resources at their disposal, which they can use to influence (if not outright buy, knowing our legislative system) votes and legislation in thier favor (which, in my experience is often bad for the average american).

Now look at it from a cultural standpoint. These companies own the television, film, music, and even videogaming industries. And, being profit- and growth driven, they find something that sells and reproduce it over and over and over again. Why do you think there are so many movies that are basically carbon copies of each other? Or bands/songs? The best example I can think of is network television. About once every five or six years, someone will come up with a new idea for a TV show. When it becomes a success, there are immediately a dozen "new" shows that are the exact same thing, with a few cosmetic differences. The latest fad, of course is so-called reality TV (there is nothing realistic about it, of course). In this way, the greed of the few tyranizes the many; and what's even worse is that the majority of the people buy right in and don't think twice about it.

Recently, I was talking with my father about this very subject. He has seen many of the same trends and mentioned that he could trace the problem back to Ronald Reagan. Reagan was as pro-business as it's possible to be. I litterally think profits ("a reasonable rate of return" as a recent James Bond film put it) were the only thing he cared about. From what I've been able to figure out, the idea that "what's good for business is good for America" pretty much started with Reagan and has unfortunately taken quite a hold on the country.

Some might say that greed is necessary, or even desirable, because it is the basis for our capitalist society. That's a very crass way of looking at our society and I'm not sure I agree with it, but I think greed is certainly becoming a serious problem. It seems like the only thing people care about anymore is getting what they want and getting it NOW! As a country, we have virtually no patience left. We are dominated and controlled and even defined by our desires. We don't stop to think about what's really best for ourselves, much less those around us.

I think some of the recent hot topics are evidence of that very problem. There are three specific examples I can think of: environmental abuse, abortion, and the so-called "gay-rights" movement. In the case of environmental abuse, people (especially those in industries that produce goods of one kind or another) ask why we should worry about the environment—they see any kind of environmental protection only as an obstacle between them and even greater profits, and the consequences be damned. All the while forgetting the lesson we try to teach our children: if you take care of your toys, they last longer.

Now, while I certainly agree that there are instances in which abortion may be necessary, I think far too many people use it as a way to escape responsibility for their actions. Too many people, both men and women, think they can live promiscuously and not worry about it (after all, if the woman gets pregnant, she can just have an abortion). That kind of attitude shows a dangerous lack of responsibility and self control, and I think it's disgusting.

However, I think the most flagrant example of our enslavement to passion is what is commonly referred to as the gay rights movement. I mean the push to have homosexual behavior not only tolerated, but accepted and (most probably) approved. Now, I am a religious man and believe most strongly in the sanctity of family. I see many dangers in the gay rights movement, to both religion and family. As I see it, this movement is an attempt to salve conscience in two ways. First, by giving homosexual activity a legal stamp of approval, those who participate therein can make themselves feel better by insisting that they are not doing anything wrong. Second, those who champion homosexual activity could use such a stamp of approval as a club to bludgeon into submission anyone who disapproves of homosexual behavior. The reprocussions of such circumstances are terrifying and horrific: parents who did not want thier children to be taught to accept homosexual behavior would either have to send their kids to private school or (in the case of those who couldn't afford that opiton) try to circumvent and contradict what their children would be taught; religious organizations that refused to acknowledge and accept homosexual behavior would be targeted for lawsuits (which would be a disaster because most religious organizations are non-profit organizations).

The bottom line is that too many people in our country are becoming either lazy or greedy or both. Too many people are letting themselves become slaves to their bodies, buying into the lie that whatever feels good must be okay and the consequences don't matter. As a nation, we are losing whatever remains of our self control and our morality. Even leaving out the religious aspect of things, the principles underlying social norms of personal conduct and morality, merrital fidelity, frugality, delayed gratification, and consideration for others are vitally important to any society. Those principles (patience, self control, respect, goodness, responsibility, etc.) are the bones of every nation; any nation of throws them away will soon find itself crippled and dying.

Health

Within the past week or so, two of my friends have been hospitalized -- one of them with bird flu. I suddenly find myself keenly aware of my own health and I'm very grateful for it. With the exception of one incident of rotovirus in my infancy, I've never had any serious diseases. Generally the worst I ever get is a particularly bad head cold. It doesn't look like I have too much room to complain, does it? Like I said, I'm just grateful I can say that. Do yourself a favor and take care of yourself!

Change of Blog

Okay, I decided to scrap my original blog because someone mentioned that it sounded like some white-supremist, arrian nation type title. So I changed it. Sorry for the inconvenience.

Organization

I'm not normally the type of person that spends a lot of time making sure all my stuff is organized just so...but I've got to admit that life seems to go so much better when I'm organized, especially in my school work. When everything is in order (and I'm not running behind on something), I can actually relax and breath easily. I think it's actually harder to worry when everything is organized the way you want it.

Lately, I've been trying to get my school work more organized; I have a Treo 650 smart phone which is wonderful for helping me remember appointments and the like but it isn't very good for keeping track of homework. So the other day I went to the Franklin Covey store in Orem and bought a weekly planner (I went to four different stores before I found it because I wanted a specific kind). Ever since then I've been writing in all of my classes and what's due each day; the next step is to plan tentative work time for each assignment in the preceding days a/o weeks, depending on how big or important the assignment is. After that, all I have to do is remember to look at my planner...of course, that's the hardest part for me.

The ultimate goal, of course, is to keep on top of my school work so I won't have to deal with those nasty week-long crunch periods when you have ten assignments due and only a few hours to do them. If I can avoid that, I'll get all my assignments in and I'll do a better job than I could have otherwise. The ultimate result: a really good GPA!!!! Here's hoping!

The Beginning

So, this is the beginning of my life as a fly-by-night blogger. I was reading in The Week magazine today, and I saw that the federal climate agency not only confirmed the reality of global warming, but also admitted "that human activity contributes to global warming." The self-same paragraph mentioned that, until recently, scientists at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration "were not allowed to discuss the human impact on climate change." It looks like President Bush is finally realizing that the only people who don't accept global warming as a reality are those who still have their heads buried in the sand. Score one for progress!