For What it's Worth

I often wonder how many deviant thoughts (any socially unacceptable thoughts) your average person has in one day. I'd be willing to bet that they are innumerable, an amalgamation of that which is acceptable and pleasant, with the sordid and strange. Who wouldn't want to be a fly inside a random person' skull wall, listening to their deepest and darkest thoughts? I only write about this because we all like to think that we are morally sound people, and while having deviant thoughts doesn't make one immoral, thoughts can lead to actions. And the truth is, we all have the potential to be bad; anyone can commit criminal acts.

The freest people accept that they are not one hundred percent good or evil, and that given the right circumstances, anyone can commit atrocious acts. When you understand this, you relieve yourself of the onerous task of trying too hard to be good. Being "good" should not be the end-all-be-all of living. The goal is self-control. The goal is to tame the naughty side, not to abolish it. You should never give the evil side carte blanche in your life, because that would quite naturally lead to your early demise. Controlling it is the only real option if you want to be effective in life.

A Beautiful Autumn Day...And Random Musings

Of all the seasons, autumn is my favorite. It's a time of year that yields exceptional beauty to the earth: leaves on the ground, the perfect weather, and just a calm quality to nature that is indescribable. I guess what I'm trying to say is that autumn brings a certain peacefulness with it, a peace that is found only around this time of year. It's like all the animals just decide to chill out and relax in autumn.

But as an aside, I truly enjoy thought, ideas, and thinking through things. After all, everything that has ever been created first originated in the mind; creations are products of thought. Developing a sharp mind is essential to navigating yourself through the stormy waters of life. You need to be able to see situations clearly, analyze them, then formulate a game plan to execute. Basically, you need to create a blue print, and blue prints can be created for all aspects of life: career, dating, problem solving, etc. Reading and writing also sharpens the mind. Great pieces of writing from great thinkers not only inspire, but stimulate the mind in profound ways.

I plan on enjoying this weather (while it lasts), as well as cultivating my mind....

Apathy as a Way of Life

Feelings are often the root of all evil. Don't believe me? You need proof? People commit heinous acts because of the way they feel. Hitler murdered millions of Jews because he felt they were inferior and a burden to the Aryan race (amongst other things). On a smaller scale, people murder each other largely based on emotions, such as anger and jealousy. Basically, the lack of self-control often has disastrous results.

Wait. Let me amend my opening statement: Lack of control of feelings are often the root of all evil. People who cannot control their urges show that they can't control themselves. What is more pathetic?

Apathy is the lack of emotion. An apathetic person is someone who couldn't care less about much of what is going on around him. The movie Equilibrium is a great example of apathy. The premise of the movie is that because people generally cannot control themselves, the only way for the human race to survive is to live in an apathetic society, forcing citizens to take medication that suppresses their emotions. It's basically a movie about a government that wants absolute control over its citizens (Totalitarianism), and what better way to control the masses than by controlling their emotions? But that is beyond the scope of this post....

I've come to realize the importance of self-control, mainly because I've been hampered in my life many times because of the lack of it. Controlling one's urges is paramount to happiness. People who cannot control their desire to have the newest shoes and the nicest clothes usually find themselves in a massive amount of debt before long.

I've started to fade into an apathetic abyss; I just don't care about very much. This is due to the fact that everything eventually leaves you, which isn't necessarily a bad thing. It just makes me enjoy things while they are in my life, and it makes me not hold on to anything too tight. I don't take myself too seriously either. Being cool, as in being trendy, is not a big concern for me. This outlook on life has saved me from the deleterious effects of stress. To a large degree I just go with the flow. I'm not trying to save the world, fight for a cause, or change anyone's mind. I espouse a healthy level of selfishness. Of course, no one is completely apathetic-unless you have a serious medical condition-so we all feel something. Therefore, in the end it's all about emotional control, which could be seen as a subset to self-control. The Stoics understood this best, knowing that by controlling your emotional responses to the events in your life is the best way to live.

And in the end, I think that's what we're all looking for: the best way to live our lives....

Good Music

Lately, I've been trying to cultivate a more discerning ear for music. Rather than just being force-fed commercial Top 40 hits, I've been more selective in what I listen to. One band of note that I like a lot is Incubus. Years ago, I recall hearing and enjoying a single of theirs titled Pardon Me. That is a great song, but with many bands, great singles don't always reflect great albums. All too often you hear a great single and go out and buy the album, only to discover that the single is one of the only good tracks on the album. So, while I liked the single, I didn't take the time to look into the bands' album. I've simply been disappointed too many times....

However, this band is the genuine article. I've heard many other tracks from them, from various albums, and I've enjoyed them all. They have an album that was recently released, and the tracks are just as enjoyable as any of their previous songs. The lyrics have a surprising amount of depth to them, which is rare in a mainstream band. Their sound is unique, and lead singer Brandon Boyd has a distinctive voice. Individual to the core, bands like this usually stay on the fringe. Defying the odds, much like Prince did back in the 80's, they own a good deal of popularity: their new album has received a good amount of fanfare.

So, if Indie/alternative bands, be sure to check out Incubus.

Movie Review: Paranormal Activity 3

Firstly, I must say that I'm a huge fan of the horror genre. There are few thrills greater than the fear you receive from a well-told story. An effective horror movie has to have all the right ingredients: an interesting plot, suspense, perfectly timed scares, a spooky setting/atmosphere, and good actors. Paranormal Activity 3 had all the ingredients.

I went to Carmike 10 this past Friday to check it out. Normally I don't go to movies from Friday-Sunday because those are the days when the theater is most crowded. But it was the best day out of the three because I went to the 3:15 showing, hoping that because most people are at work or in school at that time during the week, that it would be a sparse crowd. I got what I asked for Friday...I was the only one in the theater! That was one time that I could've used some company.

I was skeptical at first about seeing the movie. It seemed as though they were milking it for all it was worth, beating the franchise in the ground. Also, I never heard of two back-to-back prequels before. It seemed like the producers were grabbing ideas wherever they could find them, since they couldn't go further with a sequel after the first one.

However, I was pleasantly surprised at how scary this movies was. It rounds out the Paranormal Activity franchise by telling how things began. To me, it was the scariest in the series. It was somewhat short, but they used the time well with quality scares and suspense.

When we Speak, We're All Working in the First Draft

Writing is easier to me than speaking, for some reason. I'm an extrovert, and I often speak to people at length with no real problems, except that I'm not as eloquent as I would like to be. When I write, crafting eloquent prose (elegant by my standards. Feel free to criticize) is much easier. The reason for this is obvious: we have time to think about what we're going to write before we write it. Also, we can always come back and edit it.

I love communication of all types, both written and oral. Words have a certain appeal to me. Listening to great commentators and speakers is a great pleasure, as it is an opportunity for me to learn and emulate what I learned at a later date, so I can make that first draft as eloquent and as polished as possible....

Spending Time Wisely

I have a confession to make: I waste a lot of my time. I watch way too much TV, search the web for the most idiotic things (you should see some of my google searches!), and waste a ton of time talking to people who seem indifferent to me (Phil from work, to be specific).

At the end of the day, time is our most valuable resource. We can make more money if we lose it, meet new people if our friends abandon us, and change careers if we hate our current one. But one thing we can never replace is time lost. Once it's gone, it's gone.

Therefore, I have made a resolution to use my time more wisely. No more endless hours of TV. No more pointless google searches (boy, I love my google!), and no more going to WSJS on Wednesday nights talking to Phil. My time is better spent taking care of priorities. After all, time is a resource we can never have enough of....