My Thoughts

Black Friday & X-Finity If the two above neologisms don't at least somewhat rouse frustration or disgust in you, perhaps it's best to know just what they are.  (And of course, just what I'm talking about.) The two succinctly demonstrate how insidiously evil corporatism and run amok capitalism can be.  If wealth inequality is the source of suffering for the disappearing middle class in America, these terms shed light on to what the hell is wrong. Black Friday is the day after Thanksgiving, a holy day in which mindless consumerism drives droves in to stores to worship money.  You can also save a buck or two.  But yes, the lines and camp outs that can be observed in front of large retailers can't help but instill a feeling of incredulity; people actually wait nights and hours to, ultimately, do nothing other than give their limited amounts of cash to the 1%.   But Black Friday is different this year and it must be recognized that a much grea...

Philosophical Consciousness To describe the phenomenon of life and existence is to recognize the quintessential pertinence of consciousness.  Successful, sensible elucidations thereof escape the greatest philosophical minds to this day.  However, the meditative contemplation of such is sure to yield insights and bring about great novelty of thought; these effects characterize the entire field of that which we call Philosophy.   The Nature of Consciousness -- as Philosophy's 21st century problem -- is guaranteed to garner plenty of debate and academic study for years, even decades, to come.  So to be attempting to answer our question(s) of consciousness is to be at the forefront of contemporary philosophy.  So I believe I should urge you to ask yourself just what your mind is.  And what about awareness -- of self and of circumstance?  The How and the What can really get to you. Pondering these intellectual issues leads, inevitably, to a certai...

Capitalism : Anti-Intellectualism & The Collective Aesthetic It was the ingenious socioeconomic philosopher -- Karl Marx -- who repeatedly posited that workforces enabling Capitalism in the State become “alienated” as an effect of job monotony and wholly unrewarding labor.  Indeed, one only need consider the popular employers these days -- and the nature of their often unscrupulous business practices -- to realize the truth of this line of Marxist thought.  As the employee becomes increasingly detached from their eight hour work day and its significance ( f. ex: societal importance and personal fulfillment), their personality and behavioral preferences suffer.  They change.   The inevitable disaffection manifests itself through negative attitudes, nihilism, changes in behavior, and the implicit acceptance of willful ignorance.  This is a degradation of personal value systems, belief systems, and -- yes -- overall quality of personhood insofar a...