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Sony, I download your music

11/14/2005

I don't download music, simply because there are so many other people who do, I just get whatever I need off them, and at the moment were having a little musical drought anyway. However, I have no problem whatsoever with downloading music, in fact I think it's a strong method of telling a company exactly how you feel about what they do.  this guy says it better than me. I quite enjoyed the comments too.

18:44 Posted in consumerism | Permalink | Comments (0) | Email this

Roses

11/09/2005

Our next door neighbour grows flowers, right now the scent is wafting through the window and it feels like one of those delightfully tropical nights on a hot little island somewhere in the middle of the ocean. I think I might go outside and 'smell the roses'

21:20 Posted in Chatting | Permalink | Comments (0) | Email this

Learn from women

 

I was re-thinking about those terrorism signs all over Melbourne the other day, especially after reading up on people's thoughts on how governments should deal with the fact we have so angered people that they are willing to kill themselves and us at random. It occurred to me that maybe, instead of looking at this as a 'new phenomonom' - The Age Of Terror, it's probably more helpful to look at groups who have in many senses been living in 'terror' for decades. The main group, is women. I say that because in this world, places are dangerous for me. As it is now considered dangerous to use public transport in London for everyone, it has always been dangerous for me to use it alone at night since I was born. It's also dangerous for me to walk dark streets alone, or go to the beach at night, or even leave my drink alone at a bar lest someone spike it with date rape drugs, it is dangerous for me to hitch hike. All these things that are dangerous for me, are things that the men in my life tell me I should avoid.

Obviously, the government takes the same approach with this form of terror, the object is to avoid, stay scared and assume that the reason for the terror is out of your hands. Heres the thing, terror against women is created by a male dominated society, where it isn't perceived as truely bad to demote women to an inferior status. Hmm, lets look at these 'terrorist' countries, have we not also perceived that it isn't truely bad to demote them to an inferior status? have our actions now and in the past not been a form of terror in their eyes? (I hightly doubt the average Iraqi does not currently feel terrorised to a degree far grater than us). Ok, so maybe these 'terrorists' are in the same position as women, their status in the world has long been decided for them, and they have been living in terror for many years (Racial terror, in this case, not gender terror).

Women have spent years and years fighting for freedom from this terror, fighting to be allowed in their homes without it being ok for men to bash them, and being stopped at every point by their dominators. Talk to any femenist, it has been a long and painful struggle. But now we all agree women were right, fromt he very first day they said 'we should be allowed to wear trousers, and to vote, and to work'. It's a pity it took about a hundred years to make that a reality and even now, obviously it's still not.

 

Maybe these guys have seen history more than we have, and they are sick of looking at all these struggles in which the downtrodden group is fought violently all the way to achieve their rightful goals, only to end up with everyone agreeing it was fair after all.

I don't agree with violent means, yet I have also never seen my family killed. I imagine it does strange things to you, makes you a little desperate. Maybe instead of posting up banners and rushing though laws that reduce freedom for all, we realise the lessons from women, blacks, Aboriginals, Homosexuals, Jews, and make life easy for a change, for people to make their point and be valued members of the world, now instead of aftre they've had to perform atrocious acts to make us even notice their problem exists

09:10 Posted in Chatting | Permalink | Comments (0) | Email this

OK, I went back

11/03/2005

Basically the gist of the blog post in question, was that this guy read a blog by the speaker of the house? in America, pointing out that environmentalists are getting in the way of energy progress (ie. they can't build more oil wells? power stations? in America now because of these bad environmentalists). He very rightly managed to come to the conclusion that this speaker guy was sneakily trying to make the public side with the oil companies instead of the environmentalists.

here was my comment:

I agree entirely with your take on things, not hard to figure that your politicians are after more oil profits. What I don't understand, is how Americans proportionately seem to be the most ignorant people in the world when it comes to this...

Does the interest in your politician's manipulation of you as a people end in satisfaction that you think you have it figured? Or does it only end when you remove yourself from them and do something to negate their influence?

I suppose I'm asking if you actually care that America is one of the largest global polluters we have, and that down here in NZ, we are massivly feeling your effects. I'm burnt to a crisp after two hours of sun in SPRING. This is an ozone hole created largely by America, and as a result, we have to care. But are you still at the stage of delighting over the powerplay in your government ranks? Is that still considered intelligence in America?

Anyway, I then went to another blog, in which the blogger wrote a fairly interesting article about what it would be like with a president who actually thought, to which this initial guy replied 'yeah we don't have enough nuclear power stations. '

Maybe I should find links to these articles? so you can read them for yourself:

blog 1: http://tdaxp.blogspirit.com

blog 2: http://drforbush.blogspirit.com

anyhoo, heres the reply to my comment:

Natalie,

Your snarky sarcasm must have been great in creative writing class. I visited your blog and read your long, lengthly and extremely pretensious, know-it-all, self absorbed post (Nov 2, 2005 post).

Instead of being all mad at the world and consumerism (funny that your blogging pursuit is a result of that same craze that brought us those overhyped iPods you bemoan) and whatever pet left issue is trumpted today, why don't you do something tangible about it.

Here is an example, leave the mean comments aside and debate on the ideas. Tell me about the ozone levels and how American capitalism, which NZ is a benefitor of, is causing your local issues. Tell me about the solutions you propose that will discourage polution without wrecking the global economy.

Without ideas, your comments are just carping a party line. Dan at least put forward an argument.

Sincerely,

Bill Rice

What I find interesting, is that he thought I was being sarcastic and mean. I want being sarcastic, I was being honest, I think there is still a difference. I also find it interesting that people are so into their 'politics' they see only the traditional 'left' and 'right'. I am neither, in fact I wouldnt have a clue about what goes on in government, like the origional guy so nicely put, they are all out to profit, I cannot directly influence them, so I will try to work around them. The issues that are important to me, are issues like us ruining our environment, us killing each other off, us oppressing each other, I was unaware that these issues were purely 'pet left issues', I thought they were massive, earth shattering issues we're all facing.

And I suppose the rest of his answer brings me to the point of my post. Whats the use of 'at least putting forward an argument' thats exactly what i failed to see from him, any form of argument about whether thats right or wrong, all he stated was the fairly obvious facts.

Here is my solution for our global pollution problems: the sun, the wind, or maybe remembering a few things about cars, they were made to run off vegetable oil. Or maybe the whole movement with cutting down on plastic bags, or maybe encouraging biking in city areas by banning cars, or maybe, just go that first step and get rid of the massive gas guzzlers that are found mainly in America. Do you need more? Im full of them, in fact the whole world is, I can give you examples of all those solutions successfully in action, but I dont want this to get too 'long and lengthy'. All these are pratical, easy solutions, not only will they not wreck the global economy, they will enhance it. No more fake economies built on war for oil, no more worry about the fact we are slowly draining this planet of resources (a sure fire global economy wrecker)

As for the ozone hole, I'm sorry to sound annoyed, however I've heard of conversations with Kiwis overseas who are appalled to find the very people causing our troubles are oblivious to our suffering down here. The pollution from the north drifts down to the south and to be honest, I think it's your reponsibility to look it up for yourselves, so I wont spoon feed you the evidence.

Pretentious and self absorbed is not something I consider myself, and to be called it is not something I take lightly. Every single thing I write is based on an action, using that particular post as an example. My point was purely that we as consumers have power and responsibility. I suppose the reply to my comment was exactly my point. why do people do that? I'm not the enemy, I'm working against those who abuse and injure, my solution is to not support them by donating to their cause through your purchases. You may not agree that animal testing is hideous or that cigarrette companies blatantly target children and third world nations, but how can I be called pretentious for not only giving a damn, but ACTIVELY doing something about my beliefs? Why do you immediately jump up to attack me with a way I'm possibly contradicting myself (blogs and ipods). So what? I'm not perfect, although to be honest, I cant see how I'm supporting any organisation/view/advertising campaign simply by expressing my thoughts in a website is anywhere near pushing a product made by a company. However why it is important to you to pick out the possible holes in my argument instead of agreeing or disagreeing. Do you think its cool to give free advertising to apple? Do you expect me to be perfect because I care? It's so unfair that because I'm trying to work against the things that ruin this world, I have to be picked apart all the time, while all these lazy people who take the easy option feel justified because they don't care. Like I said in the example post, Im sick and tired of having to research every little thing I buy for HOURS, but I still do it. I make mistakes, then I learn and stop doing it. Its bloody hard work, like I was begging for in that post, is a little slack from the lazy consumers for those of us who are trying, why not a little support for those who are making a massive sacrifice to their daily comforts in order to stay true to their beliefs? Is that pretentious?

20:50 Posted in Chatting | Permalink | Comments (1) | Email this

Why it's happening

11/02/2005

I thought tonight I'd have a little explore of the other 'blogspirits'.

I wish I hadn't.

A while ago I distanced myself from the mainstream media, that is why I'm generally oblivious to 'whats going on'. How your perspective on the world changes when you don't have to see that rubbish every day... While I'm not one to be happy knowingly living in a fantasy world, I have made a concious choice to not expose myself to certain aspects of the world. I refuse to read the utter crap that is mass produced by corporations who will do anything for money. No ipods are not the coolest thing in the world, does the fact that you people are all apple's free advertising machine make you feel a bit stupid? I will not read any of the regurgitated rubbish that spews out of a lot of bloggers fingertips. Blogging is not about reading a newspaper and repeating what you have just read, I don't want to hear any more about how George Bush lied. I knew that years ago, and I didn't need a newspaper to figure it out. As for the latest 'natural disaster'... the next thing I want to ever read about that is our global realisation that these things are created by us drilling massive holes in the earths crust, draining their substance then burning it to create massive ozone holes and crazy weird weather patterns. I wont donate money to Hurricane Katrina, and while I may be labled uncaring by those thick and staunchly blind followers of power, I have to say now, your so wrong. Your so wrong to confuse 'caring' with 'following'. I cared ages ago, I cared while you guys were driving your disguisting massive vehicles, and not voting so that a murderer and global human/environmental rights abuser can wreak havoc on the rest of us. I still care, I care so much that I WILL NOT pretend throwing money at the newest 'victims' is in anyway helping.

And anyone who is sitting back now, allowing one religion to sneak its filthy way into our childrens minds, please never talk to me about muslim fundamentalists, what do you think you are? Brainwashing our society with news about intelligent creation. Get this, the world has been intelligently designed, by an intelligence that can NEVER EVER exist in one form or spirit or god, but but the fact that every tiny little bug, fungi, bacteria, piece of coral, tree, shrub, grain of sand does its bit, interacting, communication, working in perfect harmony to create this truely magical planet where its really quite amazing, things evolve. They do it in front of us every day, look around, those obese parents have obese offspring, that patch of grass growing right at the tip of the lawn by the ocean grows ever thicker to work with the salty environment. Don't think you're battling science, it's as flawed as religion is, were talking nature here, a force more powerful than us and our destructive ways can ever be. Don't you see, natures trying to kill us off now, just to save itself, thats why we have earthquakes, hurricanes, tsunamis...

I'm normally quite a calm person, but I cannot believe in this day and age we're still this THICK! What really got to me was this stupid loser who thought he was witty? smart? plain infuriating? to comment at the end of a well written, thoughtful blog 'yes, we need more nuclear power stations.' How much is this guy responsible for killing? Obviously his support of George Bush makes him partially responsible for the death of hundreds and thousands of people, his support of old and destuctive forms of energy attributes to him the death of our environment, the global warming that is causing the deaths of many more hundreds and thousands of people. Why do we not try these people in our justice systems as the mass murderers and environmental crimials that they are?

Why do we pretend it's about freedom of expression? how is expression truely free when ones expression oppresses, kills and injures many others. Our overall total freedom has now been significantly reduced.

Anyway, as always, I am only after answers. Someone give me a reason why this all should be the case, why it should be as it is, normal for people to kill and wound my lack of action, to influence and brainwash and oppress and do it under the banner of 'freedom of expression'?

21:20 Posted in Chatting | Permalink | Comments (0) | Email this | Tags: Ecology & Environment