Inspirational

[Loreley]

I am sure a lot of you have already read the following statement, but it really makes reflect on a lot of things about our society and ourselves. Hope you like it.

 

The Ironies and Contradictions of our Society

 

“The paradox of our time in history is that we have taller buildings but shorter tempers, wider freeways, but narrower viewpoints. We spend more, but have less. We buy more, but enjoy less. We have bigger houses and smaller families, more conveniences, but less time.

 

We have multiplied our possessions, but reduced our values. We talk too much, love too seldom, and hate too often. We’ve learned how to make a living, but not a life. We’ve added years to life not life to years.

 

We have more degrees but less sense, more knowledge, but less judgment, more experts, yet more problems, more medicine, but less wellness.

 

We drink too much, smoke too much, spend too recklessly, laugh too little, drive too fast, get too angry, stay up too late, get up too tired, read too little, watch TV too much, and pray too seldom.

 

We’ve been all the way to the moon and back, but have trouble crossing the street to meet a new neighbor. We conquered outer space but not inner space. We’ve done larger things, but not better things. We’ve cleaned up the air, but polluted the soul. We’ve conquered the atom, but not our prejudice. We write more, but learn less. We plan more, but accomplish less. We’ve learned to rush, but not to wait. We build more computers to hold more information, to produce more copies than ever, but we communicate less and less.

 

These are the times of fast foods and slow digestion, big men/women and small character, steep profits and shallow relationships. There are the days of fancier houses, but broken homes. A time when technology can bring this letter to you, and a time when you can choose either to share this insight or to just hit delete.

 

Remember to say “I love you” to your partner and your loved ones, but most of all mean it. A kiss and embrace will mend hurt when it comes from deep inside of you. Remember to hold hands and cherish the moment. Give time to love, give time to speak, and give time to share the precious thoughts in your mind.

 

Remember to spend more time with your loved ones. Remember, say a kind work to someone who looks up to you in awe because that little person soon will grow up and leave your side. Remember, to give a warm hug to the one next to you because that is the only treasure you can give with your heart.”

 

By George Carlin

[Azat]

Sip,

 

if a tree falls in a forrest and no one is around to hear it, does it make a sound.

 

Same with communication. If I get 20000000000000 emails a day and my spam filter deletes all but 2 are we communicating more? (I HATE SPAM)

 

----

 

I love George Carlin as well. He is my favorite comedian all time. here is a post from the humor section that I posted a while back.

George Carlin Says

[Sip]

Good stuff! Very well written ...

 

Minor point:

 

Not true. Communication bandwidth usage has been growing exponentially in the recent history. We may be communicating less "meaningfully" but the overall communication level going up at an amazing rate.

 

A small hint of what I'm talking about is just the fact that I am typing at this place right now and you're reading it!!!

[Loreley]

Sip: Hi!! What you are saying it is right. We do have more means of communication than ever before, but as you said it is less meaningful communication. I think that is what the author is trying to say too. It is too bad that there so many ways to communicate now but people don't communicate as much as we could(at the human level).

[MJ]

Actually, I think the communication is not any less then before. In fact, as mentioned it is much more intensive. However, we are losing our ability to listen. Listening to each other is becoming a real challenge.

 

P.S. BTW, welcome Loreley. If you give me your vote, I will push your Personal Bill of Right through the legislature.

 

[ December 14, 2002, 03:13 PM: Message edited by: MJ ]

[gamavor]

It all started somewhere in mid 70's. Psychologists call the phenomenon "alienation". We have lost the "human touch". That I guess is one of the results of the high-tech society. The feeling that you can do anything by yourself. You are overpowerfull. Hence, power cars, power suits, power... brainwash. It is very typical for the American society in general. People do not know how to communicate. They prefer to consume. They hate to listen, they prefer to watch, because its easy. The next step is – you start hate thinking.

 

Then you go to a bar and instead of introducing yourself properly:

“Hi, my name is Indiana Jones. I wonder if I can fit in your pants?”

 

you would say: What is wrong with your smile bitch. Lets go home…….

[Sip]

Hmmm... maybe I should go back to using that one. My current: "Hi, my name is pahn, Sip" is a bit too cheesy for my taste and have been looking for a new one.

[Stormig]

What really turns me on is when they say, "Hi, I'm Dam. Van Dam. Claude van Dam. Jean Claude van Dam."

[Sip]

I haven't tried that one yet but I'll certainly give it a try! Thanks for the hint.

[Stormig]

Don't thank me. You owe me nothing. Especially after...

[Azat]

Sip, I have better lines than that.(although the result is very consistent. Just hope you don't get too red from women slapping you)

 

"Heaven must be missin’ an angel"

or

"Hey, Baby. Have sex with me and I won't bother you again"

or

"Hey, can I buy you a drink, or do you just want the money"

or

"Is your dad a terrorist? Cause your the bomb"

or

"Come sit on my lap and tell Pinocchio a lie."

or the old favorite

"What's a girl like you doin' at a place like this?"

[Loreley]

What about line like.....Hi. My name is.......and although I don't really know what to say, I would like to talk to you if you don't mind. I don't know if that works.

[Azat]

Dear Loreley, I get the same result from that line as well.

 

hmmmmm, maybe it is because I am just too sexy for all the women that I approach?

 

Couple of more pickup lines

"Baby I run McDonalds and I am going to name a meal after you. 'McGourgeous'"

"I'm no Fred Flintstone, but I can make your bed rock"

"Is that a mirror in your pocket? Cause I can see me in your pants."

"That's a great dress, but it would look better in a pile at the end of my bed"

[Harut]

Azat, yes el asem` inchu a qo tsher@ misht karmrats: yes el gitei, te amotic a:

[Azat]

okay one more but this is it.

 

"Do you have any Armenian in you? "No?" "Well, would you like some?"

 

I better go before it get really bad.

[Azat]

Ham et hamel en Harut jan.

[gamavor]

James Bond is sipping his drink in a bar. Suddenly a very attractive lady comes in and sits next to him:

- Bond, James Bond

 

and the lady goes:

 

- Off, **** Off!

 

Muscles from Brussels sucks. Sorry! You are lucky that you don't know me.

 

PS: "What's a girl like you doin' at a place like this?" I've tried this one. It works. Most of the time they believe that they should do 'something' to redeem themselves. You behave like St. Peter the holder of the Paradise gates and she behaves as a candidate for the Paradise. After couple of drinks you both will be in Heaven....

 

 

 

[ December 21, 2002, 04:06 PM: Message edited by: gamavor ]

[Sip]

Hmmmm ... or in other words:

 

Hi, I really don't know how to fly this plane, but do you mind if I try to land it now?

(you may want to fasten your seat belts)

 

Azat, AMOT kez. I can just picture it ... you have probably used most of those lines, haven't you.

 

How about this one:

 

"Hi, I know at least 14 different ways to traverse a weighted graph with no cycles. Do you want to hear about them at dinner at this fancy all you can buffet?"

 

Yah! That should do the trick

[Stormig]

 

Azat, I am glad you have changed "industries"...

 

[ December 21, 2002, 12:39 PM: Message edited by: Stormy ]

[Stormig]

What I really think about this whole business...

 

We're in the age of mass communications. Media is dumb (for the most part), because it is what makes most people take things easy that makes money. (Like in above, more money doesn't mean better quality TV - just more of the same crap.) And so, unlike the past, when the less knowledgeable would listen to the more knowledgeable with respect, nowadays you have smart-alecks thinking they have all the answers and who just love lofting their "ideas" and "opinions" fifteen furlongs into the welkin because of this unjustified confidence which is "given" them by what they watched on TV last night. People no longer rely on experience (their own and others') as much, IMO. Everyone is being spoon-fed. I hope I have not sounded like the ones I just described. LOL...

[Sip]

I STRONGLY disagree. Have you seen the new 60 inch plasma TV that Zenith makes?

 

 

But to add something serious for a change ...

 

I have continuously been shocked to see how "experts" are continuously ignored in the US. No one seems to listen to the experts! If an expert is saying something that the person agrees with, the person accepts it. But god forbid, if the expert (in whatever field) ends up saying something that "doesn't make sense" or is in some way in conflict with the opinions of the listener, the expert is immediately shot down by a defensive statement like "oh, what the hell does he know" or "yah, whatever".

 

I have seen this on numerous occasions and it's a rather disturbing trend, especially in the US. Essentially, EVERYONE seems to think they are the expert (or better) in whatever is being discussed ... Everyone has an opinion, as they should, but they go to unlimited extents to try to back it up and put other opinions down. Even if the other side they are dealing with is an EXPERT in the particular topic being discussed.

 

Maybe some would argue that this happens in this forum or what not ... I am NOT talking about this forum. Of course this does happen to a certain degree in any social setting. I am talking more about the society and the public in the US in general and the systematic "expert bashing" that is starting to become common place.

 

Oh and the worst example of this ... whenever there is the slightest report on some "shocking" wrong doing on someone's part ... everyone and their mother somehow ends up becoming a judge, lawyer, and executioner and places a final judgement on the person!!!! Then they bring a lawyer or someone on TV, who tries their BEST to be objective and explain the law and the circumstances ... of course what do the people do? Just ignore the law expert and keep believing their own bull that they made up in their own head.

 

(not defending lawyers ... just saying sometimes it may be a good idea to LISTEN to them for a change)

 

[ December 22, 2002, 02:15 AM: Message edited by: Sip ]

[Stormig]

I meant content-wise, but that's OK.

 

Exactly my point. It's not just not listening, sometimes it is not giving them their say, like not even inviting them to present their case (be they lawyers, engineers, or whatever experts)...

[Stormig]

BTW, Azat, mayhaps this belongs in the "computers and internet" section, but I might suggest you go get a new account for communication with friends and stuff, and I can even suggest the domain. Thus you have your "communication" divided into spheres, just like we can't bring work home, another oddity of our times.

[Loreley]

I don't know much about this topic, so please correct me if I am wrong.

I think that a lot of time when experts have a new invention or are predicting something in the future or talking about something that we can't see yet, people might not want to listen to them because humans tend to be scare of changes. Changes are good, but at the beginning they bring uncertainty and anxiety.

I have a little bias when they say "it is scientific fact or research." I think back in history and it was scientific research that African Americans were not as humans as Whites or that women had smaller brain than men. I think that scientists or researchers are not neutral and they tend to put their perspectives and biases in their research. But I am sure you were talking more about technological stuff. I think it is marvelous that we have all these technological advances, but it is still heartbreaking that people die of hunger and we don't do nothing about it.

[Stormig]

I think that another paradox of our times is that you have all these songs sung, about "love forever" and blah blah blah (and people listening to these as if they stand by them), yet never before have people been changing lovers as frequently as they change their shirts. :- I am not saying the latter is bad. However, people don't realize the absurdity here.