imstellar,

I've not read your book or the Communist manifesto, nor do I care to. I'm sure they are both of historical interest, but they have nothing to do with the here and now. While I am more of a socialist than, say, George W. Bush, I have no desire to live in the kind of by-the-numbers, pure socialist system that haunts your sheltered existence. I'd just like a decent health care system, more effective schools and a better life for the everyday working stiff. If that makes me a commie in your book, then so be it.

We have evolved past the early 20th century capitalist/socialist tintypes to which you cling. Both systems have their pluses and minuses and neither seems to work well in the absence of the other. Capitalism works well for a great many things, but fails in situations where making money is not the measure of success, like education, healthcare, medicine, infrastructure etc...

You are very quick to dismiss those who see things differently than you as close minded. Maybe it's time you took a look in the mirror. In a decade (at most), you will look back at some of these comments and cringe. When I say this, I'm speaking from experience, as I believed in all that Ayn Rand nonsense at your age too.

Riff1:
G D Em
When I was your age I was just like you,
C G
And just look at me now; I'm sure you do.
But your grandfather was just as bad
And you should have heard him trash his dad.

riff2:
G/Am? D
Life's no picnic, that's a given:
C G
My mom's mom died when my mom was seven;

riff 1
My mom's father was a tragic guy,
But he was so distant and nobody knows why.

Riff3
Am Bm
Now, your mother's family, you know them:
C G
Each and every one a gem,
Each and every one a gem.

When I was your age I was a mess;
On a bad day I still am, I guess.
I think I know what you're going through;
Everything changes but nothing is new.
And I know that I'm miserable; can't you see?
I just want you to be just like me.
Boys grow up to be grown men
And then men change back into boys again.
You're starting up and I'm winding down;
Ain't it big enough for us both in this town?
Say it's big enough for us both in this town.


When I was your age I thought I hated my dad
And that the feeling was a mutual one that we had;
We fought each other day and night:
I was always wrong; he was always right.
But he had the power and he needed to win;
His life half over, mine about to begin.
I'm not sure about that Oedipal stuff,
But when we were together it was always rough.
Hate is a strong word; I want to back-track;
The bigger the front, then the bigger the back;
The bigger the front, then the bigger the back.

Now you and me are me and you,
And it's a different ballgame though not brand-new.
I don't know what all of this fighting is for;
But we're having us a teenage/middle-age war.
I don't want to die and you want to live;
It takes a little bit of take and a whole lot of give.
It never really ends though each race is run,
This thing between a father and a son.
Maybe it's power and push and shove,
Maybe it's hate but probably it's love,
Maybe it's hate but probably it's love.

I know I can
Be what I want to be
If I work hard at it
I'll be where I want to be
[Kids]
I know I can (I know I can)
Be what I want a be (be what I want a be)
If I work hard at it (If I work hard at it)
I'll be where I want a be (I'll be where I want a be)


Be, B-Boys and girls, listen up
You can be anything in the world, in God we trust
An architect, doctor, maybe an actress
But nothing comes easy it takes much practice
Like, I met a woman who's becoming a star
She was very beautiful, leaving people in awe
Singing songs, Lena Horn, but the younger version
Hung with the wrong person
got her strung on that heroin
cocaine sniffing up drugs all in her nose...
Coulda died, so young, now looks ugly and old
No fun cause now when she reaches for hugs people hold they breath
Cause she smells of corrosion and death
Watch the company you keep and the crowd you bring
Cause they came to do drugs and you came to sing
So if you gonna be the best, I'm a tell you how,
Put your hands in the air, and take a vow


I know I can (I know I can)
Be what I want a be (be what I want a be)
If I work hard at it (If I work hard at it)
I'll be where I want a be (I'll be where I want a be)


Be, B-Boys and girls, listen again
This is for grown looking girls who's only ten
The ones who watch videos and do what they see
As cute as can be, up in the club with fake ID
Careful, 'fore you meet a man with HIV
You can host the TV like Oprah Winfrey
Whatever you decide, be careful, some men be
Rapists, so act your age, don't pretend to be
Older than you are, give yourself time to grow
You thinking he can give you wealth, but so
Young boys, you can use a lot of help, you know
You thinking life's all about smoking weed and ice
You don't want a be my age and can't read and write
Begging different women for a place to sleep at night
Smart boys turn to men and do whatever they wish
If you believe you can achieve, then say it like this


Be, be, 'fore we came to this country
We were kings and queens, never porch monkeys
It was empires in Africa called Kush
Timbuktu, where every race came to get books
To learn from black teachers who taught Greeks and Romans
Asian, Arabs and gave them gold when
Gold was converted to money it all changed
Money then became empowerment for Europeans
The Persian military invaded
They heard about the gold, the teachings, and everything sacred
Africa was almost robbed naked
Slavery was money, so they began making slave ships
Egypt was the place that Alexander the Great went
He was so shocked at the mountains with black faces
Shot off they nose to impose what basically
Still goes on today, you see?
If the truth is told, the youth can grow
Then learn to survive until they gain control
Nobody says you have to be gangstas, hoes
Read more learn more, change the globe
Ghetto children, do your thing
Hold your head up, little man, you're a king
Young Princess when you get your wedding ring
Your man is saying "She's my queen"

I don't know why "Farrah" was substituted for "Sarah". If you're referring to the washed up Farrah Fawcett, you're showing your age. You probably beat it to the same muff-heavy sexploitation films Kronos does. (except he pauses it on the guys "O" Faces to finish up)

i like how the kids kept shouting "you're fighting kids half your age! Thats lame!" but none of the "nerds" had the wits (or maybe they were just too nice) to shout back "You're making fun of people twice your age! Thats lame!"

Surfing on cars!? In my day we didn't have cars! When I was your age, a good time was having my legs tied together and being dragged behind a horse!

"I used to be president when I was your age, son! And I will win the post of king again this next tuesday! Someone keeps stealing my teeth! I'm oooold..."

That was poor form, choggie. Stop talking shit and act your age, for fucks sake.

Noyce! If you think this is clever you should check out the Crab Canon from my most favourite book in the world Godel, Escher, Bach: An Eternal Golden Braid, by Douglas Hofstadetr.

Crab Canon
----------

Achilles and the Tortoise happen upon each other
in the park one day while strolling.

Tortoise: Good day, Mr. A.
Achilles: Why, same to you.
Tortoise: So nice to run into you.
Achilles: That echoes my thoughts.
Tortoise: And it's a perfect day for a walk. I think I'll be walking home
soon.
Achilles: Oh, really? I guess there's nothing better for you than walking.
Tortoise: Incidentally, you're looking in fine fettle these days, I must
say.
Achilles: Thank you very much.
Tortoise: Not at all. Here, care for one of my cigars?
Achilles: Oh, you are such a philistine. In this area, the Dutch contribu-
tions are of markedly inferior taste, don't you think?
Tortoise: I disagree, in this case. But speaking of taste, I finally saw that
Crab Canon by your favorite artist, M.C. Escher, in a gallery the other
day, and I fully appreciate the beauty and ingenuity with which he
made one single theme mesh with itself going both backwards and
forwards. But I am afraid I will always feel Bach is superior to Escher.
Achilles: I don't know. But one thing for certain is that I don't worry about
arguments of taste. De gustibus non est disputandum.
Tortoise: Tell me, what's it like to be your age? Is it true that one has no
worries at all?
Achilles: To be precise one has no frets.
Tortoise: Oh, well, it's all the same to me.
Achilles: Fiddle. It makes a big difference, you know.
Tortoise: Say, don't you play the guitar?
Achilles: That's my good friend. He often plays, the fool. But I myself
wouldn't touch a guitar with a ten-foot pole.
(Suddenly the Crab, appearing from out of nowhere, wanders up ex-
citedly, pointing to a rather prominent black eye.)

Crab: Hallo! Hullo! What's up? What's new? You see this bump, this
from Warsaw - a collosal bear of a man - playing a lute. He was three
meters tall, if I'm a day. I mosey on up to the chap, reach skyward and
manage to tap him on the knee, saying, "Pardon me, sir, but you are
Pole-luting our park with your mazurkas." But WOW! he had no sense
of humor - not a bit, not a wit - and POW! - he lets loose and belts me
one, smack in the eye! Were it in my nature, I would crab up a storm,
but in the time-honored tradition of my species, I backed off. After all,
when we walk forwards, we move backwards. It's in our genes, you
know, turning round and round. That reminds me - I've always
wondered, "which came first - the Crab or the Gene?" That
is to say, "Which came last - the Gene, or the Crab?" I'm always
turning things round and round, you know. It's in our genes, after
all. When we walk backwards we move forwards. Ah me, oh my!
I must lope along on my merry way - so off I go on such a fine day.
Sing "ho!" for the life of a Crab! TATA! Ole!

(And he disappears as suddenly as he arrived.)

Tortoise: That's my good friend. He often plays, the fool. But I myself
wouldn't touch a ten-foot Pole with a guitar.
Achilles: Say, don't you play the guitar?
Tortoise: Fiddle. It makes a big difference, you know.
Achilles: Oh, well, it's all the same to me.
Tortoise: To be precise one has no frets.
Achilles: Tell me, what's it like to be your age? Is it true that one has no
worries at all?
Tortoise: I don't know. But one thing for certain is that I don't worry about
arguments of taste. Disputandum non est de gustibus.
Achilles: I disagree, in this case. But speaking of taste, I finally heard that
Crab Canon by your favorite composer, J.S. Bach, in a concert the
other day, and I fully appreciate the beauty and ingenuity with which
he made one single theme mesh with itself going both backwards and
forwards. But I am afraid I will always feel Escher is superior to Bach.
Tortoise: Oh, you are such a philistine. In this area, the Dutch contribu-
tions are of markedly inferior taste, don't you think?
Achilles: Not at all. Here, care for one of my cigars?
Tortoise: Thank you very much.
Achilles: Incidentally, you're looking in fine fettle these days, I must
say.
Tortoise: Oh, really? I guess there's nothing better for you than walking.
Achilles: And it's a perfect day for a walk. I think I'll be walking home
soon.
Tortoise: That echoes my thoughts.
Achilles: So nice to run into you.
Tortoise: Why, same to you.
Achilles: Good day, Mr. A.

Better way of putting it

Enjoy!



In reply to this comment by dystopianfuturetoday:
(Imagine these words spoken in a friendly, spirited, slightly perplexed tone.)

Pop-psych? New Age-y? Twenty-something idealism (in my thirties no less)? Are you kidding me? You are very assumptive for someone who abhors assumption, and that's fine with me.

None of the things I've mentioned are even slightly controversial in academia, let alone new age-y, which has more to do with crystals and Enya than cultural studies. If you believe that you are free from the influence of culture, then maybe you are. You need not give me your age or shoe size in order to tell me this. My assumptions don't define you.

We aren't even debating the topic, we are stuck on feelings, assumptions and rhetorical style. Circling endlessly.

I don't mind it, though. Let me have it. Don't hold back. Change my mind. I love a frank and honest discussion. I love nothing more than to be able to admit I was wrong.

(Imagine these words spoken in a friendly, spirited, slightly perplexed tone.)

Pop-psych? New Age-y? Twenty-something idealism (in my thirties no less)? Are you kidding me? You are very assumptive for someone who abhors assumption, and that's fine with me.

None of the things I've mentioned are even slightly controversial in academia, let alone new age-y, which has more to do with crystals and Enya than cultural studies. If you believe that you are free from the influence of culture, then maybe you are. You need not give me your age or shoe size in order to tell me this. My assumptions don't define you.

We aren't even debating the topic, we are stuck on feelings, assumptions and rhetorical style. Circling endlessly.

I don't mind it, though. Let me have it. Don't hold back. Change my mind. I love a frank and honest discussion. I love nothing more than to be able to admit I was wrong.

Oh there was no mistake... I got all yer sly little nudges about my character and age, didn't get that past me, don't you worry about that.

And as for your judgment of my character and behavior I am choosing to ignore that... seeing as how you "belong to the cannon man" (your words, not mine) I don't find your rush to defend him by getting all angry and obnoxious with me as all that surprising.

In reply to this comment by LittleRed:
Since you obviously missed it, that wasn't a "Please, tell me how old you are, because I just have to know." It was a "Since you claim to be 25, please act your age. No one appreciates the 12-year-old you."

I also have gone back through more than two weeks of comments, and have yet to see these "good manners" you claim to be giving away.

I'm really not trying to bother you, or change your opinions on MGR. I'm only saying that in the less than a month that i've actually been a member, I've already witnessed several scathing personal attacks. If you want to have such a "discussion" on someone's personal profile, go for it. But everyone knows it's childish and petty to bring the entire community into an argument you'd like to have about someone else's character. This is an issue between you and him. Or maybe now it's a non-issue. Either way, your mother should have taught you that the proper way to tell someone "You're an ass" should never include anyone but the parties directly involved. I hope for your sake this isn't how you generally conduct your activities.

In reply to this comment by raven:
Much older than you... and, on average, I got so many good manners that I be giving them away... so, your lad must've really done something to warrant the expression of my ire in public... tell him congrats.

Also, if you think that bothering me about this is going to change my mind about things you are sorely mistaken.

In reply to this comment by LittleRed:
Must you pollute someone else's video with personal attacks and name calling? Are you really that ill-mannered?

If you feel that strongly about MGR, there would have been much more appropriate places to say so. Instead, you have nothing at all to say about the video, and start verbal attacks and name calling on a video someone else worked to find? How old are you, really?

In reply to this comment by raven:
Must I explain everything to you? Are you really that dense?

Since you obviously missed it, that wasn't a "Please, tell me how old you are, because I just have to know." It was a "Since you claim to be 25, please act your age. No one appreciates the 12-year-old you."

I also have gone back through more than two weeks of comments, and have yet to see these "good manners" you claim to be giving away.

I'm really not trying to bother you, or change your opinions on MGR. I'm only saying that in the less than a month that i've actually been a member, I've already witnessed several scathing personal attacks. If you want to have such a "discussion" on someone's personal profile, go for it. But everyone knows it's childish and petty to bring the entire community into an argument you'd like to have about someone else's character. This is an issue between you and him. Or maybe now it's a non-issue. Either way, your mother should have taught you that the proper way to tell someone "You're an ass" should never include anyone but the parties directly involved. I hope for your sake this isn't how you generally conduct your activities.

In reply to this comment by raven:
Much older than you... and, on average, I got so many good manners that I be giving them away... so, your lad must've really done something to warrant the expression of my ire in public... tell him congrats.

Also, if you think that bothering me about this is going to change my mind about things you are sorely mistaken.

In reply to this comment by LittleRed:
Must you pollute someone else's video with personal attacks and name calling? Are you really that ill-mannered?

If you feel that strongly about MGR, there would have been much more appropriate places to say so. Instead, you have nothing at all to say about the video, and start verbal attacks and name calling on a video someone else worked to find? How old are you, really?

In reply to this comment by raven:
Must I explain everything to you? Are you really that dense?

Oh, karaidl, you worthless pile of sheep ass. You know, for a while now I’ve been waiting for someone worthy of a good roast. I think we’ve found the man, or boy or child, or all around douchebag. And I have no idea as to why a young white boy would have an avatar with a fat black grown ass man who is so fat if he wore a Malcolm X t-shirt, helicopters would land on his chest.

Has anyone seen the picture of our resident karaidl on his profile page? What the fuck is that? It looks like somebody tossed a cocktail umbrella on top of Deputy Dog’s afterbirth and then drew a frowny face in it. Smile you somber, motherf**er. What the hell do you have to be upset about? Did someone spoil the ending to Yu-Gi-Oh the movie? When I was your age, I was getting laid. Though, you probably have too, but you didn’t realize the “Blow the Magic Whistle until the Happy Sauce Comes Out” game you play with your uncle qualifies as sex. Maybe that’s why your face is flushed in that picture.

And, let’s look at some of your video choices. You posted the one with the shriveled, creepy pussy that stands on its hind legs. But, enough about that video of your mom, I was talking about this one you titled “Terrifying...” That cat looked like how I feel after reading a Choggie post. Speaking of Choggie, you were the person responsible for posting this video you affectionately titled, “I will now attempt to communicate with Choggie.” Thanks for bringing down the collective intelligence of the sift with that gem. Seriously, I think the internet died a little that day. Unfortunately, it wasn’t the part with Sifter doogle. But, anyways...

In all honesty, Karaidl, I think you’re one of the funniest posters on this here site, and I hope to see many more from you. Cheers!

didn't you state your age in a previous post Fahrad?