modern life is rubbish!

[kinki]

Is anyone else apart from me utterly fed up of many aspects of modern life? I absolutely hate the western obsession with money/shopping/consuming/throwaway pop/celebrity culture/instant gratification...

No-one seems to respect anyone or anything any more and people murder each other for a mobile phone.....

I watched a programme the other day on happiness and it concluded that here in the west we cant be happy if we carry on the way we are going, with our obsession with money and the free market.

The prog cited Bhutan in the himalayas, where (if I remember rightly)government policy takes into account Gross National Happiness of the population, which I thought was amazing...

We could learn a lot from this approach....

Anyway, just had to get that off my chest, I get the feeling you guys will know where I am coming from....

And dont get me started on global warming/big 4 wheel drive cars.

[proggrl]

I'm afraid this is not nor has only been a "modern" revelation. It's been the case for years. Cell phones? People kill each other for sneakers, or in many cases, for NO REASON AT ALL!

Also, I'm afraid this current goverment can't take into policy Gross National ANYTHING, let alone happiness. Well, I suppose it does to a lot of Gross things, but I won't go there.



Now you went and got me all mad.... Stupid world sometimes. I guess the only thing we can do as people is to live by the golden rule: treat people and things the way you'd like to be treated. Amen.

[krausy]

I totally understand how you feel. I too get tired of rudeness and total disregard for other people. I've just about tired of going in any retail store and all I find there is people who are supposed to be working and are doing anything but, or act like it is a serious interruption of their lives to wait on a customer, or simply do not care to do a good job or act professional at all.

I think alot of this and the other problems does come from the fact that we are so spoiled so to speak. Most of our needs can be satisfied rather quickly without too much struggle or really hard work. Seems no one understands what that is. My parents both came up during the Depression--in fact, my Mum's family lost everything they had---and their work ethic was amazing to see and was definitely a product of that experience.

So, there's my soapbox!!!

[John Trevethan]

This topic is so complex that I could write a book about it! Like proggrl I make myself angry just thinking about it - so I try not to think about it as much as I can. I know that's not a very good attitude, but I feel absolutely helpless to do anything about the current state of affairs. I'll just mention two points:

I don't understand why here in America we have the highest gasoline prices we've ever had, and yet seemingly everyone drives around in gigantic gas-guzzling, road-hogging SUVs. (Stupid Useless Vehicles) Shouldn't we be going for economical, high-MPG vehicles? This was the trend several years ago... what happened? To top it off my daughter came home from school one day and said that her teacher told the class that she drives an SUV to feel "big" - nice lesson for the youth eh?

Secondly, I try not to think about the fact that at any moment while I'm sitting in my home (minding my own business, probably listening to David Sylvian) that a nuclear weapon may be detonated over my head. What's worse is that it may happen by some sort of accident due to the aging and decay of the tens of thousands of nuclear devices that are stockpiled all over the world (sadly with the bulk of them right here in my own country). Ah the balance of power: they have one, we must have two - they have 1000, we must have 2000 - they have 10,000, we must have 20,000. That's some real high intelligence at work isn't it?

And to think that we humans consider ourselves civilized and technologically sophisticated - what a joke! We've just barely crawled out of the caves and stopped beating each other over the head with clubs... no wait, we still do that!

My only suggestion for right here, right now is too open up the video player at the top of this page and watch Time Spent. The speech that Ingrid quotes at the beginning of the film makes me feel a little better. It lets me know that there are many people out there (including David) that feel the same way as I do. That won't matter much if the bombs start to fall, but it does give a little comfort for the moment.

[krausy]

John, at your mention of the SUV's, I bet since the rise of gas prices that roughly half of those SUV owners feel pretty foolish and the other half just don't care, kinda like that teacher. I know here where I live alot of people have them to pull their boats, etc which also take alot of gas by the way. The rest of the folk have them for status symbols because they obviously don't know how to drive them or park them!!!!

I at one time was considering a Jeep Cherokee or some other SUV on a smaller scale, but decided against it. I used to have my late father's pickup, but only used it to haul things on occasion and decided to pass it on to my nephew who has his permit and will get his license next year. He prefers the pickup because he feels "safe" in it and I do admit I feel better about him driving that too.

I think if one has to have one out of necessity, then by all means do so,but other than that it is a waste of space on the road.

[kinki]

Stupid Useless Vehicles - like it.

I saw a stretch hummer the other day on the motorway - ridiculous pointless vehicle it was.

I thought the trend was towards smaller more environmental cars over in the States now? Is that not the case any more? How depressing.

It is true we do feel helpless as individuals and it is tempting to throw the whole lot in and b*gger off to a house in the country and shut yourself away, but that's just like putting your head in the sand.

I'm afraid I've turned into rather an eco-bore, trying to hammer home the global warming /recycling/cycle to work message as much as possible and joined organizations like Greenpeace and Friends of the Earth....you have to try and do something, but I get the feeling the majority dont give a t*ss - as long as they've got their KFC buckets and their wide screen TVs and their cheap food that's all that matters....

[kinki]

I at one time was considering a Jeep Cherokee or some other SUV on a smaller scale, but decided against it.

me too - I really wanted another sports car (I used to have a little Mazda MX5) but now my attitude is - as long as I have a little economical car that goes from A to B reliably Im not bothered about image any more...

I cycle everywhere now anyway....

[krausy]

I at one time was considering a Jeep Cherokee or some other SUV on a smaller scale, but decided against it.

me too - I really wanted another sports car (I used to have a little Mazda MX5) but now my attitude is - as long as I have a little economical car that goes from A to B reliably Im not bothered about image any more...

I cycle everywhere now anyway....

That is what I can't wait for when I move to my new house---my bike will be accessible to me, now that I have a garage----so I will be using that whenever I can instead of my car.

[John Trevethan]

That is what I can't wait for when I move to my new house---my bike will be accessible to me, now that I have a garage----so I will be using that whenever I can instead of my car.

Now Krausy, by "bike" do you mean bicycle... or that awesome chopper that you are sitting on in your personal gallery?

[Silver Moon]

Is anyone else apart from me utterly fed up of many aspects of modern life? I absolutely hate the western obsession with money/shopping/consuming/throwaway pop/celebrity culture/instant gratification...

No-one seems to respect anyone or anything any more and people murder each other for a mobile phone.....

I watched a programme the other day on happiness and it concluded that here in the west we cant be happy if we carry on the way we are going, with our obsession with money and the free market.

The prog cited Bhutan in the himalayas, where (if I remember rightly)government policy takes into account Gross National Happiness of the population, which I thought was amazing...

We could learn a lot from this approach....

Anyway, just had to get that off my chest, I get the feeling you guys will know where I am coming from....

And dont get me started on global warming/big 4 wheel drive cars.

Agh! I know what you mean! That whole top paragraph you wrote is basically the definition of my school... I swear, everyone is going to have Carpel-tunnel in their thumbs from that stupid text-messaging! What is UP with that?! Plus everyone dresses in the same pink skimpy shirts, and stupid birkenstocks shoes, and listen to the same emo music or rap music... Blah blah blah... Oh well- Only 5 more days then school is out!!

-Kera-

[godisinthesilences]

i can totally relate to being fed up. My mind just doesn't think this way... I don't function well doing things at full speed ahead and yet daily i'm asked (as we all are) to do just that.
I prefer writing letters... sitting quietly... following pursuits that in general promote a well being of state of mind. I think that is why in the past few months I've really been interested in different spiritualities, for ex. buddhism. I think if we all took into account mindful meditation and compassionate thinking for one another we would begin to be happier and more fulfilled. All the buying buying buying... greed and wanting more is to fill up some unfulfilled spiritual core in each of us. We were not put on this earth to chase after money... we were put here to learn what our divine purpose is.
I swear daily meditation and mindful prayer (to whatever god or entity you believe in) really is the only way to slow down ones existance enough to take into account each moment of life. Being less aware of time and more aware of what is happening at the moment....

[proggrl]

Thanks, godisinthesilences. You've just given me a lot to think about. That was really profound and really TRUE!

Except for the "buying buying buying" cos that's the only way I get more Music, music, music!

[lastgoldstar]

Is anyone else apart from me utterly fed up of many aspects of modern life? I absolutely hate the western obsession with money/shopping/consuming/throwaway pop/celebrity culture/instant gratification...

And dont get me started on global warming/big 4 wheel drive cars.

Completely agree! I could go into detail but then you'd never shut me up so best not to start.

I don't understand why here in America we have the highest gasoline prices we've ever had, and yet seemingly everyone drives around in gigantic gas-guzzling, road-hogging SUVs. (Stupid Useless Vehicles) Shouldn't we be going for economical, high-MPG vehicles?

See, that's what I've been telling everyone that SUV stands for!
I sometimes wish that gas would double (not really, just to make a point) and stick it to the 5-mpg SUV drivers!

Ahh, I need to go cool off.

[krausy]

That is what I can't wait for when I move to my new house---my bike will be accessible to me, now that I have a garage----so I will be using that whenever I can instead of my car.

Now Krausy, by "bike" do you mean bicycle... or that awesome chopper that you are sitting on in your personal gallery?

In this case I am referring to a bicycle, but that chopper is pretty sweet!!!! It is however not mine but my coworker's. He had just bought it and had it custom painted when that picture was taken. Although it is a cool bike, I actually liked his previous bike, a classic looking Harley---all black and chrome---gorgeous!!!!!

Hope the gleam of the chopper did not distract from the fact that I was wearing my Samahdisound tshirt!!!

[Silver Moon]

Oh no, I definitly noticed your shirt! It's pretty sweet!

-Kera-