An article for Ben and Jones

Kyosho · Post by **Kyosho** » Fri Dec 08, 2006 1:21 pm

I finally got around to listening to the latest podcast, and of course it made me think of this article I've read recently. 7 Reasons Why the 21st Century is Making You Miserable. I agree with it for the most part, and I thought you guys (and the rest of you) would be interested in reading it.

Does anyone else agree with it? Thoughts?

Post by **SpongeBuell** » Fri Dec 08, 2006 3:00 pm

heh, I thought this was part of the article...

ganonbanned · Post by **ganonbanned** » Fri Dec 08, 2006 3:25 pm

that is true. heavy metal could show us the light... if it was still around. sadly the only part left is death metal and crappy punk rock/ skater noob bands that call themselves metal.

Krepticor · Post by **Krepticor** » Fri Dec 08, 2006 3:38 pm

that speaks volumes and I do agree with a lot of it

Mainly the IM thing
and yes since I live in a area that is a litlle more "behind" so-to-speak I feel it is a benefit,

Also, I have freinds at school that I sit down and Debate wit I mean debate and that heps generate a POV that is more we-rounded

Oh yea and les I forget, I have a crazy family, so the lack of annoyong neighbor thing doesn't apply to me!

daguuy · Post by **daguuy** » Fri Dec 08, 2006 3:54 pm

That article has a lot of good points. The fact that a band like Fall out Boy is used as an example because everybody's heard of them makes me want to bite a puppy's head off. I hate those types of bands. Metal isn't dead, There are good modern metal bands and most of the old ones are still going (except Metallica, they died after their 4th album). Megadeth, Maiden, Manowar, Ozzy, Slayer, etc... are still active.

project_failure · Post by **project_failure** » Fri Dec 08, 2006 7:05 pm

old metal kinda gone, but there is still good stuff. Korn (Only good thing about being in bakersfield), static-x, godsmack and a few others.

jperryss · Post by **jperryss** » Fri Dec 08, 2006 7:34 pm

ganonbanned wrote:that is true. heavy metal could show us the light... if it was still around. sadly the only part left is death metal and crappy punk rock/ skater noob bands that call themselves metal.

About two years ago I started getting into some of the melodic metal (it's way cooler than the name implies). Check out Soilwork, In Flames, or The Haunted. Or Tobias Sammet if you're into 80s style metal (Iron Maiden). You might be impressed.

Post by **Sparkfist** » Sat Dec 09, 2006 11:50 am

If you listen to the second to the most current TWiT podcat, they mention that SPAM has gotten so bas that the average of every 10 emails sent 9 are SPAM.

Reason for stupid and irritating SPAM bots I'm not really an adverturning person online. I fine a forum (like this), and when I get to earning money (a job) I'll start doing some online gaming again, garenteed no bots on things like WoW or Xbox-Live.

I also think that the whole why relationships in America are treated as a throw away thing rather then a life commitment is a joke. No one really wants to have love, they just love being in love, and when that feeling is over they breakup or file for divorce. This is the biggest problem we're goig to have right now.

Only other things that really is screwing up this country are the court systems. We need to get judges in that will just look at a court case and think with common sence "Does this sound right? Can a couple of fat girls blame McDonalds for then being over-weight? Or is it their own falt for walking in, buying and eating the food in the first place?" That's something I want before it even gets past the first trial date.

But nothing is going to be accomplished until we have people develop some common sence. You don't have that you could be the startest person but don't see a problem about walking around some place like Detroit when it's night. Only a coplete moron wouldn't see that as a bad idea.

Unidentified Assilant · Wed Dec 13, 2006 1:43 pm

Metal is still around... Slayer, Deicide, Megadeth I think I still around, Sick of it All, Chimaira, Lamb Of God, Hatebreed...

NiN^_^NiN · Post by **NiN^_^NiN** » Wed Dec 13, 2006 4:20 pm

Where are Bill and Ted when u need them

Sir Games-A-Lot · Post by **Sir Games-A-Lot** » Wed Dec 13, 2006 7:29 pm

Interesting, but not exactly provocative.

Really the title says it all: "7 Reasons Why the 21st Century is Making You Miserable."

The article doesn't make any solid comparisons, I would think one could make a similar document for any century " 7 Reasons Why the 13th Century is Making You Miserable." and the like.

From my viewpoint, the 21st century is neither better or worse than any other time in history, just different.

jones · Post by **jones** » Thu Dec 14, 2006 7:28 pm

I think it was an interesting article. It may not have drawn any comparisons to other periods time other than perhaps the last twenty years, but I think it makes some valid observations.

There is definitely a culture change in play that goes largely unnoticed these days. Anymore it seems like everybody is connected to everything all the time. The post office wasn't good enough, so along came e-mail. E-mail wasn't good enough so along came Instant Messaging. Phones weren't good enough, so cell phones came along. Cell phones weren't good enough so along game text messaging, because Heaven forbid if we actually called the person instead of typing a cryptic message with a Numpad! And now to top it all off... Apparently because all of these other things were not good enough on their own... We now have Smart Phones! I wonder when it will end... Maybe when like Ben said they start implanting cell phones in people's heads in the next 5 years.

All of these things make us more connected, yet less connected at the same time. Few of us on these very forums have ever talked to one another in person. As the writer of the article observes we all know each other through the measured responses we write in our posts. Not that this is necessarily a bad thing as I think the forums (and the Internet in general) are a valuable tool in that they remove a lot of barriers as well (race, sex, ethnicity, etc.) that sometimes change the way people interact with one another in person (sad but true).

The sad part for me is when I go into a social place such as a bar or restaurant where people are supposed to gather and interact with one another and I see 1/3 to 1/2 of the people talking on cell phones. Apparently the people they are dining/drinking with are not good enough company. It just seems like everybody is becoming a bit more detached from humanity, which is what I think the article was getting. Of course technology being the culprit.

Technology, like anything else, has its good and bad points. It's done a lot of good things for the world. Computers in general I would say have been a good thing, although at the same time I believe we have become far too dependent on them. But then there are cell phones. Originally most people justified having one for emergencies (car breakdown/accident, etc.), but now everyone and their brother has one, because they feel like they need one because some TV ad told them as much. I keep trying to figure out what sort of meaningful conversations people are having on their cell phones since you always see people talking on them. I would venture to say that, for the most part, these conversations are meaningless and would have never taken place had the cell phone not existed in the first place. I wouldn't even have one of the damn things except for the fact that my work requires it and they pay for it, so I guess it's no skin off my back. In the grand scheme of things I really can't quite understand why it is that cell phones exist. It's one of those great mysteries for me.

I know I've rambled a bit, but what the hell. I've been quiet lately anyway.

I'll close by saying that I enjoyed the writer's observation about work in the service industry being unfulfilling and the work of a tradesman being much more gratifying. I work in the service industry (IT) and I can tell you firsthand that he is dead on with this point. The thing that frustrates me the most about my job is that rarely do I ever get to see any sort of fruits of my labor. It all gets lost in some sort of quagmire of bureaucracy and political BS. On the other hand, I have been working on finishing the basement in my house, when time allows, and it is quite satisfying work. Just last week we finished drywalling it. Now I go downstairs and there are rooms where there were no rooms before. I can actually see the pieces falling into place, which I must say is a great feeling.

Sorry for the rambling, but why not. It's a meaty subject and, shocking as it may be, this is only the tip of the iceberg of what I have to say on the subject.

Regards,

vskid · Post by **vskid** » Thu Dec 14, 2006 8:05 pm

I have to agree with you, jones. People at school are constantly texting each other, sending several thousand a month each. But what the crap are they talking about? Just saying "hi" and "this class sucks" all day, everyday? That is why I don't have a cell phone, and because my parents won't let me (I'd have to pay, so I couldn't afford it anyways).

jones · Post by **jones** » Thu Dec 14, 2006 9:19 pm

vskid wrote:I have to agree with you, jones. People at school are constantly texting each other, sending several thousand a month each. But what the crap are they talking about? Just saying "hi" and "this class sucks" all day, everyday? That is why I don't have a cell phone, and because my parents won't let me (I'd have to pay, so I couldn't afford it anyways).

You are so right! That's exactly what people use it for, or to avoid having to talk to the person they're texting. Otherwise, why not just call them since it's quicker than typing out a message on a cell phone?

You are definitely not missing out on anything by not having one. In fact, I think you're the better for it!

Metroid fan · Post by **Metroid fan** » Thu Dec 14, 2006 9:22 pm

jones wrote:
vskid wrote:I have to agree with you, jones. People at school are constantly texting each other, sending several thousand a month each. But what the crap are they talking about? Just saying "hi" and "this class sucks" all day, everyday? That is why I don't have a cell phone, and because my parents won't let me (I'd have to pay, so I couldn't afford it anyways).
You are so right! That's exactly what people use it for, or to avoid having to talk to the person they're texting. Otherwise, why not just call them since it's quicker than typing out a message on a cell phone?

You are definitely not missing out on anything by not having one. In fact, I think you're the better for it!

I hate cell phones in school all they ever talk about is what they have to do in class and how much they hate so and so instead of getting creative and talking to people in the restroom at school.