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Futureshop or Consumerism
Shop from Destinee Working in a
technology store has its pros and cons, just like any other form of
retail. The only difference between this and other stores, is how
constantly aware of new advanced electronics you are, which are
consistently bombarded onto our society. Working in a technological savvy
environment means you receive information, almost from the moment it's
announced, on that new revolutionary upgrade or invention that has become
the new 'addiction' or 'necessity' in our public's eye. When the time
finally comes for its launch, people can't seem to wait that extra day.
It's almost viewed as the fear of becoming the straggler, the last of the
flock who is not connected to the electronic network. It's incredible how
overwhelming the consumer need can dominant people's sub conscious. The
consumer doesn't know why they 'need' this product or even what is so
revolutionary about it, its just been so commercialized and imprinted onto
their thoughts that they feel like their life will be that much more
entertaining, or convenient, or exciting, etc. with
it. Apple is the most successful at this form of brain washing, not only do they release products under their own 'secret' terms, the changes or upgrades in the product are so mediocre and insignificant they could easily have incorporated them in to the previous version. The secrecy is the oldest marketing trick down in history, just another example of how simple minded human beings can be reduced too. When an object is announced, but with only small details and no release date, people become not only curious but anxious about whether they will fall behind in the ever changing electronic market. This paranoia is a sure sign that the company has another follower, somebody forever willing to stand in lines in the early hours of the morning, in the pouring rain, ignorantly smiling to themselves about how much happier this materialistic object will make them. It's always baffled me how determined people are to be the first to experience a new electronic, whether it be peer pressure, the mystery of the unknown or just an excessive lifestyle. If, after a month, the electronic is out dated and unnecessary, why is it viewed as such a rare commodity when it is released? Becoming
connected with social networking is convenient in almost all cases, but
it's the latest example of the follower mentality we as consumers all
have. Despite you being an individual with your own decisions and
perspectives, you still rely on the internet or phone to get your message
across, just like the majority of the world now does. Simply by buying
this product you have become just like the rest of the herd, and submitted
to the sub conscious voice telling us we will never be content without
always being up to date with the new electronic convenience. Compared to
the rate of how quickly new electronics are being released these days
compared to say 50 years ago, its frightening how adapted to these changes
this generation has become. It's a constant case of ADD and eventually
these changes will become necessary in our society to not only fill our
consumer needs but our overall happiness and expectations of
life. About
Destinee: Very aware,
energetic person that acknowledges the fragilness of life, therefore base
all decisions and outlooks on being centered in the present moment.
Writing and reading have been passions of mine since a child, to
physically see words come to life is the best form of pre meditation, in
my perspective.
Can we talk about religion from
Jim "Good
God! In what desert land have you lived, where no one was kind
enough
to inform you that these fancies which you have so greedily
imbibed are a thousand years old and as musty as they are ancient." (words spoken to Victor Frankenstein in Mary Shelley's classic tale) The heckler in the classic film
Miracle on 34th Street calls Kris Kringle "a big, fat fake." In court his
defence lawyer argues that if the American people can believe in
God - for "In God We Trust" figures in its national anthem and
coins - without proof, then they can believe in Santa Claus.
Judging by all the white-bearded
and red-suited men in shopping malls at Christmas, it appears that
Americans now believe in more than one Santa Claus, just as there are
those who believe in more than one god, like Hindus and the Shinto. Of
course most people hold that there is only one Father Christmas and, from
the time of the first Zoroastrians, only one god - if
that. The Zoroastrians are associated
with the religious symbol of fire for they have fires burning constantly
in their temples. Muhammad talked of the "fire prepared for unbelievers"
(Sura 2:24), Jesus pronounced in the Book of Mark (16:16) that "he who
does not believe will be condemned [to hellfires]," and the God of
Deuteronomy (Yahweh) sends fire to devour the peoples of Gog and Magog
after the Millenium. None of this was lost on the medieval Catholic Church
which had thousands of heretics burned in its
Inquisitions. In picking up a holy book, one
can be surprised by the punishment. In Deuteronomy Moses gives orders for
parents to have their children publicly stoned to death (21:18),
forgetting this violates his commandment against killing. God is said to
support tribal genocide (see Deuteronomy 20:13-17 or Numbers 25:16), rape,
slavery, and cannibalism (Deut. 28:53). And for those who do not follow
all his commandments, The LORD shall smite thee with a consumption, and
with a fever, and with an inflammation, and with an
extreme burning, and with sword, and with blasting, and with mildew; and they shall pursue thee until thou perish. (Deut. 28:22) The message is that it is good
to obey God, even if he asks you to kill your child, as Abraham prepares
to do after binding his son Isaac to a
sacrificial altar. Muhammad calls his religion Islam, meaning
submission, and his god means business, too, for there are over a hundred
separate calls in the Koran to violence against non-believers.
Contemporary life presents many
examples of religion-inspired cruelty and absurdity. Jehovah Witnesses not
allowing blood transfusions, Mormons marrying young girls and having
multiple wives, African girls (mostly Muslim) subjected to circumcision
and "infibulations" - the stitching of the vulva leaving a small
opening for urine and menstrual blood, Afghan women stoned to death for
extramarital relations, Shiite girls of nine legally judged as women and
married (like A'isha in the Koran), Hindu brides burned flogged or burned
alive for improper dowry, Catholics protecting pederasts, sadists, and
Nazis. Yet contemporary life also
presents us with many more examples of religious generosity, from the
Christian organizations that cloak and feed the poor wherever they are
found, the Muslims who - as an article of faith called
Zakat - give 2.5% of their wealth for the benefit of the
needy, the Hindus giving alms at the temple, the Sikhs feeding hungry
people of any faith in their Gurdwaras, and the Buddhists' age-old
practice of almsgiving. Criticism of religion remains
taboo in many parts of the world - as in Pakistan where the violation
of the blasphemy law against criticism of the Koran is still punishable by
death. Any expression of religion at all has become taboo in some places,
such as in the United States where religious prayer is strictly banned
from schools, or in France where wearing the veil is illegal in
public. What our society (and every
other) needs is an open discussion of religion. For many people
religion-inspired spirituality is the most important part of their lives,
or their church or temple is vital to their introduction into Canada and
their sense of place in a new world. To other people religion is a
problem, as for the young people who cannot date someone outside their
faith. Religion to them is about outdated customs and unwarranted
punishments. Can an open discussion about religion begin here? About Jim: a teacher
with a Ph.D. (Toronto) and a long record of community
activism. |
on the news
wire
Australia
to assess development pressure on Barrier
Reef Australia will
carry out a comprehensive assessment of development pressure on the Great
Barrier Reef to help preserve the world's largest coral reef system,
ministers said Saturday. Data
collection arms race feeds privacy fears This week's
revelations that Google Inc, Twitter and other popular Internet companies
have been taking liberties with customer data have prompted criticism from
privacy advocates and lawmakers, along with apologies from the
companies. Nanotechnology
turns plants into common plastic Dutch
scientists have found a way of turning plant matter into the building
blocks of common plastics using a nanotechnology process that offers an
alternative to oil-based production.
When 22 bird
flu experts meet at the World Health Organization this week, they will be
tasked with deciding just how far scientists should go in creating lethal
mutant viruses in the name of research.
Inspired by
Singapore's famous chilli crab dish, researchers have created a miniature
robot with a pincer and a hook that can remove early-stage stomach cancers
without leaving any scars. Neuroscience
the new face of warfare: experts Directed energy
weapons that use wave beams to cause pain, and electrical brain
stimulation that boosts a soldier's combat ability - it may sound like
science fiction warfare, but experts say advances in neuroscience mean
it's on the horizon.
read more Cancer Found in 2,000-Year-Old Mummy The man known today only as M1 died a slow, painful death and is further proof that cancer existed in antiquity. read more Orbital solar power plants touted for energy needs The sun's abundant energy, if harvested in space, could provide a cost-effective way to meet global power needs in as little as 30 years with seed money from governments, according to a study by an international scientific group. read more |
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