The Culture of Capitalism

This is an essay I wrote last summer. It's something I strongly believe and felt I had to put up for people to read. I've eliminated the citations to make it easier to read, but if anyone wants the references, I can get them for you. It's a little long and maybe a little dense at points, but I hope it all makes sense.

In feudalism, land and the production of goods from it was run following a system where lords allowed peasants to use land in exchange for a share of what was produced on that land, as well as loyalty and service. Trade in this system was restricted (by necessity, not decree) to local exchange of goods, with some monetary exchange, for practical goods and services and some long-distance trade for rare and exotic luxuries for the elite. In this system, while the elite lords held a monopoly on wealth, the general population had access to the necessities of life. As long-distance trade became more frequent and easier due to improved technology in shipping, the peoples of the world became more and more in contact. It was from this contact, most specifically the contact between Europeans with Asian, African, and American cultures, that led to the expansion of trade centered on the acquisition of goods for European markets.

What I see as key to the development of the culture of capitalism from this set of circumstances was combination of the rise of nation-state ideologies, the subsequent rise in competition for control of goods and resources from around the world by the burgeoning European states, and the increase in military forces sent out to control and maintain these goods and resources for their European owners. Thus, it was the combination of a rise in the access of luxury goods for the feudal elite, the expansion of mercantile interests around the globe, and the onset of colonialism that set the stage for the emergence of the culture of capitalism.

As the new nation-states of Europe expanded their territorial control of areas throughout the world and transportation technology (both local and global) improved, it became apparent that control of land meant control of those who work it and, also, control of the means of production. Such things as the Enclosure Acts in England, which took common lands away from people and placed them in private hands, indicated the importance upon which the state placed land in the production of wealth for a select few. What resulted was a landless populace forced to sell their labour to the owners of the land they previously had worked as a commons or venture to the cities to sell their labour to the burgeoning factories. Thus, people no longer grew their own food or made their own goods because they no longer had access to the means to do so and had to earn money through the sale of their labour in order to purchase food, housing, etc.

Ideology was extremely important in this process as people who had been forced from the land and required to sell their labour were needed to change their desires. Whereas in the past, people had been content to produce what they needed, in order for a system of perpetual growth, as capitalism calls for, to occur, the general public needed to want more than just what enabled them to survive. Through the promotion the products of colonial enterprises, such as sugar, the creation of laws which lower prices making them more available to the public, profits from overseas plantations grew, as did the dependancy on, and desire for, manufactured foodstuffs and goods.

It was through this active promotion of products that the primary ideological mode of our time developed: advertising. Over the past 100 years, the advertising industry has grown from simply pushing the use of products to promoting ways of life which can be achieved through the use of products or services. What I see as the major way of life promoted, a way of life that assumes the truth behind the idea of perpetual growth, is the idea that every person, regardless of his or her socioeconomic position, can become independently wealthy and able to live a life of leisure and happiness through the use of, and investment in, goods and services. In other words, I believe the culture of capitalism is based on the ideology that everyone can live the idealized life of a feudal lord, but without any sort of responsibility for anything but one’s own happiness. The promotion of this way of life has been evident in advertising since the beginning, as evidenced by early fashion magazines setting standards using royalty, the wealthy, and celebrities as models and can even be found earlier, through the example of sugar being used to emulate the wealthy -- sugar was a sign of status.

The influence of the culture of capitalism has grown to such pervasiveness that, despite copious evidence to the contrary, we, and the vast majority of the people in the world, have allowed ourselves to be convinced that through our continued participation and active promotion of capitalism, can live in a leisurely world where all our wants and needs are satisfied with little to no further work on our part or consequences to others, the environment, or our ourselves. This conviction has been actively manufactured through institutional means, mass media, including, but not exclusively, advertising. The pervasiveness of the culture of capitalism and the lust for luxury, called commodity fetishism by Marx, is summed up by the fact that parents are naming their children after consumer products they aspire to own, but will likely never afford.

Capitalism, in theory, is supposed to create equality through the trickle down effect brought about by competition and the supposed apolitical and unbiased nature of the free and open market. It does not. One of the major flaws in the system is that those with control over wealth and power will do everything possible to maintain and maximize that control, such as creating laws which promote the accumulation of land and resources in a small number of hands or using violence against those who attempt to take or circumvent some of that power or wealth for themselves or against those who simply attempt to live outside the capitalist system altogether. The result is a system of enforced inequality which actively markets itself as a great equalizer, a system of violence pretending to be a system of peace, a system which vocally touts the benefits of democracy yet places control in the unelected hands of the few.

The inequality in wealth and power caused by the culture of capitalism means that the necessities of life, such as food, water, shelter, education, and health care, are available only to those who can afford them. Thus, the poor and marginalized, due to their inability within a capitalist system to obtain money (leading to an inability to exert demand for and obtain the above mentioned necessities), face poverty, hunger, sickness and death. In the lingo of commerce, these consequences are simply market externalities.

The ideologies of consumption and perpetual growth in combination with the remnants of colonialist attitudes and the growing dominance of fundamentalist religious beliefs that the world exists to be exploited solely for human benefits, as well as the belief that, as the apocalypse is imminent, any environmental damage is moot has led to rapid environmental destruction. The interrelation of these ideologies has created a world where the people within it seek to obtain and consume more and more in the belief that the resources of the planet, from agricultural products and water to forests and animals to oil and minerals, exist to be exploited and any neglect in exploiting them constitutes a waste of resources. As well, these resources were placed here and put under human control to used and exploited as we see fit. Thus, it is an escalating pattern of consumption and destruction based on the naturalization of constructed ideologies placing human economic needs as the foremost concern of the planet in general.

While the destruction of the environment is a global problem that affects everyone, it affects the poor and marginalized more so than the rich. The exportation of pollution, both accidental and intended, to Third World countries is well documented. Within both Third World and core countries, the problems of unclean water and air, deforestation, the ruination of land, and loss of plant diversity fall squarely on the shoulders of the poor and marginalized. The expansion of the sugar and beef industries, both colonialist enterprises immersed in the belief of limitless growth potential and fueled by the supposed superiority of modern Europe are excellent examples of ways in which the externalization of the consequences of the culture of capitalism never detrimentally affected those who benefitted most from capitalism, only those who could be most easily pushed aside; the marginal.

Violence is a major means of enforcing these externalities upon the marginalized and, while often committed in the express interest of trade, as exemplified by the experience of Guaraní people of Paraguay, is more frequently masked as being in the interest of political stability or democracy. U.S. foreign policy around the world since the end of the second World War is a prime example of this, with the invasion of Iraq and the continuous support of Israel in Palestine serving as striking exemplifications of violence being used to control resources and politics while masquerading as attempts to bring democracy to the world. Again, while there are certainly losses amongst the forces of the rich nations instigating this violence, the ones who bear the brunt of it are the marginalized.

The violence that occurs comes as a result of capitalist and colonial policies, but also occurs within the borders of marginalized nations as local groups, marginalized by the world economy for centuries, fight with one another over the resources available in order to be able to join in the world economy and realize their mythical portion of the limitless bounty that capitalism indoctrinates as being available. The events in Rwanda and Yugoslavia, as well as Palestine, highlight this only too poignantly.

Resistance to the culture of capitalism has occurred from the beginning and continues to this day. The types of resistance have varied from open and armed rebellion against the state to passive and symbolic resistance to specific perceived causes of the problems inherent in capitalism. It is clear that, to this point, the resistance has not succeeded in appreciably changing capitalism into a more universally beneficial system nor in bringing it down. While some have asserted that the system we live under today is unsustainable and cannot last, it is apparent that it is not going to be changed or removed without a concerted effort by a united opposition of the diversity of people who see and experience the consequences of capitalism, some more directly than others.

This is not to say that, to date, all resistance has been futile. This is clearly not the case. The revolt over the privatization of water in Bolivia shows just how potent a rebellion from below can be, as do the movements in Argentina among the factory workers and neighborhood assemblies in Buenos Aires and the rural communities outside the city and the Zapatista rebellion in Chiapas, Mexico. As well, the consistent resistance by communities against larger, powerful national forces has shown the resolve that communities can have in the face of immense odds against them.

However, with a few exceptions, resistance has been focussed on the symptoms of the culture of capitalism, such as privatization, low wages, poor working conditions, environmental destruction, etc., but very little resistance has attacked the culture of capitalism directly. Some have argued that fundamentalis religions appear to be the only viable alternative to the culture of capitalism as they are organized, influential, and active in their opposition. While it must be acknowledged that fundamentalisms do represent one possible alternative, it is highly debatable as to whether they are the only viable alternative, especially in light of the movements in Argentina and Chiapas. Further, I do not believe that fundamentalisms are viable alternatives as it has been shown that they are highly reactionary, hierarchical and controlling, not to mention exclusionary and discriminatory against those who do not follow the specific beliefs of the religion in control.

I believe a system is necessary that not only acknowledges the essential rights of everyone to equal access to food, shelter, water, health services, and education, but one which acknowledges the diversity of humanity and does not attempt to apply universalized or naturalized ideologies upon the world’s citizens. What it comes down to is that localized community systems capable of providing access to the above stated necessities, such as those which emerged following the economic crisis in Argentina, are the most viable systems as they devolve power away from large scale governance, which has proven itself to be incapable of providing for all and prone to corruption. Interconnected community based systems which grow their own food, manage their own resources according to the needs of the community, and provide their own education and health care services would be ideal, and have been shown to work in Argentina, and given the chance, could work just as well anywhere else in the world.

The word interconnected, as it appears in the previous sentence, is highly important. It must be recognized that the global connectivity which has occurred cannot, and should not, I believe, be undone. Communication between diverse discourses is essential to a working community system. The issue is the emphasis on economics and the competition for dominance thereof, currently in that communication. A balance needs to be struck between the economic, political, and social needs of the community as well as with the environment.

I would argue that global trade needs to be abolished due to the massive detrimental impact it has had on a huge portion of humanity and the environment. It is unnecessary, as well, since every inhabited region of the world is capable of supporting a population with locally produced food and other goods if properly managed and have done just that for thousands of years. I, however, am not arguing for regional isolationism. Global contact needs to be sustained in order to exchange ideas and information but also to allow for such things as the application of emergency aid in case of crisis within a community such as a natural disaster. Further highlighting the need for interconnectedness of communities is the fact that not every geographic region of the world is equally endowed with natural resources and that there may be times one one community or locality prospers while another falters. This can only be mitigated by a reciprocal system of distribution, not the system of debt patronage currently in place, as it is only if each community is aware of the other that they can be prepared to help one another in times of need.

This brings about the issue of cooperation between individuals and communities. The culture of capitalism has promoted the ideology of individualism, competition, and survival of the fittest. These are ideologies which are not compatible at all with the model I am proposing. For my model to work, the concepts of trust, cooperation, and reciprocity need to be relearned at the community level. Despite the assertions of economic globalists and neoliberalists entrenched in the promotion of the culture of capitalism, greed and competition are not natural amongst humans, they are learned concepts. I am not proposing that trust, cooperation, and reciprocity are natural, either. What I am asserting is that, if an ideology of competition and individualism can be learned in the relatively short time it has been, then an ideology of cooperation and trust can also be. For me, the choice is not a difficult one to make as to which ideology will benefit humanity, and the planet, the most. It may take time, but it can happen and possibly sooner than we may realize.

It all needs to start locally, and the realization needs to be made that this is a process which does not have an end result. It is a system which is malleable and open to diverse opinions and one that should encourage and incorporate debate as an essential aspect to its survival. It is a system which is completely reliant on active participation of each individual in the community and places an equal weight on the opinions of all. It must, after the necessities are provided for, follow the will of the majority in the community and cannot be ruled by any one individual or minority group, but by the people themselves. The key, though, is scale. All important decisions must be made by the community, for the community and must not overstep its own community level authority. Again, this is why intercommunity and intracommunity communication is so important.

An arrival at this type of system will not be easy. The system we exist in now allows for a select few to claim an exorbitantly large share of wealth and power, and they are not likely to simply let it go in a fit of altruism. Opposition to their power could very well incur dire consequences from imprisonment to bodily violence and so forth. In resisting this system of dominance, we must be assured in what it is we are seeking. Are we seeking to take power or to eliminate the control of power among the few? I believe that we should be seeking an equalization of power, not seeking to take it ourselves. We all have power, and that is what should be acknowledged. Do we succumb to those with coercive power-over us, or utilize our own power-to to create our own community based, caring societies?

The examples of how to implement such a system exist. As the people of Buenos Aires realized, all it takes is going out into your neighborhood and getting to know your neighbours. The people of Cochabamba, Bolivia, showed that in the face of deprivation, the people have the power, not the corporations. We need to take back the power we have allowed to be taken from us through acting together as communities with common goals and the power to act to address them. The world can no longer be run as poorly as it is. The culture of capitalism has taken too much and has not given back. It is time for reciprocity and it is up to us, every one of us, to ensure it occurs.

Guy Duke

Lies!

I am so tired of being lied to. All of these damned car/SUV commercials pretending that their new efficient or hybrid vehicle is actually good for the environment is pissing me off. They're still cars! They still burn gas and pollute! Maybe it's to a lesser degree (which is good), but they still aren't good for the environment. In fact, they're only slightly less bad. Grr. It seems like a desperate move by the car companies, actually. Hopefully it's a sign of their pending demise.

Kleercut

It's truly over

The pictures are all posted, the memories filed away. Ecuador is now officially in the past for me. Sigh. Hopefully I can go back again.

Get over ourselves

We need to get over ourselves. Yes, the storm and the damage have knocked out power for some, forced others out their homes and required us to boil our water. It sucks. But we are living in a world of privilege and luxury. Those that have been forced out are able to find other lodgings. Yes, our water is possibly tainted (and I emphasize the word 'possibly'), but all we have to do is boil it. To hear complaints from people that are buying Perrier to give to their pets sickens me. To listen to people act as if the need to boil their water before consumption is a nearly unbearable hardship leads me to believe that the vast majority of GVRD residents are completely ignorant of how difficult life can really be. Thailand is still recovering from the tsunami of two years ago. New Orleans is still only partially livable. Afghanistan and Iraq have had their infrastructures reduced to rubble. And it doesn't take a tsunami, storm or war to make life horrible. The shanty towns in Latin America have never had running water or proper sewage systems. The people that live there have to struggle just to get food and shelter and drink what water they can. So our petty complaining about being forced to drink slightly discoloured water or having to give our pets bottled water are a rather disgusting insult to the people around the world who have real problems. I understand that being forced out one's home is a traumatic event, but as you convalesce at the Holiday Inn or the spare room of your friends or family members, try to remember how lucky you really are.

Advertising

Laura passed on a tidbit that she heard or read somewhere (I forget which) that struck me as being so true and so simple that I had to pass it on:

If you see it advertised on TV (or anywhere else, for that matter), then you don't need it. Why else would they advertise it if they aren't trying to convince you that you need something that you really don't?

Pictures, cameras and school

It really doesn't take much to get back in the swing of things, does it? Other than my pictures, memories and knickknacks, it's almost like I never went away.

Yesterday I applied for my student loans for next semester, a surprisingly easy process online. I found it extremely odd that they didn't even ask how much tuition would be, or rent, or anything like that. Am I missing something? Aren't these the whole reason for applying? Oh well, it's done. I'll just have to wait to see how it turns out.

Today, I browse ye olde course timetable to make my preliminary class choices for January. I get to register on the Nov. 14th and I'm not sure if that's early or not, so I'll try to have a backup plan should my classes be full when I register.

My other plan today is to reorganize my little office corner in order to integrate my new Ecuadorian stuff (and to just generally organize it; it's a mess). I'd take a picture of it once I finished, but I've brought my camera in to be repaired. It's still under warranty, so it should be free, but it will take at least three weeks. I'd ask to use Laura's camera, but her memory card is gimped, so we are currently cameraless right now. I'll be happy to get mine back.

I've noticed that I seem more tired here than I did in Ecuador. I quite easily slept in to 9:00 yesterday (though I've gotten up at 6:30 eavery other day since getting back) and I find myself getting very dozy on the couch come 9:30 in the evening. I can't really explain it. I've been just as active as I was there, I feel just as excited to be home as I did to travel, and the altitude should be giving me more oxygen. I'm going to blame it on daylight saving time. It's seriously useless and quite possibly detrimental.

Back home

Well, I'm back. It's so good to be back. Ecuador was great, but I'm loving being back with Laura, having my music and decent showers and just being back in familiar ground. All is good.

I'm off to work almost immediately. Capers has summoned me back (there was actually a message waiting for me on my cell phone when I got back) and I start work today at 11:30. Nothing beats a quick reintegration.

We did the Halloween thing on Saturday at Dan and Lisa's. 'Twas fun. Here are some pictures:

















Dan and Lisa had the best costumes, but I think the three of us (Laura, Jon and I) did pretty well, too. My one costume note for mine is a general wondering as to why shoe stores don't sell shoelaces. It's like a camera store not selling film. It made no sense. Oh well, I found some at the drugstore, so no loss.

Well, off to work...

Ecuador Blog

Greetings all!

I have arrived in Ecuador and have found that internet access is plentiful and affordable. Thus, I will be posting my experiences on blogger. I have decided to create a special blog for it. As yet, there is nothing there seeing as I forgot to bring my notebook to the cafe, but fear not, things will appear shortly, so keep looking. Click the link below to access it!

Los Adventuros de Guillermo en Ecuador

Off the Andes!

Well, I'm off to Ecuador tomorrow morning. If I can, I'll be posting updates from there, but more likely I'll just write it all out in a travel journal then type it out onto the ol' blog when I get back.

See you all in 5 weeks!

Guy

Book Tag

1. One book that changed your life: 'My Year of Meats' by Ruth Ozeki

2. One book you’ve read more than once: 'The Source' by James Michener

3. One book you’d want on a desert island: 'The Belgariad/Mallorean' by David Eddings (yes, I know it's a ten book series, but it reads like one book)

4. One book that made you giddy: 'The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy' by Douglas Adams

5. One book that wracked you with sobs: Racked with sobs, not sure; made me sad and quietly weepy, portions of 'Fall On Your Knees' Ann-Marie MacDonald.

6. One book that you wish had been written: 'Attack of the Killer Alpacas'

7. One book you wish had never been written: 'Social Research Methods' by Alan Bryman and James J. Teevan (simply the most boring textbook ever)

8. One book you’re currently reading: I just finished reading 'A Cook's Tour' by Anthony Bourdain but am currently reading 'Moon Handbook: Ecuador' and have been slowly working my way through 'One Hundred Years of Solitude' by Gabriel Garcia Marquezfor a while now (it's really good, but I just can't seem to finish it).

9. One book you’ve been meaning to read: 'Fast Food Nation' by Eric Schlosser. It's next on the list.

10. Now tag four bloggers: Jim, Mike, Debb, and Bryan.

Much to update...

Well, plenty has happened since I last wrote here.

I've finished one of my most intense and most rewarding semesters ever. The courses I took really helped me to focus on why I continue to go to school (previously, I think my attitude to school was summed up nicely by Chris Murphy of Sloan, "I've stayed in school this long, but still no one will tell me why / they figured, who would know better than I"). Now, I know that I want to study ancient food production and preparation, specifically in Central (Meso) / South America. I've known for a few years that I wanted to do something in this direction, but I shied away a bit because I thought it would be a little self-indulgent and fairly useless outside of digging up more info on the past. But I've come to realize that the way we produce food now, this mass, mono-cropped, chemically laced system we are using now is failing. Crop diversity is dying away and we are opening ourselves up to the potential to great famines due to reliance on single strains of plants, etc. By looking at how societies produced food in the past, and organized themselves to due so, we can see some alternate methods for change, learning from past successes and mistakes. Basically, I see how things are now and I believe they need to change, drastically and quickly, and some of the answers can come from the past. Coming to this realization was my major accomplishment this semester. Added to this, I did really well in my classes, and I feel pretty good about things, academically, this summer.

I've also switched jobs this summer. I no longer schlepp DVD's at HMV, instead I schlepp organic/natural food at Capers, a certified organic and natural food grocery store/deli/coffee shop. I'm a cashier there, and it's way different being a cashier at a grocery store than it is at a typical retail joint. So many vegetables, all with different numbers to remember, and they are new ones to learn every day! I'm enjoying it, though, and they pay much better (though I could use more hours...). The people I work with are great and I actually look forward to going to work at times (no one does all the time, do they?).

Probably my favourite part of the summer so far was having Keegan come out for a few weeks. We all had a good time going to the beach, playing/watching soccer and wandering around town. Can't wait to do it again. Laura and Jon enjoyed it, too, and we will never be able to look at ginger beer again without fondly thinking about K-man.

In other news, I'll be going to Ecuador in a month. I've been invited along with Ross Jamieson, an archaeology prof and my former workstudy supervisor, to go to Ecuador to help him sort his previously excavated artifacts. We'll be down there for five weeks, from September 24 to October 27. I'm pretty excited about it. While it will hurt me a bit financially, due to not being able to work, the fact that he is paying for everything offsets that a little. A full month, all expenses paid in South America? Um, no, I think I'd rather stay home and be a part-time cashier instead. How stupid would that be? I've got some things to buy before going, like a camera and some good rain gear and things will be a little tight money wise both before and after going, but when have things ever been otherwise for me?

Those are the major things that have happened in my life in the last month and a half. Other than that, we've rearranged our apartment. It was starting to feel cluttered and messy and doing this made it feel fresh again, almost like moving, only less packing. Laura took a short vacation home and also had a few days extra off here. It was good to just get to hang out without having to worry about school or work for either of us, if only for a few days.

That's about I can come up with for now. I'll be back on this more regularly now, though. I know I've said that before, but it seems more true now.

Guy

Alternate News Sources

Here's a list of websites to get different perspectives on the news, as forwarded to me by my Global Problems and the Culture of Capitalism prof.:

Tyee – BC news

Republic of East Vancouver

Z magazine

GNN (guerilla news network)

Independent Media Center

Wikinews

Resist!

Mostly Water

rabble.ca

t r u t h o u t

CounterPunch

New Internationalist

The Progressive Magazine

Aljazeera.net

Voices in the Wilderness

AlterNet

Canadian Dimension

Socialist Register

Monthly Review

John Pilger

Robert Jensen

Feral Scholar - Stan Goff

Arundhati Roy

The Independent (UK)

Guardian

CBC Documentaries

Enjoy!

Banking

Nothing but the runaround.

I've been asking the Bank of Montreal, with whom I have an account and an RRSP, to tell me precisely what companies they invest in. They keep directing me to websites and annual reports, but after perusing these, I still don't get the informaion that I am asking for. I'm pretty sure they have the information. I'll give them one more chance and if I get no result, I'll move my money elsewhere, to a place that is open about what they invest in and only invest in companies with proper practices and ethical backgrounds.

And that's my story. I hope you enjoyed it.

Guy

Kinda warm, don't you think?

Saw An Inconvenient Truth last night (and if you've already read Laura's or Jon's blog, then you are probably already aware of this). Go see it. Seriously. And then (or maybe even before), look at the website. We can all do something, even if its something small, and that small thing will make a big difference.

(In)activity

Redefine activism; change it from the dirty word it has become.

We are all activists and can realize our own activism. Everything we say and do (or don't say and don't do), whether we are aware of it or not, promotes a way of thinking and living that we see as the most valid.

What kind of reality do our (in)actions promote?

Turtles all the way down

We focus on the finite we have created. Our society touts only the measurable, ignoring the immeasurable. In mathematics, the concept of zero is seen as the greatest advancement, and as a group, our society has grasped onto that concept and ignored all else. While we may be vaguely aware, we fail to give due acknowledgement to the fact that numerical values stretch on infinitely in either direction of zero. It is wholly arbitrary. This may seem a rather abstract and a bit useless, but I think it is of importance in order to understand why we are where/how we are as a society. By focusing on the finite, it took us centuries to realize that the earth was not flat, that outer space is not a canvass of twinkling lights. It is our slow and almost willful avoidance of acknowledging infiniteness that has led us to grasping at the ideas and objects to which we can attach an absolute value, to sucking dry from the earth the resources that cannot be replenished. In the political world, sustainability is only now starting to lose the appearance of being a dirty word. Sustainability is based in infinity. That is why we have such difficulty grasping it. We have been trained, indoctrinated, into a world of finites, a world of zeros and measurable chunks beyond. Things can only increase or decrease, according to our cultures world view. There are final goals to be achieved, or failure. The top or nothing. 1 or 0. We need to leave behind the binary world and begin to comprehend infinity. Then we will be sustainable. What are we trying to progress towards? Do we have some ultimate goal that once we reach our mission will be complete? I don't think so. Everything we do is related to the finite of zero (and staying as far from it as possible); money, grades, etc. Zero is just a mathematical concept, but it has become the center of our collective universe. It is our finite. Yet, we fail to see that even zero is infinite, as all circles are. To sustain ourselves, we need to stop basing ourselves on being as far from a self-imposed and arbitrarily created finite as possible. Instead we should look to find the balance between the various aspects of infiniteness within which we live. Zero should be our measure of balance within immeasurables, not our definition of failure. It doesn't matter which direction you turn, it all just keeps going.

From the desk of your local word Nazi

A peeve of mine is the connfusion of these two words:

disinterested = impartial
uninterested = not caring

Thank you.

Food Network Trash Talk

Ok, I'm getting irritated with the Food Network. So much so that a rant is in order.¹

What happened to the interesting shows like "A Cook's Tour"? Seriously, there's nothing better than watching some guy wander around a foreign country searching for the most bizarre food possible. You can't go wrong with a chef from New York getting lost in the Vietnamese countryside and crashing some farmer's family dinner of fermented fish parts. Sure, we still have "The Thirsty Traveler," but it lacks something and he is pretty obvious about trying to pick up the girls.²

This leads to another issue I have with the Food Network; it has become very elitist. "The Thirsty Traveler" is only somewhat guilty of this, but it's not too bad. It's god-awful shows like "Barefoot Contessa" and anything involving Rob Feeney³ that really get my goat. What's-her-face on "Barefoot Contessa" seems to rub her wealth in the face of viewers⁴ and as for Rob Feeney, why the hell does everything need foie gras? Don't even get me started on Christine Cushing and her ultra-yuppie smarm-fest. "Iron Chef" is great, both versions, but is anyone at home going to attempt any of those concoctions? I swear that half the time it's not about what tastes or looks good, but about which meals cost more. I'm just waiting for one of them, whether on the Japanese or American version, to make something that involves swallows nest, sharks fin, abalone, foie gras, and truffles in one dish. The ads, when not promoting ad nauseum whatever new⁵ show is coming out next month, are clearly geared towards the young and the wealthy.⁶ As well, you've got hosts like Rachael Ray and Giada De Laurentiis switching from shows like "$40 a Day"/ "30 Minute Meals" (Ray) and "Everyday Italian" (De Laurentiis) to high priced crap like "Tasty Travels"⁷ and useless celebrity bunk like "Behind the Bash."

And what's with the so-called "personalities"? Rachael Ray has gone from mildly cute to downright irritating;⁸ Anna Olson ("Sugar") has no personality at all;⁹ Michael Smith ("Chef at Home/Large") speaks as if he were talking to a four-year-old and has absolutely the scariest bug-eyes I've ever seen;¹⁰ Rob Rainford "License to Grill" needs to stop pretending to be spontaneous and deal with the fact that his show is the same every time;¹¹ Dana McIntyre's ("Superstar Chef Challenge 2005" winner, "Just One Bite") enthusiasm is so clearly put-on and exaggerated that she needs to just go away; those fear-mongering knobs from "Kitchen Crimes" are completely unbearable and condescending; and Trish Magwood ("Party Dish") just seems like some spoiled rich girl who got her own TV show.I could go as the list of irritations is exhaustive,¹² but I'll stop there for now.

Finally, I am really irritated with seeing the same shows over and over again. "I Do, Let's Eat," "Restaurant Makeover,"¹³ and "Iron Chef America" need to make more shows. I'm tired of these ones. I get it.

This is not to say I dislike the Food Network. It is, as stated in footnote #1, the default channel. Despite the impossibility of recreating the dishes, "Iron Chef" rocks.¹⁴ Alton Brown is awesome, both on "Iron Chef America" and "Good Eats."¹⁵ Gordon Ramsay is my hero.¹⁶ Jamie Oliver makes a very watchable show,¹⁷ although I can never remember the recipes. "Food Jammers," at least so far, has been pretty fun, too. I like "Surreal Gourmet, too.¹⁸

So, to end this rant, I conclude that the Food Network is on a dangerous path where it could either succumb to becoming just another diversion for the wealthy or give a nice balance of entertaining and instruction.

Now, I go eat lunch.¹⁹

------------------
1. I know what you're thinking, "Just stop watching," but I can't. It's become the default channel. All I can say to that is, it's better than CNN. Plus, the TV is off a good amount of the time anyway, so whatever.
2. That said, it is pretty funny to watch him drunkenly make the attempt.
3. As a side note, I now live on the same block as Rob Feeney's restaurants. Almost the same building, actually.
4. Not to mention treating her husband like a two-year-old.
5. Or whatever show you just watched last week but just have to see again.
6. See Jaguar ad with terrible and trendy disco-rock crap music.
7. What a stupid name for a show. Ooh, how alliterative!
8. And she talks out of the side of her mouth waaaaay too often.
9. Do you think she could try any harder to be Martha Stewart?
10. And what is up with that hair and clothing? I'm most certainly no fashion snob, but someone has to tell this guy that it isn't 1994 anymore and he is not "Chris-in-the-morning" from "Northern Exposure."
11. "Today, I grilled a big piece of meat and smoked some veggies and/or a fish. Tune in next week when I grill a big piece of meat and smoke some veggies and/or a fish." "I Do, Let's Eat" is another show with this problem. Every show, the food is ready on time but the ceremony runs late. What-ever will they do?
12. I didn't even get started on Emeril or the two worst hosts in history, Marc Summers ("Unwrapped") and Bobby Rivers ("Top Five").
13. A really good show, but probably the worst perpetrator of this crime.
14. You really can't go wrong with translations of the judges comments like, "It's like someone opened my mouth and stuffed a fistful of herbs in it."
15. I love his props on "Good Eats." The show about rice was brilliant.
16. His gratuitous use of the word "fuck" is awe-inspiring.
17. Except for that one where the camera moves around so much you get motion sick.
18. Although Bob Blumer does sometimes appear to be trying too hard to be different.
19. Despite the proximity, I don't think I'll be going to Lumiere or Feeney's. I'm thinking leftover green curry from the other night sounds about right.

Baby!

It's been a week now, but a public congratulations to Bryan and Kara on the birth of their daughter Jaidyn is in order. So, congratulations to you guys. Can't wait to meet her!

..and I finally feel like I'm home. Living on top of a mountain never felt comfortable. It was kind of pointy, actually. The new place just feels right. There's better light, easier access to everything (the grocery store is only a block away and it takes me 15 minutes by bus to get to work), and the set up is just more logical. I like.

School is nearly done for the semester. I am so unbelievably happy about that. All I have left is one paper (which I should be working on now instead of typing this but a brief break is ok, I guess), one test and a final (very minor) Spanish assignment. Speaking of Spanish, other than possibly having to retake the course I'm in now, I will never again take a Spanish course at SFU. I really want to learn Spanish, but these are seriously far too demanding. I am fully capable of taking on a heavy amount of work for a course and have done so many times with success, but SFU Spanish courses are ridiculous. There are 2-3 assignments and/or quizzes every week, each of which is only worth a small amount. It doesn't sound so bad, but it's impossible to keep up and it all eventually drags a grade down. This is supposed to be introductory Spanish, but we're apparently supposed to be fluent in it after 2 semesters. Pure crap. I will never take Spanish courses there again. I'd much rather learn Spanish in a more relaxed, encouraging atmosphere where every mistake isn't going to threaten my chances of getting into grad school.

Well, now that that rant is out of my system, I can concentrate on finishing up the assignments and tests that are left then start getting ready for summer semester. I've gotten myself into a Latin American geography course, a globalization course, and depending on whether or not I'll need to retake intro Spanish 2, I'll either be in that or an ethnography class. The fun times keep rolling!

Well, back to paper writing.

G

One More Week

two more papers, one more test, two more quizzes.

moving, writing, studying, working.

soon, perhaps, I can sleep.

Hypothetical

Let's say you were told you would never have to worry about money again. By not having to worry about money, I mean that, while never receiving any actual money, anything you needed money for would be taken care of by some anonymous source.

There is, however, one condition: every day, you have to stuff a monkey into a duck.

Would you do it?

Discuss.

Bi-Partison Bullshit

Everything I read or hear about the upcoming Canadian election leads me to believe that the country is very quickly becoming far too American in it's politics. I'm not talking about the mud-slinging and whatnot, that just happens. I'm talking about the burgeoning national belief that there are only two viable parties to select from, the Liberals and the Conservatives. This is not good. We cannot allow ourselves to become the political sham that our southern neighbours are. We need to keep our multiple parties intact and relevant. The world is not black and white. Things should not be 'this or that'. We need the NDP, and the Greens, the Communists and the Natural Law, even the Bloc Quebecois to keep a balanced and representative view on things. Vote for what you actually believe in. Don't delude yourself into believing that the only way to get a say is to change your vote to the likely winner. You have a say regardless. Vote how you believe and fight the cynical reasoning behind so-called strategic voting. Strategic voting can only lead to an eventual limitation of choices and thus an erosion of democracy. The candidate you vote for may not win, but every vote still counts and it amounts to more that what this election brings. It all builds to a more balanced and equitable future. Keep up to date on the parties, the issues, and vote according to what you think is proper, and vote that way consistently (and by this I don't mean supporting a particular party consistently, but following your views consistently). Change happens over time. Be patient.

Anyway, that's enough for my rant. I'm going to bed now.

Guy

Dampened enthusiasm

So, just got back from registering to vote. I really don't think the electoral office could have been any more inconveniently placed. Add that to the fact that it is cold and wet and it adds up to a miserable time. If I didn't think much about voting before (which isn't the case, I'm all for it), I would definitely feel obligated to after going through that rigmarole. After all that, our plans to pick up booze fell through, too, as the liquor store was closed by the time we got to it. So, we are now cold, wet, alcohol-free, and hungry (but food is cooking, so that will be remedied shortly.

Guy

Bah!

My place of work sucks ass. I have never felt more embarrassed to work at a retail location before. It all started a few weeks ago when we started greeting people upon entry to the building as well as at the ends of the escalators, but it became far too Wal-Mart-esque during this Boxing Week crap (which I feel nothing but pure disgust for to begin with) when the management periodically paused the music to make announcements about the current sale. At a CD store? Bullshit! I understand they are a money making corporate machine and not some altruistic bring-the-music-to-the-people endeavor, but I think they crossed the line from respectability into embarrassment. If I wanted to work at Wal-Mart or some other horrid place of that ilk, I would have applied to work there.

However, we do get some fun there. On Boxing Day (that awful Canadian invention of consumer greed and pure mindless acquisitiveness), we a had a celebrity shopper:

Yes, Jean-Claude Van Damme stopped in for some DVD shopping. I didn't see what he bought, but he seemed rather friendly, much shorter than I would have thought (I wonder how often that is said about celebrities...) and, unfortunately, didn't do the splits for us.

That is my story.

Guy

End

The semester is over. Last exam was written today. I think I botched it, but the good news is I got the paper back from the same class and I did well on that. This was easily the most difficult semester of my school career (and, yes, it's been a loooong career and looks to go significantly longer). I don't know what it was, but I had such a hard time keeping up with things. Work and school conspired against me and I have completely neglected all my friends and family to the point that I'm sure they wonder if I still exist/care. Well, I do. I'm cutting back next semester. Three classes and hopefully only two work shifts plus the work study (should it come through). Maybe then I can develop some sort of social life again. But who's to say?

Guy

*I just looked at my grades. I got my first one of the semester, a B+ in Spanish.

Life above the clouds

The last few days have been a little surreal. Most of the area has been covered by a rather dense fog. However, as we live on the top of a mountain, we've been in glorious sunshine. It's almost like we live on an island when you look out over the city. Rather pretty, actually. Descending into the fog brings one into a completely different world. It's really dark down there. Sometimes, meteorological phenomena kick ass. Here are some pictures:

Metric: Commodore Ballroom, Vancouver, Oct. 30, 2005

This was a night of quirky antics by lead singers. There were three bands (Lovely Feathers (?), Most Serene Republic, and Metric) all of which were highlighted by bizarre flailings by the singers.

The Lovely Feathers were quirky to the point of trying too hard to be. I swear, their tambourine causes seizures to whomever is holding it. I'm not sure if I enjoyed their music, either. Each song seemed to start one way, then jump into a number of other things without warning. Sort of the musical equivalent of ADHD. The strange gyrations performed by them whilst singing and/or tambourining drew ones attention, but in a off-putting kind of way. The jury in my head is still out on this band.

Most Serene Republic were far more musically consistent than the Lovely Feathers and their antics were more entertaining than disturbing. As well, I was expecting their set to be far more mellow than it was. They were clearly full of energy. A good show.

Metric rocked. They played a mix unsurprisingly dominated by new album material, but they threw a good selection from Old World Underground... in as well, including an extended and brilliant rendition of Dead Disco during the encore. I was hoping that they might bring themselves to play a song or two from their first release (maybe The Twist or Grow Up and Blow Away...?) but I guess that was too much to ask for. Regardless, the show was even better than I expected. Emily's occasionally muppet-like thrashings only added to the evening.

Post-show was awful. People need to realize that if they want to get their coats from the coat check, they should stay out of the way of those who don't. Stop milling about and blocking the people who just want to get outside. Same goes for all of you who decided at the last second to buy some swag from the horribly located t-shirt and button vendor guy (and the blame for this at least partially falls on the Commodore itself for putting the swag shop where they do; when will you learn?) Although, outside wasn't exactly a pleasant place to get to, what with the cold, wet squall that had descended on the city while we were being entertained indoors. I was so very happy when the bus finally arrived and even happier once I was dry and warm and in bed.

Guy

Fall back....

Crap. I forgot. I would fall back into bed, but what would be the point? I'm already up and showered and ready to go to work so a nap right now seems a little silly. Stupid time changes. I would have completely forgotten and shown up an hour early for work if my computer clock hadn't automatically changed. I just don't see why the time should change at all. I would prefer it if it were DST all year. Now it's suddenly going to be dark a whole lot earlier in the day, making winter seem so much more oppressive. Time itself is irrelevant anyway. Stupid human-imposed restraints on ourselves. I'm getting some coffee now.

Groan

So tired. Have to go to work now. I just want to sleep. Blarf.

Pants

I think I am in love with Mac. I truly enjoy wandering about my apartment with my, formerly Laura's, iBook, checking my email from wherever (yay Airport!). In fact, I think I have become far too much of a Mac nerd, what with the aforementioned gadgets and the iPod (which came free* with the purchase of Laura's computer, and as she already had one, it became mine).

Along these convenient lines, things really seem to be coming together at the apartment. Books are on shelves, rooms have lights and decorations, the kitchen has useful implements, etc. All we need now is to stock up on groceries, finish hanging the art on the walls, and pick up the massively heavy bar from Debb and Col's place (anybody out there with a truck that wants to help out?). But, yeah, the place is cruising along as a functioning apartment now.

The hope is to have everything completely set up by the time all our visitors arrive in October. First to arrive is Natty, then Jon and Laura's parents, and lastly Keegan and Brittany. All them are to breeze through here in the first half of October. We're looking forward to all of them. It will be busy, yet fun.

Adding to the busy and the fun are the variety of shows we have decided to go to. Bog and Laurms are off to Sigur Ros tomorrow evening, next Monday is Death Cab for Cutie which all three of us are going to. At the end of October we all go to see Metric and lastly (for now) we are going to the Dandy Warhols in mid-November. If these weren't as cheap as they are, there's no way we could go (also, if we didn't have credit cards, it wouldn't work either). Music is also, quite clearly, more important than food.

That is all.

Guy

*mail in rebate

O, glorious comfort

I love my new bed. Perhaps it's only due to living on a tiny, uncomfortable mattress for 14 months in Korea, or due to the fact that in the 50 days previous to getting the new bed I had slept on a variety surfaces including a too-soft mattress, a constantly deflating air mattress, a futon, and a patio (in a tent). Regardless, the bed is pure bliss. My back and neck are ever-so-grateful. (This is not to say I don't appreciate the use of the various surfaces previous to the new bed, just that I am really happy to not have to use them anymore).

Aside from that, school and work are going well. My textbooks took forever to get to me (I ordered them online rather than stand in line for them, a maneuver I figured would be convenient and time saving but proved to be neither as it took a full week and a half for them to get to me and I still ended up going to the bookstore to retrieve the box) and I am busily trying to catch up on what I see as an uncalled for amount of reading (I'm looking at you, History and Latin American Studies). I've also qualified for a workstudy and managed to obtain a position with Ross Jamieson in the Archaeology Department doing various tasks such as creating bibliographies and other exciting things. This works great for me as two years ago I applied to be a masters student under his supervision. I was turned down at the time, but maybe now I can get to know him and try again later with better results. Anyways, the gist of this paragraph is that I am really busy. 4 classes, two jobs, figuring out my new surroundings, etc. I may be getting a handle on it all, though.

Soon (tomorrow, if all goes well) we will have internet at the apartment and I will be more capable of updating this (as well as doing my online Spanish homework and downloading the copious and lengthy articles for my history class). So, hopefully you'll hear more from me in the near future.

Guy

Far too long, far too busy

Well, I've been neglectful of this blog for the last little while, but I have an excuse. Actually, many excuses. New job, school starting, moving into new place, and no internet access at said new place (yet). So, sadly, until things settle down and internet gets hooked up, I will likely remain neglectful of this site. Hopefully it won't be too long.

If anyone out there wants my new address and/or phone number, just let me know and I'll get it to you.

Guy

His Monkey's Vacuum

Saw the place. It was good. The patio is the star of the show, but the place itself is really nice. While not huge, we're hoping three people will be nicely accommodated. It will seem a little close at times, I'm sure. The bathrooms are big and there are two, so bathroom sharing is hugely minimized. The master bedroom is pretty big and it is likely that, with screens and such, a cozy little office can be carved out of it for Laura. Jon's bedroom is a little on the small side, unfortunately (you'll get to see it soon enough, and it is livable, so don't worry, Jon). It has some pretty great windows in all rooms and all in all it is a good place. I don't want to over-emphasize any size deficiencies. It isn't tiny, by any means and we'll make it our own happy little (but not too little) place. Once we get our own stuff in there and set up, it's going to be awesome. Yesterday, it was filled with other peoples boxes and stuff, so that skewed how we saw it.

In other news, I have a job. HMV offered me a part time position at the new megastore in downtown Vancouver. Yay! Thanks to my references, Jon, Bryan, Lisa, and Shumon as well for saying good things for me. I go in to sign the paperwork and get my training schedule on Tuesday. Fun stuff, indeed.

Guy

Meeting the Keymaster

Well, off to meet Zul today and see the apartment. Yay! I'll be back later to post on how that went.

Meanwhile...

Last night was the first night of meeting up with my old Vancouver friends. It was a good night, much beer and wine flowed. Salmon and steaks were grilled and stories were exchanged. 'Twas a good 'eve with only the smallest amount of occasional awkwardness and nervous feelings. O, 'tis always fun when the old and new lives collide. Hope these will merge nicely.

Guy

The Elk Emerges

Well, this is the new blog. Seeing as I am not longer referred to as Steve nor in Korea, it only makes sense to move away from my old blog and start anew. So, on with the show...

In a few days, it'll be off to Vancouver again. The past week and a half in Calgary have been strangely relaxing. I can't recall the last time I felt relaxed in Calgary. It's a nice feeling. So, gotta thank Kara, Bryan, Keegan and TJ for that. We still have some things to do here, so I guess it's on to that before Vancouver.

Speaking of Vancouver, though, we have an apartment. It's on the SFU campus. Our landlord is named Zul. Our place sounds like it will be great. As well, there is the possibility of a job out there, of which I won't give details on until it is secured.

That's all for now. I'll post more soon, I think.

Guy