The blending of today with a little bit of tomorrow...

The idea of “patois” or a mixture of languages that we saw in the video at Thursday’s lecture was very intriguing. As the world becomes more globalized, it is possible that we will combine our languages, cultures and religions into one globalized network. In my opinion, the outcomes of this can be seen as both negative or positive. People and groups will become less individualized, but at the same time this will leave little room for discrimination and alienation. While some traditions may be kept through this process, some may be lost. This will also cause people to live with a variety of different ideas, not just old traditions imposed on them.

This portion added...

I've often thought about the possibility of a melting pot of cultures, literally. How unique would that be? To have finally combined every racial background into one. Would that be an optimistic way of looking at it, or pessimistic? I suppose that would depend upon the argument one had for it. I much like the idea of a completely mixed culture.

Unfortunately, it will take many, many years before this can come to fruition. Why? Because of the extreme pride people take in their religion and their culture. Because that extreme pride still falls to racism, no matter how well we hide it. Yes, our society is more "tolerant", but, it's really only a thin veneer. Racism is still very much there, it's just not "en vogue" like it used to be.

I'm a big fan of mixed-race relationships. For one, I believe it allows both sides to learn about a new culture. Three out of four of our group members are full-blooded Indian, while the latter is a mélange of Asian and Caucasian. I believe mixed relationships should be embraced.

However, I have yet to touch on the "Catch-22" of sorts. After all, a combined race leads to an assimilated race, hence, there aren't really any distinct cultures to sample. So, that begs the question: Which is best, separate cultures and xenophobia towards others, or an assimilated race that utilizes numerous aspects of each culture? It's pretty clear which I prefer...

Caffeine...

... is the addiction of choice among academics. I have come to the conclusion, that although there are probably many students who use hard drugs, and drink too much; there are way more who depend on caffeine to function in their daily lives. In all of my early morning lectures I notice many students with a paper coffee cup glued in their hands.

I wonder if this is a form of an integration method? What may have started as the "trendy" social thing to do, now has become a caffeine dependency. But people keep buying their coffees because it isn't seen as such a horrible thing to do... However, it really is keeping them up at night - literally.

Currently Reading All Tomorrow's Parties By William Gibson see related

I thought a lot about...

...what Dr. Ogden was saying in lecture about being neurotic. When you're a child you don't think about the germs while swimming around in a McDonald's playground. But when you're an adult (or a young adult...) and you watch those other little kids - with greasy chicken nugget fingers, bare feet running on the slimey taupe tile floor, tracking in all that gunk into the ball pit - you make a vow that you'll never let your kid run rampant in any ball park!

I must be a crazy neurotic according to the professor, but at least my (future) kids won't get sick every week!!!!!!

Completed...

I just finished reading the novel Hey Nostradamus! For some reason ( I guess it's just a good book) I couldn't put the thing down and I finished it in one and a half days... The thing that made me want to keep reading it was my interest in the main character: Jason. His life seemed surreal to me... and yet so real.

The relationship between Jason and his dad, however, is the most obvious clue that this novel is about the need of acceptance. When you are in a situation where you are not accepted, you try your hardest to be the opposite of what, in this case: Jason's father, wants. Ironically, Jason ends up turning out just like his father.

I didn't understand the whole religion thing. Aliver's and the prayers in Cheryl's section. Was that supposed to be a jab at Christianity, and how Coupland thinks it is a big sham, since all the people that are religious in the book end up being killed, alcholic or insane...

I'm just a little bit slanted aren't I?

Oh yeah... Let's talk about how bloggish this is... I am even starting to read the newspaper as if it is some glorified "printed" version of a weblog... JEEZE Ogden...

Currently Reading Hey Nostradamus! : A Novel (Coupland, Douglas) By Douglas Coupland see related