Author: Scott

Religion Is The Opiate Of The Masses

Karl Marx:

Religion is, indeed, the self-consciousness and self-esteem of man who has either not yet won through to himself, or has already lost himself again. But man is no abstract being squatting outside the world. Man is the world of man—state, society. This state and this society produce religion, which is an inverted consciousness of the world, because they are an inverted world. Religion is the general theory of this world, its encyclopedic compendium, its logic in popular form, its spiritual point d’honneur, its enthusiasm, its moral sanction, its solemn complement, and its universal basis of consolation and justification. It is the fantastic realization of the human essence since the human essence has not acquired any true reality. The struggle against religion is, therefore, indirectly the struggle against that world whose spiritual aroma is religion. Religious suffering is, at one and the same time, the expression of real suffering and a protest against real suffering. Religion is the sigh of the oppressed creature, the heart of a heartless world, and the soul of soulless conditions. It is the opium of the people. The abolition of religion as the illusory happiness of the people is the demand for their real happiness. To call on them to give up their illusions about their condition is to call on them to give up a condition that requires illusions. The criticism of religion is, therefore, in embryo, the criticism of that vale of tears of which religion is the halo.

I find the first sentence very concise and accurate.

How Old Is 15, Really?

It’s been long enough since Chappelle has been plastered all over TV that I now find this routine funny again. And honestly, it’s a bit insightful as well. The majority of kids now-a-days seem to be getting dumber by the second. Granted, not all of them, but the majority are lacking so many simple thought processes that it scares the living shit out of most of us. Who wants a dumb-shit for kid? Sure, they’ll make mistakes, but when it is crunch time – you want a smart kid.

More of the Same From The Same People That Got Us Into This Mess

mcpigMany Republicans are saying that the new stimulus bill that has been proposed is full of “pork”, their favorite buzz word. They say that they are ready to support a stimulus package as long as it’s not “aimless”. Obama’s proper response “the same tired arguments and worn ideas that helped to create this crisis” is exactly what needed to be said. The same people that helped drive us into this crisis are the same people that are opposing certain portions of the package – causing yet even more delays and focusing on all the wrong things.

For example, a portion of the package would provide money for state governments (most of which are facing budget deficits) – Republicans are against this saying that this would not create new jobs. What these fools either fail to recognize or are trying to hide is that it will bring back some of the jobs that have been lost. For example, many bus routes are being cut. This will leave people who depend on the public transportation system to get back and forth to work, without a ride. This will hurt not only them, but this will trickle down in the local economy as well. So a stimulus package that gives a portion of that money to state and local governments would certainly help to bring back the jobs lost from cutting the bus routes and help save a portion of the local economy. Yet Republicans are against this because those aren’t all new jobs?

These people have no clue how to run a government, that’s why we’re in the position we are now. And they expect people to take their recommendations when all they do is spout the same old rhetoric as always? They’re too blind to see that they will be bringing back old jobs that have been lost. It’s not really all the surprising once we look at the Republican track record. Let them piss and moan, but please – do not take their advice, it’s worthless.

Grass Is Always Greener?

This old saying (as do many others) still rings true today and I imagine it always will be relevant. Most people are never fully satisfied with their own situation, and always think others have it better. Sometimes it is true, other times it is not, and sometimes it is just an argument of semantics. If you let it, this thought process can lead you to a depressed state or it can light a fire under your ass and push you forward. It’s a fine line to walk.

While reading an article and some of the user comments today, a commenter offered a few words to another responder that helped put my professional thinking back into a more positive perspective.

You are effective at all levels of the stack, and can build entire webapps (given enough time) by yourself, and you’re complaining about it?

The reason this little response hit so close to home is because I’ve grown into the “jack of all trades” role. I didn’t start out there, I was a “master at one” with a few other skills that were required and hard to find. I was worried about loosening the strangle-hold grip I had on my main skill-set. I thought my “master” level of ability would disappear and I would be left with a bunch of knowledge across a wide array of skills, and not really mastering any of them.

Though this can lead to a career killer, it didn’t for me. I’m able to stay relevant, I’ve learned so much more than I ever would have and it helps me to bring many different assets to the table that prove to be very beneficial to all involved. However, I do still try to concentrate on certain aspects of my skill-sets so I can say I am a master of at least one. And that quote above helps me to stay positive, something that is hard to do in today’s world, yet is so crucial.

Your mileage may vary.