American Ignorance and Greed

Whenever I turn on the television I am reminded that I live in a nation full of idiots. With so much going on in the world to be reasonably pissed off about, I can imagine those people in world governments simply saying "Just keep them entertained, and they'll never know." While I doubt that they actually think that, or say it rather, it definitely seems to be the truth. Countless people throughout the country sit glued to their television sets to find out what's happening on American Idol or what the latest celebrity gossip is, and completely forget that there are things going on in this world that shouldn't be happening -- things which could have been avoided, and could be changed were people aware of them. There are possibly even things going on within our own country that if people were paying attention would cause them to get so upset that a revolution takes place.

But no, they sit in front of their televisions day in and day out, ignoring the world around them, ignoring the injustices that take place, some of which could be happening in their very own households. I have witnessed a mother tell her own son to be quiet because she was trying to watch TV, when he was simply trying to get her attention. That is an injustice. Yes, that's it, just keep watching your precious television and you'll never have to face the reality that seeks to drag you down into the deep, dark chasms of depression and anger. Keep watching the mindless drivel that spews from your TV and listening to the mind rotting swill coming out of your radio so you can dumb yourself down to the point that if you were to ever hear the truth, or to see it, you would forget about it instantly.

One of the biggest problems I see in American society is that many of us no longer treat each other as human beings. If we ever did, I cannot claim to know. What's unfortunate is that some people seem to care more about money than they do about their own families -- than they do about their own children. Some people care so much about money that they don't care if they have anything else. I was browsing images on Google when I found one that was a blue background with white text that simply stated this: There are some people who are so poor that the only thing they have is money.

I read that and laughed, although it's rather saddening since it's true. There really are some people who are so obsessed with money that they would kill their own mother -- or father, or son, or daughter -- if the price was right. There are some people who are so involved in attempting, yet failing, to fill their own greed that they lose their family, friends, and all the things that truly mean anything; losing all those things that truly have value.

I can just imagine it now, the year 2196, the American motto is changed from "Land of the Free, Home of the Brave" to "Get Rich...Or Get Trampled Along the Way." But wait, that's already happening now. People are so caught up in the illusionary value of money that they step on those people under them on the financial ladder. It's a neverending cycle of "I need more money" when you forget that money can't buy anything when you're buried in the grave. This is the problem with capitalism: it creates a dog-eat-dog mentality in which people only care about themselves and their immediate household, viewing no one else as being their responsibility when the truth is we're all human beings, and we're all each other's responsibility.

The only reason money has any value is because we're told we cannot survive without it, or rather that we cannot get those things which we need such as food, clothing and shelter if we do not have it. I can tell you from my own experience that that is a load of rubbish. There were times in which I was unemployed, homeless, and had no one I knew that could turn to, and yet I survived without monetary income and without theft; but I could not have survived without human kindness and generosity -- I could not have survived if it weren't for the fact that there are some, although seemingly rather few, people in this world who realize that there are some things more important than money, including the needs of a complete stranger.

But don't take my word for it, ask yourself whether or not you would have those things you value the most if you had no money; if your answer is no, then you may try asking yourself if your priorities are genuinely in order.

Introduction

Welcome to my blog. Before I begin doing any real posts, I just wanted to address a question that may, or may not, arise: the title "From the Fringes of Society".

This blog's title was inspired by a Kevin Spacey documentary called "Hackers Wanted (aka Can You Hack It?)" in which one of the people speaking refers to hackers as being "on the fringes of society looking in."

So, am I a hacker? The answer to that would depend on your definition.

Contrary to popular belief, the term "hacker" does not refer to someone who illegally accesses computer networks. The term "hacker" originated at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology with the Tech Model Railroad Club (or TMRC). Yes, that's right, the word originally had nothing to do with computers or the internet. Even to this day, the TMRC still views being called a "hacker" as an honorable title, because originally the term referred to someone who used skill or ingenuity to bring about a modification, or improvement.

The previously mentioned documentary gives a definition that you are unlikely to find in your dictionary: "one who is concerned with exploration, usually of a computer."

Even before computers existed, there were hackers. But what did they hack if it wasn't computers? The telephone system. Hacking telephone systems is also referred to as "phreaking". One particular "phreaker" by the alias of "Cap'n Crunch", referred to as such for his discovery that old Cap'n Crunch whistles were capable of putting out the same frequency tone that telephones used to signal when a line was in use, played part in the development of the pocket calculator and cordless phone.

It can even be said that before the telephone existed, there have been hackers. For example, Heinrich Herz, who discovered radio waves, and then invented the world's first radio communication system that replaced the telegraph. Also, Charles Babbage, who originated the idea of a programmable computer. It could also be said that men such as Thomas Edison, Albert Einstein, Nikola Tesla, Ben Franklin and Thomas Jefferson were all hackers, each in their own respective fields of inventor (Edison and Tesla), physics (Einstein, obvious) and socio-political philosophy (Franklin and Jefferson).

When computers came into the picture, so did programming. When the term was applied to computers, it referred to someone who sat behind the computer for hours on end "hacking away" at a program. The website "Wiktionary" defines a hacker as "A person who hacks...(3)Particularly, one who is consistent and focuses on accomplishing a task or several tasks." They also define a hacker as "A computer security professional" and "one who is an expert at programming and solving problems with a computer."

The term "hacker" goes beyond computers, beyond the internet, and beyond electronics. A hacker is a person who questions whether the way things are is truly the best way. A hacker is a person who is able to look at all angles to find a solution to a problem. A hacker is a person that has a curious personality, and allows that curiosity to get the best of them.

With this said, yes, I am a hacker. I do not write viruses, trojans, adware, spyware, worms or malware. I do not "hack" into computer systems, although I hack my own on a daily basis. Instead, I am a hacker of the philosophical variety; a hacker of music, art, and words. So why are hackers "on the fringes of society?" Simple: because society rejects that which it does not understand. Society will never be able to hack the mind of a hacker, they will never be able to understand the way we think; they will never understand why we, unlike so many people, don't simply take the solutions and ideas given to us as being the best - why we don't live like robots, waiting for further instructions - why when they say "jump", we ask why they can't.

Originally I had intended for this introduction to be just a short paragraph or two, but when I get on a roll, I get on a roll. Thanks for visiting, and I hope you enjoy the content that is sure to come in the near future.