My favorite oratory idea

America at Half Mast

What effect do all the recent tragedies have on the American psyche?

Katrina(FEMA's fuckup), 9/11, Corporate Scandal(Enron, Tyco), Political Scandal(DeLay, Frist, Libby, Snowe etc.), the war in Iraq

can discuss the half mast idea and also the idea that great blows will result in great change, either progressive to meet the demands or conservative to retrench in our failing ways...

butz

More Oratory

How about the fabled Alan Greenspan? Talk about idolatry. Every word he says is interpreted like the prohet at Delphi. Investors hang on his every word.

Some call him a political hack. As someone takes over how appropriate that we examine Greenspan's effect on the economy, what effect this idolatry will have in the long run will bernanke also receive it etc.

butz

The Dukes at Versailles

Oratory topic, MN high school (oh to be a kid again)

King Louis IVX was a pretty savvy fellow. He builds Versailles a ridiculous monument to decadence. He was trying to consolidate power into his hands from the dukes and various local douchebags that controlled everything. So he builds his monumen, and invites the dukes to join him.

What do they do? They go, and they become so enraptured by everything they spend all of their time and money and wealth and power at Versailles. Transferring it essentially, to Louis. They have no power and rely on Louis to allow them the opportunity to run their shit etc. So there is controlling all of France. How absolutely clever!

The lesson being that if we sell our wealth we'll lose our power and control etc.

What do businesses and neo-liberal governments do? Sell off(privatize) as much of their shit as possible because the private sector is more efficient. Outsourcing is cheaper so let's buy all of our shit and not produce anything. Even though we are the most productive nation in the world we import huge amounts of shit. It doesn't seem to make sense that we can import so much without somehow paying for it.

Well, china sells us shit and immediately buys US debt, keeping inflation low. We are indebted to China, they have (arguably limited) control over our pursestrings. We also buy a lot of our stuff on inflated houseing and credit cards. Lots of debt, means lean times in the future.

The chinese sell us cheap shit and we just smile and take it and then have nothing to sell ourselves... How Clever!


butz

Music

I've been literally intoxicated with Norah Jones and Jack Johnson for the last 6 months. Do their singing styles reflect my personality lately? Do I like that reflection? Or is it just a whim what music we like...

Music certainly seems to play a large part in many peoples' lives, I think the ipod is an example of that. Maybe we are afraid to sit down in silence and contemplate life and faith and spirituality and all that shit that runs around in our heads. Lord knows I forget all the spiritual questions I have until the summer when I'm busy but busy in a quiet setting allowing me to process the ramblings.

butz

Beta

I'm really happy how my fraternity experience has turned out. It seems that making rash decisions and falling into things is actually a pretty effective way of living. Though planning everything out is more my nature, it rarely works out that way.

I'm really eclectic with a lot of stuff lately. Not sure where I stand on a lot of issues but much surer of where I stand on others. C'est la vie.

I'd better get to work on the Piper. I really don't enjoy doing it, but then I kind of do. I think it's the procrastinator in me.

Beta Theta Pi, definitely a highlight in my few years on this planet

butz

iPod Video

I'm surprised but the video downloads seems to be popular. But, I can
also understand it. For me it would actually be nice to spend $2 to
download Lost and watch it then to wait for the dvd or try to fit it
into my schedule/remember it. Plus, it's commercial free, which is
sweet.

Watching the music videos is actually pretty fun as well. Which you
wouldn't believe considering how small the screen is.

I've also noticed lately all the ridiculously small laptops/notebooks
that everyone has, especially at CSOM. The more I see them the more I
want one, for no other reason than to have one. I'm finding that my
work habits support a more desktop & Laptop lifestyle as opposed to a
"big laptop" lifestyle.

butz

weekend and video ipod

It was good hanging out Friday night with Pat and Jas. I had fun and the movie was
pretty good. Saturday night Jasmine and I went to a house party for
like 15 minutes, it was pretty lame. We were both pretty trashed. I
had a few beers and a couple shots and she had a shot and a half. Man,
you'd think she took a 8 shots.

Then that night we got into a fight. I was passing out during family
guy and she wanted to go to bed. I told her to figure out her or the
limits. She's like what? I'm like you're in calculus... figure it out!
and I yelled at her. Then she started crying and I got madder at her
for crying about limits. It was really stupid when it happened but
absolutely hilarious the next day.

butz