Five Books, and An Expanded View of Everything

I'm gainfully employed, and as such, work 50 hour weeks pretty consistently.  That said, I don't get a lot of time to read.  BUT, when I do, I prefer Dos Equis-  I mean, I have found that what I read has changed pretty drastically from my college days.  Over the past five years in the "real world," I have somehow developed a pretty intense interest in:

1)  Politics, in general

2)  The Middle East

Over the past couple years, I have read (or am in the process of reading) several books that have given me an expanded view of everything.

The books, and a lightning quick synopsis of each (as I interpret them) are below.  All of them are enormously pertinent to things going on right now in the US and the world.  I highly recommend each of the five if you are curious to know the back story behind all the garbage that typical media outlets put out:

1)  The Shock Doctrine (Naomi Klein)-  Powerful entities (usually governments) exploit times of turmoil (shock) to push forward agendas that in "normal times," they probably could not.  A quick example:  When the tsunami hit Indonesia years ago, a ton of people were displaced from the beaches where they had lived for all their lives.  When they tried to return, they found that they were not permitted to-  And the government was like:  "Yeah, sorry, it's better for us to turn this area into a sweet resort.  You are out of luck.  Now run along."

For a very TODAY (literally) example of it, check out this  NYT Article

2)  The Great Game (Peter Hopkirk)-  Long before the US botched its adventure in Afghanistan, Britain and Russia did too (in the 1800's when both had intense interests in India).  Britain and Russia's misadventures were incredibly well documented, so you would think the US would not make the exact same mistakes.  But we did.  This book highlights just how much we don't learn from history.  If the book sounds dry, it is NOT.  It is highly entertaining!  There's a lot of "Man vs Wild" type adventuring that gets told in it so it reads like a thriller... and yet you are learning!

3)  The Great War for Civilization (Robert Fisk)-  This book highlights atrocities that have been committed by a huge number of countries/empires/etc with, what I think is, little bias.  It says what a lot of other books/journalists/media outlets will not.  The primary focus is on the Middle East, analyzing the last 150 years.  

4)  Winner Take All Politics (Jacob Hacker, Paul Pierson)-  This book came out in the past year and highlights how much the top 1% (and top 0.1%) of American earners have left the "middle class" behind.  Basically, look at THIS.

5)  Imperial Life in the Emerald City-  This book highlights the total shitshow that went on in Iraq after the US occupied it.  A very frustrating read since it has so many examples of complete ineptitude.  

Shoes

So I'm going to get these shoes...

...because they are totally awesome.  

So there.

And already I can hear the haters crying:

"But where will you even wear those?!"

Uh...  to work.  To the grocery store.  Out on Friday nights.   Out on Saturday nights.  With a suit.  With jeans.  With my board shorts.  

You are stupid for even asking that question.  

Good day.

Yahoo News Says We're Going to Have a "Death Ray!"

Do you guys read Yahoo News?

I do.  I do at work.  When I take "breaks."  Because I am a firm believer that nobody can really work continuously (and productively) over the course of a day without taking a break.  And if you can, whoopdiefuckingdoo!  Find a new blog to read!  So yeah-  back to breaks.  When I take "breaks," my go-to website is YAHOO.com.  That's because:

1. I like to trade stocks and getting to their Finance stuff is easy from the front page, AND their Finance information is a pretty good summary of the information I'm looking for during a "break."
2. Their news page is absolute trash.  It's so trashy that I find it comical.  Below is a screenshot from today's Yahoo News page.

On any given day, you're likely to find one or two actual major news stories.  But the rest is just garbage!  For example, there is almost always a story like the above "Incredible play wins HS game."  If it's not an incredible play from a prep sports game, it's some faux pas that a professional athlete has committed.  Something like:  "Brett Favre Swears at Mississippi Waitress for Bad Service."  It's really not news, but they make it news.  Just like 95% of all other "news" providers these days.

Then, you have the dog show news story.  Who gives a shit?!  Does this need to be on the front page?  Really?!  

And then there's apparently video of an "Elderly Woman Severely Beaten."  Stay classy Yahoo!

I typically don't read all of these-  I kindof just glance at the headlines for the shock value to hit me.  You know, just like how you pick up a tabloid in the grocery store line and speed read 2% of it.

But today was anything but typical.

That's because our military is working on a GIANT FUCKING LASER BEAM!

Laser Beam Article

How awesome is this?!  I'll admit it.  I was one of those guys that said:  "Jesus Christ.  If we want to balance the budget and cut down our federal debt, let's just cut defense spending!  It's outrageous!  And it's wasteful!

But I stand corrected.  Any money spent on giant death rays is money well spent!  America is winning the future at the speed of LIGHT.   LASER BEAM LIGHT.  

A Robust Analysis of OMG by Usher

I am a music elitist.  And as such, I find deeper meanings in songs than you do.  Just this once, i will share with you the "song" behind the song of my favorite song:


OMG ( Feat Will.I.Am ) Lyrics

[Will.I.Am]
Oh myy gosh


Here, Will.I.Am is amazed.  He's totally stunned and captivated by something.  But what is it?!  You don't know just yet.  That's why you need to keep listening!  It's a "hook" if you will, to reel you in to the rest of the song!  

[Usher:]
Baby let me…

Okay, so here, Usher is throwing in a "hook" of his own.  "Baby let me..."  You can almost hear the ellipsis in the song.  That's how talented of a vocalist Usher is.  You hear the punctuation in his songs!  I don't know of anyone else like this...  But what does Usher want his baby to let him do?!  

[Will.I.Am]
I did it again, so I’m gonna let the beat drop
Oh myy gosh


Will.I.Am continues his "hook."  What did he do again?!  And why has doing it again led to him letting the beat drop?  He's stunned and amazed that his repeated action has caused him to let the beat drop.

[Chorus]
Baby let me love you downnn


Usher finishes his "hook."  The ellipsis is no more.  He wants his baby to let him love it down.  I say "it" here because at this point in the song, we as listeners are still unsure as to the subject of the song.  Is it a woman?  A man?  A rhinoceros?  This is why I love Usher.  Only after careful listens can you discern what he is getting at.  

There’s so many ways to love ya


Usher states a plain fact-  Whatever the object of his affection, there are many ways he feels he can love it.  

Baby I can break you downnn
There’s so many ways to love ya
Got me like, ooh myy gosh I’m soo in love
I found you finallyy, you make me want to say
Oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh,
Ohh myy gosh


The object of Usher's affection makes him want to say "OH" repeatedly, before concluding "Oh my gosh."  It is important to note that Usher says "oh" here sixteen times.  This is important, because past sixteen, the "oh"s will have diminishing returns.  But by repeating "oh" sixteen times before concluding with "Ohh myy gosh," Usher extracts every ounce of power from the word.  Anything less than sixteen, and the song would not have the same power.  Note also, that Usher has said that there are "so many ways to love ya."  Kindof like how there are so many oh-s in the song, right?!  This kind of wordcraft wizardry is truly unique in this day and age.

You make me want to say

Oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, You make me wanna say, oh, oh, oh, oh Oh My goshh

[Verse 1]
I fell in love with shawty when I seen her on the dance floor


What has Usher seen on the dance floor?  Yes, it's a shawty.  And yes, it's female.  But is it human?  Or is it alien?  Or is it maybe a alien-human hybrid?

She was dancing sexy, pop, pop, popping, dropping, dropping low
Never ever has a lady hit me on the first sight


Only here do we finally know the subject of this song!  It's a lady-  and I guess we must assume that it is a human lady!  It's very clever how Usher waits until the 1:08 mark to reveal this in the song.  I think that the strategy behind that is a metaphor in itself-  Just like how Usher waits for almost 25% of the song to pass before revealing the song's subject, we wait at least 25% of our lives before we have a sense of direction-  a sense of purpose.  And some of us don't even have it at that point.  It all goes to show what a philosopher Usher is.  

This was something special; this was just like dynamite


Here, Usher is telling us something about him. His experience with a shawty lady is "just like dynamite."  But how would he know this?!  The answer is clear.  Usher is an explosives expert, and physicist.  Who else but a physicist could judge the force of a shawty lady compared to the force of dynamite?


Honey got a booty like pow, pow, pow
Honey got some boobies like wow, oh wow



These two lines are genius.  By using such colloquial language, Usher is saying to his audience that he is just like one of them.  But not quite!  He dances better than all of us!  Duh!  


Girl you know I’m loving your, loving your style
Check, check, check, check, check, checking you out like,
Ooh (oooh) she got it allll


Usher loves the lady's style, and is checking her out.  This much is clear.  But a style is a manner of presentation that encompasses many things besides physical appearance.  I believe that these lines pertain to Usher evaluating the lady while engaged in conversation.  

Sexy from her head to the toes
And I want it all, it all, it all


Following thoroughly evaluating the lady's personality through conversation, Usher has moved on to physical appearance.  He finds the lady sexy and is consumed by attraction.  That is why he repeats "all" multiple times.  

[Chorus]
Baby let me love you downnn
There’s so many ways to love ya
Baby I can break you downnn
There’s so many ways to love ya
Got me like, ooh myy gosh I’m soo in love
I found you finallyy, it make me want to say
Oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh,
Ohh myy gosh

You make me want to say (2x)
Oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh

[Verse 2]
Feel so hot for honey out of all the girls up in this club
This one got me whipped, just off one look, yep I fell in love
This one something special, this one just like dynamite,
out of sight


The first three lines of Verse 2 support the first three lines of Verse 1.  Again, Usher places emphasis on just how special the honey in the club is.  

Fell in love with honey like my, oh my
Honey looking wonderful; fly, so fly
Honey like a supermodel; my, oh my
Baby how you do that, make a grown man cry?


In this part of the verse, Usher uses two powerful metaphors.  His honey is a)  like "my, oh my" and b) like a supermodel.  Both metaphors tie back into the consistent theme throughout the song that the honey/shawty/lady is truly extraordinary.  


From here, the song repeats its chorus and most important portions to close it out:

Ooh (oooh) baby, you got it alll
Sexy from her head to the toes
And I want it all, it all, it all

[Chorus]
So, honey let me love you downnn
There’s so many ways to love ya
Baby I can break it downnn
There’s so many ways to love ya
Got me like, ooh myy gosh I’m soo in love I found you finallyy,
You make me want to say…
Oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh,

Oh my gosh

So that was the chorus, and now the song concludes with powerful verbage...

Oh my gosh
oh my
oh my
oh, oh my gosh
oh myy gosh

[Will.I.Am]
Oh myy gosh
I did it again
So I’m gone let the beat drop

... and Will.I.Am appearing again.  Notice that we still do not know what Will.I.Am has done again.  This is in stark contrast to Usher's portion of the song.  While Usher carefully reveals his love for the honey in the club over the course of the song, Will.I.Am remains cloaked in mystery.  In a way, this mysterious Will.I.Am appearance at the end is much like the closing to Inception.  You don't truly understand it, but you go along with it.  Why?  Because you know he's going to let the beat drop.

[Usher]x3
Oh, oh, oh myy
Oh, oh, oh my, my, my, my, my, my
Ooh my gosh oh, oh


I hope after reading this post, you open your ears and your mind to the meaning behind the meanings in songs. While not everybody "gets" music, with enough listening, I am confident that you can.