Comments on: Days “chopped into pieces”. http://dangerousintersection.org/2008/02/22/days-chopped-into-pieces/ Human Animals at the Crossroads of Culture, Science, Religion and Media Fri, 20 Nov 2009 19:45:58 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.7.1 hourly 1 By: Kev http://dangerousintersection.org/2008/02/22/days-chopped-into-pieces/comment-page-1/#comment-31754 Kev Thu, 18 Dec 2008 18:02:17 +0000 http://dangerousintersection.org/2008/02/22/days-chopped-into-pieces/#comment-31754 amen to that amen to that

]]> By: Erika Price http://dangerousintersection.org/2008/02/22/days-chopped-into-pieces/comment-page-1/#comment-16338 Erika Price Mon, 25 Feb 2008 15:36:42 +0000 http://dangerousintersection.org/2008/02/22/days-chopped-into-pieces/#comment-16338 I love the scene that features a man driving a jeep, but having to tackle several road-blocking, man-made barriers. He gets out of the car, pushes the gate open, struggles to get back in the car, watches the gate close, opens the gate, watches the car slide backward, blocks the car's back wheels, watches the car drive forward, stops the car by blocking its front wheels, opens the gate, and then struggles to get the car moving. Then he has to do it all again with another gate. Ironically, the car that is designed to make life easier has made it senselessly cumbersome. A man on foot could have just pushed the gate forward and continued on his merry way. I love the scene that features a man driving a jeep, but having to tackle several road-blocking, man-made barriers. He gets out of the car, pushes the gate open, struggles to get back in the car, watches the gate close, opens the gate, watches the car slide backward, blocks the car’s back wheels, watches the car drive forward, stops the car by blocking its front wheels, opens the gate, and then struggles to get the car moving. Then he has to do it all again with another gate.

Ironically, the car that is designed to make life easier has made it senselessly cumbersome. A man on foot could have just pushed the gate forward and continued on his merry way.

]]> By: Dan Klarmann http://dangerousintersection.org/2008/02/22/days-chopped-into-pieces/comment-page-1/#comment-16244 Dan Klarmann Fri, 22 Feb 2008 18:51:56 +0000 http://dangerousintersection.org/2008/02/22/days-chopped-into-pieces/#comment-16244 I've seen several studies that show that "labor saving" devices in the home have not reduced the amount of time necessary for properly taking care of said home by any measurable amount. Desktop computers were hailed in the 1980's as the harbinger of the paperless office. 20 years later, the corporate storage rooms for documents too valuable to throw away (but of no foreseeable future use) have been replaced by warehouses. The few minutes once spent reading and dealing with the daily mail now easily adds up to an hour a day, including email. But "The Gods Must be Crazy" is the first movie I remember having seen after which my sides ached from laughing. Pharmacology was not involved. I’ve seen several studies that show that “labor saving” devices in the home have not reduced the amount of time necessary for properly taking care of said home by any measurable amount.

Desktop computers were hailed in the 1980’s as the harbinger of the paperless office. 20 years later, the corporate storage rooms for documents too valuable to throw away (but of no foreseeable future use) have been replaced by warehouses.

The few minutes once spent reading and dealing with the daily mail now easily adds up to an hour a day, including email.

But “The Gods Must be Crazy” is the first movie I remember having seen after which my sides ached from laughing. Pharmacology was not involved.

]]> By: Niklaus Pfirsig http://dangerousintersection.org/2008/02/22/days-chopped-into-pieces/comment-page-1/#comment-16240 Niklaus Pfirsig Fri, 22 Feb 2008 18:03:07 +0000 http://dangerousintersection.org/2008/02/22/days-chopped-into-pieces/#comment-16240 Ahh,, one of my all time favorite movies. One of the implied themes in "The Gods Must Be Crazy" is that civilization is not about control and ownership, but being part of a greater whole. When the bushman ifnds the coke bottle in the desert, and takes it to the tribe, soon everyone is fighting for it. Suddenly, no-one could live without this useful thing that just days earlier that had not known existed. Ths elders deciced it was evil because of the effect it had on their peaceful society. Industrial society values the concept of ownership and control above society. Many of our modern problems stem for the control and ownership of things that a birthright. Industrial nations claim to stand for freedom, but their actions that they do not practice liberty and justice for all. Ahh,, one of my all time favorite movies.
One of the implied themes in “The Gods Must Be Crazy” is that civilization is not about control and ownership, but being part of a greater whole.
When the bushman ifnds the coke bottle in the desert, and takes it to the tribe, soon everyone is fighting for it. Suddenly, no-one could live without this useful thing that just days earlier that had not known existed. Ths elders deciced it was evil because of the effect it had on their peaceful society.
Industrial society values the concept of ownership and control above society. Many of our modern problems stem for the control and ownership of things that a birthright. Industrial nations claim to stand for freedom, but their actions that they do not practice liberty and justice for all.

]]> By: Erich Vieth http://dangerousintersection.org/2008/02/22/days-chopped-into-pieces/comment-page-1/#comment-16233 Erich Vieth Fri, 22 Feb 2008 16:49:42 +0000 http://dangerousintersection.org/2008/02/22/days-chopped-into-pieces/#comment-16233 Erika: thanks for sharing this passage. The culmination of this thought, for me (and I suspect, for you) is modern American suburban life. I'll be watching to see where you end up taking your analysis. In the meantime, I will share my concern that the thing that is supposedly the "American Dream" appears to be a toxic, wasteful and stress-inducing wasteland, at least for many of its inhabitants. I suspect that you are correct to point out a root cause, which is an abject unwillingness of humans to adapt to nature as it presents itself to us. It's not that human social and technological prowess doesn't make life easy in the short run. I love many of modern society's conveniences. But there's a big downside to these conveniences. That we work so hard to "fight" nature seems to be both our greatest victory and our heaviest burden. Erika: thanks for sharing this passage. The culmination of this thought, for me (and I suspect, for you) is modern American suburban life. I’ll be watching to see where you end up taking your analysis.

In the meantime, I will share my concern that the thing that is supposedly the “American Dream” appears to be a toxic, wasteful and stress-inducing wasteland, at least for many of its inhabitants.

I suspect that you are correct to point out a root cause, which is an abject unwillingness of humans to adapt to nature as it presents itself to us. It’s not that human social and technological prowess doesn’t make life easy in the short run. I love many of modern society’s conveniences. But there’s a big downside to these conveniences.

That we work so hard to “fight” nature seems to be both our greatest victory and our heaviest burden.

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