Apple as Religion

On The Big Picture, an allusion of how the Apple story could have made a nice gospel story:

As a long time Apple fanboy going back to my 1990 Mac Classic, I find this brilliant:

1. a creation myth highlighting the counter-cultural origin and emergence of the Apple Mac as a transformative moment;

2. a hero myth presenting the Mac and its founder Jobs as saving its users from the corporate domination of the PC world;

3. a satanic myth that presents Bill Gates as the enemy of Mac loyalists;and, finally,

4. a resurrection myth of Jobs returning to save the failing company…

This originally appeared on the Atlantic Journal.

Is it a wonder that Apple products have such a rabid following bordering on religious fervor, with customers buying and defending their products despite their flaws (read: Iphone 4)?

“Sent from my BlackBerry® wireless handheld”

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Gender Concentration Myths: Not Enough To Go Around

A lighter topic for a change. On relationships: I read recently about the anguish of a girl from Atlanta, a not so uncommon sentiment among women these days: “There aren’t enough men to go around.” But according to this blogger, this is becoming a serious problem in Atlanta:

Last time I checked there was 21 women for everyone 1 man and the problem doesn’t stop there because the you have to factor in the homosexual males, men with kids, liars & cheaters, people with stds, no job etc.   The problem is so big that the unattractive and broke down men now think they have a choice, lol.  Granted all of the women here in Atlanta are not wife material but there are plenty of good women out here who are at their wits end.  Living here you can’t play by the same rules like not taking care of your man mentally, sexually, etc because if you don’t some other woman will.

Sadly because of the high demand for a man you’re finding many women settling for the bottom feeders who would never stand a chance anywhere else.  I mean you know it’s bad when you see women working and men sitting at home with no job, using her car, and still having the nerve to cheat.

Interestingly, girls in Atlanta don’t have to go far for “decent” advice. Jeff Herring in an ezine article offers his “analysis” of the Atlanta Singles Dating Myths:

What this does is foster the myth that good partners are scarce and hard to find. If this its true, then you beter settle for whatever you can find.

Results of this myth

In a word, desperation. You stay with somemone who is not right for you, just to be with someone. Sets up a miserable situation.

What to do

This is one of those situtations where attitude is everything. When you approoach dating from an attitude of scarcity, you see scarcity. When you approach dating from an attitude of plenty and abundance, you see plenty and abundance.

It’s all about attitude eh? (read: Law Of Attraction again?). How’s this for attitude: our favorite cynical Chinese girl Intsiksiomai offers her take on an inherent flaw in that legendary female intuition which can help explain the devastation of women in Atlanta: girls simply fall for jerks very easily:

Most girls overlook this weakness in men, until it’s too late. They have married one! Girls get easily flattered with the protectiveness and concern of jerks. Girls often allow their men to control them like robots, all under the guise of love. Girls give up their career, and even their basic human rights for the pleasure of the jerks.

It’s also with some sense of eerie coincidence that a Chinese girl would offer this insight, because if you really think men are in short supply, whether as a statistical fact or simply a whimsical notion, then you better pack your bags and get headed for China: where centuries of male-preferential breeding has actually created a real gender concentration:

WUHAN, China — Chinese traditions, a tough one-child-per-couple policy and modern medical technology have combined to create a demographic nightmare that threatens China’s stability and endangers prospects for greater political freedom in the country with the world’s largest population. Over the next two decades, as many as 40 million young Chinese men won’t be able to marry, settle down and start families. There won’t be enough wives to go around.

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The Power Of Mystery

J.J. Abrams traces his love of the unseen mystery — the heart of Alias, Lost, and the upcoming Cloverfield — back to its own magical beginnings, which may or may not include an early obsession with magic, the love of a supportive grandfather, or his own unopened Mystery Box.

One of Abrams’ interesting insights: Mystery is the catalyst for imagination. There are times that mystery is more important than knowledge.

It’s that sense of infinite possibility that drives human curiosity, and inspires man to expand his awareness of the universe. However, on the flipside of that argument: is that man’s love for mystery can blind him from the truth–and forces man to cling to myths.

Wonderful insights from this talk from TED.

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AIDS: Propaganda or Epidemic?

AIDS and HIV are two aspects of world society we now have come to take for granted since its emergence in the 1980s. The disease and the virus that causes it have become staple facts that no one dares to challenge.

However, the ease and availability of information via the internet have made it possible for myths and propaganda to be challenged, and recently AIDS dissidents have found a voice to air their side. The basic facts about AIDS commonly accepted now:

HIV is the virus that causes AIDS.

HIV was first contracted in Africa from monkeys.

HIV is primarily transmitted through sexual contact with infected partners, secondarily from infected needles, tertiarily from infected mothers to their infants.

Irresponsible homosexual males and intravenous drug abusers are at high risk from AIDS, but everyone is at risk from the disease.

These are the facts, or are they? What if like many things taken for granted, AIDS is simply the product of clever marketing and potent propaganda?

Gary Null produced a video that tackles these very issues and provides a venue for AIDS dissidents to speak out. Check out Null’s work here.

The debate that has sparked since Null’s documentary have people taking rabid sides. Two websites present their arguments and counter-arguments on this issue:

1. VirusMyth is a website dedicated to AIDS dissidents presented by Gary Null. They compile petitions, testimonials, and research disproving the basic facts about AIDS.
2. In response to VirusMyth, AIDSTruth.org was formed to debunk the counter-arguments of AIDS dissidents, classifying them as denialists and their research as pseudo-science. The website presents research of its own that answes the basic challenges of AIDS denialists.

Considering the massive global funding on AIDS, this debate is one of the most controversial of our times and is a perfect study in the ability of an idea to take on a life of its own.

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