ON THE CLOCK: Mao's Little Red Book

Inspiration: Mao's Little Red Book



It's my last week of my summer internship so there are a few projects that i have to finish up before i leave. i have to modify and order some cables, order a tool kit for the group, help someone finish making about 20 simulators, and maybe finish up a drawing.

A personal goal i set for myself was to finish reading Quotations from Chairman Mao Tsetung at work. i finished it this morning, with plenty of time to spare, having read it in its entirety at work "on the clock." i am now moving on to read Abolition Democracy, by Angela Davis; however, as small as this book is, it fits nowhere near as nicely in the cell phone pocket of my Dickies.

i really enjoyed Mao's book. Mao was pretty deep and a lot of what he talked about is relevant to a lot of different situations and aspects of life. His thoughts on Communism, war and revolution were extremely interesting, but it was his overall attitude towards what he wanted to accomplish that really struck a chord with me.

Other revolutionaries such as Malcolm X and Assata Shakur, whose autobiographies are two of my absolute favorite books, stress devotion to their respective causes, but perhaps not to the same extent as Mao, as evidenced by his repeated emphasis of criticism and self-criticism and the idea that one should be constantly aware of and live according to what one is trying to accomplish.

Mao's cause was Communist Revolution and he, according to what he wrote (history may tell a different story), lived and breathed it. Of course, he may have written about being devoted to the cause which he headed to support a quest for power and prestige; regardless, his words have meaning and really make a lot of sense.

If i take nothing else from Mao's Little Red Book, it has really strengthened my convictions that people should live according to what they believe in.

It is a constant struggle for me to deal with always hearing about "giving back to the community" or the philanthropic work of billionaires. i hate the fact that non-profit organizations have to constantly hit up people for monetary contributions. At school this past semester, i was a part of UNICEF@USC and we organized a big concert to raise money for Angolan children, and i couldn't get past the fact that some 25-30 college kids had to put in hours of their time for a few months to organize an event that would not even raise what was equivalent to one of these student's year's tuition. It all just doesn't seem right.

Although i digress, the point i am trying to make is that, if people believe in doing good, how about living your life completely devoted to the idea of doing good. Most people would probably pass this off as Utopian and idealistic, just as people label socialism, but i think it's possible if people are able to let go of some of their selfish tendencies (namely consumerism and the constant competition against the fellow man, which is perpetuated by capitalism).

Regardless of whether this idea is applicable to everyone, i personally hope to devote my life to learning and thinking about, and acting upon what i believe in. For me, this "what i believe in" will probably constantly be changing. The important thing is that i stay true to what i believe in and work hard to accomplish everything i want to accomplish.

i would like to challenge everyone around me to do the same, but even i realize how idealistic and unrealistic that is. This is something with which i continue to struggle. i think the best solution to this personal struggle is to apply this set of standards to myself and be an example of how one can live according to these standards. Maybe when i'm completely convinced that i'm able to live up to them, then i can start to slowly apply these standards to others, especially those who are close to me.

Until then, it's just on me, and i got a LONG way to go.

ON THE CLOCK: B.S.

Inspiration: "Mr. Cassidy" et ALL


It's a disease that plagues all humans to some extent. Like many diseases, it has many different forms. Most of the time it infects its victim without any noticeable or extraordinary effects, therefore, there are very few people capable of diagnosing it. Even fewer know how to treat it. It is widely accepted in most cultures, so much so that most people choose to suffer its effects rather than fighting against it for fear of being an outcast. There is no cure (and most likely never will be) and there is no way to escape it; it's alive in everyone and is extremely contagious. Under certain (many) environmental circumstances it spreads like wildfire. It often gets stronger with each new person it infects and can infect the same person again and again, often worsening the condition exponentially.

This disease is a serious problem that we seem not to be concerned enough about. Organizations put on concerts to benefit AIDS research, celebrities hold golf tournaments to raise money for cancer research, yet no research is going into how to combat this plague, this disease, that is so powerful that it can often infiltrate even the aforementioned events put on to combat these other well-known diseases.

The plague that i'm referring to is B.S. aka bs, bull shit, bullshit, bull, bush lit (as an old Little League coach often put it). It's everywhere and it gets on my last nerve (supposedly, and thankfully, i'm not alone in this).



Regardless of the fact that i'm not alone in my disdain for B.S. i all too often feel like i am alone. It surrounds me with a stench i cannot stand and that no one else seems to mind or even notice.



B.S. comes to us in many forms from many sources through many means. B.S. can be harmless; however, it most often contributes to unhappiness and can limit our potential as a human race.


Harmless B.S.

It's hard to come up with any B.S. that is completely harmless because all the B.S. i can think of somehow contributes or is a part of what holds us back as humans. All i can think of is the personal aspect of a lot of the B.S. is harmless, or at least should be. Here's an example:

So a few weeks ago, a co-worker (who is not my boss but is a superior) asked me for some help with a drawing for a room layout he was doing using the program Microsoft Visio. He had done the groundwork such as figuring out the size of the room and what needed to go in the room and left me with the task of situating the objects in the room so that they would all fit with certain specific requirements. Basically, i ended up designing the entire room to make everything fit and it was pretty damn good.

So when i finished it, he asked me if he should tell our boss that i did the layout or if he should just take all the credit. Since i figured he was joking, i joked back, saying "ughh, do what you gotta do" or something to that effect. Sure enough he took full credit and my boss still has no idea that i had anything to do with the design.

This is harmless B.S. from my perspective only because, given that i am completely against adhering to any B.S. myself, including hubris and egotism, i had no need to react. Since i am not in constant pursuit of recognition to better my situation, this act of B.S. does not harm me.


Indirectly Harmful B.S.

The above example is not completely harmless, however. My co-worker did adhere to hubris and egotism, and furthermore, his act serves as a testament to how human beings operate under the system of values we have in place currently. We value such things as wealth and success and people act accordingly, doing whatever is necessary to get recognized and achieve those things so they can feel some kind of self-worth, even if it means they must take advantage of others to do so.

So there is a lot of B.S. that is indirectly harmful in different ways. Arbitrary titles of respect, "business attire," correct grammar, "educated speak" all serve to divide people. They are all accepted aspects of life and even have real value at times.

Respect is a good thing to have for someone who really deserves it. Clothing should, at times, be worn with a purpose, including business purposes. Correct grammar and lofty diction and syntax are sometimes necessary to be able to convey an idea at a high level, or to serve as a common language to bring people together.

Yesterday, i was waiting in line at the cafeteria for lunch when the chief executive of the company, whom my friend insists on always calling "Mr. Cassidy," comes and tells the cook to serve this other man before me. My dad leans over to tell me that the man is actually the company's owner (actually Cassidy's boss) and then tells me that he probably should have let the owner go ahead of him. i didn't say anything but i think it's B.S. that someone's stature automatically garners them respect. i would be happy to let someone cut me in line if i had respect for them, but they do not automatically command my respect based on some company status.

So such things as titles are most often used to divide rather than unite. Power is mistaken for true respect. People dress, write, speak and act a certain way to include themselves in a certain mainstream "successful" in-crowd while distancing themselves from those who do not belong. This divisiveness is B.S. and so, therefore, are the things that cause it.


Directly Harmful B.S.

There are many ideas, customs, traditions, institutions that are partially or entirely B.S. that i think are very harmful. These often have real value to people and serve real purposes as well.

Organized Religion - Religion serves great purposes for so many people in so many ways. With that said, is there really a need for such organization in what is supposed to be an individual's spiritual connection with a supernatural power? Organized religion ultimately serves as a means by which people can exert power and control over other people. It also serves the same B.S. purposes as the aforementioned "business attire," correct grammar, and "educated speak." Just ask Ben Franklin. And it's so divisive. To think of all those people who have been killed in its name.

Politics - Politicians play games and these games have to be considered B.S. There's really no need to go any further with this. The B.S. applies at least as much to "liberals" as it does to "conservatives," and i think Malcolm X would agree.

Blind Patriotism - Malcolm comes through in the clutch again: "You're not supposed to be so blind with patriotism that you can't face reality. Wrong is wrong, no matter who says it." Come on now, is this not common sense? Let's not blindly believe in things we don't know everything about. Also we should educate ourselves so that we know what to believe in based on what is real and true.

Materialism/Consumerism/Greed - There is just no reason for materialism, especially to the extent it is prevalent today in our global society. Greed kills and it's not necessary. i think that qualifies it to be considered B.S.

Propaganda - If you really want someone to believe in something, make sure it is something good and true; then educate them about it.


Bonus B.S. Entry: Charity Events - i just struggle with the idea of throwing a ritzy glamorous event with overpriced food and a dress code to benefit something as unglamorous as poverty or AIDS. Just me?


So these are just a few of the things that i believe qualify as B.S. i'm sure i'll think of more good examples on my way home from work, or while i'm at the gym, or in the shower. maybe i'll add them to these lists and maybe i'll just leave them as they are.

Even with all this said, i am able to accept that a lot of B.S. is a part of human nature (the raw form of which has ceased to exist) at this point, and plays a huge role in the way we live our lives. There are many reasons why these things exist and why they're so prevalent. i guess pride, survival, a constant quest for power and self-worth, would be just some of the reasons. Would i like to change the fact that B.S. is such a huge part of life and rid the world of it all.? Of course! Is this possible? No, but hopefully i can make a dent.

Obviously there's a lot we need to change and we got a long way to go. B.S. is something we gotta get rid of for the most part and i'm keeping some kind of optimism about it. i guess my hope is that, as things become more transparent and the truth comes out more and more, we will get smarter and start thinking for ourselves more, questioning everything that we do and then we will eventually realize that much of what we do has no real purpose and actually impedes our growth as a human race.

Please don't drink the kool-aid. Sip the truth juice.