Sunday, June 27, 2010

Clueless

I penned this some months ago and have forgotten why, but I'll post it here anyhow since it's still true.
I haven't posted in a very long time.
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I admit that sometimes I am tempted to highlight my ignorance of popular culture when speaking with others. I recognize this as the sin of pride, and try to stop myself in time, often with success. I used to watch a lot of TV, not so much anymore.

I happen to love technology and get most of my news and information from internet sources. (I spend time with the computer instead of the TV, and yes, some of that is wasted time.) When I mention this fact it is often met with deep suspician by many types of people, but primarily by people who are not comfortable with technology. People seem to think that if it's not on TV or in a newspaper or magazine, it's not legitimate news. I believe their views of the world are artifically narrowed by these forms of media and by the writers and editors who select and filter the product. I like the rough-and-tumble free exchange of viewpoints and ideas that I see on the internet. I do my own filtering, and, yes, there are a lot of kooks.

On another note, I don't agree with the mainstream culture's prevailing attitude against violence in media and I only find it offensive when it is "pornographic", as in violence for violence's sake, or to inspire sadistic thoughts such as many horror movies. I love suspense and mystery movies. I get bored quickly with battle scenes, but I believe this is more a product of my sex rather than my philosophy. Fighting can be an excellent and useful thing, and I prefer a view that recognizes the neccessity of it when warranted. I also want to mentally equip my children with the readiness to fight if necessary, so, unlike many other families, we enjoy movies and books with heroes who do battle and win over monsters and bad guys.