The Difference Between Running and Hiding

I focused attentively on the lyrics to "Ghost in the Machine" and I really like them. It is certainly a feeling that everyone can relate to. While the theory originally described Descartes' idea that the spirit and body are separate -- and generally incompatible -- I think the tone of the song implies a message to society. I've always felt a connection to Huxley's idea "We live together, we act on, and react to, one another; but always and in all circumstances we are by ourselves. The martyrs go hand in hand into the arena; they are crucified alone. Embraced, the lovers desperately try to fuse their insulated ecstasies into a single self-transcendence; in vain. By its very nature every embodied spirit is doomed to suffer and enjoy in solitude. Sensations, feelings, insights, fancies—all these are private and, except through symbols and at second hand, incommunicable. We can pool information about experiences, but never the experiences themselves. From family to nation, every human group is a society of island universes." (The Doors of Perception)

In this song, Bobby Ray is expressing frustration with others' inability to see through his eyes. He ascribes his evanescence to an inability in others to see more than "the shadow on the wall of the cave" (Plato's The Republic). There is an incommunicable nature to every feeling we have as humans, and Bobby Ray is forward about casting culpability.

What really arouses reflection in this song, though, is the verse. It posits a question of how people avoid dealing with problems. No, I agree, we can and should deal with most problems in life, but what's the point when you feel like a Ghost in the Machine? A ghost cannot pull levers or break circuits; it cannot fight the physical force of metals movings rapidly. A single spirit cannot turn the gears in reverse, or even convince them to slow. Hiding allows one to seek refuge and contemplate the machine from afar. In my experience, this only leads to greater contempt for the machine, and inevitably leads to the humiliation either of being found or of reluctantly rejoining that which drove one into obscurity. The sensation of running is cathartic. In contrast to hiding, one might actually feel as if she is escaping. The process itself isn't necessarily prolific, but the feeling is. In running, you know relatively where you are... because you know where you were. You see further and are given more to interpret, which keeps your mind from festering. It also allows you to see what you are running from.

At one point in the song, Bobby Ray mentions feeling terrified, "like I've seen a UFO," which an incredible metaphor because it is not an experience most have had, and the more you attempt to empathize, the more the metaphor blossoms.

Tastes of Korea

Ask a Korean what their favorite food is and you will always be disappointed. Rice and Kimchi! However, Korea offers some of the best meals I have ever eaten. Much like meals ought to be, most Korean meals are episodic. Patrons dine on the floor at a low table, where your entrée is cooked over coals from a wood fire. Plates and bowls are brought to your table in rapid succession and the servers seldom leave room for even one more plate. There exists, in contrast, quite a delicious bit of take out food. Seeing as my roommate and coworker is a quintessential American, I was introduced to the latter first.

Snacks and Takeout

On one of my first days, we had coffee for a noontime breakfast. I had a cafe mocha (카페 모카, which transliterates to ka-pe mo-ka). A few hours later we went out to get chamchi (참치; tuna) jumokbap (주먹밥) -- a ball of rice filled with tuna and either coated in a seaweed "dust" or wrapped in seaweed. The word jumokbap literally translates to "fist of rice" and it is a Korean adoption of the Japanese Onigiri, except never with raw meat. Koreans cook their food. We went back later to the same place for chamchi gimbap (참치김밥) and lamien (라면).

Gimbap looks a bit like a sushi roll. However, it is filled with crab, eggs, cucumber, carrots, spinach, and pickled radish. If you've been paying attention you would know chamchi gimbap contains tuna, but it also contains sesame leaves and you will sometimes see American cheese or mayonnaise in specialty gimbap (gross). Lamien is simply Ramen noodles. R and L are the same letter in Hangul (Korean writing), the difference in pronunciation comes from location. First and

last places make the sound L. Dakbogi (떡볶이) is a very popular snack. Consisting of slices of thick rice noodles in a spicy red chili sauce with strips of fish paste, the noodles are a bit chewy. It is difficult to describe the consistency without referring to rubber. The fish paste -- which is basically waste parts of a fish -- is perhaps the only redeeming taste. The few vegetables are easily overpowered by the chili sauce and the noodles are far too thick to absorb enough flavor. Another snack, mandu (만두), looks remarkably like a potsticker, but mandu is delicious. Mandu is also the only Korean food I know how to cook: remove from freezer bag and fry.

Meals

As for formal dining, for a few thousand Won one can get a series of dishes and food cooked right in front of you. For your main dish, you typically get a choice of the following: (1) Bulgogi (불고기; literally "fire meat") - beef strips. (2) Galbi (갈비; often called Korean BBQ) - Korean short ribs -- usually pork -- that are sometimes marinated in soy-sauce. This is absolutely the best tasting meal I have ever had. (3) Samgyeopsal (삼겹살; literally "three layered flesh") - very similar to uncured bacon and extremely fatty.

After ordering, the barrage of side dishes begins. You will almost certainly be brought kimchi (김치), which is fermented cabbage. I know what you are thinking. Fermented cabbage, yum!

Can't go wrong! However, red kimchi is extremely flavorful and varies in its spiciness. Some kimchi will knock your socks off. If you don't like one recipe of kimchi, you may like the next. A large degree of variability exists for both crunchiness and spiciness. The spiciness very successfully masks the brine flavor. With practice one becomes better at determining their favorite kimchi ingredients -- whether red chili, ginger, garlic, cucumber, or fish sauce, all are quite nuanced. Easily the best kimchi I have ever had, geotjeori (겉절이) is fermented ever so slightly on the way from the kitchen to the table. Alternatively -- or additionally -- you may be brought white kimchi, which is fermented cabbage in brine... and not much else. It is utterly bland. You will also be brought some sort of pickled radish, which is certainly an acquired taste. Unquestionably, you will be brought an endless supply of onion salad (파무침), as well as garlic, gochujang (고추장) -- an absolutely delicious red chili paste -- and a plate of leaves (perhaps with some mild chilies). On this leaf plate, the red leaf lettuce is called sangchu (상추) and the spade-shaped leaves are kaenip (깻잎), which incorrectly translates to sesame. The kaenip leaf tastes bitter and is not very good by itself; however, in the melody of flavors kaenip may be your percussive guide. It isn't uncommon to get squid salads, succulent crab, potato salads, or yogurt salads with you meal. These flavors compliment all of the spice on the flavor and all tend to bear a richer flavor. Rice typically must be requested.

Before you can finish dabbling in the half a dozen side dishes, or banchan (반찬), your meat has probably cooked to perfection. So shake the excess water from a leaf of sangchu and place a leaf of kaenip on top of it. Line the center with whatever meat you have chosen, a few slices of garlic, and a dollop or two of gochujang. Fold and enjoy! :)

Yeah but, What If?

On my way to school yesterday, I heard a few machine gun rounds being fired up north. I heard it again when I stepped out to get a "rice fist." It really got me thinking "Yeah but, what if?" I was outside with Michael, so I turned and asked him what he would do if North Korea attacked. The first thing he said was, "I would stay." He reminded me that he was in the Marines, but told me that he was a combat correspondent. Asking if I had ever seen Full Metal Jacket, he described his job as Joker's job. It sounded very romantic -- to be so deeply involved in a war and not have a gun or an enemy -- but I was certainly jealous. He explained how he would go down to the base in Seoul and sign up.

"How long would it take to walk to Seoul," I asked, presuming that would be the only way to get there.

"I'd take the bus."

"Wouldn't it be full."

"No. The Koreans would all be at home, crouched in the basement."

Then I began to think. Truly, there can only be two options. Either the bus is packed with people hanging out of the windows or it isn't running because the driver is with his family and no one is working. Ever since arriving, I have often found myself staring at concrete walls and outcrops, imagining myself crouched there, hopelessly trying to avoid radiation. Sometimes, It is like an out of body experience -- seeing myself diving behind a concrete wall and watching my flesh melt away from my body. But really, if North Korea launched a nuclear missile that would be all that I could do.

This morning I woke to the cacophonous sound of a helicopter. It sounded like it was landing on my head. I ran to the window to see. It was a double whirlie -- like the name of our library, I think. I went back to my room, no way North Korea has one of those. It got me thinking about the possibility of an airstrike. It wouldn't happen to me here in Majeon. There are better places to target. Questions just kept filling my head. What if they marched into Majeon? How long would their food rations last? Would a Korean soldier see me as a valuable asset? Dead or alive? I think if I heard firefight in the distance, I would go to the roof and see what I could see. Then I would check my email, pack a bag of some stuff that might keep me alive, and run for the trees. I figure an army won't spend a long time in Majeon before moving on, and certainly won't have time to clear the woods.

Still, the children are outside playing and screaming every day. Each day is no different than before. The machine guns somberly brought me my wits, but the children laugh and play like it is any other day. It is as if they don't even hear a machine gun, or perhaps they don't know what it is. I've only spoken to a few people who have fought in the Korean War (one of them worked at Walmart), but they are old, old, old. The voices of that time will soon be gone and all that will remain is a misunderstood division.

(Temperatures are in Celsius)

Today I visited the jjimjilbang (찜질방 for those of you who read Hangul). The jjimjilbang is the public bathhouse central to Korean culture. After paying and being given my "prison clothes" as my coworker, Mike, called them, I walked onto the shoe platform and took off my shoes. I continued to the locker room and stripped down. I then walked into the main men's room and plopped into the 56 degree bath (to get Fahrenheit, multiply by 2, subtract 10%, and add 32). It clearly was nowhere near that temperature. It wasn't even bathwater temperature, so we moved to the 43 pool. That was quite nice, but a bit much so we relocated again to 39. A perfect temperature. I was finally comfortable enough to have a look around. At the back of the room, the children were playing in the cold pool (which I would estimate was about 17 degrees). There was a dry, Swedish-style sauna and a steam room, which was quite unbearable. The Korean men were almost entirely void of hair, which made me glad not to look like Tony or Stew (gorilla men). The sauna was at 102 degrees and the steam room was at 65. I could only stand the sauna for about 10 minutes, but it was the first time being in a sauna since Sweden, and I truly enjoyed it. I stepped out to enjoy the high-pressure jets in the cold pool. Then I tried the steam room, which rendered me dizzy in a matter of seconds. After a good soak in all of the tubs and rooms, we put on our prison clothes -- which were quite comfortable -- and went into the communal area. The communal area was fairly nice. People were getting full body massages in one corner (not as full bodied as other spots around Incheon). In another corner, people were lying on the heated floors talking and watching the tube. Gazebos dotted the room, filled with young people playing some sort of slapping and clapping game. It felt very exotic, well-designed, and peaceful. I walked past the numerous saunas and igloo rooms to check out the food, which was not so appealing. In the final corner, heated sleeping pods were available. I'm not sure why someone would want to sleep on the third floor of a bathhouse, but a few were occupied. Sporadically throughout the room were massage chairs, which were quite comfortable and relaxing. We gathered in the 67 degree sauna and laid on the heated rocks. A television was playing some sort of reality show where young girls are giggling and trying to get free bus rides. It was easy to tune out and wiggling on the rocks gave the sensation of slowly floating down onto a bed. We went into the igloo room, which I found uneventful and drab, but we did end up back in the 43 degree pool where we started. The entire experience was soothing and... exfoliating.

Afterwards -- and I couldn't have asked for more -- we had a duck feast, served and prepared in the traditional Korean style. Finally, we ended the night with Nostalgia drink -- whatever the hell that is. Are you one of the select few who can differentiate between tired and relaxed?

My Physical (Their Culture)

So I went to the hospital this morning to get my physical. It was an interesting process really pointing out the power of sheer human population. I had my height and blood pressure measured, followed by auditory, visual, and colorblind tests. Question: If there is a chance you can have your residency rejected based on your height, why don't they check you weight? I was then led into the next room where they asked for a urine sample. When I returned, I put my cup of urine on a tray of a dozen other uncovered urine samples. Rather disgusting. Then they sat me down next to two other people and took all of our blood samples. The seat was still warm. Someone had just been there and the surfaces had not been wiped clean. I was worried I would pass out, so I just looked away during the drawing. The doctor (or, more likely, nurse) asked, "Are you OK?" I looked at him and nodded, then looked away. Then I had my teeth checked out. I walked into a room with another patient already under the drill and the nurse looked at my teeth. I got the go ahead, but I wasn't sure if that meant I had to wait to lie down for another inspection. Principal Kwak led me to the next room instead, where I got my chest x-rayed. No lead padding or covering. I tried to stand as tall as possible so my neck and head were not exposed to gamma rays. Then I walked into the last room called "Occupational and Environmental Health" and sat down. I asked the doctor what that meant and he said psychology. Fortunately, his English was better than most of the teachers at Jung Chul. He asked some questions about family history. I assume he was asking these questions for psychological reasons, but I threw some heart attack and stroke curveballs his way. He looked at the bottom left corner of my eyes and tilted my head in some strange way and washed his hands of me. Not very thorough I must say. All-in-all, it was a traumatic process. Why height and dental exams but no weight or cardio tests? Why test to see if I am colorblind? What was the purpose of the "Occupational and Environmental Health" questions? Anyway, I think I passed the test.

People keep referring to Majeong as a small town. I just don't see it. We like in a 20 story dong next to several other "uh-par-teh" (apartments). There are thousands of people living here and there is no wilderness between here and Incheon or Seoul. It's a 20 minute bus ride to either city, but Majeong is fairly self-sufficient.

No one speaks English except my students, who sometimes help me order food at a restaurant near the school. The approach taken to teach English is a very odd one. The Korean culture (much like other Asian cultures) places great value on the group. Students do not want to be selected out from the group. People do not want to be selected out of the group. Students very often copy from one another or the previous page. They seldom think for themselves and attempt to memorize the entire English language. Not just the words, but whole sentences. For example, instead of teaching that subject-verb agreement depends on number and person (1st, 2nd, 3rd), the students memorize "I" statements, then "He" statements. Memorizing and copying serious problems for the students. I attempt to break them of this cultural habit, ingrained into them but a dozen years, by asking students to come up to the board and put their knowledge and creativity in front of the class. I cannot stress how little creativity matters. I don't think it is stifled, but it is simply not valued. I push the students to be unique and teach them that there are many right answers. For example:

They decided to build a statue.

They decided to build a statue in the center of town.

They decided to build a statue of Romeo and Juliet in the center of town.

They built a statue.

They built a statue in the center of town.

They built a statue of Romeo and Juliet in the center of town.

... (etc)

Forget about them writing "Mr. Montague and Mr. Capulet" instead of they.

In one of my younger classes, where the students don't understand anything except what I have taught them that day and "Quiet!", I told the students I would write their name on the board for talking out of turn. I wrote two students name on the board and they didn't seem to mind. I had been passing out high fives as tokens of appreciation (correct answer, being nice, helping a friend, shutting up). Grace asked why I wrote the names on the board. I told her I was going to let Kang Teacher see it. She asked, "You say, Kang say?" I nodded. She used Korean to explain that to the rest of her class and the owners of the two names on the board were visibly upset. I told them I would erase their names today if they said they would be good tomorrow. After they both said they would be good, I erased their names. Kate wanted a high five. Grace later kept asking me how many dollars I had, starting with billion. She shows signs of being an exceptionally motivated student.

Teaching English

Today was my first day at Jungchul Jr. I really enjoyed it, but I am exhausted. I haven't adjusted to the sleep schedule and working until 8 PM. My first class didn't understand most of what I said, but when I asked them to say what I did, they were entirely aware of running, walking, scratching my head, closing my eyes, and pinching my nose. Strange vocabulary choices for kindergarteners. The students were very friendly. Apparently, Americans love to hear how handsome they are. Nearly a third of the students told me how handsome I was. Henry had his students memorize speeches for their introductions to me. The format was always the same: state their name, tell me how good they were to see me, give their name and ask a question. Where are you from? Do you have a girlfriend? Will you marry Anne? Do you have children? What did you do before coming to Korea? Do you speak Korean? Do you like Korea? Do you believe in an afterlife? Wait, what? Do I believe in an afterlife? Is that really something you ask someone on the first day you meet them? I had to ask the teacher what religion the students were before I felt comfortable answering. I just spouted out some oneness theorizing and was generally vague about answering the question. The younger students were eager to learn, but also rambunctious and noisy. The older students, while highly intelligent and bearing strong vocabularies, were not motivated and rather unhappy to still be at school at seven o'clock at night. The Toeic class was definitely the best. The student's understanding of English was fantastic, but the material was a drab as the weather. I felt sorry for them, what with the course of their lives having already been plotted. I've already learned so much about the culture. Independence and questioning are absent, but not frowned upon. Some of the students' personalities shone brilliantly as soon as I walked through the door, even -- if not especially -- the quiet ones.

Yesterday I went to the Lotte Mart, which is much like a four story Walmart. It was quite and ordeal and as we were walking out, I realized I had bought far too much stuff. I walked a block with the box and then Michael walked a block with the box. That was as far as we could go. I ended up having to leave a bag behind a bush and come back for it. Still, I didn't make it out with rice or soy sauce or cleaning materials. I don't have bedsheets or toilet paper or salt. We probably looked really funny sharing the weight of an eighty pound box. On the way back we saw some dog food. Not the kind that you feed to dogs, but the kind the dog feeds to you (with his life). Eight months is the proper amount of time to grow a dog before it is ripe for the eating. That is certainly something I will have to try. I had chewmupbahp during a short lunch break. It was 1000 Won and did well to fill my belly for a couple of hours.

I am just getting used to life here, and I am certain I will like it. However, today was exhausting. My body was awake for nine hours before I had to turn on my mind for class. That is too long of a gap to be realistically charged for teaching. In celebration of Tony's last day of teaching, we all had strawberry wine. It was fantastically sweet and quite tart. Since beer is not a realistic option here, I think I must find a new drink. Strawberry wine is a strong possibility. Sogu is a national drink, but taste like a sugary Skoal vodka.

We ordered Chinese delivery from the restaurant next door to Jungchul and it was fairly tasty. The kimchi was foul however. Not spicy and too crunchy. The delivery was brought in dishes and with silverware. The delivery person will come back and pick up the dirty dishes after you eat and leave your dishes outside your door. Totally unsanitary, but better than the kitchen at work, which has no soap. Even McDonald's delivers, and they leave you with the plates as well.

I am starting to understand customs. I am not really turned off by the notion of eating a dog -- cute as they may be. I think distancing yourself from your food shows great weakness, and the consuming of dogs reflects a realization that meat is flesh and once was living.

First Night In. First Night Out.

As I look out the 40-story counterparts of my hotel-like apartment, I realize I am seeing it in the light of day for the first time. The narrow corridor between the main apartment and outside -- like and enclosed balcony -- is filled with light. The sun is way up, and it's almost noon. My head hurts and it pulsates with every footstep. Last night, after dinner, I was somehow convinced to go into Hongdae.

---

I got of the plane and went to the rendezvous point, where I was greeting by a smiling tiny man. He tried with all his might to lift my bag, but eventually he physically suggested we carry it together. I got in the taxi, which looked like a cheap nightclub on the inside. The checkerboard vinyl was peeling off the walls and the leather cushioning on the ceiling might have prevented injury, but so would a seatbelt.

I arrived at my apartment and everyone was outside to greet me, including the director. As we walked through the door, I stepped into the room to take my boots off. I was not supposed to do that and Mr. Kwak was shocked I stepped out of the shoe area. He stayed for a little while, but departed shortly and I was left with my coworkers. After telling me they wear their shoes inside all the time, they asked what I wanted to do, and we resolved to go to the rotisserie duck house and have some beer.

The food was delicious and cooked right in front of you. I tried kimchi for the first time and it was pretty good. Definitely not great, but good and spicy. The duck and onion lettuce wrap was really good. Instead of going back home, we decided to go out and meet Mike in Hongdae, the area around Hongik University where most of the students party. Tony did not tell me that it was a 40 minute bus ride, and we drank a lot of beer. Ben suggested I pee out the back window, but I peed in my mostly empty beer can. Turns out there was more beer in it than I thought, and I quickly filled it and was overflowing on the floor of the bus. Within minutes there was a grid of urine covering the floor. I was pretty nervous as it rolled right by the driver.

We got down to Hongdae and went to The Ho Bar, which was on top of Ho III Bar, which was on top of Ho Ten Bar. We went clubbing at a few places. One of which had bars running throughout solely for the purpose of dancing on the bar. There were people everywhere.

November 2

All throughout October and early November, people have told me how to feel about the probable take over of Congress by Republicans. Presidential historians point out the Eisenhower and Clinton presidencies, suggesting that Republican take over ensures re-election of the president. Republican pundits believe their leaders will overturn heathcare and show this government how to balance the budget. But how naïve do you have to be?

Republicans have never been the party of fiscal responsibility. Truly, it is the party of deluded poor imagining that they are rich. The only tax cut Obama wants to do away with apply to the richest 2% of Americans, yet 51% of Americans are outraged by Obama tax hikes, something he never suggested. When asked how decreasing federal revenue could lead to a balanced budget, Republicans talk about discretionary spending, but never specifically. They often banter about never touching “defense” spending or social security, but even eliminating everything else and reinstating Bush tax cuts leaves us in a deficit.

A recession or depression is the right time to run deficits. Either people spend, businesses spend, or the government spends. Under Bush all three spent carelessly and frivolously. Now those frivolous spenders (John Boehner) want to accuse Obama of frivolous spending in a time when government spending is life-support for the American economy.

The problem is really quite obvious. Americans -- through media outlets, twitter, 30 second commercials, etc. -- have lost their attention span. The attention span is the last victim of the short-term American mentality. Capitalism has brought about greed, selfishness, short-sightedness, and generational tyranny. Those who will get stuck with the bill of federal spending are not voting for Republicans, yet that is what Republicans ran on. It is what they ran on, but it is not what they have or ever will do. Those who voted them in on those principles have been sucking the lifeblood from my generation and my children’s generation. Or -- they voted for economic reasons. Republicans plan on fixing the economy by fixing “small businesses” -- which, by the way, are NOT owned by the richest 2% of Americans. Funny how those two issues Republicans ran on are diametrically opposite to one another.

That isn’t the problem though.

The problem is that we are so stupid that we not only let them get away with it -- we not only let them win -- we voted for them.

Because I watched MSNBC Tuesday night and Jon Stewart compared MSNBC to Fox News, I now know how it feels to be a Republican and watch Fox. The bias approach to media - we say what you think and what you want to hear - was always a shod coming from Fox News. But now, coming from MSNBC, it feels good. It feels right and it feels true. I now see what a faggot-hating, pro-trailer-trash-mama-of-eight, RPG-toting, war-mongering, education-hating, money-grubbing Republican wants in a one-sided “news” report.

Must we choose between left-prejudiced MSNBC, right-prejudiced Fox News, idiotic CNN, or missing-white-child Headline News. Have all networks lost their sense of duty? To call yourself a reporter, start acting like one. Things have changed. Information is freely available to everyone who seeks it -- but it must be sought. Anyone can go out and obtain that knowledge for you, delete the extraneous (along with a few counterarguments), and present facts for exactly what you want to hear. Since 50% of the population are Republicans, some will want their information this way. A larger portion of liberals however seek info themselves, and therefore are dissatisfied with mainstream media outlets. This explains how Fox News is by far the most trusted name is News. “I trust your motive matches mine in projecting these data and obscuring those.

The Troubles of a Wandering Soul

I just left Boulder. Trying to fight off the terrible feeling inside has made me feel hollow inside, has left me hoping to deal with it. I have never felt so sad to leave home. Boulder was home to me for four years of my life. I made more best friends in Boulder than anywhere I have ever been. I will miss infinitely my friends on 1060 14th street, 880 18th street, and 2135 Goss street. There are more friends within walking distance than I could ever ask for in my life. I hope some day I can feel that way again. But as I watched Willie leave, I knew I had to move on. I will never forget the memories I have made and the memories I have forgotten.

I want to be in Boulder right now. However, I know to develop myself as a person I must continue moving. If I am not moving forward, I am falling behind. There is no work for me in the United States, and I need to advance my career. I always need to be moving forward and in order to do that, I have to see more of the world.

But when I think rationally, I can trace those feelings back to Flogsta 3-540. I miss Christian, Ivan, Ryan, and everyone there. Even back to high school, I miss Justin, Wren, Sarah, Mayo, and Zach. I even miss Chase and Tyler. But there is something different about Boulder -- a society of people who care about the unseen and unheard, who want to make the world a better place, who think like I do.

Every business owner I worked with was honest and caring. People passing on the street are kind and the beer flows like wine. I can't imagine a better place, and for that, I will return. I have no intention of voiding Boulder as my home. My home it is and my home it will remain. While I am sad to say goodbye, I am optimistic about my future and the places I will see.

The Creativity Gap

Our country is credited with a history of creative adventures. From the Wright brothers to Bill Gates, ingenuity has had an apparent effect on our country's successfulness. However, in recent history it would appear that creativity has diminished -- more specifically, has been diminished. Now creativity is incidental as a means to wealth.

The effect of this is no more obvious than the invention of the iPhone, its applications, and the iPad. These technological devices are no more creative than a click-top pen, yet they have provided great wealth and comfort to both their users and inventors. Creativity no longer stems from a desire to do things no one has done (like making cars affordable to all consumers, bringing internet interface to the public, and flying), but is now only a means to make wealth -- usually from either tricking people into thinking they need things they seldom want or making life easier, more comfortable, or more controlled.

Let me start with two examples that are both locally applied and directly involved in my life. The first is a website called HungryBuffs. HungryBuffs provides an online interface for ordering food from delivery or takeout restaurants. The idea, in and of itself, is not necessarily bad; however, the site charges 50 cents per order. The order has to be filled in by the customer, faxed to the restaurant, and re-entered by employees. This typically takes the same amount of time for both the customer and the employee, but separates these incidents in time. People often call wondering whether the order had been placed or why it was taking so long and both answers can be explained by the different attentiveness given to a ringing phone and a ringing fax. A HungryBuffs order (once completed by the customer) takes 5-10 minutes longer than an order that has been phoned in. Customers don't have the opportunity to ask about specials and employees don't have an opportunity to offer cheaper prices on the meals selected online. A credit card number must be entered twice (once by the customer and once by the employee) instead of just once by the employee. So the real question is: What is the benefit? The answer is simple: the customer does not have to interact with humans to get their food. The transaction can be entirely mechanized on their end. Many people seem to prefer this to talking to someone on the other end. This manipulation of human weakness and isolationism earns the owner of HungryBuffs 50 cents per order.

The second example of "ingenuity" in my community is the Flatirons Meal Plan. The Flatirons Meal Plan (FMP) allows parents (usually of students) to provide their children with a food allowance. This food allowance can only be used to eat out at restaurants or shop at a select few markets. The markets sell alcohol, cigarettes, chips, ice, ice cream, and even hookahs. If students can buy cigarettes with their meal plan, the sense of control is mostly illusory. Secondly, the FMP charges businesses an 8% interest on all orders and requires a separate card terminal and line. The line is usually slow and often disconnects in the middle of transactions. Even though the price is not visibly adjusted for the FMP, the long-term cost of accepting the FMP causes prices to rise. For what purpose? So that parents can believe they have control over a certain part of their children's consumption? In all actuality, they still have no more control than if they were to have sent cash. Even if that goal was achieved, what would be the result? These college students would not know anything about handling money, formulating a budget, or being responsible for themselves in any way. The FMP also helps promoting eating out at restaurants for people who do not have budgeting skills. Could one ask for a better explanation of how our culture has become so irresponsibly consumptive?

If all ingenuity and creativity are geared towards increased consumption, has it always been that way? I don't think so. The internet was not created to sell goods or advertising space. It was created as a way for the military and universities to communicate complex information over long distances. As it gradually become more accessible to the public, it became a place where small businesses could do commerce at an exponentially lower cost. Hoorah! to that, but major suppliers gradually consolidated most online businesses and smaller businesses failed en masse in the 90s. The Wright brothers were nowhere near as financially successful as J. D. Rockefeller who did nothing creative, rather he used consolidated wealth to consolidate more wealth. Even today, the industry based on their invention is still borderline profitable. Yet, people fly with incredible frequency and trips across oceans take a fraction of the amount of time they used to take.

Henry Ford was a man who was idealized as a capitalist. Most Americans would pin him as someone who would fight for lower taxes, less regulation, and more corporate control. However, within his own company, he could have been loosely defined as a socialist. He utilized the assembly line to drive down the cost of production for his Model-T car. He focused on producing only one vehicle for all Americans to enjoy. The cost of the Model-T was $290 -- less than $3,000 in 2010 dollars. He often said that he wanted his employees well paid and products well produced so that all of his employees could afford one. His intentions were clearly noble, and they gave us the American car for Americans.

I have often mentioned how upsetting it is that the American car companies were bailed out in 2008. I wanted to see them collapse. They represented a short-term tactic of marketing and sales (and therefore production to meet the market needs) that was utterly unsustainable. After they failed to anticipate and adapt to the change in times, selective-oligarchic-"socialism" kicked in. This kind of socialism allows for no control for socialist stock-holders (taxpayers). The primary problem with this is that even after the bailout, the American automobile companies advertised using swinging trucks, fire, cliffs, and Big! Strong! Man! tactics. The cycle of advertising to create tastes and then responding to those tastes led these companies to be selling ridiculous and barely functional machines. Well, just the other day I saw a Toyota commercial with a spiral track of fire running up and up and up and this big, manly truck blasting up it with masculine disregard for reality and it made me laugh. It was basically a spit in the face to the American companies -- a way of saying "We can do it all and you can't do a thing!" Then, it went on to say that 90% of Toyota cars sold in America, were made in America. Toyota is expressing ingenuity in construction, productivity, durability, and functionality... while American car companies are expressing ingenuity in road-hogging, bone-crushing size, pretty buttons, new blinky lights, cup holders, and billions of dollars in marketing to our collective id.

So, in conclusion, I proffer my argument to anyone who believes that higher taxes will stifle ingenuity. This belief is rooted in the philosophy that those who create are motivated by money. However, I retort that we do not want these people in our societies. "Creative" ideas that come from people seeking wealth are seldom good ideas. They may seem incredibly profitable and useful in the short-term, but often provide significant negative consequences in the long-term.

Our Inheritance

Recently, I have been reading the literature of and speaking with members of my father's generation, Generation X. Thomas Freidman detailed the hardships of the Baby Boomers -- both in war and in the post-war, modernization era. He spoke of their difficult choices, the sacrifices they made, and the leadership spirit of the times.

I look now at the mind of the times. What great things have the entrepreneurial spirit brought us? iPhone applications? Twitter-ed down politics? Giant televisions? Wasn't there a time when capitalism brought us things that increase productivity instead of decrease it? Americans now spend more time than ever working. The average American works a 46 hour long work week, only to come home and spend 28 hours watching tv. No one seems to be happy with themselves.

But Generation X seems to be optimistic about our generation. They see the drive and initiative of a select youth to make the world a sustainable and better place to live. They see our intention to fight the problems they have created as proof the outlook is getting better for the U.S., but I don't see it that way. I think our generation will be just as selfish and shortsighted as Generation X. What sacrifices have we been forced to make?

What right do they have to be optimistic? While our generation strongly supported the election of Barack Obama and has shown the same gusto for environmentally sustainable goods and services as the youth in the sixties and seventies, there isn't much else to rely on. Even as the first Earth Day was celebrated, Generation X was preparing to ruin the country for the revolutionaries. What are the grounds for new expectations? I foresee history repeating itself: a generation showing support for sacrifices and selflessness only to be trumped by a generation who cares only about making a soft, cushy life for themselves at the expense of previous and future generations.

Tax Here!

Taxation without reconsideration.

Why do we pay income taxes? The answer most give has something to do with the 16th Amendment, but maybe that answer is not the right answer because that question is not the right question. Why do we still pay income taxes? There have been a number of advances in tax systems since the advent of income tax. For example, we now have the sales tax -- a flat-rate tax that usually has exemptions for food. In parts of the world, we have also seen the advent of petrol taxes, energy taxes, and CO2 taxes. Sin taxes make cigarettes in New York more than twice the price of cigarettes in New Orleans. There has even been discussion of a "Twinkie tax" and a "Fresh Patent tax" among fiscally responsible citizens.

But back to the income tax. Let's look at the upside. Income tax is fairly simple, often filed by employers, and easy to make progressive. However, the income tax system has several drawbacks. (1) Income tax promotes a consumption-driven culture. If you have already paid taxes on money that you haven't spent yet, there isn't much motivation to save it (thereby subjecting yourself to further taxation). Your motivation is to go ahead and spend it. (2) Nearly half of Americans don't pay income tax. Just because you make $20,000 a year doesn't mean you aren't buying diamonds, cable television, alcohol, and fast food. Many people who don't pay taxes fail to contribute substantially to this country, while still making a very cozy life for themselves. (3) The income tax system can be subverted by the incredibly wealthy through the use of tax shelters. Tax shelters allow individuals (but usually corporations) to pay taxes in a low-tax country simply by locating a trading post there.

We are in the bowels of a recession that many believe was exacerbated by frivolous loaning, borrowing, and spending. A large portion of Americans have negative net worth from borrowing more than they can hope to reasonably repay. A system that motivates saving may seem like it would be bad for the country's businesses and therefore bad for us a whole, but for many individuals it will prove lifesaving. If we can retain 90% of the motivation to earn instead of 90% of the motivation to spend, we could be in a much better place as a country.

There are several changes to tax law that could motivate savings in various areas. The first and most obvious example coming to my mind is the energy tax. Energy companies are enabled by the government. You seldom see an energy provider trying to outbid a competitor for your patronage. That is because competition is stifled in energy. The government is responsible for that, and that is in the best interest of you, the consumer. I don't want to imagine a world where roads, electricity, and schools are run like airlines, the big three, or insurance companies. If you were motivated as an individual household to reduce your energy consumption you certainly could. However, you are not. Energy is extremely cheap because what you pay doesn't cover pollution, environmental degradation, future scarcity, or fluctuations in demand. If you had to pay a flat rate of 10 cents a kWh (about what you pay now), but a %100 tax between 3 and 6 PM, would you do your laundry right when you got home from work? If you had to pay a %100 tax all the time, would you double check to make sure you haven't left lights on inside as you leave for the day? A tax that motivates saving by eliminating things that are often unnecessary or untimely (peaking demand hours, construction of additional powerplants, dirtier air and water, and high overall consumption) can ultimately help do away with a burdensome and cruel income tax.

Another tax I am a big fan of is the "Sin" tax. As a smoker and a heavy drinker, you might find that a bit self-deprecating, but I enjoy these things as they truly are -- luxuries. Anyone who can afford to buy these things can afford a tax paired with it. For alcohol, a percent tax is important, but it might be more effective to also tax alcohol/ethanol/(C2H5OH), the ingredient that gets you drunk. I came up with this equation for the impairment tax:

(ounces*abv)/300=tax

Examples:

12-12oz bottles of Heineken (%5 abv)

normally $12.99

10% federal sin tax = $1.30

impairment tax = $2.40

new price = $16.69; % increase = 28.4%

22oz La Folie New Belgium beer (6% abv)

normally $12.99

10% federal sin tax = $1.30

impairment tax = $0.44

new price = $14.73; % increase = 13.4%

1.75L (59oz) McCormick's Raspberry Vodka (40% abv)

normally $15.99

10% federal sin tax = $1.60

impairment tax = $7.86

new price = $25.45; % increase = 59.2%

1.75 (59oz) Patron Silver (40% abv)

normally $79.99

10% federal sin tax = $7.80

impairment tax $7.86

new price = $95.65; % increase = 19.6%

Let's put that into terms of government dollars. The National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism reported that in 2000, the per capita annual consumption of alcohol was 2.18 gallons. Let's use 2 gallons to be conservative. 300 million people, of which about 40 million are under 21.

260 million * (128 ounces * 100%)/300

That's 11 billion dollars a year.

And what if it is not?

The result is less absolute alcohol consumed in this country.

Two good incentives, one great tax.

To some this may look like a regressive tax system, and in a way it is. However, in the big picture it is a luxury tax, because alcohol is a luxury good.

Petrol tax is even better. Imagine: cleaner air, similar gas prices (resultant of lowered demand), more U.S. government funds, and fewer funds for corrupt Saudi, Nigerian, and Venezuelan governments.

Most of all, I am in love with the "Twinkie Tax" that promises to revitalize the health of our youth. The algorithm for that tax might look something like these (although I admit, it needs improvement):

(A) = [(calories from fat * 3) - total calories] / 10 = %tax

(B) = fat + (saturated fat*2) - (carbs/4 - sugar) - (protein) = %tax

(units in grams)

throw a McDonald's Quarter Pounder in there:

calories:410, calories from fat:170

(A) 10% tax

total fat:19, saturated fat:7, carbs:37, sugar:8, protein:24

(B) 7.75% tax

then, to test the algorithm, a McDonald's Southwest Salad with grilled chicken:

calories:320, calories from fat:80

(A) -8% tax (subsidy or zero percent tax)

total fat:9, sat fat:3, carbs:30, sugar:11, protein:30

(B) -11.5% tax

I know I need to account for cholesterol and sodium as well, but as I said the algorithm needs improvement. It ought to be calculated using %DV. More on that later...

Isn't it time we stopped punishing people for making money in this country? Our government needs money. Let's get it from the fat drunks, lazy smokers, wasteful litterers, and those whose daily dealings aren't contributing to a better nation.