Song Meanings

I recently subscribed to this site and it is perfect for my wandering mind. They list lyrics to songs with commentary of users trying to interpret them. There is nothing I love more than trying to fing the deeper meaning of things, i often manage to dive at least 35 feet below where the real meaning ends but I often sound intelligent anyway. Just a couple moments ago I was listening to The Boy with the Arab Strap, and a unique idea hit me that this guy is talking (or singing) to himself. The other seventeen comments talk about the more obvious and likely ideas and are probably right, but to have a nice place to stick in my own two cents is somehow deeply gratifying.

That's where I make my point. Right there. This internet culture of self-expression is a unique communications tool. People can purge the strangest thoughts that they might normally tell no one, or the thoughts everyone is too busy to hear. And it doesn't matter. I am not the supplier, I am the consumer on this site reaping the rewards of catharsis in exchange for viewing a couple ads and some typing. And the knowledge that someone might eventually hear these words, even a complete stanger, makes this blog worthwhile.

And the effects that this technology has on the bigger picture, the weirdness of mankind is revealed to the world. An entirely unique cluster of minicultures is forming, isolated from the competition of the real world, like a small pine given sunlight in the middle of a hardwood forest. What does this mean for the real world exactly, will it cease to exist beyond the consumerism that feeds our functioning. Will we now leave our homes only to shop at Walmart and work? Is society hiding from his annoying neighbor in favor of the peers and similar intrests on the internet? I hope it doesn't come to that

A Strange Indiffernece For Israel's side

Yesterday, in retaliation to the Hamas rockets launched into Israel, Israeli airplanes bombed the homes of multiple members of Hamas, including Nizar Rayan, a man in the organization's higher echelon. Nearby homes were destroyed in the process however the occupants were warned of the strike beforehand and escaped. The man's four wives and 9 out of the ten children he had left (two of his sons were suicide bombers) died in the air strike. Isreal is at war once again and nobody seems to notice. The picture ran in associated press articles displayed an Israeli woman protesting her own nations choice to retaliate.

Normally I wouldn't have paid much attention. Israel is fighting to regain the Gaza strip. What else is new? But the woman caught my attention. Why would she protest? Hamas has been arranging to make a map without Israel since 1987. They have injected their suicide bombers into Israel, invoking fear and driving the Israelis out their homes and businesses. All of that and this woman is against her govt.'s air strike?

Small protests are popping up all over the globe outside of Israeli embassies and government buildings. (Which I also find strange since President Elect Barack Obama has refrained from blaming the Bush administration for anything bryond the federal deficit and the invasion of Iraq. Apparently it's still fashionable to blame George Bush for everything bad in the universe.) People seem to forget that Hamas has been smuggling arms into homes and public infrastructure. People seem to forget the rockets that were launched at Israel only several weeks ago. This is war and Hamas is literally hiding behind schools and civilians in this war. If mortar is flying out of a large building upon your soldiers, you had better do something about it. The Hamas govt. is literally taking its children hostage by taking this war to the interior of the city. This international sympathy is exactly what it wants too. It is a cowardly decision and in effect the world has forgotten why Israel is in Gaza. All we know is that Israel is killing kids, and the papers focus on that.