A study

So I wanna test some theories...

Basically, in a recent class of mine, psych 280, the professor mentioned one of his studies. In brief, that study indicated that persons surveyed who used Facebook frequently had a relatively high dissatisfaction of life. This stuck with me. There is also strong evidence that suggests a person's satisfaction of life is affected by the comparisons they make. Specifically, by comparing your success to more successful person, you'll survey as having higher dissatsifaction then if  you compare your success to persons less successful. Armed with this information, I'm planning on starting an experiment. as follows

Hypothesis: Because Facebook promotes high social monitoring in it's users there is a disproportionate representation of 'positive' status updates on Facebook. This results in frequent users' having a relatively low satisfaction of life.
Thesis: Increasing the frequency of 'negative' or depressive status updates should correlate positively to satisfaction of life in Facebook friends relative to the frequency of Facebook use. Therefore, if all my future status updates of my Facebook profile reflect negative events, the attitudes of Facebook friends should trend upwards in satisfaction of life.

However, I'm lost in coming up with an method to accurately measure the feelings and attitudes pre-experiment and post-experiment of Facebook friends. First thought is by survey, but I lack much of the authority required to get reliable survey results from people (at lest so i think). The alternative is to subjectively record the number and rate the degree of positive/negative posts on Facebook. the obvious problem is that I start with the assumption that people, more often then otherwise, display themselves in a positive light on Facebook. So that Facebook is an inaccurate reflection of actual feelings/attitudes. Maybe I could ask a select group of people to engage reflectively each week and record the number of times and duration they use Facebook and their mood at those times and weigh that against the number and popularity and mood of posts I record daily on Facebook.

...this all seems like something I should ask the Psych department at ISU about.

anyway, stay well, love, Marcus Miranti

2010, a revisit

how can one quantify life? the number of cheeseburgers eaten? how many friends you have? the ease of living?

I always subscribed to the idea that we are built of our experiences. Our souls are shaped by the experiences of life. As Lisa Simpson once told Bart, "nobody is born with a soul [it must be] earn[ed] through suffering and thought and love."


Looking back over the past year is an enormous endeavor. On the first, I entered 2011 much as I entered the world: sick, naked, confused and uncomfortable. Since then, my home was filled memoriums from the past. Reminiscing over shared experiences has brought our Ghosts - souls- closer together. Sharing the new events in our lives and creating even newer ones.

To stretch the growth analogy further, much as life most likely originated on the rock shores of the primordial sea. This year starts in the tumultuous turmoil of uncertain, war, economic and political strife. Yet, even now society evolves legs, lungs, eyes. Maybe it will develop means to communicate and work together with it's dissenting parts.

By title, you expected some sorta list of greatest and worst moments. At the very least a fictionalization of 2010 to reminisce about in 2011.Well, you thought wrong. Actually, I was going to. But I'm way to lazy for that... so enjoy this picture instead

Also, if you haven't already, you should vote down below (it's on the side bar). I'll update on Sunday based on the responses.
-love and peace, Marcus Miranti

Of 神 and Wakȟáŋ Tȟáŋka

Religion.
It seems an ever present force in your culture. It attaches social constructs to otherwise "blank slates." It can introduce rational behavior in a panicked community or disavow rational, logical thought and discussion. It is often (incorrectly) believed that that reason and faith can not coexist. When I say "faith" I mean the complete confidence in person, plan, morality... insert noun. Reason does not deny skepticism nor does it sanctify it either. In turbidatude, one might say that faith in reason is a religion just as faith in Christ is also a religion.

I've never been surprised how a simple statement  can cause such animosity. It's like saying Israelis and Palestinians could be the same peoples.

I've always saved a place in my heart for the ancient religions. The common ones these days, seem to bent on maintaining social status, moral surpremacy, political influence and epistemological prowess.

In an effort to better explore and understand my culture - the human culture- I am enbarking on a search for knowledge. I want to explore older, more traditional style belief systems. Systems like the Lakota Way and Shinto. Both are commonly thought of as Religion but lack many formal aspects that plague so many other Faiths. Namely, they are reminents of Faiths of peoples almost forgot but remained doggedly.

For Shinto, it's core elements are entwined in Japanese culture. It provided (and still might) a basis for Buddhism and Confucianism. The Lakota Way is made of the traditions and history one Native American tribe, the Lakota, who manged to preserve a part of their people. Both utilize dance, song and word-of-mouth story telling in ceremony and practice. More interestingly, both are known for a distinct lack of unified doctrine, and have a abundant absence of scripture.

Not to say neither Shinto nor Lakota  don't use "holy books," rather they are not bond by tome. Of course, modern and contemporary works, thoughts and [mis]understandings are freely available.

-yours in learning, Marcus

there is SOMETHING you should see here

Something, not mine, but i felt was too important to keep to my self.
^ click the link.

i've decided to post my thought until i stop...

I LOVe the fact that the name 'Brian' looks like the word 'brain.'

LOL

'the being smiled at Tony's misery. he dangled losely in it's grip. "why?" tony asked with slow breath, "why are you doing this? why not let me die?"
A sad grinace fell over the being as it looked tony over. "because i can't. And i need entertainment." it was not a boast of boredom or spoken with malice. Tony paused his death far from his mind. He watched sadness seep into the great Dragon's smirk.

whoa!

i wonder what 'soft' is like to cats.

hello cruel world!

ok.
first post in a while. I had a bit of creative writing i wanted to share about this huge man that walked into my restaurant the other day. but instead i'll stall by telling you(all) why i won't be sharing that bit of trivia.

I've reacquainted myself recently with online gaming (for better or worse)with the game, TEAM FORTRESS 2, (i suggest all who've not tested it do so now. they even have a noob server for noobs. and it's not abused, i think.) anyway it's sapped me. also the constant working and cleaning and doing things generally not writing related. However, i realize that with out other content this simply appears as hollow excuses. Letme say this: I was playing (2nite) when someone, overthe voice chat thing was speaking softly and childly. at first i thought nothing of it. eventually it dawned on me that it wasn't mocking child-speak but some sorta eastern European or perhaps Russian language. ...or some other language i've never heard before (believe me there are alot). fun right? lighting peoples' avatars on fire from across the world? i think so.

anyway, i've come to the conclusion to update necessary more regularly (if not consistantly). these pages will now update BIWEEKLY. ...hrmm, that sounds hard. lets start with once a week then move to a biweekly thing... yeah. THESE PAGES WILL UPDATE WEEKLY so, yeah, hurra!?


Marcus

p.s. i gots a new hat.