What's luck got to do with it?

After many late nights, I arrived at work yesterday morning in desperate need of a caffeine fix. Much to my dismay I realized I had forgotten my thermos. Getting a coffee in a disposable cup is not a valid option for me anymore and so I decided to struggle through the work day. Around 1:00 pm, after multiple occasions of closing my heavy eyes and doing the head bob while programming, having a coffee was unavoidable. So, I ventured down to the bookstore to buy a travel mug. Unhappy about having to spend $14 when there was a perfectly good thermos waiting at home, I moped all the way to the cash register. When the cashier scanned my mug we were shocked when the till showed $7. He speculated it was on sale although there weren't any signs, and completed the transaction. Score!! Now, most would summarize that it's just a little luck and wonder why I'm relating such a boring story. Luck, shmuck! Personally, I believe the universe was passing along a 'thank you Samina for doing the right thing' message and I can't help but smile every time I see my beautiful new coffee mug and a garbage can that's not lined with disposable cups.

In my humble opinion

During a lunch time debate, my ‘opponents’ tried to convince me that capitalism is congruent with human nature. Since the waitress arrived before the argument could continue and I couldn't get my opinion in, I'm getting some things off my chest.

Their pro-capitalist argument was based on the assumption that human nature is inherently greedy and competitive. An opinion shared by a lot of people as I'm discovering. Whether greed motivates or is a consequence of the system, it is not fair making such a generalization. It we are greedy by nature then how do we explain selflessness, altruism, and social cooperation, which can be observed throughout the world and read about in history books? There are people who thrive in a capitalist state without being corrupted by it and have defined themselves by other more desirable human qualities.

Capitalism is nothing more than another man made system that a certain subset has chosen to implement and follow. Class divided societies and private property have really only existed for 10,000 years. Were early homo sapiens completely misguided and ignoring their natural instinct by functioning as nomadic hunter gatherers for million of years? Even today there are small communities around the world that thrive on the concept of labor exchange and communal agriculture.

It's important not to mix environmentally influenced behavior with human nature. The fact is, our nature gives us the ability to be adaptable and makes choices. The socio economic systems set in place throughout the world are ever evolving theories based on the needs of current societies. Taking full advantage of a system that measures success by gains of wealth and material possessions and then allowing that system to alter your moral fiber is a matter of choice. However, it’s ridiculous to blame human nature for all the negative consequences associated with such a decision.

Fuckity Fuck Fuck

I enjoy a good swear as much as any foul mouthed bastard. I particularly enjoy the word 'fuck' because, when used in context, it carries a lot of weight. It can be an effective way of expressing anger and generating sympathy during moments of frustration, it helps convey great satisfaction in how wonderful something turned out, or, with the right sexual partner, well, I'll censor myself here and just say it can be a fun tool for seduction. But, when spoken inappropriately, it loses all effectiveness and makes one seem vulgar. As an insult in a heated argument it's simply childish and it sounds crass when it accents the punchline of a joke. Unfortunately, comedian Lewis Black didn't understand the latter during his performance last night and I wasn't impressed.

As an American, Mr. Black started out his act commenting on Canada's gloomy weather. After generating some giggles by mentioning how gray the weather was he proceeded to shout "fuck fuckity gray fuck gray" multiple times. The audience laughed hysterically. I did not. Is that seriously considered funny? How does profanely repeating the same point over and over again pass for humor? 'Fuck this', 'Fuck that' continued the entire show and although his act had elements of intelligent and amusing social/political observations, its impact was lost in the excessive use of profanity.

During the standing ovation he undeservedly received, I felt all alone and unjustified in my disapproval. As we departed I decided not to express my opinion and avoid possibly ruining the experience for my friends, who convinced me he was worth seeing. But inside I lamented over the $50 that was wasted on the ticket. It was with pleasant surprise that I listened to their reviews and learned that they felt the same. Immediately, I was comforted by the discussion of critical analysis that followed our expressed disappointment. In hindsight, $50 doesn't seem like such a big price to pay to realize that I am surrounded by fucking great friends.