{"id":1390,"date":"2017-05-08T06:18:27","date_gmt":"2017-05-08T11:18:27","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.gilcanrun.com\/?p=1390"},"modified":"2017-05-08T06:18:27","modified_gmt":"2017-05-08T11:18:27","slug":"its-as-good-a-day-as-any","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/www.gilcanrun.com\/?p=1390","title":{"rendered":"It’s as good a day as any"},"content":{"rendered":"

The change of running schedule has begun. Got up and out this morning<\/a>. Luckily it’s a holiday here so my morning classes have been canceled. So I get to ease into this a little bit. Slept in a little bit and got out for 5 pretty good miles. Sore and tired, but pace was excellent and generally I felt like my form and movement were right on. Apart from my foot, which should be healed up in a week or so, and some soreness in my right Achilles, I’m firing on all cylinders. The tendon may be due to the cut on the toes, because it has appeared since the initial injury. So my footfall may have changed just enough to cause a secondary issue.
\nBut I was running, on a Monday and thinking (I’ve talked about this before) how much people shit on Monday. Because of advertising. Almost all the ideas and attitudes we have in life are a result of advertising. Very rarely do we have a truly original, organic thought. People “hating Mondays” is no exception. What really kills me is when people finally get fed up enough at some aspect of our ad-driven society, and enough people band together and start fighting against it. Other people come in and immediately turn it into the very thing those people were rallying against. They find a way to monetize the situation, insert it into advertising and turn the movement into nothing but a marketing campaign.
\nOne of these recently was a major flop when they got one of those people who are only famous because they’re famous to pretend to be some sort of protester and diffuse a tense standoff with a soft drink. Look at that, no names. Because if I use names, I play their game. I advertise for them, and honestly, that’s what they’re looking for. Every time you use the name of the brand, or the model, they win. Because while a few people who agree with you are going to boycott the product or whatever. The people who aren’t really paying attention, just hear names. Name recognition, brand “awareness” is what they’re after. It’s all horribly cynical.
\nWhenever we’re watching, reading, listening to anything; I truly mean anything books, magazines, newspapers, TV\u00a0shows, movies, comic books, music; we need to always be aware and ask, “What are they trying to sell me?” I do it all the time, but I am lucky in that I have a training in Communications (it’s my Bachelor’s Degree for anyone not aware) so it is second nature to me.
\nBut that’s the other thing, advertising has two ways it can work. The first is that it makes things seem like they’re something they’re not. A friend the other day was shocked to find that Portabello, Crimini, and Button mushrooms are all the same species. This is a perfect example of the first type of advertising.\u00a0Portabello mushrooms did not originate in Italy either. Basically, you make up a story about something to make it seem exciting, “exotic” so people think they’re going on an adventure. Or you just repackage the same thing, so people think they’re getting something different when they really are having the same thing they always have. Usually, you can then charge more too!
\nThe second way advertising works is by making you feel like you aren’t complete, you aren’t happy, unless you have this thing. Now the thing can either be the product, or the result the product supposedly brings you. Look at everything, clothing, makeup, exercise equipment, diet plans, gym memberships, iPhones, all of these things and so much more. You’re not beautiful unless you have this makeup line, you’re not attractive if you have fat here, or weigh x amount. You’re not cool unless you’re wearing this t-shirt. You can’t succeed unless you have this electronic device. Women won’t want you if you don’t drink this thing, drive this car, wash with this product.
\nIn order to keep our economy running, which in itself oppresses people, we had to create an industry which centers around either lying to you, or making you feel like you are deficient. The entire system functions this way. Even the people telling you to love yourself are telling you the problem is that you don’t love yourself enough! Absolutely, you should love everything about you. But it’s not up to someone else to judge whether or not you have done “enough”. We’re all trained to believe we have to measure up to some standard. You don’t, you rock, as long as you’re not harming others you’re alright. But, unless someone asks me for an honest assessment of their situation, I nor anyone else has no right to judge that person, once again up until they harm another. I really think the old, old philosophers were onto something when they struck on that idea. I think we need to look at our laws, and our constitutions and readjust them based on this premise. And no, offending your sensibilities isn’t harm. Harm is being injurious. Basically, this idea outlaws all sorts of vile things, including war and modern advertising. This does not bother me at all. And no, you can’t tell me advertising isn’t injurious when you see some many people harming themselves because of advertising, in the form of eating disorders, self-harm, etc.
\nSo that’s where I’m at today, stop following fashion, stop listening to advertising, stop keeping up with the Cardassians (see what I did there, I’m funny too!), stop and let the whole machine slow down, let it grind down. Because we need to break it, or it will break us. There’s a fight to be had when it does break down, keep that in mind. There will be struggle, as those who already have so much try and take what’s left for themselves. Because it’s a lie too. They already “own” it. You don’t own your house, a bank does, you don’t own your car, a bank does. They own the land, not you, because they will take it from you when they want. If the law isn’t on their side, they’ll change the law. So we either need to lobby to change things, or we just need to crash the system and fight it out with those who hold the resources and tell us there isn’t enough for everyone.
\n“In this world there is room for everyone. And the good earth is rich and can provide for everyone. The way of life can be free and beautiful, but we have lost the way.<\/em>” \u00a0-The Dictator starring Charlie Chaplin
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