J. Jason Lazarus Blog

So this weekend I picked up Ayn Rand’s Anthem from Barnes and Noble - and I’ve already finished it. Not much of an accomplishment being that it barely clicks in at 100 pages, but nonetheless, very much worth a read. Really brought me back to all those horribly thought-provoking mindlessly-circular arguments back when we read Huxley’s Brave New World in high school.

Well, let me explain myself. Thought provoking arguments aren’t a problem - it’s how mindlessly circular they become in high school. You’ve got a room full of idealic individualists yearning to recite virtually the same exact thing as the person to the right of them yet desperately attempting to make their point more convoluted and thought-provoking than the previous person - all in a vain attempt to make the person to the left of them seem like a facist pig.

In all honesty, these type of books aren’t ones for book clubs, discussion groups or, above all else, high school English classes. They are for introspection and self-realization and in all honesty, bringing them into a forum where one view trumps over another seems to go against the overall reasoning behind the writing itself - to embrace individualism!

Even so, here I am, writing my thoughts down about it. It’s always interesting reading books about a “big brother” type world now, 50-100 years after their publication and just standing in awe that back then they thought we would be so close to a Brave New World then that surely, by now, all would be lost. We stand now 23 years after 1984 and we still have people reciting that governments are one step (and only one step) from becoming the thought police. Somehow, as cautious as my viewpoint on such subjects may be, I waryingly assert that we’re no closer to a unified thought-controlled future than we were back when these apocalyptic were first published.

Needless to say, even though I say that, there’s no reason NOT to be worried. What worries me more than the thought police is this natural progression lately toward the word “we” rather than “I” - the individual seems to be shrouded in this massive “we” - nonetheless loosely defined as it may be, the individual seems to have no power - it is a group of individuals that say “we” are discriminated - “we” are without rights - power is in “we” and yet all these books suggest that after we lose all our rights, the only power will reside in the “I”?

All individual flavor of desire and passion is lost when we rely on the “we” and yet, we’re constantly reminded that without “we”, the “I’s” can’t do anything. Yet, scientific advances suffer because there isn’t enough “we” going around - finances always play a roll in scientific endevours and why invest in something that isn’t going to outright help the “I”? Yet, the financial world is built on millions of “I’s” unaware of each other - unaware of the implied “we”.

It’s a very convoluted issue - is Ayn Rand and the rest right - that Ego, the reincorporation of the superior “I” versus “we” in modern society - are these things that will set us free or will any sole reliance of either one of these words and not the other be our demise? Should we consider all courses of action from the usage of both rather than blindly assume its one or the other? Are mindless pursuits of the individual any better when you get the masses involved or are the masses ruining the progression of the few - assuming the few will share?

I suggest that “I” can ruin all of us nearly as much as “we” - contrast how so many suggest that Communism only works in theory with how our Democracy works. Is our democracy anywhere near the utopic “I” we strive for? If it were, would it work any better than Communism?

It is through the moderate use of both tactics that we find an amenable midground that gives us all the freedom “I” want and yet the power to change the world for the better, for all of “us”. That is to say, there are times to forget the “I” just as one must fall away from the “we” to make things better.

Yeah, ok that’s enough thinking for now. Comments are welcome.

I got a new lens for my Digital Rebel this week - a 50mm with a f/1.8 - I’ve been running around for months with just the standard 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 that came with it and I never understood until I got this lens the true amount of hinderance the basic lens causes. This is a perfect example of a photo I could’ve never gotten with the previous lens - the new one allows a significantly more shallow depth of field at the same distance and boy, is it ever worth the $75 for it.
Although a good portrait lens it’ll work great for all that I’ve got planned for this summer - the wider aperture will also allow a healthier amount of light in those dark dingy buildings I so frequent - allowing for more *ahem* reasonable exposure times.
In other words, yay for me finding something to be giddy about with photography - lets hope I do more with my talent this summer than simply dispense my knowledge of it.
And, also it’s worth mentioning that I love my wife very much and I’ve finally taken a picture of her that she actually likes. It took over four years of being together to finally do it, but I did it. This is now my favorite image of her - as simple as the shot may be, it shows exactly what I see in my wife every day and what keeps me happy throughout all.

Check this link and go to the last “tip”.

HP wants you to throw your camera - all for the sake of better photos. Amateurs rejoice, boring photo classes (read with heavy, thick sarcasm) aren’t *truly* required for excellence, one only needs to listen to their handy dandy digital camera company for advice on how to make those boring snapshots turn into SNAP!shots. Cause, you know, after all, HP does know a thing or two about… photography…

Yes, throw your camera in the air with the timer on and pray to God that you don’t drop it.

Interestingly enough, HP gives you instructions to throw it but say nothing at all about… catching it.

So, I heard about two weeks ago through Liza that the Burrito House in South Fairbanks was opening up again. Anyone that knew me back in 2003 or 2004 knows how literally holy I held their absolutely scrumptious burritos. I aspired for over a year to make sure that everyone that knew me knew, and loved, the Burrito House. Out of all of my trips with all of my friends to the Burrito House, only one friend didn’t fall in love with it.

We won’t name names, but lets just say they can’t recognize R2D2.

Forgiving them for what has to be a horrible lapse in judgement, everybody loved the Burrito House. Then, for some horribly stupid reason I’m sure, they changed the well-known formula. Started increasing prices and decreasing the size and quality of the burrito’s yummy goodness. Within two times of going to the Burrito House after they changed, I reluctantly gave up on them - painfully parting with a old friend that shouldn’t have died so early in life. I do have to admit that I left them far before the violent death throws were up, but I knew that they were dying and didn’t have to see it to know it.

Soon after, they closed - for what seemed like forever. I got a message from Liza this month that they were reopening and yesterday I gleefully jaunted down to my old stomping ground. In retrospect, it was a quest I should never had ventured on.

Something about keeping the name and not the receipes really gets my goat. In fact, the closest thing they got right was what probably is store-bought pre-seasoned rice. The Burrito was chalk-full of overspiced beans and greasy beef - and that - was it. No fluffy goodness of steaming rice inside, no shredded beef, no jalapenos even offered. To add insult to injury, the regular $7.50 dinner plate was just under $10 now - with even worse quality than when the Burrito House closed.

Ugh. Utter nasty crap gave me indigestion for hours afterwards.

What is really sad about the whole thing is that it makes me realize how many really good local restaurants we’ve lost and saw change in just Fairbanks in the last few years…

Myong’s Terriyaki - admittedly, I didn’t patronize them a lot, but man were they ever good.

Athenian - the best greek food I’ve ever had - and I have no clue why they closed.

Ah Sah Wan - never liked them at all, but it was always fun to go to Chucky Chinese and complain about the food while you ate it.

Jeffery’s - no, not Dillanger’s. I never, never missed Dillanger’s. Their restrictive hours never jived with me but man, the nacho platter that carried over from Jeffery’s was to die for.

Imbiss Shop - this wasn’t what it was called but it was what it was - a German, basically Hot Dog, Stand in Pioneer Park. Damn good Currywurst.

What do you miss? What would you like to see in Fairbanks?

Saw this about a week and a half ago at the local Fred Meyers and was shocked that we actually got one in town. I had heard about them coming out “soon” but never thought that the local branch would’ve gotten one. Nonetheless, pretty awesome I’d have to say. The first thing out of my wife’s mouth was “wonder how long it’ll be till someone steals it”… lets hope not. It’s far too awesome to steal - not to mention that stealing one would land you no smaller than a felony as it’s a federal offense and all.