This song from Green Day is one of my favorite, and one of the most baffling. Till now. Because DaisyD137 from SongMeanings has it all figured out. Here is his/her interpretation.
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DaisyD137
11-25-2010
Rated +1
I think it's pretty obvious and (like most people here have already pointed out) the moral is that you can't buy happiness.
As far as a less generalized interpretation, here's my two cents: (and yes, it being Thanksgiving did make me think of this song)
Today's the Macy's Day Parade - obviously the biggest advertising scheme in history
The night of the living dead is on its way - Black Friday Sales start at midnight, turning most people into consumer zombies.
With a credit report for duty call - nameless, faceless credit cards. You're nothing but your credit limit.
It's a lifetime guarantee, Stuffed in a coffin "10% more free", Red light special at the mausoleum - People plan their funerals ahead of time and pay for them to ensure they get the best prices. It's a pathetic (not mention morbid as fuck) attempt at feeling like you have some control over everything in your life--even your own death and what happens after you're dead.
Give me something that I need
Satisfaction guaranteed to you
What's the consolation prize?
Economy sized dreams of hope - I think this is pretty self explanatory. Consumer: Give me something that I need. Corporate America: Satisfaction's guaranteed! Consumer: What's the consolation prize? Corporate America: Dreams of all the shit you'll never have!
When I was a kid I thought
I wanted all the things that I haven't got
Oh, I learned the hardest way
Then I realized what it took
To tell the difference between
Thieves and crooks
a lesson learned to me and you
When he was a kid he probably thought he wanted to be a bad ass rock star, money, women, drugs, booze, houses, cars--the whole nine yards. But he had to acquire all of that garbage to realize that he didn't want any of it--none of it made him happy none of it made him anything. That's when he realized thieves may break into your house and still your shit, but a crook will cheat you into dreaming of a life that's supposed to be everything everyone wants and if you get it--you'll realize it only adds to the misery.
Give me something that I need
Satisfaction guaranteed
Because I'm thinking about
a brand new hope
The one I've never known
cause now I know
its all that I wanted
He's thinking about a brand new hope--and honestly, I assume this is where the song gets really personal. At this point in his life he had a 5 year old and a 2 year old and a wife. I'm pretty sure he probably figured out that they were way more important than anything he could ever buy. That's his reason for existing--and that's the only means that he's going to find anything slightly resembling true happiness. He's a husband and a father, he's responsible for a family which I'm guessing he probably didn't dream of as a kid.
I think the rest of the song is just reiteration of everything already stated. He's thinking about a brand knew road, one he's never know and where it goes because now he knows it's all that he wanted. He wanted (as hippyish as it sounds) to be loved for no more reason than he's him. He wanted acceptance. He wanted to belong somewhere and he has it. So, instead of being a consumer or a publicity whore, he's going to be a father and a husband. He's going to be the kind of man he would want his sons to grow up to be. He's going to take the high road, so to speak.
Well...that's my 75 cents. lol.
original post
8.24.2011
8.15.2011
別用英雄呼攏我
潘一恆是英雄？看扭曲的價值觀
7.23動車事故是整個中華官僚主義之下，普通百姓的悲劇。
人死亡，總該讓人去緬懷。動車司機更是在最後一刻為了整車人的安全，緊急實施制動措施。在本有可能逃脫的可能之下，毅然決然的放棄逃生而堅守自己職責在最後一刻。這樣的人是值得尊重的人。
然而鐵道部高調的宣揚要向潘一恒學習，這讓人非常擔憂。因為潘一恆的英雄稱號，是源自於堅守在崗位的最後一刻。雖然中國人有對死去的人懷以敬意的傳統，可在巨大的事故下，有些事情是不能混談的。
潘一恆疲勞駕駛。潘一恆在考取動車駕駛資格期間，在每天高強度的訓練結束後，仍然不知疲倦地“加班”強化自己的業務能力。經常掛在潘一恆嘴邊的話是：“動車司機手中的操縱桿分量重千斤，關係到身後上千旅客的生命安全，來不得半點馬虎。”
在新聞報導裡，這種不知疲倦的工作倒成了一種值得讚揚的品質？你要是去歐洲旅遊或者學習，那裡的出租車司機很奇怪，沒有超級的特殊情況他們一定會在某個時間段停車休息，並且毫不理會你的催促，甚至不理會你加錢的誘惑。因為他們需要休息，他們足夠的休息才能保護乘客的安全。
而我們的英雄都是苦命型的，既要高強度的訓練，又要不知疲倦的加班。我就納悶了，怎麼都已經可以承擔加班任務的員工，怎麼還在訓練？你是訓練無關的技能？還是本身的技能就根本未熟練就匆忙上陣？
假如訓練無關的技能，而影響自己的正常工作，你那乘客當做什麼了？
假如本身的技能就未熟練，那怎麼能匆忙上陣，以學員的身份駕駛機動車呢？出租車司機對生命的尊重和責任感都比你強吧？
題外話：從潘一恆既要訓練又要開車的這情況來看，鐵道部連起碼的動車運行前期工作都沒有做好。假如一切都安排妥當，斷然不會出現這麼一位'英雄'，況且假如此次事件中的潘一恆一切都按照了上級規定的流程來做，而最後還是無法挽回事故的發生，那麼我覺得潘一恆完全可以起身離開，我想在最後一刻，潘一恆打開緊急制動措施。既然是緊急制動，自然是在極其危險的情況下，應該考慮給司機足夠的時間安全逃生的設置，假如動車製造時沒有這項考慮那麼我們有理由譴責動車研製的相關人員，飛機還有逃生彈椅的配置何況是陸地的動車，假如是動車研製時已經考慮了這一點，那麼潘一恆的死絕對是一種悲哀，沒有人應該為無謂的事情喪失自己的生命。我很可悲中國人的價值觀，他也許是一個值得敬重的人，但絕對不是一個英雄，他的英雄只不過是鐵道部危機公關的一顆棋子。
向死難默哀。
原文網址
新華網福州７月２６日電（記者劉暘、郭圻）“假設動車按照正常的速度行駛，根據測算，潘一恆若晚１至２秒制動，就可能導致多一節車廂出軌。”福州機務段動車車間主任，“７·２３”動車事故中Ｄ３０１次列車殉職司機潘一恆的同事鄭振治２５日接受記者採訪時說。在２３日晚甬溫線發生的動車追尾事故中殉職的司機潘一恆，千鈞一發之際果斷採取緊急制動措施，履行一個火車司機的責任直至生命最後一刻。潘一恆的同事們表示，潘一恆在危難時刻作出的選擇體現出他崇高的職業素養和勇於擔當的責任意識，是鐵路戰線的工作人員學習的榜樣。
7.23動車事故是整個中華官僚主義之下，普通百姓的悲劇。
人死亡，總該讓人去緬懷。動車司機更是在最後一刻為了整車人的安全，緊急實施制動措施。在本有可能逃脫的可能之下，毅然決然的放棄逃生而堅守自己職責在最後一刻。這樣的人是值得尊重的人。
然而鐵道部高調的宣揚要向潘一恒學習，這讓人非常擔憂。因為潘一恆的英雄稱號，是源自於堅守在崗位的最後一刻。雖然中國人有對死去的人懷以敬意的傳統，可在巨大的事故下，有些事情是不能混談的。
潘一恆疲勞駕駛。潘一恆在考取動車駕駛資格期間，在每天高強度的訓練結束後，仍然不知疲倦地“加班”強化自己的業務能力。經常掛在潘一恆嘴邊的話是：“動車司機手中的操縱桿分量重千斤，關係到身後上千旅客的生命安全，來不得半點馬虎。”
在新聞報導裡，這種不知疲倦的工作倒成了一種值得讚揚的品質？你要是去歐洲旅遊或者學習，那裡的出租車司機很奇怪，沒有超級的特殊情況他們一定會在某個時間段停車休息，並且毫不理會你的催促，甚至不理會你加錢的誘惑。因為他們需要休息，他們足夠的休息才能保護乘客的安全。
而我們的英雄都是苦命型的，既要高強度的訓練，又要不知疲倦的加班。我就納悶了，怎麼都已經可以承擔加班任務的員工，怎麼還在訓練？你是訓練無關的技能？還是本身的技能就根本未熟練就匆忙上陣？
假如訓練無關的技能，而影響自己的正常工作，你那乘客當做什麼了？
假如本身的技能就未熟練，那怎麼能匆忙上陣，以學員的身份駕駛機動車呢？出租車司機對生命的尊重和責任感都比你強吧？
題外話：從潘一恆既要訓練又要開車的這情況來看，鐵道部連起碼的動車運行前期工作都沒有做好。假如一切都安排妥當，斷然不會出現這麼一位'英雄'，況且假如此次事件中的潘一恆一切都按照了上級規定的流程來做，而最後還是無法挽回事故的發生，那麼我覺得潘一恆完全可以起身離開，我想在最後一刻，潘一恆打開緊急制動措施。既然是緊急制動，自然是在極其危險的情況下，應該考慮給司機足夠的時間安全逃生的設置，假如動車製造時沒有這項考慮那麼我們有理由譴責動車研製的相關人員，飛機還有逃生彈椅的配置何況是陸地的動車，假如是動車研製時已經考慮了這一點，那麼潘一恆的死絕對是一種悲哀，沒有人應該為無謂的事情喪失自己的生命。我很可悲中國人的價值觀，他也許是一個值得敬重的人，但絕對不是一個英雄，他的英雄只不過是鐵道部危機公關的一顆棋子。
向死難默哀。
原文網址
8.11.2011
When poor, we polarize.
Fareed's Take: We've downgraded ourselves
The actual cut to the 2012 budget, the only budget over which this Congress has control, is $21 billion out of total expenditures of $3.7 trillion – a pittance.
Everything else can and will be changed by future Congresses.
What the deal does is - once again - kick tough choices down the road, this time to a congressional super-commission that will have to come up with a larger plan to reduce debt.
And it does nothing to spur growth, without which the debt will expand well above projections.
The manner in which the deal was produced added poison to an already toxic atmosphere in Washington, making compromise even more difficult.
Democrats now feel they need to mirror the Tea Party's tactics and are becoming unyielding on any cuts to entitlement programs like Medicare. Republicans, emboldened by the success of their bullying, have closed ranks more solidly around a no-tax agenda.
But the only solution to America's debt dilemma will need to involve both cuts to entitlement programs and higher tax revenues.
Congress is more polarized than ever before...and that polarization has resulted in paralysis. More than two years into the Obama Administration, hundreds of key positions in government remain vacant for lack of Senate confirmation. The Treasury Department had to handle the global financial crisis, recession, bank stress tests and automaker bailouts, as well as its usual duties, with about a dozen of its senior positions - almost its entire top management - vacant. Senate rules have been used, abused and twisted to allow constant delay and blockage.
The filibuster, historically employed about once a decade, is now a routine procedure that allows the minority to thwart the will of the majority. In 2009, Senate Republicans filibustered a stunning 80% of major legislation. Given how the chamber is composed - two Senators per state, no matter how thinly populated - people representing just 10% of the country can block all legislation.
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This Op-Ed drew 318 responses from readers, America is looking a LOT like Taiwan now, politically.
By Fareed Zakaria, CNN
We have demonstrated to ourselves, the world and global markets that our political system is broken and that we are incapable of conceiving and implementing sensible public policy.The actual cut to the 2012 budget, the only budget over which this Congress has control, is $21 billion out of total expenditures of $3.7 trillion – a pittance.
Everything else can and will be changed by future Congresses.
What the deal does is - once again - kick tough choices down the road, this time to a congressional super-commission that will have to come up with a larger plan to reduce debt.
And it does nothing to spur growth, without which the debt will expand well above projections.
The manner in which the deal was produced added poison to an already toxic atmosphere in Washington, making compromise even more difficult.
Democrats now feel they need to mirror the Tea Party's tactics and are becoming unyielding on any cuts to entitlement programs like Medicare. Republicans, emboldened by the success of their bullying, have closed ranks more solidly around a no-tax agenda.
But the only solution to America's debt dilemma will need to involve both cuts to entitlement programs and higher tax revenues.
Congress is more polarized than ever before...and that polarization has resulted in paralysis. More than two years into the Obama Administration, hundreds of key positions in government remain vacant for lack of Senate confirmation. The Treasury Department had to handle the global financial crisis, recession, bank stress tests and automaker bailouts, as well as its usual duties, with about a dozen of its senior positions - almost its entire top management - vacant. Senate rules have been used, abused and twisted to allow constant delay and blockage.
The filibuster, historically employed about once a decade, is now a routine procedure that allows the minority to thwart the will of the majority. In 2009, Senate Republicans filibustered a stunning 80% of major legislation. Given how the chamber is composed - two Senators per state, no matter how thinly populated - people representing just 10% of the country can block all legislation.
-------
This Op-Ed drew 318 responses from readers, America is looking a LOT like Taiwan now, politically.
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