Kyle Berg » Culture

A List of New Luxuries

Kyle — Wed, 28 Apr 2010 07:46:26 +0000

In an effort to go against the rising fear and talk of how bad things are, I decided to work on a list of possessions we now take for granted that were not common to the general public 100 years ago either because they had not been invented or were too expensive. Our lives have become immeasurably easier and we are accustomed to more luxuries than we know. Our population is better off than many of the richest kings throughout history. Perhaps they ought to do this on the news instead of continuing to spew phrases such as “in tough times like these,” “not since the great depression,” or “with such uncertainty.” This would certainly help counter the class envy being stirred up right now throughout the nation.

Our comforts have grown so greatly that compiling a complete list of this nature would be impossible. Here are a few items I’ve come up:

Cars (and the litany of refinements they’ve experienced)
Air conditioning
Goretex, Kevlar, Scotchguard
Titanium
TV, DVD, DVR, Blu Ray, High Definition TV
MP3 Players, CDs, Stereo Systems
Bicycles with gears & advanced components, skateboards, in-line skates
Sporting goods, clothing, facilities for any sport imaginable
Interstates & Highways
Air travel
Plastic
Shoes engineered & made for specific purposes
LASIK eye correction
Restaurant dining
Soft drinks
Candy that’s mass produced and no longer considered “a treat”
Starbucks & ungodly expensive coffee
Microwaves, Fridges, Freezers, Dishwashers, Bread makers, rice cookers, and other kitchen appliances
Health Clubs
Professional Sporting Events–ability to attend games or watch on TV
Internet, Email
Cell Phones & Landlines that connect almost instantly
Cameras – both photographic & video
Shopping options unimaginable 100 years ago in terms of quantity of stores & items available
Gas Grills
Dental Care & all its advances
Medical Care & all its advances, increased quality of life, life span
Sunglasses
Copy machines
Skin creams, ointments, vitamins, pain killers, etc.
Firearms & numerous advances
Book availability on an unprecedented scale
911 & emergency services
Electricity & lighting everywhere throughout country
Snowmobiles, ATVs, Personal watercraft, etc.
Washing Machines & Dryers
Supermarkets
UPS, FedEx, and reliable package delivery
….and many, many more that ought to give us reason to pause and give thanks.

Can you add anything to the list? What advances commonplace advances have made your life easier?

What Many Women Want

Kyle — Sat, 13 Mar 2010 04:42:26 +0000

When my wife Meredee was on vacation in October, it was like she was a different person. She was relaxed, happier, and didn’t mind spending some time on her own. However, when working, she’s not completely herself and goes to bed every night asking me if she has to go to work in the morning. My response is always the same, “I’m working on getting you out of there.” Part of my motivation for creating a successful business is so that she does not have to work, or at the very least, would have the option to work or not. Nothing would make me happier than to give her this.

Though Meredee is self-sufficient, she’s at her best and happiest when she’s taking care of her husband and the house and not thinking about work. In the same way, I’m happiest when I’m working, supporting her, and not taking caring of the house. If I never had to do the dishes or cook again, I would be the happiest man in the world! And if Meredee never had to work again, she would be ecstatic. It has nothing to do with either one of us being lazy or irresponsible and everything to do with us complementing each other. As we found out during our eHarmony communication, we both embrace traditional gender roles.

My wife is not alone in her desire to be a wife and be taken care of. Contrary to what pop culture tells us about women being independent, most are wired to support their husbands. Likewise, men are wired to provide for their wives and lead the relationship. Somewhere we’ve gone wrong and confused a lot of people. We now have millions of lonely women chasing careers and postponing marriage when they’re yearning to be wives and mothers. Conversely, most men now know what a duvet cover is and have lost much of their masculinity to suburban life.

Politically correct or not, men and women need each other. I’m incomplete without my wife and she’s incomplete without me. My hope is that we appreciate this more throughout our marriage and work to help each other fulfill our respective roles. To start, I’ll continue to work hard toward keeping her at home.

Black, Black Friday

Kyle — Tue, 24 Nov 2009 07:30:33 +0000

I have to admit, I like looking through all those ads in the Thanksgiving Day newspaper as much as anyone. (Although I hated delivering that thing as a paperboy! Extra work and weight and no additional pay.) After all, who wouldn’t get excited about standing in line at Kohl’s at 2 a.m. so you can save 80% on all Unionbay juniors’ cardigans? But fiscal savings aside, why do we go crazy with our holiday shopping? Do we really need more stuff that badly? I love a good bargain, but it’s not worth giving up (mentally speaking) one of our most cherished holidays for it.

Yesterday at church, Pr. Gary railed on Black Friday and what it’s done to our attitude toward Thanksgiving, and I’d definitely have to agree with his analysis. He really got into it and probably surprised some people when he told us to “rage against the machine” and tell the spirit of consumption “Up yours!” by not participating in Black Friday shopping. It’s ironic that, if we’re not careful, Thanksgiving can turn into a day of planning how to get more rather than a day of reflecting upon the incomprehensible amount of wealth, opportunity, freedom, and other gifts we’ve received.

I am just as vulnerable as anyone else in this country to materialism and some of the lessons of gratitude I learned while living in South American can seem like distant memories. I want to live full of thanksgiving and have a proper perspective on what I’ve been given. I struggle with this and it often seems like I’m destined to go through life always wanting more. It appears that contentment will be a lifelong battle and pursuit. For now, I’ll start with Thanksgiving. I’ll thank God for all his provision and for placing me in this location at this time in history. And to help the process, I’ll tell the media and those in the highest places of power to shut it when they start blathering on about how bad things are. If we would all give thanks, I have a feeling everyone would be better off, and not just on Black Friday.

Hippies

Kyle — Sun, 10 May 2009 05:55:15 +0000

I’ll admit it. In some ways, I’m a simple boy from the Midwest and am occasionally reminded of my cultural or worldly ignorance. In other ways I’m better traveled or “cultured” than others. It’s all relative I guess. But even though I’ve lived in South America, learned Spanish, and tried to understand the culture, there is one domestic people group I will never understand. Hippies. I do not get them.

Prior to living in Missoula, MT, I did not know that there was such a thing as a young hippie. I’m being serious. I thought all hippies were baby boomers and living in a bygone era. They had long gray ponytails, wore peace signs, and drove Volkswagen vans. Or, they were philosophy teachers at the local community college, stirring up dissent and hatred. But when I ventured to Montana’s capital of liberalism, there they were. There was a culture of young people with long hair, tie-died shirts, body odor, “natural” food, and more bumper stickers than you could imagine. Transplant me to Eugene, Oregon, which is essentially a Missoula of four times the size, and there are more hippies! Maybe there had been a handful in Fargo while I was growing up, but it would have taken quite a surveillance effort to find them. But not here!

Meredee and I went downtown Saturday to take some pictures and enjoy the weather. We decided to head over a few blocks for my official initiation into living in Eugene–the Saturday Market. Hippies everywhere! There were more earrings, outlandish hairdos, and skinny, frail men than I could believe. There is much about this place that I have not been exposed to and may never understand.

When I walk by the downtown bus stop on any given weekday, it’s sad to see what this “freedom” has done to young kids who don’t go to school, are trying too hard to express themselves, and are set on rebellion against the traditions that have given them the luxury of living a hippie lifestyle. They’ve been lied to and have bought into it hook, line, and sinker. There are other groups of people that my heart breaks for, but I will admit it doesn’t break for the hippies. Maybe it should, but it doesn’t. Perhaps my attitude is unbiblical. If it is, I’m not sure what to do because I’m finding it extremely difficult to have compassion for people so bent on complaining, obstruction, and destroying much of what I believe in.

I could go on and debate the differences I have with the hippies, but that would take more writing than I’m up for right now. Besides, anyone who knows me would assume I have little to nothing in common with a hippie. Let’s just say I’ve learned that there are young hippies and they obviously prefer a warmer climate than that of Fargo, North Dakota.

American Idol

Kyle — Mon, 04 May 2009 02:56:55 +0000

Never did I think I would become a fan of American Idol. I often despise pop culture and am not interested in keeping up with the lives of celebrities or what’s happening in other sectors that are altogether unimportant. Sure, I had watched some of the early episodes of a few seasons to see the atrocious singing of people who thought they were stars. That was about it and I never had an interest in watching the rounds where the talented singers faced off against each other.

I started watching season seven of American Idol with Meredee from the beginning. She was a religious Idol watcher and had even taped (with a VCR) previous seasons in order to keep up with the show. So after we were married, it was my husbandly duty to spend time with my wife watching one of her favorite shows. I was skeptical, but Mer did have two things in her favor. First, we recorded the show with the DVR and were able to skip the commercials and unnecessary blabbering portions of the program. This greatly reduced the mental and time commitments required of me. Second, we were able to watch the show in high definition. Now it’s not as cool as watching the Super Bowl in HD, but I couldn’t complain. Even manly men can appreciate how good Ryan Seacrest looks in 1080p. This has nothing to do with liking his girlish figure or fake bake tan. It only means that men love technology and can appreciate a crystal clear, lifelike picture regardless of the show.

While I still wouldn’t consider myself an ardent fan, I have found Idol interesting and entertaining. I even find myself occasionally making comments about someone’s performance or the idiocy of Paula Abdul’s critiques (or lack thereof). Because I cannot sing to save my life, it is especially impressive to watch such young performers sing with astounding confidence, power, and ability. With only four contestants remaining, Meredee and I have our favorites as well as those we want to see go. We do not like either Allison or Adam and are pulling for Kris and Danny. It’s interesting that both Kris and Danny have church music backgrounds as well.

I guess marriage will do certain things to you. Never would I have pictured myself watching American Idol, but we’re enjoying it. Plus, I always like listening to Simon’s commentary. Like Rush, he’s never wrong.

All Our Stuff

Kyle — Tue, 27 May 2008 09:59:26 +0000

I enjoy technology. It’s cool that I’m sitting in my bed writing this article, using Wi-Fi, writing Facebook messages across the world, listening to Pandora Internet radio, and unencumbered by the darkness because I’m using the backlit keyboard on my MacBook Pro laptop. Getting into my car is also more enjoyable after starting it remotely, popping an iPod in the glove box and then choosing among days or weeks worth of music and podcasts and driving down the road. And while I don’t yet have the necessary receiver, the geek in me loves that my digital camera is capable of hooking up to a GPS receiver so that every photo I take is automatically tagged with exact coordinates, allowing me to later see exactly where I was in the world for that photo. I am a firm believer in capitalism and marvel and how it continually innovates and improves our lives. It is a system that produces results and lifts people out of poverty like nothing else can. I will defend the free market until I die because I see the freedom it creates and the opportunity it provides. I also have a business mind and any hardship steels my resolve to find an economic opening. And yet, despite all the improvements, and for all our choices and cool toys, I still see emptiness in myself and many around me, and it scares me.

Argentina had a lot of strikes against it, but one theme continually impressed me. My friends may have wanted some nicer things, but they were content without them. They had an ability to live without what seemed necessary to me. In fact, one of the characteristics that most impressed me about Vanesa was her ability to be content with so little. This made me ask how I would react if I were put in her shoes. I saw how quickly my wants could take over my mind.

I wanted to return to the US with more gratitude and a desire to live a simpler life (whatever that means). The gratitude is now there, but wanting to live a simple life is much harder. The difficulty has been exacerbated by the robbery I suffered. That meant I had to replace a new computer and numerous other items almost immediately upon return. This re-introduced me to Internet shopping, which is incredibly cool, a marvel of modern life, and just so darn convenient. Then I had to purchase a new car in April. All this meant hours of Internet research, looking, comparing, contemplating, and finding out about new products. And the more I learned, the more buying options I had and the more cool stuff I found. Finally, I will be studying photography, a field where digital technology demands that we continually update and improve our equipment (spend money). This is an investment, but it continually keeps me looking for newer and better.

We are a nation of consumers, and I am no exception. This has both positive and negative consequences, but that is a separate, long discussion. I am trying to ask myself some questions right now as it regards our wealth. I do not feel guilty for what we have, but I do not want my mind to be controlled by possessions and I’m afraid too much of it is. If I were to lose everything right now, how would I be? I was robbed twice and I’ve tried to maintain a positive attitude through both of those ordeals. But both times, I knew that I could and would replace those items soon thereafter. But what if I lost almost everything? What if I had to take the bus to work, write letters by hand, didn’t have eBay, had only a Walkman with cassette player, never ate in restaurants, had no cell phone, and had to shop rummage sales for clothing? What if, to keep cool in the summer, my solution was to lie on the concrete floor, because that was cooler than the couch? That’s what we did at Vanesa’s parents’ house where there was no AC. What if I lived in Zimbabwe where inflation of 165,000% has brought the nation to its knees? Would I still be as joyful? Upon what would my mind dwell? Would I be able to live life normally or would I constantly be thinking about what I don’t have and how to get it? My guess is that I wouldn’t respond well.

Perhaps it’s unfair to ask these questions of myself because these feelings are unavoidable. But when we go out to eat or I fill up my car with $60 worth of gas, I feel something. When we give each other $50 presents, something seems strange. We are used to so much and more and more of what was once considered luxury becomes commonplace. It’s a feeling I can’t explain well right now. I enjoy new things as much as the next person, but I wonder where it will end. And in my heart I know it will never end because there will always be something newer and better. What concerns me is not just the buying, but the amount of time we spend thinking about buying—the time looking at infomercials, catalogs, mall windows, and Internet specials. And part of what frightens me is that I don’t know how to stop. I don’t know how I would separate myself from certain things without losing part of my identity and happiness. How do I get to the point where I can say, like the Apostle Paul, that knowing Jesus is everything? How does one arrive at the point where he is not just content with what he has, but that nothing else matters outside of God? How do we enjoy what we have and yet consider all of it gravy? Was Job some sort of super human to bless God when everything was taken from him? Do I even want to get to that point or am I just asking questions and hoping it stops there?

Most of us derive a lot more happiness from our possessions than we realize. What do we do with that? And if Dale Carnegie was right in saying “It isn’t what you have, or who you are, or where you are, or what you are doing that makes you happy or unhappy. It is what you think about,” where does that leave us as a people if we’re always thinking about our stuff?

Mother Teresa on Abortion

Kyle — Tue, 11 Sep 2007 04:41:21 +0000

September 5th marked the 10 year anniversary of Mother Teresa’s passing. Being a few days behind on my Spanish newspaper reading, I just read La Nacion’s tribute to her. What impressed many about her message was its simplicity and consistency. According to an Argentine who had the privilege of interviewing her during her 1982 visit to Buenos Aires, throughout her life she continually talked about the family, abortion, the importance of reporters seeking the truth, and spreading that truth. While I currently don’t have a great deal of insight on the matter, it started me thinking about abortion.

The killing of unborn children is the most despicable act our society allows. I cannot imagine the grief our nation has brought upon the Lord with the more than 30 million babies aborted since Roe versus Wade in 1973. This is not to even speak of the other millions deprived of life in other part of the globe. Why am I not repulsed more by abortion? Why am I not enraged?

While not excuses, two thoughts come to mind. As a child, I have vivid recollections of protesters chaining themselves to buildings, blocking abortion clinic entrances, and being arrested by local police. While their zeal was admirable, the manner in which the conducted themselves often was not. Right or wrong, I remember being more turned off than compelled by their message. Secondly, perhaps no other issue more perfectly represents the struggle between modern liberalism and conservatism. It is esteemed as one of the highest virtues and rights among those who oppose my world view. When I think about criminalizing abortion, it can seem like a pipe dream because of how it flies in the face of modern pop culture’s thinking. Also, because it was forced upon us by the judiciary, the process of acquiring a judiciary that would return the issue to the states is perhaps the only way to settle the matter. This makes it less personal and, at times, somewhat daunting for the lay people of the Nation. Let’s pray the momentum continues in the direction of life.

This is a matter I will have to dwell on some more. Do you feel overwhelmed by the issue, hopeful, or happy with how things are? Do you think it ought to bother us more or less?

Lost, Season 3

Kyle — Sat, 26 May 2007 02:48:00 +0000

I just finished watching season 3 of Lost. I hate it when you leave you hanging and you have to wait months until the next season! At times it was a bit strange and felt like they could just keep making episodes forever without anything getting solved. But it really started getting good at the end.

For anyone who hasn’t seen the show, I’d highly recommend it. You have to go back and start with the DVDs of season 1 and 2 to have any idea what’s going on. Not everything is always completely realistic, but that also makes the show unique and imaginative. Usually I’m not one to go in depth and analyze character or plot sequences in a movie, book, or TV show. But Lost really does an outstanding job of weaving the characters together and showing the strengths and deficiencies that accompany their humanity. First of all, the viewer can relate to the emotions, triumphs, and mistakes of their pasts. Additionally, for those characters with especially colored pasts, the viewer can see the person that every single one of us, no matter how good, is capable of becoming. The attachment one forms with Jack, Kate, Sawyer, Hurley, and the rest of the survivors on the island is quite astounding.

24 gets my vote for favorite and most addictive show, but Lost wins for emotional and dramatic effect. Although I do have to admit I almost cried when Edgar Styles died inside of CTU in season 5.

Jerry Falwell

Kyle — Mon, 21 May 2007 00:58:00 +0000

I just read that Jerry Falwell died suddenly on Tuesday. I’m not going to argue in favor of or against the Reverend at this time. What I did find interesting is what really happened when he railed against the gay Teletubby character in the 90s. I, like many Americans, was duped and just assumed that he was off his rocker and was fishing for a conspiracy against Christians. But in fact he was right and was reiterating writings and comments of others. I found this very interesting and owe Jerry a mental apology. Check out the story here.

Supporting the Troops

Kyle — Fri, 18 May 2007 05:51:00 +0000

I don’t know how much longer I can take this BS from people who say they support the troops yet hate our President, think we can’t win, and want us to pull out. I can’t dwell on it or my blood starts to boil. I wish they would all just secede and start their own country. Then they could hate the US all they want and let the rest of us who love our country maintain its greatness. It reminds me of this snotty-nosed brat who lived in the Heritage housing but worked for the ACLU. One night we had a guest speaker from the Army visit and this guy asked a question about Abu-Ghraib. The arrogance with which he asked the question really got under all of our skin. Being a non-violent person, I sought intellectual recourse by asking a question along the lines of “Is it hard for you to fight to protect the freedoms of people who are ungrateful for what you provide?” Sorry, I digress.

Anyway, this comes up because of a couple emails I received from a friend who will remain anonymous. The other day he sent me a video of a comedy sketch spoofing Apple CEO Steve Jobs promoting the iRack. The whole thing was demeaning and made reference to the iRack being broken, unfixable, and unwanted. Then just minutes ago tonight, I received this email from the same person:

“What a wonderful thing Xerox is doing. Please go to this web site and send a card. Such a small thing for us to do but such a large things for our troops to know we appreciate all they do and pray for their safe return.”

Something cool that Xerox is doing!

If you go to this web site, www.letssaythanks.com, you can pick out a thank you card and Xerox will print it and it will be sent to a soldier that is currently serving in Iraq. You can’t pick out who gets it, but it will go to some member of the armed services. How AMAZING it would be if we could get everyone we know to send one!!! This is a great site. Please send a card. It is FREE and it only takes a second. Wouldn’t it be wonderful if the soldiers received a bunch of these? Whether you are for or against the war, our guys and gals over there need to know we are behind them…Pass it on!

How stupid do these people think our soldiers and the rest of us are?! The duplicity, arrogance, and ignorance is astounding. You cannot spew all this vitriol and/or jest about a cause for which people are giving their lives and then hope to “really care” by typing some characters into a web page so a company can send a card for you! Notice the phrase “whether you are for or against the war…” How often do you hear people who actually love and appreciate our military preface things with a phrase like this? You don’t. No one respects fence riders–especially when they’re only pretending to ride the fence and really detest what’s on one side of the fence.

Live Earth

Kyle — Sat, 17 Feb 2007 07:41:00 +0000

My opinion of pop culture and it stars continues its precipitous decline from extremely low to well, whatever is below that. The intellectual vacuity and sheer ignorance of these people will never cease to amaze me. Al Gore announced that on July 7th, he, Cameron Diaz, and others will help host a concert series named “Live Earth.” The list of over 100 music stars includes the Red Hot Chili Peppers, Foo Fighters, Snoop Dogg, Black Eyed Peas, Bon Jovi, Sheryl Crow, Melissa Etheridge, John Mayer and Faith Hill. They will save us all by performing in order to raise awareness of global warming and fund Al Gore’s foundation. These artists are political pawns and too dumb to realize it because they think this is a noble endeavor and enjoy the satisfaction that brings. Let’s hope this is as successful as Live 8 was at eliminating world poverty back in 2005.

I don’t go to many movies, buy much music, or pay a lot of attention to pop culture in the first place. How millions and millions worldwide take these people seriously and love and worship them is beyond my understanding. Sometimes I contemplate never going to another movie again because I can’t stand the vitriol these people spew out towards our country or their incomprehensible ignorance. Frankly, pop culture insults my intelligence and is one of my biggest pet peeves. Live 8 was nothing more than a chance to bash the United States and try to shame us into complying with their demands. Live Earth will feature the same anti-American, anti-Industrial attitude cloaked in the form of caring about the future. It will also offer the same “World Community” mumbo jumbo. I am not and never will be a citizen of the World. I am a Christian, an American, and a part-time Argentine. That’s it.

This notion of global warming is so bereft of intellect and I can’t write any more right now without going insane. It’s really late and I’m going to bed.

Ted Haggard

Kyle — Wed, 08 Nov 2006 00:30:00 +0000

Mom sent me a link to the Ted Haggard story yesterday. What a strange situation. It breaks your heart to read this. It’s like the same story, different chapter. He was the kingpin of evangelical leadership in Christian circles and has been taken out. I am at a loss for words right now.