Aug 03
The majority of non-fiction books are historical: the focus is usually on “proper” history (wars, economic cycles, biographies) or at the very least, the narrative employs past events as evidence in an argument. The past plays a huge role in the way we understand things – we know from experience that touching hot stoves is a no-no or how to swing a tennis racquet to get the right amount of topspin to confound your opponent. Even more telling is how much of our present station in life is determined by past decisions and/or events. Your academic pursuit and interests were sparked by some inspiring high school teacher, the job interview offered because of past successes with previous employers, your support of the local sports team because your parents or grandparents chose that particular city to have a family.
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Jul 30
Some of you know of my love of comic books – or for the more academic term coined by Will Eisner and popularized by Scott McCloud – sequential art. A tight narrative that weaves around colourful characters, coupled with the artist’s dazzling imagination captured in pencil and ink, and highlighted by moody shades and hues: this is perfection.
So is a nicely grilled steak. And an ice cold beer on a hot day. And the view when day breaks on some picturesque landscape, rays of sunlight peeking over mountaintops like curious toddlers, quickly flooding the valley with warmth and life. But I digress….
Like other media that rely on physical formats, there has been much ballyhoo about how comics will survive in the digital world. Is that the sinister visage of Herr InterTubez, cackling with unbridled joy at the inevitable death of my beloved artform? One particular response is this meditation on storytelling, which literally explodes off the page and explores the electronic medium. It entertains and challenges the mind simultaneously, like caviar for your mind.
Pushing boundaries don’t have to happen through the delivery mechanism. A primary vehicle that makes you stop with unexpected clarity is content. New and bold ideas are often explored through fiction, especially within works of the science fiction variety. One of my current online reads is Escape From Terra, a webcomic that looks at how society might evolve in the future. The current arc has introduced an intriguing character, who develops “disruptive technologies” for the common good. His latest invention are “plants that will yield meat genetically identical to cows, chickens, fish and everything else.”
Meat seeds.
Just imagine for one second if we had meat seeds today. This is different than growing meat from a petri dish – which somehow conjures up images of mad scientists, and makes people squeamish. Instead you can sprinkle these seeds on the ground, water and tend them, and soon you’ll be harvesting gourds full of chicken-y flavour. Where do I sign up?
The ills of the world are being solved in the fantastic realms of artists. When will everyone else catch up?
Jan 27
The following is a Herculean attempt to understand humanity as it stands, and to chart out a path to save it. Over time I will add and adapt this philosophy, and I invite you to comment and critique it.
The Realist ManifestoA pragmatic approach to the world
Marvin Gaye had it right when he crooned three simple words, in response to the growing anxiety American society faced in the early 1970s. “What’s Going On?” can equally applied to the situation that we find ourselves in. Half of the world’s population are under the age of 25 – that’s 3.3 billion young men and women, nervous at what the future holds.
Like any sound philosophy, before we peer into the crystal ball, let me propose some undeniable truths:
1. At our current rate of consumption, the planet will not be able to sustain itself.
2. Information is the most prized and valued commodity.
3. Collaboration at all levels is necessary for success and shared prosperity.
4. Our diversity needs to be celebrated.
The origins of every problem plaguing humanity can be traced to the negation of at least one of these principles. Conflicts arise when basic needs and resources are unevenly distributed or hoarded by a select few; tension and strife are natural reactions when our appetites remain unsatisfied. Power traditionally rests in the hands who control information: chieftains, monarchs, governments; the temptation for abuse leads to corruption and distrust. Human beings are a social animal – we strive for interaction and are remorseful when left alone for too long; separation, isolation and denial fuel desire’s flames. Distrust is bred on a diet of perceived differences – skin colour, religious beliefs, social status; when exploited, this fear drives man to commit atrocities on unimaginable scales.
Lack of resources : Power centres : Divisions : Fear : Destruction
This cycle of violence can only be sustained for so long.
We need to address the inequalities that arise from each stage. Doing so means wholly embracing each fundamental axiom I listed above. And like the phoenix rising from the ashes, an alternative holistic system will take shape, one that would hopefully result in a collective consciousness that has evolved beyond our current state.
