Aug 06
Ideas for this blog post pop in and out of my mindscape like a carnival whack-a-mole stand – they’re not quite where my focus is, taunting me with beady eyes and pearly whites. It’s not writer’s block that’s guarding the on-ramp to my editorial freedom – like Little John, he’s demanding tribute and all I can offer is some off the cuff fluff.
And it’s not for lack of trying – unlike Spider Jerusalem conducting research through an information binge, my data stream is operating at 80% efficiency. There’s a jam somewhere and my organic transistors are giving off a foul stench as they sizzle with ferocity. There’s too much confusion, I can’t get no relief.
Overloaded, I’m parsing through possible explanations, and the only logical conclusion is that somehow I’ve crossed the streams of my Gen X and Gen Y personas. Technically I’m from the latter caste, but I think I sympathize on many levels with the former. Regardless, the Focus Alliance is clashing with the Multitask Horde and my poor brain is caught in the middle.
I know I already wrote about this earlier. Can’t help myself though; repetition just drives my point home.
Maybe this information dump of things I’ve been meaning to blog about will help the process. Call it my idea spring cleaning ritual (at the height of summer no less):
- The need for greater transparency in all systems
- Entrepreneurship: why it matters, and how to cultivate it
- A return to my realist manifesto
- The failure of the activism methodology
- Luck, chance and my existence
- Cheese
Time to take that left at Albuquerque…
Mar 02
Oh my god, I’m back again…and I’ll do my best to keep the pop culture references to a bare minimum. So much has happened since we last danced, so I’ll try to keep pace with all of this change.
I attended Volunteer Toronto‘s free screening of Us Now, a quaint UK documentary about the effectiveness of the latest iteration of mob rule thru technology – crowd sourcing. Collective decision making and moderation by a community of like-minded individuals are demonstrated to have some measure of success, so naturally, can the same work for government?
I use the word “quaint” because of the inherent failure of documentaries trying to capture the new, fast paced media of online social networking tools. It’s like pre-fab Top 40 pop songs – it has a hook that pulls you in slightly, but you quickly realize that there’s not enough substance, not enough meat to sink your teeth into. Like Heraclitus’ river, things are constantly changing and it’s nigh impossible to adequately capture the zeitgeist of the information age in an antiquated media format.
More
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.
