modern book burning
I was disturbed to read a headline at the end of December that said electronic books outsold real ones this past holiday season. My initial reaction was that I would never prefer to read an electronic version of a book over a real one. I love the way a book smells and feels in my hands. Who cares if you can instantly download thousands of titles with little effort or carry thousands of books on one device when you can still only read one at a time?! Well apparently a lot of people do considering the recent sales and demands of these devices.
As I said earlier, my initial reaction was based on personal preference – a limit to what I will turn over to the virtual world. However, the more I thought about it the more I realized that electronic readers are new tools of ”the system”. Paranoia you say? Really? Think about it – every book you download is documented in a database or in other words; tracked. Furthermore, the system can better control what books are available – what the public reads or even has access to read – a new road to censorship. Where do the independent publishers, booksellers and libraries fit into this system? Um, they don’t. How about borrowing a book from a friend or loaning one out?
I know that the media conglomerates control the majority of the book business today but the onslaught of electronic books will only add fuel to the fire – the fires of modern” book burning”. The masses are converging on a new technology without questioning what it may mean for the future of books or the future of freedom itself.
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Tags: book burning, books, censorship, e-reader, electronic reader, kindle, nook, technology
is it really 2010? um,no
We are already 10 days into the “new year” – 2010 or so we believe. It occurred to me on New Year’s Eve that the date is really just a worldwide agreement we seem to have on what year it is for practical reasons. Even more interesting is that the year 2010 actually translates to the year 2010 A.D. meaning that it is a year based on the birth of Jesus Christ which didn’t happen (just an opinion). In other words the entire world’s sense of time and the year we all use is based on the Christian belief system which I find odd considering that Christianity is not even the most prominent religion in the world. So what year is it really? It’s more like 4,500,000,000 give or take a few million years but that would be really complicated – imagine how much longer it would take for people who still write checks! Are you kidding me right now? Let’s just stick with the system and stop thinking about these silly ideas.
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Tags: 2010, religion, science, time
my 2010 wish list
I am not one to make “New Year’s” resolutions so I decided to make a 2010 wish list of things I would like to do more of or less of to serve as a reminder that I can visit from time to time during the year. It’s always interesting to see just where your head and heart were at certain points in time.
The 2010 Wish List:
- Work less and live more
- Read slowly – others admire my ability to speed read and retain the info but I think it sucks – I want to slow down and really absorb and ponder each sentence – not just buzz through it
- I want to run a 5k which would not have been a big deal in years past since I ran all the time but about 2 years ago I shattered part of my leg/ankle in a freak indoor soccer accident and broke it in ways that you’re really not supposed to be able to do. To complicate matters I got compartment syndrome in which I had to get emergency surgery or they would have had to amputate my leg – it was craziness. I was in the hospital a week, a cast for 3 months and rehab for 3 months. I can do a lot of activities still but am not supposed to run or play soccer, basketball, etc. I started trying to run on it more (screw the doctors) last summer but had to stop (hurt like hell and couldn’t really walk the next day) This year I want to strengthen it, stretch it and hopefully work up to being able to run a 5k.
- Do another adventure race with my partner – haven’t done one since the leg thing above
- Go snowboarding and not kill myself
- Ride my single-speed mountain bike more because it is super fun
- Less screen time and more tree time during the week – make time for work week hikes after work
- Expand on my rad guitar skills
- Learn to paint
- Draw more
- Write more
- Drink more martinis and wine
- Go out to listen to more live music
- Take the girl to the Grand Canyon
- Be less stressed at work and not take everything so seriously – things can be “good enough” and not “perfect”
- Go to drum circles when the weather warms
- Swim more in Lake Michigan in the summer
- Less multi-tasking and more single tasking
- Drink more chocolate milk because it is so delicious – and not 1% either!
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Tags: 2010, new years resolutions, resolutions, wish, wish list
one word #2
3 more entries from an awesome writing site called One Word. It’s purpose is explained below:
simple. you’ll see one word at the top of the following page. you have sixty seconds to write about it.
as soon as you click ‘go’ the page will load with the cursor in place.
don’t think. just write.
Give:
how appropriate for Xmas day though we should be giving everyday – to give is to let down your wall – your ego – your self awareness – to give away a piece of yourself – give it all away
Mittens:
i will definitely need mittens if i go outside today – the high is like 31 degrees. Mittens kind of limit you finger movements though – it’s like you have a paw – yeah a paw – that’s what mittens seem like but probably ideal to slap someone upside the head with
Stack:
first word of the year is stack – stack? The years are stacking up – the problems are stacking up – it’s one big stack of crap so we need to reduce the stack – simplify – live a less complicated life – stop stacking up on crap we don’t need
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Tags: writing, one word
one word
I recently discovered an awesome writing site called One Word. It’s purpose is explained below:
simple. you’ll see one word at the top of the following page. you have sixty seconds to write about it.
as soon as you click ‘go’ the page will load with the cursor in place.
don’t think. just write.
Here are 2 entries that I recently submitted and I hope to partake in it often and will post my submissions in my blog.
Pine:
I love the smell of pine – it has been my favorite scent for as long as I can remember – you would think that it would be the smell of the ocean since I grew up around the sea but it’s not – it’s pine. It makes me feel safe and at home. I walk through the forest and go up to smell pine trees which may seem weird but I don’t think so.
Tray:
first thing that comes to mind is an airline tray – please put your trays in the upright position because if you crash at 600mph that tray may cause your death – not the actual splat on the ground – but the damn tray – who would’ve known – could’ve lived if I put the damn tray up
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Tags: one word, writing, writing exercise
I last posted the letter I wrote to the Prime Minister of Japan in hopes to pressure him into stopping the yearly dolphin/whale slaughter in Taiji. My one letter won’t have any impact but thousands of letters will, so I urge anyone reading this to watch the movie, The Cove and take action - every small action helps. Below is the letter I sent to President Obama and if you are asking yourself, “Aren’t there more important issues on the President’s mind?” I hope to have answered that in my letter below.
___________________________________________________________________
Dear President Obama,
I have just watched the very disturbing documentary film, The Cove (http://thecovemovie.com) which exposes the horrific dolphin slaughter that occurs yearly in Taiji, Japan. I know that you have so many issues you are dealing with that may seem more important but at the end of the film, Richard O’Barry said something that resonates in me:
“I have to see this end in my lifetime. Right now I’m focusing on that little body of water, where that slaughter takes place. If we can’t stop that, if we can’t fix that, forget about the bigger issues. There’s no hope.”
To say that I was moved by this film is an understatement and I intend on being active in educating others on what is happening in Taiji. I could not believe that the Japanese government knows this is happening and does nothing to stop it. I want the US to use its sanctioning powers available under the Pelly Amendment against Japan, Norway, and Iceland until they stop whaling.
Sincerely,
Me
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Tags: activism, dolphins, environment, japan, letters, nature, oceans, Taiji, the cove, whales
After watching the powerful documentary, The Cove this past weekend I researched how I can take action to help stop the yearly dolphin hunt and slaughter that occurs in Taiji, Japan every year. Japan’s government issues permits to the 26 fisherman who are responsible for these atrocities. If you have not yet seen the film, please watch it and send your own personal letter to Japan’s Prime Minister demanding change. It does not take much time and it lets them know the world is watching and cares. I also wrote a letter to President Obama which will appear in another post. My letter to the Prime Minister appears below.
__________________________________________________________
Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama,
I have just watched the very disturbing documentary film, The Cove which exposes the horrific dolphin slaughter that occurs yearly in Taiji. To say that I was moved by this film is an understatement and I intend on being active in educating others on what is happening in Taiji. I could not believe that the Japanese government knows this is happening and does nothing to stop it. It is also a health issue regarding the high amounts of mercury found in dolphin meat that your citizens and others consume. I vow not to purchase any Japanese products or visit Japan until they stop killing and capturing dolphins and whales. I urge you take action to stop dolphin and whale hunting in Japan – you have the power to make change happen.
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Tags: dolphins, environment, japan, oceans, prime minister Hatoyama, the cove, whales
How do you pick your fight?
The problem with reading and searching for truth and information in the world is that you end up finding a lot of things wrong with it. There is no shortage of wrongs being done and no shortage of causes worth dedicating your time and energy. I have felt passion and anger about many issues – social injustice, the environment, government corruption, consumerism, corporate takeover, and the list goes on and on. I have been enraged about plenty for a long time which has left me mentally and emotionally exhausted. My activist energies have been directed like a spray of bullets from an automatic machine gun instead of a focused shot from a sniper rifle.
I believe that changed last night with one of the most powerful and moving movies I have ever seen called The Cove. If you have not seen this documentary that was released this year, make it the next thing you watch. I dreamt about it and woke up thinking about it. At the end of the film, Richard O’Barry said something that resonates in me:
I have to see this end in my lifetime. Right now I’m focusing on that little body of water, where that slaughter takes place. If we can’t stop that, if we can’t fix that, forget about the bigger issues. There’s no hope.
A statement that quite simply has answered my question: How do you pick your fight?
We will protect what we care about – what we love. I know now where my sniper rifle is pointing.
For more information please visit the links below:
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Tags: activism, dolphins, environment, flipper, japan, oceans, sea world, the cove, whaling
digital diet
I actually attempted to do this awhile back but I am going for a complete digital fast this weekend. The girl said we had 2 snow days this last week and probably spent most of it sucked into the computer or me computer/Xbox instead of spending quality time together and you know what…she’s right! So starting after work today we are going off-line. I wanted to share the diet I did back at the beginning of November that for some reason I never got around to writing a post about – so I digress and share it now.
Digital Diet Weekend 11/7/2009-11/8/2009
I am exhausted – a week of IT work during the day which is overload by itself and then come home to be swept up into Twitter, Facebook, and XBox 360. Sometimes I get lost in the social media abyss – caught up in angry comments where I comment back with more anger and frustration. No wonder I’m exhausted – it’s draining – my energy cells are depleted. I decided to make a vow on Friday night to go on a digital diet over the weekend – not a “fast” but a diet so I’m not cutting everything out completely but will drastically reduce the time I spend on-line. No Twittering – No Facebook and as little web site work, email, etc. In fact if you are reading this right now in my blog these very words were first written in a small notebook using something called a pen. I am going to record how I’m feeling and what I did instead of being hooked up to the planet – this includes my beloved BlackBerry, my “always on” device is now off for the weekend.
Saturday: woke up slowly and read out loud to my partner from “The Greatest Show on Earth”, had coffee, sticky bun from local bakery on the deck topped off with 1 cigarette. Worked on preliminary web work for an addition to the work website, read some more of Darwin’s book, took a nap, took long hot shower, went for a great hike. Got hungry after the hike and stopped at local burger joint for homemade chili and fries.
Sunday: Went for another beautiful Fall hike – air was refreshing. Ate a sandwich, read some more, took a nap, woke up from nap and had an urge to play on XBox – evil fu#%^*$ XBox. Well I give in and justify it by thinking that the day is practically over! Ok, so I may have a problem. Although, I don’t have my laptop or BlackBerry next to me so I am at least single tasking and not causing digital overload. The girl flashes me a look of disappointment.
Conclusion:
We live in a digital world and whether that is good or bad, like anything else, we must have balance. I know the feeling of overload and I have to learn when to walk away - that feeling of too many cups of coffee – all my neurons sparking like fireworks trying to deal with the wave of 1’s and 0’s crashing over me – yeah that’s a sign.
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Tags: digital, off-line, overload, technology, videogames
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Recent Entries
- modern book burning
- is it really 2010? um,no
- my 2010 wish list
- one word #2
- my top links and great finds from 2009
- one word
- my letter to President Obama regarding the dolphin slaughter in Japan
- my letter to Japan’s Prime Minister regarding dolphin slaughter
- How do you pick your fight?
- digital diet
- stop participating
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