Thursday, October 29, 2009
DONE.
Book 12.1 - DONE. Now I just have to wait for my copy to arrive. =p (TOR needs to learn how to ship a release properly).
Realization
I used to wonder if I shouldn't have been born in an earlier age. Being able to bring enlightenment to an unenlightened age (Not that I had any idea where this enlightenment may have come to me in an earlier age, mind you). It was a silly thought, but one I treasured. I've often romanticized medieval European culture, the enlightenment, Asiatic and Native American societies now long gone, Egyptian and African kingdoms now forgotten... but I've wondered what it would have been like to live at such a time.
But today I've come to a realization. Not that I was born too late, but that I was born too EARLY. We all were, in a sense.
The world should be further along than it is. But it isn't. And that's our fault. We are complacent to live our lives, the majority of us, rather than changing the world around us. It's a daunting task, seen as impossible by many, perhaps most. But it is not impossible.
It was only one-hundred and fifty years ago that half of our own nation endorsed so backward a concept as slavery. If you truly stop to consider the amount of time... it's the blink of an eye. You can count the number of Today's generations on one hand. And yes, this generation too is making headway towards enlightenment... but on what path?
When one thinks of what the world might be and compares it to what we are today, when one considers a unified front and the eventuality of a single governing body for our world, to discern issues of health care, education, and development... when one wipes away the national antagonisms and focuses on growth, the vision is indeed satisfying. It is natural. It is the point humanity should already be at.
And yet? We instead have leaders that bicker amongst one another, squabbling children complaining that they haven't gotten their way. Children who have amassed a horde of toys and refuse to even play with the other children, let alone share with them. Children who have yet to grow up.
Perhaps I am coming from the voice of a younger generation. Perhaps I don't see things as my grandfathers or their grandfathers did. But neither did they intend me to. They intended me to look upon the world with eyes that have seen their lives, and used their collective knowledge to determine the next course of action.
And I see now the course of action is to raise up those who will see this truth for themselves. The redundancy may serve as an irony, but I see now the importance of imprinting the importance of an advanced society on others. Of others acknowledging this reality.
Education. Education is the key. Knowledge is our greatest, our best weapon in this growth we have chosen to undertake. Development is necessary. A healthy populace, enabled and working and providing income for their children is all necessary, but education is the key.
The largest barrier thus far I can see, besides apathy and ignorance, is greed. Greedy administrators who give themselves larger salaries rather than funneling money to schools (Ironically hoping to better their own children's future). Greedy politicians who take money from drug companies rather than promote health care. Greedy drug-dealers who will make money no matter how many peoples' minds and bodies they have to poison to do it. Greedy tobacco and Alcohol companies... the list goes on and on.
But stepping back, greed only seems to be a symptom. The vast and ridiculousness of the wealth acquired could lift up the impoverished masses to develop a better world... clean energy, scientific improvements... faster internet, cleaner ecosystem, restoration of nature in cities and suburbs, true. But the greed ultimately stems from wanting to improve one's own life, often wanting to improve the life of the family and those the wealthy may actually care about. In essence, the problem is NOT the wealth of the wealthy. It is the lack of care or consideration for one's fellow man.
To take the wealth of the world and use it for the betterment of the world... that is what make's the wealthy great. To horde it, to squander it, even in the hopes of "one day" doing something wonderful with all that wealth... is ludicrous. Our world is in dire peril. One look out the window or at the news (if you're still willing to watch the news) can confirm it. If it doesn't affect you, what's the trouble? The trouble is your own limitations stem from that same apathy. YOU can't move forward because another is being apathetic.
If you are skilled but can't find a job, it's because someone isn't giving jobs. If you need new technology for your company to move forward and grow more jobs, it's because someone is barring the funding necessary from that technology being invented. If you are a congressman in charge of funding the economy and you've chosen not to balance your state's taxes and instead use your own income to better life for your son and your new wife, it could be because of the deal you were offered by the oil company to keep gas prices where they are. And if the CEO of that oil company is wondering how her daughter or brother got hooked on drugs while she wasn't around, it could be because of that person who didn't have a job and turned to dealing drugs.
The cycles and tempests of apathy and narrow-mindedness need to break. Make it with yourself. We are only in a world of squabbling children so long as squabbling children occupy it. It's harder for children to fight amongst themselves if they have an example... not even teachers, but leaders amongst their own peers. The educated, who will share what they know with others.
What, after all, would be the point of reason, without a world which needed rational minds?
But today I've come to a realization. Not that I was born too late, but that I was born too EARLY. We all were, in a sense.
The world should be further along than it is. But it isn't. And that's our fault. We are complacent to live our lives, the majority of us, rather than changing the world around us. It's a daunting task, seen as impossible by many, perhaps most. But it is not impossible.
It was only one-hundred and fifty years ago that half of our own nation endorsed so backward a concept as slavery. If you truly stop to consider the amount of time... it's the blink of an eye. You can count the number of Today's generations on one hand. And yes, this generation too is making headway towards enlightenment... but on what path?
When one thinks of what the world might be and compares it to what we are today, when one considers a unified front and the eventuality of a single governing body for our world, to discern issues of health care, education, and development... when one wipes away the national antagonisms and focuses on growth, the vision is indeed satisfying. It is natural. It is the point humanity should already be at.
And yet? We instead have leaders that bicker amongst one another, squabbling children complaining that they haven't gotten their way. Children who have amassed a horde of toys and refuse to even play with the other children, let alone share with them. Children who have yet to grow up.
Perhaps I am coming from the voice of a younger generation. Perhaps I don't see things as my grandfathers or their grandfathers did. But neither did they intend me to. They intended me to look upon the world with eyes that have seen their lives, and used their collective knowledge to determine the next course of action.
And I see now the course of action is to raise up those who will see this truth for themselves. The redundancy may serve as an irony, but I see now the importance of imprinting the importance of an advanced society on others. Of others acknowledging this reality.
Education. Education is the key. Knowledge is our greatest, our best weapon in this growth we have chosen to undertake. Development is necessary. A healthy populace, enabled and working and providing income for their children is all necessary, but education is the key.
The largest barrier thus far I can see, besides apathy and ignorance, is greed. Greedy administrators who give themselves larger salaries rather than funneling money to schools (Ironically hoping to better their own children's future). Greedy politicians who take money from drug companies rather than promote health care. Greedy drug-dealers who will make money no matter how many peoples' minds and bodies they have to poison to do it. Greedy tobacco and Alcohol companies... the list goes on and on.
But stepping back, greed only seems to be a symptom. The vast and ridiculousness of the wealth acquired could lift up the impoverished masses to develop a better world... clean energy, scientific improvements... faster internet, cleaner ecosystem, restoration of nature in cities and suburbs, true. But the greed ultimately stems from wanting to improve one's own life, often wanting to improve the life of the family and those the wealthy may actually care about. In essence, the problem is NOT the wealth of the wealthy. It is the lack of care or consideration for one's fellow man.
To take the wealth of the world and use it for the betterment of the world... that is what make's the wealthy great. To horde it, to squander it, even in the hopes of "one day" doing something wonderful with all that wealth... is ludicrous. Our world is in dire peril. One look out the window or at the news (if you're still willing to watch the news) can confirm it. If it doesn't affect you, what's the trouble? The trouble is your own limitations stem from that same apathy. YOU can't move forward because another is being apathetic.
If you are skilled but can't find a job, it's because someone isn't giving jobs. If you need new technology for your company to move forward and grow more jobs, it's because someone is barring the funding necessary from that technology being invented. If you are a congressman in charge of funding the economy and you've chosen not to balance your state's taxes and instead use your own income to better life for your son and your new wife, it could be because of the deal you were offered by the oil company to keep gas prices where they are. And if the CEO of that oil company is wondering how her daughter or brother got hooked on drugs while she wasn't around, it could be because of that person who didn't have a job and turned to dealing drugs.
The cycles and tempests of apathy and narrow-mindedness need to break. Make it with yourself. We are only in a world of squabbling children so long as squabbling children occupy it. It's harder for children to fight amongst themselves if they have an example... not even teachers, but leaders amongst their own peers. The educated, who will share what they know with others.
What, after all, would be the point of reason, without a world which needed rational minds?
Wednesday, October 21, 2009
Thursday, October 15, 2009
Tuesday, October 13, 2009
News story - People 'anxious' when cut off from internet
well... I know my wife won't agree... but it's interesting. =)
http://digg.com/d3173hG
http://digg.com/d3173hG
Friday, October 9, 2009
Sweeeeet, We gotta add the LHC to Games like Civ4
Okay, those strategy games like Civilizations 4, where you research things like the Manhattan Project to get Nuclear capability... we gotta add the Large Hadron Collider for interstellar travel =D
http://digg.com/space/LHC_Test_Could_Lead_to_Hyperdrive_Space_Propulsion
http://digg.com/space/LHC_Test_Could_Lead_to_Hyperdrive_Space_Propulsion
Thursday, October 1, 2009
The Dark Lady's Chosen
(Fwded from Blogspot while at work)
YAY FOR "CHRONICLES OF THE NECROMANCER" BOOK 4 COMING OUT!!! WEWT!
http://www.chroniclesofthenecromancer.com/DarkLadysChosen.html
For those of you not on facebook - I'm off to VA in the morning, (First trip to DC), see you next week!
YAY FOR "CHRONICLES OF THE NECROMANCER" BOOK 4 COMING OUT!!! WEWT!
http://www.chroniclesofthenecromancer.com/DarkLadysChosen.html
For those of you not on facebook - I'm off to VA in the morning, (First trip to DC), see you next week!
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