Blogging from the Bog

   Nearly 40 years ago Alvin Toffler wrote a sociological discourse in the form of a book called Future Shock, and although I read it some time back with only casual interest, these two themes have stuck with me:  data overload, and too much change too soon.  What way will our lives, cultures, and societies deal with and change during this age of informational and technological onslaught?  What role does affluence, globalisation, and the internet play in the evolution of our species?

   We like to consider ourselves social creatures; but, how social are we becoming?  Where once we banded together in groups or clans who shared the tasks, joys, and disappointments of day to day life we have now become independent, isolated, and intolerant of others.  It is becoming evident by recent news that we cannot handle stress, financial pressures, or misfortune without acting out in violence and abuse or some other offensive/defensive manner.

   The family is of course the basic social group or clan and instead of building on that solid structure it seems to be diminishing in importance to this new human.  Are the successes of Social Networking sites the proof that there is a void in our need to belong? somewhere, anywhere?  I wonder.  Once we have acquired some wealth, or in the process of seeking it, we tend to leave those who have nurtured us, taught us, and shared our burdens.  Do we spend the rest of our lives in search of that sense of belonging? 

   A wealthy, well travelled, and high-tech populace is growing on all continents and within all cultures.  We can communicate instantaneously to all regions of the earth and physically travel to any point on the globe within 24 hours.  We may take these marvels for granted today; but, this is only a recent phenomenon in human history.  Toffler’s future is our present.  How will we change or adapt to handle these changes?  Euro Yank offers the theory that Eastern and Western cultures are fundamentally different in that the West focuses on the independence of man while the East is more concerned with the interdependence of man.  Will one culture surpass the other in it’s ability to adapt?  Or, will the cultures of the world become more homogenous and grow so much alike as to become indistinguishable from one another?

   What price will technology extract from the social, cultural, and emotional qualities of human nature?

   What is all the fuss about?  What is there to know about the Lisbon Treaty referendum?  The answer to this Euro-riddle is as plain as Irish stew!  And for all the eejits out there having a great auld chinwagging session on the pros and cons of our future economy, neutrality, or our small voice in the greater European scheme of things answer me this one question will ya?

   Why, if voting yes for this treaty will make the EU 27 a more democratic union, are they not allowing all citizens to vote in a democratic electoral process throughout the member States?  If this passes in June do you think they will ever allow us to vote on anything again?  Why should they?  For Heaven’s Sake people wake the feck up will ya?

   Only a flock of bloody sheep would vote yes for this shite.  Off ya go!

   View this video, posted by Jazz Biscuit, before you vote!

   A hearty "Congratulations!" and "Well done!" to all the Irish bloggers out there!  You’re an eclectic, energetic, and creative assortment of talented writers, photographers, and essayists who make the blogosphere all the more interesting and informative by your contributions. Go raibh maith agat!

   This Saturday a celebration of Irish blogging will be held in Dublin to highlight all who participate in this activity that combines technology and free speech.  Everyone who reads, writes, or promotes this form of freedom of expression should be complimented for their efforts and you are all champions in my book.

   The awards for blogging are few but the rewards are many.  Blogs can inform, entertain, and stimulate public awareness as a result of personal involvement, of sharing experiences, and of encouraging dialogue.  Every time you hit the "publish" button you are doing us all a favour!  Having an "Awards Night" is a great idea to create publicity for this medium and to show appreciation for everyone who feels blogging is an important means of communication.  Everyone who participates in blogging is a winner!

   The Irish Blog Awards have dedicated organisers, judges, and sponsors who will make this celebration a great success.  Of the many categories and amongst a bevy of bloggers and blogettes, I was lucky enough to squeek by and be included on the Best Newcomer list.  What a treat! The Public Relations company of Edelman Dublin is sponsoring this category and the following blogs have been shortlisted: A Pint of Unionist Lite, All Parts Included, Coffee Helps, Irish Taxi, John Braine, K8 the Gr8, Midget Wrangler, Nick here and now, One for the Road, 73man, and the friendly farmer.  What an illustrious group to be in the company of!  Best wishes to all of you! 

   The Internet, as a source of information, has given us unprecedented access to a variety of material.  How we analyse and interpret this data is unique to each individual.  In some rare cases the enormous potential of stored documents can be retrieved, assembled, and presented for the consumption and criticism of millions.  The only stumbling block of course is apathy.

   The best example found yet of the greatest potential for the internet has to be in the research done by Paul Thompson.  Paul was an environmental researcher who was well adept to hunting things down online.  When he spotted anomolies or contradictory evidence in his field it would peak his interest and he would endeavour to get all the facts he could find.  Such was the case when he did some investigating outside of his work related field.  He objectively began to accumulate information online from news sources thoughout the world and presented this documentation, without commentary, to all that would listen.  He didn’t need to make any subjective representation of the data, the conspiracy theorists did that for him.  Paul presents his research in this video of what he gleaned from the mainstream media.

   Ciaran, in his blog, has some comments about the futility of internet usage and the complacency it creates.  Denis is sounding the alarm, is anyone listening?  Branedy raises the ultimate question.  Mick Hall over at Organized Rage speculates on security and the deterioration of civil rights.  These bloggers and many many others are bringing forth bits and pieces of information about how our world has changed and how it continues to change.  How on earth can all this material be assembled, analysed, and presented in a rational way for the common good?  That is the future challenge of the Internet user.

   All the legal requirements are in place, psychologically we are ready, and the hardware is available.  If I was the Grand Poobah of the Illuminati I would surmise that the time is ripe for a catastrophic event, before the US general election, to complete the task that the conspiracy theorists have been warning us about.

   One thing is certain, there is a lot of information on the Internet, and for every byte of data there is a shyte of data.  Perusing through the nonsense to get to what you are searching for is getting harder all the time.  The majority of material is entertainment, why should the Net news, covered by the corporate providers, be any different than the conventional outlets?

   The Internet has started out as television did in the early days, the next "best thing", transmitting items of importance far and wide.  TV began as an inclusionary media in which all were connected by a life-line of meaningful material.  Information about events could be beamed across the globe for the benefit of the masses.  Somewhere along the line it has become a hypnotic waste of time.  Is that the future of the Internet too?

   There is a cohesiveness implied, but not necessarily evident, in the usage of the Web.  Being "online" is like being an adventurer in the modern age, searching, looking, and sometimes discovering; but, like a quest of old it is a solitary or singular conviction.  There is great potential within this concept of communication and optimism is abundant.  Will the Internet be a fragmented and disjointed playground for the populace, or will it be a collective endeavour to further the greater consciousness of the global community?

   It seems we can expect a campaign of fear in the upcoming debate on the pro’s and con’s of the EU Treaty Referendum.  Dick Roche, TD and European Affairs Minister, will be spearheading the governments propaganda onslaught, it appears, with the remarks he came out with a few hours ago.

   In the past two weeks he has predicted a two-to-one YES vote for the referendum to be passed in Ireland, and has mentioned our indebtedness to Europe for our recent economic successes.  Today however he has come right out and said that our economy would suffer greatly and we would be "damaging" our standing within the European Union if the government fails to get the Irish people onboard.  In this Press Association article he is given credit for saying the new booklet launched today is "clear and unbiased".  Isn’t it a bit hypocritical to say that in light of the fact that he also says that a NO vote "could spark job losses"?

   All this before we have even seen page one of any information whatsoever on the referendum or have even heard of when it will be held.  The best guess is mid-to-late June.  The website Free Europe is hosting a poll, or online "mock election", in which just under 1500 people have cast their votes.  There is a resounding turnout so far in the YES camp that shows 86% want the referendum passed.  The poll is broken down by country, gender, and several age brackets.

   Since Ireland is the only country that matters in this poll and the actual referendum, as we are the only people in the EU to get the opportunity to voice our choice, I looked at the results for the votes cast from here.  Amazing!  Use the button below to see the results and to cast a vote while you are there.                                                                                                                                                               YES? or NO?  You have the vote!

   The "European Data Protection Day" came and went yesterday without so much as a whisper or a whimper here in Ireland.  It was only last Saturday that Karlin Lillington’s (you may remember Damien’s encounter with her a few months ago), article appeared on the front page of the Irish Times declaring the governments rush to bring surveillance plans into action within a months time.  Very little noise since, and seeing as the Dail will only be recovening in a few days after a long layabout, this eavesdropping strategy proposed by our illustrious minders will hardly be a priority topic in the near future.

   This prying into personal data is really catching on, and as some would say inevitable.  Recently US President George W. Bush has ordered the NSA to snoop on domestic agencies, up until now that was against the NSA’s remit and unlawful.  Robert Mugabe, leader of Zimbabwe, and his dabblings in data watching were noted in this previous post on Freedom and Security.  The UK Telegraph reports on 1,000 phone calls a day being monitored, with plenty of "legitimate" reasons being offered by the politicians.  In the article James Kirkup writes, "Britain is in danger of becoming a ’surveillance state’", oops wrong!  There is no danger at all, Britain is an "endemic surveillance society" according to Privacy International, as are China, Russia, and the United States.  We will soon be joining them. 

   Where does Ireland stand in Privacy International’s eyes?  According to their site we have "systemic failure to uphold safeguards" and "leadership" is the worst stumbling block.  Imagine that!

   The beauty of blogging is in it’s diversity, irreverance, honesty and accessibility.  It is a new art form that is only beginning to crawl from the cradle of keyboards the world over.  Whether they are written from a humourous point of view, a sarcastic one, or an informative one, the fact that voices from around the blogosphere have instant publishing capabilities is fascinating. 

   Freedom of thought and expression is wonderful to see and to read.  Although the quality of the writing varies, as do the topics, each voice has a place in the chaotic choir that is the web, and regardless of the grammar and punctuation, the sentence structure, or the spelling, to criticize the blogging art form is an attempt to crush the free exchange of ideas.  It is a shallow and petty pursuit.

   A psuedo-intellectual columnist from the Irish Times, and "That’s Ireland’s" pick for "Eejit of the Year 2007", John Waters is just the kind of shallow and petty pundit who would consider blogger bashing, if only to get the spotlight to shine on himself for a time, something that his writing usually fails to do.  No word wizard himself, his frequent dicacious diatribes demeaning blogs and bloggers in particular, and the internet in general, is in character coming from this bellicose bellows.  It is without a doubt a farcical attempt at free publicity.

   Journalists of every ilk and order have never before been so open to criticism and commentary.  Some can take it, some can not.  No longer are the readers limited to the small spaces of the Letters to the Editor page for their expressions of congratulations or contempt.  Blogging has arrived. 

Blog On!

   It is estimated that 80% of the world’s population will live in urban areas by the year 2020, another prediction has the population of the planet approaching 10 billion, a 150% increase over today’s numbers, by the year 2050.  Today, we can all see that the unsustainable use of critical resources, ie. water, food, and energy, can no longer be taken for granted and that we will need changes in our behaviour, thinking, and practices to enable future generations some chance of survival. 

   Change will also be needed in the way we build and inhabit the cities of the future.  Food, clothing and shelter (the big three), employment, services and entertainment must be readily available and within easy reach of the future city citizen.  The success of these futuristic cities will be measured by the voluntary abandonment of the automobile, the efficient use of resources, waste management, and co-operation between the crowded individual and the needs of the masses.

   William McDonough designed the first solar powered house in Ireland in 1977 and was named Time magazines "Hero of the Planet" in 1999 for his ecological design concepts.  With three decades of imaginative thinking, creative architecture, and re-inventing the box (never mind thinking outside of it) behind him, McDonough’s team has recently come up with a "living" structure that will, according to them, do everything but replicate itself.  A mixed use building, the "Tower of Tomorrow" uses bio-mimicry, in that it will create oxygen, distill water, produce energy, change with the seasons and provide shelter for housing, work and entertainment! 

   Norman Foster, another architect, and his company Foster & Partners, are the creative geniuses behind the 6 million square metre walled city of Masdar, to be built in Abu Dhabi, that is a carbon neutral, zero waste, and an automobile free community.   Foster and McDonough will both unveil their projects next week at the World Future Energy Summit in Abu Dhabi.  This monumental event is being shunned by the Irish government.  Why is that?

   Dickson Despommier a microbiologist from Columbia University is ploughing ahead with his ideas of vertical farming.  In these cities of the future there will need to exist an easily accessible supply of food.  The Vertical Farm Project plans to do just that by building high rise gardens of Eden for the city dwellers to "grow locally" all their dietary needs.  A firm in the Netherlands, MVRDV, has envisioned a Pig City in the sky; but, if raising chickens for food in confined factories is causing a lot of drama at the moment I can’t imagine that pigs using elevators is going to catch on.  Maybe there is less meat in our future?  Things are looking up!