A World In Flux

Now that we've gotten the sentimental mushy life-update stuff out of the way, I want to get cracking on some issues going on in the world that I've found interesting. I'm kind of a news addict, and there is a LOT going on all around us that we don't really pay a lot of attention to. I've got two big issues that have been of increasing interest to me, so here we go.

Hacking.
What comes to mind when you hear the word "hacking"? Perhaps some sci fi space movie with computers programs running amok? Or maybe you think of the stereotypical hackers of today, some antisocial overweight teenage kid with glasses typing furiously away at his computer, trying to get himself some Russian launch codes. As amusing as these anecdotes are, hacking has become a serious issue in society today. From individual "hacktivists" such as Jester (aka th3j35t3r), to hacking collectives such as Anonymous and LulzSec, to efforts from government forces around the world, hacking has emerged from the shadow of the internet underground and onto the international spotlight. Recently, China attempted to gain the usernames and passwords of several US government officials. Lulz Security (aka LulzSec) is a splinter cell of the hacker collective Anonymous that is responsible for taking down the U.S. Senate website, defacing PBS, and crashing the web site for the CIA, as well as taking down online gaming servers and various other hacks. LulzSec has also released thousands upon thousands of email accounts and passwords into the Net, resulting in countless Facebook, Twitter, and Paypal hacks. Meanwhile, Anonymous continues their online rampage against government forces and copyright enforcers, whether by disabling MasterCard, Visa, and Paypal in 2010, attempting to take down the RIAA website, or aiding activists in Tunisia, Egypt, Algeria, Greece, Spain, and elsewhere during the Arab Spring uprisings. You can find a link to their official news release blog here.

What does this all mean, and how is it relevant? Well, it appears that a sort of cyber war is emerging. On one side: the recording/copyright industry, governments, and large corporations. This is the side of oligarchy; of order, regulation, and stability. On the other side of the field is hacktivists, hackers, pirates. This is Team Anarchy. They promote freedom, chaos, and individuality. Yet in reality, these two sides are not simply mere organizations. They are not people, companies or governments. They embrace and embody two conflicting ideologies, both of which play themselves out through various laws, groups, actions, and individuals. This is a war between oligarchy and anarchy. A battle is being waged, a war for control and more specifically, control of information, whether on the Internet or elsewhere. The oligarchs would have you contained in a box, fed regulated, watered-down information, unable to access anything considered "dangerous" to their interests. The anarchists would have you able to access anything you want at no cost: pirated TV shows, politically sensitive information, child pornography, whatever you desire. Is either side right? No. Yet each contains an element of truth. I believe that we do need rules and regulations on the internet. I also believe that any individual has the right to information, even if that information has been deemed as 'sensitive' or 'dangerous' by oligarchic interests. Meanwhile, Anonymous, the RIAA, the US government, Lulzsec, each plays their part in this battle. Who will win? That remains to be seen.

Unrest in the East.
By now, you've probably all heard of the recent uprisings, riots and general unrest sweeping the Middle East. Starting in Tunisia and spreading to Egypt, Algeria, Yemen, Iran, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Syria, Libya, and now Greece and Spain, a wave of riots and protests have spread from country to country in much of the Middle East, Africa and Europe. From corrupt dictators being overthrown to US air strikes in Libya and Yemen, the issues erupting in the East are definitely hot topics in today's news media.

What does all this mean, and how is it relevant? Due to these uprisings, everything from international diplomacy to Middle Eastern economics is up in the air right now. We have Palestinian-Israeli attacks, protests and riots everywhere, dethroned dictators, hundreds if not thousands of dead, hundreds of thousands to millions of people in the streets in multiple countries, failing industries and economies, revamped political powers, etc. The US is now embroiled in what, five wars now? We are currently engaged in Iraq, Afghanistan, Pakistan, and now Yemen and Libya, with no decisive outcome in sight. Congress is debating whether it's even legal for us to be intervening in Libya, and we've got NATO supposedly killing multiple civilians with every fresh batch of airstrikes. Greece and Spain are now protesting their governmental representation, new internet laws and austerity measures. Our entire world is in flux. Once again, it all boils down to a war for control. Oligarchy vs. anarchy. Total control against the absence of control. Neither side is right, yet neither will yield.

Now, what does this mean for us, the average American? Well, several things. These issues affect everything from the extremely tangible (rising gas prices, US politics, humanitarian crises in multiple countries) to the invisible and unheard (CIA shadow wars in Pakistan, Yemen, and Libya, America's subtle acceptance (or even promotion) of the crackdowns in Bahrain and Saudi Arabia).

My point here is that things need to change. We as Americans need to become more educated and outspoken. Learn what is going on in the world today, the reasons behind these events, and the significance they have on a local as well as a global scale. Become more aware. Read, read, read. Spread the word about current issues and what we can do to help. Research methods of aiding those in need then put those methods into practice, whether it's activism (online or offline), donating to worthy causes, or actually becoming physically involved in these problems and using your skills to help out. Remain aware of the reasons behind these events. Don't rely on one news outlet- do your homework. Look up the same event from multiple perspectives. Try to gain a picture of the problem as a whole, not just specific aspects of it. For news media, try CNN, BBC, Reuters, Al Jazeera, even (dare I say it...) Fox News. Each has a different side of the story to tell. Get the wider picture. Learn what the people on each side of the issue are saying, and form an opinion for yourself, based on what you believe and what you've learned. Become media literate. Become involved. I believe that we as Americans are too complacent. We need to get up and become more interested in what's going on around us, even if it doesn't directly impact us. Wake up America!

Updates

Wow... I have not been on this blog in wayyyy too long. Sorry folks. It's been a hectic few months, between my first year of college ending, me working over the summer, etc. Update time? I think so.

College: DONE! First year is complete, which is insane to me. Time has flown by so quickly and I'm not really sure where the year went. I learned a lot, had some crazy times with some awesome friends. Learned a few life lessons in there as well, made new friends, lost some friends, but in the end it was well worth it.

Summer: working at Eastern, making money to save up and (hopefully) be able to pay off a lot of next semester's debt. College is EXPENSIVE.

Next year: who knows? I'm open to see where life takes me. I'm going to be majoring in Communications, with a Mass Media concentration and possibly a minor in Journalism or Political Science. Currently I have no idea what I want to do with my life... I like to read, I like to write, and I'm really interesting in news and what's going on in the world around us. Where that will take me, I have no idea, but I'm not worried about it. :)

You Keep The Sunshine, Save Me The Rain

Have you ever felt like the world is about to come crashing down around you? I feel like the more I read and learn, the more disillusioned I become about the fate of humanity as a whole. It seems almost as if we are programmed as a species towards self-destruction. I know that's a fairly pessimistic stance to take, but lately that's how I've been feeling about life on this little rock we call home. From the current ecological disaster in Japan, to the massive revolutions and civil war occurring in the Middle East, our world appears to be in shambles. War, famine, and disease run rampant throughout much of the Third World. Among the developed nations, social issues (poverty, homelessness), corruption, and government repression become more visible every day. So, in this mindset, contemplating life, humanity, and the meaning of it all, I began to talk a walk across campus to clear my head. I find that pondering and meandering often work a wonderful combination upon my state of mind. I found myself walking along some of Eastern's ponds, admiring the blooming trees and enjoying the nice weather, though still preoccupied with the fairly dark thoughts rumbling around in my head. Finally I look up, and see the most beautiful sunset. Streaks of light orange and pink stretched across the sky, broken only by the soft bruise-purple underbellies of the clouds. It was absolutely stunning. As I walked slowly across the athletic fields and watched the sun go down, a thought struck me: God is still in control. If He can instill such beauty, such majesty in a mere sunset- one small aspect of His work, then surely He must have a plan for the rest of His creation. All thoughts of strife and suffering were instantly banished from my mind. Now, I will be the first to admit that I'm not the most devout Christian. Lately, I seem to find myself denying God at almost every turn. Sooner or later, it gets to the point where I feel separated from Him, alone and lost. To be honest, sometimes I rejoice in this newfound independence. Mostly however, I simply feel apathetic, broken, and weak. Yet without fail, something always happens to bring me back to Him. Whether through a talk with a friend, an astounding worship experience, a Scripture that jumps out at me, or (more commonly) through witnessing an act of His creation, I get back on track. College has been a challenge for me, academically, socially, and spiritually. Yet no matter what happens, I know that God has a plan for me. Just as a sunset is a reminder to me of how beautiful and powerful our Creator is, so should we be shining examples of how loving and gracious our God is.

Love, Life, Music, and Video Game Analogies

Hmm.... haven't been on here in a while. Apologies.

So this song has been pretty much the chorus of my life over the last, oh, month or so. Thought I'd share it with the big wide world of the Internet. The name of the song is "You Be Tails, I'll Be Sonic" (which sounds rather silly, but on second glance is actually quite metaphorical as it relates to the meaning of the song.) by A Day To Remember. Here's the link and the lyrics. Instead of having them in typical listed format, I've organized them into some semblance of grammatical coherency. (Incidentally, I've found I tend to use more terse and articulate language when I'm pissed off or frustrated. Again, my apologies.)

"I’m a mess, that's the best way to describe it. Having no time to myself is the only way I can fight it... when I'm alone it's like I'm staring into a mirror, don't know the person inside it and that's never been any clearer."

"I miss your family and I miss all our friends... if you had it to do over would you do it over again? 'Cause I would, this meant something more to me... There's a hole in my heart where you used to be."

"I still wish you the best of luck, baby, and don't go thinking this was a waste of time: I couldn't forget you if I tried."

"You killed what was left of the good in me, I'm tired so let me be broken. Look down at the mess that's in front of me, no other words need be spoken. I've got nobody else to blame though I tried- kept all of our past mistakes held inside... I’ll live with regret for my whole life."

"I confess that I brought this all on myself, condemned to suffer alone, like there's nobody else.
When you're gone, it's like a whole part of me’s missing, so I'll keep living the lie and just hope that you're listening."

"I tried to make us a life here but our foundation was built on sand. No time to run until the damage was done, and I’ve never had the upper hand."

"All the things you love are all the things I hate... how did we get here in the first place?"

"I play it cool but it's hard to be... all my trust is slowly burning inside of me. Over what? There can't be anymore progress, I know our fate... the only thing that can heal this is time and space."

Quiet Night Drive

How beautiful the moonlight-

It reveals the essence, the core of this world of night
Leaving all else, the ugly, the broken, the truth, behind.
Cold, stark, unfiltered silver, defining the bare earth
Its shades and hollows eternally graven in liquid light
Treetops rimed with celestial frost.

Head on my shoulder, her breath soft in my ear,
She whispers an off-key melody to match the ancient requiem of the stars above us
As we drift down this avenue of temporary bliss
To home.

Two Sides, One Coin

One of my all-time favorite fiction series is by an author called Tad Williams. It is called "Otherland", and while the plot is extremely complex, the basics are that a group of people are trapped in a place known as Otherland, which is in reality an immensely intricate virtual reality. There is a character in the book who goes by the name Hideki Kunohara. He is an enigma; a scholar, poet, and scientist all rolled into one. He has a quote which I've found to be both intriguing and enlightening. Kunohara states, "Always these dualisms- mechanists or spiritualists. Always choosing one side of the coin, instead of simply choosing the coin itself. Both have so strongly rejected the others side that they will regret it one day."

Now, in the book, he is discussing two opposing forces, one mechanist (attempting to achieve immortality through technology), the other spiritualist (trying through more traditional and religious methods to gain eternal life). These two organizations are at continual odds with each other throughout the series.

Yet if we remove the quote from it's context (I know, I know, some literary traditionalist is rolling in his grave right now) and we take it simply at face value, it lends itself to a wide variety of interpretations. Here's mine.

Dualism: two opposing forces, in this case "mechanist" (read: material) and "spiritualist", or immaterial. Two contrasting viewpoints, one focusing entirely on the present: humanity, technology, physicality, this present moment in time, our lives as a whole. The other, attempting the opposite; seeking the afterlife, completely immersed in the spiritual, ignoring or rejecting this world and all it has to offer. Each side choosing one side of the coin, rather than the coin itself.

I know people on both sides of the coin. I have friends who live entirely in the moment, never concerned with anything even remotely spiritual or ethereal. I also know people who seclude themselves, turn within and focus wholly on the spiritual, rejecting the world outside them. I present an alternative: to live within the world, yet not be of the world. Remain aware of this world, enjoy your life, yet at the same time, keeping the ultimate goal in mind. As Christians, we are not only told but encouraged to live this way. We should not fall entirely into one camp or the other. We are told to embrace the coin, if you will. I see this quote as a challenge, a challenge to keep our minds focused on the spiritual while at the same embracing our physical life here on Earth. If we fail to do this, as Kunohara says, we will regret it one day. The ultimate outcome of our lives should be to enjoy and spread Christ's love and gift of salvation to the world. If we live entirely in the moment, focused only the physical and material, we get sidetracked away from that goal. Likewise, if we maintain a wonderful relationship with God, yet completely ignore others, we are failing just as hard. We need a safe medium, a reconciliation of both sides of the coin.

Likes and Retweets

There is a saying: "Absence makes the heart grow fonder." Over the years, I've found that I prefer another saying, "Absence sharpens love, but presence strengthens it." Love, friendships, relationships in general are easier to establish and maintain when you are actually with the person in question. Seeing someone face to face, having a conversation, being able to see and interpret body language, all of these play key parts in strengthening a relationship. My generation has removed itself from this level of personal connection, instead choosing to rely upon a variety of other social media interactions.

Now, don't get me wrong, I love texting, Facebook, Skype, and Twitter as much as the next guy. But there is still something more... corporeal, solid, something more elemental about being about sit down across from someone and simply talk to them one on one. The advent of the internet and wireless, instantaneous communication has created a generation of youth desperately searching for fulfillment, for interaction. Yet our relationships, whether online or physical, tend to lean toward the impersonal. We have become a quantitative, rather than qualitative, culture. We can have a person's vital statistics at our very fingertips: age, gender, interests, dislikes, hobbies, friends, organizations they belong to, their taste in music, clothing, literature. We can view countless photos of them, see how they live their life, who they hang out with, what they do. We can read Facebook status updates and Tweets to get a feel for someone's emotional state. We can do all this... and yet never really know this person. They become a nonentity.

To put a different spin on this whole situation, let's take a look back at this beginning of this post. In it, I mentioned a need for contact in a relationship. I've had several relationships suffer (and die) because either I or the other person involved have simply not had contact for a long while. This same is true for our spiritual relationships. If we don't talk to God, if we don't communicate with Him, spend time with Him or in His Word, then we can't really get to know Him. And likewise, He suffers a disconnect from us as well. We need to constantly be with Him in order to foster a solid relationship. It's not simply tagging Him in a status update, or mentioning Him on Twitter, we need to sit down and have an active, engaging dialogue with Him. Otherwise, God to us becomes a nonentity. Worse yet, a nondeity. We forget about Him, and continue to live our lives, shallower and for the worse off because of it. The relationship suffers.

"Absence sharpens love, but presence strengthens it." This rings true in all relationships, whether material or spiritual. A good relationship needs to be relational. It's simple and cliche, yet true. I'm trying to put these words to action in my own life, and I'd encourage you to do the same.