On The Future2014-08-22T00:48:45-04:00Years ago, it was a different world.Pre-Matrix. Pre-WikiLeaks. Pre-Snowden.Since… the nerds have indeed carved the new landscape. The world of the flip-open Star Trek communicator. The world of the instant binary information. The world that is hot and new and modern and All The Rage.And yet, we have failed to embody it truly.In reflection, what we’ve built has failed to make good on the Berners-Lee ideals. Instead, we’ve built the new distraction apparatus. We’ve killed the media to become the media…and yet we just find ourselves the new mechanics and propagandists.An old friend knew it. That he has the temerity to operate in its confines now proves his bravery – and, perhaps, illogical hope. I admire it.On crowding this space2013-10-06T03:15:34-04:00I’m only an occasional blogger these days. Most of the time, I don’t even think about it. In fact, if there’s anything I’ve gotten better at as I’ve gotten older, it’s being increasingly able to discriminate between the type of bullshit I might say online, and they type of bullshit I should just keep to myself.Some may argue that point. But no comment boxes for you here.We live in a far different era than the one I started doing this in back in 1996 or so. It wasn’t even called “blogging” for a few years after that. Even then, there were Those Who Came Before. They were the kings of IRC and lords of usenet. Some might argue, more valid communities than today’s counterparts.I was obsessed then with this web medium. Just had to figure out how to embed audio and make goofy animated GIFs in a very static-request-oriented environment.Who’d have thought in 2004-ish when I opened a Facebook account in room 231 of Cavanaugh Hall that this simple little blue-and-white thing would go on to become a 124-billion-dollar information behemoth? Some pervasive distraction so able to unify every genius and idiot on the planet?It’s funny how that starts. And it’s funny how we perceive unity through the process.I always journaled alone. It was sort of a therapy. I expected few people, if anyone, to read this stuff. Those who did, I didn’t much solicit their opinions on what they thought about it. No liking or disliking. No avoiding the word “fucksickle” because some relative might get offended. Just like you’re getting this today.I like to believe that there is still community on the web like I remember from back then. But I think I’m kidding myself. Everyone is part of this now. Every jock, dipshit, bully, and fuckwad gets a chair at the campfire. The nerds have become the mechanics.Nobody would watch a movie called “Revenge of the Mechanics.”So here we are. In the modern world. Same as it ever was. Except now you’ve got some new bullshit to read.On Turning 382013-07-24T13:27:45-04:00I wrote this two months ago on my birthday an