Seconds Anyone?

Life. It's the one thing we as humans know best. But, at the same time, we know comparatively little about it. It is so complex that no single person could ever begin to comprehend it. Many have tried, many have failed and yet we still try our very best to figure it all out. As a species we are constantly trying to make our experience here on earth better by broadening our horizons and attempting to open the doors that were once shut. We thrive on the good experiences, but they are mixed amongst others which aren't always as good. You see, it's the bad times which make the good ones seem good. We all strive to improve on the cards we've been given. For some this is not even possible due to the circumstances they are in, whereas others are able to gain a diverse range of experiences in order to make their life seem more worthwhile. This seems like a good plan, although we only have one life, so the decisions we make better be good. Wouldn't it be so much easier if we had more than one shot at life?

But what if? What if we could live more than one life? What if we could live our life in different ways and experience more than we would otherwise have been able to? What if?

Second life. It's a buzzword. It refers to a new life humans have created. One that is based on the principles of reality but exists only in cyberspace. It's the answer to all of our desires. Or is it?

This so called 'life' that exists only in ones and zeros can make up for some of the things we crave but as with all man-made things, it has its limitations. Nothing can replace reality, although nowadays we like to think otherwise. Digital multimedia and entertainment in all its various forms is designed to keep us occupied, yet it barely even exists. It gives us a chance to escape the problems we have and descend into an alternate form of reality. A reality which gives us so many new opportunities. This surely must be the answer to all of our issues. After all, escaping from something is far easier than facing it.

The internet. What better a way to implement this whole second life idea. Having everyone in the world connected and communicating seamlessly seems great in theory, but in reality it opens up Pandora's box. Problems? You thought you had problems? Well, they just got ten times worse. You see, it turns out that actually the entire second-life-in-cyberspace ain't all that it's cracked up to be. For one, it doesn't actually exist, and secondly it cannot replace the physical life we live in.

Freedom? Say goodbye to the thought of running away. We're all connected now, so there's no hiding. You can't hide if you don't even control your own life. Second life means goodbye to freedom, privacy and everything we once were as humans. It's a disease that is spreading faster than you can imagine. You may not think so, but a lot of the modern world is built on it.

How could we ever stop such a thing? Well, I don't know we can. Hopefully it will all stop before it gets too late. I cannot guarantee anything though.


Welcome to the Matrix. Only worse.
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I just ain't cuttin' the mustard!

Yes, I know, I'm way behind when it comes to blog entries, but I've been really busy lately and I've had lots of assessments and stuff which takes up all your time. But don't worry, I have lots more coming soon so there's no need to panic or pull what's left of your hair out. Just sit tight and check back in a week or two...

Truth

The greatest fiction
Is born in truth
But what is truth?

Silver bullets hit my skin
Like rain against the dust
I clench my teeth
My mind racing
In and out

I attempt to define it
But I cannot
I try to express it
But I cannot
I have to keep going

Why do I not understand this?
Maybe one day I will
I need to carry on
Taking every step in my stride
Until that day comes

This is where I start
But not where I finish

Untitled

Words; they can be bent, changed, chanted, communicated, copied, discovered, drawn, dreamt, echoed, exchanged, incorrectly used, interpreted, invented, jotted down, laughed at, leaked, magnified, mimicked, misinterpreted, misspelled, organised, painted, passed around, plagiarised, preached, printed, programmed, rapped, read, repeated, reversed, rotated, said, scanned, screamed, screeched, scribbled, searched, shouted, spelt, spoken, spray painted, strung together, sung, swapped, thought up, thrown around, transferred, translated, twisted, used, whispered and written. They’re what I’m using right now to write this blog entry. They are our most common form of communication and are taken for granted by most of the world’s population. What would we do without these so-called words?

Whose blog is it anyway?

In a world dominated by the internet and the ever-increasing rise of technology, we are at our most vulnerable ever as a species. The ability to now share our most intimate details with almost anyone in the world begs the question: do you actually want everyone in the world to know that you're going to Tom's house on Saturday? What if you gave slightly more detail than that and some 67 year old man was bored and wanted something to do on the weekend? With the details you've given would he be able to find Tom's house too? Do you want a total stranger to join in?

What about that 17 year old girl you met on Bebo who you've now got on your MSN contacts? You guys are really good friends and chances are you're going to want to meet up soon? She even lives in the same city as you. How do you know she's really the person she says she is? Well, you don't do you? The answer is most likely no. The threat I'm talking about is real. People actually go missing and much, much worse, all because they put slightly too many personal details on the internet.

Is it self-love or the need to seek attention that drives people to do this? Is it simply a desire to connect with more people and expand one's knowledge of the world? The world is moving faster and faster towards the idea of a 'global village': a world where everyone is linked to everyone and all borders simply fade away. Doesn't this idea go against the very fundamentals of humanity? Once everyone is linked and can access everything at the touch of a button, is there even a need to live anymore? What further progress can we make from then on? The old system worked just fine in case you forgot so I don't see how we are actually making progress.

You probably think I'm going off on a tangent, but actually it all links up. You see as we become more connected, we also slowly lose our sense of individuality, originality and privacy that we once took for granted. We simply become another robot, connected to the system. In a desperate attempt to regain ourselves we publish what little we have on the internet to try and set us apart. This may not be the case for everyone, but for so many it is and it will only get worse as we march forward in the name of progress.

The majority of teenagers will say that they simply put their details up for their friends, but surely if someone is your friend they would already know most of those things about you? The truth is that whether you like it or not, you're actually doing it in case someone you don't know comes across your page and becomes your friend due to what you've written about yourself. Why else would you write about what type of person you are or what you're looking for in a boyfriend?

Now don't go overboard and delete every web page that mentions anything about you, but just be more careful in future when you choose what to publish online. If you can, simply remain anonymous. I mean do you even know who I am? Some people do know, but unless you do, what more do you know other than the fact that my nickname is Jono and that I just turned seventeen? Not much. And let's keep it that way.

The Seven Vertically Challenged Males

A story of love, loss and copious amounts of growth hormones

Once upon a time, in a land not very far from Hollywood, lived seven men who all had something in common. No, they were not queer, but close enough. They were all extraordinarily short and this, as I’m sure you’ve already realised, is more than just a tragedy. Everyone thought they were kids and these poor men were being deprived of the respect they deserved. The situation was unacceptable, and required desperate measures. And by desperate measures, I mean illegal amounts of badger growth hormones. Why badger you may ask? Well, because I say so. And no one questions the narrator.

The illegal substances were ordered and arrived in a glass coffin seven days later. The growth hormones were consumed and they waited for days, but nothing happened. Rude words were used and temper tantrums were thrown, but even this didn’t help. Fortunately, large amounts of alcohol were found nearby and as you may know, alcohol solves all problems. That is, until the next morning. That’s when your problems only get worse. The dwarves were now angrier than ever and it turns out the growth hormones had actually changed all their personalities. Some were always happy and some were always sad. One was always sleepy and another was suicidal at times. This caused even more confusion and now they had to seek help elsewhere.

After many further months of searching they were given the contact details of a certain evil queen. Apparently she had the ability to satisfy any of your wishes, as long as you paid her well. They all agreed that this was their last hope and went over to her castle one day. They explained their problems to her and she said that she would be happy to help them on one condition. The condition was; well, unfortunately we will never know, but we do know this much: following their meeting with the queen, the dwarves have never had their wish satisfied but it looks as though they are doing just fine. It seems being mistaken for a kid does have its advantages.

You may be thinking to yourself, where does the love bit come in? Well, it doesn’t come just yet. That bits being saved for the sequel. Apparently it’s coming to cinemas next summer. I just stuck it in the subtitle because it sounds good and might make you read on.

Seventeen

Yes! As of Friday I am officially seventeen years of age and as of Saturday I also possess a Learner’s Licence. Pretty sweet huh? Damn straight it is, and soon I shall also have a job (You know what that means). Life here in New Zealand is turning out pretty good so far I must say. Now all I need is my own car and I’ve got it made...