May 22, 2019 at 8:03pm
Reading in the Age of Constant Distraction
Reading in the Age of Constant Distraction:
Horizontal reading rules the day. What I do when I look at Twitter is less akin to reading a book than to the encounter I have with a recipe’s instructions or the fine print of a receipt: I’m taking in information, not enlightenment. It’s a way to pass the time, not to live in it. Reading—real reading, the kind Birkerts makes his impassioned case for—draws on our vertical sensibility, however latent, and “where it does not assume depth, it creates it.”
This article provides an interesting insight into the value that reading can offer the mind; how it can engage in a way that the shallows of the internet’s social platforms cannot (and will not, because they’re optimised for engagement, not consideration).
link
May 22, 2019 at 10:21am
Misanthropic Me
How can so many watch and enjoy inane, superficial television shows? Why does the population focus more on sporting events than geopolitical disasters? Why is consumerism celebrated and the rise of social media ‘influencers’ followed with such passion?
I feel as though our civilisation is being incessantly dumbed down. Our attention is the commodity that every company, every ‘influencer’, every entertainment option wants to attract, and competition is fierce. Rather than recognise the value of our attention, we seem willing to give it away for little to nothing in return. I would like for us elevate ourselves and dedicate our focus and attention on things of genuine importance. Yet we prefer being closeted by the warm embrace of ignorance, simplification and superficiality.
It’s tempting to resign myself as a misfit within our society. To disconnect from others. To adopt a misanthropic view of the world. To think about ways in which I might step out of the society in which I find myself.
This, however, would be the choice of weakness on my behalf. Instead, I need to dig in and find ways to stay interested in the world. I need to find others who are similarly frustrated by the banality of everyday life and engage intelligently with them. I need to find outlets of interest that will help me cope with the frustration of being part of a society, swathes of which I don’t identify with nor understand.
reflection
personal
society
May 2, 2019 at 9:49pm
Vote Hannah Beazley in Swan
Federal election 2019: Both sides see Western Australia as a major battleground
“It’s brought up with me on the doors all the time. I’m really pleased about that, because I can say that we are the one and only party that actually has a plan to deal with climate change, and that we believe in human-induced climate change.
A vote for my wife Hannah Beazley is a vote for positive action on this issue, and many others.
election
family
politics
April 5, 2019 at 8:06pm
Monthly Review: March 2019
The third entry in this series, reviewing my month that was.
What went well at home?
- I started Long Service Leave, which is a benefit that becomes available after working for a single employer for 10 years. This time off has been wonderful so far. I have not at all missed work. I’ve disconnected my email accounts, am not answering calls, and am entirely disassociated from my normal work world. It’s extremely refreshing.
- Having time away from work has freed me up to knock off a bunch of items from my ‘to do’ list.
- I went to a retro musical bingo event. I, along with the others at my table, dressed up in suitable ’80’s retro gear’. I was wearing double-denim, high-top sneakers and a Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles t-shirt. We arrived to discover our group was the only one who went to the effort to dress up. We didn’t care though, still having a good time.
- I’ve been doing a lot more cooking, and trying to enjoy it.
What went well at work?
Highlights
- Going swimming at beach for many mornings, just before it becomes too cold to do so. I discovered that I really do enjoy a swim in the ocean, particularly at a beach that offers change room facilities, for changing before getting back in the car to head home.
- Attended a Town Hall session with the Leader of the Opposition, Bill Shorten. More importantly, my wife Hannah Beazley gave the introductory speech, and she was brilliant.
- Continued watching Star Trek: Discovery, season 2.
- Read The Tattooist of Auschwitz.
- My NBL team won the championship, beating Melbourne United 3 games to 1. This was their 9th championship overall.
- I finally finished reading Toll.
My passion project
- This month has been about winding down my work mentality.
- It has also been about supporting my wife in the run-up to the Federal election campaign - vote Hannah Beazley for Swan!
review
April 2, 2019 at 8:25am
World Autism Awareness Day
Today, 2 April, is World Autism Awareness Day.
Wear light blue to show your support and understanding.
autism
canion.me