I only have about thirty songs. It takes half of an hour to download just one with this dial-up modem.
Sharing music is great, but I think this is only the beginning. Before long we'll be sending full movies, games, and whatever else to each other at the speed of lightning. Entire hard drives will be transfered instantaneously, whether over the wire or through peripherals. The way business is done will completely change. Everyone will be educated on/in/about/with/by computers. In fact, we may be integrated with computers in the future. Sick? Diagnosis, then microscopic cybernetic organisms flood your system in repair work. Pretty soon, cyborgs won't be solely fiction, and some Star Wars geek scientist will build an actual C-3PO (after R2-D2 was successfully brought to life, of course). By then, humans will be genetically engineered. You'll be able to customize your baby! Just fill out this form, here are color charts and hair samples to help in making your decision. Thank you for choosing WHERE IS YOUR GOD NOW! Inc.
OK, so maybe not all of that will happen, but computers and the Internet are here to stay and to assimilate. I can't even guess what the next big thing will be. I don't want to imagine. I'm scared.
What is going to be wonderful is immediate, digital content. No need for text books in school, and the billions of pieces of paper (maybe trillions?) wasted every year. That's a lot of trees. Everything will be available electronically. Everything will be on the Internet. Everything. And it will all be much better organized because of it. Just like search engines now, we'll be able to search through all of our collective knowledge. For example, knowledge of history. I can go on Napster and try to find historical audio such as famous speeches, but it's hard. Universities are going to catalog all of their information, as will the government (what they'll allow). Everything will be available to anyone, anywhere! I must sound like a nerd with a hard-on, but it's going to really help us. Everything will be faster and easier and save us loads of time and energy. Our butts may expand, but this is the start of evolving beyond the need for rear ends. Not really, but you get what I mean. Reading takes time, we'll probably find a way through further technology to increase information intake, not just make it more easily accessible. The Internet isn't just for porn and mindless chatting. And horrible, worthless Web sites created by thirty million teenagers all telling the world that it sucks.
Of course there will be a down side to this. Jobs will shift and the economy will change, but it's going to be a gradual change, so not too bad. One of the main problems may turn out to be that we're all so excited about what we're now able to do, that we don't take the time to think about bad things that may arise and not prepare. I don't know. I don't know much about this stuff. These are just guesses of a curious onlooker. You may ignore.
I listened to the new Offspring CD today. It's not that good. I guess they're one of my guilty musical pleasures. Or something. I liked them a lot in the mid-90s. I guess I still enjoy their old songs, if only for nostalgic value.
What is it with our tendency to like a band's early stuff but dislike their newer songs? It's that way for me with many bands. Maybe it's the emotional aspect, that nostalgia of it. As the band evolves, so does their music. It's different; I'm used to a ten-year-old sound.
Sometimes I'll listen to a song and remember things of which only that song reminds me. Even smells. I don't know.
I judge people too much sometimes. For example, when someone IMs me without proper grammar, or won't shutup about a boyband, I immediately think of them as stupid. A 17-year-old middle class white child adopts hiphop language--I hope his imaginary guns go off in his mouth. A girl's life centers on 25-year-old androgynous singers--they were dropped repeatedly as toddlers, on their heads, and stepped on. I have to stop thinking of everyone who doesn't know the meaning of certain words as unintelligent. I shouldn't call them stupid, but ignorant or apathetic. Most people could learn to balance equations, read Beowulf, and know some history. They just decide against. I have to drop this anger and prejudice. Have to. It's probably one of the problems--one of the reasons I find myself stagnant. Dear Gandhi, help me.
It is vital that I remain as detached from society as possible. Or at least the many parts I dislike. I cannot let myself get sucked into a commercial-driven television series, or wear those beaded bracelets like all the Blink 182 fans. I won't post countless pictures of myself puckering in the bathroom. I won't be afraid of our government, or believe everything it tells us without questioning. I won't adopt trends or fads to buy my way into fitting in. I won't drink alcohol like everyone else.
I will do my best to think, to evaluate, to practice moderation. I will be honest but kind. I will not be fat, and eat whenever I wish while thousands die each day. I will be fair.
Why am I saying things like this? I'm trying to better myself. Just think if everyone tried to better themselves, truly. If everyone read opposing viewpoints and actually thought about them with open minds. If people didn't follow leaders like sheep. If people detached themselves from trivial things that lead them. If people cared for one another all the time. If they didn't drink alcohol so much, or stuff themselves to the point of wearing clothes labeled 4XL. What if every person recycled, gave to charity, waved and smiled to their neighbors and strangers alike? Wouldn't it be nice if old, rich White men cared about Black babies? Everyone has an impact on everyone else, you know. If those old white men think black children don't affect them, they're dead wrong, perhaps literally.
During senior year, Andrew and Taylor hung out a lot and never invited me over. That was all right, though, because everyone said they did little but drink. I've never drank and I plan to stay free of alcohol, so, as I said, I didn't care; I wasn't missing anything.
I dislike the way most people are. Sometimes I feel misanthropic. Members of this society seem focused only on themselves. I hate walking through Wal-Mart or malls especially because this becomes painfully apparent. I have to educate myself and try to remain free of society's horrible influence. I will not listen to their radio. I will not watch whatever happens to be the most popular television shows at any particular time. I won't comb my hair a specific way because it's the new fashion trend. I won't wear Abercrombie or clothes from Pacific Sunwear. I won't be a billboard. I will never wear sunglasses. My body will remain free of tattoos and piercings. My lungs will stay clean and devoid of tar. My brain won't be poisoned by any form of drinking alcohol. My stomach won't be filled with fast food. I will be 'boring' and happy. I won't be synthetic. I won't be molded by a greedy congregation of foreign hands.
It's impossible to escape, I know. I'll always be a part of society. But, I can do my best to live as I want—as independent of their influences as possible. I live in the United States, but I do not want to be a representative of it. Or at least not a representative of its awful characteristics (which are most well known and hardly forgotten). Sometimes I feel like I hate this country. Not the country itself, I suppose, just the corrupt politicians; the rich, fat men who control the economy; and every hypocritical church-goer, teacher, and authority figure.
For the patriots: This society is a free one, yes, but other than that, it's not so grand. Yes, that is a very big deal—freedom—our main seeling point. As citizens of this nation we are able to do and say what we want. But, look at our history. We wiped out the native Americans and enslaved Africans. Suppressed women and minorities. We took, took, took. We lived and live in excess. Don't feel bad about it, though. It's seems human nature almost. That makes me sad.
Patriotism isn't the best thing for us. It unites the United States, but doesn't do a thing for the world. Our patriotism is a bad sort. It's the greedy kind of self-love that assumes the worst about the rest of the world; proclaims our views as eternally superior and right; and prevents us from helping. This is bad. The world is shrinking, and we need to adjust our lives—our consumerism, thoughts about ourselves and the rest of the world, our relationship with other nations, and so many other things including stereotypes, economics, weapons, pollution, culture, etc. Humans are humans. The world is one place. It might not seem that way sometimes, but it is. It is so more now than ever as it contracts with globalization. It might seem far-fetched right now, but it is possible that we will have one language eventually. Yeah, other languages won't die out; I just mean that English will probably be used by a great majority of people the world over as we continue to become more intertwined.
My point is that we need to open our eyes and look beyond ourselves. America is great when compared to other places, but it can be a lot better. Truly great people are wise, selfless, honest, forgiving, and helpful. If Americans want themselves to be remembered as best they can be, then they should strive for qualities such as these. Tyrants and ruthless agitators are remembered most, but who is remembered best? The merciful, the helpful, the kind and loving. Let these be our goal. Let's try for love.
That is all. .
Actually, no. Hello to a special lady named Samantha.
This was drawn in a letter sent to someone.
