My car was stolen yesterday (Subaru Legacy wagon PM7910 in case you are in Christchurch, if you see it call the police). For all the pain there is a sense of freedom too. I might not get another car! Walk, bike and borrow (I don’t intend complete abstinence!).
Strangely, the feeling is similar to having just installed Readability in Firefox. What beautiful clean pages. I love reading on my PC. Maybe I don’t need an iPad after all. I put my laptop on my chest in bed today and read using the Readability, Kindle and Comical. There is something in my astrology pulling towards the simple & minimal.
I have been impressed by Roger Ebert’s item on “frisson”, a delightful and sensible contribution to the trollish “Google makes you stupid” discussions. Google makes us smart! Individually and as a species. What if Gregor Mendel talked to Charles Darwin? Ebert discusses his own experience of finding it hard to sit and read a whole book as in the old days. I know that experience! He has a plan to read again. Re-train the mind. Makes sense to me.
The planets continue to conspire. I read: Alain de Botton, On Distraction, Our minds need to go on a diet. I like it.
I’ve never been impressed by the idea of “Internet free days” or “email free days” as I am strong on using filters and readers to manage information, there is no overload. It takes a bit of work but the Net comes to me quite intelligently. It knows what I want. Not just email filters, search, an RSS reader but socially mediated information via mailing lists and twitter create a stream that tunes into me, like a very good friend.
The Alain de Botton item puts it in perspective. Fasting. A meditative approach. I could do that with food and with information! Far from being anti-food or anti-Internet I can see how fasting can enhance experience, sharpen my senses & taste.
I won’t make any resolutions though. Lets see what the planets have in store.
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More about Readability – an item by Rich Ziade
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