Amusing ourselves to death -- A cartoon comparison of Aldous Huxley vs George Orwell's visions of the future, by Stuart McMillen.

Kennedy Graham (NZ Green MP) is the man

...a small excerpt from his 'maiden speech' in parliament recently:

        It is the uniquely dubious fate of our generation to have broken the eternal promise of intergenerational justice. We in New Zealand are part of the problem; not yet of the solution. Our individual ecological footprints are three times higher than the global average; our carbon emissions almost five times higher. If we offer the world a national ecological surplus, it is not through prudent husbandry or modesty of habit on our part, but because we are simply few in number.
        A sustainable world -- a sustainable country -- requires a change in mindset. That requires a new world view; a transformational change in individual lifestyle; a refashioned approach to governmental management. It is time we measured national success not through mindless material growth, but through genuine progress in human well-being. It is time we relinquished our feverish ranking within the OECD, and began contributing to the true advancement of the emerging global society.
        Sustainability is the supreme political value of the 21st century. It is not a concept of passing political expediency -- a clip-on word for post-economic environmental damage -- it is now the categorical imperative of personal behaviour. Individual freedoms are no longer unlicensed, but henceforth subordinate to the twin principles of survival and sustainable living. The political rights we enjoy today are to be calibrated by the responsibility we carry for tomorrow.

Bravo.

The most beautiful thing I have seen on the Internet for some time

Perhaps we'll make it after all...

Return of the blog

So, yes, hello. Many of the few of you who may or may not end up reading this at some point have never seen me blog before. It's been over five years since I did, during which time much has changed. Anyway, I've decided to give it another go.

Why now? Well, I've been rather ill for a week now, stuck in my bedroom with little but my computer and my mind to keep me company. Memories of times past have been haunting me and my usually moderate levels of existential angst have become somewhat elevated. This is partially because I am quite concerned as to why I am so unwell and don't seem to be getting any better (more on that when I find out), and thus am reflecting on my past and present life, considering what the hell I am doing in this world and whether or not it's what I 'should' be doing, in order to bring happiness and other such 'good things' to myself and those I care about. I haven't found the answer.

Plus... I'm sick of these goddamn 'social networking' sites which continuously find new ways to demand more and more attention each day, and I'm sick of the effect they have on the way people [don't] interact! Fuck that. Here be my blog, which I shall try to adorn with relevant, interesting, and inspiring content. I hope that it will have a constructive effect, somehow, somewhere, sometime, on someone; possibly even me.