Ironically it is time to come together...

Hello faithful readers,

Yes, I'm still alive and kicking, my mind has been brewing with random thoughts and ideas and I've always meant to come back here and write some of them down.  It's funny how life always gets in the way sometimes.  The last time I wrote it was 2014, and I was complaining about gay marriage. 

I'm not sure what these people are doing, but it looks like they are plotting something.
https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Same-sex-marriage-taiwan.jpg

I'm happy to say, while it's not perfect yet we have come far in abolishing the idea of gay marriage.  Many people have finally decided that it's just marriage after all!  Yay some of society!

Other things that have changed...

Follow me on Twitter....
https://www.flickr.com/photos/gageskidmore/5440390625

The Americans have managed to elect one of the most polarizing politicians in recent history.  I mean maybe I'm just naive, or never looked at politics as seriously as I do now, but it's absolutely nuts the way this guy divides his country.  (On a side note, I've started following politics seriously.)  The thing that worries me is not so much his policies, or non-professional antics is that it feels like he's always playing the "Let's point out the differences between us and them" game.    If you're not with me, you're against me.  You're either good or you're bad.  There is no middle ground...

Only the Sith speak in absolutes
https://www.flickr.com/photos/the_armory/7561591378

The truth is however, absolutes are very rare, to the point where they are almost absolutely impossible to find.  There is no person or thing that is absolutely and totally wrong nor is there anything that is absolutely and totally right.  No matter how much you look up to a person, they still occasionally rip a bad fart.  No matter how completely vile and evil you think a person is, they at one time in their life have made someone happy.  

And with that in mind, we need to understand no matter how polarized we seem, there is common ground.  There are things we can agree on.  There are places we can come together.  I mean who, regardless of their political leanings or beliefs, doesn't find this baby hippo cute?

I will grow up to become a human killing machine.
https://www.flickr.com/photos/tambako/15337812362

If you said "No Matt, I find that baby hippo absolutely repulsive, and I think it deserves to die in a fire." then I think you are a monster, but I will still bet, if I take the time to understand you, we can come to an agreement on something.  Maybe the BBQ hippo tastes good?  Maybe a raging hippo killed your entire family while they were sitting in your backyard sipping margaritas and you are traumatized.  Maybe you are a lizard person with no soul, and don't have the mammalian disposition to love all babies with big eyes.  

The point is, it's much easier to drop a person you don't agree with in the "them" bucket than it is to try and understand why they don't agree with you.  You don't have to like "them".  You don't have to be nice to "them".  You don't have to help "them".  "They" are barely human anyway, why don't "they" do things MY way.  MY way is right.  MY way is moral.  Everybody ought to be like ME!

I'm telling you Who's on first!
https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Jeff_Isom_arguing_with_an_umpire.JPG

  This is how wars start.

Speaking of war...  Let's take a journey back about 100 years ago and have a little chat about this invention...

You will listen to me!
https://www.publicdomainpictures.net/en/view-image.php?image=110708&picture=single-red-loudspeaker

The loudspeaker was invented in 1924, and allowed a single person to broadcast easily to large groups or even stadiums of people.  This, of course, led to rock concerts, and everyone lived happily ever after.  The End.

What the hell was that about?
https://www.pickpik.com/doe-hirsch-female-oversleeping-confused-prick-ears-8971

Ok, well that's not the end of the story, but I always try and look for the good in everything....  Anyway, a young charismatic speaker by the name of Adolph found that if he used this new technology, he could get his message of German nationalism out  much more efficiently and whip people up into a patriotic frenzy.  Before the loudspeaker and radio (which he also used liberally), a person could talk to about 20 people at a time at best.  Now, with the power to reach 1000's at a time.  A single person could influence a country, and influence he did with his message of us vs. them.  I think we all know where this led...

Joke caption omitted intentionally
https://pixabay.com/photos/world-war-2-cemetery-netherlands-4736381/

Look, I'm not trying to compare Trump to Hitler.  That's not the point of this blog at all.  Odds are you already feel that way, or you don't....  Like I said, he is polarizing.  What I am saying is when communication technology increases it becomes a powerful tool that we need to learn to manage it appropriately.  When we don't, bad things can happen.

Social media is one of those huge evolutionary leaps in communication technology.  All of the sudden, everyone has a voice.  People that have never been heard before can be heard.  What's more, it is accessible enough, that the majority of the world can use it like their own loudspeaker.  Anyone can broadcast any message to millions of people, and whip them up into a frenzy if the speaker is charismatic enough.  Unfortunately, since it's easier, and dare I say it, and even a part of human nature to go to 'us vs. them', we are seeing gaps grow pushing people apart, instead of bringing us together.  This divide has been happening and growing for years now.

Trump is not the catalyst of 'us vs. them', he is the result of it.

I approve of this message
https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Vladimir_Putin_20090128_2.jpg

No matter what way you want to look at this, however, I think one thing is clear.  It can be a dangerous thing to create divides, and this has been amplified by the current pandemic.

Ah man!  I came here to escape from more COVID-19 talk!
https://www.needpix.com/photo/416505/boy-sur-disappointed-black-white-free-pictures-free-photos-free-images-royalty-free-free-illustrations

Of course half of you are saying that you don't want to hear anymore about Corona talk, and the other half are eating it up, and can't get enough.

It is truly an awful thing that people are dying over it, but in a weird way it is bringing us together by keeping us apart.  In recent memory, I can't think of a time when people all over the world are so united in the fight against something.  It effects the rich, the poor, men, women, old and young.  Some more than others, obviously, but all somehow.  It has mostly agreed upon that the best way to fight it is to #StayTheFuckHome, and to wash your hands while singing.  As well as not touching your face.  (I'm talking to you, above pictured disappointed black and white boy.)

And while it is hard for us Canadians to see the sun and warmth peek out from its long winter's slumber, and not head down to the patio for a pint with our friends.  We understand that we cannot, for we don't want those same friends to get sick and die.  We are disappointed, but we are all disappointed together.  The left and the right alike.  

NO BEERS FOR YOU!
https://www.pxfuel.com/en/free-photo-oxofn

Social Distancing is an easy thing to say, and a hard thing to do.  This means of course, we can chose to do the hard thing if we are motivated enough.  Maybe we can continue to do the hard thing when this is all said and done.  Maybe we can continue to come together instead of spread apart.  Maybe we can learn to understand people, instead of pushing them away.  Let's learn our lesson from being kept apart.  Let's come together.

HEY!  SOCIAL DISTANCE YOURSELF!
https://www.flickr.com/photos/klemenz777/1464597658

Stay safe!

Love Matt