The Modern Age

As the powers-that-be continue to disappoint, I’m forced to reflect on the upside of living in 2013 and the many ways that the wonders of modern technology continue to improve my life.

I’ll start off by not even mentioning the Golden Age of Television that exists today, other than to say – Heisenberg, we’re going to miss you. (and whether or not you’re into Honey Boo Boo, Big Bang Theory, Impractical Jokers, X-Factor, The Blacklist, Homeland, Too Cute, Pawn Stars, Duck Dynasty, SOA or binging on whole seasons of The Wire, The Shield, Lost, etc… on NetFlix…there is definitely something for everyone).

And don’t get me started on my new Cell Phone, Samsung Galaxy S3. Everything that occasionally annoyed me about my old phone is GONE with this one. Gone, Baby, Gone.

Lastly, here’s the event I wanted to share that is only possible through this wonderful modern age of technology that we live in. I downloaded an Album from iTunes that I haven’t listened to in over 20 years. It was one of my favorite Albums, but it was by a lesser-known artist, so I couldn’t find it when I made the switch from Vinyl to CD. On a whim, I checked iTunes and not only did they have it now (they didn’t a few years ago, the last time I checked)…but…they had even a 3’rd album that I didn’t know existed. Anyway, I had forgotten how much I really loved that missing Album…so much so…that I felt like I was listening to it, again, for the first time, and loving it just as much as the first time I discovered it. And that 3’rd album was pretty great too.

I make my living making Games, and the Tools I use get better and better each and every year. So good in fact, that I can do things in a month that would have taken me a whole year back 20 years or so. I don’t expect to live to be 112 years old, so it’s safe to assume that I’m in the 2nd half of my life. I’ve always thought of myself as a Happy Cynic. I’m an optimist in general, but I think a lot of people do a lot of stupid things. I believe in Sturgeon’s Law that 90% of everything is crap. However, I also believe that there is “enough” of that everything so that you can seek out the 10% of non-crap in whatever area you want.

I’m not sure where that 10% is when it comes to our government but I’m sure it’s in there somewhere. Until they find it, I’m going to enjoy the technological improvements where I find them. Right now, that’s represented by the lady who sang “Paradise by the Dashboard Lights” with Meatloaf. Her name is Ellen Foley, she made three great albums that almost no one’s ever heard of. And yes, she’s the same Ellen Foley that was on the first year of Night Court.

Time to return to programming and doing things that were impossible 20 years ago.