Yeah, to an extent. But to me it’s so much deeper and more involved than that. In short, I believe we are approaching the height of a Renaissance-like revolution in how we communicate and more importantly, how we think. Through my 12-Step inspired travels of the last 6+ years, I’ve also internalized the concept of service. That if any situation or entity is worthy of my criticism, it’s worth me offering to help. I feel that we, (that is, all of us on this planet) are approaching a potentially historic period. But not in a good way. I fell that this revolution in communication and thinking is so profound and inevitable, that it will eclipse any previous cast system to date.
Hold up, what did he say? Cast system? Like nobles & peasants & thangs?
Yes.
Don’t misunderstand me, there are few things new under the sun, (arguably none,) so all of the concepts driving the revolution I speak of are as old as the days are long. However, because of the World Wide Web and advancements in manufacturing, the access to these ideas is more widespread today than ever before. Some of the topics discussed without batting an eye on networks like twitter and facebook, would have been reserved for conferences and forums attended by only the globe’s leading minds and other notable persons. Basically, the gates to a huge percentage of the world’s knowledge have been opened.
Here’s where it gets interesting. The concept of giving the masses access to this knowledge isn’t new either. But, people think differently today than they ever have, in my opinion. We are, in general, more open to new ideas, thanks to technology and (being totally honest) changes to the Earth’s climate and other natural events. People are no longer able to stick their heads in the sand and label forward thinking individuals as heretics and madmen. Instead, it has become quite fashionable to challenge previously unchallenged schools of thought. So, it’s a happy story I’m telling right?
Wrong.
Quite the opposite. I believe we, (again, I mean the whole planet) are in danger of a serious social conflict. On one side are those that embrace this revolution of thinking and communication, on the other side, those that do not. There has always been conflict between revolutionary thinkers and the status quo, but in the past the revolutionists were such a minute population that the disparity in thought only grew at a snail’s pace. Now, it’s much closer to 50/50. What happens when two conflicting schools of thought gain equal power? I think the U.S. Civil War is a perfect example. (In case you believe the Civil War was fought because of slavery, it wasn’t. It was a war about economics and lifestyle, like ALL wars in the last 300 – 400 years.)
Confused yet? Don’t worry, here’s the point of all this: I’m active in social networks and I actively seek knowledge of the latest in personal technology not only because it’s in line with my career goals or a match for my personality.
I believe I have no choice.
Being on the leading edge is no longer for the radical few. If you aren’t on the leading edge, you’re gonna get left behind. Period. The speed of innovation and implementation is exponentially beyond anything we’ve ever seen to date. But, I’m not gonna willingly leave anyone behind. I have a personal mission to inform and as many people as possible about the communication and technology renaissance. Not like standing on the corner shouting, but as I encounter people, I try to introduce them to anything that I’m involved with. I won’t withhold knowledge that I believe is changing the world. I feel the continued pursuit of this knowledge is my duty to my fellows – my 12th Step if you will.
To give a bit of background, I’m a huge motorsports fan. Because NASCAR is easily the most popular, and accessible motorsport in the US, it gets the brunt of my attention. In reality, I’m a fan of anything on 2 of 4 wheels that goes fast. Road, rally, oval, you name it. The only form of mechanical racing (I’m not into horses) that I don’t care for is boat racing. Formula 1 is by far the most interesting and fascinating from a technology and engineering stand point. But, the F1 following in the US is not very robust. Couple that with the fact the NASCAR schedule is significantly longer, more frequent, and more accessible via media coverage, and it kinda makes NASCAR top dog.
I made it until almost 2 years ago before seeing my first race live in person. A co-worker with roots in Indianapolis took me to the Indy 500 in 2007. No, you haven’t missed anything, I haven’t mentioned IndyCars specifically at all. If I were ranking, they would maybe be 5 or 6 on my list of series to follow, behind F1, NASCAR, and a host of other letters I won’t bother explaining right now. However, not without its own irony, the Indy 500 was my first exposure to auto racing on TV, and birthed my first favorite driver, Rick Mears driving for Roger Penske. So there I was, at the Indy 500 and it wasn’t even in my top 3 of racing series. Turns out it was a good day to attend my first race. Near halfway there was a heavy rain, many people left assuming the race would be halted and continued the following day. This gave my co-worker and I the opportunity to leave our cheap, limited view seats, and squat in the famous dual-grandstand frontstretch, behind pit road. The IndyCars are formidable machines, and unique to see live since they use 100% fuel grade ethanol instead of gasoline. The entire track takes on the the smell of the chemistry lab in high school. I’ll talk more about the IndyCars in a minute.
Although my racing cherry had been popped so to speak, I was still eager to take in my first NASCAR race. About 7 years ago a track was built in the Chicagoland area, a couple hours to the south in Joliet, previously only known as home of one of the state prisons. So why haven’t I been going to the races here all that time? The Chicagoland Speedway hosts 3 stock car and 1 IndyCar race every year, but, only season tickets are sold. That is, you cannot buy a ticket to say, only the IndyCar race, or to any combination of races. The track only sells tickets in a “track pack.” The 2 NASCAR races in July, another stock car series, ARCA, and the IndyCar season finale in September. The ticket pack was $200, not bad for 4 races in itself, but since I really only wanted to see 1 of the 4, I felt it was absurd. I told myself they would never prosper with that system, and figured I’d just wait till next year..all the empty seats will show them the error of their ways. yep, I did that for 7 years.
I decided to take in a race in Atlanta in March of this year. There is a section with student ticket pricing, (a good section actually)…$20! I jumped at that like a working girl to a john’s car horn! I bought two tickets months in advance, and figured I’d enjoy a break from the Chicago weather when race time came around. Well, I was in for another realization. Once I added in airfare, hotel, car rental, and food, my race budget was well over $200. As I tried to cut expenses by shopping for bargain flights, exploring transportation and lodging options that didn’t require a rental or a full-blown hotel room, I got an offer from a lady-friend, elsewhere in the mid-west, to visit her – on her dime. I sold my tickets back to the track and put my first NASCAR race on the shelf for the time being.
I had shoulder surgery in March, the week after the planned mid-west trip (that I never took…long story.) I was home from work for a month, and bloggedabout it a fewtimes. During that time, I heard that the Chicagoland Speedway race had been moved to a night race. After learning that a single race in another city is well over $200, the 4-race-for-$200 suddenly became an excellent deal. I bought my track pack and eagerly awaited July.
Pace Lap
Friday Setting Sun
Racing Under the Lights!
Why is night racing more appealing than the daytime? Besides a break from the hot sun, and the fact it fits better in a busy person’s weekend, night racing is like the HD cousin of daytime racing. Because the background is dark, the colors of the cars themselves, the flames from the tailpipes, the glowing brake rotors, and sparks from the undercarriage hitting the track all show up with striking detail. Everything happening on the track seems to jump out at you against the night sky. Below you can see more images from the Friday and Saturday night NASCAR race:
Saturday Setting Sun
Saturday Night Ablaze!
TreoBenny at the Races
Just this past weekend was the ARCA/IndyCar weekend. I was actually excited to see the ARCA race, although it’s arguably the least attractive race in the pack. The Wallace family, well known in NASCAR, (Cup champion Rusty, Mike and popular NASCAR commentator, Kenny) have a new addition to the racing circuit. Mike’s daughter, Chrissy. She races in the ARCA series along with the only US driver in F1 last year, Scott Speed. However, my beach vBall duties kept me from attending that race. Sunday began cool and cloudy, but the sun eventually broke through and turned out to be a great day for racing. Below you’ll see videos from both racing weekends, NASCAR on the top, IndyCar on the bottom. Each is less than a minute long, but be warned that auto racing is loud. You may not want to watch either clip with sleeping babies nearby, those at high risk for heart attack, or with your boss around…unless he/she loves racing as well
NASCAR at Chicagoland Speedway
IndyCar at Chicagoland Speedway
Posted 3 years, 8 months ago at 12:00. Add a comment
Below is an excerpt from an email conversation between myself and an individual interested in an educational program. Basically, this program requires a specific list of several ( >5 <10 ) classes to be completed within a specific period of time to be eligible for consideration. I’ve cleaned up any identifying info. Why am I blogging about this? Because it’s important that we all understand that having all those letters behind your name does NOT:
Make you better than the rest of us
Put you above the policies the rest of us must adhere too
Necessarily mean you are more intellectually talented than the rest of us.
I like a quote from Fight Club: “Sticking feathers up your butt does NOT make you a chicken.”
Genius:
I am very interested in applying for your program, I have:
* __ years’ of global work experience in [highly regarded industry]
* Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees from [highly regarded] University in [a highly regarded science];
* No doubt that I will score very highly on the [required aptitude test] – my last IQ test result was [ >170](apparently meaning this individual is intellectually talented…FAIL.);
However, looking at your website, I’m not sure if I would be eligible for the program, since:
I graduated in 199_, but your website says that candidates must have graduated in the last [less than the time since Genius' graduation] years;
I have not taken any of the required classes …
TreoBenny:
Having completed none of the required courses, you might look at our [different] program.
Genius:
does this mean that even if I took all [the] classes, I could not be considered for the … program?
TreoBenny:
… eligibility is very straightforward; if you completed the courses, you would be eligible. [I again explain the other program is better, since none of the courses are completed.]
Genuis:
Are you saying that if I completed the courses, then I would be eligible despite having graduated more than 7 years ago?
TreoBenny:
… eligibility is solely comprised of the required courses within the required time frame. Any other studies are irrelevant.
I just have one question: Why do all your intellectual talents stop working when you realize you aren’t eligible? You obviously understand the policy, yet you can’t understand that you don’t fit it. My dad used to say “a fool is known by the multitude of words he uses.” Basically, we don’t know how stupid you are till you say something that tips us off…
I’m currently in college, seeking my first degree (AS in Web Design.) I’m not knocking college in any way, nor am I discouraging advanced degrees. However, I am 110% against the concept that any combination or quantity of degrees or other certifications mean that you have “arrived.” The true geniuses of history and today, in their pursuit of knowledge, discovered not how much they know, but how much they don’t know and strive to remain teachable, not haughty.
I went to the Art on Trak exhibit ( http://chicagoartontrack.com ) last weekend and my experience there confirmed a theory I’ve been mulling over about my personal artistic eye.
Scenes and images that interest me are art in my opinion. Because I almost always create imagery from existing scenes and objects, I feel most of my photographs, illustrations, and other designs are art of art: MetaArt.
What opinions | comments | theories do you have on the concept of MetaArt? In your personal experience that is. We can leave the haggling over the term in general to the ‘experts.’ LOL!
*~
Posted 3 years, 8 months ago at 09:21. Add a comment
