The Human Factor

When I was younger, one of my favourite television shows used to be the police show 21 Jump Street with a very youthful Johnny Depp. Each week, the show used to tackle a social issue, whether it was drugs, adoption, abortion, rape or just general every day community problems that we all run into at some stage of our lives. Yet, even now, I still remember one episode that brought me to tears at the time, and has forever imprinted in me the realisation that all that anyone really wants in life, is some to hold you and tell you that they care.

The particular episode revolved around a high school student who was [supposedly] a haemophiliac, or in layman's terms, someone who bled easily. The student, who I forget his name, was being harrassed at school, and Johnny Depp was asked to go undercover and protect him "in case he hurt himself and needed urgent help". As the episode progressed, we - the viewer - discovered that the student was actually HIV positive and Johnny Depp was there to protect him from the bigotry and hatred of other students and their families.

What made that particular episode so emotional was that for the first time, the human side of the disease was shown on a show watched by a large audience both in the USA and abroad. There was no loose-wristed feminine guy or drag queen talking with a girlie accent, no drug addict stealing to feed a habit, nothing that when you mention the words "AIDS" would conjour up the images that most of us have today. The show placed the entire issue of AIDS straight into the lives of every living person regardless of race or sexual orientation.

Through Johnny Depp's involvement, we saw the fear and the loneliness of someone having AIDS and how the community through ignorance, treated the student. As the show progressed, we saw the student go from being portrayed as "strong, nothing scares me" into one lonely and sad person, who all he wanted was for someone to not be afraid, to simply share that milk with him, and hold him. Nothing more - just the touch of another human who cared about him and what he was going through.

I'll be the first to admit it, that by the end of the show, I was in tears over the kid. Not because he was ill or that he died, but because in the end he found someone [Johnny Depp] who cared enough about him, to simply hold him in his arms and let out all the loneliness that he had bottled up because no one else cared. And that is the saddest part of it all.

Yet 18 years after the show was broadcast, we still have many people who have an issue with people with HIV and AIDS. So the question that one needs to ask.

What are we all afraid of? Why is it that when we hear that someone is HIV Positive, we cringe and back off? Are we so scared of catching it that we back off, simply because we ourselves are either ignorant or is it because it gives us the realisation that life is not eternal and that we all die one day?

And on that, why must we treat HIV Positive people like lepers? They have an illness which will eventually kill them. But by the same token, having cancer or any other kind of illness, will also lead us down the same path. We don't treat cancer victims like that, so why treat HIV Positive people differently? If one sits back and really thinks about it, your best friend, a family member or even a co-worker could be HIV Positive, and you wouldn't know it. Would your feelings for that person change simply because you found out one day? Does it make them any less human?

Even if we are 100% healthy our entire life, we all die one day whether by natural causes or by accident. The disadvantage [or advantage, depending on which perspective you take] is that if one has got a life threatening illness, you are aware that your time is limited. And knowing that, one has two options - either sit there, feel sad and blame the world, or, go out and live life to the fullest.

From my perspective, if someone came up to me and said "James, got some bad news mate. You have 5 years left before you die", I know what option I will take. I would tell my friends [and those that are real friends will stick by me] and go out and live my life as if tomorrow is my last day. I would take that holiday I have been postponing for the last 10 years, take up that hobby that I have left for a rainy day, go out and have those skydiving lessons to get over my fear of heights. Whether I died a week from today, 5 years down the track or 20 years, I would know that my life was a full one. And the sad thing to all this is that, in the end, I would have achieved more in my life than those who are 100% healthy.

Finally, something for you to think about. Whether one is healthy or ill, its what is in one's heart and how one treats everyone else, that truly matters. We all cry, bleed, love and feel lonely regardless of our race, gender or orientation. We all crave the human touch at some stage in our lives, someone to hold, someone to simply be there for us during our moments of need.

James

World AIDS Day

Ok. Firstly let's squash any rumours before they start. I am not HIV Positive. The reason for this sudden "interest" in AIDS is due to the fact that two of my friends are HIV Positive and World AIDS Day is only a couple of days away. Further, with the sudden passing away of my mother through a heart attack, it made me realise how important my family and friends are to me, and how we should all cherish the moments we have with them. Anything we as individuals can do to keep our loved ones alive, is a worthwhile cause.

So on to the article itself.

AIDS has been rampant around the world now for over 20 years and more than 28million people worldwide have died from it so far. Contrary to popular belief, people do not die from AIDS. It is the side effects of AIDS and the HIV Virus that causes one's death. The HIV Virus reduces one's immune system to such an extent that when we fall ill [eg catch a cold], our immune system is unable to defend itself.

Despite the fact that AIDS has been around for such a long time, there is no vaccine or miracle cure to either prevent it or reverse its effects on the human body. Drugs do exist to prolong one's life, but that's all they do currently - prolong it. So the old saying "Prevention is better than cure" is the only solution to avoiding catching the HIV Virus.

Amongst some of my friends, and especially the younger generation, there is the belief that if one does the "penetrating" during intercourse, their chances of catching the HIV Virus is practically nonexistant. Or if they get circumcised, then their chances are also reduced astronomically. Another great "belief" is that if they don't cum inside someone, then that also reduces their chances. It is sad that they actually believe this as this creates a false sense of security.

The facts are that one can acquire the HIV Virus by having unprotected sex with someone who is infected, or sharing needles with an infected person, being given infected blood during a transfusion, allowing infected fluids to enter one's body through cuts or sores, and being born to a mother who is carrying the virus during child birth. One does not catch AIDS through day-to-day contact, like shaking hands, coughing, sneezing, kissing, touching, sharing crockery and cutlery, toilet seats, insect/animal bits, swimming pools or eating food prepared by someone with HIV.

So, what can you do to avoid catching AIDS? It's simple and commonsense.

Firstly, wear a condom at all times. If the other party objects, then you have two choices - don't wear one and pray to whatever god you believe in that you wont catch it, or simply get up, get dressed and walk out. And as you ponder that decision, think to yourself - "Is a couple of hours fun worth me dying?". Even if you are dating this person, before you even consider having unsafe sex, you should both have atleast 2 AIDS tests atleast 3 months apart, before going down that path. The other thing to bare in mind is that they might be a Virgin still, and yes there are a few out there, but that doesn't mean they don't have the AIDS virus in them. They may have contracted it through contaminated blood or passed on through their mother during childbirth, or may have used an unclean needle. So, COVER UP!

Secondly, if you use needles [which is actually another story], then don't share needles. Get yourself a clean unused one and if you are a regular or dependent user, you should always stock up anyways.

It is predicted that by the year 2010, there will be something like 45million people with AIDS in Africa, Asia, Russia and Latin America alone. That, by the way, is the "best case scenario". Reality may be that the figure could be as high as 72million.

Now I can hear you thinking "Well, I am not going to any of those countries". True, you may not be. But lets take a theortical situation here. Lets assume that you have unsafe sex with 5 people, and each of these 5 people have had unsafe sex with another 5, and they inturn have had unsafe sex with another 5. By you having unsafe sex with just 5 people, you have actually slept with 780 people [if my mathematics is correct]. All it would take is one person somewhere down the line to be HIV positive for it to filter through to you. I know for a fact that many of us out there have actually had unsafe sex with a lot more than 5 people!

So what can you, as an individual do?

Practise safe sex at all times and don't share needles with anyone. These are the things you can influence and if you love life enough, cover up and don't share.

Besides the above, we also need to find a cure. And this where we as individuals, can do something. Why not make a regular donation to AIDS Research in your local city or country. Even a couple of dollars a week can make a difference. Or, why not donate generously on World AIDS Day [December 1st]. Another option is to help out in research by taking part in such organisations like The World Community Grid which allows you to download a small program on your PC and runs in the background. Out of sight, out of mind so to speak, but helping the cause anyways.

And finally, when you hear someone talking about the "hot unsafe sex session" they had last night, give them a clip over the ear and tell them to cover up! Life is too short to be ruined through ignorance and stupidity.


James

Resources:

www.unaids.org
www.worldcommunitygrid.org join then click here
www.worldaidsday.org
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/talking_point/special/aids/default.stm

The Lucky Country

Australia has always been called the ‘lucky country’ and as a first world nation, we are one of the more advanced ones.

Yet my every day job brings me into contact with a large cross section of society, and I am beginning to wonder how ‘lucky’ we really are. I work in a call centre for a major telecommunications company, and every day we receive thousands of calls from across the country regarding their mobile phones.

Most of the queries can be honestly classified as ‘genuine’, but some – well – I sometimes wonder how intelligent some Australians really are.

For example, one abusive call I had was from a young man in his 20s complaining that we had cancelled his mobile service. I asked him what was on his screen, to which I got the reply “nothing”. No signal strength? No battery strength? “nope, nothing” was the reply. I asked the customer to press the power button, and to tell me what was happening on his mobile screen. ‘Enter pin’ he replied. He proceeded to enter his pin, and like magic, his mobile was working again.

Now not being rude, but how stupid was this person? Like, if my mobile screen was blank, the first thing I would do was try switching it on.

Another customer rung and complained that we had not provided her with a complete list of all her calls. After checking her account, I advised her that the latest bill only went up to the 15th of the month. Her response was that the calls for the 16th and 17th weren’t listed, and again demanded an explanation. Well I don’t know about you, but if a bill goes up to the 15th of the month, it won’t have any calls after that date until the next statement. Yes? You agree? Or am I too smart?

Or another caller who rung to complain that they hadn’t received the account. I found out from the customer that they had moved addresses and had not notified us of a change of address. Nor had they notified Australia Post [our country’s postal service] to redirect their mail to the new address. Further he refused to pay the bill as we had failed to notify him of his outstanding balance. Now dah! I know technological advances over resent years have been astronomical. But I have yet to see a ‘crystal ball’ that pops up in front of us and says ‘Oi! They moved last week, here’s their new address’.

Or another ‘intelligent customer’ who rung to find out what her call rates were. I advised her it was 37 cents per 30 seconds, to which I got the reply ‘so how much is it per 30 seconds?’ I had to repeat the price several times, and even then I don’t think she actually got it! How hard is it to understand that the cost is 37 cents per 30 seconds!

So I have to come to the following conclusion – either there are way too many stupid people out there, or I am way too intelligent. Maybe it is time for me to have a long long holiday away from the public. Some desolate tropical island in the Pacific sounds good, where the Internet and telephones don’t exist.

Hmm. Not a bad idea. Might look at contacting a travel agent tomorrow. Wonder if they will understand what I will be asking them? On the off chance I end up somewhere in the middle of Africa, I might take a long a courier pigeon so at least I can send in my next article.

James

Catholic Church And Gays

So the Pope does not want gay clergy in the Catholic Church? I wonder if the Pope and his policy making clergy have seriously considered the repurcussions of not having gay clergy in the Catholic Church? Or is this just one way of further ostracising the general community from the so-called teachings of Christ?

The Catholic Church, which for some obscure reason, doesn't allow women to be priests, thus isolating half the world population. Now, to overcome the paedophilia issues within the Church, they are victimising their clergy who happen to be gay. As if this is going to stop the rot that is within the Catholic Church! Every study conducted so far shows that the vast majority of paedophiles are heterosexual males, not homosexual. So banning gay men from being clergy within the Catholic Church is going to achieve nothing more than alienating more people from the church.

Then again, there is an old prophecy that states that before the collapse of the Catholic Church, an anti-christ Pope will be elected. Maybe the current Pope is it?

Enough said.

Telstra and the CDMA Network

Telstra, Australia's largest Telco, announced last week that it plans to shut down the CDMA network and replace it with a 3G network.

At first I thought "brilliant" as this would mean that the country/rural people would finally be placed on an even footing as those of the metropolitan areas. Yet after some thought, I started having doubts as to Telstra's motives regarding the CDMA shut down.

Some questions I would like Telstra to answer regarding the CDMA shutdown are as follows:

1. The current CDMA network is owned by Telstra but Optus also shares access to it for its own CDMA customers. With Telstra's plan to shut down the CDMA network, are they going to allow Optus' ex-CDMA customers to also use Telstra's 3G network?

2. If the answer to question 1 is a resounding "no", will Telstra leave the CDMA network operating until Optus rolls out its own 3G network, thus allowing the country people a smooth transition to 3G with no loss of service?

3. If the answer to question 2 is also a resounding "no", will Telstra then compensate not only Optus for loss of customers, but also those customers that have signed contracts with Optus but may end up losing the mobile service prior to their contracts expiring?

4. As Telstra has bought a 50% stake into Hutchinson's 3G network, will the replacement to the CDMA network be an expansion of this joint venture with Hutchinson, or are they planning to roll out a 100% Telstra owned 3G network?

5. How will the ACCC see this move to Telstra? Will they view it as simply a move to bring the country areas onto an even "mobile" footing with their metropolitan counterparts, or will they see it as an attempt to monopolise the country areas?

These and more questions need to be answered by Telstra regarding their CDMA shutdown before any move is approved either by the Federal Government or the ACCC.

Personally, if Telstra is going to shut down the CDMA network and replace it with a 3G network, I would rather see the government step in and have all four 3G networks co-own the new network, thus allowing former CDMA customers the opportunity to have choice in which carrier they would like. But then, that is a logical and reasonable option. Something that Telstra doesn't always take into account or consideration.

James

Intelligent Design

One of the biggest jokes of the last few years has been the theory of "Intelligent Design" and the religious fanatics' attempt to try to make it part of the Science curriculum in schools. Those peddling the Intelligent Design theory claim that it is not an attempt to make the Bible and Christianity a science, nor to use the Intelligent Design theory as a means of introducing religious studies into the schools.

Yet, if one does a quick search in Google on Intelligent Design, every site you find that supports this theory, have links to sites that either preach about Christianity, God or simply peddle Christian books on the Internet for you to buy. Pure coincidence?

But, lets assume that the Intelligent Design theory is not about bringing religious studies into the science classrooms, or trying to make Christianity a science.

What exactly is "science"? Well, according to the Dictionary, Science is "The observation, identification, description, experimental investigation, and theoretical explanation of phenomena. Such activities restricted to a class of natural phenomena. Such activities applied to an object of inquiry or study." [www.dictionary.com]

And "Intelligent Design"? Well, according to the Wikipedia, Intelligent Design is " Intelligent Design is presented as an alternative to purely naturalistic forms of the theory of evolution. Its putative main purpose is to investigate whether or not the empirical evidence necessarily implies that life on Earth must have been designed by an intelligent agent or agents. William Dembski, one of Intelligent Design's leading proponents, has stated that the fundamental claim of Intelligent Design is that "there are natural systems that cannot be adequately explained in terms of undirected natural forces and that exhibit features which in any other circumstance we would attribute to intelligence." [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Intelligent_design]

When I went to school years ago, one of the courses we had to participate in was Science. Part of our learning was to look at the world around us and through experimentation, show how certain events happened. We could take a jug of water, boil it to create steam, and then convert it back to water by allowing the steam to hit a cold object. Very simple experiment, but easy to prove that when you boil water it becomes steam, and when you cool steam, it reverts back to liquid water.

This simple experiment is one of millions that one can do to prove how things occur in life and nature. In main cases, we don't even have to do the experiments to prove them. They occur naturally around us on a daily basis. True, there are theories that currently can not be proved because we have not achieved a level of technology to be able to prove them. However, that does not mean that the theory is wrong.

With the Intelligent Design theory however, its premise is that some unknown intelligence has become involved in making certain things happen. So the question that begs me to ask, is this. How is the Intelligent Design theory going to prove that there is an "unkown intelligence" out there? What evidence do they have that this "unknown intelligence" actually exists? What documentation do they have to support this "unknown intelligence"? Unlike true science, can the Intelligent Design theory point to something and say "There! See? Told you! the Unknown Intelligence made that!".

The answer to all these questions is a simple "No".

The Intelligent Design theory fails in every aspect in being considered a "Science". It can't observe, identify, describe, experiment and explain a phenomena without falling back into religion. And looking at those who are pushing for the Intelligent Design theory to be incorporated into the schools' Science courses, the only religion they will be falling back onto is Christianity and the Bible.

For this reason [amongst others], the Intelligent Design theory is not a scientific theory, but a religious one. Allowing it into the schools as a "science" is not only an attempt to railroad and stifle rational thinking, but also a means of bringing religion into the curriculum of schools.

The sooner the governments put the Intelligent Design theory back where it belongs - religious studies - the better for us all.

James

PS .. you may like to read this article for a non-scientific perspective http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/national/1103AP_Vatican_Evolution.html

It's A Sad Day - Part 3

Today, after four days of mourning her sudden death, we buried our mum. In a champagne coloured coffin with ornate designs, she lay there in her favourite red dress, peacefully asleep.

The church had nearly 100 people there to pay their last respects, some of whom I knew and some were friends from long ago that knew her. Like every funeral, the tears were aplenty, yet for some strange reason, I did not cry today. Sure, I could feel them coming, but somehow I remained strong. Maybe it was because I have cried so much over the last few days that there simply weren't any tears left. Or maybe, I am still in shock and hasn't dawned on me as yet what the full repurcusions are.

The morning was windy, but by the time we arrived at the Greek Orthodox Church, the sun was out and the wind had died down. I think no one could have wished for a better day than what we had today.

After the priest finished, I had the unenviable task of providing the Eulogy. Having written it on Sunday morning, I must have read it over a dozen times, and each time the tears came. My greatest concern was that I would not be able to complete it on the day. Even reading it out aloud to myself a couple of hours before the funeral brought tears.

Yet somehow I found the strength to read the Eulogy for my mum without crying. Yes, I felt myself getting all choked up on several occasions, my voice wavered, but somehow the strength remained in me to complete it. [below is the actual eulogy].

With the church service completed, we then buried my mum at Centennial Park Cemetery - one of the largest in our state. Next to her grave is a plot we have also purchased for our dad, for when his time comes.

In many ways, I am glad that the pole bearers were close friends. Their lighthearted attitude made it easier for me to focus on other things. With the Wake afterwards, the atmosphere of the 40 odd people present, was also lighthearted, filled with talks of my mum's life, her achievements and her struggles. Yes, some tears were also shed, but these were tears of not only of a loss but also of a sense of relief.

Finally, the day was over. For mum, her journey from birth to death is complete. For us who remain, a new chapter in life has begun, one where the most important person in our lives will no longer be physically there but will always be in our hearts and thoughts.

James

PS. Apologies in advance for this not being in my normal style of writing, but under the circumstances, I hope you understand.

The Eulogy

Angeliki was born in the small village of Agios Konstantinos, in Laconia on June 24th 1939. She was one of five daughters and a son to Eleni and Stavros Dimopoulos.

At the age of 19, she took the long and ardious voyage by sea to Australia and settled in Adelaide to be with her brother and sisters. In 1961 she married our dad Vasilios, and for the first few years, spent her life in country Victoria and South Australia, following the fruit picking seasons.

Between fruit seasons, she worked at Balfours, Marinos brothers and others. Life was never easy, especially in the late 60s when Dad and her youngest son Antonios lived in Coober Pedy trying to make their fortune, as mum and I lived in Adelaide.

Finally, in 1972, they moved up to Coober Pedy where she stayed for the next 20 years.

Its often said that the ones that God loves, always have the hardest life.

In 1974, after a very bad car accident, she spent nearly 6 months in hospital, with the doctors not expecting her to survive. Yet her courage and love for her family, pulled her through. Her spinal cord had popped out of the spin, and a wrong move could have severed it. Yet as if by miracle, a couple of years ago, it fell back into place.

As if this wasnt enough, she continued to have other health problems, and yet bravely she lived on, preferring to suffer in silence than to worry her family.

Her greatest love was her home, her garden and her family. Nothing made her happier than to see all of us happy. With her grandchildren around her, she found a reason to keep on going despite her problems.

You know, they say that a mother is closer to her children than any other person. Angeliki was more than that. We did not need to tell her how we were, how we felt or how bad the accident was. She seemed to have a psychic link with us, and knew in advance. Many a time she would call to ask "how bad was it" and "are you okay" even though we had not told her what had happened.

Today, we are here to bid her farewell one last time. Her journey through life has been filled with pain and sorrow, yet also with lots of love and fulfillment.

Today, we - the family - have decided to also make a small break with tradition.

On her journey to Heaven to be with her mother and father, we are giving her tokens to remember us by, until we too take the final journey and be with her.

A small album with photos of the family, so when she is in Heaven and sees us living our lives without her, she can open the album and touch us.

A rose and an orchid - her two favourite flowers, to remind her of her garden and home that gave her so much pleasure.

And finally, a coin. To pay the ferryman so that her journey to Heaven is a smooth and peaceful one.

Angeliki, take care. You are at peace now. We love you, we miss you but will always remember you.

It's A Sad Day - Part 2

It's been less than 24 hours since my mum passed away and the tears are stilling coming on. I don't expect them to stop for quite a while, if ever. The number of calls and messages from people are still rolling in, both from family, friends and strangers who simply read my blog. Thank you and your warm compassionate thoughts are much appreciated.

The hardest thing I find is being able to talk about her. Just the thought of her not being here makes me choke and my eyes watery.

What hurts the most is the fact that she appeared to know that her time had come. Little things like telling my dad on Wednesday that they should organise their funeral plots. They had planned to go today [Friday], and yet we spent the day preparing for her funeral 24 hours later. Leaving the phone number for my uncle in Greece on the kitchen table a couple of hours earlier was also out of the ordinary. Yet she must have known that we would need it, as there were no plans on calling him. So why leave it and visible for all to see?

But what I find amazing, if that is the word, is the events leading up to her passing away. Playing with her 10 month old granddaughter outside, she decided to take her in. My father was outside gardening at the time, not any the wiser as to what was happening. It is only when about 15 minutes later, he saw young Maria crawling out of the back door crying that he realised something was wrong. He found her having a massive heartattack in the bedroom, and despite the prompt arrival of the ambulance, she did not survive. What is amazing is that Maria crawled from their bedroom, down the hallway, through the kitchen and out the back door. How a 10 month old child knew that my mother needed help, is beyond me.

Maybe God was guiding her, or her love for her grandma. I don't know. But her efforts allowed my dad to say his farewells before she passed away. And for that, I will always be greatful to her. My brother and I never got that opportunity. The "what ifs" and the "whys" will never bring about answers nor will it bring her back. But the memory of a lady who suffered so much in her life and yet found the time to give just as much of her love and time to everyone, will be treasured by all of us.

I think I have said enough for today. The tears are back. Below is a picture of my mum and Maria shortly after she was born, plus a poem I found that sums up how we all feel.

A heart of gold stopped beating

two shining eyes at rest,
God broke our hearts to prove
He only takes the best.
God knows you had to leave us
but you did not go alone,
for part of us went with you
the day He took you home.
To some you are forgotten
to others just part of the past,
but to us who loved and lost you
the memory will always last.

Love you always.
James

It's A Sad Day

Today is one of the most saddest days in my life.

My mother passed away unexpectedly from a heartattack, and I didn't get the chance of saying goodbye.

I will be offline for the next few days.

When I can collect my thoughts, I will write how I feel ... but as you can appreciate, my mood currently is on things beyond writing,

James

Google - the new SkyNet?

I am a huge science fiction fan and one of my all time favourite movies is "Terminator" with Arnold Schwarznagger and the ever-so-cute Michael Biehn. For those that haven't seen the movie, it revolves around the premise that the human race is nearly destroyed when a computer system is given control of the global defence satellite systems, which then comes alive and decides that humans are a virus. SkyNet - the "living" computer system, sends Arnie back in time to kill the mother of the Resistance leader so as to stop the Resistance from defeating SkyNet in the future.

A brilliant movie with great special effects and an interesting theme.

The reason I mention this movie is because deep down I have this growing nagging thought.

A few years back, two university students got together to set up a new search engine, with the aim of making the internet's content easily accessible. Nobody at the time took them seriously, considering the juggernaut search engines like Yahoo and Altavista, were already there. Yet today, Google is the world's most popular online search engine.

Their "Do No Evil" motto, their spartan search interface and their continual launching of new free internet services, has made Google the darling of the public. Google has become synonymous with search - one Google's the net, so to speak.

Today, Google is not only a search engine. It has side products including the famous Gmail email service that sent major shockwaves worldwide with its initial 1 gig of free space [and now over 2.6 gig and increasing], launched Google Talk to compete with MSN Messenger, AOL and the like; Google Maps and Google Earth which gives everyone access to aerial photos of practically anywhere in the world, and more. Google is further "testing" free internet access [wifi] in San Francisco, buying unused internet bandwidth across the USA, signed agreements with major libraries in the USA to put online thousands of books, and partnered [officially and unofficially] with software giants Sun Microsystems and internet browser maker Mozilla who make the popular Firefox.

Their current testing is for the launch of Google Base, which from the "leaked" news reports, appears to be similar to what eBay is offering. They are also testing a similar program to Paypal, and are likely to also launch their own version of Microsoft's Office program via the open source software Open Office [via Sun].

I look at what Google has done so far and what they are branching out into, and wonder where exactly Google is heading. Each new product or service launch by Google, although standalone, are slowly becoming integrated. Further, their current offerings are causing juggernauts like Microsoft to have many a sleepless nights as they see this upstart creeping slowly but surely into their turf.

Google is also branching out into other areas. The Massachussets Institute of Technology in conjunction with several other companies including Google, are testing $100 [yes, one hundred] laptops with the aim of having every child in the world possessing one, preloaded with the linux system and the Firefox browser.

And thus for the nagging thoughts.

Are we going to wake up one day, turn our computers on, and suddenly realise that Google is everywhere? A Google/Firefox browser with a Google homepage to search from, getting our news from Google News, chatting to our friends via Google Talk, shopping for the best deals via Google's Froogle, connecting to the internet via Google's internet service, paying for our online purchases via Google's paypal, making phone calls via Google Talk's VoIP, and using Google's Office suite to create our documents - all for free?

Will we realise one day that Google is like our electricity - a necessity for everyone?

In the movie "Terminator", SkyNet came alive and tried to destroy humanity. In our not so distant future, Google maybe the new SkyNet but with a difference.

We shall see.

James

Me Me Me

Oh, I am so over it!

I am tired of the "Me Me Me" attitude of people where everything MUST revolve around them. Ok, I am guilty of that myself - as most of us are - but not to the extent of some people I know.

Take for example one of my work colleagues. Brad is a lovely guy and fun to be around. An ex-Sydneysider, he moved to Adelaide to get away from his ex-wife and rebuild his life. Now we are not close friends nor do we work in the same area, but I got to know him when he came to my section to relieve a fellow worker for a day.

Now, my employer will pay for us to go out for dinner if we achieve our targets. About two weeks ago we were given a cash incentive for our team to go and enjoy ourselves, so we - as a team - decided to go out. What I fail to understand is this. Brad was in our team for one day only and the incentive we received was for our permanent team and our results for the last three months. So why would Brad even think that he would be invited? Don't get me wrong - he worked in our area for one day - but he is not part of our team.

But obviously Brad had a different perspective. The carry on and the sulks were - well - very childish to the point that one of my other fellow workers turned around and said to him to grow up! And to drive the point home, asked Brad if at his team function did they invite any of the others that had been there relieving [to which he said "no"].

Closer to home, a good friend of mine also has this "me me me" attitude. Ok, we are close and we see each other 3-4 times a week. But that does not mean that if I get invited to a party or whatever, he automatically gets invited as well. If he was my other half then fair enough, but he isn't. If he was friends with the people then he would get his own invitation. Or, if my invite said "and friend", then I would probably invite him along [depending on his work schedule].

But the invite to the 21st birthday party that I am going to is from a person with whom he is not friends, nor did my invite say "and friend". So why the hell does he get pissed off that [a] he was not invited and [b] I am not asking him along? Am I missing something here? It is not through a misunderstanding or anything, because he knows he doesn't know the person. Sorry - but I would not expect to be invited to a party if I didn't know the person [ESP is not that well developed in human beings to be able to say "oh - better invite that stranger because a friend of his is coming and he is going to be pissed off"].

I am mature enough to know that people have friends, but that does not mean that my friends are automatically friends of my other friends. Nor do I presume that I will be invited to EVERY party that is held, whether friends of mine or not [even though that would be nice].

So to everyone [and that includes me], before you start the "me, me, me" attitude - think about the issue and consider the "why" in the issue. If there is an issue, then take it up with the person concerned - not your work colleague or friend - but the person organising it.

There, had my dummy spit. I am off to work!
James