Being a young man in the mid 1990s was pretty great. If you had logged on to the ”net” via a 14.4 whatever modem that made loud sounds like avant garde music, and if you knew how, you could get an e-mail address from CompuServe that was just a bunch of numbers. And you could have a cellphone with an antenna and a chunky battery that made your ear feel warm and fuzzy. What a strange feeling of hyper-modernity that brought… This feeling only lasted for about a year, because by then the floodgates were already opened, and all the internet-based digi-demons passed through and into our unsuspecting bio-logical minds. Everything was too late in so many ways, and yet you gladly accepted it because so much of the technological progress served you so well in whatever you were up to (in my case, a lot!). It was almost as if someone had conceptualized it all in detail, and now catered to the whims and fancies of the up and coming generation of creatives, as well as of consumers. Everyone was...

When I look out the window everything is peaceful. It’s autumn; the leaves are shifting colors in bright saturation, and then gently falling down on the ground. It’s chilly, the sun is shining, and there’s always work to be done. The few people I see out there are walking their dogs, or on their way to some meeting or other; taking care of business, and – most importantly – minding their own business. However, when I look into a screen – any screen – it’s a whole different story. People are killing each other endlessly, mindlessly, in technologically advanced systems of destruction of lives and property; promoting corruption and ideal-lessness, setting humanity as well as humanities aside in favor of aggressive causality and reactivity – and harming greater nature while at it. Which vision should I trust? Which vision gives a more accurate view of the world as such? The window or the screen? I already know the answer to that one. And I already have the answer to why the screen-world...

In an increasingly chaotic world (or so it seems), it’s always best to focus on things you know with certainty have a tangible value for you, before delving out as a contemporary don Quixote on the evanescent barricades of social media. These things probably are/should be ultra-personal, and hence you should perhaps indulge in private rather than spilling all your beans publicly. This in itself is a challenge in such a flaunting culture as ours. But that’s exactly why it’s extra important. When someone asks you what you’ve done for others/the world today, either lie and say “nothing,” or tell the truth if that’s more comfortable. You may have masturbated, had sex with someone, cleaned the house, listened attentively to your favorite record, read a great book, etc. Something that is of no apparent utilitarian use to anyone else but you. Why is this more important than engaging in ambitious problem-solving in these times of global crises? Because it genuinely makes you happier. If you...