BCIT

After 1 year since my application, and just over a month since my entrance exams, I’ve made it into my Automotive Tech Foundation program! This puts my teaching overseas goals on hold for a few months, but I am still going to do my TESL before anything. This puts me back in school a little less than a year of being lazy. So now within a year I can earn two certificates! Let’s hope this goes well and that by the time I head to Japan I’ll have qualifications worth discussing.

Yargh, I didn’t know donating blood could be so tough. I failed almost 2 years ago because of wait lists and I am failing now because of recently returning from Malaria risky zones. Why can’t they test my blood for Malaria??

Advertisement

Immortality?

Today we have technology that brings us closer to immortality. Both spiritual and physical immortality may exist in a different form than those in the past have ever intended or dreamed of. The technology we have today may seem like magic to the societies of the past. Cybernetics, gene manipulation, nanomachines, and computers. All these in conjunction with advanced modern medicines have allowed humans to live almost two to three times longer than they have a century ago. Aided by modern science and knowledge about healthier living, such as the elimination of lead in pipes and hazardous chemicals that we use to use daily without proper knowledge, there continues to be little in the way of further extending the life span of humans. With prosthetic limbs and organs that continue to last longer and function as well or greater than before, the only thing that stands in our way are our own genes.

These genes that allow us to replicate our cells, with limitations, may one day be able to infinitely replicated and replaced with proper gene manipulation/therapy at birth. Cancer would become a thing of the past with proper education and control of inherent genetic disorders. Scientists have recently discovered that the secret to replicating nerves and damage to our genes may lie inside of a worm. Worms have the ability to regenerate their bodies when split properly in half and if we could utilize this data to further stem cell research and cellular reconstruction then immortality may be one step closer. But is this something worth placing so much hope in? Currently ethics agree that those severely injured in accidents or birth deserve the right to improve their condition and live a more normal life within society. Money being invested in treating disability and furthering research has no ethical challengers, but extending the life of the healthy may face criticism.

The ability to use computers and share medical information and outbreaks of viruses amongst professionals have also greatly improved the development of cures and life enhancing medicines. This has also accelerated our ability to reach the limits of science and push it further, but we may already be at our limits in terms of researching a universal ideal of immortality. Everything must pass on and die, so that the cycles of the world may continue and new things are able to flourish amongst our Earth. These cycles are something treasured by the Daoist who first tried to find immortality for their Kings and Emperors. Immortality is not beyond reach if one chooses never to change, but the world is changing, and we must too. We must accept that we are no longer the same person as when we were born, and we may be different when we die. That is a part of life that gives us something to look forward to, to surpass immortality by remaining human and accepting that when we change, and when we fail that we get back on our feet and become better people.

Humans learned that stars themselves do not last forever, and many stars we look upon in the heavens have already passed on. All that remains is a bright image of how they use to live, and shouldn’t we live the same way? To be able to help people and shine in the sky, and the the memories of others after we have passed on. With that strength…have could we not transcended mortality? If there is an omnipotent being…I feel sorry for it. Death is not an illness is not a misfortune…maybe an inconvenience, but what it truly is…is freedom after a lifetime worth of doing everything you can do serve your worth. But even in death we still learn, isn’t that what’s great about life?

Modern day immortality

The spiritual belief of immortality was nothing more than a dream, but it was one that had followed human beings from the start of time. Humans were always curious how the world could keep going without them, and why it seemed nature had seemingly infinite, never ending mortality. That is of course a lie, a forest, a desert, and every river is composed of different generations of ecosystems. Many die according to the seasons, and are “reborn” the next year. However, they are not the same organism that existed the months before, some are near genetic matches, while others are offspring, and some hibernate like us. Humans’ have an ego that nature does not, but there is nothing wrong with it. Even nature and animals have the desire to survive, which is why they evolve, adapt, and reproduce. Without this inherrant desire, livings become extinct.

Therefore, humans with the development of agriculture and culture, began to have more time to think about the afterlife and more romantic spiritual ideals. With those ideals came the idea of an all immortal being that surpasses nature and humanity. This being may or may not have created everything, and reaching his level may be possible or blasphemy depending on which religion one believes in. In Daoism (Taoism) it is not a crime to become an immortal, because it is not something he desired, but it was something he spent his life working towards by being a kind, diligent and respectful human being. This placed him “above” humans, but at the same time he does not lose his humanity, and tries to bring people to this level of enlightenment. He may take other forms to test a persons heart, and make sure mortals do not lose their way. However, the belief was that this form of immortality came from refining ones mind, and there is little physical immortality with the exception of meditation and clearing all sinful thoughts. There is no unlimited immortality, because if an immortal loses his way he may still lose his life.

More to come…

The human office

Our D.N.A., the little treasures that make us who we are, the threads of fate that allow us to repair ourselves but not without limitations. We can not surpass these limitations, but we can always live at our limit. These little copier machines that make us who we are allow us to grow, and one day die. All parts of our body are composed of these genetic miracles. The toner that fuels our little copiers are not all the same and some parts of us will run out of ink before others. Some of us will have very little and blame themselves but this is not because they are unlucky, all it is is a minor inconvenience. Through injuries, through growth, through life itself, these copiers try their best up until the very last minute and we should too. Don’t hate yourself because of the way you are, instead embrace everything. If they can keep going until the very last moment, and you can too. They are in fact what make you what you are.

Left4Dead fun video

This video shows an exploit known as “god rock” the second designated god area in the game, which means you are safe from every infected. Personally, Left4dead has got to be the shortest game I’ve played that I’ve replayed constantly since the first week of release. The first thing I did was try the game on advance, which was mild because I hadn’t learn the keys, but afterward it was Expert all the way, unless I wanted a quick or stupid game. There is just so many possibilities to discover something new or die in a hilarious and dramatic way.

It truly is every horror movie and more. But I can finally say a true Co-op game has been released despite years of waiting since the childhood days of 4 player Simpsons and Marvel arcade games.

Fragile and Teshima Aoi

Fragile is the upcoming Wii game and the first Wii game that has caught my interest! The style looks similar to Fatal Frame, but the game is not walking the survival horror path, but instead a beautiful and more dramatic vision of the future where humanity has faded. The game’s protagonist is Seito, who finds himself in search for a mysterious girl that he happens to encounter one day while searching for survivors.

The theme song is sung by Teshima Aoi, a 21 year old Seiyuu and Vocalist. She is known for her calming music and earned a youthful entry singing for one of Ghibli’s newer films.