Still working on Lord of Chaos, but I popped in to my local library to pick up V for Vendetta by Alan Moore for rereading because of... You know... Reasons. It felt timely.
banazir
joined 2 years ago
Learning to appreciate small everyday things is a great way to live.
I am reading the sixth book in The Wheel of Time series, Lord of Chaos. I've been working through the series for the last six months or so, with some other books in between.
I'm reading it now since it's finally finished and I can get all the books. I first read some of the books, first three or so, in the late 90's. At the time I was heavily in to fantasy and it was a well known series. I liked it back then, but for whatever reason dropped it. I guess I feel I need to finish something I started a long time ago.
Now, the Lord of the Rings has been my favorite book for a long time, and I see a lot of people comparing WoT to LotR, but I think it's not a very valid comparison. Similarities between the books are fairly superficial fantasy tropes. Jordan just isn't the writer Tolkien was, though he's not without his merits. It's clear he's heavily invested in the story and world he's creating, and it feels infectious. I like reading the books. However, where Jordan falters most I think is his characters, who tend to be insufferable all of them, with few exceptions. They constantly lie to, mislead and insult each other and it's hard to figure why they think they are friends. His gender dynamics are exasperating, with characters constantly acting like the other gender is completely inscrutable in all ways. It gets real old real fast. He's also overly verbose, this series could have been a lot shorter. But still, I read on and even enjoy myself. I might finish this series yet.
George Orwell wrote about his experiences with those in Down and Out in Paris and London. It's a decent book and an interesting look at poverty of the day.
The thing is, people by and large don't want to be convinced. They want their convenience and ease of use, they don't want to learn a whole new paradigm, least of all one that requires constant vigilance and understanding of the risks. I can't blame them, they have a lot on their mind, and their existing skill set might not be relevant to privacy issues. People in general resist change and effort. I do. You do too.
It's less about you, and more about them. People will only start taking steps when it all clicks for them. What the catalyst will be is impossible to tell, since people are wired differently. All we can do is talk about privacy and advocate for it with people who are willing to have the discussions. Don't expect to go in and change people's minds. It's horribly difficult and you will be disappointed. Instead, think of it as giving people perspectives and starting points for their own journeys. If something happens and they are finally willing to start doing the work, they will at least have some context and words, labels to use. They may even come to you for more. They may not.
Remember kids, stealing cars is fun and all, but don't post your crimes online. The cops are watching.
"No one else can do the work for you."
You think you're scarred? You should see my bu- you know what, I'm not making this joke.
Well shit, I guess I have to re-enact 1 man 1 jar...
You sound just like your mother.
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Yeah, it's definitely not a light read. Really good though.