Sandy Hook and Everything After

FlowingData is a site that I read frequently because they create interesting infographics and images that combine all kinds of data together to give regular folks an idea of how things work. As you can see below, they posted an image today to give the public an idea of how many gun deaths we have had in the United States since the deaths of students at Sandy Hook school in Newtown, CT.

Source: FlowingData.com

That's a pretty scary map. No one would admit that this is normal. In fact, the U.S. has a problem with gun-related deaths that other countries do not come close to. The question is: what is the solution? Do we ban certain kinds of guns? Do we have background checks for everyone? Something must be done. We cannot keep living this way.

There is one belief that the 2nd Amendment to the U.S. Constitution prevents anything from being done in terms of gun control. The Constitution is a magnificent document, but there are parts of it that do not apply the same way today as they did in the 18th century. It is time that we rethink parts of our laws. I will leave you with one of my favorite quotes from Thomas Jefferson because I believe it applies to this situation quite a bit.

"I am certainly not an advocate for frequent and untried changes in laws and constitutions. I think moderate imperfections had better be borne with; because, when once known, we accommodate ourselves to them, and find practical means of correcting their ill effects. But I know also, that laws and institutions must go hand in hand with the progress of the human mind. As that becomes more developed, more enlightened, as new discoveries are made, new truths disclosed, and manners and opinions change with the change of circumstances, institutions must advance also, and keep pace with the times. We might as well require a man to wear still the coat which fitted him when a boy, as civilized society to remain ever under the regimen of their barbarous ancestors." - Thomas Jefferson to H. Tompkinson alias Samuel Kercheval, July 12, 1816

Gun deaths since Sandy Hook

Present Shock

This piece on NPR was right up my alley the other day. I sat in the car in the driveway of my house finishing it, thus confirming the 'driveway moments' that NPR listeners talk about.

One of my favorite things to research in my free time is how technology affects the way we live. Since the birth of the web, the advent of mobile technology, and high-speed Internet, our lives have changed considerably. Douglas Rushkoff does a remarkable job of explaining some of the inherent problems that we now have because we are constantly connected. And yes, we do hear about this quite a bit. Multitasking is ruining us! We're texting while driving! These are problems that we must face and Rushkoff discusses some of those problems in this piece.

For example, he discussed digiphrenia, which is the concept of trying to live in the real world, the Facebook world, the Twitter world, the email world, all at once. Do you show the same face? Do you adjust what you post for who you are friends with?

He also brings up the point that social networks now bring our entire cast of characters together in one place. What does the kid you knew in 2nd grade have to do with the colleague you started working with 6 months ago? Should you be friends with both of them on Facebook? Should there be different circles of friends, like on Google Plus? Weird, wild stuff. Check out the interview below.

Interview: Douglas Rushkoff, Author Of 'Present Shock: When Everything Happens Now' : NPR

The Terror

This book was flat-out fantastic. It's one of the most engaging and thrilling novels I've read in awhile. It's based on a real event, the Franklin Expedition to the find the Northwest Passage to Asia through the arctic. We don't know much about what happened to the expedition, but Dan Simmons is brilliant by filling in the details for you. And scaring you quite a bit in the process.

There are a few characters, too, that you become especially attached to because they reveal themselves in stages throughout the story. The characters become darker as the story grows due to the fact that conditions worsen in the expedition. The descriptions of the arctic and the cold and the disease and the pain are so real that you sometimes feel like putting on more clothing or getting out one more blanket. You feel for these men, not just because they were real at one point in time, but because Simmons writes them so well. It's as if you're watching them do all of this right outside your window.

This story mixes man v. nature, science fiction, mythology, European v. Native attitudes, the slow descent into the inner core of who man really is, and countless other intriguing storylines. You find yourself turning the pages quicker and quicker. And just when you thought you might have something figured out, Simmons scares you again with something out-of-the-ordinary. I can't tell you too much without giving away the story. If you enjoy a good historical fiction with sci-fi mixed in, pick it up. I highly recommend it.

Oh, and AMC has announced that they are turning the book into a TV show, ala the Walking Dead. You can read about it here (warning: SPOILERS in the article).