The Mayans used to look at the stars for guidance. They weren't searching for god, they were simply studying the correlation between the constellations and planet earth; and after many years of tracking the night sky, they postulated that what happens above essentially happens below. This simple logical progression was based on the notion that we are no different than anyone else in the universe.
They were not divine geniuses nor prophets; they were simply looking to give meaning to their existence, and isn't that as human as it gets? To them everything was real; there were no computers or advanced communication, their lives existed between the sky and the water. This way of life does not strip one of media, but rather forces a profound understanding of the term. The Mayan obsession with the night sky was an obsession with the messages they received from the stars; they knew they were not alone, and if the stars rotate, so must we. In fact, the Mayans were so obsessed with a universally cyclical calendar that it perpetuated itself throughout their entire existence.
With this calendar as a medium, they even went so far as to predict the alignment of the center of the galaxy, the sun, and earth! When 12/21/12 comes around, there is no question that the media will have a field day predicting the end of the world. Everything will be blown out of proportion without any notion of scientific proof, because the actual Mayan data simply suggests certain planetary alignments to occur on such a date. In fact, they only highlighted this date in time so that the people who witness it can attest to the awe of the universe! On that day, the universal power which stems from the center of the galaxy will essentially be blocked by our sun. That is to say, we will have no choice but to focus on the medium around us; and this is thought to be a period of great enlightenment.
So to those who are actually worried about the end of the world ... you're idiots.
Indubitably, the internet has made most everything faster. Whether that be talking to friends, communicating with colleagues, or building a business from the air down; I believe technological progression is not a novel concept; and that it has, in fact, diminished over time ...
Before the dawn of remote controls, there were children! My dad used to tell me that I had it easy, and that his parents always called him in from anywhere around the house to change the channel. Granted, the messages media portrayed back in its infancy of 5 channels is vastly different than the 6,000 choices we are offered today, but the way in which they were and are perceived in their respective generations is roughly the same. That is to say, my grandmother's amazement at her new cathode ray tube was based purely on the absence of such a machine when she was growing up. Therefor, my amusement with satellite television stems from the existence of the aforementioned cathode ray tube ... it's all relative.
What does this have to do with children-remote controls? Just last week my mom called me from 200 miles away to explain how to record her favorite TV show ... like I said, it's all relative.
"Tell the People About This!"
Ever walk by someone who seems to know you a little too well? This is probably an example of a digression in your Facebook Friend Multiplier Statistic!
Facebook Friend Multiplier: Statistic from 0 - 1 which represents the degree of legitimate friendship between two Facebook users. For instance;
Mikal Smith (multiplier of 1) vs. Semi-Random Friender (multiplier of .3)
If I were to waste hours assigning these multipliers to all of my 950 "friends", I would probably be saddened by how small my social life really is. That is not to say I don't enjoy influxes of friend requests, but I would argue that the allure of friend requests are being diluted by sheer volume.
Now, you may think a difference in this statistic is minuscule, but I ask you to look inside the mind of a Facebook Stalker! Whether they are looking at your pictures a little too intently, or subtly tracking your wall posts; these people perceive a Facebook friendship very differently than they should. To them, the message attached to a friend request is one of love and admiration! To you, maybe a fledgling love interest or experimental friendship might not be a big deal ... but to others it's a chance at REAL friendship! I warn you, be weary of these seemingly subtle differences in Facebook perceptions, because they can grow dangerously into strong differences of opinion; and angry "friends".
It's always been difficult to tell your friends from your enemies, but these days it's becoming increasingly difficult to distinguish friends from "friends"! My solution to you, my friend, is the multiplier! This simple statistic not only measures your degree of friendship, but suggests how vast the difference is in your perceptions of Facebook as a form of social media. I, for one, use a minimum Facebook multiplier of .4 in order to accept a new friend request.
