So I don't feel like working, even though I have to, because I've been sick for about four days and need to catch up. I'm trying to tell myself that if I do a bit here and there, interspersed with some creative stuff, then I'm making a dent in the mountain of work, but it feels like i'm close to being buried in an avalanche. It's almost as if I'm digging ahead of me as the tunnel collapses behind me.
But anyhoo... I thought that a bit of random pontification might help block out the looming vulture (think of Schultz's cartoons of Snoopy in a tree) of responsibility. So here are my thoughts about cyberpunk-
1. The next major transhuman/cyberpunk breakthrough will come from the former Soviet Union
I've said this before- I can't remember where, but I think I put it somewhere on the 'net so that it would survive me. That in itself is a curious idea- that something virtual will live on and survive something physical, kind of like the old African proverb about how you aren't dead so long as someone remembers you.
But beyond that, here are my thoughts behind that statement- the current mindset of the former Soviet Union seems to place lower value on human life than other industrialized nations. I perceive this mindset to be endemic and probably the result of both the Communist era and the subsequent kratocracy,The same thing maybe said about South Africa save for the fact that South African is less industrialized, and in that case, the lesser value placed on human life stems from 40 plus years of apartheid.
Coupled with this approach to human life, the advanced technological and criminal culture in the former Soviet Union provides a fertile breeding ground for technologically-oriented body modification. The next major transhuman/cyberpunk breakthrough will probably be some form of implant and it will come from behind a new Iron Curtain.
2. My mods
For some reason these have been on my mind more of late- I've been thinking more and more about body modification as self-definition. Perhaps this is because I've been feeling more pressure by work and life both.
I'm thinking of getting 2 sets of paired microdermals behind my ears, with screw-in rare earth magnet fasteners. That way I can attach the other side of each fastener to accessories, like my sunglasses, headphones etc. I'm also thinking about a scar running from just above my forehead down my cheek. Plus more tattoos- a backpiece and shoulder set. I've designed the backpiece, but have to break it up into logically balanced and affordable sections. I still have to design the shoulder set (kind of like shoulder armour- not a sleeve).
3. Fashion
My sense of style has always been oriented to black clothing, usually made from a technical fabric, with some sort of additional function. At the very least, I have to have lots of pockets- I call it the 'Data' effect (from the kid in The Goonies). It goes beyond Goth- I have no time for superfluous details like lace and velvet- give me Kevlar and leather. I like military-inspired gear, understated (low chrome-factor) biker gear, and a lot of technical outdoor clothing. Oakley (the sunglass people) produce a lot of cutting edge clothing and backpacks etc. Even their sunglasses are cutting edge- I got hooked on those first.
Anyway, those are some of the things about me that are somewhat cyberpunk, and some of my thoughts about the meme (not just a genre). Remember- attitude is everything.
But anyhoo... I thought that a bit of random pontification might help block out the looming vulture (think of Schultz's cartoons of Snoopy in a tree) of responsibility. So here are my thoughts about cyberpunk-
1. The next major transhuman/cyberpunk breakthrough will come from the former Soviet Union
I've said this before- I can't remember where, but I think I put it somewhere on the 'net so that it would survive me. That in itself is a curious idea- that something virtual will live on and survive something physical, kind of like the old African proverb about how you aren't dead so long as someone remembers you.
But beyond that, here are my thoughts behind that statement- the current mindset of the former Soviet Union seems to place lower value on human life than other industrialized nations. I perceive this mindset to be endemic and probably the result of both the Communist era and the subsequent kratocracy,The same thing maybe said about South Africa save for the fact that South African is less industrialized, and in that case, the lesser value placed on human life stems from 40 plus years of apartheid.
Coupled with this approach to human life, the advanced technological and criminal culture in the former Soviet Union provides a fertile breeding ground for technologically-oriented body modification. The next major transhuman/cyberpunk breakthrough will probably be some form of implant and it will come from behind a new Iron Curtain.
2. My mods
For some reason these have been on my mind more of late- I've been thinking more and more about body modification as self-definition. Perhaps this is because I've been feeling more pressure by work and life both.
I'm thinking of getting 2 sets of paired microdermals behind my ears, with screw-in rare earth magnet fasteners. That way I can attach the other side of each fastener to accessories, like my sunglasses, headphones etc. I'm also thinking about a scar running from just above my forehead down my cheek. Plus more tattoos- a backpiece and shoulder set. I've designed the backpiece, but have to break it up into logically balanced and affordable sections. I still have to design the shoulder set (kind of like shoulder armour- not a sleeve).
3. Fashion
My sense of style has always been oriented to black clothing, usually made from a technical fabric, with some sort of additional function. At the very least, I have to have lots of pockets- I call it the 'Data' effect (from the kid in The Goonies). It goes beyond Goth- I have no time for superfluous details like lace and velvet- give me Kevlar and leather. I like military-inspired gear, understated (low chrome-factor) biker gear, and a lot of technical outdoor clothing. Oakley (the sunglass people) produce a lot of cutting edge clothing and backpacks etc. Even their sunglasses are cutting edge- I got hooked on those first.
Anyway, those are some of the things about me that are somewhat cyberpunk, and some of my thoughts about the meme (not just a genre). Remember- attitude is everything.