Technology in the turn of the century

Bonjour! I hope all is well with your good self and that life is beaming as gloriously as the sun in a filterless radiancey that is making you levitate with wonder. Onto something I have been pondering of late with the explosion of tablet computers; technology and its quantum leap into the 21st century. Experts say that Technology evolves in spans of exponential, concentrated growth. When I think about this and stage technology was at when I was a kid, I find it astounding to think where we might be in 50 years time. Hopefully I will be around to write a follow up to this then - or to 'speak a reply' to a device which records my words and translates it into text, to be then 'shared' on the internet which will be contained within our bloody contact lenses. It may sound outrageous but that technology is actually being developed as we speak. Some experts believe that in order for humanity to ultimately survive we must embrace cybernetics as the next progressive step in human evolution. Ironically voice-to-text software already exists however, like a great deal of technology available to the consumer today, it works about as efficiantly as Gandalf's 897 year old penis. We can 'send a man to the moon' but we cant get the internet to work on our phones properly? What a sham because lets be honest, its just not possible to whack off to 3 inch pictures that take 6 minutes to load. I remember the phone my grandfather had when I was a young boy. It was shaped like an upside down Christmas pudding bowl, the receiver propped up on four prongs and accompanied by a circular dialling reel system that makes dialling a number feel like you're powering up the warp core in the Starship Enterprise. How did we get to the point, in only a decade, that phones are now small enough to fit into our ears? The dawn of programmable computers in the 1930's began the slow burning fire that raged for nearly 35 years until the first notable explosion of exponential technological growth in the 1970's. The mushroom cloud of this new age flinted out the giant present day, corporate embers such as Apple & IBM for example. The 1990's streamlined computers into a household device. Now we walk around with them in the palm of our hands in the form of tablet computers - thinner than a 60 page pamphlet and with the capability to interact with like minded devices all around it through a virtual storage space nicely named 'cloud'; its seems the technology itself is indeed evolving also. Next up, Skynet and the rise of the machines? Exoskeleton suits of armour that allow a man to lift 200 times the weight of the strongest man, are currently in use; 3D faxing is in development. Shape shifting cars made of lightweight but almost impenetrable fabric is said to be the vehicle of the future. What about the technology of the human brain? On average we only use 10% of our neurological potential; what happens when we finally evolve to use the full power of the ultimate computer that sits protected behind the firewall of bone? Are the Hollywood movies of today really that far off? Is it too much to think that the computer technology of today, which is so advanced, so expensive and so complex, is an actual robot that will be able to think freely and walk and talk and move like a human being? Well, the walking, talking technological equivalent of the 90's is now in almost every household in the world in the form of a laptop or a desktop or tablet computer. We cant live without the technology of today anymore. We are moving forward at a dangerous pace and the next 50 years will encompass evolution of technology that will challenge those even with the most challenging of imaginations in this present day. Which leads me to my next post: Space & Time.

Dec

Kev Doyle explodes into Mixed Martial Arts with a 'Smash'

There was a crispness in the icy air about the Drumcondra Regency Hotel last night, not because of the impending winter or the fact that we've all felt the cold blunt of the inequities of the Irish government - rather, it was the rope that harbours a boat in the calm before a storm: taught with tension, morbid in its curiosity and unrivalled in its subsequent unleashing of fury. I was there for one reason and one reason only, to support a friend in a proverbial cock fight. Entering the Regency Hotel I didnt know what to expect but passing the threshold into the overtly professional setup electrocuted me back into the reality of just how serious this event was. 80 inch tv screens lined the walls with HD broadcast quality cameras following the in-the-ring-action, doctors at the ready, a fully kitted prep room and prefight interviews to boot: Mixed Martial Arts, man versus man in an octagon with nowhere to run and only your 8-ounce-glove-covered fists, knees and legs to prevent you from being beaten into the canvass; that is exactly what Kev 'smash' Doyle did in his official MMA debut. His opponent, Alan Skelly was a braver man than many, most would agree to face such a intimidating threat in the middleweight category of this modern medieval battle. It was the fourth fight of the night and for those who didnt know the chronological fight arrangement, but who have the pleasure of knowing Kev Doyle personally, they would have instantly known he was on his way to the ring when 'Why cant we be friends' blasted out across the arena as his entrance music, as ironic as his humour may be, there was nothing ironic about what was to come. They met squarely in the centre of their coliseum as the referee spoke of them the rules: 'No low blows, no tyson biting and even though you're both half naked and rolling around on the ground for the pleasure of hundreds of people, try not to get carried away' - im sure he said. They touch gloves and the fight is on. Kev moved forward like a steaming locomotive pile driving into Skelly with an unparallelled reckoning. Quickly going for the midsection and shutting down his opponents offensive, the reasoning behind Kev 'Smash' Doyles nickname became apparant in the form of an over the head bodyslam - the first of only 2 to happen in any of the fights of the night. Skelly hit the canvass with a thunder that could be heard in outer mongolia as the crowd winced at the sound of his body crashing down in a crumbling mess. Most would agree that from this moment the fight was over as Doyle squashed Skelly into the mesh corner trying to get full mount and delivered what can only be described as 4 absolute haymakers followed by a flurry of rabbit punches and straight face blows. However, Skelly managed, in credit to him to somehow get to his feet again. Kev maintained control and pulled a few punches in lieu of not sacrificing his advantage, steering the fight his own way. Kev then swung backwards on himself, twirling around to garner a more solid standing advantage. From there he bullied Skelly to the adjacent side of the octagon, maintaining his low center of gravity and completely disabling any intention that Skelly may have had to attack by going for the midsection again, this time only to deliver the second smash - hoisting Skelly 6 feet into the air and quite literally planting him head first into the hardened soil. From there Doyle seized his chance and pounced, getting full mount with ease and after careful calculation and surgical precision, delivered 11 splintering nuclear warheads to Skellys face that prompted the referee to step in and stop the fight, declaring Kev Doyle the winner. The rapturous applause of the coolmine bjj support resounded the Regency hotel with no words, rather euphoria for a man who not only beat his opponent, his own demons and what I can only assume were natural nerves, to transcend getting lost in his moment by walking over to Skelly who sat in the center of the octagon with his head hanging low and outstretching his hand; pulling him back to his feet. They say you should dress for the job you want and Doyles actions would suggest he wants to be the top dog as his attitude both in the ring and in a graceful, non complacent victory, points to only one thing - a potential Champion. However, He and his coach Luke Corcoran were the first to say to me personally that hype means nothing, its the training and the will produce success. Kev Doyle explodes into mixed martial arts with a 'Smash'...