B.A.L.L.S.: April 11, 1954
Recently a bored American scientist,
William Tunstall-Pedoe, decided to work
out which day of the twentieth century was
the most boring. He plugged over three million
global events into his computer and
came up with a date, April 11, 1954. I think
by the very fact that this date is now receiving
global attention makes it quite interesting.
The most boring day of the twentieth
century is now made the most interesting by
proclaiming it as the most boring.
It is hard to imagine a boring day in the twenty-first century. We have all the action that corporations, extremist religions and greedy governments can dole out. In fact, we are in the midst's of a global circus: clowns, trained sheep, an array of unnaturally coloured dogs that are whipped to jump through flaming hoops, people teetering on a high wire, and like most of us, the trapeze artists, floating through the air, arms outstretched to catch a hand from another. The lives of many are held in the sway of few.
We are entertaining ourselves to death! I wonder what the average person that walked a quiet street on April 11, 1954 would think if they all of a sudden popped into 2010? Probably the first thing that would hit them is the smell.
We are consuming, trashing, hating, bullying, grand standing and ignoring our planet to death. I will hazard that the aforementioned bored scientist would have a hard time finding a boring day in this century!
There is a form of boredom that does fit well with today's populace, ennui. Ennui is boredom, but it is more than that: it is a lack of interest, a sort of weariness with life. Perhaps we have over-stimulated ourselves into a state of complete indifference?
Wading through our daily routines, constant reminders for those willing to see: Angry drivers driving angry cars, built by angry workers trying to hold their jobs. We are litterers, panhandlers, idlers and addicts, taggers, players, beaters and slayers. We are hiding behind our jobs, our videos, our drugs and booze, our televisions and porn, our money and food. Ennui, the grand evasion, the global turning of a collective eye as we reason to ourselves that someone else will do it. There will be someone there to grab us as we float through the air on this trapeze of life.
What I would give to have that boring day in 1954! Just for a moment, to not have to distract myself from the weight of the world.
If your child was dying of cancer, but you could save her by giving up every penny you owned, every material good that you valued, I believe that most of us would do it.
Well, our Earth is dying of cancer, what are we willing to give up?
There is time though. We have been so distracted lately that we have a lack of experienced trumpeters; therefore, the end of the world has been postponed for a couple more weeks.
Editorial opinions or comments expressed in this online edition of Interrobang newspaper reflect the views of the writer and are not those of the Interrobang or the Fanshawe Student Union. The Interrobang is published weekly by the Fanshawe Student Union at 1001 Fanshawe College Blvd., P.O. Box 7005, London, Ontario, N5Y 5R6 and distributed through the Fanshawe College community. Letters to the editor are welcome. All letters are subject to editing and should be emailed. All letters must be accompanied by contact information. Letters can also be submitted online by clicking here.
It is hard to imagine a boring day in the twenty-first century. We have all the action that corporations, extremist religions and greedy governments can dole out. In fact, we are in the midst's of a global circus: clowns, trained sheep, an array of unnaturally coloured dogs that are whipped to jump through flaming hoops, people teetering on a high wire, and like most of us, the trapeze artists, floating through the air, arms outstretched to catch a hand from another. The lives of many are held in the sway of few.
We are entertaining ourselves to death! I wonder what the average person that walked a quiet street on April 11, 1954 would think if they all of a sudden popped into 2010? Probably the first thing that would hit them is the smell.
We are consuming, trashing, hating, bullying, grand standing and ignoring our planet to death. I will hazard that the aforementioned bored scientist would have a hard time finding a boring day in this century!
There is a form of boredom that does fit well with today's populace, ennui. Ennui is boredom, but it is more than that: it is a lack of interest, a sort of weariness with life. Perhaps we have over-stimulated ourselves into a state of complete indifference?
Wading through our daily routines, constant reminders for those willing to see: Angry drivers driving angry cars, built by angry workers trying to hold their jobs. We are litterers, panhandlers, idlers and addicts, taggers, players, beaters and slayers. We are hiding behind our jobs, our videos, our drugs and booze, our televisions and porn, our money and food. Ennui, the grand evasion, the global turning of a collective eye as we reason to ourselves that someone else will do it. There will be someone there to grab us as we float through the air on this trapeze of life.
What I would give to have that boring day in 1954! Just for a moment, to not have to distract myself from the weight of the world.
If your child was dying of cancer, but you could save her by giving up every penny you owned, every material good that you valued, I believe that most of us would do it.
Well, our Earth is dying of cancer, what are we willing to give up?
There is time though. We have been so distracted lately that we have a lack of experienced trumpeters; therefore, the end of the world has been postponed for a couple more weeks.
Editorial opinions or comments expressed in this online edition of Interrobang newspaper reflect the views of the writer and are not those of the Interrobang or the Fanshawe Student Union. The Interrobang is published weekly by the Fanshawe Student Union at 1001 Fanshawe College Blvd., P.O. Box 7005, London, Ontario, N5Y 5R6 and distributed through the Fanshawe College community. Letters to the editor are welcome. All letters are subject to editing and should be emailed. All letters must be accompanied by contact information. Letters can also be submitted online by clicking here.
