Part 1 - The Beauty of Machines

(A brief note: I am going to try and explain things. This will take several posts and a whole bunch of time. Feel free to ask questions and post comments as we go. Thank you.)

This all began with a dehumidifier. It’s important that you know that. I probably wouldn’t be who I am now if it weren’t for that dehumidifier. I recognize that you may not have any idea what I’m talking about, but I hope to change that. I’m going to do my very best to explain the changes that have come over me in the last several months because they are important. They represent one of those major shifts in thoughts and beliefs, which take one person and leave another. But … let’s start with the dehumidifier.

It was a random summer day that held no significant promise of anything eventful or important. So, naturally, it was the ideal day for insight. I was in my basement room in Ottawa, lying in bed, thinking random thoughts. But I couldn’t think straight. The dehumidifier was too loud. So I got up, moved over to the dehumidifier, bent down, and picked up the bucket of water that was almost overflowing. Then it hit me:

The dehumidifier is taking water out of the air.
It just filled up this bucket with water.
That is awesome.
That is really awesome.
That is fucking amazing.

And so I turned away and took the bucket and started up the stairs to the kitchen to empty it out. And the whole way up, all I could think about was how amazing the dehumidifier is. I mean, it takes water out of the air. How does it do that? What magic does it use? What gods possess it? I mean, it seems so simple and so ordinary and mundane. But when you really think about it, it’s so awesome. And then it hit me. Machines are beautiful and amazing and wonderful.

Now, I want to make it clear. I never had any interest in machines growing up. Cars bored the hell out of me. I was too frightened to really try and fix the computer. The thought of trying to understand machines seemed complex and time consuming … time that could be much better spent watching television or video games. But here I was, standing in a kitchen, emptying a bucket of water, ready to race out of the house and climb the tallest mountain to shout the praises of machines. It was an interesting moment.

In that moment though, I saw it all. I saw the beauty of machines. I saw beyond the simple exteriors and apparently mundane tasks. I saw the logic behind them. I saw the order to them. Most importantly, I saw the triumph of humanity. For that is what machines are. They represent logic and reason. They represent creativity and a driven curiosity to understand and to change our world to what we can imagine. They represent hard work, passion and vision. They represent the greatest parts of humanity.

After the dehumidifier, things were different. It started slowly. For a while all I could think about was the dehumidifier. But slowly, the floodgates opened, and everything started to take on a new significance. The best way I can describe it is: imagine if you were a small child again, and you were seeing everything for the first time but you were able to appreciate its importance and achievement. It was like looking at the world through new eyes. Naturally, this new found attitude extended itself beyond machines and began to spill over into all aspects of life. And it raised questions. And it raised more questions. And the sacred traditions and beliefs that had chained me for so long began to break apart and unravel. But that is still to come. For now though, I would like to finish with this:

Machines are beautiful. They represent so much creativity and knowledge, and to try and understand them is to try and embrace the greatest elements of humanity. But, the most important thing is this: machines represent unlimited possibilities. They represent freedom; the freedom to think and create and solve; the freedom to shape your world into what you want it to be. And it was a dehumidifier that woke me up to the world.

You're a rainbow in the dark

I know I haven't updated this in a while, and I am sorry. I've been busy for a bit and just haven't been in the right frame of mind. I've been cooking something up though. Thinking about some stuff that I will write down, hopefully sooner rather than later. At the moment, however, I just wanted to write a quick post before I have to get back to math camp shenanigans!

Ronnie James Dio has died. The beloved metal god who brought a generation the devil horns is no more. I don't really know what to say. I mean ... he was Dio. Only the coolest of people can be commonly referred to by their last name. In an age of 70's love ballads and disco, of new wave and grunge, of pop punk and boy bands, Dio never changed. He was that rock that remained strong against the battering waters of time. Whenever life got complicated and things just weren't going right, I could turn to Dio, and see a man who was at once so ridicuolous while also being one of the coolest of men. His music inspired me ... to do what I'm not entirely sure. But I was always better after I listened to Rainbow in the Dark or Holy Diver.

Ronnie James Dio ... you were a champion among men. May you find peace and rest in a metal bar in Valhalla! And may the halls of Valhalla never again be without your thunderous voice. We here will continue on without you and will always remember you and what you did for us. And perhaps your legacy will inspire a new generation to seek out rock godery!