Trapped In A Virtual World

Oliver Sacks, British neurologist, naturalist, historian of science, and author, feared for the future before he died. 

He wasn't so much alarmed at what had come into being. Rather, he was shocked by how much was missing.

“Everything is public now, potentially: one’s thoughts, one’s photos, one’s movements, one’s purchases. 

There is no privacy and apparently little desire for it in a world devoted to non-stop use of social media.  

Every minute, every second, has to be spent with one’s device clutched in one’s hand. Those trapped in this virtual world are never alone, never able to concentrate and appreciate in their own way, silently.  

They have given up, to a great extent, the amenities and achievements of civilization: solitude and leisure, the sanction to be oneself, truly absorbed, whether in contemplating a work of art, a scientific theory, a sunset, or the face of one’s beloved.”

Oliver Sacks died in 2015. Before he passed he wrote, 

"I find my thoughts, increasingly, not on the supernatural or spiritual, but on what is meant by living a good and worthwhile life — achieving a sense of peace within oneself.

Sacks wouldn't have advised looking for such answers, such peace, in a mobile screen. 

We are trapped in a virtual world. I have doubts about it providing us with a "good and worthwhile life". 

Thank You For Visiting

 Artist Toulouse-Lautrec conversing with friends

Today I would like to express the gratitude that Linda and I feel for all of you wonderful visitors to our growing blog. We are continually blown away by not only the numbers of visitors, but also the quality.


We are humbled that there are such amazing folks that visit here. Of special note are the really brave visitors that return, often repeatedly. We thank you all.


Whether you have joined NBA (on sidebar), or visit anonymously, we feel your presence in our little world. For us, this is where it all comes together. Our blog is our Salon, a meeting place meant "either to please, or to educate". It is our goal to consistently achieve both. 


Your comments in response to our posts definitely please and educate us. We appreciate those of you who take the time to leave comments, and believe that this participation makes our blog infinitely better for everyone. 


With your help this can be a place of 'ecological enlightenment'. We are stronger and smarter together, and when we cooperate we create a better world. 


Thank you for joining our Salon, and contributing toward our efforts to raise awareness, and lower ecological footprints. It is a privilege for us to be your hosts. 


Let's converse - you are among friends.

Requirements For Salon Participation

• sincerity
• civility
• humour or wit (we can't take things too seriously)
• an interest in expressing your views and insights
• a willingness to be respectful and appreciative of the contributions of others

Are Pirates Plundering Your On-line Personal Information?

It used to be that you only had to worry about petty thieves combing your on-line presence for sensitive information. Now professional plunderers are getting into the act, and lenders may be poking around. Who is looking at your tweets and Facebook friend choices, and what are they doing with this information?

How lenders and collection agencies use your social networking information has been in the news recently, making one think about how our on-line information can be misused. The pirates are on the horizon, and they want your information and your doubloons.

These purveyors of legal loansharking are sailing a sea of data provided by us, sometimes unwittingly. They are looking to gain a profitable advantage, whether by tailor-making advertising just for you, or by providing information about you and your choices to someone who wants something from you. I am not alright with either one of these uses of my data.

What exactly are they looking for in this piratical cruise through your on-line life? Writing about frugality and cutting up credit cards, using cash only for all purchases, or closing your bank account and burying your treasure? If so, I can kiss my credit card goodbye. Good riddance, I say.

Those sailing under the Jolly Roger, international flag of pirates, do not have anything I want - I do not agree to their outrageous terms. In the moonlight you can see they are the walking dead, and they don't even adhere to the Pirate Code. Credit card interest rates of up to 20% is an obvious unfair distribution of booty, for example, which contravenes the code of proper plunderers.

The good news is that we do have some control over how our personal information is shared on social networking sites. If you are a member of one or more, now is a good time to check your profile and settings to ensure you are getting the privacy you are comfortable with and deserve.

You can choose to say no to web sites that refuse to protect your information to your satisfaction. We can also choose to say no to those who wish to engage us in debt slavery aboard the Royal Fortune (Black Bart's ship). I would rather walk the plank and take my chance with the real sharks.



And if you do bury your doubloons in a treasure chest (or coffee tin) in the back yard, 30 paces from the oak tree, remember to draw a map.