Have you started to shrug and laugh off the growing absurdity of the world yet, or are you still trying to convince others to adopt a serious perspective that’s closer to your viewpoint?
We’ve been riding a roller coaster that cuts through parallel universes these past couple of years (two decades really) and it’s probably wise to take a break once in a while. Even a healthy sense of gallows humour is better than banging your head against a brick wall of denialism fortified by either nihilistic or compliance-prone mortar.
Eventually, everyone needs to escape the emotional or cerebral storm if even for a few hours. But it’s not as easy as it sounds so don’t get frustrated if your thoughts detour back to the one-way streets of life and the dead-end that litter the landscape.
When you tune into the Canadian women playing Americans for Olympic hockey gold tonight, will you be able to wrap yourself in the Maple Leaf without hearing hundreds of trucks honking?
When a Russian athlete sticks the landing will you assume they are taking performance-enhancing drugs or will the threat of war looming at the Ukraine border come to mind?
If Global, the CBC or CTV cut into the Beijing Games with a breaking story, will you cast it aside automatically as ‘fake’ or will you take it for what it is and seek additional coverage to round out your understanding?
If you can get through the national anthems and medal-biting theatrics without a thought of Liberal tyranny or Conservative sedition you’re winning gold.
It’s become nearly impossible to separate politics from the pandemic with a teetering economic system casting a shadow of insecurity over such layers of uncertainty.
You’ve probably tried reason, pointed debate, dire warnings and mockery with zero to limited success. If you’re skillful and lucky, you’ll survive a serious clash of realities without permanently damaging the relationship.
Ontario’s move to lift public health measures beginning with increased capacity limits tomorrow has lit another fuse of contention. Another charge is set to go off March 1 when the province intends to scrap proof of vaccination for public spaces, although businesses and “other places” can keep the requirement if they so choose. Public health units, meanwhile, may still dictate regional rules.
Expect confusion, conflation and conspiracies to continue to fuel heated discord for the foreseeable future. It should make for some interesting takes by comics and aspiring jokesters at the open mic at Lou Dawgs Feb. 24, the first since Dec. 1 after bars and restaurants were shut down for the fifth wave to start 2022.
Regardless of which polarity you reside on an issue, there’s a point where you can disengage and salvage whatever sanity remains. There’s no dishonour in calling a truce or time out.
It’s actually a relief when someone wants to debate an issue not directly related to a virus or political insurrection, although one can always find a link if they try hard enough.
A friend asked me what I thought about the robot research at Canadore College that is probing senior social isolation challenges and potential benefits. The goal is to understand how robots can be programmed to engage and serve as “companion social robots” with the pilot project involving students in the Health, Human Care and Wellness programs working with those living in retirement residences or affordable housing.
My instinct is revulsion at the thought of seniors relying on artificial intelligence and technology for emotional relief. I can see robots being designed to assist people in many aspects of life, from providing physical abilities to ease of accessing the many technological supports (think a moving Siri with a computer screen, lithium power cells and titanium-strength muscles). “Pick me up, Siri, and activate cleansing procedure.”
But I really don’t think the cure for isolation and perception of loneliness amongst shut-ins and otherwise discarded souls should be addressed with artificial intelligence. A well-trained and sufficiently compensated personal support worker, preferably one not run off their feet to meet under-funded efficiency targets is a better idea. Regular access to real-life wellness counselling beats asking for a YouTube video on how to deal with dead-beat family members.
I don’t want to throw cold water on Canadore’s innovative efforts, there is huge gap in how seniors are cared for and optimum reality. Any efforts to expand knowledge is good. I’m sure there was a lot learned when the college laid off counsellors and employed a residential pet dog instead.
Perhaps a sister or parallel study can be done that involves more access to human care to gauge which produces the best results, including a holistic cost-benefit analysis.
I do, however, think it might be time to consider the use of robots to handle certain policing challenges, like enforcing the law when it comes to entrenched occupations attacking democratic foundations.
Apparently, having the ability to make independent choices (freedom) when it comes to authority figures ensuring peace and public security, has its drawbacks.
See? Try as one might, it’s hard not to get sucked back into the chaos that is life in Canada these days.
