Estimated read time: 2-3 minutes
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I couldn't believe it, OBJECTIVELY checking out the 2007 Hot 100. Number 100 ... Noureen DeWolf. Whatever. Don't know who she is. Number 97 ... Kim Kardashian. Guess her dad's the lawyer. Number 95 ... The Avatars of Second Life. What?
Had to read it again. "Number 95 ... the Avatars of Second Life." Okay, maybe I'm old school, but what in the world are Avatars? And why are they ranked ahead of five air-brushed perfect, amazingly beautiful, at least semi-famous women? That's more of a dissing for those gals than the one dished out to sickly-svelt Mary-Kate Olsen, left off the list entirely even though sister Ashley came in at Number 37.
If the virtual babes are sexier than the real ones, what does that say about our society? And what about the future of the human race? I don't think virtual women procreate ...
Second Life, by the way, is a virtual world. Has more than 6 million "residents" at last count. People, err ... suckers, actually spend REAL money there. They change US dollars for virtual ones. They can buy virtual real estate, and if I read right, virtual hookers.
Even more crazy, virtual reality has become enough of a real issue, there are advisory panels looking into problems with it. There's apparently an advisory panel in Europe that's suggesting real world money exchange policies be in place in the virtual world in order to prevent against money laundering, fraud and tax evasion.
Backing away from the virtual (and perhaps, real) precipice, there is too much of life that can take place online. Obviously, you can read this blog (and thank you for your patronage). You can also buy on the internet. You can arrange dates (or if she or he is the slow-moving kind, probably go on the dates online as well). Pretty much accounts for the whole circle of life thing. You don't even have to go to funerals anymore. You can watch them on your computer.
If Big Brother isn't watching (and an even money bet says he is), it's Orwellian enough to think about how much watching we're doing. We're watching INSTEAD OF doing -- letting life go by while we sit in a chair, stare at a computer screen and type, shop, email, flirt and virtual date ourselves into oblivion.
Oops, sorry. Got to stop now. Remembered I have to email this girl ...
