It's been a strange year.
Feminist rights leapt to the fore, in a tumbling series of events that I'm still having trouble piecing together. From the criminal hacking of celebrity nude photos, to the Gamergatebullshit conroversy, to the recent harassment allegations against renowned Canadian celebrity-host Jian Ghomeshi, it seems like this year we pulled up the carpet and were surprised to find that misogyny had been quietly spreading under the floorboards all along, and those doses of feminist bleach we sprayed on it's persistent mold during the 70s got votes but little else (yes, that's right, modern women only got the vote in your mother's lifespan. Are we still operating on the belief that we don't have work to do?). All of this has lead to increasing scrutiny around allegations of sexual harassment and abuse at several levels of society: in government, in entertainment, in the online world.
Meanwhile, the Ukraine became ground zero for Vladimir Putin's newest chapter in rewriting Cold War history, with a "subtle" invasion of the Crimea by Russian forces intent on "restoring order" in the troubled region. Even now, Russia is feeling the sting of US-led trade sanctions on its economy. Somehow, however, all of this pales in comparison to North Korea's alleged hacking of Sony Pictures to halt the release of Seth Rogan's "The Interview," a movie so offensive to the Glorious Leader that copies are now being sent by balloon from pro-democratic factions in the south.
In the great world of science, the ESA's Rosetta mission made history and landed a module on comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko (but to its friends, it will always be Gary). Running parallel to the year's feminist stories, a great deal of social media attention was focussed on India's Mars mission, and this viral photograph:
In a country currently wracked by rampant sex crime against women, this photo became a rallying point to show the world that not only is India pursuing a vibrant independent space program, it is taking its place in history by ensuring women are a part of that program, and, by extension, their nation's future.
At home, watched our homicide rates declining to record lows, yet we bore witness this year to two violent shootings that jolted the country: first in Moncton, a town that had not seen a murder since 2010, and then again in Ottawa, with an attack that became a rallying point for a myriad of politic interests. Somewhat ironically, it was in this last case, a scene of chaos and confusion, that I found a point of clarity.
You see, this summation so far of 2014 is but a tiny snippet of some of the major events that occurred in the news. The breakneck pace with which information has been hurled at us over the last 365 days is unprecedented. People everywhere are demanding our opinions, and we want to be able to give them. That means keeping informed. But how can you possibly do that? Each day brings so much change, so much destruction, so much creation, so much NOISE. Tuning in to that cacophony of voices can be...exhausting.
Well, that's the thing. You can only know so much.
During the Ottawa Shootings, the media was out in full force, as is wont to happen in a case of supposed terrorism and mayhem. Yet with everything happening, with all of the sensationalism and misinformation, I tuned in to the CBC, and was surprised to find a recurring message of simple, honest, truth: "What do we know with certainty right now?" Several observers, both local and abroad, were in high praise of that coverage and that message. But this isn't about tooting the proverbial horn of the CBC. It's about the message itself.
There's a simple relief to be found in asking yourself that question at any given time, especially during a period of self-reflection as is so often found on New Year's Eve. "What do you know with certainty right now?" In a world given to wild speculation and gross misrepresentation, truth is a commodity that is in high demand but too often in short supply. Perhaps, then, before you look without at everything happening around you, look within at what you're doing. Who you are. What you want to do.
I call 2014 a strange year because the events that occurred don't have an easy-to-follow pattern, a theme, or even strictly speaking a cohesive relevance. I could speculate that 2015 will be more of the same, but I don't know that with certainty. Nobody has a crystal ball. Nobody knows what's going to happen next.
It's said that knowledge is power. I think it would be more honest to add that real power is knowledge backed by certainty. And all I can know, with certainty, is what's happening right now, right here, with me.
And right now, I know I need a drink. With certainty.
Feminist rights leapt to the fore, in a tumbling series of events that I'm still having trouble piecing together. From the criminal hacking of celebrity nude photos, to the Gamergate
Meanwhile, the Ukraine became ground zero for Vladimir Putin's newest chapter in rewriting Cold War history, with a "subtle" invasion of the Crimea by Russian forces intent on "restoring order" in the troubled region. Even now, Russia is feeling the sting of US-led trade sanctions on its economy. Somehow, however, all of this pales in comparison to North Korea's alleged hacking of Sony Pictures to halt the release of Seth Rogan's "The Interview," a movie so offensive to the Glorious Leader that copies are now being sent by balloon from pro-democratic factions in the south.
In the great world of science, the ESA's Rosetta mission made history and landed a module on comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko (but to its friends, it will always be Gary). Running parallel to the year's feminist stories, a great deal of social media attention was focussed on India's Mars mission, and this viral photograph:
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| Manjunath Kiran/AFP |
At home, watched our homicide rates declining to record lows, yet we bore witness this year to two violent shootings that jolted the country: first in Moncton, a town that had not seen a murder since 2010, and then again in Ottawa, with an attack that became a rallying point for a myriad of politic interests. Somewhat ironically, it was in this last case, a scene of chaos and confusion, that I found a point of clarity.
You see, this summation so far of 2014 is but a tiny snippet of some of the major events that occurred in the news. The breakneck pace with which information has been hurled at us over the last 365 days is unprecedented. People everywhere are demanding our opinions, and we want to be able to give them. That means keeping informed. But how can you possibly do that? Each day brings so much change, so much destruction, so much creation, so much NOISE. Tuning in to that cacophony of voices can be...exhausting.
Well, that's the thing. You can only know so much.
During the Ottawa Shootings, the media was out in full force, as is wont to happen in a case of supposed terrorism and mayhem. Yet with everything happening, with all of the sensationalism and misinformation, I tuned in to the CBC, and was surprised to find a recurring message of simple, honest, truth: "What do we know with certainty right now?" Several observers, both local and abroad, were in high praise of that coverage and that message. But this isn't about tooting the proverbial horn of the CBC. It's about the message itself.
There's a simple relief to be found in asking yourself that question at any given time, especially during a period of self-reflection as is so often found on New Year's Eve. "What do you know with certainty right now?" In a world given to wild speculation and gross misrepresentation, truth is a commodity that is in high demand but too often in short supply. Perhaps, then, before you look without at everything happening around you, look within at what you're doing. Who you are. What you want to do.
I call 2014 a strange year because the events that occurred don't have an easy-to-follow pattern, a theme, or even strictly speaking a cohesive relevance. I could speculate that 2015 will be more of the same, but I don't know that with certainty. Nobody has a crystal ball. Nobody knows what's going to happen next.
It's said that knowledge is power. I think it would be more honest to add that real power is knowledge backed by certainty. And all I can know, with certainty, is what's happening right now, right here, with me.
And right now, I know I need a drink. With certainty.