As a culture, we (normally) embrace the latest and greatest technology. Why? Because if we don't, we miss out, we get left behind, and we don't get to directly reap the benefits of that advancement. Even if we can't afford the newest and best, it doesn't prevent us from lusting for that phone, that computer, that TV, self tuning guitar, etc.

But another effect that all this technology has is that it causes us to perform actions that aren't really "normal". For example, watch a person play a game on the Nintendo Wii and you may see a lot more stationary flailing and moving than you would expect a person to do.

The biggest offender though – Bluetooth headsets.

The world used to be a simpler place, where, if you saw a person carrying on half of a conversation while walking down the street, you could generally assume it would be wise to steer clear. (If they were carrying on both sides of the conversation, it was, and still is best to just run.) But now, it's not that easy. To judge the craziness of a person that appears to be talking to themselves, we must check and see if they have a Bluetooth implant dangling out of their ear – but that check is itself potentially dangerous, and needs to be done discreetly to avoid causing suspicion and potentially inciting a paranoia attack from an imbalanced individual. And even if they do have such a device hanging from their skull, there's no way to be sure that they're actually using it at the moment!

I propose that we phase this potential (and highly dangerous) situation out quickly. And the best way to do that is by shunning and avoiding anyone that uses such a Bluetooth device.

I'm pretty sure there's no other way.

It's interesting.. we go through the day with our cell phones, our computers, our vehicles, TVs, mp3 players, etc, etc, etc. We take advantage of some pretty advanced technology every day. And newer, faster, better, more advanced things are brought into the world every day. Our lives are constantly being upgraded by scientific progress, by technological advancements – many that we deal with every day, but many more that we never see, and may never even think about during the course of our lives.

It wasn't that long ago that we didn't have running water, electricity, effective transportation, or even an easy way to look up or share information with others. And that's probably the biggest and most important change that human civilization has seen – the internet – an instantaneous way for ideas and information to travel across and throughout the entire planet. It's this shrinking of the world that I think will bring about the next big change, which is focusing on the "little guy" again.

There are still vast areas of the world where people live without running water, without electricity, and without a way to communicate with or travel to even their neighboring villages. There are a few philanthropic people that are devoting their time and resources to modernizing this un-modern world. A few years back there was some guy that was working on cheap shelters made from reinforced water-proofed cardboard, that could be shipped flattened cheaply and built quickly and easily. There's the OLPC (one laptop per child) project that aimed to provide laptops to children in impoverished countries to help with their education. And lately there have been a number of stories about people working on cheap methods for these areas to produce electricity to help them with their daily lives.

By taking this approach, and re-working things from the bottom up, we all benefit. These people are here, and they're people just like you and me, so why shouldn't they be able to live a bit easier and enjoy their time here more? I mean, as long as we just give them tools, and don't start trying to indoctrinate them with religion or anything, I can't come up with any reason why we shouldn't.

People seem to be inherently selfish. But I think that with the increasing amount of information being spread, and the resources available, a few more people will step up and start trying to change the world. And that's all it takes.

I had a strange dream last night. I know I'm not remembering all of it, but what stuck with me was an image of people walking around talking to themselves. I shrugged it off as just another odd dream, until I got to work this morning and saw people walking around talking to themselves – or rather into their cellphones.

Sometimes I wonder how much people actually understand about the technology that they use on a daily basis. I think for the most part this knowledge is next to nothing. It's kind of scary to imagine how things will be in the future, as technology gets more advanced and the majority of people understand less and less of how it works. A dangerous and growing disconnect.

It doesn't seem like too much of a stretch of the imagination to picture a time when technology is almost regarded as a form of magic, something incomprehensible and possibly regarded with fear. Imagine the "Dark Ages" replayed, but this time with instant communication to spread paranoia, fear, and ignorance like a plague.

I would so be burned at the stake… I hope it has blinky lights.