TED Radio Hour : What the Future Holds

What does your future hold? Where will you be in five, ten, or twenty-five years? What will the world be like in those years? Will we have eliminated the need for driving or found a cure for cancer?

In this TED Radio Hour podcast, the host asks many of the TED talk presenters what their thoughts are on the future and where we could be as a society in ten or fifteen years from now. Some of these ideas are awesome, revolutionary and visionary--exactly what I like to focus on. Give it a listen



   One of the most amazing things about this podcast is the focus it has on where science may be able to take us medially. It amazes me the progress that we have made in things like stem cell research and the human genome. Ethically these innovations and discoveries provided us with a whole new slew of questions to ask and think about, but when you focus on the pure scientific side of it there is no lack of amazing things at which to marvel and admire. The implications are huge. The fact that we could grow people new tissue, personalize medicine, and predict future health problems can only bring optimism to those who have a negative outlook on the future. Yes, to even reach this future we need to solve a lot of geo-political issues, but the fact is that we can get there.
 
    With great knowledge and power comes great responsibility. In the podcast they also talk about how these new developments in technology can be used to devastate the lives of millions. We will all need to work to find better and new ways of policing these technologies, but by no means should we halt our progress out of fear--and I think the most cynical TED talk presenter would agree with that statement.

   Give it a listen. It is very interesting and intriguing to hear what the future holds according to these experts.

With love,

Will Glade

The one walking beside you.

This American Life : Unfulfilled Dreams

  This week for my writing class I was asked to listen to some podcasts from either TEDRadioCast or This American Life. This is the first one I listened to for the assignment and it was interesting. It talks a lot about different peoples' journeys towards self-improvement and some interesting ideas about how they go about it.

    Here's the full episode: Self-Improvement Kick if you are interested in listening to all of it. Now for you who haven't listened to it, I'm gonna try and convince you to do so. The first part of the podcast relates the experience of an American teacher in South Korea and what she discovered about the South Korean culture. According to the podcast, South Korea is the number one country for plastic surgery. The South Koreans try and alter their bodies to appear more like western civilization—specifically Americans. In the high school where this teacher works on all of the walls there are mirrors, I might mention this is an all girl school, which were placed there by the principal so the girls would be encouraged to maintain their figures and try and be more beautiful. Obviously shocked by this, the teacher had a discussion with her students about what is truly important when considering one's own self-image. Listen to it; it is enlightening. 

http://www.thisamericanlife.org/radio-archives#2014

     Might I add my own commentary to this? I would like to just point out that the effect of our own over-sexualized society not only effects our views and our people but it also has a far reaching effect—touching many, many other countries and people all over the world. It may be time to reconsider what we consider as important as a society and country as beautiful and important. Just saying...

     Now, the experience of Daryl Watson was very empowering for me to hear. I really liked to hear what he had to say about his personal spiritual journey and how it turned out. The missionary in me wanted to scream and shake him, but obviously that doesn't really work when your facing a computer screen. But the whole story just reiterated to me the fact that there are many people out there who are looking for a higher purpose in life and for the truth. We need to be ready at all times to help those who have these questions so they too can have the knowledge that we have in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints.

     The last part, which you must listen to the full version in order to hear it, talks about the dream for a better world. A group of people tried an experiment in Honduras, trying to pull the country out of poverty by a social experiment. I want you to listen to it so I'm not going to give anything away, but I will say it was very intriguing for me to think about and listen to.

     Anyways, hope you take time to listen to it and think about its implications in your own life. And after you think about it, write down your ideas: ideas are the seeds which lead to social innovation and improvement.

With love,

Will Glade

The one walking beside you.

Light at the End of the Tunnel : The Sophistries of Men

Today I was reading a talk by N. Eldon Tanner in preparation for a paper I'm writing on pornography. In his talk he mentions different things that distract or deviate women from reaching their potential as mothers and daughters of God. He states: [while talking about pornography and moral decadence] "It is so important that our young girls keep themselves from this kind of pollution. The girls of today will be the women of tomorrow, and it is necessary that they prepare for that role. Can you imagine the kind of world we will have in the future if the girls of today are weakened morally to the extent that virtue will not be taught in their homes, and if their children, if any, are not nurtured within the walls of homes sanctified by the holy laws of matrimony?"

Well unfortunately I think we have the answer. And it isn't something most people like. My morals may be different than those who read this, and that's fine—we can differ in opinions and still discus our views. Today I stumbled upon this video, an interview of a Duke University freshmen who is paying for college by acting in pornography, where "Belle Knox" talks about how acting in pornographic films liberates her as a woman and makes her free. If you have time watch the clip, it's fifteen minutes long but I think you may find it eye opening.

Unfortunately for society people have huge misconceptions about the effects that pornography has on its users and the conditions in which many of the actresses have to preform. For me the fact that one interview from an eighteen year old porn star can undo scholarly research is frightening. Has our ignorance stooped so low? The fact remains: pornography is as addicting as cocaine or heroin; it incubates violence against women and children, sex-trafficking, sexual abuse of children, rape and many other criminal activities; and changes the person who consumes it. Now does that sound like it empowers women? Is that liberating? Washington Post writer, Ruth Marcus, wrote a good article, in my opinion, about this issue. So, when is pornography ever empowering for women?

I guess only in the society of moral decadence that N. Eldon Tanner described.

With Love,

Will Glade

The one walking beside you.

Stars, Candy Bars and Paradigm Shifts

Before I never would have dreamed of running a marathon; now it has become an attainable goal, a reality. Before I would have said, “Send ‘em all back from where they came.” Now I wish we’d let them all come because I love them, I understand them. Before I would have waited in long lines to see them play. Now I just enjoy the feel of my keyboard under my fingers. Before power was found in strength, in who could hit the hardest: the pen can hit harder than any fist, the tongue can impulse better than any whip. Before I would have blindly followed an elephant over a cliff; but I understand now that neither holds the future I want to see, that I want realized.  Before I thought, “He who wields the bigger stick wins” but the time has come to put down the gun and turn in the badge that reads: world police. Before they were just there with me, now I wish I could be there with them. Once I was blind, but now I can see: it’s just a shame it took so long. I’ve traded my flask for a radio; and I’ve given up the petroleum for the ink: one black thing for another. One produces power, another is power.

Just two years ago I never would have thought I’d be where I am today. Sometimes the Big Man upstairs just has different plans than we think He does. Life can turn you upside down, spin you around, and then set you down and suddenly the world is different again. What you once thought was so concrete and real, just became unstable and aqueous. Land turns to sea, sea to land and you got no idea where you can put your feet. You just have to trust: no doubt, just faith.

It’s easy to be fearful when you don’t know what is going to happen to you. As people, we don’t like uncertainty. The unknown is frightening. That’s why many people fear death. We don’t have control over those things in our lives and that scares us.

A personal example:

When I was in Chile, there came a time, about four months prior to me returning home, when I had to decide what classes I was going to take. I had to make a decision: do I continue on in my education to become an engineer or do I do something else? Well, that something else was uncertain. I had no idea what other options I had. That fact scared me. I was afraid of giving up a future that I had thought was for me, that I had built up in my mind as my future, that I really wasn’t willing at the time to make a change. I prayed a lot about this, probably more than I should have at the time but all the same I prayed. I prayed hard. Answers came: I ignored them. I continued to ask; I wanted to be so sure of what I was doing.  Until God finally gave me the answer I wanted: ok, be a chemical engineer.

Sometimes the Lord gives us answers that we want, even though they may not be true, so that we can learn from them. So we can grow. I came home and began to study. It felt good at first; it felt right in the moment. Over time I began to grow uneasy about it. I began to question. The Lord was preparing my mind for a shift of course, a paradigm change. I began to write. It felt so good to get the words out of my head and heart and on to paper. It felt natural: it flowed easily from my mind to my hands to paper. I remembered why I did newspaper in high school; there is nothing better than having someone say that your words helped them in some way. Small or large, it doesn’t matter. You helped them.

During my break with my family the feelings of uneasiness grew until one day I snapped. I had what I call, my mid-major crisis. I walked out and looked at my dad and said, “Dad, I don’t know if I want to be a chemical engineer.” He looked at me and said, “Ok, well what do you want to do instead?” That was the million dollar question that nine months earlier I couldn’t have answered. “I don’t know” I replied. “Well,” my dad said, “what do you enjoy doing?” I smiled and sheepishly said, “Well, I really like writing. I love writing.” The conversation continued on as we hashed out ideas of what I should do until I finally decided that I would finish this next semester up (doing chemical engineering) and then maybe I’d take some communication classes in the spring and summer. Yeah, that lasted about four days into the semester until I woke up one morning and said to myself: “Well today is the day I am going to change.” So I called up my parents and told them I had made up my mind.

At first my mom was skeptical, I mean who wouldn’t be right? Giving up a potential six figure income for the slightly [ok very] unstable communications salary? Yeah I’d be skeptical too. But two weeks ago, while we were eating dinner together (I had gone home that weekend) my mom looks at me and said, “You look happier.” That was because I am happier now.

Now why do I share this story? The reason is simple: this is an illustration of how over time God prepares our paths and changes our vision in order to help us succeed. He helps us stay on track. Paradigms shift. Viewpoints change. We can’t be certain of what the future holds, but we can make the best of it.

With love,

Will Glade

The one walking beside you.

Gandhi Would Be Proud

            I never realized how quiet an apartment could be. No music, no YouTube, and no movies: just complete and utter silence. There is plenty of time to think when you aren’t constantly focused on your facebook status or what’s up next on Pandora. The first weekend of March I did a media fast, and it was awesome. No phone, no radio, no computer, no nothing. The first and second days of the media fast were hard. I never realized how much I rely on my phone to keep in touch with others. Between texting and facebook, one has a seemingly unlimited opportunity to communicate with others; take those away and you are socially alienated (heaven forbid you actually walk over to a friend’s house and ask them in person what their plans are).  I often found myself reaching for my phone when I wasn’t doing anything. It shocked me really; I was so dependent on my phone for entertainment.

            This is an increasingly disturbing trend; I mean the phantom buzzes and the constant reaching to feel if I had my phone in my pocket, what else could be more disturbing right? But in all seriousness, I realized that I probably spend an unhealthy amount of time with my media devices if I am constantly reaching for them. I also decided that I need a watch: asking your roommates or consulting the sun to know what time it is gets dull after awhile.

            Another realization I had during the media fast was how heavily my classes require me to use my computer. I depend so much on my computer I imagine it would be near impossible to go for extended periods of time without using it. All the class information is on learning suite; I use Microsoft Word to write papers and blog posts; all updates and changes made in classes also on learning suite or in my email. Our society depends highly on the internet and computers to organize and carry out daily tasks. On one side it is very enabling; on the other side it is very crippling.

             Something else I observed during the fast was how much I missed being able to open up my laptop and type my thoughts and explore my ideas through print like I usually do. I write a lot. I usually have at least one paper (or draft of a paper) due per week and I post two or three times on my blog. It’s sad, but not having my computer was almost like not being able to access a part of myself. I could have just as easily taken pen and paper to do the same thing, but it seems that my fingers have found the keyboard more satisfying than quill and ink.  Of course there are benefits and drawbacks to this. There is to everything we do. Being dependent on technology makes life easier until our capabilities to access the internet are taken and we are rendered useless because we don’t know how to do anything without it. Not being able to Google how to [insert what you want here] can really throw a wrench in what you can do in life. That’s how I felt during the first two days when I was alone.

            I learned over the three days was if you surround yourself with other people, really there isn’t an immediate need for technology. In fact, relationships are enhanced when we turn of our phones, take a step back from instagram and twitter, and focus on who we are with at the moment. In some ways social media isn’t very social. What’s the point of having 1,500 friends on facebook if your ability to speak to them in person suffers? All things are good when used in moderation. Being able to control ones proper usage of technology, consumption of goods, or intake of information is a key part of our eternal progression. Obsession is never good; balanced and educated lifestyles are. Plus there are so many talented and awesome people out there to meet and learn from that we really don’t have too much time to waste looking at mims and pointless YouTube videos.

            By the third day I found the break refreshing. Without the distractions of my phone, computer and iPod, I was able to truly enjoy the company of my friends out in the beautiful sun. It was Sunday. I think that it was the first time since before my mission that I used my English scriptures at church. How sad is that? It is really convenient to have my scriptures on my phone, but there is something about holding your real scriptures in your hands. It was refreshing. After church it was great. It was a nice day outside and everyone was outside our apartments on the grass and I spent a lot of time just talking with people. I really like talking to people; the extravert in me recharges when I do. It amazes me how much we can learn from each other: to do this we need to take the time away from cyberspace and remember to live in reality. I felt so relaxed the entire day and in all honesty, I think we could all use a media fast every once in a while to help us recalibrate and refocus on what matters most. It can help to spend some time off grid.

            The most ironic thing about this entire experience was how others reacted when I told them I was doing a media fast. Some of the common responses were: what’s wrong with your professor? Does he want you to fail all of your classes? I found this humorous: they were getting more upset than I was and I was the one doing the fast. This goes to show that our generation has grown accustom to last minute planning and procrastination; if you plan well three days really shouldn’t affect your grades at all. I’d tell them not to worry because I’ve done most or all of the necessary homework for the weekend. What irony. I quickly realized we are all too dependent on technology and we need to learn a little more about responsibility. I too at times fall into the trap of waiting until the day of to do my homework; it’s a bad habit and can be very a dangerous one to develop for our future. Deadlines are a part of life. Everything has a deadline and if we don’t do our best to reach those we will be held responsible for the product delivered when the clock hits zero.

            At the end of the day I realized a lot of things: 1. The world can be silent if we let it, providing us with time to think about important life issues: silence is therapeutic 2. All aspects of life have become predominantly web based 3. If we are not careful technology can cripple our abilities to perform and live if we become too dependent on it 4. Relationships with other people are and can be the most fulfilling aspect of living if we put in the time to properly cultivate them 5. Taking a small hiatus from technology can act as a cleansing agent, resetting ourselves to our original presets and restoring us to factory settings 6. Because of the dependence we have for technology, we have grown irresponsible and apt to procrastinate, which leads us to produce a poorer quality of work. In reality, there wasn’t anything negative that happened to me during the media fast. Sure it was hard, but it was necessary for me to learn how important it is to live my life in the present: surrounding myself with people and things which truly matter in life. We should all take some time to reset and learn how to relive life. I would challenge all to read this to do a media fast for three days and see what happens. I bet you learn a lot about yourself during those three days.

Love,

Will Glade

The one walking beside you. 

The Light at the End of the Tunnel : " Freedom of Expression "

Hey everyone! So I’ve got a couple of blog posts in the makings but I’ve been really busy this last week with work and school. I am currently gathering information on pornography and how it creates addictions. I read today in a hearing of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation: Subcommittee on Science, Technology, and Space about this issue. It was entitled: Hearing on the Brain Science Behind Pornography and Addiction and the Effects of Addiction on Families and Communities. 

Here are some excerpts from Jeffery Satinover, M.S., M.D.’s report; I found them particularly interesting and wanted to share them with you:

“…Like cigarettes, that particular form of expression we call pornography, unlike all other forms of expression, is a delivery system that has a distinct and powerful effect upon the human brain and nervous system.” Think about that. Pornographers claim the right to produce their explicit materials under the idea of “freedom of expression”. Yet, as stated here, no other forms of expression arouse such a strong physical response in the brain chemically as pornography does. Food for thought: is pornography truly an expression?

“[M]odern science allows us to understand that the underlying nature of an addiction to pornography is chemically nearly identical to a heroin addiction: only the delivery system is different, and the sequence of steps. That is why heroin addicts in particular give us sex and routinely compare their ‘rushes’ to ‘orgasms’.”  Once again, is pornography an expression of thought or a stimulant that can cause huge changes in brain chemistry? If we choose to continue to define pornography as a “freedom of expression” as pornographers would have us do, we will continue to permit it to destroy families and individuals.

“Upon achieving climax, the brain releases opioids—chemicals that are the naturally occurring analogs to synthetic opiates such as morphine or heroin.”

“It is as though we have devised a form of heroin [pornography] 100 times more powerful than before, usable in the privacy of one’s own home and injected directly to the brain through the eyes.”

My purpose is to reveal the truth about pornography: it is not just a social freedom of expression. It is a harmful thing which causes damage to the user, the makers, and bystanders.

This month the Utah coalition against pornography has a regional conference this month in Salt Lake City.

Here is the info:

"The Utah Coalition against Pornography would like to make you aware of its regional conference  to be held on Saturday, March 22, 2014, from 8:00 am to 2:15 pm at the Little America Hotel, 500 South Main Street, Salt Lake City, Utah.

https://www.facebook.com/utahcoalition?directed_target_id=0

The purpose of the conference is to provide those attending with information and resources to help safeguard children and families from the serious challenges of pornography."

I am going to attend. If you are interested attending as well, let me know and we can work something out.

Love,

Will Glade

The one walking beside you.

God Grew Tired of Us

At first it was strange to me. A strange land, a strange people, everything was strange; I didn’t know anything about Africa really, I’ve seen some things but nothing that prepared me for this documentary. I thought, “They look so different, they look so strange; yet they are my brothers and sisters.” Then as the film continued on I began to see them clearly. The Lost Boys of Sudan were displaced in 1987 when civil war broke out in Sudan and the villages of southern Sudan were attacked and genocide ensued. These boys fled hundreds of miles on foot to Ethiopia in hopes of refuge: their bodies were skeletal, but they survived because of their spirits. They are fighters; I learned that today. They soon had to make another long trek to Kenya, where they stayed for ten years before something happened which would change many of their lives forever.

A group of these “Lost Boys” were selected to go as refugees to the United States and begin a new life. It would be a better life: or so they hoped. At first it brought a smile to my face to see them encounter simple things like electricity, indoor plumbing, and running water but then I saw them struggle to adjust to life her, to our culture, and my heart went out to them. One of the Lost Boys in particular, John, struggled with being separated from his kin, from his people in Africa. But they are resilient. That’s something we can learn from them. They also enjoy the simple things in life: radio, singing, dancing. It is so different from many of us here in the USA.

They also taught me about how many great opportunities we have here that others don’t have in the world. We should be grateful for what we have; we should be grateful for the gift of being self-reliant. They are.  John was an inspiration for me. He showed selflessness when he sacrificed his dream, a college education, to help out those still in Africa by working two to three jobs to send them money. What a great example of Christ-like love.

No matter the color of our skin, no matter where we are from, or what our personal situation is in life we are all children of God. They taught me this. At first they were foreign to me, their culture and life style was alien to me but now I see them for what they are, beautiful. The dignity that they have, the strength they posses, it all speaks to me. It speaks to my soul. We are all children of God. We can all feel His eternal love. Whether we be millionaires living in Manhattan, or displaced refugees from Sudan we all have the right to live our lives in a way that brings us happiness. We all have the right to be self-sufficient. That is a gift that we as Americans need to treasure and appreciate. You should all take time to watch this video, it will help you broaden your horizon and open your mind to new ideas; that’s what it did for me.

With love,

Will Glade

The one walking beside you.

Here is the link: http://www.hulu.com/watch/294405