Reboot

It's been a while. The last nine months of 2010 were consumed with proving that where we claimed we were, was actually where we were; which was a heck of a lot more complicated than it sounds and mainly involved little sparkly pieces of plastic and a bunch of statistics. Following that we had an unscheduled end to a 3 year brawl involving some friends in high places who stuck their necks out and the leave taking of "The Nemesis" (nothing personal dontcha know), and then a really frantic push to validate about 7 test methods (validation implies adequate resolution and limiting the amount of variation due to repeatability (system noise) and reproducibility (user interface variation)) which ran for about 11 hours a day for 6 days a week for 6 weeks. And then we finished (sometime in May). The protocols and reports were filed, the PDF's were created and stored, I looked around, and took a very self-conscious and relieved breath, and, then, squinted out into the internal mental room I really live in; which, at least for me, stores my evolving identity, consciousness, beliefs, and perception.

Whenever I indulge in that exercise I always spend some time remembering the things I didn't do (or simply let slide), like this blog (which sometimes is an excuse for not attempting more serious writing with the focused discipline it would require). Still, while this exercise is a personal vanity, it helps to focus my thoughts and, sometimes, clarify my arguments. It's always, somehow, more rigorous (or maybe real) in writing. Of course, if I could develop more of a sense of myself as a "writer" that wouldn't be bad either.

A few month ago, after foregoing the opportunity to see "Tron Legacy" with "the boys" in the theatre, I finally got around to see the Blu-ray version during one of our Friday night "pizza and a Blu-ray movie with surround speakers on" at home events (Gawd, I love Friday nights). The story is silly, and yet, the movie stuck in my head due to a couple of marginal themes buried in the plot and the music of "Daft Punk" (who I never had heard of before this flick, but composed a great soundtrack). With the movie still stuck in my head (appropriately, or not), I'm attaching one of my favorite penultimate clips from the movie to conclude today's post (which, after all, is titled "Reboot"). Reflecting on a friend's question to me numerous times on "Where am I going with this?”, I'll mention a few pertinent personal themes I'll probably write about in the future as a "lead-in" to the clip:

1. We may not be able to control the circumstances of our existence, but we can choose those beliefs and responses, we believe, or desire, to define us.
2. Our largest nemesis, and ally, is our earlier incarnations.  The child truly is father to the man (or the genesis of our destruction).
3. Even if forgiven, mistakes in real life must be atoned for.  Actions have consequences, and those seeking true redemption must at least recognize the potential for self-sacrifice as the only adequate penance.  Likewise, for the granter, forgiveness implies the "debt" is forgiven without remaining prejudice.
4. Life, without love, is at best an accounting exercise, a strategy for playing a time consuming, but pointless game.  The real treasure in life is the relationships we have and the time we spend on them.
5. No one gets out alive, you might as well do the right thing.

Welcome to Wednesday.