On Boredom

One of my all-time favourite movie quotes come from Hogfather (2006).

Didn't really enjoy the movie itself all that much, but the quote's a ringer. It's voiced by no-less a personage as Death (Ian Richardson), speaking on one of the great follies of humanity:

Human beings make life so interesting. Do you know, that in a universe so full of wonders, they have managed to invent boredom.

It's something that boggles me. How, as a species, can we still manage to get bored with things? If you're reading this very blog, then you have the world at your fingertips with a few keystrokes. As of this very writing, Wikipedia has over 3 million content pages and over 18 million in total.

Well, the English version, at least.

As a representative of a broad spectrum of interests, news items, events, historical personages, surely there's something out there to keep you occupied.

We certainly live in a privileged age, having access to such technical advancements in information and media.

Well, not all of us, of course.

That's a position we (those in the affluent Western world) take for granted. After all, there's still a sizable portion of the globe's population who can barely afford to eat, little alone have the time and money to surf the 'net.

According to Global Issues' "Poverty Facts and Stats", "Almost half the world — over three billion people — live on less than $2.50 a day."

How's that for perspective?

So, next time you're sitting at your computer, being all bored and stuff, why not donate to a charity? Feed the homeless. Do some volunteer work. Walk your dog. Go to McDonald's and treat yourself to a cheeseburger.

Or, if you're a bit cash-strapped yourself, why not click here. Heh heh.