Some will say that I have been seduced by the dark side – and they may be right.

There is an emphasis (or excess of emphasis) put on the quantification and processing of concrete data to arrive at descriptions of almost any phenomena present in society today (a rampant contagion from the business world to all aspects of daily life), not as analysis so much as irrefutable legitimization, engendering a degree of belief that approaches that which we call faith. Maybe its because numbers themselves seem to have retained a certain air of immaculate conception, a complete anonymity and objectivity. This "factual" type of presentation currently functions, if not as an opiate, at least as a calming anesthetic, paving the way for the delivery of just about any intrusion, bad news or harm, which is matter-of-factly received without question and intellectualized, effectively counteracting rage or anguish.

Taking all this into account, I borrowed this language from the well-respected and most credible sectors of society in order to present these ideas. The Internet serves as their arena: a realm whose provenance reaches back to these same powerful sectors, though it has evolved and diversified to become, today, an open playing field where just this type of infiltration is possible. I also chose this format to highlight the content of these pieces, rather than see them relegated to a minor status because of their subjectivity, intangibility, for being impossible to quantify or qualify, or difficult to understand.

Just this once, I’m playing by all the rules.