The theme of my 40th birthday weekend was "Life is too short - we are mayflies".

I think I can actually feel my brain shrinking. Names of songs that that are 2 years old - I can't extract - but any piece of shit song from the 80s is instantly available.

That's the way it works when your brain ages - all of the old pathways from 30 years ago are indelible, while it gets harder and harder to engrave a new memory into the gray matter.

But if my brain didn't shrink, and I was able to inscribe the new memories just as easily as I made the old ones - I suppose something would have to give. Can the human brain hold 100 years worth of clear, concise memories? Probably not. Just like my laptop, I would have to choose the crap to delete.

I'm sure that we would all be better, wiser more compassionate people if we were allowed to experience geologic time without our brains shrinking. If we could live, say, 10,000 years ...

extropianism, transhumanism whatever - I would just like to get to the future somehow, because I'm extremely optimistic about our long term prospects. The idea that it's immoral or inhumane to live past your alloted 4 score and 10 will have faded away. People will cry for all the dead humans who were lost throughout history.

My birthday itself was very pleasant with no sad thoughts - well maybe one, when I realised that I would never be in my thirties again. But it was only a pinprick. (no, not you Blankfist)