My issue with Facebook

My friends and family are quite aware that I am not often on Facebook. In fact, they often remark that I am "never" on Facebook. However, I was part of the first wave of users who discovered THE Facebook some years ago. In college, it was a different feeling. You could keep in touch with people that you had just met on campus, schedule meetings for group projects, and rediscover old friends from elementary school. At the time, it was only open to those with a college/university email address, so everyone was in a similar age range with a similar goal. Cue the rest of the world entering Facebook and there arises my issues.

This age of "social media" has really been a big disappointment to me. I think that what is happening with all of these online relationships is that we are losing touch with what is real and really around us. So quickly we take a photo and upload it to a page (or tweet about it) where our friends (and some followers, because I doubt you can be true friends with 8,000 people) can dissect it and spread it along. While this can be enlightening and helpful, it also allows us to become these couch friends. We might shoot someone a small message like, "Hey, how are you?" every now and then, but how insensitive is that? We have so much information around us that we don't even care enough about one subject for more than five minutes. Oh, your friend got married? Great, quick post on their wall and forget about them after that.

Real friendships and real relationships cannot fit within small timelines highlighting your favorite music and foods. Life is not that easily placed within some clever algorithm cooked up by a bunch of programmers. Facebook touts the idea of friendship and that is where my issue arises. I have great friends, but I don't need Facebook to have a relationship with them. It is a sad day when we connect online, but not in person. While it is a great way to get into contact with those who cannot be near us (similar to the telephone), it does not replace a true friendship.

I know that Facebook is a company, and like most companies, the bottom-line is what is most important. However, I don't appreciate them selling "friendship" as if it was created entirely by them. Friendship isn't liking some ridiculous, snarky comment that your friend posted on their wall. It isn't sending your friend some virtual icon of a present on their birthday. It isn't posting what music you listen to. Friendship is so much deeper than Facebook makes it out to be, and I don't like that they belittle it. If I think my friends will like something, I will tell them. I don't need Facebook doing it for me.

The patience of a five-year old

As children, we knew these two words would come up sooner or later. "Be patient," your guardian would say with obvious disgust. How could a child with no worries or responsibilities be impatient? they thought to themselves. The very idea! However, despite the idea that one should learn to be patient, hardly anyone is patient. 

City folk already have a reputation for being notoriously impatient, toe-tapping, gum-chewing, watch-checking, heavy-sighing, hands-on-hips, no-nonsense people. Yet despite the stigma, I know many patient city dwellers (including myself). Surprisingly, the people that I have noticed with the least patience are those that have been here on earth longer than many others—that's right, I'm referring to our senior citizens.

Perhaps a lifetime of waiting has just worn out the elderly community. They have waited for so many things and people already (and seemingly only have death to wait for). Yet the elderly have an even worse situation to deal with—very rapid change. With all of the new, automated gadgets and programs, our grandparents have to learn things that are completely new to them. 

Just tonight I went shopping for some baking supplies at my local Giant. It was actually quite busy within the store, but nothing extensive. Since I had checked out my items as I shopped, I opted for the self-checkout kiosks. Several other customers were already in line, and I queued up in the second lane. The people before me were having some issues, so I was just waiting and flipping through a Life magazine. Lo and behold, the elderly gentleman at the lane beside mine was having hard time checking out. He handled the situation completely wrong and I probably should have helped him (another blog post on that, I promise), but I thought it best to leave it up to the professionals. He wisely selected the help option on the screen and became upset when the associate did not come immediately (he was already pre-occupied with another customer). After huffing and puffing for about thirty seconds, he went and got the associate himself. Apparently, he was not happy with what the man told him, and he flung an innocent head of lettuce down the conveyor belt. 

It was then that I thought to myself, "Good gosh, this man has the patience of a five-year old." Then, I immediately took that thought back. You see, we are always quick to say when a person is impatient. You know what I mean—the idiot that cut you off, the jerk that let the elevator doors close during peak hours although you were obviously indicating that you needed to board, the loser that jumps in front of you in line. However, when the shoe is suddenly on your foot, we have excuses for our behaviour. 

As we hit hump day this week, try to consciously be patient. Breathe deeply, count to 100, do what it takes to stay calm. Patience may be a virtue, but it can be achieved with much practice.

Beggar by choice

For those of us that live in cities, we are aware of a population that is lumped into the term "homeless." I think that is an incorrect assumption. Over the course of the past two years, I have discovered that a better term for this population is "beggar." If you read the Bible or follow the idea of noblesse oblige, you will feel that it is your duty to help these people. They are less fortunate, they are in need—that is what we are taught believe.

However, they are not always those things. More often than not, beggars are not in their right mind, and they are addicted to drugs (or a combination of the two). Instead of giving to them, passersby flat out ignore them. When I was first hired in the city, the recession was going full force and many people were out of work. It was a hard time for everyone and I was only an intern making some odd dollars an hour. 

It was during this time that I met Mike, a younger guy that sat outside of a convenience store near my workplace. He would ask for spare change every afternoon as if it were a full-time job. My mother has perhaps jaded me, but I don't believe in giving money to beggars. Instead, I would save carrot sticks or cookies from my lunch to give him. If I didn't have extra food, I would give sticks of gum. What began as, "Do you have spare change, ma'am?" became "Do you have any more gum, ma'am?" in a few short weeks.

I assumed that Mike couldn't find a job, and I pitied him because even though I was an intern, I had an income. However, as weeks turned into months and years, I have found that there is more to Mike than meets the eye. Like many other beggars, Mike does work. He is recovering from a drug problem, so his performance fluctuates, which affects how much work he gets—and that affects how much money he makes. He has a phone, he has a place to live, and he plays chess (he also has a girlfriend, which is a recent development). However, he needs additional money to make "ends" meet, by which I mean that he wants extra money. 

Perhaps that is what causes me to categorize beggars differently than the homeless. It is because homeless people don't always beg for money. They are the ones that sleep between the doors of businesses to feel heat and cool air. They carry their belongings with them at all times and have a block that they call their stomping grounds. Even if offered a job, they would probably decline the opportunity in favor of the place where they feel comfortable. Being homeless is sometimes a lifestyle choice.

Both beggars and homeless people will accost you as you walk down any city street. Some of them make you feel threatened and others annoy you. Whichever extreme the person falls under, I no longer feel obligated to empty my pockets for them. Oftentimes, giving will find the beggar asking for more (or being picky about what you gave them). Instead, I will speak to them if addressed and continue on my way. When I walk down the street, I don't make a point of talking to everyone I encounter, so I just treat them the same as anyone else in the city. At the end of the day, we all have to live our lives—no one else's. So if you find yourself in the presence of a beggar, don't assume that they did not choose their current situation.

I'll whip my hair back and forth

You know, I recall my mother avidly hating the music that my sisters and I listened to when we were children. In many ways, it is almost like a tradition—parents will dislike your music and you will in turn dislike the music your children enjoy. However, as I grew older, I understood the reasons why my mother did not like the music that I sang and memorized from the radio. The true meanings behind the lyrics weren't appropriate for someone of my age and it was a big change from the music that she liked.

However, while I can appreciate the oldies that my mother likes, I can still like the music I listened to when I grew up. Yet the music of this generation is not really that appealing to me. There are artists that come out with fairly good music, but I feel that the story is now something that I don't relate to any longer. While kids devour these manufactured songs that have little to no purpose, I explore songs that have been out for years and rediscover old favorites—or keep to the artists that aren't as mainstream.

So, when Willow Smith's song came out, it was something that actually made me laugh. She's a nine-year old with a definite style of her own creation. Her confidence in her choice of dress and hair-do—though unusual—should be inspiring. Not many have the bravery to do something that the world might not like or that will cause others to stare. People become slaves of conformity. While I received stares and giggles for wearing harem pants to the grocery store one day, it was my own thing and my own style (they were the rage in Paris, but it hasn't caught on in the US). 

Even though Willow Smith is taking a Lady Gaga route in some people's opinions, I must applaud her. She is not doing anything too grown in her video and her lyrics are playful and amusing. If anything, she makes a great role model for the kids of today. She shows that she can be something great at nine years old, even if the adults of today don't like it. With that in mind, check out her music video, it might just make you whip your hair back and forth.

Movie rant

If you look at the movies that will be released this year (and next year), you will see that several of them are the "film-version" of this book or this old cartoon. I'm getting a little tired of these kinds of movies. It is the new trend that has taken the comic book/superhero movie to the next level. If you look at many of the books on the bestseller list or reminisce about the golden age of cartoons, you will discover that many of them have movies in the works.

Don't get me wrong. I don't hate the film industry for making movies based upon books. This often sparks debates and discussions about the book and the film. However, I'm starting to think that people are losing their imaginations. There are many well-executed "fresh" films that don't rely on a previous author's or artist's creation. I think that newer ideas often challenge the actors more as well. They have to bring a character to life and don't get compared to a descriptive character in a book or even worse, a cartoon!

Yet it seems that whenever a book or cartoon is really good, it will inevitably become a movie. This leads to mistakes like The Last Airbender that disappoint avid followers of the original show because the movie pales in comparison. It ruins some films if they do not choose to follow the book in certain places (like the stark difference in the ending of My Sister's Keeper, which makes the film fizzle where the book riled you up into discussion). Childhood favorites like Scooby-Doo that already had multiple TV movies become live-action films that pit the lovable (but annoying) Scrappy-Doo as the villain. Now the Smurfs and Yogi Bear might be next to join the list of box-office duds.

Like I said before, many film-versions of previous works are very successful. There are some genres (like fairy tales) that are ripe for visual interpretation—Cinderella, is one that I think of that has been remade into very different films (like Disney's Cinderella versus Ever After). Other classics like 1984 and The Giver benefit from the film versions because they allow people to interpret very great works all over again.

I suppose that the point of my rant is that while film-versions of existing works are often visually rich and allow you another media to enjoy a favorite book/show, there is something wonderful about a movie that is perhaps inspired by something, but essentially a fresh idea. People will say that "there is nothing new under the sun," but when you take the time to create something of your own, no matter how much it might resemble something else, it is yours. I hope that filmmakers consider that as they go to the drawing board and start brainstorming their newest masterpieces.

Picking

When I was in elementary school, there were a few kids in my class that picked their noses and ate their boogers. It was gross to adults, but funny to us as children. It was the same for kids that picked their wedgies. It was something that we found funny as children, but not so funny to adults. So what has happened to the adults all over the world? Instead of stealthily picking a wedgie or getting rid of a booger, people just dig up their noses in public. This is disgusting because a) in the city, your germs spread every time you touch something, and b) you could just as easily take care of this business in a bathroom. In terms of wedgies, that looks so inappropriate when done in public.

Next time you feel you might have a booger, for goodness sake, blow your nose! Also, if your underwear are riding up you-know-where, find a bathroom and fix yourself. No need for you to do this in front of the world.

Image via Straight Digs

In defense of the "American diet"

Recently, I checked out Michael Pollan's In Defense of Food: An Eater's Manifesto and gave it a thorough read. I honestly enjoyed his writing style and the amount of information he had available in his book. However, I must argue with him about this "American diet" and have a little rant of my own about food in general.

Let me start by saying that I am not speaking scientifically. I am not fighting for low-fat, low-cholesterol, sugar-free or anything like that. However, I have to say that the "American diet" is not quite as small as he might imagine. I understand that there are people out in the world that live on nothing but fast food, but no matter which way you slice it, fast food is not the "American diet." In fact, I have a hard time accepting the idea of the "American diet." While in some places you might get nothing but diner food (burgers, fries, shakes and such), but in my America, my diet is highly varied and filled with a mixture of cuisines—Italian, German, Mediterranean, Spanish and Indian to name a few. The United States is "the melting pot" and that does not refer only to the diverse cultures here, but to the foods as well. I don't actually eat out that much, but when I do, it is not at the local fast food place (especially not the neighborhood McDonald's—haven't been there in almost six years). I prefer to cook at home using good, old-fashioned cookbooks and recipes from the internet.

While Mr. Pollan feels this inescapable need to defend food, I can agree with him on one point—eating food. People are quick to consume some odd concoction of materials created in a lab, but I am all about eating real food. I enjoy eating and I agree with him in saying that the joy in eating has been lost over the years. Since people no longer eat together like they did the in olden days, it has almost become a chore. So instead of defending food, I am defending the American diet—not necessarily the foods that count as American as much as actually eating something that tastes good. Yes, you should have a healthy balance of foods, however "healthy" doesn't have to be tasteless and bland. Still, you don't have to eat burgers and hot dogs to have true American food. The United States has plenty of fresh fruits, vegetables, fish, meat and grains to please many a palate. I think that there are plenty of great foods available to cook and purchase that aren't filled with corn and soy that people have yet to discover—and yet to eat.

You can purchase Michael Pollan's In Defense of Food: An Eater's Manifesto in stores and online. Also consider checking out his other works as well. Visit his site for more information.

Image via Mother Earth News

Thursday Traffic | 18 February

Considering that I spent last Thursday snowed in at my house, it was almost a relief to be going anywhere this morning. This brings me to my thought for this Thursday Traffic. Everyone always wants to get out of working. I know that they have their reasons—some hate their jobs, others hate their coworkers, some just hate the time they have to work—but it's interesting to see how people handle having "nothing" to do.

The two blizzards that passed across the East Coast have shown that people do not handle idleness well. Luckily, many kept their power, so they had access to all of their gadgets—cell phones, televisions, game consoles, laptops, computers, ovens, you name yet. No one had to go anywhere (it was actually encouraged that you didn't). What happened? People lost their minds. They needed to get outside. They had to "do" something. Doesn't it make you wonder how people now would fare in earlier days. Back in the day, the only thing that kept most people going was their imagination. What does that say about people today? Are they unimaginative? Yes, to a certain degree. People write wonderful books and the public awaits the movies instead of enjoying the written version for themselves. Despite having the materials to make something, most people would rather have other "creative" people handle the task.

You might say, "Well, you are obviously the 'creative' type." I have to ask what defines creative. People are creative in many ways. It's imagination that I wonder about. Every time I mention that I'm a graphic designer, people often say, "Wow, I can't even draw a stick figure." Is art (or design for that matter) confined to the ability to draw a stick figure? Is that some kind of test? Why can't people look past the stick figure and figure something out for themselves? So, maybe people are glad to be heading to work now that they have spent enough time by themselves—or with other people—stuck at home. Maybe they will take a moment to look and realize that they are capable of more than stick figures. Either way, time is so fleeting. Despite snow, disaster or death, it continues to move forward. Perhaps we will all decide to think of more imaginative ways in which to spend it.

Image via flickr/tod.ragsdale

"Green" rant

I've been thinking about this for a while and I'm just going to throw this out there for your consideration. For as long as I can remember, everyone has harped on reducing, reusing, recycling—it was my childhood mantra. Every country has some kind of effort that they make to keep our planet healthy and strong. However, if it mattered that much to everyone, why is it so expensive to be "green"?

I think that everyone should be eco-conscious, but it's hard to make a difference when it costs so much! What is the point of charging people more to do the right thing? It sends the wrong message. It's just like teachers that would punish the entire class when only one person was at fault—it's off-putting and pointless. So why do consumers have to bear the burden of making a good choice? I think it's backwards. First, why don't producers make the big change? If they only produced "green" products, consumers would have no choice but to make the correct choice. The other side is why don't they charge more to make the non-green decision? That would get people going green faster than you can imagine.

I'm sure there are lots of procedures that have to be made and it's too much work, but hey, there are plenty of people who would be willing to work at this. Have you seen the employment outlook presently? And don't talk about how you can save a few nickels for using recycle bags at select grocery stores. In the end, it just isn't effective.

The holiday season

Ah, the holiday season. With Thanksgiving creeping up quickly and Christmas right behind it, the holiday season is supposed to be at its peak. However, the holiday spirit is lacking this year. Maybe it is because I am more aware of the commercial side of the holidays or they are just losing their magic, but it feels like no one notices the season is upon us.

You may wonder what I mean. It is simply this: the holidays cause people to be nice. People will smile at you, open doors, hold elevators—they seem like they are in "the holiday spirit". Food drives are active, food baskets are delivered, toys are given to tots and people are ringing those annoyingly high-pitched bells for donations. Yet I feel that most people are hardly even going through the motions. Why is that?

Either way, I won't let that stop me. I love Thanksgiving and Christmas (yes, Christmas, not X-mas). To get myself into the mood, I've been working on some crafts and gifts. Look forward to some DIY entries a little later.

What I have against jewelry

I love jewelry-making. I took a metals class when I was in college and jewelry-making is a tough and difficult art. However, I cannot stand the jewelry commercials that pop up during the holiday season. I understand that the holidays are big for retailers. I have nothing against people trying to sell stuff. I do not like this terrible stereotype that all women want necklaces and rings.

So, I'm not married (too young), but if my presently non-existent boyfriend ever bought me a ring, necklace or earrings, I'd be disappointed. Mostly because I am a huge electronics fan. However, if he put some work into it and chose something that isn't covered in diamonds or gold, I might enjoy it.

You might say, well diamonds are forever, gold is precious, bla bla bla. I worked at a jewelry counter. I've seen the last minute gifts that consist of some odd carat diamond and 24 k gold. Choose something other than a diamond. Sapphires and topaz are gorgeous. Pearls are classic. Emeralds are beautiful. Even something as surprising as old soda bottle caps can become really awesome earrings. So what I have against jewelry is its commercialization. The ease of just buying something without a true meaning. But hey, I'm only one woman. Let's hear some other opinions (I'm open to them).

Update | Fall television

In an earlier post, I mentioned that I was excited for Fall television. Well, now that many shows have had a chance to premier and make their mark, I'm forced to admit that I already dropped two shows from my Fall lineup.

Glee, the popular musical show on Fox, was too sporadic and pointless for me. The music doesn't make it worth watching either. Promising as it was, House (also on Fox) ended up being a major disappointment from episode one. I dropped it then. I'm still watching my other shows and Ugly Betty debuts Friday so we'll see how that goes, won't we?

Sweet rant

I'm really fed up with commercials displaying women as being overly concerned with eating sweets. I mean, physical health is very important as is eating a balanced and nutritious diet, however, I have to put my foot down at these advertisements. Some of the worst commercials often show women worrying about eating a piece of cake (or something similar), but opting for a cup of yogurt instead (an obvious Yoplait reference). I don't know what crazy planet these people are from, but no amount of yogurt will ever equal one delicious slice of cake. Besides, what harm does one slice of cake or bowl of ice cream really do? Chances are, you can easily work off the extra calories (if you count them) and be just the same as you would be anyway. I am probably biased because I love baking and eating sweets, but I'm still a size 6—I'm sure to some of you, that's super fat, but not me. So, dear readers, please, tell me if I'm wrong, but do we really need to stress out over whether to eat the whole cupcake?

Image via flickr/Ban Bakes

My beef with Apple

I love Apple products. My Mac is excellent, I have a great iPod (not the newest though), and the service has always been exceptional. However, I cannot stand Apple's commercials. Obviously, Apple has a great slew of products, but why can't they come up with great ads? The clean look is nice, but the subject matter is played out. Until they stop Windows bashing, I'm pretty much ignoring them. When they come out with something new, I'll be surprised.

Who wants to live forever?

Apparently, Ray Kurzweil has been working towards a future where we—humans—could be immortal. The secret? Nanotechnology. While immortality seems nice in novels and films, I don't know how I could be excited living forever. These are the reasons why I would not want to be immortal:

• I would be bored. You can only re-invent the wheel but so many times before it isn't new anymore.
• Jobs would be scarce. Since we have issues right now, imagine employing an immortal workforce.
• Old age would no longer be special. People living to 300 years old would be commonplace.
• Life would no longer be precious to people. Everyone would partake in dangerous behavior regardless of the consequences as they will no longer be "dire".

What about you, readers? Would you be for or against this? Sound off and let me know. 

What's the point?

Yesterday, I saw a man wearing iPod headphones while driving his convertible. How does it make it safe to drive this way? I mean, really! What is wrong with just plugging your iPod into the radio? Will it kill some people to think that way? Honestly, more people will probably have to pay for your stupidity about not using your radio. If you are one of these iPod headphone wearing drivers, reconsider that stance. If you don't do this, good on ya!