I'm sure when my Dad purchased his shiny new iPhone almost a year and a half ago, he had no idea that it would require more time than a high-maintenance girlfriend. (And he is no stranger to high maintenance girlfriends)
The only difference between his iPhone and the girlfriend I mentioned above, is that instead of demanding a two week cruise sipping drinks by the pool, the i Phone would rather spend two weeks touring the Apple store while becoming a regular at the "Genius" bar.
Unfortunately, that last Apple software update messed up his email and deleted his gmail password and apparently, it has yet to be fixed by any of the "geniuses" at the Apple store.
Hmm...maybe they should re-think the name of their bar...
I am starting to realize that my Dad has enough "iPhone-know-how" to be dangerous - he actually knows a lot more about how to use the thing than I do. Dad has the soul of an early adopter, but the mechanics of the phone, still elude him. Let me put it this way: My Dad is an excellent driver, but I doubt he could overhaul a transmission. I have the same problem myself, both with cars and iPhones.
Can I just say: I HATE i Tunes, it's difficult and stupid!
I'm assuming the same "Apple geniuses" that created the hot mess that is i Tunes, are currently assisting my Dad at his local Apple store. Fortunately for me, any i Phone updates, issues, problems, etc. get handed off to my tech savvy husband, which allows me to avoid taxing the incredibly puny, atrophied, left side of my brain.
Dad unfortunately, doesn't have that extra help at home, so off he goes, alternately to Apple and then to the AT&T store, multiple times in a week, in the snow, uphill both ways, hoping one of their "geniuses" can figure out why he can't get email. I admire his persistence but...
I'm afraid his iPhone has taken him to distant shores without a compass...and I'm a bit concerned he might not find his way back.
I should have given him the same advice maritime explorers received from concerned family members hundreds of years ago..."Beware the edge of the world - Thar be Dragons!" I think the same goes for the iPhone and any other computing (i.e. Kindle, i Pad) or gaming device, when a user gets sucked into its' thrall.
I think this really goes for all new, exciting things we get interested in - people are compelled to jump in with reckless abandon, lunging forth to purchase that glittering, life-improving object, with only pure enthusiasm to guide their way. We all get deliriously caught up with the latest and greatest at some point or another falling prey to technology or embracing the latest fad. (Grilled cheese trucks rule!)
Sadly, we are pretty much out of new, earthbound things to explore on this planet... Can you think of some place that Carnival Cruises doesn't go...when their engines work? I didn't think so.
So, maybe programmers and computer geeks have actually created the new, final frontier entirely from their imaginations. If so, doesn't that make them "god-like creators" of our new virtual world? It's kind of wild if you really think about humans creating "Sim" worlds that evoke emotions and connections in humans through software and hardware...
If you have a sense of adventure and no vacation days, you've been pretty much screwed up to this time. However, you now have the option to escape or adventure through the Internet, the latest gadget or perhaps a mystical gaming world. You can watch movies on your wristwatch, hunt live animals on the Internet or happen upon a scantily clad, ninja hooker lurking just beyond your screen - waiting to kill or be killed. It's basically all the adventure you can imagine, without the mess of having to behead something with tentacles yourself.
Don't you think if Lewis and Clark were here today, they would run out and purchase a GPS, an LCD big screen and the latest Gods of War game? Of course they would - it's the final frontier!
With all due respect to Lewis and Clark, my Dad would kick their collective butts in any role playing game, so it's probably best they remain in their own time to avoid a showdown. Dad has mastered pretty much every game he has gotten his hands on...and quickly. But the i Phone represents the beast he has yet to tame and his sense of adventure has kicked into high gear.
To be ridiculously over-dramatic: he's on a Vision Quest of sorts - where the new software update is the Gorgon demon and the Apple store employees are the evil trolls. And as with any challenging video game, repetition is essential in learning how to get to the next level. Hence, the repeated trips to the mall.
After my Dad sorts out his email issues, he is determined to find SOME WAY to make his i Phone play Flash videos - Steve Jobs be damned! He believes it can be found by searching the far corners of the web for an elusive "i Phone flash app." Yea, I know, but, he'll figure it out.
My Dad has taught me several things about my i Phone that I had no clue about - and he'll no doubt teach me more in the future. He is completely fascinated with his i Phone and that passion will drive him to keep learning. Interestingly, my 84 year old father-in-law has also caught the same i Phone bug and when he gets together with my Dad, it's literally an i Phone-a-palooza. The world and everyone in it, completely fades into the background, as they share new apps and tips.
Where I am just a homebody Hobbit in the land of technology, Dad is Frodo planning an arduous journey to take the evil ring back to the hell mouth /Apple store - back to where it was forged...
He is off to slay his dragon, the surly beast at the edge of the new world - the one that keeps him from getting email and playing flash video on his phone. My father-in-law will probably go with him.
Keep pushing forward Dad...and don't forget to bring your magic troll dust.
Friday, November 12, 2010
Monday, July 19, 2010
I Honestly Love You
Welcome back Disrecognized Space fans!
I must start with an apology for the blank space I left on my blog between April 22nd to present. It seems Life has an annoying habit of rearranging my To Do list regularly.
Life is such a micro manager.
I imagine you assume I must have been doing something fun during my time off - it is summer after all, right? Surely, I must have skipped town at some point?
Was I island hopping around the South Seas? Was I enjoying rum drinks on a deserted Mexican beach under swaying palm trees? Is it possible I succumbed to the siren song of Bali Hai and only recently mustered the will to drag myself back to L.A.?
Sure. Let's go with that.
OK, let's put down the Mai Tai's for a second, so I can focus on the topic that's been on my mind...
Being the former cultural anthropology student that I am, I can't help but notice that love and social relationships between people are being drastically and completely redefined by the current generation. Not to say that this hasn't been in the works for a while, but the sheer number of people participating in this unstructured movement is really what's striking to me.
When I say, "Love," I'm not referring to the "undying" devotion that a hot, 300 year old vampire might have for a surly, 17 year old, waif in a summer block buster. I'm just talking about love between consenting, non-dead, adults.
Now that I've taken "vampire-human love" off the table, what could I possibly be talking about that is of any interest ? Here goes...
There are two things that I've been intrigued with most lately: 1) That people are attempting to change societal parameters that define love and how it can be expressed 2) That people are individually re-defining what love is to them.
I believe this change is primarily a phenomenon of western culture in the 21st century. In all of the world's history, I don't think such a large group of people has literally taken such a big jackhammer to social structure & societal expectations. That said, it's hard to take such dynamic and swift action without repercussions...
Who are these people attempting to change age old societal parameters with regard to love?:
Societal and religious expectations that are considered too rigid are being disregarded by throngs of people. In exchange, people are embracing a multi-faceted and more tolerant concept of what love is and how they can express it within the bounds of society. In the short-term, some people may suffer by pushing the envelope, either by being discounted or completely ostracized by their families or communities.
Most of these "social anarchists" take solace in believing that one day they may get to love who they want, in the manner of their choosing, without being the focus of negativity or judgment. When it comes down to it, maybe their fight might in fact, liberate us all.
Let's face it, one size, does NOT fit all - I know this because I was at Macy's last week.
With that in mind, are we willing to recognize that there are all sorts of people that have different views & inclinations and might even love people that are different from the people we love? If we let them have what they want - does it mean others will be diminished or does it mean we will have more choices too?
So, let's say I'm gay and have been with someone I love for a long time and want to have the legal protection of a marriage license, do I need to forgo that legal protection because the IDEA of my relationship makes people I don't even know, uncomfortable?
I'm sure I would think about the legal rights my partner and I were being deprived of every day...but I wonder if those faceless people out there in society, that don't approve of my sexuality, would think of me every day?
What about the other end of the love spectrum? There are also people fighting just as hard to OPT OUT of what society condones rather than OPT IN. Sort of like the evil-twin to the gay person WANTING to get married, there is a straight, perfectly "normal"person that is completely UNWILLING to get married. I know what your thinking...anarchy is afoot.
If I choose not to marry, does that threaten someone else's marriage? Probably no more than my marriage ruins someone else's single life.
Maybe you don't have the desire to get married or haven't met the right person, or prefer not to get married, just for the sake of getting married. This kind of shenanigans can be perceived as disruptive and threatening too. It's just not..."normal."
Want to add fuel to the fire? Let's throw in Demi Moore & Ashton Kucher and society has a one way ticket to hell in a hand basket!
Society is all of us of course, but the largest sub-sets of society tend to make the cultural rules. However, it seems that smaller groups are gaining support from individuals from the larger groups in society. For instance, people that support heterosexual marriage, might also support gay marriage and younger men marrying older women - so they sit in multiple camps. That doesn't mean everyone crosses over, BUT, enough people are comfortable with alternative choices, that they have helped bring non-traditional views to the forefront.
Where does that leave the so-called mainstream people, that don't care to cross over? Well, in essence, exactly where they are. No one is going to nullify someone's happy 30 year marriage or give their 2.5 kids to a single mother in a commune...the real threat may actually come in the form of new choice and options.
I can't help but think in some cases, someone might perceive new choices as threats to them, if THEY made the wrong choice originally. Maybe options weren't available when they made their original choice and they resent the idea that others might have those options now. It also might lead to evaluation of their current relationships, which could create turmoil. That said, these are clearly internal struggles, not something that comes from outside people or new choices.
The general reaction when people have the option to love and live as they please, probably is more mundane.
The traditional people go on happily with their lives and the non- traditional folks get to choose their style of expressing love, their decisions respected by society. Not exactly the apocalypse.
Look at the laundry list of politicians, movie stars, athletes, business people, civic and religious leaders that have been entangled in scandals regarding their sex lives and relationships in the recent past. Apparently, no one has cornered the market on functional, perfect relationships, not even the straight or married people. If that's the case, it might be more honest to just realize that some people have good relationships and some have bad ones - regardless of the individuals involved.
My feeling is that this new sea-change is more about a need for personal authenticity and a desire to love oneself and others with integrity. I don't think it's about destroying marriage or the family unit, or creating discomfort or bastardizing love in any way. I think more and more people just want to be honest and open about their lives, what they want and who they love.
Frankly, I don't feel like stopping them.
OK, before you go back to your Mai Tai, let me know what you think by typing your comments at the bottom of the post.
Hope you are enjoying your own summer of love!
I must start with an apology for the blank space I left on my blog between April 22nd to present. It seems Life has an annoying habit of rearranging my To Do list regularly.
Life is such a micro manager.
I imagine you assume I must have been doing something fun during my time off - it is summer after all, right? Surely, I must have skipped town at some point?
Was I island hopping around the South Seas? Was I enjoying rum drinks on a deserted Mexican beach under swaying palm trees? Is it possible I succumbed to the siren song of Bali Hai and only recently mustered the will to drag myself back to L.A.?
Sure. Let's go with that.
OK, let's put down the Mai Tai's for a second, so I can focus on the topic that's been on my mind...
Being the former cultural anthropology student that I am, I can't help but notice that love and social relationships between people are being drastically and completely redefined by the current generation. Not to say that this hasn't been in the works for a while, but the sheer number of people participating in this unstructured movement is really what's striking to me.
When I say, "Love," I'm not referring to the "undying" devotion that a hot, 300 year old vampire might have for a surly, 17 year old, waif in a summer block buster. I'm just talking about love between consenting, non-dead, adults.
Now that I've taken "vampire-human love" off the table, what could I possibly be talking about that is of any interest ? Here goes...
There are two things that I've been intrigued with most lately: 1) That people are attempting to change societal parameters that define love and how it can be expressed 2) That people are individually re-defining what love is to them.
I believe this change is primarily a phenomenon of western culture in the 21st century. In all of the world's history, I don't think such a large group of people has literally taken such a big jackhammer to social structure & societal expectations. That said, it's hard to take such dynamic and swift action without repercussions...
Who are these people attempting to change age old societal parameters with regard to love?:
- Gay rights advocates get civil marriage licenses granted to same-sex couples in about 10 American states and in approximately 19 countries - including Argentina most recently
- Couples preferring to live together vs. getting married
- Older women marrying and dating younger men (Guilty as charged!)
- More people choosing to marry people of different faiths, races and backgrounds
- Single women choosing to have and raise children without a spouse
- People having sex before marriage and using birth control regardless of their religion's code of conduct
Societal and religious expectations that are considered too rigid are being disregarded by throngs of people. In exchange, people are embracing a multi-faceted and more tolerant concept of what love is and how they can express it within the bounds of society. In the short-term, some people may suffer by pushing the envelope, either by being discounted or completely ostracized by their families or communities.
Most of these "social anarchists" take solace in believing that one day they may get to love who they want, in the manner of their choosing, without being the focus of negativity or judgment. When it comes down to it, maybe their fight might in fact, liberate us all.
Let's face it, one size, does NOT fit all - I know this because I was at Macy's last week.
With that in mind, are we willing to recognize that there are all sorts of people that have different views & inclinations and might even love people that are different from the people we love? If we let them have what they want - does it mean others will be diminished or does it mean we will have more choices too?
So, let's say I'm gay and have been with someone I love for a long time and want to have the legal protection of a marriage license, do I need to forgo that legal protection because the IDEA of my relationship makes people I don't even know, uncomfortable?
I'm sure I would think about the legal rights my partner and I were being deprived of every day...but I wonder if those faceless people out there in society, that don't approve of my sexuality, would think of me every day?
What about the other end of the love spectrum? There are also people fighting just as hard to OPT OUT of what society condones rather than OPT IN. Sort of like the evil-twin to the gay person WANTING to get married, there is a straight, perfectly "normal"person that is completely UNWILLING to get married. I know what your thinking...anarchy is afoot.
If I choose not to marry, does that threaten someone else's marriage? Probably no more than my marriage ruins someone else's single life.
Maybe you don't have the desire to get married or haven't met the right person, or prefer not to get married, just for the sake of getting married. This kind of shenanigans can be perceived as disruptive and threatening too. It's just not..."normal."
Want to add fuel to the fire? Let's throw in Demi Moore & Ashton Kucher and society has a one way ticket to hell in a hand basket!
Society is all of us of course, but the largest sub-sets of society tend to make the cultural rules. However, it seems that smaller groups are gaining support from individuals from the larger groups in society. For instance, people that support heterosexual marriage, might also support gay marriage and younger men marrying older women - so they sit in multiple camps. That doesn't mean everyone crosses over, BUT, enough people are comfortable with alternative choices, that they have helped bring non-traditional views to the forefront.
Where does that leave the so-called mainstream people, that don't care to cross over? Well, in essence, exactly where they are. No one is going to nullify someone's happy 30 year marriage or give their 2.5 kids to a single mother in a commune...the real threat may actually come in the form of new choice and options.
I can't help but think in some cases, someone might perceive new choices as threats to them, if THEY made the wrong choice originally. Maybe options weren't available when they made their original choice and they resent the idea that others might have those options now. It also might lead to evaluation of their current relationships, which could create turmoil. That said, these are clearly internal struggles, not something that comes from outside people or new choices.
The general reaction when people have the option to love and live as they please, probably is more mundane.
The traditional people go on happily with their lives and the non- traditional folks get to choose their style of expressing love, their decisions respected by society. Not exactly the apocalypse.
Look at the laundry list of politicians, movie stars, athletes, business people, civic and religious leaders that have been entangled in scandals regarding their sex lives and relationships in the recent past. Apparently, no one has cornered the market on functional, perfect relationships, not even the straight or married people. If that's the case, it might be more honest to just realize that some people have good relationships and some have bad ones - regardless of the individuals involved.
My feeling is that this new sea-change is more about a need for personal authenticity and a desire to love oneself and others with integrity. I don't think it's about destroying marriage or the family unit, or creating discomfort or bastardizing love in any way. I think more and more people just want to be honest and open about their lives, what they want and who they love.
Frankly, I don't feel like stopping them.
OK, before you go back to your Mai Tai, let me know what you think by typing your comments at the bottom of the post.
Hope you are enjoying your own summer of love!
Thursday, April 22, 2010
Facebook: The Good, The Bad and Farmville
I've noticed there are two camps of people emerging in our brave new world, the camp that embraces Facebook and all of its virtual connectedness and the Haters that would rather drink a liver and raw egg smoothie, then play Mafia Wars or find a 2nd grade school mate.
At the risk of playing both sides, I do see why FB is both loved and reviled by so many people. Farmville is a PERFECT example - either you love nurturing virtual farm animals and plants or you consider it a time-wasting, beg-fest that clutters up your live message feed.
To be perfectly honest, I could care less about someone's virtual animal taking a crap, their virtual lucky number or their exhaustive search for virtual bistro tables for their virtual restaurant. Whenever I get a Facebook request from a particular sister about something she needs for her damn farm, I take the time to post in the comment section, "No!" and sometimes, "Hell, No!" if I'm feeling particularly cantankerous. It's interesting that this nameless sister can shoot out Farmville and Restaurant requests, but can't seem to regularly call or email. Yes, nameless sister, YOU know who you are!
The Farmville game seems to evoke the most angry reactions from non-players and business users on Facebook. I have a friend that announced recently on Facebook, that he was "going to delete some of his FB connections...starting with Farmville people!" If you've been on FB long enough and have enough friends, you know his frustration.
I'm not sure if the programmers of these Facebook games allow you to switch off your global updates to other Facebookers, but I suggest they figure out something pronto! Maybe a better idea is to have a feed for non-game playing Facebookers that automatically ignores any Farmville, Mafia Wars or other game playing updates. Hmmm...people might actually PAY MONEY for that service just out of sheer exasperation...interesting business model.
Hey, Facebook! I'm giving you a new revenue stream here!!!
The cooler aspects of Facebook involve business, fund raising and online participation for causes or other activities. I'm currently the Facebook moderator for the Crown Jewel Club charity and we use FB to keep our fans and members aware of fund raising activities and the latest happenings with the charity. We've doubled our fan membership over the past 6 months, which means more people are aware of us via Facebook. Now for a shameless plug: CJC Facebook Page
Businesses, media, high-profile people and many others are reaping major financial rewards and client loyalty by setting up Facebook pages and Twitter accounts. Businesses can announce new products or tell you about the latest happenings. I belong to the Fairytale Brownie and Trader Joe FB pages to be in the "know."
I have personally chased down one of those cool new gourmet food trucks due to a Twitter update on where they were parked and set up that day.
It's a GRILLED CHEESE SANDWICH TRUCK, of course I'm going to chase it.
The most used aspect of FB is the fact that you can connect with old friends you've lost touch with from school or work. Granted, you may not want to be found by some people, but you don't have to accept their friend requests or you can "unfriend" them if they start to annoy or stalk you...or play Farmville.
A plea from me to all Facebookers:
If you want to be a good FB user, make sure you actually write comments that people care about. If I see another comment like, "I'm eating a pear" or "I need to pick up my dry cleaning" I will lose it! No one freakin' cares about your dry cleaning or your stupid pear. Tell us something interesting or funny - I don't care how late the garbage man was today - tell me where that grilled cheese truck is!!!
I also have noticed I've been getting a bit obsessive about checking FB on my iPhone. FB messages are kind of addicting. I check it as often as email and I'm thinking Facebook may land me in a 12 step group if I'm not careful.
I realize, there is sort of a natural age group that gravitates toward FB. Most of the people that I know are women and men in their 30's and 40's, but of course that's my demo. The younger set is involved with it for fun, but don't seem to be taking advantage of it for business. In the past, I thought my Dad might be interested in it, so I tried to explain Facebook.
Me: Facebook is a good way to connect with friends - including your kids - you can see what we are posting and what we are doing...you can join groups that you have an interest in too.
Dad: I don't have a plan for texting or twiting, so I don't think I can do that on my iPhone.
Me: Dad, it's not texting - it's just on the regular Internet - you don't pay for it, it's just a regular site.
Dad: I have email and Google, so I don't need to twit or Face...whatever...really.
Well, apparently, Facebook may not be for everyone.
.
At the risk of playing both sides, I do see why FB is both loved and reviled by so many people. Farmville is a PERFECT example - either you love nurturing virtual farm animals and plants or you consider it a time-wasting, beg-fest that clutters up your live message feed.
To be perfectly honest, I could care less about someone's virtual animal taking a crap, their virtual lucky number or their exhaustive search for virtual bistro tables for their virtual restaurant. Whenever I get a Facebook request from a particular sister about something she needs for her damn farm, I take the time to post in the comment section, "No!" and sometimes, "Hell, No!" if I'm feeling particularly cantankerous. It's interesting that this nameless sister can shoot out Farmville and Restaurant requests, but can't seem to regularly call or email. Yes, nameless sister, YOU know who you are!
The Farmville game seems to evoke the most angry reactions from non-players and business users on Facebook. I have a friend that announced recently on Facebook, that he was "going to delete some of his FB connections...starting with Farmville people!" If you've been on FB long enough and have enough friends, you know his frustration.
I'm not sure if the programmers of these Facebook games allow you to switch off your global updates to other Facebookers, but I suggest they figure out something pronto! Maybe a better idea is to have a feed for non-game playing Facebookers that automatically ignores any Farmville, Mafia Wars or other game playing updates. Hmmm...people might actually PAY MONEY for that service just out of sheer exasperation...interesting business model.
Hey, Facebook! I'm giving you a new revenue stream here!!!
The cooler aspects of Facebook involve business, fund raising and online participation for causes or other activities. I'm currently the Facebook moderator for the Crown Jewel Club charity and we use FB to keep our fans and members aware of fund raising activities and the latest happenings with the charity. We've doubled our fan membership over the past 6 months, which means more people are aware of us via Facebook. Now for a shameless plug: CJC Facebook Page
Businesses, media, high-profile people and many others are reaping major financial rewards and client loyalty by setting up Facebook pages and Twitter accounts. Businesses can announce new products or tell you about the latest happenings. I belong to the Fairytale Brownie and Trader Joe FB pages to be in the "know."
I have personally chased down one of those cool new gourmet food trucks due to a Twitter update on where they were parked and set up that day.
It's a GRILLED CHEESE SANDWICH TRUCK, of course I'm going to chase it.
The most used aspect of FB is the fact that you can connect with old friends you've lost touch with from school or work. Granted, you may not want to be found by some people, but you don't have to accept their friend requests or you can "unfriend" them if they start to annoy or stalk you...or play Farmville.
A plea from me to all Facebookers:
If you want to be a good FB user, make sure you actually write comments that people care about. If I see another comment like, "I'm eating a pear" or "I need to pick up my dry cleaning" I will lose it! No one freakin' cares about your dry cleaning or your stupid pear. Tell us something interesting or funny - I don't care how late the garbage man was today - tell me where that grilled cheese truck is!!!
I also have noticed I've been getting a bit obsessive about checking FB on my iPhone. FB messages are kind of addicting. I check it as often as email and I'm thinking Facebook may land me in a 12 step group if I'm not careful.
I realize, there is sort of a natural age group that gravitates toward FB. Most of the people that I know are women and men in their 30's and 40's, but of course that's my demo. The younger set is involved with it for fun, but don't seem to be taking advantage of it for business. In the past, I thought my Dad might be interested in it, so I tried to explain Facebook.
Me: Facebook is a good way to connect with friends - including your kids - you can see what we are posting and what we are doing...you can join groups that you have an interest in too.
Dad: I don't have a plan for texting or twiting, so I don't think I can do that on my iPhone.
Me: Dad, it's not texting - it's just on the regular Internet - you don't pay for it, it's just a regular site.
Dad: I have email and Google, so I don't need to twit or Face...whatever...really.
Well, apparently, Facebook may not be for everyone.
.
Saturday, March 27, 2010
Got Hate?
OK, I'm sure everyone is well aware of the nasty back and forth in the House, brick throwing & bullets through windows, Hitler picture modifications, threats, prejudicial slurs and name calling and the general lack of decorum taking place across the country and in the Capitol right now. We have apparently devolved as a nation, into the worst possible 'Jersey Shore' episode. Frankly, C-Span and MTV could save a lot on production costs if they just share their content.
I don't know about you, but I find it a bit scary when drunken, half-naked Spring breakers have better behavior and general decency than a middle aged parent of two. Does anyone feel like they've woken up in Bizarro world?
It's a tragedy that most of the "Greatest Generation" is dead. I imagine many of them could tell us a thing or two about conducting ourselves like rational adults, persevering through major economic downturns, sharing responsibility as citizens, and facing down true fascism that killed millions.
Frankly, they would have every right to be shocked and dismayed at how dramatically we rant about stuff that would have been a blip on their radar back in the day. I am starting to believe that they may have been the last group in our country, that actually made it to adulthood.
I'm considering re-reading, "Lord of the Flies" for cultural survival tips.
Our current generation, Baby Boomers & Busters included, has been coddled, protected and infused with the idea that everything should be done our way, all the time. Over the past decade or so, it seems that if we don't win or someone disagrees with us, we get angry, indignant, rude and whine. We don't just disagree, we HATE and RAGE.
What a wonderful legacy we are leaving to our kids. I imagine great books, mini-series and sonnets will be written about this period of time, honoring "The Pissed-off, Whiny Generation."
Can you feel the pride?
This goes way beyond politics, so don't think for a second that this is about one political group or another, I'm condemning the ENTIRE, ill-behaved population. So let's get that straight.
I imagine that as I write this, Canada is considering legislation to put a huge fence up on their southern border. And frankly, if they aren't, they should be - if only to protect the niceness of their population. I doubt they want Americans busting in and wrecking the place...
Are you offended yet? I bloody well hope so.
I hope you are so offended that you go out of your way to prove me wrong.
I hope you defiantly have rational, fact-based debates and are respectful of others, even if they are acting like jack asses. I hope you funnel your anger into something positive and take to behaving as though the person you respect most in life was watching you on a 24 hour web cam. I hope you are so willing to prove me wrong, that you share your intent to be respectful and decent with other people too, so they start thinking about it.
That'll show me!!!
I dare you to not pick a fight, to be respectful of opposing views, avoid accusatory statements, including anything that remotely sounds like taunting and oh yea...no shitty comments said quietly under your breath.
I DARE YOU!
You can be miffed, you can be angry, you can be outraged, you can be up in arms, you can even feel like you want to kill someone, but just ACT and BEHAVE like a rational human being on the outside. That's all.
I know I'm preaching to the choir, because most of you are conscientious people, but I urge you to start going out of your way to change this culture of hate and nastiness. If you see a friend or relative behaving badly, help them out by telling them how they are being perceived. Write your government officials telling them what kind of behavior you expect of them as well. If you have kids, raise them to have and show respect and to be humane and polite, by setting a good example and apologizing to them if you screw up.
If we are to change our legacy and our reputation as a country and as a generation, we need to start right now.
Unfortunately, The Crown Jewel Club doesn't exist for adults, so were going to have to take a good hard look at ourselves and snap out of this terrible national attitude of hate and pettiness. It would be great if we could all make the effort to grow up into a generation that we can be proud of and that future generations can respect.
End of lecture.
.
I don't know about you, but I find it a bit scary when drunken, half-naked Spring breakers have better behavior and general decency than a middle aged parent of two. Does anyone feel like they've woken up in Bizarro world?
It's a tragedy that most of the "Greatest Generation" is dead. I imagine many of them could tell us a thing or two about conducting ourselves like rational adults, persevering through major economic downturns, sharing responsibility as citizens, and facing down true fascism that killed millions.
Frankly, they would have every right to be shocked and dismayed at how dramatically we rant about stuff that would have been a blip on their radar back in the day. I am starting to believe that they may have been the last group in our country, that actually made it to adulthood.
I'm considering re-reading, "Lord of the Flies" for cultural survival tips.
Our current generation, Baby Boomers & Busters included, has been coddled, protected and infused with the idea that everything should be done our way, all the time. Over the past decade or so, it seems that if we don't win or someone disagrees with us, we get angry, indignant, rude and whine. We don't just disagree, we HATE and RAGE.
What a wonderful legacy we are leaving to our kids. I imagine great books, mini-series and sonnets will be written about this period of time, honoring "The Pissed-off, Whiny Generation."
Can you feel the pride?
This goes way beyond politics, so don't think for a second that this is about one political group or another, I'm condemning the ENTIRE, ill-behaved population. So let's get that straight.
I imagine that as I write this, Canada is considering legislation to put a huge fence up on their southern border. And frankly, if they aren't, they should be - if only to protect the niceness of their population. I doubt they want Americans busting in and wrecking the place...
Are you offended yet? I bloody well hope so.
I hope you are so offended that you go out of your way to prove me wrong.
I hope you defiantly have rational, fact-based debates and are respectful of others, even if they are acting like jack asses. I hope you funnel your anger into something positive and take to behaving as though the person you respect most in life was watching you on a 24 hour web cam. I hope you are so willing to prove me wrong, that you share your intent to be respectful and decent with other people too, so they start thinking about it.
That'll show me!!!
I dare you to not pick a fight, to be respectful of opposing views, avoid accusatory statements, including anything that remotely sounds like taunting and oh yea...no shitty comments said quietly under your breath.
I DARE YOU!
You can be miffed, you can be angry, you can be outraged, you can be up in arms, you can even feel like you want to kill someone, but just ACT and BEHAVE like a rational human being on the outside. That's all.
I know I'm preaching to the choir, because most of you are conscientious people, but I urge you to start going out of your way to change this culture of hate and nastiness. If you see a friend or relative behaving badly, help them out by telling them how they are being perceived. Write your government officials telling them what kind of behavior you expect of them as well. If you have kids, raise them to have and show respect and to be humane and polite, by setting a good example and apologizing to them if you screw up.
If we are to change our legacy and our reputation as a country and as a generation, we need to start right now.
Unfortunately, The Crown Jewel Club doesn't exist for adults, so were going to have to take a good hard look at ourselves and snap out of this terrible national attitude of hate and pettiness. It would be great if we could all make the effort to grow up into a generation that we can be proud of and that future generations can respect.
End of lecture.
.
Saturday, March 13, 2010
I don't like to move it, move it !!!
Moving day has come and gone and we are now in our beautiful, circa 1922 duplex rental, a block from the beach. It has all the 1920's charm that you would expect; sunny rooms, crown molding, hardwood floors and lovely Mexican tiles in the kitchen & bathrooms.
That said, 8 (scratch that )10 days later, I am still surrounded by towers of boxes, piles of cords, stacks of electronic equipment, books, vases, bags of stuff and a potpourri of various & sundry items, housed in plastic containers. Most of these things are wedged into "free" spaces in any available room or hallway. My dining room set, wine bar, buffet and over-sized chest of drawers now reside in our single car garage. The car resides on the street.
You may be thinking, "Kris, why the hell don't you just unpack your crap and stop your stupid whining?!" But before you start to speculate on my inability to put things away, it is not because of pure laziness that I find myself navigating a maze of banker boxes on the way to the bathroom every morning...
As it turns out, our "new" place has major rain damage, characterized by water filling up the lighting fixture on the dining room ceiling and gray, fuzzy mold sprouting, unimpeded from various layers of drywall & plaster. Consequently, our dining room has been rendered useless - mainly due to lack of a ceiling, but let's face it, who wants to pick out pieces of moldy drywall from their food?
I am assured by very capable people that things will be back to "normal" by Monday (scratch that) Tuesday. Which should be just in time to start digging up and replacing the mainline pipe on the side of the house.
If you've never had the pleasure of doing a mainline pipe replacement, you are missing out!. We did one on our last rental house (circa 1950) during the first week of move-in and were able to skip a couple days of pesky showers while the water was shut off. BTW, Trader Joe's has wonderful bathroom facilities if you have to "go" between 8am to 9pm - anytime after that - it's a 24 hour grocery store.
Good times.
The upside is: we like our place a lot, we're saving several hundred dollars a month and we will probably only be living like this for a few more days. The cherry on top is that we don't OWN this place, so repair bills for the roof, the ceiling and the mainline are not coming out of our pocket - so we get all the benefits of living in a charming older home and someone else gets the bills. Yes, we are inconvenienced for a couple of weeks, but since we plan on staying here a long time, we're willing to deal with it.
I have a friend that is purchasing a CHARMING house built in 1928. You know that Chinese curse? 'May you live in interesting times' - I think the same curse is implied for 'May you live in a charming house.'
They have chosen not to do a camera inspection of their 1928 mainline pipe or a further roof inspection, even though the inspector suggested it might need to be replaced soon. They are also flying solo - without a real estate agent. I'm guessing they will be in our situation about 6 months from now, but with a huge difference - THEY will be paying the bills.
Yes, I've warned them.
Frankly, I love places with character and I'm always drawn to homes or apartments that are unique and not just a cookie cutter, clone of every place on the block. I'm a sucker for built-in shelves and coves, glass door knobs, original tile and wood work, etc. I know why my friend fell in love with the house they are buying - but you have to understand what you are getting yourself into.
A "slush fund" of about $20k is mandatory if you are buying any older property and that will probably only cover the first incident or two. But hey, that's the price of falling in love.
That said, when I start buying property, I have a list of must haves: Must be built after 1990, Must have a new mainline pipe, Must have copper plumbing, Must have insulated windows and Must have a leak-proof ceiling over the dining room.
Screw charm.
.
That said, 8 (scratch that )10 days later, I am still surrounded by towers of boxes, piles of cords, stacks of electronic equipment, books, vases, bags of stuff and a potpourri of various & sundry items, housed in plastic containers. Most of these things are wedged into "free" spaces in any available room or hallway. My dining room set, wine bar, buffet and over-sized chest of drawers now reside in our single car garage. The car resides on the street.
You may be thinking, "Kris, why the hell don't you just unpack your crap and stop your stupid whining?!" But before you start to speculate on my inability to put things away, it is not because of pure laziness that I find myself navigating a maze of banker boxes on the way to the bathroom every morning...
As it turns out, our "new" place has major rain damage, characterized by water filling up the lighting fixture on the dining room ceiling and gray, fuzzy mold sprouting, unimpeded from various layers of drywall & plaster. Consequently, our dining room has been rendered useless - mainly due to lack of a ceiling, but let's face it, who wants to pick out pieces of moldy drywall from their food?
I am assured by very capable people that things will be back to "normal" by Monday (scratch that) Tuesday. Which should be just in time to start digging up and replacing the mainline pipe on the side of the house.
If you've never had the pleasure of doing a mainline pipe replacement, you are missing out!. We did one on our last rental house (circa 1950) during the first week of move-in and were able to skip a couple days of pesky showers while the water was shut off. BTW, Trader Joe's has wonderful bathroom facilities if you have to "go" between 8am to 9pm - anytime after that - it's a 24 hour grocery store.
Good times.
The upside is: we like our place a lot, we're saving several hundred dollars a month and we will probably only be living like this for a few more days. The cherry on top is that we don't OWN this place, so repair bills for the roof, the ceiling and the mainline are not coming out of our pocket - so we get all the benefits of living in a charming older home and someone else gets the bills. Yes, we are inconvenienced for a couple of weeks, but since we plan on staying here a long time, we're willing to deal with it.
I have a friend that is purchasing a CHARMING house built in 1928. You know that Chinese curse? 'May you live in interesting times' - I think the same curse is implied for 'May you live in a charming house.'
They have chosen not to do a camera inspection of their 1928 mainline pipe or a further roof inspection, even though the inspector suggested it might need to be replaced soon. They are also flying solo - without a real estate agent. I'm guessing they will be in our situation about 6 months from now, but with a huge difference - THEY will be paying the bills.
Yes, I've warned them.
Frankly, I love places with character and I'm always drawn to homes or apartments that are unique and not just a cookie cutter, clone of every place on the block. I'm a sucker for built-in shelves and coves, glass door knobs, original tile and wood work, etc. I know why my friend fell in love with the house they are buying - but you have to understand what you are getting yourself into.
A "slush fund" of about $20k is mandatory if you are buying any older property and that will probably only cover the first incident or two. But hey, that's the price of falling in love.
That said, when I start buying property, I have a list of must haves: Must be built after 1990, Must have a new mainline pipe, Must have copper plumbing, Must have insulated windows and Must have a leak-proof ceiling over the dining room.
Screw charm.
.
Friday, January 15, 2010
Calling on your humanity
As most of you know, I'm a huge news hound and I have been glued to CNN and checking news reports about Haiti online after the tragic earthquake there. Clearly, the impact from this devastating earthquake is going to be playing out for years to come, that said, we need to get monetary donations to Haiti ASAP.
After watching three days of children with head wounds and compound fractures, images of dead bodies piled up in the streets and numerous interviews of hopeless people having lost loved ones...I can't help but think, could this be California at some point in the future? Sadly, it was New Orleans not so long ago.
Keeping that in mind, I hope everyone takes this situation to heart and donates $5 or $10 to a relief fund of your choice, that will get doctors, supplies, water and food to the people there. I'll put a link to a list of various vetted charities at the bottom to make it easy.
Three of my favorite charities are Doctors without Borders, Red Cross and The Clinton Foundation. I hope you find a favorite and donate as generously as you can. The smallest donation of $5 can help tremendously, so don't let the amount stop you.
A quote about the survivors struck me earlier today on CNN, 'It's like asking 911 victims to do search and rescue for three days straight without food or water.' Imagine that.
I have to say, that no matter what our economic woes are right now, I would not trade them to be starving, injured on the street or trapped alive under rubble in Port au Prince at this moment. Would you?
Check out this video that my friend, Pam Robinson, sent to me. It was put together by recording artist Glen Scott and friends from Hidden Beach, that wanted to do something to help raise money for Haiti - great music and images:
The Impossible Cut
For you cynics out there: Knock it off.
There is no reason to doubt where your donation goes if you actually do a little research of vetted charities to give to. If you aren't giving because you're afraid your money is going to be taken by some dark entity disguised as a charity, then get off your butt and find a charity that you can trust - that is no excuse not to help people. I am probably one of the most cynical people on the planet, however, that doesn't keep me from giving to responsible charities. If you are one of these people, don't think you look "savvy" or "smart" because you are withholding a donation to save lives.
A good friend of mine pointed out today, that there are so many people on Facebook posting results from silly games and their latest animal acquisitions on Farmville, that it seems they are out of touch and their time could go to much better use. That said, a little fun is never a bad thing, as long as it is balanced out with an appropriate amount of concern about the real world. I hope that "virtual engagement" never overshadows the needs of people.
So, I'm asking everyone to think about your humanity today - what can you do to help if you haven't already?
I challenge you to be a citizen of the world and reach out to the people of Haiti now.
Please go to this link below to see a variety of vetted charities:
List of Charities that help Haiti
After watching three days of children with head wounds and compound fractures, images of dead bodies piled up in the streets and numerous interviews of hopeless people having lost loved ones...I can't help but think, could this be California at some point in the future? Sadly, it was New Orleans not so long ago.
Keeping that in mind, I hope everyone takes this situation to heart and donates $5 or $10 to a relief fund of your choice, that will get doctors, supplies, water and food to the people there. I'll put a link to a list of various vetted charities at the bottom to make it easy.
Three of my favorite charities are Doctors without Borders, Red Cross and The Clinton Foundation. I hope you find a favorite and donate as generously as you can. The smallest donation of $5 can help tremendously, so don't let the amount stop you.
A quote about the survivors struck me earlier today on CNN, 'It's like asking 911 victims to do search and rescue for three days straight without food or water.' Imagine that.
I have to say, that no matter what our economic woes are right now, I would not trade them to be starving, injured on the street or trapped alive under rubble in Port au Prince at this moment. Would you?
Check out this video that my friend, Pam Robinson, sent to me. It was put together by recording artist Glen Scott and friends from Hidden Beach, that wanted to do something to help raise money for Haiti - great music and images:
The Impossible Cut
For you cynics out there: Knock it off.
There is no reason to doubt where your donation goes if you actually do a little research of vetted charities to give to. If you aren't giving because you're afraid your money is going to be taken by some dark entity disguised as a charity, then get off your butt and find a charity that you can trust - that is no excuse not to help people. I am probably one of the most cynical people on the planet, however, that doesn't keep me from giving to responsible charities. If you are one of these people, don't think you look "savvy" or "smart" because you are withholding a donation to save lives.
A good friend of mine pointed out today, that there are so many people on Facebook posting results from silly games and their latest animal acquisitions on Farmville, that it seems they are out of touch and their time could go to much better use. That said, a little fun is never a bad thing, as long as it is balanced out with an appropriate amount of concern about the real world. I hope that "virtual engagement" never overshadows the needs of people.
So, I'm asking everyone to think about your humanity today - what can you do to help if you haven't already?
I challenge you to be a citizen of the world and reach out to the people of Haiti now.
Please go to this link below to see a variety of vetted charities:
List of Charities that help Haiti
Thursday, January 7, 2010
It's 2010: Where's my futuristic stuff?
We finally made it! 2010! We are officially living in the future!
How does it feel to be driving around in your new hovercraft? Don't you adore your shiny, silver, hi-tech jumpsuit? And tell me you can't get enough of that button in the kitchen that shoots out perfectly prepared roast beef from a little door in the wall!!! How's your robot dog doing????
Well, I don't know about you, but I'm still waiting for my damned jet pack...
So, if the future is now, where's my stuff???!!! I hate to say it, but I have the distinct feeling I've been rooked. It doesn't feel very futuristic here in 2010.
I used to regularly watch TV shows like Space 1999, Ark II, Twilight Zone and The Jetsons, dreaming of the amazing technology of the future. How about that cool Ark II Winnebago trolling a post-apocalyptic world with Adam the talking monkey at the helm? Or what about that robot maid, Rosie, the Jetsons had? I sure could use her! Sign me up for that condo on the moon!
I loved movies like Logan's Run, Star Trek, 2001: A Space Odyssey and anything about the future just beyond my grasp. I wondered what futuristic new gadgets & technological wizardry awaited me in 2010 - perhaps a non-homicidal version of the Hal 9000?!
I long to say to Scotty, "Beam me up to the hologram deck, I'm ready to bask under the four suns of Gandar with my 3 headed space cat."
That would be so awesome...
Apparently, the tech downturn in 2001 was worse than I thought. It's 2010 and I don't even have a phaser I can set to stun...
That said, it hasn't been a total loss, we do have the Internet, iPhones, The Prius, the super collider at CERN, the "Roomba", DVRs, the Hubble Telescope and the Segway! That's not bad, but it's definitely not a personal mini-spaceship that can jump to hyper-drive in 3.2 seconds - now that's something to get excited about!
I'm sure we'll eventually get there, but I can't help but think that science and technology has a long way to go before I can get my anti-gravity basketball shoes or eat at that restaurant at the end of the universe.
We'll, until I can shake my disappointment, I guess I'll just put on my spandex jacket and listen to Donald Fagan's I.G.Y. song, daring to dream that 2020 will bring me the three headed space cat I've coveted for so long...
Lyrics to I.G.Y. by a fella with compassion and vision...
How does it feel to be driving around in your new hovercraft? Don't you adore your shiny, silver, hi-tech jumpsuit? And tell me you can't get enough of that button in the kitchen that shoots out perfectly prepared roast beef from a little door in the wall!!! How's your robot dog doing????
Well, I don't know about you, but I'm still waiting for my damned jet pack...
So, if the future is now, where's my stuff???!!! I hate to say it, but I have the distinct feeling I've been rooked. It doesn't feel very futuristic here in 2010.
I used to regularly watch TV shows like Space 1999, Ark II, Twilight Zone and The Jetsons, dreaming of the amazing technology of the future. How about that cool Ark II Winnebago trolling a post-apocalyptic world with Adam the talking monkey at the helm? Or what about that robot maid, Rosie, the Jetsons had? I sure could use her! Sign me up for that condo on the moon!
I loved movies like Logan's Run, Star Trek, 2001: A Space Odyssey and anything about the future just beyond my grasp. I wondered what futuristic new gadgets & technological wizardry awaited me in 2010 - perhaps a non-homicidal version of the Hal 9000?!
I long to say to Scotty, "Beam me up to the hologram deck, I'm ready to bask under the four suns of Gandar with my 3 headed space cat."
That would be so awesome...
Apparently, the tech downturn in 2001 was worse than I thought. It's 2010 and I don't even have a phaser I can set to stun...
That said, it hasn't been a total loss, we do have the Internet, iPhones, The Prius, the super collider at CERN, the "Roomba", DVRs, the Hubble Telescope and the Segway! That's not bad, but it's definitely not a personal mini-spaceship that can jump to hyper-drive in 3.2 seconds - now that's something to get excited about!
I'm sure we'll eventually get there, but I can't help but think that science and technology has a long way to go before I can get my anti-gravity basketball shoes or eat at that restaurant at the end of the universe.
We'll, until I can shake my disappointment, I guess I'll just put on my spandex jacket and listen to Donald Fagan's I.G.Y. song, daring to dream that 2020 will bring me the three headed space cat I've coveted for so long...
Lyrics to I.G.Y. by a fella with compassion and vision...
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