we've all got our list of go-to websites that we can completely lose ourselves in when we have an extra ten or fifteen minutes. of course when we're still there 45 minutes later and have accomplished absolutely no work at all in the meantime, that's when you know the site's a keeper.
my current keeper of the moment happens to be http://www.onesentence.org/. the site, strangely enough is exactly what you might think, a simple user-submitted list of single sentences. from hilarious to disturbing to jaw-dropping, the list contains entire stories without the puffery, without examples, without adjectives, setting, or backstory. these entries, sometimes as few as 7 or 8 words can represent entire years of a person's life and take no more than 5 seconds to read.
as i think about how much detail and how much personality these singular sentences have, it makes me think of how many tens and hundreds of pages i wrote throughout high school and college that collectively couldn't muster the soul that is contained in some of these posts. to me, that is advertising; taking a hundred page report on why your target is your target, why they buy what they buy, why they like you, what they want to see from you next, where they shop, what they eat, how much they make, what they wish they could afford, what their names are . . . and turning that into 9 words. as impossible as it may sound to take the entire lives of a collective group of people and try to transplant it into a tagline for a product, that is how relationships are made.
we all have relationships with the products we buy, and we purchase those products, most of them anyway, because they fit our lifestyle. whether it be price, color, taste, texture, we buy the things we buy because we like how THEY fit into OUR lives. isn't it interesting then, that the reason they fit so nicely into our lives is because our lives helped form the product.
this backwards-compatability is what is helping to reshape the way we see consumer goods. we can no longer think of the traditional top-down pyramid of CEO to supervisor to manager to clerk to customer. a successful brand has the product and the customer at every level of the game. my thoughts on a model, if there has to be one, is a circle of your business plan with the facets of your business around the outside, and the customer in the middle. the consistent interaction with the consumer at every level will ensure their approval at every step and form a more personal business model that will increase repeat business and spread the word of your company's good character.
character is what we do when no one is watching.
3.11.2009
ever wish you had a sixth sense?
i absolutely must pass this on. although i did originally get this article from kevin pereira (my favorite TV host) on twitter, the link is to the digg posting of the same article. please view the entire video, then read the comments
. . . great, GREAT inspiration here, and plenty of new avenues to explore with the potential realization of this idea. allow me to introduce you to Pranav Mistry and his world altering idea
. . . great, GREAT inspiration here, and plenty of new avenues to explore with the potential realization of this idea. allow me to introduce you to Pranav Mistry and his world altering idea
3.10.2009
you must begin somewhere
what to write when you don't know what to write. a tragically common problem among writers, artists, creatives, and anybody else that is constantly put on deadlines to extract nuggets of material from their brain that are nothing less than spectacular.
it's times like these that i'm dragged back to 9th grade english (and yes dragged is the appropriate word). back then they made us do this exercise in which you are required to write without stopping to edit, punctuate, capitalize, brainstorm, sneeze, pee, or make fun of the teacher's terrible thanksgiving sweater. when i was 15 this was quite possibly one of the most useless activities on the face of the planet, right up there with putting your seatbelt on, and trying to understand algebra. then again, when i was 15 i was stupid, at least for the duration of that thought process.
i find it terribly interesting how common i think this thought "man if i'd only realized that when it was told to me the first time". it's not that i don't listen, i'd like to think i'm a fairly good listener, especially when i'm being instructed on how to do something, or taking mentor-ish adice on some life lesson. it's also not that i'm incapable of comprehending complex cerebral ideas and deep lines of thought that may have more than one meaning at any given time.
i think situations like these, where you're told to write for the sake of writing, that it will make you a better writer, that you may be surprised with what you actually write, these situations are ultimate misunderstandings that befall 90% of the people being told. whether it's because they're hungry, they're attracted to the girl two rows over, they really don't like that sweater, or a million other possible reason, they will not WANT to do this assignment.
assignments like that have a 0% success rate if the student doesn't want to do them. you must let go, free your mind, be the ball, or whatever other matrix-like line you want to use. the 10% that actually do this assignment will gain the knowledge of what's really inside them when they read what they wrote, not believing that they could write like that, but for those 90% they will continue to tell stories of how bad 9th grade english was. you can be told, you can hear, you can listen, and you can understand (or so you think), but if you don't believe, the outcome of these exercises will not benefit you at all.
so pick up your guitar and record yourself playing nothing in particular. close your eyes and type about nothing (it helps to literally start typing about why you're typing, and just go from there, you'll be surprised where you end up). begin drawing and don't lift your pen up till you see something. look at familiar scenes through a mirror. do all of these, but don't even try them if you don't believe you'll come up with something great.
it's times like these that i'm dragged back to 9th grade english (and yes dragged is the appropriate word). back then they made us do this exercise in which you are required to write without stopping to edit, punctuate, capitalize, brainstorm, sneeze, pee, or make fun of the teacher's terrible thanksgiving sweater. when i was 15 this was quite possibly one of the most useless activities on the face of the planet, right up there with putting your seatbelt on, and trying to understand algebra. then again, when i was 15 i was stupid, at least for the duration of that thought process.
i find it terribly interesting how common i think this thought "man if i'd only realized that when it was told to me the first time". it's not that i don't listen, i'd like to think i'm a fairly good listener, especially when i'm being instructed on how to do something, or taking mentor-ish adice on some life lesson. it's also not that i'm incapable of comprehending complex cerebral ideas and deep lines of thought that may have more than one meaning at any given time.
i think situations like these, where you're told to write for the sake of writing, that it will make you a better writer, that you may be surprised with what you actually write, these situations are ultimate misunderstandings that befall 90% of the people being told. whether it's because they're hungry, they're attracted to the girl two rows over, they really don't like that sweater, or a million other possible reason, they will not WANT to do this assignment.
assignments like that have a 0% success rate if the student doesn't want to do them. you must let go, free your mind, be the ball, or whatever other matrix-like line you want to use. the 10% that actually do this assignment will gain the knowledge of what's really inside them when they read what they wrote, not believing that they could write like that, but for those 90% they will continue to tell stories of how bad 9th grade english was. you can be told, you can hear, you can listen, and you can understand (or so you think), but if you don't believe, the outcome of these exercises will not benefit you at all.
so pick up your guitar and record yourself playing nothing in particular. close your eyes and type about nothing (it helps to literally start typing about why you're typing, and just go from there, you'll be surprised where you end up). begin drawing and don't lift your pen up till you see something. look at familiar scenes through a mirror. do all of these, but don't even try them if you don't believe you'll come up with something great.
3.09.2009
why watchmen should have done better
while i certainly do have an opinion on 'watchmen' which i saw yesterday, doing anything more than saying i thought it completely rocked would be (at least right now, cause i have to go to work in a bit) a waste of my time. in the meantime, if you're wondering my thoughts on the movie, i'll suffice it to say that i completely agree with what the feed has to say on the subject.
and it really was an exquisite film.
and it really was an exquisite film.
wondering whether you should go out or stay in tonight for dinner? this list could help
alright so i realize that this list is as old as the internet itself, but having worked in three different restaurant/bars, almost every single one of these is absolutely and undoubtedly true. so if after reading this list you find yourself wondering "wow, am i that guy", you probably are.
this list is prompted by a very long saturday double shift and an astronomical amount of people that should just stay home. my personal recommendations are 8,9,10,28,and 39. on the other hand i must say that i've noticed more polite diners/drinkers with the warming weather so for that i must extend a public thank you.
oh, and if you're ever out to eat on a date with someone, or any other sort of meeting where you're getting to know someone, pay special attention to how they treat their server/bartender, it's a great prediction of general character. with that, i leave you to peruse the following list.
1. If you owe someone money, always pay them back in a bar. Preferably during happy hour.
2. Always toast before doing a shot.
3. Whoever buys the shot gets the first chance to offer a toast.
4. Change your toast at least once a month.
5. Buying someone a drink is five times better than a handshake.
6. Buying a strange woman a drink is still cool. Buying all her drinks is dumb.
7. Never borrow more than one cigarette from the same person in one night.
8. When the bartender is slammed, resist the powerful urge to order a slightly-dirty, very-dry, in-and-out, super-chilled half-and-half martini with a lemon twist. Limit orders to beer, straight shots and two-part cocktails.
9. Get the bartender’s attention with eye contact and a smile.
10. Do not make eye contact with the bartender if you do not want a drink.
11. Unacceptable things to say after doing a shot: Great, now I’m going to get drunk. I hate shots. It’s coming back up.
12. Never, ever tell a bartender he made your drink too strong.
13. If he makes it too weak, order a double next time. He’ll get the message.
14. If you offer to buy a woman a drink and she refuses, she does not like you.
15. If you offer to buy a woman a drink and she accepts, she still might not like you.
16. If she buys you a drink, she likes you.
17. If someone offers to buy you a drink, do not upgrade your liquor preference.
18. Always have a corkscrew in your house.
19. If you don’t have a corkscrew, push the cork down into the bottle with a pen.
20. Drink one girly drink in public and you will forever be known as the guy who drinks girly drinks.
21. Our parents were better drinkers than we are.
22. Never talk to someone in the restroom unless you’re doing the same thing—urinating, waiting in line or washing your hands.
23. Girls hang out, apply make-up, and have long talks in the bathroom. Men do not.
24. After your sixth drink, do not look at yourself in the mirror. It will shake your confidence.
25. It is only permissible to shout ‘woo-hoo!’ if you are doing a shot with four or more people.
26. If there is a d.j., you can request a song only once per night. If he doesn’t play it within half an hour, do not approach him again. If he does play it, do not approach him again.
27. Learn how to make a rose out of a bar napkin. You’ll be surprised how well it works.
28. If you can’t afford to tip, you can’t afford to drink in a bar. Go to the liquor store.
29. If you owe someone twenty dollars or less, you may pay them back in beer.
30. Never complain about the quality or brand of a free drink.
31. If you have been roommates with someone more than six months, you may drink all their beer, even if it’s hidden, as long as you leave them one.
32. You can have a shot of their hard liquor only if the cap has been cracked and the bottle goes for less than $25.
33. The only thing that tastes better than free liquor is stolen liquor.
34. If you bring Old Milwaukee to a party, you must drink at least two cans before you start drinking the imported beer in the fridge.
35. Learn to appreciate hangovers. If it was all good times every jackass would be doing it.
36. If you ever feel depressed, get out a bartender’s guide and browse through all the drinks you’ve never tried.
37. Try one new drink each week.
38. If you are the bar’s sole customer, you are obliged to make small talk with the bartender until he stops acknowledging you. Then you’re off the hook. The same goes for him.
39. Never tip with coins that have touched you. If your change is $1.50, you can tell the barkeep to keep the change, but once they have handed it to you, you cannot give it back. To a bartender or cocktail waitress, small change has no value.
40. If you have ever told a bartender, “Hey, it all spends the same,” then you are a cheap ass.
41. Anyone on stage or behind a bar is fifty percent better looking.
42. You can tell how hard a drinker someone is by how close they keep their drink to their mouth.
43. A bar is a college, not a nursery. If you spill a beer, clean it up. If you break a glass, wait for a staff member to clean it up, then blame it on someone else.
44. Being drunk is feeling sophisticated without being able to say it.
45. It’s okay to drink alone.
46. After three drinks, you will forget a woman’s name two seconds after she tells you. The rest of the night you will call her “baby” or “darling”.
47. Nothing screams ‘nancy boy’ louder than swirling an oversized brandy snifter.
48. Men don’t drink from straws. Unless you’re doing a Mind or Face Eraser.
49. If you do a shot, finish it. If you don’t plan to finish it, don’t accept it.
50. Never brood in a dance bar. Never dance in a dive bar.
51. Never play more than three songs by the same artist in a row.
52. Your songs will come on as you’re leaving the bar.
53. Never yell out jukebox selections to someone you don’t know.
54. Never lie in a bar. You may, however, grossly exaggerate and lean.
55. If you think you might be slurring a little, then you are slurring a lot. If you think you are slurring a lot, then you are not speaking English.
56. Screaming, “Someone buy me a drink!” has never worked.
57. For every drink, there is a five percent better chance you will get in a fight. There is also a three percent better chance you will lose the fight.
58. Fighting an extremely drunk person when you are sober is hilarious.
59. If you are broke and a friend is “sporting you”, you must laugh at all his jokes and play wingman when he makes his move.
60. If you are broke and a friend is “making sport of you”, you may steal any drink he leaves unattended.
61. Never rest your head on a table or bar top. It is the equivalent of voluntarily putting your head on a chopping block.
62. If you are trading rounds with a friend and he asks if you’re ready for another, always say yes. Once you fall out of sync you will end up buying more drinks than him.
63. If you’re going to hit on a member of the bar staff, make sure you tip well before and after, regardless of her response.
64. The people with the most money are rarely the best tippers.
65. Before you die, single-handedly make one decent martini.
66. Asking a bartender what beers are on tap when the handles are right in front of you is the equivalent of saying, “I’m an idiot.”
67. Never ask a bartender “what’s good tonight?” They do not fly in the scotch fresh from the coast every morning.
68. If there is a line for drinks, get your goddamn drink and step the hell away from the bar.
69. If there is ever any confusion, the fuller beer is yours.
70. The patrons at your local bar are your extended family, your fathers and mothers, your brothers and sisters. Except you get to sleep with these sisters. And if you’re really drunk, the mothers.
71. It’s acceptable, traditional in fact, to disappear during a night of hard drinking. You will appear mysterious and your friends will understand. If they even notice.
72. Never argue your tab at the end of the night. Remember, you’re hammered and they’re sober. It’s akin to a precocious five-year-old arguing the super-string theory with a physicist. 99.9% of the time you’re wrong and either way you’re going to come off as a jackass.
73. If you bring booze to a party, you must drink it or leave it.
74. If you hesitate more than three seconds after the bartender looks at you, you do not deserve a drink.
75. Beer makes you mellow, champagne makes you silly, wine makes you dramatic, tequila makes you felonious.
76. The greatest thing a drunkard can do is buy a round of drinks for a packed bar.
77. Never preface a conversation with a bartender with “I know this is going to be a hassle, but . . .”
78. When you’re in a bar and drunk, your boss is just another guy begging for a fat lip. Unless he’s buying.
79. If you are 86’d, do not return for at least three months. To come back sooner makes it appear no other bar wants you.
80. Anyone with three or more drinks in his hands has the right of way.
81. If you’re going to drink on the job, drink vodka. It’s the no-tell liquor.
82. There’s nothing wrong with drinking before noon. Especially if you’re supposed to be at work.
83. The bar clock moves twice as fast from midnight to last call.
84. A flask engraved with a personal message is one of the best gifts you can ever give. And make sure there’s something in it.
85. On the intimacy scale, sharing a quiet drink is between a handshake and a kiss.
86. You will forget every one of these rules by your fifth drink.
this list is prompted by a very long saturday double shift and an astronomical amount of people that should just stay home. my personal recommendations are 8,9,10,28,and 39. on the other hand i must say that i've noticed more polite diners/drinkers with the warming weather so for that i must extend a public thank you.
oh, and if you're ever out to eat on a date with someone, or any other sort of meeting where you're getting to know someone, pay special attention to how they treat their server/bartender, it's a great prediction of general character. with that, i leave you to peruse the following list.
1. If you owe someone money, always pay them back in a bar. Preferably during happy hour.
2. Always toast before doing a shot.
3. Whoever buys the shot gets the first chance to offer a toast.
4. Change your toast at least once a month.
5. Buying someone a drink is five times better than a handshake.
6. Buying a strange woman a drink is still cool. Buying all her drinks is dumb.
7. Never borrow more than one cigarette from the same person in one night.
8. When the bartender is slammed, resist the powerful urge to order a slightly-dirty, very-dry, in-and-out, super-chilled half-and-half martini with a lemon twist. Limit orders to beer, straight shots and two-part cocktails.
9. Get the bartender’s attention with eye contact and a smile.
10. Do not make eye contact with the bartender if you do not want a drink.
11. Unacceptable things to say after doing a shot: Great, now I’m going to get drunk. I hate shots. It’s coming back up.
12. Never, ever tell a bartender he made your drink too strong.
13. If he makes it too weak, order a double next time. He’ll get the message.
14. If you offer to buy a woman a drink and she refuses, she does not like you.
15. If you offer to buy a woman a drink and she accepts, she still might not like you.
16. If she buys you a drink, she likes you.
17. If someone offers to buy you a drink, do not upgrade your liquor preference.
18. Always have a corkscrew in your house.
19. If you don’t have a corkscrew, push the cork down into the bottle with a pen.
20. Drink one girly drink in public and you will forever be known as the guy who drinks girly drinks.
21. Our parents were better drinkers than we are.
22. Never talk to someone in the restroom unless you’re doing the same thing—urinating, waiting in line or washing your hands.
23. Girls hang out, apply make-up, and have long talks in the bathroom. Men do not.
24. After your sixth drink, do not look at yourself in the mirror. It will shake your confidence.
25. It is only permissible to shout ‘woo-hoo!’ if you are doing a shot with four or more people.
26. If there is a d.j., you can request a song only once per night. If he doesn’t play it within half an hour, do not approach him again. If he does play it, do not approach him again.
27. Learn how to make a rose out of a bar napkin. You’ll be surprised how well it works.
28. If you can’t afford to tip, you can’t afford to drink in a bar. Go to the liquor store.
29. If you owe someone twenty dollars or less, you may pay them back in beer.
30. Never complain about the quality or brand of a free drink.
31. If you have been roommates with someone more than six months, you may drink all their beer, even if it’s hidden, as long as you leave them one.
32. You can have a shot of their hard liquor only if the cap has been cracked and the bottle goes for less than $25.
33. The only thing that tastes better than free liquor is stolen liquor.
34. If you bring Old Milwaukee to a party, you must drink at least two cans before you start drinking the imported beer in the fridge.
35. Learn to appreciate hangovers. If it was all good times every jackass would be doing it.
36. If you ever feel depressed, get out a bartender’s guide and browse through all the drinks you’ve never tried.
37. Try one new drink each week.
38. If you are the bar’s sole customer, you are obliged to make small talk with the bartender until he stops acknowledging you. Then you’re off the hook. The same goes for him.
39. Never tip with coins that have touched you. If your change is $1.50, you can tell the barkeep to keep the change, but once they have handed it to you, you cannot give it back. To a bartender or cocktail waitress, small change has no value.
40. If you have ever told a bartender, “Hey, it all spends the same,” then you are a cheap ass.
41. Anyone on stage or behind a bar is fifty percent better looking.
42. You can tell how hard a drinker someone is by how close they keep their drink to their mouth.
43. A bar is a college, not a nursery. If you spill a beer, clean it up. If you break a glass, wait for a staff member to clean it up, then blame it on someone else.
44. Being drunk is feeling sophisticated without being able to say it.
45. It’s okay to drink alone.
46. After three drinks, you will forget a woman’s name two seconds after she tells you. The rest of the night you will call her “baby” or “darling”.
47. Nothing screams ‘nancy boy’ louder than swirling an oversized brandy snifter.
48. Men don’t drink from straws. Unless you’re doing a Mind or Face Eraser.
49. If you do a shot, finish it. If you don’t plan to finish it, don’t accept it.
50. Never brood in a dance bar. Never dance in a dive bar.
51. Never play more than three songs by the same artist in a row.
52. Your songs will come on as you’re leaving the bar.
53. Never yell out jukebox selections to someone you don’t know.
54. Never lie in a bar. You may, however, grossly exaggerate and lean.
55. If you think you might be slurring a little, then you are slurring a lot. If you think you are slurring a lot, then you are not speaking English.
56. Screaming, “Someone buy me a drink!” has never worked.
57. For every drink, there is a five percent better chance you will get in a fight. There is also a three percent better chance you will lose the fight.
58. Fighting an extremely drunk person when you are sober is hilarious.
59. If you are broke and a friend is “sporting you”, you must laugh at all his jokes and play wingman when he makes his move.
60. If you are broke and a friend is “making sport of you”, you may steal any drink he leaves unattended.
61. Never rest your head on a table or bar top. It is the equivalent of voluntarily putting your head on a chopping block.
62. If you are trading rounds with a friend and he asks if you’re ready for another, always say yes. Once you fall out of sync you will end up buying more drinks than him.
63. If you’re going to hit on a member of the bar staff, make sure you tip well before and after, regardless of her response.
64. The people with the most money are rarely the best tippers.
65. Before you die, single-handedly make one decent martini.
66. Asking a bartender what beers are on tap when the handles are right in front of you is the equivalent of saying, “I’m an idiot.”
67. Never ask a bartender “what’s good tonight?” They do not fly in the scotch fresh from the coast every morning.
68. If there is a line for drinks, get your goddamn drink and step the hell away from the bar.
69. If there is ever any confusion, the fuller beer is yours.
70. The patrons at your local bar are your extended family, your fathers and mothers, your brothers and sisters. Except you get to sleep with these sisters. And if you’re really drunk, the mothers.
71. It’s acceptable, traditional in fact, to disappear during a night of hard drinking. You will appear mysterious and your friends will understand. If they even notice.
72. Never argue your tab at the end of the night. Remember, you’re hammered and they’re sober. It’s akin to a precocious five-year-old arguing the super-string theory with a physicist. 99.9% of the time you’re wrong and either way you’re going to come off as a jackass.
73. If you bring booze to a party, you must drink it or leave it.
74. If you hesitate more than three seconds after the bartender looks at you, you do not deserve a drink.
75. Beer makes you mellow, champagne makes you silly, wine makes you dramatic, tequila makes you felonious.
76. The greatest thing a drunkard can do is buy a round of drinks for a packed bar.
77. Never preface a conversation with a bartender with “I know this is going to be a hassle, but . . .”
78. When you’re in a bar and drunk, your boss is just another guy begging for a fat lip. Unless he’s buying.
79. If you are 86’d, do not return for at least three months. To come back sooner makes it appear no other bar wants you.
80. Anyone with three or more drinks in his hands has the right of way.
81. If you’re going to drink on the job, drink vodka. It’s the no-tell liquor.
82. There’s nothing wrong with drinking before noon. Especially if you’re supposed to be at work.
83. The bar clock moves twice as fast from midnight to last call.
84. A flask engraved with a personal message is one of the best gifts you can ever give. And make sure there’s something in it.
85. On the intimacy scale, sharing a quiet drink is between a handshake and a kiss.
86. You will forget every one of these rules by your fifth drink.
3.08.2009
staying connected
aside from my extremely long day at work yesterday, i suppose it was just like any other saturday. the weather was nice, people don't tip (more on that later, i promise), you know, the usual . . . except my phone died.
now this really isn't a big deal, you all know me for tending to let my phone go for awhile without a charge and perhaps i won't call you back for fear of putting the final proverbial nail in my phones dwindling power supply, but you'll at least get a text out of me. not yesterday. my inattention left me without my phone for just over 36 hours, and not only had it been awhile since i'd been without instantaneous communications, but it was also the first time since i'd had an active twitter account.
it wasn't the 13 missed text messages or the 4 voicemails or even the 45 minutes i spent last night catching up on it all, but for someone who is constantly being fed (seemingly useless) information, i found myself hungry to know the dumbest little details of my friend's lives (i'm sure it didn't help i was at work and had little else to occupy my thoughts). this got me thinking...
my first thought was something to the effect of "oh my god it's come to this point, i'm that cliche that micromanaging stage parents are always on fox news blabbering about. "the interwebs today have kids addicted to technology, that's why i homeschool my kids in a compound 90 miles from the nearest town with no electricity." now of course i mean no ill regards to homeschoolers, people who live in the boonies, or people with no electricity . . . but put them all together and there's something kinda eerie about it don't you think? anyway, i digress. for a few hours (in between delivering people their extra sides of ranch, drawn butter, and their fourteenth diet coke) i was trying to convince myself that i wasn't really addicted to technology, that it was a convenience that i sometimes took for granted, but that i didn't NEED it as an integral part of my personality. i may spend hours a day checking blogs, downloading torrents, playing on xbox live, texting, video chatting, researching, but i'm certainly not addicted. i also like camping with no internet, a nice roaring fire with marshmallows and the occasional phone ca . . . . shit.
so i am addicted, and the first step to an addiction is admitting you have a problem, right? wrong. the first step to an addiction is admitting you have an addiction, see the difference in wording there? some people will say that in this (dare i use the cliche phrase?) day and age (yep, why not, i'm tired) we're addicted to technology, and for some reason that is automatically bad, wrong, uncouth, morally unacceptable, unbecoming of an officer, adulterous, or worthy of a good whoopin' . . . whatever your choice phrase may be.
now this is nothing new or groundbreaking, i just wanted to throw my money into the fountain on this one. an "addiction", especially one to technology, is nothing to write home about, or to write anywhere about frankly, especially your local conservative news show. this instant link to the rest of the world may keep 23 i mean 13 year old boys in their basement and away from the sun for the majority of the vitamin-d boosting months of the year, but a skin tone that resembles a clean sheet of wax paper isn't worth the attack on an industry that has, is, and will forever change just about everything. a wholehearted embrace is what's needed for the nerds, geeks, and all around smart people that spend hours curled over a soldering station or staring into their gargantuan lcd screens because the possibilities are literally endless.
it is now that i realize i'm rambling because i can no longer remember when or how i began this little soap box parade of mine, but i think the point is to get out there and get connected, stay connected and figure out new ways to keep connecting to people. your digital footprints might not have a geographic location or a tangible book that can be admired in your study someday, but connections are about the spread of information. the faster the spread, the more we can all benefit by change.
now this really isn't a big deal, you all know me for tending to let my phone go for awhile without a charge and perhaps i won't call you back for fear of putting the final proverbial nail in my phones dwindling power supply, but you'll at least get a text out of me. not yesterday. my inattention left me without my phone for just over 36 hours, and not only had it been awhile since i'd been without instantaneous communications, but it was also the first time since i'd had an active twitter account.
it wasn't the 13 missed text messages or the 4 voicemails or even the 45 minutes i spent last night catching up on it all, but for someone who is constantly being fed (seemingly useless) information, i found myself hungry to know the dumbest little details of my friend's lives (i'm sure it didn't help i was at work and had little else to occupy my thoughts). this got me thinking...
my first thought was something to the effect of "oh my god it's come to this point, i'm that cliche that micromanaging stage parents are always on fox news blabbering about. "the interwebs today have kids addicted to technology, that's why i homeschool my kids in a compound 90 miles from the nearest town with no electricity." now of course i mean no ill regards to homeschoolers, people who live in the boonies, or people with no electricity . . . but put them all together and there's something kinda eerie about it don't you think? anyway, i digress. for a few hours (in between delivering people their extra sides of ranch, drawn butter, and their fourteenth diet coke) i was trying to convince myself that i wasn't really addicted to technology, that it was a convenience that i sometimes took for granted, but that i didn't NEED it as an integral part of my personality. i may spend hours a day checking blogs, downloading torrents, playing on xbox live, texting, video chatting, researching, but i'm certainly not addicted. i also like camping with no internet, a nice roaring fire with marshmallows and the occasional phone ca . . . . shit.
so i am addicted, and the first step to an addiction is admitting you have a problem, right? wrong. the first step to an addiction is admitting you have an addiction, see the difference in wording there? some people will say that in this (dare i use the cliche phrase?) day and age (yep, why not, i'm tired) we're addicted to technology, and for some reason that is automatically bad, wrong, uncouth, morally unacceptable, unbecoming of an officer, adulterous, or worthy of a good whoopin' . . . whatever your choice phrase may be.
now this is nothing new or groundbreaking, i just wanted to throw my money into the fountain on this one. an "addiction", especially one to technology, is nothing to write home about, or to write anywhere about frankly, especially your local conservative news show. this instant link to the rest of the world may keep 23 i mean 13 year old boys in their basement and away from the sun for the majority of the vitamin-d boosting months of the year, but a skin tone that resembles a clean sheet of wax paper isn't worth the attack on an industry that has, is, and will forever change just about everything. a wholehearted embrace is what's needed for the nerds, geeks, and all around smart people that spend hours curled over a soldering station or staring into their gargantuan lcd screens because the possibilities are literally endless.
it is now that i realize i'm rambling because i can no longer remember when or how i began this little soap box parade of mine, but i think the point is to get out there and get connected, stay connected and figure out new ways to keep connecting to people. your digital footprints might not have a geographic location or a tangible book that can be admired in your study someday, but connections are about the spread of information. the faster the spread, the more we can all benefit by change.
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