I had an interesting question this week from one of my acquaintances:
“Why do you write a blog? Isn’t that like a diary?”
Let’s be clear on the second question. No, blogging is not like a diary. If I wanted to write my most personal thoughts and share them with the world, I would probably set up a Twitter account. At that point, everyone would be able to hear about my trip to the grocery store and every time I used the bathroom. My blog is not a journal of my daily activities, which is reserved for Facebook. Blogs can be many things. Some blogs are company sponsored advertisements or special interest communications. Many of the blogs that I read are created by people who have ideas to share on politics, personal perspective, sports, humor, or other subjects that might interest the author and the reader.
As to the first question of why do I blog? The most obvious answer is that I am narcissistic enough to believe I have something to say that readers would find interesting. You do find it interesting, right? Mostly, the reason I blog is to write, to improve as a writer, to share my humorous thoughts or viewpoint. I hope that you find the post entertaining.
Monday, TTMM had a little fun with first date warning signs. A long time has passed since I have had to deal with the awkward and sometimes scary first date. Maybe I needed an intervention to safely remove me from the some of those dates. Regretfully, it took many dates after the first one to show me the error of my ways. Take some time to check out Monday’s “Warning Signs of a Bad First Date”
Wednesday brought a subject that took a thought on whether to add it to the rotation on TTMM. A new HBO program The Newsroom spoke to me. The video clip of the first few moments of The Newsroom convinced me that it was time to share this little editorial I have been contemplating. In the clip the question was asked “Is the U.S. the greatest country in the in world”. Check out the video clip from HBO’s The Newsroom that inspired this Wednesday’s editorial “Are We the Best Country in the World?”
Friday closed the week with an early morning muse about potential television programming and advertising disasters. . What can I say? My mind goes to some peculiar places when I am between sleep and the waking world. Come explore some of my thoughts and add a few of your own suggestions to “Awkward Morning Musing of a Sleepy Mind: Advertising”
I hope you enjoyed reading this week’s TTMM as much as I have enjoyed putting it together.
The bedroom light seeps through my half closed eyes, as my wife starts her morning a little earlier than I. The morning news filters into my waking moments. Between the promises of another scorching hot day and the frivolous chatter of the news anchors, the advertisers pitch their wares to what they hope is their demographic audience. According to the commercial, these advertisers believe I am in need of a MRI, hearing aid, a new roof because mine leaks, a new air conditioner because mine is broken, and my ass is suffering from hemorrhoids. I know I can be a pain in the ass but I don’t believe I suffer pains. Just who do the advertisers think are their morning viewers?
The advertising industry is the second largest employer of statisticians, behind only the insurance industry. The statisticians crunch numbers to give the probable age and gender of viewers for each show and broadcast time creating a demographic group. This hypothetical group is then matched to vendors that will pay to advertise their products at optimal times to target the “right” demographic group. According to the numbers, my house and I are falling apart. I suppose that I am the exception to their calculations.
Now, some things should not be advertised during specific shows or movies. One must go beyond the statistical demographics and into the human factor to understand why some products would just be insensitive or awkward-no matter what the statistic say. As I was clearing the sleep out of my thoughts, I came up with some potential advertising fails.
Golden Corral buffet restaurant advertising during the Biggest Loser.
Viagra commercials during 16 and Pregnant.
Clorox Bleach during any of CBS’s CSI franchise.
Political adds during the Jackass movies.
Closet organizers during the broadcast of Kill Bill or Kung Fu. (wait for the light bulb moment, you will get this one)
Shout stain remover after the Bill Clinton Biography.
Boy Scouts of America during news coverage of the Jerry Sandusky Trial.
Dos Equis’ “Most Interesting Man in the World” commercials during Intervention.
Cobra radar detectors advertising during Cops.
Ginsu knives during the OJ Simpson Biography.
Texaco sponsoring Al Gore’s An Inconvenient Truth.
Starkist ads during A Dolphin’s Tale.
Commercials are part of the television experience. Advertising, when done responsibly, can be thought provoking, funny, or even informative. In some cases, commercials can just be annoying. Take a moment to think of a few products that would be a little awkward when advertised during specific shows. I am sure you can come up with more examples to add to the list. My list was composed before the first cup of coffee.
The one plea I have is for someone to convince Trojan condoms to sponsor an ad during Duggar’s 19 and Counting.
{Stepping up to the podium, tapping the microphone and with a sigh, I look out upon the crowd as the fear grips me. I come to the realization that I am about to say things that might not be popular or accepted. Swallowing the fear, taking a deep breath, I commit to the moment. }
Is the United States the best country in the world?
I have thought about this question many times over the past few decades. Once, I believed the answer was yes. We are the greatest, most advanced, and most powerful country that exists. Unfortunately, that time of naivety has evaporated along with the belief in the Easter Bunny and Santa Claus. The U.S. may once have been one of the greatest countries in the world. However, as the country grows out of puberty and into adulthood, the U.S. is exchanging its teenaged ideology for the complacent persona of middle-aged greed. To answer the question presented, no, the U.S. is no longer the greatest country in the world. Before the mob gathers the noose and prepares to hang me from the nearest tree, let me explain.
Once, as a country, we held our heads high with a pride that was based on the core values of innovation, education, and integrity. We raced to the stars, fought for equality, and revolutionized industry. Pride was felt in a good day’s work. Our beliefs were based on earning everything you have and there was no such thing as a free lunch. Charity is what you did for others not what you held your hand out to receive. Success in school was measured by personal dedication and effort in all subjects, not just the subjects that appear on a national standardized test. Politicians were voted into office because of their stance on issues or principles, conviction, and a shared belief; not because of party affiliation. Yes, once we were the greatest country in the world and we earned that title through the blood, sweat, and tears of our people and their leaders. Somewhere, we lost our way.
We have become a country where social programs created to help those in need have become a crutch that encourages laziness. Why would someone strive to work or improve their situation if they can receive a handout for doing the minimum or nothing? These government programs allow the status quo to continue without putting ownership on those receiving assistance to change their situation. New government programs are continually created that are perpetuating this mentality by sustaining generation after generation of dependents on the program. How is this possible? The politicians that advocate the programs are seeking voters by creating a cycle of dependency.
The current reality of our political arena is much different than the world of our grandparents. Elections are bought by corporations and special interest groups who easily manipulate an ignorant populace. We are in the most polarized political landscape since the Civil War where voters no longer cast their vote based on belief in the candidate but the party they represent or rumors they believe. How are the voters expected to make informed decisions when the media, with its lost objectivity, clamors to spoon feed their political affiliates and satisfy their demographic focus for their advertisers? Making an informed decision has fallen to the sidelines in favor of the convenience of a ten-second sound bite. No longer are truth and journalistic creed part of the equation. Now is a time of instant gratification, tweets, and digital headlines where honest debate has slipped aside for tabloid politics. The integrity of the democratic process seems to have gone up for sale to the highest bidder on EBay.
What do the corporations get for their money? Corporations get a supportive political landscape that panders to their every whim allowing them to move jobs out of the country in favor of profits. At some point, we went from being the greatest industrial nation of innovation and manufacturing to a nation of mostly service based industries. Why? Corporations, with the blessing of the government find more profit in moving jobs to other industrial nations, where the wages can be reduced and labor laws are not as strict? In return, factories that employed thousands are sitting vacant with only weeds and rust being produced where once steel, automobiles, and textiles flowed from their loading bays.
With the closing of businesses, communities not only lose jobs, families and stability but also the ability and willingness to fund education. In a panic to keep funding and comply with national and state education standards, school districts shift the focus away from quality education to meeting the objectives of standardized test scores. These standards are forced on the districts by policies of state and local governments based on political agendas. Educators, in the hopes of maintaining their jobs, are expected to push the agenda set before them at the cost of learning and creativity that once made the U.S. the innovators on the global landscape. All the while, teachers are blamed for not only lowering the education standards but also for not meeting the needs of the individual students. Emphasis falls on to the tested subjects with other programs falling away. Children are force fed the test subjects and expected to perform without the essential skills they need. Without a strong emphasis on subjects like history, the values and foundation our country was built upon are slowly slipping away from future generations. As a nation, we are failing the future generations and dumbing down the population. Could it be that a less educated population is easier to manipulate?
Why do I have this view? I come from a generation that put emphasis on working hard for what you want, not expecting it to be given. I have the ability to write, read, and have intellectual thoughts because teachers were able to guide me into fostering my own ideas and opinion. I grew up in a time where history and the arts were taught to give an understanding of mistakes and accomplishment of our past. If I needed understanding, I searched through many ideas to find the answers, not open a browser and look for a bite-sized tidbit. Back then when honor in action and words meant something, where information could be trusted to be more fair and objective unlike the pretense of objectivity we now have in the age of 24 hour news channels and Wikipedia.
I love my country. I believe that we were once the greatest country in the world. Then again, the Roman Empire was once the greatest empire known to the civilized world. Once upon a time, the sun never set on the British Empire. We used to reach for the stars, now we reach for the remote and our wallets. We believed in what we stood for and held our heads up high. We were the envy of the world. I want to know that time again before I leave this world. Will you help me to achieve it?
All relationships start with a first date. The first date can be a magical moment where you realize that this is someone who you would like to get to know more or for the stalker types, someone to spend your life with. Before you know, many dates later, you are in a relationship with that person and look back fondly on that first moment. Sight, sounds, and smells may remind you of that moment when the connection was first forged. The fans of romantic comedies (which for the record, my wife is not one of them); the moment usually has a cute little story that is told throughout to anyone who will listen. It seems that everyone has a little moment like this.
Not all first dates have this special little moment. The darker side of first dates is the ones that can’t end fast enough. From the second they start, there is a feeling of dread that only gets worse. These aren’t the “how I met your mother” moment but something that more closely resembles a Charlie Sheen train wreck (Winning! Not). We have all had them and most have lived through them. Some misread the signs of the bad first date and mistakenly procreated with the other person forever attaching them to us. We all know people like this. We pity them or maybe we are them.
There are a few bright neon warning signs that may indicate that this may not be the person for you.
If your date spends the evening talking about how crazy their former boyfriend/girlfriend was and refuses to change the subject, your best bet is to find an escape route and calmly walk away from the situation. If there is that much pent up anger and fixation on the situation, the ex may not be the only psycho and also may not truly be an ex.
If anywhere during the date, one of the parties gets arrested; this might be a sign that it isn’t going to work out too well. Nothing says trust like a pair of handcuffs but that usually doesn’t have anything to do with a jail cell.
You know you might be in trouble when their biggest aspiration is to move out of their parent’s basement after finding a nice girl, just like mom, to settle down with. This conversation is usually mixed throughout discussion of the new first person shooter game and the last comic convention.
If you spend a first date talking about what your date’s perfect wedding would entail, you may want to reconsider taking the relationship any further. They are clearly more interested in the wedding as an event and not the relationship that MIGHT lead up to a marriage.
If your date asks for your financial and medical records, this is never a good sign.
Since the above list only scratched the surface, let’s review a couple of phrases to keep an eye out for on the first date.
“My wife/husband was telling me this morning…”
“I learned from my probation officer…”
“When I was inside (this can be taken as prison or the psych ward)…”
“No, that was my third baby daddy/momma…”
“I really like Tom Cruise…”
“You remind me of my mom/dad…”
“No, I play in the band for a living…”
“So, how many kids do you want? I am thinking four or five.”
The first date is an important step in any new relationship. (Without it, you probably are with a prostitute, but that is another story.) If the date is successful, it could lead to a life-long partner with the whole house and white picket fence fantasy. By following these warning signs, you may successfully avoid the inconvenience of the eminent restraining order, divorce lawyer, and costly child support (or lack thereof).
How was my vacation? Is that your first question? Watch it or that might end up being one of the office inner monologue blogs. I am sure I can come up with a few choice responses to that question. Now that I think about it, maybe I should do just that. Anyway, my vacation was wonderful. Thank you for asking.
This week I missed a day on the blog as I was recovering from all the fun I had with the family. I had hoped to use the hours on the train to work on this week’s post but instead, I took the moment to hold my wife’s hand and read my Nook. I find that between work, family, and writing, I have to actively attempt the balancing of “me” time in there. Thus, reading was what I chose. If you are wondering, it was a good book and I finally finished. You weren’t wondering? Well, never mind. I will move on.
TTMM was in vacation mode this week as well. As I long to be back enjoying the time I had off work, it manifested in my writing. Let’s take a few moments to review.
Of course, there are things that inspire you to question what the hell is going on or make you wonder. Vacation time is the perfect time for human theater and observation. I discuss some of them in ”Vacation Observations”
There are quite a few things that go into planning a vacation but then there are moments that make it all worthwhile. Discover some of those moments in “A New Adventure”
As mentioned before, I tend to read quite a bit. Most of my current library is in the eBook format. Not only is the cost of books a little more acceptable but I won’t have to add an addition on to my house for my book shelves. It is my personal opinion that the new format has changed the face of publication and has brought popularity to reading again. One of the benefits of eBooks is the opening of doors to new authors that may have never been able to be published otherwise. Self-publishing has given opportunities, not only for the author but the reader, to explore stories that wouldn’t normally be accepted by the print publication industry. For those that have an eReader, have you been reading more than you previously were? Are you discovering new authors? What are your thoughts on the shift of the industry?
This week, I am coming back from vacation with my family. Though I may travel often with my job, it is a very rare occasion that I can share the world beyond my little community with my family. Last week, I had a chance to share a little piece of the traveling experience with those I love. I was able to experience the excitement of my children discovering new things, exploring a world they haven’t seen outside of the movies, and seeing a part of the world through their eyes. For those that have had the opportunity to travel with your children, you can understand the balance of excitement and stress. For those that haven’t had the chance; let me explain.
The Stress
If anyone has ever tried to get a group of people together to do any activity, you know that there is a lot of planning, coordinating, and double-checking your list. You have to balance everyone’s needs, personalities, and level of understanding. This process starts weeks before the vacation. I watched my wife go through a daily juggling act of looking for interesting places, fascinating sights to see and must-do things. She attempted to have balance and include things our youngest would like, our oldest would like, and what we wanted to do. She purchased the tickets for events and planned out how much time we needed between things, all the while, leaving things open for the free-flow exploration. Once the trip begins, it is a juggling act of corralling the group, answering the millions of requests from the children (most of the answers are “no”), and all the while attempting to relax and enjoy the moment.
Then the moment happens
The excitement of the trip becomes infectious as the children look around in awe of the new world they are experiencing. Their heads snap from left to right to catch all the new sights like a rubber-necker passing a fender bender. The stress flows out of you with each laugh and comment from the children as you explain the things around them and what is planned. The parental bonds with the children start to reconnect with each passing moment, as do the sibling connection at the shared experience. Forgotten are the tasks for work and the bills to pay. The only thing that matters is continuing this very moment for as long as you can. In that instant, you understand the rewards of the labor in preparing for the trip.
Reaching over and taking my daughter’s hand in mine, we wander through the avenues of skyscrapers as a family and work our way towards each new adventure. Laughter becomes the family’s constant companion as we incorporate our inside jokes to the world around us. We see the new city in a way the natives have long forgotten. Museums, parks, and tourist events are the goals we seek and find with every turn.
At the end of the first day, with legs aching from the exertion, my wife and I enjoy a drink as the kids wander off to look over the lake. I feel my wife’s hand in mine as we relax and watch the children marvel at the sight. I see my son reach down and pat his sister on the shoulder as he explains something to her. She looks up at him and smiles. This is what a family vacation is meant to be.
We are settling back into the routine after our family vacation. There was not much time to sit down and write, or when there was, I have to say I was exhausted. This week will be a little light on TTMM as I get back into work mode, raise my energy levels up to the normal levels, and sit down to do some writing again. I have many ideas of coming articles but the words are not flowing as they should to make them presentable. Please, forgive the holes in the schedule.
I did want to leave everyone with something to think about from my observations away; just a few quick notes of reference. What do you think?
No matter how someone parents their children, other parents will have a “better way to handle” the situation. Some of those methods may be better but we have to remember that we are not the parents of that spoiled brat that is causing all the issues. We are just sharing in the awkwardness of the situation.
It doesn’t matter how exciting the place you are visiting, there is probably a large portion of that city’s population that that wishes they were somewhere else.
Can someone tell me how so many people can spend business hours riding their bikes, running, and rollerblading? It is in the middle of the day, don’t they have jobs?
It doesn’t matter how well the hotel is rated, there will always be a group of children running the halls and playing in the elevator. It is a fact we must accept.
Yes, the cab drivers will run you over if you walk in front of them.
Never sit in the front seat of a taxi cab if you are a squeamish about other people’s driving. If you have to do so, spend the time reading your phone but never look out the windshield. You will not enjoy the trip.
Wearing your sports team swag while visiting the rival’s city is just fun, especially when you repeatedly win against them.
Food that you would normally not eat will actually sound good after walking all day. That is why it is available around the tourist areas. The only regret you will have is paying the absurd amount.
No matter how much time you spend on vacation, it will take twice the amount of time to recover from the time away. There should be a vacation after the vacation in order to rest up.
For all those on vacation at this time of year, what are some of your observations that you have discovered? Let’s see if we can add to the list.
This week has been crazy and satisfying in many ways. We started the week visiting Hell or at least its kitchen, in our look into what the reality show’s contestants should consider before accepting a role on the show. On our next stop we visited what makes people purge their friends list on the all-powerful Facebook. We ended the week with my personal blog and internet reading list at the moment.
It seems if you wish to get people’s attention, just mention Facebook. That is why I mentioned it in the title of today’s blog. Almost everyone has a Facebook account, whether they actively use it or log in once in a while to creep through their friends’ photos. My mother is even on the social network giant. She uses it to keep in contact with her children. Now that doesn’t mean she is actively participating in two-way communication, she is sort of “stalking” the family by reading our statuses or blogs. Kind of creepy in some ways, but it is nice in others as it gives the feeling of having a guardian angel watching over me; a mute guardian angel. I love you, Mom. Just smile and wave at the readers.
“Social media includes web-based and mobile based technologies which are used to turn communications into interactive dialogue among organizations, communities, and individuals.”.. as defined by Wikipedia
Our fascination for all forms of social media has been growing over the past 15 years. Social media began to enter mainstream culture as AOL grew in popularity. True geeks will argue the first wide-spread social communication on the internet was message boards but the majority of us are not “true geeks” so I will stick by my timeline, not the geek-line. As I was saying, social media started with AOL, then moved to Yahoo, progressing to the social world we have today. Like all things, if used responsibly, the inter-linking Internet communities can be beneficial; like guns, alcohol, religion, and porn. (I have always wanted to put those words in a sentence.) However, if abused, those same electronic societies can quickly go from annoying to fanatical. Now I don’t think that Facebook will be the fall of society but more likely a blip on the timeline our progress. Then again, religions have been started from some of the strangest things; wasn’t Scientology born from a sci-fi book?
Let’s look back at this week’s posts
Love them or hate them, reality shows are part of our culture and television schedule. This week, we looked into what the contestants on Fox’s Hell’s Kitchen should understand before they join the show in “A Little Advice for Hell…Or Hell’s Kitchen.”
If Facebook friend lists reflect our relationships with others, then it is time to clean up your list. Here are the reasons why some do not appear on my friends list anymore in “The Friendship Is Over…Just Ask Facebook.”
Taking a little time for a family vacation this week, I thought it would be fun to share out some of the authors, bloggers, and webpages that I am currently following. I hope you took some time to read through their pages. I hope to share more that I discover. See my recommendations in “It’s Family Vacation Time.”
I want to thank everyone for reposting and sharing. I write because I enjoy writing. I post for you, the reader to enjoy. If you like a blog, share it with your friends, repost on your favorite site, or just leave a comment. I will keep doing this as long as everyone keeps reading.
Well, it is family vacation time. The first time that the family has gone out of town to do something fun as a group. Since I have spent the week trying to wrap up things at work (I actually have a day job, really!) and getting things ready for our adventure; I haven’t had much time for writing this week. Oh, I have started many things but haven’t put the finishing touches on them enough to be seen in public. Sort of like the hour before you go out on the town and you may be ready but not primped enough to have the “WOW” factor you are wanting. (Did that analogy work? No? Oh well, that is all I have today)
So, I would like to take some time today to share with you some other bloggers that I have been following over the past few weeks. Writers that post thought invoking blogs or, just make me laugh. Let me introduce you to a few of these bloggers and maybe you will find them as entertaining as I do.
Joe’s Shitty Ideas: I have mentioned this site before and look forward to the notifications coming into my email inbox for new postings. Joe is…well, see for yourself. http://joesshittyideas.com/
ThatFunnyBlog: A new find for me. The author puts his sense of humor out there in a way sucks you into the moment. Oh, and he has a book out there for you to look up as well. http://thatfunnyblog.wordpress.com/
James N. Cook: Here is another author that will hopefully be featured in an upcoming review on TTMM. Take some time to get to know him through his blog. His second installment is coming out soon and for those that haven’t read the first book, No Easy Hope, I recommend you check it out. http://jamesncook.blogspot.com/
Everywhere Once: If you like stunning pictures and looks for a little bit of story behind each one, take some time to investigate this site. http://everywhereonce.com/
I am off to explore the wonders of human theater and discover a few precious family moments. Who knows, I might even get inspired for some upcoming stories to share.
In our current culture, Facebook dictateswho we like and recognize as friends. If you are not on our Facebook friends list, then you must not be someone we consider worthy of such a title. Never mind that we talk on the phone, at work, or when we get together in person; if you don’t make the cut on the almighty Facebook, you are not really my friend. I am truly sorry to break that news to you so publically on the internet. I would have notified you via my status update, but you wouldn’t see it because my Facebook is only for those people who are my friends and since you are not on the list, you wouldn’t have been given this little tidbit of wisdom. I know you were once in the know and on the elite list of friends but found yourself banished to obscurity without a warning or reason. It could have happened for one of many different reasons and I feel that I owe you an explanation on why you were kicked out of the cool kids’ crowd. So here are some of the reasons you are no longer my friend.
For the love of the game: It seems that you had a whole lot of time on your hands to play online games. You fill my screen with your little achievement updates, and request for help building your barn, finding a stone, or kicking another player’s ass. I, however, do not have the luxury of time and have had less because of having to sort through multiple pages of your game posts to find something interesting from people who had something real to share. Sorry, but you have been deleted from the list and I truly hope that barn of yours burns to the ground.
Breaking the chain: In the beginning, there were chain letters. Then came chain emails. In our new world, we have chain statuses. Like their predecessors, they do nothing more than piss off the people who feel guilty for not complying with the requested response. Thank you for the notification on the little girl that is suffering from a fatal acne breakout. I am sure that it will clear up after we re-post the story in our status. Well, I for one desire to live a guilt-free life and am willing to close my eyes to all of the suffering in the world to make it a better place for me. In honor of my new outlook, or lack thereof, I am purging you from my friends list in order to be a happier me. I feel better already.
Drama class: I am one that likes a little bit of drama, as long as it is happening to someone else. Those that display their drama for all to see can be quite amusing. However, when you constantly share your relationship issues, your pitiful life, or your hatred for your job, you cross over from the realm of amusing to pathetic. If I wanted to see that every day, I would watch reruns of the Jerry Springer Show. It is time to consider your life too depressing, even for me.
Manic moments: On the opposite side of the depressing drama are those of you that are chronically upbeat and cheerful. After reading your status messages every hour (because you post your joyful messages frequently), I almost wonder if your high spirits result in rainbows coming out of your ass. Your words of uplifting prose probably make you feel warm and fuzzy, but for those of us that live in the world of reality, you are obnoxiously manic. No one is that merry all the time; hence your deletion from the pool of friends. Call me cynical but I have no room for someone that is not honest with me on how shitty your life has truly become.
Who the hell are you?: Just because you happen to be related to my second cousin by marriage and you have the same last name as I do does not mean that I know you. Though we attended the same school, church, or worked the same fast food place doesn’t make us friends. In a moment of weakness (and curiosity) I accepted your friend request. I have since realized that weakness is not the way to live and have rectified that moment by deleting you out of my life. I feel stronger already.
I hope this clears up any questions that kept you up at night. For a brief moment, we were thick as thieves and part of a greater circle of society together. May you go on to find friends that appreciate your uniqueness. I, for one, am not that friend.
Looking back over my friends list, I see a few members of my family, a few people that make me laugh with their posts, and a handful of people who are my only link to a life that is long past. I have come to realize that I must not be a good person as I have fewer friends than I thought. Maybe they deleted me because of my constant promotion of my blog. NAW, they love me.
