Objective in Approach; Subjective in Selection

What Has Happened to Originality?

2011-06-09T12:42:00.000-07:00

Listen to the radio and you'll find yet another remake of a classic song.

Go to the multiplex and you'll find yet another remake of a classic film.

Go online and you'll find yet another remake of someone else's opinion or idea.

Arguably, this hyper-connected world is killing our ingenuity and originality as any idea, approach, opinion, or strategy can be simply lifted from elsewhere. Now trust me, I'm a huge proponent of learning from others, but where do you draw the line between guidance, and regurgitation? After all, why bother to learn anything when you can drop it into a search?

Even the simple act of performing a web search means that billions of people will be pulling from the same repository of information. Wikipedia has revolutionized the way that we access facts, but it has also devolutionized the way that we problem solve, research, and deductively reason.

The same can be said for music. Turn on the radio and 90% of what you'll hear you will be remade songs from the 70s, 80s, and 90s. Technology has revolutionized the way that we RE-create music, but it has also devolutionized the way that music is created.

So this begs the question...who's to blame? Do we blame technology? Or do we blame ourselves?

First off, yes. Technology makes everything in our lives easier. But given that we are (apparently) inherently lazy creatures, we certainly have no problems indulging ourselves.

I also think it comes down to the fact that because there is so much information passing by us at any given moment, we are actively and passively influenced by all of it... So like a web search, our brains just go for the most immediately accessible, relevant solution that we can get our grubby little neurons on.

Whether Music, TV, Film, Politics, you name it--We simply can't avoid performing someone else's song. That, and in the information age there's the unspoken notion that "'tis better to contribute nonsense than to contribute nothing at all".

Remember when technology use to make our lives functionally better? It seems that now days technology makes our lives conveniently better. Problem is, the way that we think seems to have followed suit in that instead of seeking functional knowledge to create something new that's of value, we seek convenient knowledge because it's easy to replicate.

What are your thoughts?

Why Should You Volunteer?

2011-03-29T10:01:00.000-07:00

Since late 2009 I've been volunteering with a program called BUILD. This organization, veiled in entrepreneurial endeavors, is intended to facilitate the pursuit of underprivileged students toward college; many of whom will be first generations students in their families.

Because these students are early adolescent high schoolers however, it certainly doesn't come without challenges. Romance, drugs, stresses of school work, stresses at home, and popularity routinely pepper the conversations that I overhear and I often catch myself playing parent while forgetting that I'm only but 12 years removed from those same discussions. Yet, despite providing a different perspective than what is fed to them by their parents and teachers, they actually provide me with a sort of 90 minute/week oasis from my own adult stresses. Work, relationships, family; all of these things are pushed away when I'm with these kids.

I can only hope that I'm able to marginally do the same for them.

With that, I figured that I'd share a commercial that we filmed for their business, "Sleep Well Pillows". These are travel pillows that the kids have made by hand and have been selling to friends and family. All of the editing was done by my 10th grade kid, Marco (he's the one that stretches into Bria's face!)

Either way, if you're thinking about volunteering, wherever that may be, I highly recommend it. It'll put a new spin on the way that you see your life, the lives of others, and the intersections between each. And besides, spending my Saturday with them was one of the best afternoons I've had in a long, long time.

When a Child Lies: Something to Consider

2011-02-09T10:42:00.000-08:00

Since I haven't posted in while, this certainly isn't meant to shed light on anything; rather, to make you think about the following idea.

One might argue that lying is one of our most primitive forms of self preservation. Similar to a child's natural inclination to say "mine" when challenging another for food, lying presents the opportunity to reliably manipulate any situation into one's own favor. While a worrisome milestone, it's also a milestone indicative of growth and socialization. What I want to explore however, is the sophistication and maturity required to lie on someone else's behalf.

I would submit that most children under the age of 5 are incapable of lying for someone else. No matter how well adjusted, it's simply not a cognitive process that has realized itself. Naturally as that child develops, their understanding of the world around them expands from self-preservation, to collective-preservation. There's the benevolent realization that they cannot survive without the assistance of others. Thus, whether lying on behalf of their best friend who makes English class easier or lying to Child Protective Services because they wish to remain out of foster care, there is a high degree of complexity required to manipulate an externalized situation. So given all of that, what's the motive?

Pfff, I don't know!

But I would certainly love to understand more about the true intentions of a child and how they influence and manage a situation constructed through their own falsehood. Are they innocently destructive in this lie? Constructively cruel? Both? Or neither?

Either way, I would personally find it both comforting and disturbing to learn that my kid is able to externalize a lie. While it would be indicative of better socialization and awareness, it might also imply a trajectory of deception that, if left unattended, could be cultivated into a dangerous personal trait. Clearly my take isn't scientific, but it's certainly something to consider. It's easy to see self-preservation in action, but what exactly is going on when such a young mind is capable of manipulation not only for self, but for others as well?

Twitter: The Next Social Bookmarking Site

2010-12-03T11:43:00.000-08:00

Is it me or is Twitter is becoming nothing more than an RSS feed powered by people who I think are interesting? Now, before you bunch your hipster flannels into a wad, I understand that the purpose of The T is to share ideas with the social web in fewer characters than a text message. However, without context around your personal motivations for sharing, how is that any different than a social bookmarking site?

It's not... At least I don't think so... Then what's missing?

Color. WHY exactly are you sharing that link about Dopey Financial Group bringing in a new CEO? Does it affect you? Are you outraged? Tell us what compelled you to click that share button! Though at this point in Twitter's evolution people can deduct when you're simply trying to move traffic to your site or suck up to another user by retweeting their portfolio of blog posts, let me be clear with my idea here:

The mere act of sharing something does not inherently illuminate your motives behind doing so.

A lot of brain neurons fire between the time that we decide to share an article and its final postage to Twitter, but those dots remain vastly disconnected. Clearly your interests are peaked, so why not take that one step further and tell us why. The ubiquity of sharing these days has made way for vain and whimsical "participation" by way of a personalized message board that we figure people want to see. Why then, would you want your sole contribution to the Twitter universe to be a regurtiation of links from CNN, Mashable, and Huffington Post? To each their own, I suppose, but again- If I'm looking for that, I'll just visit Reddit or Digg.

Thoughts?

Lying Makeup

2010-11-09T14:33:00.000-08:00

My Torn Achilles

2010-10-04T19:22:00.000-07:00

Yep, it's gone. There is a gap in the back of my ankle where the strongest tendon in my body used to be. We're all familiar with the Greek Warrior 'Achilles'; fabled for his unparalleled strength in all parts of his being...expect for his heel. And after taking an arrow to the back of his foot, homeboy was useless.

...Well so am I.

Yesterday while playing a pickup game of flag football down in San Diego, my team was on defense and the play call was for a blitz. This play was just like any other that I'd had over the course of the day as I was perpetually thinking about the best way to avoid injuring my knee. I've had terrible knees for the last few years and whenever I'm doing anything that involves fast movement and directional changes, I have a heightened level of sensitivity around the anchors of my legs. I suppose that would be the second least of my worries.

As the ball was hiked, I planted my foot to begin the play. When I stepped forward, I felt something in the back of my ankle just above my heel; like someone had dropped a weight on me or jumped down on top of my leg. After I fell to the ground, I rolled over to diagnose what had just happened. I looked at my ankle and it wasn't dangling off or anything so all was well there--but then I looked at the area where my leg met the back of my shoe and said "yup, that was my achilles, DAMMIT". Basically there was an air pocket of loose skin where my tendon used to be. Between the fits of pain, racing through my mind were the inconveniences involved with being unable to walk for the foreseeable future.

At this point I'm 36 hours out from the rupture and another 60 hours from my surgery. It was pretty foul listening to the orthopedic specialist describe how they're going slice open the back of my leg, pull down the tendon that has rolled up my calf, and reattach it to what little tendon was left behind my heel.

I guess we'll see how things go over the next few days. I'm 98% immobile and dropping percocets every 5 hours which have been piping me off into a land of disillusioned enchantment full of colorful bubbles and soft sleepy sheep. It could be worse though. I could've torn it while doing something far less cool than playing football.

More to come...

My Short Attention Span ...

2010-09-23T11:18:00.000-07:00

...is forcing me to rethink the way that I process the world around me. So how do I return to the good ole days (1990s) when I could actually wait until 6 o'clock for the evening news, wait until half time for sports scores, wait until I was finished with dinner to use the phone, and patiently thumb through encyclopedias to find the largest pinky toe ever recorded?

I can't. And I don't think that I could if I wanted to.

Regardless, here are 5 ways that I know that my attn span is kicking the bucket...

1) My brain is over gratified by perpetual nuggets of "new".

Ever find yourself refreshing a newsfeed or forum page that you just refreshed? Better yet, ever find yourself checking all of your social media communities for updates/notifications and legitimately feeling dejected when you didn't have a new comment or request? Yeh...- Your brain is telling you something.

2) If I see a paragraph with more lines than I can count at a glance, I'm skipping over it.

Who has time to read nowadays?! Well- Everyone I suppose since our faces are always glued to some sort of screen or monitor. Ok, so then who has time to read more than 2 sentences at a time without a break? Coffee Shop Philosophers maybe...? Though they're probably only looking at the pictures.

3) I can't bear to do fewer than 2 things at a time.

Walking and texting. Driving and texting. Talking and typing. Eating and web surfing. Watching TV and status updating. Reading and listening to music. Flying and Wifi-ing. (What'd I miss besides everything?).

4) Soccer... Love to play, hate to watch.

So if two teams are scoreless going into the 89th minute, then I've been watching them kicking a ball around for nothing. If someone scores in stoppage time then that's all that I needed to see...yeah?

5) Two minutes of a song at the bar/club is still too much.

Dear DJs, when playing Too Short's "Blow the Whistle"- feel free to mix things out after, 'what's my favorite word'.

I'm not sure what to do at this point, but I will tell you that I did about 12 other things while writing this. Which reminds me; we always hear that when you're doing multiple things, no ONE thing is ever done well. Case in point, people who walk and text at the same time are shitty pedestrians whom even auto-correct cannot save from sending such gems like, "did the hummus hump the rice".

(Which happened to me yesterday)

City People Directions vs. Non-City People Directions

2010-07-09T09:13:00.000-07:00

I thought I'd share a little text message exchange between a friend and I while in pursuit of a local wine store in Arlington, Va.

Me: Where's the vino place?
C-Note: I told u on Clarendon Blvd
Me: That's a long street...
C-Note: Past Orvis
Me: Cross streets are helpful
C-Note: Across from the container store
Me: Where's that? Cross streets are helpful
C-Note: It's right past Orvis before the eye glass store
Me: !!!
C-Note: I don't know. Whatever street is before grocery store and after Cheesecake Factory

*Sigh*

...And notice that she gave me 5 points of reference, none of which are relevant without a cross street. At that rate she may as well just give me an address.

Obama vs. Oil Spill vs. America

2010-06-16T09:02:00.000-07:00

In case you missed it, President Obama addressed the Nation last night to outline his planned response to the gulf oil spill. Though it was met with terrible reviews, I can't help but wonder what more people want from this guy?

It reminds me of the armchair quarterbacks complaining about why Mark Sanchez, quarterback for the New York Jets, can't throw an accurate pass down field? Well...could you throw that pass? Likewise, Obama is being tasked with coordinating a clean up effort, ensuring the health, environmental and economic viability of the entire gulf region, levying sanctions upon British Petroleum (BP), and keeping literally everyone happy in the meantime. This is an absolutely catastrophic event and we are acting like he's holding out on those magical powers to clap his hands and make it all go away.

Critics complain that Obama didn't outline ANY sort of plan but rather, "once again", spoke in grandiose and inoperable terms looping in this as an opportunity to begin the pursuit of clean energy alternatives. (Conspiracy theorists a-chatter much?) Let me put it like this; this administration is comprised of some of the smartest, most calculated people in this country and the gamble that they faced was to either OVER-promise, or UNDER-promise. If he had strutted in touting to get everything cleaned up within the next month, to criminally fine BP for their entire $100B market cap value, and make gulf seafood more delicious than ever, that STILL wouldn't be enough because you'd have people saying, "how the hell does he think he's going to do that?" To be clear, I can't necessarily blame them either because we're all cynical when we're getting screwed over. That should, however, be reserved for residents of the gulf affected by this mess.

For example, it's natural to want help immediately after we break our leg skateboarding, but the reality is, we've got to wait for the ambulance. Are EMTs driving too recklessly? Is there too much traffic? Is the driver incompetent? Is there bad weather? Do they have the right equipment? Most of these are considerations for the OTHER side...- all we have to think about is how much pain we're in. Lets not forget however, that like EMTs, quarterbacks, and (most of) our government officials, they're trained at this.

Everyone has an opinion on how they can govern better than the people currently doing so because in our diluted heads, the only interests that we actually consider are our own. That goes for Tea Partiers acting like they're the only Americans being taxed. That goes for Liberals acting like they're the only ones who are poor. That goes for Conservatives acting like they're always the victim. That goes for Libertarians acting like they're the only ones who work hard. No matter who's in office, it always seems like it's those who protest the loudest that are the first with their hands out to the government in hard times... I'm looking at you welfare recipients and big banks.

So everybody just calm down. In the gulf region, livelihoods are at stake. Ecosystems are at stake. Food safety is at stake. If we had the expertise to assist here, why are we sitting behind a computer at Starbucks or in a news studio in New York jaw jacking about why the President hasn't done more? You wouldn't tell a Top Chef how to cook Bouilabaisse with Sofrito would you?

...So, since I don't see any of you down in the gulf waist deep in oil, just be quiet while the adults and experts are trying to figure this out.

Damn You

2010-06-08T13:40:00.000-07:00

Now that's it's stuck in your head too... go ahead a ruin someone else's day

Employers and The Misuse of Social Media Profiles

2010-04-29T18:10:00.000-07:00

We've all heard the tragic stories about individuals being fired, or not hired, because of content found in an online profile. This begs the question; Who's to blame? The person who freely consumed alcohol, whimsically flipped birds at photogs, openly spoke their mind about the world around them, yet failed to lock down their account? Or, the employer who rifled through that profile looking for who knows what...?

Late last year I was forwarded a letter which had been sent as a reply to an employer who had discontinued pursuing a candidate because of content contained within their Facebook account. It begins an interesting debate into whether or not companies are simply weeding out toxic employees, or if they are misguidedly forming assumptions about an individuals work performance based on behavior in their (seemingly) "personal" life.

To quickly summarize the note, "Kyle" (the guy's name) mentions that the employer's older age was the only thing keeping the misguided behavior of his past, in the past. He goes on to align Facebook and LinkedIn as the equivalent personal and professional personas that we adhere to in our daily interactions. To use his words, he describes LinkedIn as a "front". Lastly, he tosses over a pot shot pondering ramifications for George W. Bush had he had a Facebook profile during his college years.

This guy raises a few good questions however. We are arguably more ourselves online than we are in reality because we often remove our social filters to reveal the actual views, opinions, and ideologies that govern our daily perceptions. Just consider how many vile comments you've read in forums simply because these folks knew that they were anonymous and knew that they had social distance. You very well may be one of those people!

I'll acknowledge that Facebook is a different beast as it's not anonymous and we can arguably manipulate how we present ourselves in these spaces. The problem is, we tend to forget that our views and opinions seep through into our social networking personas simply by way of the content that we post, share, retweet, and 'like'. You might not openly say that you agree that Sarah Palin is qualified to run on the 2012 G.O.P. ticket, but if you click "like this" after a friend has posted an article supporting that notion, you may as well own it in reality too.

I would submit that employers sifting through the Facebook accounts of potential candidates can very quickly lead down a road of profiling out certain individuals based on anything from political affiliation, to the types of television shows they enjoy. There's obviously a reason that people are on their best behavior when going in for a job interview; we want them to be professional! It's just an unrealistic expectation to think that people can be professional in all corners of their lives and then, consequently, base the quality of their professionalism on how their downtime is spent.

...but if you were an employer, would you use social media profiles as a means of screening candidates?

President Obama Wants Me To WHAT?!

2010-04-01T15:07:00.000-07:00

Mr. President what are you thinking?!

So today President Obama began urging Americans to be patient with the health care reform laws passed early last week. (See the USA Today story detailing his appeal to Americans to give this some time to work.)

I can't help but think our President is completely out of touch with both the people who elected him as well as those who think that he should be impeached since he has direct lineage with E.T. and ALF. If he really thinks that we Americans comprise a nation of enduring and conscientious individuals who are willing to patiently, and without complaint, wait for things to work themselves out, he should go lick cats.

Lets see. We are a nation of people who:

1) ...love get rich quick schemes
2) ...want more! (But want to pay less...)
3) ...can't wait until payday so we seek payday advances
4) ...will shoot someone dead for stealing the 50 Square feet of space in front of them in gridlocked traffic
5) ...will consume fast food even if saving 10 minutes of food prep time will give us high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and high likelihood of looking completely AWESOME when dancing

Thus, I pledge that you join me in telling the President that "I Want It NOW!"...(or, "I Don't Want It NOW!") whichever side you're on. Either way, if it only takes nearly 100 years to pass this type of legislation, then it should have been implemented last year.

...And hurry up with my plate of Hope and side of Change. Things are looking pretty familiar right now...

Lady Gaga: A Musical Comparison

2010-03-31T15:06:00.000-07:00

So why am I circling back for yet ANOTHER post on Stefani Germanotta, aka Lady Gaga? Well, there were a lot of people who objected to my previous post which outlined why Lady Gaga's talent is overshadowed by the production of her songs.

There are quite a few videos below so before you go clicking away, let me first be clear. As you'll soon find, she is a GREAT singer and talented pianist.

Let me say that again for those of you who are already poised to contest an argument that they have not yet heard: She is a GREAT singer and talented pianist.

Now, if we're all in agreement, find out for yourself below exactly what I'm talking about. Bottom line, if the piano version of 'Poker Face' went head-to-head with the instrumental track, her acoustic version would have no chance...as with 'Paparazzi'; and as you could imagine, "Just Dance" or "Bad Romance". This is why I cannot, in good conscience, say that Lady Gaga is famous because of her talent. To quote my previous post:

"...her music is not a sole product of her fixed creation; rather, she is a byproduct of/and outlet for, the music that she represents."

The amazing thing is that as you listen to these instrumentals, your brain will automatically begin to insert the vocals. While that might be because she's such a great vocalist, I would argue that it's because the track is so catchy and the production so seductive. Could you possibly imagine anyone else in the world singing this song? Maybe yourself perhaps? That woman down the hall?

Yeah, the song is still pretty catchy regardless of who's behind the studio mic...

Either way, I can't imagine your girlfriend falling over a pile of clothes on a Friday night while getting ready to go out because she was jamming so hard to the acoustic version of "Paparazzi". Acoustic versions give you coffee shop play, not global recognition. A hit track gives you fame, and fame gives you fans...

Take a listen for yourself-

Produced by RedOne:

FF to 1:30...

Produced by her ex-boyfriend Robert Fusari:

Produced by RedOne:

Produced by RedOne:

The Hypersensitivity of Stereotypes

2010-03-12T16:18:00.000-08:00

I'm convinced that we learn to take offense.

As a child, I don't recall being offended by someone seductively waving a fried chicken leg in my face, I don't recall being offended by someone offering me watermelon, and I certainly don't recall being offended when people said "purple" kool-aid and laughed. All I knew was that fried chicken was tasty, watermelon was refreshing, and purple kool-aid was the best flavor.

At some point between then and now however, I irresponsibly learned to take offense to those things. After watching white person after white person on television apologizing for using these references (and most recently, Dan Rather), I began to realize that while I didn't know why I was supposed to be offended, I just knew that I was.

This creates confusion.

In attempt to protect the cultural image of my history in America, my priorities quickly became muddled while trying to police any potentially bigoted representation of my heritage. I found myself defending "Watermelon" on Wednesday and the "N-word" on Friday. All of a sudden I began to realize however, if I keep this up, how could my appeals ever be taken seriously?

I say all of this because I have found it absolutely essential to pick my battles. Although I don't always adhere to that, recognition is the first step. To criticize and mis-categorize my intelligence, drive, and humility to humanity, is something of which I will take offense every.single.time. Those are things WORTH defending. Someone suggesting that I'd prefer fried chicken over the swordfish while at a fine dining establishment, is something not dignified enough to secure a reaction. More than anything else, that's simply an illustration of how little this person knows about me as in individual; not a knock on my entire cultural upbringing and overall purpose in the universe.

Bottom line, the prioritization and distinction of these things are essential. I friggin LOVE watermelon, but who doesn't? I'm pretty sure fried chicken is just chicken wrapped in a crispy layer of salt which everyone enjoys, and who has ever turned their nose up at kool-aid? Seriously?!?! Everyone likes these things (among others) so why portray them as something that only black people like? Likewise however, I myself cannot bait these stereotypes by treating them as an all encompassing representation of who my people are. Afterall, you only get to cry 'wolf' but twice...

Why Great Production Trumps Lady Gaga's Talent

2010-03-08T22:56:00.001-08:00

I'm not sure if I've said this on here before, but a friend of mine, Kelz, observed that Lady Gaga's weird avant garde wasn't at all congruent with how mainstream her music is. How does no one see this as a problem?! Well--probably because what we 'see' doesn't matter...

But that's what makes her so good. Even if she walked around in the Michelin Man suit with deer antlers over her head and shoes made of 2x4s, her music would still be hypnotically addictive. Hell, her persona could be that of 1-ply toilet paper and I still wouldn't be able to NOT tell people to quiet down so that I could let the build to the chorus of "Just Dance" hit just right.

But that brings me to thesis. Her brilliance lies in the fact that she can get away with and do, in theory, whatever she wants because her music is not a sole product of her fixed creation; rather, she is a byproduct of/and outlet for, the music that she represents.

Allow me to tease out that run-on sentence...

To be clear, I would argue that Lady Gaga is not a star because she's talented; instead, her talent was merely the asset which got her noticed. Sure she can play piano, she can sing, (I guess) she can dance, but how often do we see that? How often do we see her stripped down without the studio, sythesizers, and auto-tune? Shamefully, we don't (and music videos don't count). She, like all of the other pop stars who preceded her, are products of production.

Consider any of the following songs, if given to an attractive and consumable up-and-coming singer, would've produced similar pop-stardom:

1) Hit Me Baby One More Time
2) Since You've Been Gone
3) Promiscuous Girl
4) Party In The U.S.A.
5) I Kissed A Girl

Funny that you could likely name at least 4 of the associated artists with these songs...

AND THAT'S MY POINT!

At this juncture, I'm simply enjoying music that's made in a lab with a genetically engineered sound which naturally appeals to the pleasure centers of my brain. Don't get me wrong, I'm not complaining about it because I'll gleefully sing along to any of the aforementioned songs like I wrote those suckers myself. I just want to make sure that we're all clear on where exactly our affection is originating from. I'm pretty sure if Gaga had her hits produced by my 10 year old cousin on a 1989 Casio Keyboard and still dressed the way she does, her relevance would be completely disqualified in all of our eyes.

Buuuuuuuut in the meantime...

"Just Dance! (Gonna be ok!) Da-doo-doot Just Dance! (Spin that record baaabe)..."

Why Am I Poor?

2010-03-08T21:31:00.000-08:00

I'm poor because I'm social--And even if I were rich, I'd still be poor--because I'm social.

A Weekend Without The World...

2010-03-01T10:30:00.000-08:00

So I decided to turn my phone off and ban myself from the computer this weekend as a social experiment with myself. Given that I take my Droid and, consequently, the accessibility of the world with me everywhere I go, I wanted to see if I could manage to last 60 hours without this constant connectivity. Moreover, when I consider that I face a constant barrage of updates regarding everything (be it via messaging, email, twitter, or facebook), how different might my world be if I am unable to connect to information and my social circles with the immediate convenience that I’m used to?

Well to start, I’ll say that it was Fan-Effing-Tastic as I was able to engage ten-fold more with those sharing the same physical space as I. Sounds lame. But take a good hard look at how often you engage those physically near you relative to those out in cyber or cellular space. We all have a million friends but none of them are “here”. It felt great to actually be present for once.

When I went out on Saturday night, I realized that I had two options whenever I became uncomfortable at the bar. I could either BE uncomfortable, or I could talk to someone. What I didn’t have the option of doing was using my phone as a crutch. How often do you find yourself checking text messages that you haven’t received because you’re feeling socially insecure? I find that I do it, A LOT.

Despite all of that, perhaps the most unforeseen result of this was the ire that this experiment generated in other people. Confused? Well when I turned my phone back on Monday morning, I had several text messages from friends inquiring about stuff from what I’m doing to if I wanted to grab lunch. Nothing surprising there. What was telling was that upon explaining that my phone had been off for the weekend and that I was sorry for not getting back to them sooner, I had a few different replies which basically said, “You turning your phone off is more annoying to us than it is to you”.

Ding ding ding! This got me thinking…

Technology, accessibility, and connectedness have spoiled us to the point that we now expect information transfer to occur at a rate unheard of 15 years ago. Not only do we expect (and are able) to find the Farsi translation for “crusty feet” in 30 seconds or less, but we also transfer that over to how we expect people to behave within that same technological space. Imagine if all of the search engines decided to say, “Welp folks! We’re going to shut down for the weekend. Anything you need to find you’ll have to find at the library…or, just not find at all. Either way, we can’t help you until Monday. Sorry. Enjoy your weekend.” There would be pandemonium.

Same thing.

Your inaccessibility quickly becomes an inconvenience to others who are unable to reach you whenever they’d like. Your inaccessibility becomes an inconvenience when someone has to wait more than 1hr to hear back from you. Your inaccessibility becomes an inconvenience to everyone except those in your immediate physical space who you, arguably, will wind up appreciating more.

Remember back when if you wanted to talk to someone and they weren’t at home, you just couldn’t talk to them? Remember back when in order to find out the population of Wyoming you had to crack an encyclopedia? Remember back when you had to wait until the 11p news to find out the sports scores? Remember back when life required patience?

Either way, I urge you to give it a try. Detoxing from our phones might be a thought worthy of the withdrawal shakes, but I’d say that it’s worth taking a look at what you might be missing while living a life in pursuit of never missing anything.

Where Are All The Usernames??

2010-02-25T14:41:00.000-08:00

I'll make this quick...

I was just thinking to myself, what are kids going to do in 2020 when all of the good screen/usernames are gone? Unless parents start coming up with creative names--uhh, 10 years ago, they're going to be sending updates on dinner plans to JAnderson987654321@gmail.com

Or to BigFloppin@gmail.com -- and even THAT'S not a guarantee.

Poor John Anderson...

The Arrogance of Social Media

2010-02-22T23:14:00.000-08:00

Now that everyone is empowered with the tools necessary to share and have their opinions heard, we're all making the most of it. Whereas we previously needed to ACTUALLY be an expert in a field, now the entire internet has become a peanut gallery of experts hawking suggestions for everything from how to raise your children to the best way to blow up a balloon.

Admittedly, I'm alive and well trumpeting loudly from the back of this same peanut gallery with the misconceived notion that you actually care about what I have to say. Voyeurism used to be a bad thing...now we promote our own.

The function of social media for companies is clear. Ditch the market research and speak directly with consumers themselves. No one disputes this, though I feel like they should. How many great products will go undeveloped because a vocal minority on twitter kills the idea out of the gate. Just because you would never purchase an automatic diaper wrapper as it "demeans the essence of early parenthood" doesn't mean that someone else out there wouldn't.

We all take the approach that "no one else can speak for me", yet somehow we're perfectly content speaking for others. If I had my way, Crocs would be dead and so would those bug-eyed mantis sunglasses that women think make them look attractive. Alas, I'm wrong on both accounts since both are a feeding frenzy in their respective markets. (Then again, I've only seen children in Crocs and those sunglasses on the girls who have better things to do than defend their merit via Facebook post.)

Either way, I guess that as long as there's a forum in which to share our lives, thoughts, and opinions, we will engage them. After all, we will always continue to talk as long as there is someone willing to listening.

To Text or Not To Text...

2009-12-11T10:28:00.000-08:00

THAT, is a stupid question. Now allow me to qualify the fact that I'll go dark on my friends all the time and cut a text conversation short because I saw a butterfly cross my line of sight; however when it comes to the dating 'game', I die a little inside every time I hear someone suggest, or employ, the notion that returning a text the next day or week is the best way to go. Anyone with $0.50 worth of self-respect should forget about you by then. Besides, if you need that long to come up with some witty, yet slightly evasive reply to a simple "what're you up to this weekend?", your shit's weak. Couple that with the fact that we can't even use the bathroom without taking our phones with us nowadays and it becomes painfully obvious that you're only fooling yourself. Sure you've been really busy...but not so busy that you weren't willing to risk your life and the lives of others by texting while driving.

Look...

If you want to talk to them, call. If you want to text them, do that. If you're done with them, don't reply. If they don't want to hear from you, they won't reply.

I understand that phones die, get lost, run away, etc., but if you're into someone- sack up and let them know. Afterall, if you play hide-and-seek long enough, you may just find yourself with the best spot in the yard all by your lonesome.

Laughter (302)

2009-10-29T16:22:00.000-07:00

Social Functions of Laughter

2009-10-28T09:32:00.000-07:00

Laughter is arguably the most universal symbol of approval in all human communication. Although a commodity in endless supply, we still selectively distribute our laughter to those sources that we deem worthy of this affection.

Regardless, I can't help but think that funny is funny...right? Nope.

Why is it that a joke from a person you like will elicit neck-breaking laughter, while that SAME joke from someone you don't care for will elicit contempt? Why do we gleefully yokel along to a bad story while out on a date, yet foghorn our classmate who's similar recount of high school is (boooooooooooooorrrriiiiiiiiinggggg)?

Do we perhaps use laughter as a means of balancing social equity? Like electing the candidate with the most votes, typically the most approved person in a group is the person with the most laughs from the most people...

But maybe not...

This post isn't meant to shed light on anything, rather have you consider how you personally use laughter when interacting with the people around you. Are you the person that laughs too loud at the joke that's isn't THAT funny? Are you the person that refuses to crack a smile when everyone else is in stitches? Maybe you're neither...but you're definitely something, and more importantly; why?

"I Only Smoke When I Drink"

2009-10-19T22:47:00.000-07:00

Probably one of my top 20 favorite replies to hear whenever I ask someone, "are you a smoker?" Without fail, "I only smoke when I drink" always elicits both an eyebrow raise as well as a Scooby-Doo, 'Aroo?' What exactly does this even mean?

At first glance...
It means exactly what it says- but only because they're in denial about the fact that they're a smoker to begin with. Yes there's a stigma associated with smoking and it's clear that they don't identify with it, but c'moooon. If you're going to do it, you've got to own it! When I asked a friend of mine (who was huffing on a ciggy in the corner while oggling women and flippin' nickels) if they were a smoker, their reply: "Hell no! I only smoke when I drink". Well, according to deductive reasoning, you're smoking right now- ergo...you're a smoker. I feel like it's the equivalent me saying "I only drink coffee when I'm tired, but I'm not a coffee drinker". Well, if every time I begin to doze I start throwing down the latte's, then I'm definitely a coffee drinker.

The reason why you "only smoke when you drink" honestly doesn't matter. Better buzz? Cool. Makes you look sexier? Cool. Afterall, I love my smoker friends just as much as my non-smoker friends. Either way, all I'm saying is to own it... There's no need to qualify or justify it if you're making a conscious decision to do it every time you venture out on the town.

When Something is Too Funny...

2009-10-17T11:05:00.000-07:00

I may or may not have cried while watching this over and over-

Talk? Thanks, But I'll Text...

2009-10-16T08:43:00.001-07:00

If you're anything like me, you have too many minutes, you hate voicemail, and your standard method of communication is via text or messaging. Why then, does my beloved cellular provider force me into a voice plan with a sea of minutes that I will never use? Why can't she instead offer a data and messaging heavy plan featuring--mmm, 100 minutes for far cheaper?

Oh, because she wants my money. I can either pay $0.50/minute without a voice plan, or spend $39.99/mo to use $8 worth. You’re goosing me good AT&T.

If you take a look at my usage above, I have 2230 rollover minutes which expire after 1 year. If we turn this into raw numbers, that’s the equivalent of about 5 months worth of unused minutes. You’re goosing me reeeeal good AT&T.

I can’t help but pose the question: what would you do with 100 minutes per month on your cellular plan? Would you text, Facebook, Blackberry Message, and Google Talk as much as you already do? Probably…and you still wouldn’t use those minutes.

Lets do some quick math…According to my plan right now, I have roughly 7,465 unused minutes. In order for me to knock all of that down (holding day/night & weekend constant), I would have to talk on the phone for a little over 5 consecutive days.

…but that would never happen since most of my communication is executed with my thumbs.

...On Women's Halloween Costumes

2009-10-11T16:42:00.000-07:00

So I was thinking to myself today, why do some women go out of their way to be 'sexy' on Halloween? I know that we all love dressing up and enjoy being outside of ourselves if only for one night, but why are some women almost eager to hop into their skimpiest 'she-devil' get up or squeeze into that 'sexy nurse' costume?

It strikes me as odd as I typically find that the women with their breasts breaching the levees of their tank-tops are the SAME ones who criticize others who are similarly dressed. In other words, there's the subtle undertone that "my sexy is your slutty".

...Interesting...

So because of this, I must ask...Why would you dress up like someone that you would otherwise condemn? Afterall, you can't possibly tell me that the word 'slut' hasn't floated through your brain a time or 10 when watching those Bud Light girls walking through bars. Likewise, come showtime, you take yourself waaaaay too seriously.

If I'm off base, let me know, but I want to understand the logic...

OMG I feel so dirty...

2009-10-08T10:35:00.000-07:00

...yet I can't look away.

Billie Ray you're a terrible father for allowing your daughter to masquerade around like this. Seriously... And what did you sign off on her doing at 3:03 ?!?!

Miley Cyrus - New Music - More Music Videos

Taylor Swift vs. Beyonce

2009-09-17T16:29:00.000-07:00

Ok Kanye,

You're still a dick for what you did to Taylor Swift at the 2009 VMA's. For that I cannot defend you...

That said, Beyonce's video was hands down, far and away, leaps-and-bounds better than Taylor's 'been there done that' tweenie pop adolescent angst short-film. This is nothing against her music because I've (regrettably) jammed to a tune, or 3, of hers in my time. Maybe it's a directorial gripe. Either way, although I know that it was the people's choice, who the EFF was voting on this?!?!

Most folks didn't actually see the videos so lets do a side by side comparison. Seriously, how is there even a question??

You can decide for yourself but c'moooon?!

p.s. Kanye- hahaha I love your music, but you're looking kinda racist right now... learn from Lauryn Hill

An Open Letter to Verizon...

2009-08-26T18:37:00.000-07:00

Dear Verizon Wireless,

You were the best phone company I'd ever had. You always kept a strong signal, you never dropped a call, and you always had the most phenomenal customer service. I left you in January for clown-of-the-town AT&T for one painfully simple reason: they don't lock their GPS.

Stupid right? Yeah. But so stupid that I'm willing to fork over a couple grand to your competitor because of it. You are the only wireless carrier dumb enough to put your "navigation" product up against in-car systems (included in most new vehicles), and all of the dash-mounted systems littering electronic stores. Disabling the GPS on your phones didn't make me want to buy "VZ Navigator" to recover those capabilities, it made me walk out. I would truly love to see some figures on how many subscriptions you have for that service.

I'll be honest, if you ever enable GPS on your smartphones, I'll pay the cancellation fee with AT&T to rejoin you without thinking twice. But I resent you for trying to trick me into paying extra for something that other carriers are providing for free.

You're better than that, Verizon.

Dropping calls left and right,
-brs

8 Ways That I Waste My Money

2009-08-19T16:35:00.001-07:00

Amidst my attempts to maintain a life of fiscal conservatism and frugality, there always seems to be something that tricks my money into divorcing my bank account and running off to the toilet to swirl with the rest of life's waste. Here's a quick look at 8 things that I consistently find myself wasting my money on...

1) Alcohol.
Other than being in the moment, there's no reason to pay for the 500% markup on booze. Sure I'm paying for atmosphere, but I don't remember the last time I paid a 500% markup for a Gatorade just because I purchased it a swanky gas station and they opened it for me. Yet despite this, I still return to bars again and again...

2) Eating out for Lunch.
I spend about $45/week on lunch when I could instead wake up 10 minutes earlier to $15 with of bread, meat, cheese, and chips I could've purchased from Safeway. Another $30 swing on behalf of an extra 50 minutes of sleep per week. (That and Thai food tastes better than my sorry ass ham and cheese.)

3) Cabs.
Economic principles are obviously at work here when choosing to a take $20/10 minute cab vs. a $2/40 minute bus--although I can't lie to myself; half the time it's not even because I'm late...I'm just lazy. Then I wind up thinking to myself, "if someone told me they would pay me $18 to wait on them for 30 minutes, hell yeah I'd do it!" Of course no one thinks like that.

4) Gadgets.
Like every child in the US who got an RC truck for Christmas only to give it up come New Years, I always find myself with some gadget that's a fully functional 'nice-to-have-for-now'. I recently purchased an iPod, only to consolidate all of my music to my Blackberry. I also upgraded my computer's internal hard drive only to soon purchase an external drive onto which I've moved everything that matters to me. That money could've gone towards the purchase of a new netbook...which I bought anyway- guh.

5) Clothes.
If you're anything like me, you wear 30% of your wardrobe on repeat. I simply rotate in my jeans or shorts depending on the temp outside, my shirts stay the same, and if necessary, I throw a jacket on. I'm beginning to see however, that I'll buy things that look good- mmm, twice, then simply resolve that it doesn't work with anything else. I figure, "so what if I 'might' wear it?"...though- I'm not going to wear it.

6) Food Accessories for One-Time Meals.
It makes me ill thinking that I bought that value-pak of Anchovy Paste for that one sandwich I made myself 8 months ago. That's what poaching packets from the deli is for.

7) ATM Fees.
$2.50 from the machine + $2.50 from B of A = a $5 footlong. Yet somehow I'm always too lazy to walk down the street to my own ATM or to find a drug store to snag some cash back. Seriously though, it's theft.

8) Not Eating Before going to the Airport.
Random, but lets see...a $3 deli sandwich from safeway, or that SAME deli sandwich for $7.50 at the terminal. I never have the presence of mind to take care of this as I'm bolting out the door for a flight that I only had ALL DAY to prepare for. Either way, that money could go towards booze on the plane that'll make the screaming child and bad parenting a little more bearable. (That's a whole other post because I firmly believe that if you think you can bargain and/or reason with an unruly 4 year old, you're a moron.)

"Bitch, where is my money?" - Dave Chappelle (as The Count)

Vick Jersey Censorship

2009-08-18T15:16:00.000-07:00

To quote the beloved Terrell Owens, the No Fun League (NFL) has struck again, and this time, via online shopping.

What happened?
So my boy Chuck, the only Eagles fan to hail from central Cali, decided to log-on to NFL shop to purchase some new digs for the 2009 season. In light of this, what better player to welcome to Philadelphia than the much maligned Michael Dwayne Vick.

While purchasing his customized Vick jersey, he found that many of his creative selections were being denied...Name plates such as:

"Woof"
"Dog Fight"
"Puppy"
"PETA"
"McGruff"

Returned the following error message:

"Your current entry cannot be processed. Language deemed inappropriate, derogatory, or profane will not be accepted. Please create a new entry. "

Someone at NFL is apparently dating a PETA member who loves Brad Pitt because if you simply enter "Fight" or "Fight Club" You'll be greeted with:

Great choice! To purchase your customized jersey, click on "ADD TO CART."

I guess that free speech is only free so long as those in control approve.

I know that you have to draw the line somewhere between tasteful and distasteful, but it's not like this is profanity slapped on the back of a Jersey by which little Billy will taint his purity. Billy will do that on his own by simply entering the parking lot of Lincoln Financial Field.

These are some other notable shirts which slipped by filters:

Upon submission of "GRRRRRR" to NFL shop, the following was returned a day later:

We regret to inform you that we are unable to complete your order. If
you elected to pay with a debit/check card, your statement may already
reflect the charge for this order. You will be credited for the order
amount. If you elected to pay with a credit card, it will not be billed
at all. We sincerely apologize for this inconvenience.

The following item(s) is unavailable and has been cancelled from your
order:

Item: 2754676
Description: PHE REP BLANK JRY S-2X EAGLES BLACK-LARGE
Quantity: 1 @ $ 99.99

Your satisfaction is very important to us. If you have any questions
about your order, call Customer Service at 877 NFL SHOP.
We will be more than happy to assist you.

We apologize for any inconvenience this may have caused if this action
was taken in error. We appreciate your business.

Best Regards,

Customer Service
nflshop.com

But don't worry NFL...when we Americans get lazy, we get creative!

Porky Pig

2009-08-18T09:22:00.000-07:00

You're one of 2 people...

1) You think you're going to be sick.

2) You're thinking "Porky, you've got a future on my breakfast plate and I can't wait.

Admittedly, I was grossed out when I first saw this- until I imagined him as crispy ribbons of meat candy *drool

http://www.good.is/post/nice-to-meat-you/

Why is my reciept so long?!

2009-08-17T14:45:00.000-07:00

Don't blame me if I'm just another piece of the masses who chooses to hide behind his computer instead of getting out there and trying to make something happen- But this 14" long beauty was too much to pass up on sharing with folks- "Arthur, I need to make a return. Now go fetch my friggin Medieval scroll!"

Why in the hell is it necessary to print a receipt this huge for a 2 item purchase?? Well, according to Walgreens, it's for the following reasons:

1) to direct me to walgreens.com; just in case something happens to the 3 locations currently open within a 2 block radius of me and I have the hankering desire to pay for the shipping of Walgreens generic brand hand sanitizer.

2) to offer me membership in the Walgreens Prescription Savings Club, instead of just doing so when I ACTUALLY go back to fill one.

3) to solicit my feedback via an online survey with the chance to win $3,000 cash which will never be paid out anyway. (Seriously, Google it and let me know if you can find a winner)

Functional? No
Wasteful? Yes
Annoying? Absolutely (This thing is longer than the wads of toilet paper that I pull)

If you have any suggestions on how to make this stop, I'm all ears. Maybe I'm complaining, or maybe I'm just commenting; either way, it's clearly unnecessary.

What I'll be laughing about today...

2009-03-02T11:02:00.000-08:00

"Treat 'em how they act"

2009-02-26T10:50:00.000-08:00

I've been in trouble several times using this approach with others, yet somehow I simply cannot shake the fact that it is absolutely useful and absolutely necessary when navigating certain situations.

Remember that bratty girl from the bar last week? You probably treated her like the snotty little girl that she was being?

What about that friend who's likely the kindest, sweetest person you've ever been blessed enough to know? You probably treat them like gold.

Dave Chappelle provides the best explanation for this phenomenon, and I must say, I don't feel bad when I do this.

Auditing President Obama

2009-02-24T12:34:00.001-08:00

Since moving to San Francisco I've been missing the political dialogue in which I used to engage while working back in DC. I was recently surfing through the website of my old digs over at National Journal when I came across a droolfully compelling section that they have neatly labeled as The Promise Audit. The summary reads:

"As memories of the campaign trail fade, it’s easy to forget some of the more than 200 promises made by Barack Obama. Use the directory below to follow along as NationalJournal.com reporters track progress made by the Obama administration in keeping its word to Americans."

I'll admit that I'm as hardcore an Obama supporter as the old black man who lived through Jim Crow south and was blessed enough to see her black president inaugurated; however as with anyone, we should certainly nurture circumspect thinking coupled with the desire to keep him honest. I do have faith that Obama will stick by his campaign promises and meet the American people (at least) half way if not more, but we'll see.

The funny thing was that as I surfed through some of these "campaign quotes", I could still hear the passion, conviction, even the inflection of then Senator Obama's voice. Since then, high hopes have dissolved into a necessity for practical application and now it's time to either put up, or prove correct those who said that our President is "just a bunch of words".

In assuming that most of you are relatively RSS savvy, I strongly recommend that you add Obama's Campaign Promises to your reader as it'll just automatically update for you.

A Crime Twitter? Really???

2009-02-18T15:57:00.000-08:00

My school has a crime Twitter???

Google Latitude - The Gift and The Curse

2009-02-17T12:38:00.001-08:00

Google has launched an app that allows you to see where your friends are on a map. Cool huh? They call it Google Latitude and it looks like a GREAT way to keep up the various locations of your friends...or simply get raw-dog stalking people. I'll offer two examples of each and allow you to do the rest in deciding whether or not this a program for you. Remember, these are just two of infinite examples regarding the potential held within this application. Pick your poison.

The Gift:
For example, you're out on a Friday nite and you have a penchant for losing things...i.e., your phone. Make sure your battery is charged and turn this puppy on. If you wake to find your phone elsewhere, simply login to "locate" your phone. Should you be so lucky as to reach its general vicinity, then you're already leaps and bounds ahead of attempting to remember cab number 413I-23442 or calling your friend with the phone that you no longer have.

The Mediator: There is a setting which allows you to hide your location which is great when you feel a hankering for rewinding to the dark ages of 2007.

The Curse:
This is a crazy girlfriend/boyfriend's gold mine! If ever they levy the mandate, "I'd prefer that you keep it on all the times so that we know where each other are located around the city", you're effed. The catostrophic consequences that something like this could have on a relationship are both horrific and hilarious. How many relationships have been ruined by an errant email or text message? Too bad now that your psycho partner can get a real-time play-by-play of your where abouts, all of your friends will be laughing at the expense of your cyber jail. Run Forrest...run-

Excluding those two dumbass examples, I'm pleased with the flexibility provided by the product and would love to have more of my friends on it; if for no other reason than the fact that I enjoy maps and I enjoy reading the gmail status updates of my friends. In all, this has the potential to become one of the biggest productivity drains since facebook, youtube, online games, and email chains. But who cares. Pretty soon, ppl will know what I'm thinking and the notion of only knowing what I'm doing will seem as antiquated as placing a call with Zach Morris' 20oz cellphone.

More Bio Education Please

2009-01-26T15:28:00.000-08:00

Overheard on bus this morning-

Guy on phone: "So what species of Asian was she?"

Heart Warmth

2009-01-08T13:37:00.001-08:00

As I got onto the bus this morning, I could see the bay fog beginning to approach the city and the inevitable gray-out to ensue. I must say however, there's nothing like having a blah morning, then meeting the cutest kid in the world on the bus who is smiling and loving life.

This 3-4 year old next to me was just sort of messing with his mother, but otherwise looking around at all of the adults making their trek to work. Some of us were reading, others checking emails, other listening to ipods. (I was one of the email checkers.) Of course the kid looks at me and asks, "What's that?" "It's a Blackberry", I replied. What he said at this point was something that absolutely floored me coming from a 4 year old, but more importantly, it was something that was so natural and pure. "I hope it's a pwetty day in der because it's a pwetty day outside too." *insert me melting*

I couldn't help but reflect on what this child had just said. Too often do I not pause to reflect, pause to enjoy, pause to appreciate, nor just pause. Maybe this will be the first of many mornings where my commute will include appreciating the pretty day, no matter what the weather.

Rainy Dangers for Tall People

2008-12-19T11:02:00.000-08:00

And I don't mean because tall people get wet first- I mean because when rainy, everyone elses umbrellas are somewhere between my neck and eye level. Quickly, the safety and security of a sidewalk turns into an alleyway where eyes can be lost and jugulars can be sliced on a whim.

Now I cannot blame those who are vertically challenged as the only thing they ever need to look up towards are, well, tall people; however that doesn't mean that courtesy of personal space should be neglected either. Think of how we often shuffle out of the way if we have a large bag or briefcase so as to not hit or bump those nearby...now think of how most people tear down the sidewalk with metal spears gouging out a 3 foot radius around them!

Now I cannot fairly say that everyone is so absent minded. It's usually those shrouded beneath their nylon shelter and focused on the puddles two feet ahead of them who neglect to notice that their weaponry is invading the faces of those over six feet tall.

But then again, I hate rain- so i smile at it. It pisses rain off.

Racial Appeals

2008-12-16T14:13:00.000-08:00

I know that there are only 250 black ppl in all of San Francisco proper, but every single time I get approached by a black pan-handler, they make appeals to my race. Now admittedly, these are decent sales people b/c they are able to connect with their target, but how is this so universal?!

Bum: "heh-hey my brotha, can I get some change?"
me: "No I don't have any on me. Sorry about that-"
Bum: "C'mon man, help a brotha out?!"
me: "Sorry but I don't have any change..."
Bum: *to me in the distance* "I'ma tell the NAACP!"
me: *!?*

I know that we have both experienced racial injustice, but it's tough to appreciate that when I'm being reduced to merely a shade of skin. Unfortunately, there's no affirmative action policy in place for the distribution of my spare change and no preferential treatment either; rather, it's on a first come first serve basis.

The Gauntlet

2008-12-15T12:00:00.000-08:00

So outside of my office there is a group soliciting donations (aka, long-term commitments) to an organization called Children's International (CI).
*I have no problem with charity*
The problem is that they square you up from about 40 ft. away and proceed to lambaste you with bios and photos of children from far off lands who desperately need MY help. Unfortunately for them and these streets sales people, MY help won't get them very far. There are a few things that I cannot help but resent amidst these encounters:

1) Do NOT make me feel bad about not volunteering my MONEY to your cause. I might be a bleeding heart liberal who believes in crazy and ludicrous things such as the redistribution of wealth, but I do not believe that anyone should be guilted into doing so.

2) $22/mo. isn't much money. True. But for a guy who has just moved to one of the most expensive cities in the country (by choice), that could cover alot of things. Not to mention they're not looking for one time donations but for monthly commitments! Allow me to tally up the monthly commitments for which I am responsible...Insurance, rent, car, public transportation, utilities. Damn me for enjoying my other monthly luxuries with which I am unable to depart: gym, groceries, gas, time with friends...shall I go on? Of course to these CI street folks, I'm just a selfish prick in the NorthFace jacket who can't afford $22/mo. (which she conveniently pointed out). That's not the point...

3) BUT, since we're judging people, if you think I'm going to give my bank number to someone standing on Market St. w/ a nose ring, dirty finger nails, and a grubby back pack; then place it on a piece of paper with dusty finger prints at its edges, I recommend you shove it up your ass.

5) "What larger organizations have you targeted and who are your big-name sponsors?" -Me.
"Well, I don't know but we need people like YOU to donate" -her.
"Someone new here and barely above financial water in the city?" -Me.
"Yes!" -her.
"*???* I'd feel more comfortable donating my time than my money" - Me.
Yeh, that didn't fly b/c for whatever reason, my TIME wasn't good enough. Unacceptable. You'd think that for someone who really cares this much about the child in Venezuela (to whom their money is blindly going) that they would want my help in any way possible.

The bottom line is that charity is something that we should volunteer our resources to as we are able. The intention of this organization is undoubtedly a noble one and I truly admire their desire to reach out to those in need. In the meantime however, I don't want some CI street person talking to me about it unless my money approaches them. While I'm doing something truly wonderful with the $22/mo. that I will "never miss", the point is that I WANT to see what my money is going to and what it is doing! I won't see this child in an after school program and I'd receive a picture (that may or may not be real) once every 6 months. It would be, by far, one of the most detached and posture driven monetary investments that I have ever made. Again, that might be selfish, but there's no such thing as pure altruism. If someone holds the opinion that I'm a bad person who will reap bad-karma for my greed and gluttony, then may I reap what I've sown. Don't try to save me by guilting me into donating my money.