"Treat 'em how they act"

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

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???

My school has a crime Twitter???

Google Latitude - The Gift and The Curse

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

Overheard on bus this morning-

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

Heart Warmth

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

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.