I am on Facebook. I signed up because everyone else signed up and they squawked at my idea of not signing up. So to put it bluntly, it was peer pressure.
On the upside, I have found a lot of friends from my past and rekindled friendships. The founders of Facebook created a great networking tool but do I really want to know what everyone is up to and who is friends with who?
The voyeuristic part of me is yes (and its guilt-ridden) and the private part of me says, NO WAY JOSE. The government already knows enough about me so why provide a free for all? Even Obama warns against posting 'stuff' to Facebook as it could bite you in the a** in the future.
Squeeze me?
Yes, I do sound completely double-minded. But is Facebook really fabulous for the above mentioned reasons or are there more pitfalls than meets the "eye"?
Call me traditional and I have mentioned this time and time again. But here are my beefs:
1) If I wasn't friends with you in high school, I am highly unlikely to add or accept you as a friend on Facebook
2) Its really a numbers game. Last time I checked, I don't remember keeping in touch with all 2,097 friends.
3) Call me or email me. Don't write on my wall asking how my last pap test went
4) Stop adding me to all those innovated applications. If you want to hug me, come over and ring my doorbell
5) Don't invite me for dinner over Facebook. I don't live in Facebook, I just check in to do some light dusting! Pick up the freakin phone.
6) I don't post embaressing pictures of myself on my profile. Don't post my embaressing pictures on YOUR profile
7) Why break your mom's heart and ignore her six times when she invites you to be her friend? (I know, I know-- this is a tricky one but is our family entitled to know about our life when we left the roost 20 years ago?)
8) Why fabricate stories to acquaintances when you block them by saying you have boycotted Facebook indefinately?
9) If you are going to replace your profile pic with a random shot of a hot guy or girl to pass yourself off as a potential friend, lose the gun.
10) Entertainment Tonight featured a story of a guy and girl with the exact same name, who found each other on Facebook, developed a relationship and got married. Fat chance that you are going to find the mate of your dreams although Facebook is beginning to resemble a meat market.
Oh the list can go on, but I won't go there. Murders, break ups, accusations --I have heard them all and it scares me. Facebook is still trying to correct their privacy policies. But then again, does it really matter?
We are already an open book on Facebook. Just flip my pages...its all there for you to read and ....judge....but is it really ME?
Tuesday, February 23, 2010
Monday, February 22, 2010
Olympic Losers
I had an arguemnt with a die-hard Olympic observer. She wore the scarf and the mittens, watched the opening, and has been an avid follower almost every night.
But she said our Canadian Olympians were losers.
Squeeze me?!
To be specific, we were talking about figure skater Patrick Chan, whose disappointing performance pulled him out of being a gold medal hopeful. I argued with her on the difficulty of camel spins, quadruple jumps, his inexperience and extreme pressure.
She came back with an interesting point. This was the first year Canada invested heavily in their athletes, providing top notch physiotherapists, sport psychologists and experienced trainers. They practiced 24/7 in their training for the Olympics. Ideally, all Canadian athletes should be on the podium.
But the favorites have disappointed all. Instead the underdogs are coming out on top!
So who is to blame? Is it the quick onslaught of extensive, concentrated training and support or just mounting pressure to be a Canadian performing on native soil?
Are our athletes a reflection of the fragile-looking Olympic symbol, the inukshuk?
But she said our Canadian Olympians were losers.
Squeeze me?!
To be specific, we were talking about figure skater Patrick Chan, whose disappointing performance pulled him out of being a gold medal hopeful. I argued with her on the difficulty of camel spins, quadruple jumps, his inexperience and extreme pressure.
She came back with an interesting point. This was the first year Canada invested heavily in their athletes, providing top notch physiotherapists, sport psychologists and experienced trainers. They practiced 24/7 in their training for the Olympics. Ideally, all Canadian athletes should be on the podium.
But the favorites have disappointed all. Instead the underdogs are coming out on top!
So who is to blame? Is it the quick onslaught of extensive, concentrated training and support or just mounting pressure to be a Canadian performing on native soil?
Are our athletes a reflection of the fragile-looking Olympic symbol, the inukshuk?
Wednesday, February 17, 2010
Valentine Schmalentine
I don't bother with Valentine's Day. To me, its overrated.
Flowers, chocolate, dinner reservations -- over the top display of affection through material goods.
Canada introduced Family Day. Best holiday ever. Very few places open on this day --therefore families bunkered into one place, face to face interaction, whether you like it or not.
Spend time with each other rather than on things you eat, water or book.
Who knows...it may warm your heart more than a Valentine's card.
Flowers, chocolate, dinner reservations -- over the top display of affection through material goods.
Canada introduced Family Day. Best holiday ever. Very few places open on this day --therefore families bunkered into one place, face to face interaction, whether you like it or not.
Spend time with each other rather than on things you eat, water or book.
Who knows...it may warm your heart more than a Valentine's card.
Thursday, February 11, 2010
When Life Gives you Lemons, make...
Ever heard of the 90/10 rule?
Someone sent me an interesting email the other day and I pondered this rule for the rest of the day.
When encountering events in your life, 10% is beyond your control while 90% is your REACTION. This is SO true.
How you react to negative situations formulates the rest of your day, the rest of your week. Negativity increases the size of those lemons.
When life gives you lemons, smile, breathe, don't sweat the petty stuff and make a sweet lemon, meringue pie...
Someone sent me an interesting email the other day and I pondered this rule for the rest of the day.
When encountering events in your life, 10% is beyond your control while 90% is your REACTION. This is SO true.
How you react to negative situations formulates the rest of your day, the rest of your week. Negativity increases the size of those lemons.
When life gives you lemons, smile, breathe, don't sweat the petty stuff and make a sweet lemon, meringue pie...
Wednesday, February 10, 2010
What smart are you?
There is the age old debate that rages on that I must examine because it exists today in my house.
Street smart vs book smart. Or as a certain smart a** I know coins it "Dumb and Dumber."
One twin is book smart. The other is street smart. One does well in school and the other watches imaginary sailboats drift by. Without naming names and if you read my post entitled "Double Trouble" you may figure out who is who.
But like every situation, there are pros and cons to both 'smarts'. You can be book smart to the 90th degree, but unable to communicate the knowledge you have attained and use it wisely to make politically correct decisions. You can be street smart and understand the flow of society and get by on your wits but at some point will require to know some specialty or trade to move on up.
At the end of the day, each twin brings something different to the table. And its this variety that I appreciate, without trying to scale their 'smarts'. As long as you bring new ideas, you ask questions and start the creative process to any given situation, you are heading in the right direction.
At least she describes the sails and what direction the boat is going when I look into that starry-eyed face...
Street smart vs book smart. Or as a certain smart a** I know coins it "Dumb and Dumber."
One twin is book smart. The other is street smart. One does well in school and the other watches imaginary sailboats drift by. Without naming names and if you read my post entitled "Double Trouble" you may figure out who is who.
But like every situation, there are pros and cons to both 'smarts'. You can be book smart to the 90th degree, but unable to communicate the knowledge you have attained and use it wisely to make politically correct decisions. You can be street smart and understand the flow of society and get by on your wits but at some point will require to know some specialty or trade to move on up.
At the end of the day, each twin brings something different to the table. And its this variety that I appreciate, without trying to scale their 'smarts'. As long as you bring new ideas, you ask questions and start the creative process to any given situation, you are heading in the right direction.
At least she describes the sails and what direction the boat is going when I look into that starry-eyed face...
Sunday, February 7, 2010
Reality: In sickness and in health
Ok, so I did not post for many days. Hard to when stomach flu hits the entire family within the span of a week.
But while I was puking in the toilet, I started thinking, realizing in sickness, the most thought-provoking ideas come to surface.
I always get depressed when I am sick. Body does affect the mind and when you are at your worst physically, it gets you thinking. Spiritual as I am today, I am on a different "plane" philosophically when sick.
Perhaps, its the hours spent alone staring at the ceiling, unable to sleep, wondering about the how the world continues without me. And when I am down, its a spiraling sensation. One negative thought leads to another...and the world goes on. I conflict with the world when I think this way and everything goes wrong.
BUT...when I block out the wars, natural devastation, greed, hate, envy, ostentation, gluttony (the list goes on)--the world turns in my favour. Sometimes you need to get sick to slow down and see it, analyze it, ponder it.
Squeeze me?
Cluck your tongue, shake your head, and roll your eyes.
It is the perception of my reality. It is not the same as everyone else's. But its mine and it turns the world in my favour.
But while I was puking in the toilet, I started thinking, realizing in sickness, the most thought-provoking ideas come to surface.
I always get depressed when I am sick. Body does affect the mind and when you are at your worst physically, it gets you thinking. Spiritual as I am today, I am on a different "plane" philosophically when sick.
Perhaps, its the hours spent alone staring at the ceiling, unable to sleep, wondering about the how the world continues without me. And when I am down, its a spiraling sensation. One negative thought leads to another...and the world goes on. I conflict with the world when I think this way and everything goes wrong.
BUT...when I block out the wars, natural devastation, greed, hate, envy, ostentation, gluttony (the list goes on)--the world turns in my favour. Sometimes you need to get sick to slow down and see it, analyze it, ponder it.
Squeeze me?
Cluck your tongue, shake your head, and roll your eyes.
It is the perception of my reality. It is not the same as everyone else's. But its mine and it turns the world in my favour.
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