What's The Harm

Have you ever wondered why so many people care so much about things that do no harm to anyone?  I have, and it’s recently been a recurring theme politically, professionally, and personally.

Starting with that former one, in Iowa and other republican-led states, politicians and their activist buddies are primarily focused on passing laws that hurt the LGBTQ community.  Why?  How are they or anyone else being harmed by library books, drag shows, or gender-identity causes?

The answer is they aren't harmed, but they're scared -- not only about change, but about losing money, power (same thing), and religion (also the same thing!).  Fake conservatives want no threats to their straight white Christian world.

Moving on the the professional front, I work with vendors who need authorization forms.  That's no problem, until they start requiring a specific manner of delivery.  We've long ago entered the digital age, and the COVID-19 pandemic made it even more common, but I still work with vendors who require original documents.

Who is harmed by accepting verifiable electronic signatures?  I guarantee these companies are going to digitize the document anyway!  I suppose the answer here is, some companies will only do things the way they've always done them.

Finally on the personal level, I've experienced an increase in the already-high number of people who want to make everything about themselves.  No conversation can be had without them taking it over, for nothing can be more important than what they or their loved ones do.

They'll even complain when told good news, if it isn't given at the time and place or their choosing.  A family / friend getting more attention harms no one; it only interrupts the desire of some for affirmation from others.  (Thanks, Facebook!)  Those who represent the 'some' should be avoided.

My conclusion in all of these items is pretty libertarian: If it harms no one else, why do you care?

2023

I promised to be less optimistic in my last annual list of things I'd like to see happen next year.  For the most part, that turned out to be a good idea.  Let's review the 2021 list, with comments in ALL CAPS:

More mandates and life complications for the unvaxxed, making more of them get vaxxed.

I SUPPOSE MORE GOT VAXXED, BUT NOT FOR INVOLUNTARY REASONS

Cryptocurrency regulations.

CLOSE BUT DIDN'T HAPPEN, BUT IT'S A LOT MORE LIKELY NOW THAT BIGSHOTS LOST BIG MONEY IN THE BANKRUPTCY OF FTX.

Prosecutions and convictions of Trump administration / organization officials who had roles in the 1/6/2021 insurrection.

CALLING THIS A YES, BECAUSE ALTHOUGH IT DIDN'T HAPPEN YET FOR ADMIN FOLKS, IT DID FOR MANY OTHER INDIVIDUALS.

A Winter Olympics that actually happens.

CHECK.  BUT IT WAS SORTA BORING.

An executive order, at the least, to loosen federal rules on cannabis.

YES THIS DID HAPPEN, BUT IT'S ONLY A PYRRHIC VICTORY WITHOUT ACUTAL LEGISLATIVE ACTION.

A top-tier Minnesota Vikings football team.

12-3 AS I WRITE THIS, SO I GUESS IT'S A YES?

A loss of market cap and credibility for Facebook/Meta.

A GIANT YES.

Me playing golf at a famous course / resort.

NO.

A decline in residential home buying.

ANOTHER GIANT YES, THANKS TO HIGHER INTEREST RATES.

A repeat from 2020 – me traveling to the final four U.S. states in which I’ve never set foot.

75% YES SINCE I GOT TO 3 OF THE 4.  ONLY ALASKA LEFT NOW.

Now for my new annual list of things I'd like to see happen next year.

A rising stock and bond market.

That Vladimir Putin is purged as a leader.  Any mysterious and/or violent way is acceptable.

Newly remodeled bathrooms in my house.

Me attending a major sporting event.

Elon Musk leaves Twitter, or I leave Twitter for another similar service.

Drought relief for the western U.S.

Me getting a golfing hole-in-one or eagle.

MAGA-death, and a crop of moderate presidential candidates for 2024 who aren't aged 70s or 80s.

More acceptance and usage of plant-based proteins.

2022

Last year I implied that 2020 was the worst year of everyone's lifetime, you know, pandemic and all.  This year started with the promise that COVID-19 vaccines would make 2021 relatively normal.  I should have known better.

With that in mind, I’ll try to be less optimistic on my annual list of things I’d like to see happen next year.  But first, here’s this year’s annual review with comments in ALL CAPS:

A non-pandemic world where people live without fear of contracting COVID-19.

A HARD-ROCK SOLID NO.

A less-friendly social and legal environment for those who help spread malicious propaganda and conspiracy theories.

A SOFT-ROCK SOLID NO.

A Summer Olympics that actually happens.

YES, BUT IT WASN’T THE SAME WITHOUT CROWDS.

Revelations and prosecutions of Trump administration / organization officials who broke laws.

YES ON THE REVELATIONS, NOT SO MUCH ON THE PROSECUTIONS (YET).

More time to read, more time to listen to podcasts.

THANKS TO AN ONGOING PANDEMIC, THIS WAS PROBABLY MORE TRUE THAN NOT.

An easy integration of administration and technology between Charles Schwab and TD Ameritrade.  (A rare professional ask in this annual list.)

THEY DIDN’T EVEN BEGIN THIS YEAR.

A full return of college and professional sports.

THIS IS A QUALIFIED NO, GAMES WERE STILL POSTPONED AND CANCELED.

The Minnesota Twins to break their streak of 18 consecutive playoff game losses.

NO, BECAUSE THEY'D HAVE TO MAKE THE PLAYOFFS FIRST.

Less interaction with people who make every conversation about them.

YES, PROGRESS HAS BEEN MADE ON THIS.

An awesome vacation.

DID MAKE A FUN TRIP TO SOCAL AND VEGAS IN SEPTEMBER.

For 2022, I want to experience this:

More mandates and life complications for the unvaxxed, making more of them get vaxxed.

Cryptocurrency regulations.

Prosecutions and convictions of Trump administration / organization officials who had roles in the 1/6/2021 insurrection.

A Winter Olympics that actually happens.

An executive order, at the least, to loosen federal rules on cannabis.

A top-tier Minnesota Vikings football team.

A loss of market cap and credibility for Facebook/Meta.

Me playing golf at a famous course / resort.

A decline in residential home buying.

A repeat from 2020 – me traveling to the final four U.S. states in which I’ve never set foot.

Thanks But No Thanks

In last year's annual list of things for which I am not thankful, I noted how it was never easier to come up with items in the year of a pandemic.  This year, we're still struggling to get back to normal, but with an extra dose of conspiracy cults mixed in.  So again I say, it's never been easier.....in random order: 

Insurrections and insurrectionists

Anti-vaxxers

Facebook executives

Voting restrictions

Paying more than the asking price

Mask mandate prohibitions

Meme investing

Science-deniers

History-ignorers

Math-idiots

Billionaires who don't pay income taxes

Supply chain network problems

Cryptocurrencies

Methane

Pandemic variants and waves

2021

The worst year of virtually everyone's lifetime is just ending.  This should make it very easy to complete my annual list of things I'd like to see happen next year.  It will also make it very difficult to review what I wanted to have happen in 2020, and see a near total failure due to the COVID-19 pandemic.  Let's start with that review, with comments in ALL CAPS:

Me traveling to the final four U.S. states in which I've never set foot.
HAHA -- I RARELY TRAVELED OUTSIDE OF IOWA, OR EVEN OUTSIDE OF THE DES MOINES METRO AREA, THE ENTIRE YEAR

A new president-elect and a corresponding surviving, independent, democratic republic.
ONE WINNER AND ONE PROBABLY WINNER -- IT WILL STILL BE A FEW WEEKS TO PRESIDENT-ELECT BIDEN'S INAUGUARTION DAY TO SEE IF THE REPUBLIC ACTUALLY SURVIVES.

More chances to make a hole-in-one (which means more time to play golf).
GOLF WAS ONE THING THE PANDEMIC DID NOT ALTER MUCH, BUT I DIDN'T PLAY OFTEN UNTIL AFTER MEMORIAL DAY.

Widespread acceptance of plant-based meats on restaurant menus.
PLANT-BASED PROTEINS DEFINITELY EXPANDED THEIR FOOTPRINT, BUT NOT IN RESTAURANTS WITH LIMITED-TO-NO CUSTOMERS.

The Minnesota Twins to break their streak of 16 consecutive playoff game losses.
ACTUALLY WENT BACKWARDS ON THIS.  THEY MADE THE PANDEMIC-SHORTENED SEASON PLAYOFFS AND THEN PROCEDED TO LOSE ANOTHER TWO GAMES TO BRING THE STREAK TO 18!

Consolidation in the video streaming service industry.
THIS ALSO WENT BACKWARDS, THERE ARE MORE STREAMING INDUSTRY PARTICIPANTS THAN EVER, AND MORE TO COME THANKS TO THE PANDEMIC.

A Summer Olympics without scandal.
I GUESS YOU CAN SAY THIS HAPPENED, SINCE THE OLYMICS WERE CANCELED.

Greater federal regulation of Facebook, and less people using it to show me pictures of their food.
THERE WAS MORE EMPHSIS ON REGULATION, BUT FACEBOOK IS BASICALLY SELF-REGULATING, WHICH IS TO SAY THEY AREN'T DOING MUCH.

A new artist who brings back the sound of classic rock.
THIS WAS ALWAYS A PIPE DREAM.

That I never order from a bar that tells me it has no Crown Royal Apple.

I WAS NEVER AT A BAR TO ORDER ALL YEAR, SO AGAIN, TECHNICALLY THIS WISH CAME TRUE.

Now for 2021, let's see these things happen:

A non-pandemic world where people live without fear of contracting COVID-19.

A less-friendly social and legal environment for those who help spread malicious propaganda and conspiracy theories.

A Summer Olympics that actually happens.

Revelations and prosecutions of Trump administration / organization officials who broke laws.

More time to read, more time to listen to podcasts.

An easy integration of administration and technology between Charles Schwab and TD Ameritrade.  (A rare professional ask in this annual list.)

A full return of college and professional sports.

The Minnesota Twins to break their streak of 18 consecutive playoff game losses.

Less interaction with people who make every conversation about them.

An awesome vacation.

Blocked

You only have to look up the label 'Facebook' on this blog to know I've never been a huge fan.  It was a cool new way for youngsters to communicate at first, but then it was co-opted by adults, and its owners' choices in monetizing the content and data.

If I'm so down on Facebook, you might wonder why I have a Facebook account.  For years now, the answer has been because I use it as an information and entertainment source.

I follow a few comedy shows, see some amusing memes, and get some free info about where other people are and what they're doing.  (BTW, such a dumb thing to do when you're clearly going to be away from home for a while.)  I rarely post anything myself.

More recently, however, I can't take it all.  Too many people posting too many personal, religious / political views, plus other content that I don't agree with.  In the past I might have just un-followed those folks, but I've decided those people deserve less.  So.....

I've started to block those who frequently and consistently post that stuff.  I'm not interested in their boring status updates, and I'm sure they don't care about my infrequent ones -- but just in case, they won't see them.  It was a small act on my part, but it actually felt pretty good to do it.

I didn't expect that feeling, but I felt that way nonetheless.  It was nice to take control of the content, and in a way, set a price of admission for other people to see mine.

2020

Another year is ending, this one also concluding a decade.  It would be a good time for a retrospective piece on the past ten years, but lots of other entities are doing that.  I'll just stick to my usual review of the things I wanted to have happen this year, and consider some things I would like to see happen in 2020.  We'll again start with the prior year's list, with comments in ALL CAPS:

The resignation or impeachment of a mentally unstable and unqualified president -- again, no names.
IMPEACHMENT HAPPENED.  I CARRIED THIS OVER FORM THE PRIOR YEAR, WHICH TURNED OUR TO BE VERY PRESCIENT.

The electric vehicle becoming America's fastest growing (by percentage) seller.
THIS IS HAPPENING IN THE U.K. BUT NOT IN THE U.S.

Alabama and Clemson and New England to have poor football seasons.
THEY WEREN'T POOR, BUT ALABAMA AND NEW ENGLAND AT LEAST HAD DOWN YEARS.

Some major medical breakthrough, perhaps a vaccine to eliminate a dread disease.
NO.

Consistent, moderate summer rain in central Iowa.
YES.

A priest actually arrested and charged and jailed for past sexual abuse.
THIS DID HAPPEN IN PENNSYLVANIA.  IT WAS TOO PREDICTABLE, AND NOT NEARLY ENOUGH.

More cities allowing app-based scooter rentals.
WHILE MORE CITIES DID ADOPT THEM, OTHER CITIES STARTED TO RESTRICT THEM.

Another scandal that ruins another Fox (News) TV personality.
NOT REALLY, ALTHOUGH THE PRIOR SCANDALS AND CURRENT PROPAGANDA AT FOX DID CAUSE SHEP SMITH TO LEAVE.

U.S. restaurants that allow payment by app, OR that bring the credit card reader to your table.THIS STILL HASN'T RECEIVED WIDESPREAD U.S. ADOPTION, WHICH IS SORT OF INFURIATING.

Me traveling to one of the five continental states in which I've never set foot.I WAS ABLE TO CROSS OFF NORTH CAROLINA AND SOUTH CAROLINA FROM MY LIST.  DOWN TO IDAHO, MICHIGAN, MONTANA, AND NORTH DAKOTA.  (IT WAS ACTUALLY SIX.).

Now, for 2020 I'd like to see these things happen:

Me traveling to the final four U.S. states in which I've never set foot.

A new president-elect and a corresponding surviving, independent, democratic republic.

More chances to make a hole-in-one (which means more time to play golf).

Widespread acceptance of plant-based meats on restaurant menus.

The Minnesota Twins to break their streak of 16 consecutive playoff game losses.

Consolidation in the video streaming service industry.

A Summer Olympics without scandal.

Greater federal regulation of Facebook, and less people using it to show me pictures of their food.

A new artist who brings back the sound of classic rock.

That I never order from a bar that tells me it has no Crown Royal Apple.

A New Decade Of Thanklessness

Thanksgiving 2019 means the start of a second decade for my annual list of things for which I'm not thankful.  It's almost sad how easy it is to compile a new list every year -- it's becoming a literary version of me telling kids to get the hell off of my lawn.  Anyway, here it is, in random order:

Ticketmaster charges.

Using social media to make well-wishes to people who aren't on social media.

The Baby Shark song.

White Claw (beverages).

Pro basketball (NBA) load management.

Old-school British period shows.

Vaping and vapers.

Anyone promoting a multi-level marketing program.

Corrupt family dynasties.

Annuities and financial products by any other name.

Martinis without blue cheese stuffed olives.

Cold-weather golf.

Spicy chicken sandwiches.

The phrase, "OK, Boomer."

2018

Another New Year's Eve (eve) is here, so it's time for my annual review of the things I wanted to have happen in the past year, and a fresh list of things I want to have happen in the next year.  Here's the 2017 list, with comments in ALL CAPS:

-Again:  At least some progress on medical marijuana in Iowa,

THE GOOD NEWS IS, SOME PROGRESS WAS MADE.  IT'S GOING TO BE A TAD BIT EASIER FOR THOSE WHO NEED IT TO GET IT.  THE BAD NEWS IS, IOWA IS STILL NOT FULLY COMMITTED TO IT.

-Some type of institutional or legal control over fake news / social media.

FACEBOOK HAS TAKEN SOME ACTION, ALBEIT TOO LITTLE, TOO LATE.  AT THIS POINT, IT'S HARD TO GET IN FRONT OF IT, BECAUSE THE PRESIDENT LIVES IN A VIRTUAL REALTY WORLD THAT HE WANTS OTHERS TO BELIEVE IS NORMAL.

-Related to the above, more critical thinkers, fewer idiots who believe everything they hear.

THERE ARE MORE CRITICAL THINKERS ON THE LEFT, AND LET'S JUST SAY FEWER CRITICAL THINKERS ON THE RIGHT.

-GPS technology used in major sporting events, e.g. to mark the ball in football games, and for the strike zone in baseball games.

NOPE.  LOSERS.

-More working from home by me.

THIS HAPPENED, BUT TO ONLY ABOUT 25% OF THE LEVEL IT SHOULD HAVE.

-The return of popular mainstream rock bands and rock music.

THIS DIDN'T HAPPEN, HOWEVER, I SAW RED HOT CHILI PEPPERS AND JOE WALSH AND TOM PETTY (AND SCHEDULED TO SEE BOB SEGER) IN CONCERT.  SO IT WASN'T ALL BAD.

-Implementation of the fiduciary rule, and the demise of commission-based financial advice.

THE CURRENT ADMINISTRATION ALLOWED THE RULES TO GO INTO EFFECT, BUT THERE WILL BE NO ENFORCEMENT UNTIL AT LEAST 2019.  SO, NO.  AND SINCE FINANCIAL INSTITUTIONS ARE IN THE REPUBLICAN'S POCKETS, MIGHT AS WELL FORGET ABOUT THIS FOR A FEW MORE YEARS.

-The resignation or impeachment of an unqualified president -- no names, any one will do.

NOT AS CRAZY AS IT SOUNDED LAST YEAR. WILL ADD PUSH THIS FORWARD.  IT WON'T BE ANY FUN TO ASK IT FOR 2019 BECAUSE BY THEN IT WILL BE LIKELY.

For 2018 I'd like to see:

The failure of Bitcoin, not as an idea, but as an investment.

An NCAA scandal so large they will have to start allowing players a cut of revenues.

More destinations and ways to fly on Southwest Airlines.

A widespread ability to charge devices without a cord (also asked for this for 2016).

A new governor / lieutenant governor elected for Iowa. 

Let's try this -- exponential growth in the cannabis industry to the extent all states will want a piece of it through taxation.

Greater national and international awareness of CRISPR (genome editing) technology.

Smaller entree portions served in restaurants, for a reduced price.

Fewer national weather disasters, but more understanding of climate change.

The resignation or impeachment of a mentally unstable and unqualified president -- again, no names.

Ruining A Great Invention

The internet, as we know it, has been around since roughly 1990.  It was only for sending and receiving text at first, but by the mid-to-late 1990s, the World Wide Web became available.  This allowed us to electronically visit places (web sites) with pictures and later videos, which we would ultimately be able to pass along to others.

With that brief history of the internet in mind, I would compare it to any of mankind’s greatest inventions.  It may not be quite up there with the alphabet or the automobile, but it’s at least in the conversation with the printing press.

Unfortunately, that conversation would have to include whether the internet is now used as much for evil as it is for good, thanks in part to the proliferation of Facebook / Twitter / social media.  I don’t just mean terrorist type evil, either.  I mean the little bits of evil, things like trolling and bullying, and lies that get passed along as fact and influence behavior in a negative way.

I’m not the most internet-connected person, yet not a day goes by that I don’t see a false or questionable internet-sourced item that’s presented as fact.  (This is particularly true in national political election years like this one.)  It happened to me today, it happened to me yesterday, it will surely happen to me tomorrow.

I’m usually skeptical enough to figure it out on my own (sometimes with the help of snopes.com) but let’s face it, most people swallow whatever they’re sent as the truth.  That wouldn’t be so bad, but in our instant gratification world, those fake-truth-swallowers not only agree with what they see, they also have to affirm it, often by sending it along to other fake-truth-swallowers.

Using the internet in this way this isn’t good for civilization, but short of another evil called censorship, there are no rules of engagement to keep it from happening.  That’s a shame, really, for one of the greatest inventions of all-time.

Vive la Facebook

A few days ago, a coordinated terrorist attack in Paris, France murdered over 100 innocent people and wounded hundreds more.  It’s saddening and infuriating, as all terrorist actions are.

What I want to write about, however, is something that happened in the aftermath that I also find saddening and infuriating, in a much different way.  It’s the response of Facebook users to this tragedy, and to other man-made catastrophes similar to it.

Within hours of the attack, before we even knew of the true scope of it, Facebook had created a way for users to show their support for France by putting overlaying the French flag to their profile picture.  Untold numbers of users have utilized this new feature.  Now, this seems benign enough, why would that be saddening or infuriating?

Because the vast majority of those users are only trying to make themselves look/feel better.

I’m not saying these Facebook users don’t care about the victims, or the victims’ families.  I believe they do.  But let’s get real, 'supporting' them or France by adding a transparent French flag on social media for your friends to see is not making the slightest difference.  At best, it’s a self-serving coping mechanism, not to mention a PR win for Facebook.  At worst, it’s a faux-show of concern over terror victims, and terrorism in general.

We’ve seen how social media can be powerful tool to elicit social change in the world – in some instances, not for the better.  However, no good change whatsoever is going to result from a short-lived symbolic gesture like this.  It doesn't DO anything, that's the saddening part.

Here's the infuriating part:  Most of these same Facebook users couldn’t point out France on a map, nor name their own elected federal representatives, to whom they’ve actually granted power that might effect change.

No, it’s only a matter of time, probably just days, before these same folks forget about France or terrorism and go back to forwarding stupid animal videos, or posting far right-or-left wing political and religious propaganda.  Of course, these things are also without real meaning.

If people want to do something using social media that might actually make a difference to reduce terrorism, or to support the ideals of liberty and a free society like France, they needn't waste time updating a Facebook profile picture.  Instead, use the time on social media (or elsewhere) to learn more about the geo-political, scientific, and especially religious issues at the root of domestic and international conflicts and terrorism.  Or learn the names of elected officials.  You can even learn where France is.

Support and resolution requires understanding.  It does not require an updated Facebook image.  If this is too much work for Facebook users, well, just keep posting those hilarious animal videos!

A Less Friendly Facebook

The other day I took one of the biggest risk anyone can take these days -- I posted a critical minority view of something to Facebook.

At the personal level, Facebook is not meant for people to disagree with each other.  (It's not the same for celebrity or corporate Facebook accounts, which practically invite strangers to troll.)  Facebook is all about inviting friends, which for the most part leads to everybody mindlessly 'liking' every friend's status update.  It's a fact that this usually is done by females to females, not only because they dominate Facebook, but because that's what female friends do.

The only exception I can recall to this universal 'like' business was during the 2012 presidential campaign, when obvious political differences came to the surface.  Even then, however, the disagreements were docile.

In my specific case, I posted an third-party blog entry that was somewhat critical of this summer's e so-called ALS Ice Bucket Challenge.  (If you're reading this in a different year, I'm sure the Google or Facebook archives will tell you all about it.)  In short, the article called the challenge a form of 'slacktivism' where some people made it seem like they were helping a charitable cause, when in fact they were doing nothing.

Essentially, I was calling out everyone who was cluttering up social media with videos of people having water dumped on their heads, which was akin to jumping into a lake because someone else told them to do it -- and then calling it fun.  My comment was an 'the emperor has no clothes' kind of thing.

The outcome was underwhelming.  I did get agreements from a few folks, who were relieved to know somebody else thought like they did, but no real push back.  Ironically, it may be that there are now so many ice bucket videos in the feed that not that many noticed my post!

Regardless, it was a little disappointing.  I would like Facebook, actually all social media, to be more intellectually stimulating.  I get tired of seeing pictures of other friend's children, or pets, or food.  How about a little more hard information and opinion-sharing?

Maybe I just need more friends.

The Paranoid Truth

I don't spend much time on Facebook.  I'm not out there always updating my status, or posting pictures of my kids, or my food, or my kids eating food.  But every once in a while, I feel compelled to comment on someone else's status, especially strange ones.

This week I had an exchange that I enjoyed enough to blog about.  It all started with me replying to a comment from a friend-of-a-friend who was complaining about pot laws, but then suggested our government allowed us no more freedoms than that of China.

Here's the entire exchange, verbatim, with no fact checking.  Watch the other guy's paranoia (and the ALL CAPS) elevate:

ME
Hey [name], what color is the sky on the planet where you're living? If you think China is a more tolerant and free society and treats its citizens better than the U.S., go over there and smoke weed and complain about their government, and post how that turns out for you. Might be difficult since you won't have free or uncensored access to the internet as you obviously do in the U.S., but that's OK, China doesn't allow computers in the prison camp you'll be working in the rest of your life anyway.

HIM
William have you been to China? YOUR GOVERNMENT tried to pass CISPA/SOPA, AND PASSED NDAA, HR347, National Defense Resource Preparedness Act. You KNOW nothing of China but what you are TOLD to THINK. Why are you talking about China again? A TRUE PATRIOT is pro-people and questions their out of control government.

THEN HIM AGAIN
It is more so people are to distracted or brainwashed by the TV which is CONTROLLED information. If people can use Facebook then they can use the WORLD WIDE WEB to educate, inform, and research stuff the TV tells them. 90% of the mainstream media is OWNED by 6 corporations tied to banks and the war machine. I WISH people would instead of vomiting misinformation or ignorance BUT instead go to Google, A SEARCH ENGINE and read about it or watch educational films.

ME
I'm guessing brown...the color of the sky on [name's] planet is brown, the same as it is in Beijing because their government enforces no environmental laws either. You should live there, I'm sure you won't have to worry about the government controlling the information or what you think. At least that's what I read on the internet.

HIM
William why are you talking about Beijing? How many times have you been there? This conversation is about wanting a better future for our country. You can love your country WITHOUT loving your government. The founding fathers LOVED America that is why they fought to set the foundation we are letting to shit. So while patriots talk about wanting to preserve the Constitution, the law of the land that many died for you talk about Beijing. I have found lately when people bash the direction this country is headed people say things like racist, Bush or Beijing?? Are you trying to change the subject? WILLIAM if the TV told the world was flat, would you research it? Would you question it? Would you talk about Beijing? OH, and who said the world was brown?

ME
Hey [name], read the comment thread. I'm talking about China (and the sky in your world being brown) because you suggested we had no more freedom in the U.S. than they have. You might want to Google 'Tiananmen Square' sometime and start getting up to speed. You apparently have no idea what freedom is. No one here has a problem with those who responsibly question their government, it's essential to its operation and that's why it's done and even encouraged. But if you did the same in China you'd get a visit from someone in a uniform and/or tank, and no one would ever hear from you again.

I didn't get a reply to that.  I'm certain he would have, but I suspect he had to crash after being up all night smoking dope and eating Doritos.

I love how the guy is convinced the internet is the source of all accurate information.  No wonder he's on Facebook all of the time.  That and the fact he clearly has no job.  I still 100% support decriminalizing pot, but no one who turns into a full-time delusional stoner ever amounts to anything.

The Lazy Days Of Summer, And Every Other Season

For many years, (at least as far back as the movie Trading Places), I've been a believer that the #1 influence on success in life is social environment.  Being born in America, to nurturing parents, middle-class, white - these are all things that matter a lot to success for my generation, whether we want to admit it or not.

Warren Buffett goes a step further, and simply calls it luck.  After all, our environment is the product of luck, since people have no control as to when or where or how they were born and raised.

It follows then, that if a healthy person was born with these favorable and/or lucky environmental characteristics, but is still an underachiever, there must be another reason why.  And after still more years, I've become a believer that much of it just boils down to laziness.

There are two types of lazy.  The first is just your plain, dumb, do-nothing lazy.  The second is more prevalent, yet harder to see.  It's the lazy person who only acts like and wants everyone to believe they're working.

Yet here again, it took many years for me to realize how many fake-working-lazy-people there are.  And here again, there are subsets.  One is the kind that does one small thing in a day, but takes that to mean they worked all day.  Another is the kind that does nothing but personal matters all day (e.g. personal email or Facebook posting), but assumes that's a day of work.  Still another is the kind that gets to work late, takes an extra long lunch, and then leaves early.

This laziness is only magnified by summertime, when our society collectively decides we should slow down our pace of work.  It's certainly a lot easier for the truly lazy to hide their work ethic in the summer.

Regardless of the manner and timing, it's basic laziness that determines the underachieving destiny of those born into a fortunate social environment.

The Meaning Of Christmas (Cards) Redux

Post-Thanksgiving week begets my annual rite of deep thought over this year's holiday letter.  Last year,  I wrote about how this is a task I willingly take up, while not hiding my disdain for those who make virtually no effort.

This year, I've realized the near-deadbeat Christmas card senders don't deserve all the disdain.  I need to reserve some of it for another group - the total-deadbeat Christmas card senders, and those who send cards to them.

Yes, in the past week I've come across a couple of families that say they enjoy getting Christmas cards, but don't send any themselves.  I don't understand how either of those things happens.

I'm happy to send out holiday greetings, but there is definitely a quid pro quo.  If I don't get even a lame Christmas card over a two year period, the non-sender isn't going to get one from me.

Yeah, I know, the whole Christmas card ritual should not be a burden, nor a contest. However, for those who choose not partake of it, even in a minimal way, you're missing an opportunity to share information about your family with non-Facebook people who might care.

Facebook For The Over 40 Crowd

I've been on Facebook (or as the original creators and I call it, 'The Facebook') long enough now to have a pretty good idea of what is worthwhile, and what is a waste of time, for anyone older than 40.

[As an aside, it seems to me that Facebook usage begins to noticeably drop for people somewhere in their 30s.  It figures that once people's lives mature, they should get busier working on the relationships with their children and their careers, and have less time for social media.  Maybe this will change some as the Facebook generation matures, and the mobile technology further integrates.  As for the under-30 crowd on Facebook, I have no idea what's worthwhile - other than spending less time on it.]

Here are a few effective uses of Facebook for the over-40 crowd:

• Posting pictures and status of out-of-the-ordinary events, like football games or vacations.  No need to post pictures of your children or grandchildren (see below), with the possible exception of newborns in the form of a birth announcement.  And it's OK to post pictures of significant others, for others to creep on them.

• Re-connecting with old high school and college friends, ones who you liked well enough, but not well enough that you cared to keep in touch.  This comes with the added benefit of finding out what they look like, who they've become, and comparing that with what you thought they'd be.

• Sharing links to other interesting web-based material, especially video links.  Let me repeat - INTERESTING material.  Note that anything related to animals, especially cats, is not interesting.  Also note that contrary to what some say, politically-related info is perfectly acceptable, especially to those over 40.  Cute pictures or videos of pets don't affect your future, but political ideology does.

Here are a few ineffective uses of Facebook for the over-40 crowd:

• Posting pictures and status of children, especially older children.  Unless it's a big event, like prom or graduation, no one actually cares what your teenager is doing, as long as they aren't doing something illegal in my neighborhood.

• Liking statuses.  If you're over 40 years old, unless it's family, or unless you also have a pithy comment to attach to a someone else's status, don't simply 'like' it.  That super-cheesy, and it implicitly means you dislike status which you don't 'like.'  What's the point?

• Invitations to events.  Thanks for not calling, but this isn't going to work either.

One other thing for us oldsters - if you aren't going to check your Facebook page at least once every few days, why have you bothered to start one?  If your answer is to creep on your kids or their friends, that isn't good enough.

The Meaning Of Christmas (Cards)

In the past couple of weeks, we've received our share of Christmas cards from family and friends.  I generally enjoy this annual ritual, and for many years our family has put forth an above average effort to send not only a card, but a themed-letter with highlights of the past year, along with a short personal note.

On the other hand, the Christmas cards we receive fall into two general categories: Those that include a picture with a form letter, and those that are simply a pre-printed family picture.

I acknowledge that lots of people don't think much of the Christmas form letter.  I get that, it can be kind of lame, and include all kinds of unnecessary information.  But as silly as that sounds, at least it's something. Which brings me to today's touchy subject.

I have little regard for those who send only a pre-printed picture as their so-called Christmas card.  Sadly, this has become the norm for the greetings we receive, and that trend has been growing ever since it became easy for people to make the pre-printed picture card several years ago.

If all someone cares to send me for a Christmas greeting is a once-per-year family picture, why bother?  If you're unwilling to give more than the minimum effort, just send it to me another time, when you aren't so lazy, er, I mean busy.  Hell, you can even send it electronically in an email, or tell me about a picture you posted to Facebook; it's all the same to me.

To all those family and friends who send me nothing but a pre-printed picture card as a Christmas greeting, I have a Christmas gift for you, something to make sending your Christmas greetings even easier:  Take me off of your Christmas card list.  If our relationship doesn't mean enough for you to personalize your greeting, then I assure you, it doesn't mean enough for me to care about getting an annual picture of your family/pet/vacation.

Just save the stamp, or better yet, donate the postage to charity.  That's a better way to show someone how much you care.

The Social Media Trifecta

After months, even years, of avoidance and threats, last week I joined the world of Facebook.  I consider this to be the third leg of the social media trifecta:  Blog, Twitter, and Facebook.  (Yes, I'm on LinkedIn as well, but there's no practical social element to that, that's all business.)

On balance, this is a good thing.  Facebook has become a primary means of communication for a lot of people, so if you want to deliver a message, you'd better include that in your communication toolbox.

Unfortunately, social media complicates your life before it simpifies it.  For one, there's going to be a learning curve.  For two, I need to figure out the most efficient and effective use for it, both personally and professionally.  For three, I need to decide whom I want to see it, and whom I don't, if anyone.

Near term, one thing I'll use it for is to point people to this blog.  I got as many Facebook friends in one day as I have Twitter follows.  Goes to show you, adults are using Facebook, but not Twitter.  (I've thought for a long time that that's kind of strange, since Twitter is so much easier to use.)

Would you like to be my Facebook friend?

Smart Phones, Dumb Users

Back when cells phones evolved into a device that one could easily carry around, I would shake my head at the self-important people I worked with who deemed it necessary to answer their phone no matter the situation. I worked at a trade association, for God's sake - I'm pretty sure there was no regulatory or lobbying emergency that couldn't wait.

With the advent of smart phones, things have not gotten better. Smart phones have now allowed people to show everyone in the room how important and busy they are, without even receiving a call. People are texting, emailing, checking social media sites, and attending to all sorts of other unnecessary tasks during meetings.

Some people use the excuse of "multi-tasking" to explain away their behavior. Gimme a break. The truth is, smart phones are a drug for self-important people addicted to making themselves appear they must be available 24/7.

Earth-to-all-self-important-people: There is a time and a place for using personal devices, and meetings are NOT one of those times. So, if you're one of those people who just must play with your smart phone (or iPad) while you're supposed to be listening, get over yourself and get back to work, you obnoxious technology jerk.

How To Tell If Something Is Fake

This time of the year there are an awful lot Santas out there. So how can people tell the real Santa from all of the fakers? It's simple really. The dude at the end of the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade is the real Santa. Anything else you see between then and Christmas Eve is just a faker, or as I told my kids, Santa's helper. God-given common sense should tell you the real Santa has too much to do at the North Pole!

Fake Santas may not be the best example of how to tell if something is real, but God-given common sense is. This brings me to today's actual topic: Bristol Palin's Facebook Page.

I don't use Facebook; I'm still trying to figure out how to leverage my Twitter account. However, Facebook-ers often use it to communicate crazy things that get mainstream media play. Bristol used it this week to defend herself against a fellow Dancing With The Stars contestant, Margaret Cho, who blogged that Bristol's politically famous mother, Sarah, made her do the show.

It would be perfectly fine and even righteous for Bristol to defend herself using her Facebook page - if it was really her writing the entries. If anyone reads the Cho defense entry, and compares it to the actual verbal quotes of this in-over-her-head (like her mother) kid, no one with any God-given common sense could believe that she actually wrote it.

Let's deconstruct it: She uses the word "canard". She refers to her mother's "bestselling book, Going Rogue". She even makes an analogy that includes KD Lang and the Indigo Girls! When someone who normally communicates at an 8th grade level ends up writing something that sophisticated, and with political innuendo, my 'faker' radar goes off.

So that same God-given common sense tells me this entry was written by a Sarah Palin political operative for damage control. Normally that would be fine - most 'celebrities' and executives use publicists or ghost writers to write statements or even books. But a Sarah Palin ghost writer on her own daughter's Facebook page? It sort of gives Cho's blog entry credibility - that Mama Grizzly is controlling what her kids say and do.

In a way, I feel for Bristol. She didn't sign up to be a Palin, to be under the microscope, and criticism sucks, especially through the media. But when Bristol signed up for reality TV (and the cash that came with it), she put herself on the media-watch list. (Um, that is assuming it really was her and not her mom that made her do it.)

The best path for Bristol now is to live her life with a quiet confidence, and stay out of the limelight a la Chelsea Clinton at her age. In the meantime, she can hope her mom's political ambitions don't take over her life.