Friday, January 25, 2013

Book Report on Facebook.

I was challenged to write a blog about "Social Media." I spent some time earlier this week and wrote a very dry "book report" about how I felt. I did not publish it at the time. The blog offered nothing new and was boring!

Suffice to say, I like social media. I prefer the occasional text message (maybe that qualifies as social media?) because a text feels more personal. I far prefer a lengthy email or a phone call.. or a coffee, in person, with friends. More ... human.

For those who enjoy reading textbook-like material I have included the earlier blog below. Yawning has been pre-approved and is expected.

Wednesday, January 23:
"While examining the topic "Social Media" one is immediately drawn into a conversation about facebook in particular.  While I recognize twitter and linkedin are also quite popular they serve different interests and are not the subject of this blog.

Facebook is a remarkable entity. To have the ability to connect and share with so many "friends" is kinda brilliant. I am painfully aware of the detractors. Let me first offer some praise.

I love seeing members of my family on facebook. Some family members use it more than others. All of us share pictures and comments and funny videos. We don't live that close together so the little bit of touching base is satisfying. I enjoy watching my nieces and nephews communicate with each other. I don't know where else I could see and appreciate how fond they are of each other. I love the random comments. I gain a little bit more insight into each one. We are all set to fairly strict privacy settings. I don't see the down side.

I have enjoyed finding old friends, particularly from high school. Some of us have actually managed to get together in person. It has been lovely.

I take pleasure in reading about my students' lives. I like to see what they are up to and where they have landed after graduation. Very cool.

I delight in the conversations that have developed with my current friends and colleagues. I even appreciate the occasional cat picture!

I know a lot of people have developed a healthy... hmm, "fear" is too big a word, a healthy distrust of facebook. I get it. Some of my very dear friends do not participate very often or never joined the network or have effectively left facebook. Most are worried about privacy and feel on some level that facebook is intrusive and an imposition. Some have just become too addicted and find it takes up too much of their time. Some have been stalked. (I find that if I keep up with my privacy settings and delete the occasional inappropriate comment I feel safe and unconcerned.)

The most compelling arguments I find for leaving facebook (or not participating in the first place) are as follows:
1. Whatever you post is out there. You can't really control your own content. Once published all lives somewhere in the ether. Scary thought.
2. Facebook (and other social media like twitter) can in fact be very addicting. Some folk find the casual contact more of a nuisance. Some find it ultimately distancing. The contact is, after all, very superficial. Some of us prefer physical contact, telephone contact or at the very least lengthy emails.

Ultimately I agree with my friends' reasons for leaving facebook behind or untouched. I take no issue. I have found a way to use the social network for my own ends and quite enjoy it. I don't find I spend too much time wandering through casual friends' posts."

Back to the present:
Hmm. As you can see... if you got this far.. I bored myself and was unable to come to a satisfactory conclusion. Ah well.

Next time!
m.

Monday, January 7, 2013

What Comes To Pass.

I am not poor. I want to make that very clear before I write the following post. People all over the world are suffering in poverty and that is not what I am talking about here. I ache for them and if I thought $25 would help I would send it, and I do.

Trying to look at the positive.
When one has very little or no money coming in, one is glad one anticipated an eventuality one never really thought would come to pass. When one is so good at one's work the idea that she would have trouble finding that work (always in the back of one's mind but didn't really believe) was anathema. Well, here it is.

I have work but I am underemployed. I have more work coming but it won't pay enough to replace what we've had to spend to get through these tough times. We've put away a sum of money that will take us through these times.. but it won't last if the tough times continue. I know many are struggling and wondering how far their savings will take them. And this is the worst time. Property taxes are due. Insurance policies are due. These are large expenditures. Then.. the sink stops working...

Ah, life.

Okay.. The upside to "feeling" poor. (Again..I am not poor. I am just underfunded. )
You can't eat cookies you don't buy.
You walk to the post office to save gas.
You exercise in your room and do not join a gym.
You find amazing products at the dollar store. Just what you NEED! Amazing.
1 pound of meat for 2 people can last three days if prepared properly.
Cooking at home seems more expensive, but in fact is cheaper.. Leftovers! YaY! Love leftovers. Just have to re-heat.
Drinking less.
Smoking less.
My nails are a mess and need addressing.. sorry, off topic..
Walking more.

It is a bit hard right now. It will get better. I will I will I will do whatever needs to be done. In the meantime.. I am doing less and looking in my pantry and trying to bring something fresh to the table.

That is all I have to say.
xo
m.




Friday, January 4, 2013

Travelogue. And Going A Little Wizard Of Oz.

My Dear Readers:
There are multitudes of vacation show places. One can go to to Yosemite. Breathtaking. Really. One can go to the Grand Canyon.. a little different.. your breath is actually taken away. True. Upstate New York is gorgeous and if you've ever been to Woodstock and spent the night you know you have to return. The hills call you. The small lakes and parks outside of Cleveland are romantic. New York is New York. The Park is so good. San Diego's Balboa Park is just out and out beautiful and should probably be everyone's first choice. But.

I am going to go a little Wizard of Oz here folks. Look in your own backyard. If you can't find what your are looking for, look behind you, or over to the next street or up the hill. If you live in LA you can look west and north. If you live in NYC you can look north and south and east. I can't speak to any more large cities. I don't know them all.

I want to travel.. just a little bit. I want to leave my house with my husband and go somewhere. We have been lucky. In our lifetime we have traveled, mostly because of my work or to see his family. We have spent time in NYC, in London, in Cleveland, in Boston (love Boston), in San Diego, in Seattle and San Francisco.  We have visited relatives in Saint Louis. I have lived in St. Louis for a week or two. On tour I have visited more cities than I care to count.

I have been to a lot of places. I still want to go back to the Ventana Inn. My favorite place. On the coast of California. So beautiful and part of Big Sur. Ah.. too expensive now.

So... my husband and I take these amazing little trips. We happen to live seconds away from the Angeles Forest, and Angeles Crest Highway. Really? You haven't heard of it? Oh, My Gosh! It is a trip through the San Gabriel Mountains, on one side is the Mohave Desert... you are up so high... and the other.... downtown Los Angeles. It is a rim drive. Wow. Unbelievably Cool.

I have lately (within the last 5 years) become obsessed with a small campground about 30 minutes form our house. The picnic ground is called Switzer, pictured above.
 Or just here.. The Wash.. minutes from my house. They call it the "Tujunga Wash." I call it a river in the spring and a spring in the summer. Really, this is 10 minutes away on foot. So beautiful and so calming.

If you can't find your heart's desire within your own backyard, maybe you didn't want it in the first place.

Seems true. Well, my backyard is particularly wonderful. Yet.. I had to go looking for it. Will you?

xo
m.