So I wrote in a previous post about the stages of love. I have recieved some positive feedback about that post so I'd like to expand a little on my concept. When you have a relationship between two Stage one people you get one squared which is one. That just so happens to be the number of people in the relationship when things get tough. It surprises me how many people expect their relationships to be static things. They don't want things to change yet they always do. A relationship will always have highs and lows yet most stage one people never get to experience the wonderful sensations of going through a low and conquering it with the person they love. If you have a match with a stage one and a stage two person you have perhaps the saddest of all relationships. Two plus one is three which is often the number of people you'll have in the relationship when the stage one person finds another stage one person to have an affair with when things get rough. The stage one person is sometimes sorry that the relationship didn't work out, but they are ready to move on to more stage one relationships. The stage two person is left with nothing but a desire for a stage two relationship with their former partner or a great resentment towards the betrayal they feel, or both. The double stage two relationship is what we witness when we see people married for 20, 30, or 40 years or more. You get double the comfort, companionship, and rewarding relationship. You halve the sorrows and double the highs. I know my math here is quite illogical and a bit contrived, but it's my blog and I'll do what I want, so there. It works to illustrate the point I wanted to make. I think this is the last of the posts on love for awhile. I don't want to seem like a cheap knock-off of Dr. Laura. Here's to hoping all your relationships are rewarding and fullfilling.
Sunday, July 30, 2006
Saturday, July 29, 2006
Hmmm....Doesn't Blogathon seem just a tad silly to all of you? Yes I know it's for charity. I have nothing against giving money to charity. I just think the idea of blogging every half hour or hour or whatever it is is just a little odd. I think that if you want to give you should give. I also think it's odd to make up all sorts of dumb ideas or reasons to give. Lately I've seen poker walks (what the ed is that?) and biker runs, as well as bowling for charity and giving out cheap candy as thank yous for giving. Has it really become that bad? Do you honestly need to offer people 5 cent crap candy in order for them to give a fiver to charity? It seems every time I turn on the radio I hear some add for some organization wanting my car. So consider this my contribution. If you read this and agree with me send some food to my favorite charity: your local food bank, church or otherwise. If you read this and totally disagree with me send some food to your local food bank. The more you agree or disagree the more food you should give. If you are indifferent then you need to fill the largest vehicle you own with food and drive it to your local food bank. Oh and if you didn't read this please send food to your local food bank.
So I'm an adult male who plays Neopets. Yeah the site has more of a kid friendly tilt but I have had lots of fun with this silly website. What I am starting to dislike about it is that since they have been sold to Viacom/MTV the site has become more interested in commercial aspects, at least in my opinion. It seems that the free fun stuff is becoming more and more neglected. When Neopets puts together a plot they do a pretty fantastic job of making it interesting and hard enough to be challenging without being impossible. It appears that lately, however, while the plot is still put together well, the conclusions are slow and frustrating. The award winning seems to be postponed over-long. I understand that they need to calculate the winnings and figure out the different levels of prizes, but they continually announce that prizes will be done way before they actually complete the work and issue the goods. I just wish they would keep their mouths shut unless they are completely sure that the thing is done. I also think they have way too many things going on at the same time. I wish they would finish one thing before introducing the next ala Altador plot and Altador Cup. I guess it's more that the site is going to change and I would like it not to. Ah well, if wishes were horses we'd all have something for dinner.
Friday, July 28, 2006
I don't know if this is common in other parts of the world or if it is purely an American phenomena. I currently attend college as a "returning student" or "continuing education student" or "adult student". They have all sorts of names to convince you that you aren't out of place with the babies. I have nothing against the average seventeen or eightteen year old but they just seem so young. A lot of them seem stupid too. I have met these students who despite getting a failing grade refuse to do better work or drop the class. One student in a history class I was taking was actually proud of achieving a 16% on a test. I have met many students who tell me they have NEVER read a book all the way through. When I ask how they got through high school they told me that they read summaries or watched the movie version of a book they were supposed to read for class. How can you go through 18 years of life and never read a book. I read about a book a week while I'm am actively in class. During our breaks I can sometimes read more than a book a day. I don't expect other people to share my appetite for reading, yet I do expect a college graduate to have at least read a book thicker than the walkthrough guide for their latest video game. It seems so sad and so astonishing that this is a relatively common experience. God forbid we should turn a T.V. off or shut the XBox down. There are so many wonderful adventures and stories locked away in books that are quickly becoming as dated as polyester suits and vinal LPs. I suppose it makes film making an easier job. Wait 25 years and then you can have a fresh story out of any book because nobody will be reading anymore.
Thursday, July 27, 2006
What is going on with our adiction with intensity. It seems like these days everything is more intense in ways that would baffle our ancestors. It's not good enough to have a cheese cracker anymore we need an intense cheese flavor with cheese and spice sprinkles. We have flavor blasting and triple coating. A baked potato doesn't quite cut it. Instead we order loaded potatoes with cheese and bacon and sour cream and onion and lord knows what else. Our T.V. is more intense too. The reality show gives us glimpses into the 'reality' of life. A simple comedy or drama is lame. The shows were we see people fighting and getting torn apart by other people is the thing we need. If that is not enough you can get the "too hot for tv" version that shows said people getting naked, beating on each other, and cursing. It is unacceptable to get a movie all by itself when I buy a DVD. I must have the extras. I need the bonus footage, director's cut, commentary, behind the scenes, music videos, and internet content. What is wrong with us. We are constantly wanting more. I long for simpler days when the favorite time of the week is when my family went to grandma's house for dinner on Sunday. This craving for intensity is ruining the pleasure we can get from normal life experiences and simple beauty.
So here's a post on my thoughts about love. I may be waxing a little poetic here, and if you don't like it, surf off. I have thought about this alot since I'm going through a divorce. Love has two stages if you will. The first stage is kissing, holding hands, gazing into each others eyes, going to movies, dates, sharing milkshakes, and sex. This is the EASY part. This first stage is fun and enjoyable. The second stage is harder and ultimately more rewardable. This consists of waking up next to someone who has morning ugliness and breath, dealing with quirks and pet peeves, caring for someone when they can't care for themselves, doing things you don't want to do just because the other person wants to or needs to do. People just don't want to go out of their way to care for someone else. When the fun of stage one goes away or the hardships in stage two get burdensome people run from committment. They want the rewards of stage two but have no desire to go through the work to get it. They then settle for the easy and low reward stage one because they don't want to expend any more energy than they must. It's so sad. Those who enjoy both stages enjoy a more fullfilling relationship. Oh well I guess as humans we are all just too lazy.
Wednesday, July 26, 2006
OK now for a post on work. I work at a Radio Shack dealer store in my home town. Before I go on I suppose I should say that nothing I say here necessarily reflects the thought or oppinions of Radio Shack or the owner or coworkers of the store I work at. These are just my thoughts and oppinions. Anyway I have come to realize that when people walk into my store they enter a 'Radio Shack Zone'. This is kind of like the twilight zone only a little bit creepier. Normal intelligent people turn into raving idiots or angry maniacs. This zone does not effect everyone. Most of my customers are nice people who come in and buy what they need and leave. These people, however common and frequent they are, are not the subject of these posts. Let me relate an incidence so that you can understand what I am talking about.
A man comes into my store.
Customer: "Do you have wire?"
Me: "Sure. What kind of wire do you need?"
Customer: "Wire wire."
Me: "Um I'm not sure what kind of wire that is can you be a little more specific?"
Customer: "You know, wire wire"
Me: Oh boy this is going to be interesting "OK let's see. We have telephone wire, speaker wire, audio wire, alarm wire, intercom wire, audio/video cabeling, guy wire, antenna wire, ground wire. Which one of those do you need?"
Customer: "The kind of wire that conducts electricity"
I know this man must be an intelligent person. He has stepped into the Radio Shack Zone. He cannot explain what he needs and he is getting more and more frustrated by the second.
Me: "Well sir that doesn't help me much as that is how all wire works. Wire by its nature conducts the electricity and that is how we use it in all of these different applications."
Customer: "I really need wire to conduct electricity and I know you have it."
I am starting to realize what he needs.
Me: "Do you mean house electrical wire. Like the kind that goes inside your walls through conduit and powers your AC outlets?"
Customer: "YES! That is what I need."
Me: "I'm sorry sir we don't carry that kind of wire."
The man walked out. This is what I mean by the Radio Shack Zone. It's quite strange.
A man comes into my store.
Customer: "Do you have wire?"
Me: "Sure. What kind of wire do you need?"
Customer: "Wire wire."
Me: "Um I'm not sure what kind of wire that is can you be a little more specific?"
Customer: "You know, wire wire"
Me: Oh boy this is going to be interesting "OK let's see. We have telephone wire, speaker wire, audio wire, alarm wire, intercom wire, audio/video cabeling, guy wire, antenna wire, ground wire. Which one of those do you need?"
Customer: "The kind of wire that conducts electricity"
I know this man must be an intelligent person. He has stepped into the Radio Shack Zone. He cannot explain what he needs and he is getting more and more frustrated by the second.
Me: "Well sir that doesn't help me much as that is how all wire works. Wire by its nature conducts the electricity and that is how we use it in all of these different applications."
Customer: "I really need wire to conduct electricity and I know you have it."
I am starting to realize what he needs.
Me: "Do you mean house electrical wire. Like the kind that goes inside your walls through conduit and powers your AC outlets?"
Customer: "YES! That is what I need."
Me: "I'm sorry sir we don't carry that kind of wire."
The man walked out. This is what I mean by the Radio Shack Zone. It's quite strange.
Well I have finally decided to start a blog. I am not sure why as the world definitely does not need another blog. Maybe it is a touch of ego. The idea that someone wants to read the crap that spews forth from my fingers. Well in case you do I will be posting some life stuff mostly about college, work, and neopets so don't fingure on getting many juicy details about my personal life. I suppose that is enough for a first post. So no matter why you are here, and believe me I can't for the life of me imagine why you are, I hope you enjoy my postings.
