Keep Waiting for the Switch

Your Life Belongs To You

Recently I was talking to a girl, who I had met as a possible "dating prospect", and things seemed to be going fine.


We talked back and forth for a few days, and things seemed all rosy and peachy, and looked like we might actually meet up for a first date.


And then it happened...her friend said something to her that made her think otherwise...and I quote (actual quotations""; and ... where parts were skipped, since they don't pertain to this story):

"I was talking today with someone who is very close to me and knows me very well...I was telling her about you and our conversations...The one thing that she mentioned to me that made me stop and think was that I wouldn't want my kids to grow up with a TV...Does that mean that I will throw out all my dvds and box sets, right now no, but maybe one day..."


Can we dissect this for a second?


One day, she is talking to me, and is fine with all of this, and the next, her friend tells her what she wants for her kids, and she changes her mind.


So first issue: HER FRIEND JUST MADE A LIFE DECISION FOR HER.


Not she making one herself, her friend telling her.


Second issue: She MAY throw out her DVDs and Box Sets one day...May? If you want your kids to grow up without TV, then those box sets will have to go. If you think that they don't have to go, then it's okay for your kids to know about TV shows, in which case, you will probably have a TV/DVD player, and you are right back where you were.


Except not right back where you were, because you told some guy you can't go out with him, because of something a friend told you you want.


Girls. Time for y'all to grow up. And make your own decisions.


It is your life. Take control of it.


And  yes, I have seen all the recent blog posts about girls asking a guy out, and truthfully, screw the stereotypes. If one person likes another person, regardless of the genders, they should ask them out. Because if you can't make a simple decision about going on a SINGLE DATE with another person, how do you think you'll be able to decide harder things later in life?

Temporary Ending?

When I started this blog, I didn't know what I intended to do with it.

What I would write.

And even more, who the heck would read it?

In my first day or two a lot of people, surprisingly, read my posts, although I'm sure most of them never put up with my arrogant style again.

I also got goals set upon me by fellow blogger Altie that I wouldn't make it more than two weeks.

So it gave me a goal, and a purpose.

And I set forth to put up a new post every day (not counting Shabbos/YT).

It is now 39 days after I started this blog.

It has also been 37 published posts/notes/guest posts/etc. on this blog, with a surprising number of "PageViews" (for what those are worth), numbering into the 2000s.

But for now, I think I am done with it.

I have lost my will to do it.

I hope to still keep reading/commenting on the blogs around me.

And if something sparks my interest enough, I may put out periodic new posts.

Thanks to those who have read, and will stay around for those random times that I do post.

Arrivederci il mio segreto anonimo amici.

Location, Location, Location

Some of you may have noticed by now the "location" tag on all my blogs.


They all come from a seemingly random place, but upon closer inspection, they all have a little something to do with the blog post itself. Be it a related word to the post, or a sarcastic joke of what it is.


For those of you who haven't noticed, or even those who have, I decided after a month of posts (now) to compile the complete list in one post, and give the reasoning to them all.


And yes, they are all real locations.

• Big Beaver, PA - Because it's just funny.
• Climax, GA - Yes, my first few locations were kinda dirty...it was before I started getting cute with them.
• Zigzag, OR - This was on my first poem, which went all over the place
• Money Island Beach, NC - On a post about my sanity...
• Niceville, FL - The schedule to my madness, which has mostly been followed til now - Go me!
• Crackersport, PA - On my first sports post.
• Cranberry Marsh, WI - The attention span there is probably not that large.
• Looneyville, NY - While introducing the The Shomer Toucher...I apologize.
• Funkhouser, IL - When I was in a funk about being used.
• Interwebs - While creating a now non-used Twitter account.
• Hotchkissville, CT - "Kiss" while talking about the choices of Shomer Negiah
• Bacon, IN - A poem that ended with a quote on bacon.
• Kiryas Joel, NY - On a post about Chassidim...if you don't get this one, I can't help you.
• Fort Dick, CA - Another sports post, which is generally a manly thing.
• Goose Egg, WY - On The Shomer Touchers first post. A goose egg amongst my golden eggs. Eh, who am I kidding, TSTs posts are brilliant.
• Dumbell, WY - Talking about the Asifah....I think it was appropriate.
• Hand, SD - On a post about handwriting.
• Nunapitsinchak, AK - Don't ask. It was just an awesome name.
• Mt Homa, Kenya - President Barack Hussein Obama's "Hometown"
• Sao Paolo, Brazil - Another sports post, with multiple stories on soccer (futbol), so only appropriate to bring in Brazil.
• Guide, Hainan, Qinghai, China - Because there was no correct place to stick this post.
• Lincoln Park, Chicago, IL - Well, because it was Linkin Park lyrics...
• Angerville, France - I was angry...
• Bieber, CA - Poor city was named after that Canadian girl.
• Fukita, Itano, Itano District, Tokushima Prefecture, Japan - It was a thought. I needed a longer location name then the thought.
• Whatcom County Jail, 311 Grand St, Bellingham, WA 98225, USA - I was talking about petitions, including ones to get people out of jail.
• Tomb of the Unknowns, VA - Was there any place more appropriate for Memorial Day?
• San Andreas Fault, CA - Talking about peoples faults.
• Nadi, Fiji - This post, since that's how many people will still be reading by this point. Nada.

Cheerio people. One month in :) how long can I last? (That's what you said last night, what a coincidence.)

Thoughts

Not in the right place of mind to be doing a real blog post right now.


So I just have a question.


If you say something to someone, and you say you really mean it, but then publicly say the same thing to tens of other people, how can someone believe you are sincere?

Internet & Electronics For Kids?

An article in the Wall Street Journal last week, by David Gelernter (article here) talked about how children should spend their summers outside, and not pick up their phones, iStuff, or go online.

Now, he does have a point, and kids definitely need their fair share of Vitamin D
from the sun. But he concludes his article by saying:
"And so, yes to the Internet, yes to the cybersphere! Yes to modern iMachines and pads, pods, smartphones—and to liquor, fast cars and sleeping pills when you need them. But not for children."
And this I don't agree with.

While on most things I'll say that other companies are better, such as computers (Windows>MacOS) and TV's (Normal>Apple TV), I will however say that to use any other companies Tablet system, would just be silly.

A lot of the stuff I'll talk about here is probably available on other systems, but who are we kidding. The uniformity of iOS is much better for children to learn on, then the Android tablets.

And learn they can. From math (MathBoard and Math Bingo are the recommended starters), to geography (try out 123 World Geography).

Musically inclined children, can fool around with Garageband.

Artistic children, can doodle away on Drawing Pad.

I have seen children use most of the apps above. The learning time for them to learn how to use the apps, was next to nothing.

And the teaching values of some of them, phenomenal. They have a step up on other children when they advance in school.

So no Mr. Gelernter, the solution is not to take away technology from the children. The solution is to give it to them, in moderation. Both moderation of time, and moderation by adults, to make sure they only do child appropriate things with the technology.