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What gives? A horrible expression that shows lack of intelligence.

Posted on May 15, 2012 by
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There are certain phrases that people use without putting much thought into them. One of them that irks me is the phrase “What gives?”

What taints that expression is that it’s usually found in the same sentence as WTF.

“WTF man, why is this thing still broken? What gives?”

Often when someone says “what gives”, it’s rarely used when something positive is happening.  The speaker who says it, is usually pissed off and complaining about something.

Here’s the problem. (By the way, this blog post might be coming out in riddles. You may have to re-read it a couple times to understand my points. There is no easy way of taking a phrase like this, splitting hairs about why it’s wrong, and convincing anyone of the alternative).

Emotion is stirred into the phrase, which means, logical communication has dwindled down to the point someone has to say “What gives”.. it is akin to showing anger. That’s why I hate the phrase “What gives”.

In my opinion “What gives” is a simple way of saying “Why am I experiencing this problem, and who is going to fix it before I get even more upset”.

…so I ask, why do people keep saying it? What gives???

If people were to calm down a little, realize that not every problem in existence is present “just to piss you off”. Sometimes it’s something that can easily be fixed. Or, it simply means, that a solution hasn’t been found yet.

How about instead of asking “What gives”.. ask “Is there anything that I can do to help?”

“What gives?” Shows frustration, and anger, demands a solution, and does very little to help the situation, instead, it only compounds the problem further. Now there is two problems. The first problem which is unsolved which caused someone to demand “What gives”, and now there is a second problem, calming down, and satisfying the person who demands “What gives”.

As someone who has worked with customer service before, I’ve heard the “What gives” phrase one too many times. Usually our response would be “Thank you for reporting the problem, it’s been worked on right now, and will be fixed shortly”

…but at no time is there a way to truly answer “What gives?” ..so why bother asking that question in the first place.

Similarily, if someone asks “WTF?” — again, there is no way to answer that question either.

My recommendation to you, the next time you’re upset, and want to communicate that you’ve noticed a problem. Don’t use “WTF” or “What gives”, because they are both negative connotations that are not constructive or helpful. Just leave them out of your speech.  Instead, just report a problem, ask if it has already been reported, and what is being done to correct it.

Maintaining your composure during problematic times, by not stomping your feet, wailing like a child, and using phrases like “WTF” or “What Gives”, will earn you a lot more respect in the long run.

This is the best way I can articulate how I feel about the phrase “What Gives” and how I wish it would disappear from existence. After that, “WTF” can be next.

Enjoy the rest of your day or evening. :)

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Categories: Stupid Cliche Phrases | Tags: , , , , , , ,

Phones and computers are enslaving people.

Posted on April 28, 2012 by
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So now we have smart phones and everybody can be connected 24 / 7.  Is this a good thing? Who’s the nerd now? Just cuz you may believe that you are not a geek, doesn’t mean you’re not a geek. If you are walking around with an iPhone in your purse, and you’re constantly checking your email messages everytime the phone beeps…

Apparently you are exhibiting the behavior of a nerd.

Seems like I’m trying a little too hard to call out the guilty here.

But really look at the situation.

Is e-mail THAT important? Can’t it wait until you return to the office, or go back home?

Does a message from someone need to pop up on your smart phone while you are moving down the aisles of a grocery store?

Is it a life and death situation that if you don’t reply to someone 5 minutes after you left the house or office? What if they have to wait until tomorrow morning to get your response? Is everyone’s life hanging closer to financial ruin if we don’t respond instantly?

At what point do we all becomes slaves of technology? Why is it no longer socially or financially acceptable to leave the computer, to leave our phone, and just walk around in the open world without constantly checking for incoming email?

It’s a sad joke if you really look at it. We stopped living our own personal lives, just because technology is here.

Recognize the problem. It’s obvious.

What spawned this post, is that I was talking to someone recently that was bragging about how she gets her email on FOUR different devices.  “I get it on my phone, I get it on my iPad, I get it on my Laptop, and I get it on my Desktop”, she stated and then grinned.

I looked at her, like she was someone in need of a therapist. She had this idiotic happy look on her face that she gets the opportunity to re-read each message four times as it comes in. If I handed her a fifth device, I think she’d be ecstatic.

It’s akin to zombies walking around saying “more brains”

Only these zombies are saying “more email devices”

Thankfully the portable internet-enabled toilet never was created, but Microsoft tried!

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Categories: Ideas: Good and Bad?, Rants and Complaints, What do you think? | Tags: , , , , ,

What is twitter, facebook, and the internet really about?

Posted on April 20, 2012 by
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Twitter is much different than Facebook, and if you haven’t tried it yet, look at what you have been missing! Some people wonder why Twitter and Facebook are so popular these days. Everyone hops onto Facebook to check out their friends and family, their status updates, etc.

For the most part, it seems like a big waste of time. You’re telling people about non-important things about your life, and you’re reading their status updates or tweets about nonsensical stuff, or so it seems.

Facebook is about talking to “your family and your friends”

Twitter is about talking “to the entire world” (and also just your family and your friends, if you want)

When you write something on Twitter, everybody usually can see it. This invites strangers to make comments about your tweets. This is a great way to meet people from all walks of life. You can talk to people that you’d normally pass on the street.

Take a step back for a moment – and really look at what Twitter can offer you.

You’re actually conversing with people. Real people. People who you don’t have to go and have a coffee with, just to know them or learn more about them. You don’t geographically have to be in the same city to know what makes them tick.

The internet is a huge place. You’ll meet many idiots. At the same time, you’ll meet one in every 1,000 that is worthwhile talking to..

I’ll share my story.  I avoided twitter. I’m not one of those fast thumb typists on my cell phone that wants to tweet.

I felt like I was missing something. I deliberately opened up a twitter account to see what it was all about. What happened next was totally unexpected.

You are hundreds, or thousands of miles away from someone, and all it takes is a few tweets or sentences here and there for you to realize you’ve met someone intellectual with a real persona to them.

What if, you will never meet for coffee, as friends, but know, there is someone else out there with the same brain power, sense of humor, strength as a person as you?

Could it be possible to be friends with someone you have never met?

I still have problems understanding why, but I met this person on twitter named @MercStarChild on twitter.  To be honest, all I did was read a few tweets from her, and I immediately recognized she was a person of substance. A thinker. Someone who feels she can express herself in public, without worry about what everyone else thinks.

I am much the same way.

Now there’s a small problem. When one person compliments another, right away it seems out of the ordinary. “Oh, he must like her”, or “he’s only saying that because he has an ulterior motive”.

Stop.

What if, I am just paying her a genuine compliment, as a decent human being who deserves praise and recognition for who she is?

(which is exactly what I am doing).

So let’s get back to the subject of this blog post:

What is twitter, facebook, and the internet really about?

It is about meeting people across vast geographical regions that you may not have been able to meet otherwise.

It is about finding that diamond in the rough. That worthy person to talk to, who may be on the other side of the country, who is like you.

It is about bringing people together, without people feeling like they are alone with seeing life a certain way.

It is about how I met @MercStarChild and loving her odd tweets as she talks about her family, whether it be good or bad.

Real people are scattered around the globe. It is up to us to find each other, and talk to each other.

So maybe now, you know what the underlying reason of twitter and facebook, and what the internet is really about.

It should be (and will always will be) connecting like minded people together.

I’d love to hear your comments

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Categories: Ideas: Good and Bad?, What do you think? | Tags: , , ,

Vegetable Gardens vs Mowing your Lawn!

Posted on April 6, 2012 by
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People know how to mow their lawn. They know how to rake their leaves, they even know how to wash their driveways and trim their bushes.

What the majority of people don’t do, is grow a vegetable garden. It is surprising to me that people do not take the time to grow some tomatoes or cucumbers and save money by reaping the benefits of their efforts.  You can’t eat grass, but people spend countless hours maintaining their lawns.

The few courageous people out there that actually do plant a vegetable garden, usually go to the local nursery, or hardware (even drug store) and buy pre-potted vegetable plants, bring them home and transplant them in their little vegetable garden.  They feel they are urban farmers at this point. They took a plant, stuck it in soil, watered it during the summer months, and picked off the fruit or vegetables that the plant grows.

Then you get the die-hards – these are the people that just buy seeds from the store, grow them in pots, or in a greenhouse, and think they are farmers, because they bought seeds in a packet and successfully planted them, transplanted them outside when the weather was nice, and reaped the rewards when they were in full bloom and producing vegetables and fruit (especially in the case of tomatoes).

Who is left?  The truly organic people. Those few people, maybe 1 out of every 1000 that knows what HEIRLOOM seeds are.. Or better yet, how to save, and create their own seeds from things they’ve grown in previous years without needing to run to a store to buy a packet of seeds.

Imagine that, you eat a watermellon, and spit out the seeds. You eat grapes with seeds, and spit them out. Slice a lemon, you have to get rid of the seeds.  Has anyone taken the time to realize that the annoying “seeds” could provide real food for you the following year?

People will say, well I’m too busy to save seeds and grow a garden, I work all day, and have to go grocery shopping afterwards.  Well what if the grocery store was in your backyard?  If you took a few minutes to cultivate some soil, plant some heirloom seeds, grow a plant, and reap what you sow, and actually harvest your efforts “FOR FREE” and save yourself a bundle of cash in the process, wouldn’t that be worth it?

I can tell you from experience this single thing. A wax coated imported tomato that was picked green, and trucked to your location and ripened along the way, will have no where near the taste.. that one that you could have grown on your own. To illustrate my point, is a frozen pizza from a grocery store (think cardboard) as tasty as one delivered to you hot and fresh?

So let’s see what we’re really asking people to do, because this idea seems so foreign to most people:

1) Get a hold of a decent seed (heirloom in a packet, or one that you saved yourself)

2) Plant it in decent soil, that has nutrients and organic material enough to feed the plant

3) Water it

4) When it produces fruit or vegetables, take them

5) Next year, repeat…

There is something so special about eating what you created.  It is true, tomatoes or cucumbers, or even beans will not grow widely in your lawn without you taking the first few steps. But if you do take the few moments outside of your internet, gaming, TV, or texting day, to actually sink a seed into the soil and ensure it gets watered.. You can reap what you sow.

People keep complaining about the economy, but savings to survive are right infront of you. GROW something, and eat what you produce. It will give you a greater outlook on life, and there is nothing better than enjoying the fruits of your labour.

Many people will suggest, “well I’m not a farmer, and I don’t know what I am doing”. Well google is there to help you. Watch some videos, do some searches, and see how easy it can be. If you are an early starter, you might kill a few young plants by accident. But at least you tried, and you are learning along the way.

Every new year that shows up, and every seasonal cycle that we experience, you have a chance at trying something new. Try to grow at least one single vegetable or fruit bearing plant, and if it doesn’t work out, learn from  your mistakes.

It doesn’t take much to sink a dried corn seed into the ground, to grow a corn plant, and get free corn.

If this is something you haven’t spent much time thinking or learning about, then perhaps it is time you did.

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Categories: Uncategorized, What do you think? | Tags: , , , , , ,

When u think you know someone, it’s $$$ that stands between you.

Posted on March 24, 2012 by
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I have first hand experience at this today, and I don’t like it. However, it is the truth. Sometimes the truth hurts.

Money rules everyone. People are greedy. Reading this, you may think you’re the exception to the rule, but are you?

Everyone has bills to pay, riches to earn, and things they want to be able to have, or to do, in their future.

Many of us, I think a lot more than people may think, enjoy helping someone without getting paid. At least, that is the type of person I am.. If I truly help someone because of talent I may inherently have, I’m always happy to do so.. My thanks is enough by seeing the smile on someone’s face that needed help.

I’d like to believe, and always wanted to believe, that if I help a bunch of people, some day, someone will help me too..

Today, I got slapped with reality, and I got slapped really hard by it.

I could elaborate into details, but that doesn’t take away from the point, so let’s stick with the basic points…

I was working pro bono for someone, helping them with what it is they need, without talking money, expecting that if I needed similar help, they’d be there for me.  I found out today, that is not the case…

Ever see one of those carnival dunk tanks? Where the person sits on a bench, you throw a ball, and they get dunked?

..that is what this person needs to have done for them. They need a fresh, cold water, dunk into a tank to wake up.

I realize I’m beating around the bush here, and I don’t mean to do that, as much as I’m trying my darnest to not publically identify the guilty.

In a nutshell, this is what happened…

1) I did about $1800 worth of work for someone

2) I asked them to help me with a project I was working on, and see what they could do

3) The labor involved in the $1800 I provided them works out to about 35 hours of my talents, abilities, and cost to provide..

4) I needed something that would have also worked out to be about 35 hours of their own talents, abilities, and costs to provide…

5) Fair deal, so I thought.

6) Met with them. They initially quoted me a non-friendly $8000 before the meeting, and then reduced it down to $5,000 after the meeting.

…here is where things get fun..

7) Two days later, this person revises their quote, and goes “Yeah, I’ve re-decided after the meeting, that what it is, I can help you with, is actually worth $12,800 and here is 10 different sweet reasons why you need to pay me for it.

This was a semi-friend that did this to me.  I’m speechless.   How could you possibly quote $8,000, meet with me,  then quote $5,000, wait two days and up the ante to $11,800 ?

I already know the answer to my question.

ANSWER: Because you are in a position to do exactly that.. you did it, because you can.

Just because you can, and are able to do something, doesn’t mean you should.

This type of thing that goes on with people, in business negotiations shouldn’t be hidden. When a wrong has happened, speak about it. You don’t have to identify the guilty parties, but surely you are in the right to share the problem publicly on your blog..

Which is what I am doing, exactly now.

The world is rough enough. It’s even worse when you can’t trust friends (ok semi-friends) which are people you trust to be there for you, when you were already there for them.

So I learned a hard lesson tonight, against my will, which is that you shouldn’t put too much trust in anyone.. Even those people you think are close acquaintances of yours.

Which, in short translation means.. This is not a win-win situation now. Now it becomes a lose-lose situation. You upped your price more than double.. see where I’ll be later when you actually need me.

Money doesn’t rule all here, and now I certainty won’t trust you again.

So Mr. Greed, thanks for your nonsense quote. I’ve now learned that you’re not someone on my short list of people who I’ll ever go to again. Take your greed and stuff it..

Life is funny. Out of every 100 people, there is probably only 2 or 3 that are decent.  I see that more and more everyday.

Life is suppose to be about give and take. It just seems that some people want to always take, without giving anything back.

Whatever. I’ll still manage. But to Mr. Idiot out there that took advantage of my goodwill… you have what is coming to you. With that attitude, and something bad happens, it is not me that caused it. It’s you that deserved it.

..enough said..

Best wishes to the rest of you. Please don’t let life let you become this type of financial monster where you have to lose friends and acquaintances for money, it just isn’t worth it.

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Categories: Rants and Complaints, Scams & Rip Offs | Tags: , , , , ,

Be dynamic and learn to adapt in order to survive. GET RICH QUICK!

Posted on March 17, 2012 by
1 comment

 

Surviving this depression requires you to be dynamic and have the ability to adapt to this economic downturn (who are we kidding, it’s more than a downturn, it’s a slow but steady collapse).

Many people reading this probably have full or part-time jobs. Problem is, most people are having a hard time just keeping their cell phones working, rent paid, and groceries bought.  You feel wealthy when you are able to fill up your gas tank.  When it comes time, if we’re lucky, we have a few dollars left over so we can rent a DVD, buy some stuff at Walmart, or order a pizza on Friday night.

What happened to get rich quick? .. There is a lot of false promises on the internet, but those that are attempting getting rich quick are using deceptive marketing tactics in order to rob you of your hard earned money.

Get rich quick marketers use marketing taglines like the following:

 ”I can show you how to make $21,000 in the next 21 seconds for only $21.00 !”

If there was an easy method to get rich quick, do you really think they’d be spending their time to tell YOU how to do it? Absolutely not!  They are attempting to get rich by selling false opportunities to suckers who send in $20 or $30 to buy into the scam..

So what is the answer?

First of all, don’t look into get-rich-quick schemes unless you are willing to be let down.. hard..

Instead, create something of value that no one else has..  Do you have a certain talent or persona that you can create or share on the internet that people will see value in?  There are plenty of ways to share your knowledge on the internet and get paid by doing so..

For instance, if you are an expert at making scrambled eggs, then make a Youtube video doing it, and do it with a smile. If your video is that great, and your method is worthwhile, you’ll get thousands of visitors, and you can gain the benefit of advertising Google Adwords ads that pay you a few cents every time someone clicks one..

What about creative writing? Do you have the ability to put words and feelings into print, much like I am doing with this blog? If so, consider starting up your own blog. It’s definitely not going to make you get rich quick, but it surely will make you a few cents a day while you are away, if people are reading your posts.

What about photography? Have a camera? Get some great shots and find a way to list then on www.gettyimages.com

If you are computer savvy, there are hundreds of people in your neighborhood that could use your help, even for a $25 fee.  Share what you know, with your neighbors who are lost and could use some assistance.  Perhaps they don’t know how to operate their computer or install the latest updates. What if they want to create a website and don’t know where to begin?  Lend your talents for a fair price, and that becomes a win-win situation.

Times are tough. The economy in 2012 is the worst that it has ever been recently.

How can someone like you survive it?  I’ll tell you, for free. Make $20 here, and $100 there, and that  is all it takes to stop you from being sucked into the undercurrent of the financial collapse we’re witnessing.

Opportunities you may never have considered before when times were great..  are paramount to financial survival now.  Take the time to recognize your financial situation, and what you can do to mitigate your circumstances. You’ll be glad you made a few dollars while sharing your talents..

This is not a time to be shy. If you have something to offer, then offer it loudly. Get those contracts and jobs. Work hard. Many people out there that are getting laid off are puzzled on what to do next.  Don’t be them.  Work with what you’ve got.

Writing this particular article was easy, but difficult at the same time. I’m aware of what is going on around me in society, and it’s hard to admit. Everyone needs to think about survival these days and making an extra $100 a month can make or break someone.

I’d really appreciate it if you would take a few seconds to share your comments, I’d be interested in hearing them.

Best of luck to you, and your family. We’re all going through it in one way or another.

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Categories: Ideas: Good and Bad?, Scams & Rip Offs | Tags: , , , , , ,

Anger & Animosity are Chemical Reactions You don’t Need

Posted on March 2, 2012 by
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This is a frequent phenomenon, and it is understandable.  People get angry, they have animosity toward other people, and they do illogical things in the heat of the moment. “Hang up the phone, stop the conversation, get upset and walk out of the room”

This is counter productive to yourself, and the person you hold the animosity towards.  When you are old enough to read, all of us should have been given an owners / operator manual on how to be human.  That sounds too technical and stupid – the moment I wrote it, I realize that…

..but it doesn’t make it any less true.   When we feel emotion, what seems most important to us at that moment? The way we feel. ..here is where things go wrong.

If you’re human, like me, you’re guilty of this too, all of us are..

When we feel anger & animosity, we feel it must be for a very good reason. We’re offended, upset. Someone has caused us to feel this way, and life was fine before that happened. Therefore, we must lay blame. We must hold someone accountable for stirring these emotions in us.

What if we’re not perfect though? Most people will say “I know I’m not perfect”.

So then.. when you are angry, and feel animosity towards someone.. just because it feels right to be upset. Does it truly mean you have the right to be upset? If there was a judge and jury of 12 people investigating the reason you were upset, would they agree with you?

This is beginning to sound like a riddle, so before it does, let me explain.

When we get upset and feel anger and animosity, more often than not, someone has said something that is outrageous, insulting, or plain stupid in our minds. “How could they say such a thing? After all I’ve done…”  or we qualify it with things like “…if they are so stupid not to see or understand..”

For a moment, step outside of your mind and your body and realize the problem. To do that, will require you entertain some what IF’s  (and no one likes to entertain what “if’s” but for the sake of understanding this, take the time to try this out)..

1. What IF the person simply failed to communicate what it is they were trying to say, and did it poorly. While their honest intentions were true, and they really didn’t mean harm. It simply came out the wrong way? After all, the person that caused you to feel this way is also human, and prone to making mistakes of their own. We all make mistakes, whether it be intentional or unintentional. BE READY TO GIVE A PERSON A BREAK. (That includes whether or not you feel they deserve it at the moment)

2. What IF they are actually right? Just because you don’t initially believe they are right as a first instinct, doesn’t make you right. Your emotions, your anger, your animosity are triggered. You know how you feel. Surely you feel this way for a reason. But what if THEY ARE RIGHT, AND YOU ARE WRONG?

3. What if their life situation (health, finances, etc) has cornered them, and made them act out this way, and there is a bigger issue they aren’t telling you?

4. You have a brain, and a physical body. When you feel emotion, can you name 13 different chemicals in your brain that are released and flowing within your cerebral cortex? Probably not, even I can’t. But we feel it.

—-

By now, you’re probably annoyed and irritated and wondering “what is the point here?”

Here it is…

When you’re feeling emotional, there is a 99% chance you’re acting illogical.  This isn’t saying you’re wrong, or the other person is wrong. It simply means, while your brain is being overrun with chemical reactions due to severe stress, you are not thinking logically.

What is the solution?

Stop thinking! It’s that simple. Stop reacting! It is that simple.

Leave the situation, go calm down, and come back to it when you are thinking clearly again.

You are your own worst enemy when you’re heart is beating faster and you’re full of emotion, ideas and thoughts are running through your mind, while you’re trying to deal with a difficult situation that is upsetting you.

If you come back, “tomorrow”, and the situation is equally difficult, then perhaps you were the person that was fully right before this happened. But while you are in the heat of the moment, you don’t get to have the opportunity of being right under any circumstance.

So with all of the forgoing being said..

Anger & Animosity are Chemical Reactions You don’t Need

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Categories: Weird People | Tags: , , , , , ,

Bloggers want comments. Readers just want to consume.

Posted on February 29, 2012 by
4 comments

This is a rant. Bloggers, people who take the time to sit and type from their heart to the internet feel that it is worthwhile as long as someone is listening out there. All it takes is a few comments from their readers like “I agree” for it to be worthwhile. Yet comments are like pulling teeth.

I, myself am guilty of the same thing. I love blogs. I appreciate the thought and effort that goes into them. When I come across a decent blog post, I’m ecstatic that someone took the time to write it.  Rarely do I comment though, and I should. Here I am writing blog posts and getting very little, to no feedback.

Bloggers need to understand, that in order to get more comments, you simply need to giveaway a free iPad or iPhone, or something like that… (that’s half joking and half serious).

…but we are all dumbfounded on what to say. It’s easier to read a post, gain the benefit of it, and click off and leave.   That may be easier for the reader, but it’s really tough on the blogger who spends the time to write the blog post.  I fully expect this particular post will yield hardly any comments, and if it does, it means I’m right! :)

If you, yourself, is stumped, and won’t leave a comment below, is that what you look like? (See the cartoon pic above).  Are you puzzled and too busy to write a sentence saying things like “I liked what you wrote…. or I understand, and agree… etc, etc”

The internet is such an evolving place, yet we’re all abusing it.  It’s suppose to be about being open and sharing with one another.   If someone shares ideas with you, share a comment back.  To prove my point, I think I’m going to make a special concerted effort to do exactly that…

See if you’d like to join me in this endeavor.

Anytime you read something of value, leave a comment. Even a simple one that says nothing more than “I enjoy what you’ve written, and thanks”.  Not only is it polite, but it also encourages the person to continue doing it.

If you are a blogger yourself, leave a comment below, and I’ll visit your blog AND leave a comment. I promise.  I’m self admitting that you can hold me to it. :)

…for the rest of the silent readers out there. I’ll continue to post without comments, but it really is becoming amusing to me (in a sick sense) on how many people will yield the benefits of some of the content I write, and just enjoy and leave without saying a word.

If it sounds like I’m calling people out, I don’t mean to be quite so direct. But let’s put it this way…  Your thoughts and feelings toward any topic have just as much importance to something you’ve read on a blog as the blogger as well. Use this opportunity to create a dialog.  When that happens, and people speak out, usually the blog comments have more power than the initial post itself.  I love seeing that..

Unfortunately I won’t be giving away a free iPhone or free iPad today. But will this post yield even one comment from _someone_ out there?  Let’s see.

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Categories: Rants and Complaints, Weird People | Tags: , , , ,

Freegans & Wasted Edible Food: Witness this!

Posted on February 20, 2012 by
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Today I was at the green composting center where you can drop off your yard waste, tree trimmings, and other compost material.  When I arrived, I was stunned to see the following massive waste of food:

 

It must have been about 900 lbs of apples, bell peppers, cantaloupe, bananas, lettuce, cabbage, broccoli, even bread! Worse yet, the food wasn’t rotten. It was simply bruised in some way or another.  This food could have been cleaned, and the bad parts sliced off.  Completely edible. At the very minimum, it could be made into soups, stews, even fed to chickens or pigs.  This is good food that is left now to rot and be composted.

They had bunches of bananas with small black spots on them. Perfect for making a lovely banana bread.

The food had SKU sticker codes on them, which meant this all came from a grocery store or commercial fruit stand.

When a grocery store wastes this much raw product, it simply means they have to compensate for the loss, by raising their regular food prices.  Could this be a clear example as to why food costs are as high as they are these days?  If the grocery store is throwing out 900 lbs of food, where do they recover that loss? On your next grocery bill!

This amounts to simple mismanagement at the grocery store. Not having enough SALE items, and overcharging for their food in the first place. Under no circumstance should 900 lbs of salvageable edible food be thrown out this way. At the very minimum, contact some soup kitchens, or some farmers with livestock who could use this stuff. Why let it rot and decompose?

If a truck dumped this off in a starving nation like Ethiopia or Uganda, this 900 lb waste would be 95% used.

What a wasteful society. I’ve heard about this, but never seen it before myself.

Now I have – and it’s a real shock.

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Categories: Rants and Complaints, What do you think? | Tags: , , , , , ,

Having a sense of humor is great. Overdoing it is idiotic!

Posted on February 11, 2012 by
2 comments

Cracking some funny jokes is great. People love someone with a funny spirit who wants to make us laugh. Here’s a big problem though, and it is important that someone point it out.  I just witnessed a perfect example of someone who could be funny, but ruins the moment.

The other day I was waiting in line to get my passport photo taken. The girl behind the counter was running around rampant trying to serve the line up of customers.  The guy ahead of me sat in the chair and decided to crack jokes one-after-the-other hoping he’d be funny and amuse everyone.

To be truly funny, means you carefully pick and choose a pun, a joke, a situation, to make a comment.

To arbitrarily crack 50 jokes in a 15 minute period, hoping 2 or 3 are actually funny just makes people roll their eyes…

..and I rolled my eyes…

Let’s give you a rundown of what this guy did, and let me ask your opinion if you thought he was funny.

Actually I won’t.

I began to write a lengthy play by play about it, and I decided to stop and save you the trouble. We’ve all been there. Someone who cracks non-stop jokes hoping that some of them will be funny. That’s not a funny person because people see through it.

I find this type of raw sense of humor is often echoed by the new breed of teenagers and young adults these days.  In a group setting, they all try and crack as many jokes as possible hoping some of them will be funny.

That’s not good comedy.  Cracking as many jokes as you can in hopes that a few of them will be a hit, just makes you look stupid.

 

 

 

 

 

A good comedian will carefully pick and choose special moments to crack a good joke, or poke fun at a situation.  It gets greater laughs if you are SELECTIVE about when you come out with something funny.  Be patient, and wait for that truly funny opportunity to present itself.

…but just running your mouth off, non-stop, hoping some of the things you say in jest are funny, is just purely idiotic.  When you eventually do come out with a knee slapper… it will be too late. By then people have begun to ignore you and shrug you off.

This is a strange topic for me to cover, considering this blog is titled “Life is funny”. But sometimes, idiots ruin the best funny moments by overdoing it.

Don’t be idiotic with your humor. Save it for those special moments when a crowd will erupt with laughter because you came out with the RIGHT THING, at the RIGHT TIME.

I found this article difficult to explain, because humor is subjective usually.  I’m going to depend on the comments below to see what other people can contribute.

No comments? That’s fine. Everyone is too busy these days it seems.

Hopefully you got my point.

2 Comments
Categories: Rants and Complaints, Weird People | Tags: , , , ,

What a joke, everyone is broke. Our pride doesn’t let us talk about it.

Posted on January 28, 2012 by
4 comments

It is no secret, everyone is broke. Simple things in life, paying rent, a mortgage, grocery shopping, or a Friday night at a pub has to be a big deal in our budget these days.  Everyone thinks it is only them that is having hard times.  Just because you don’t talk to your neighbor, doesn’t mean they aren’t feeling the same pinch.

We’re too proud to admit things to the people we smile at every day. There is a real issue going on with EVERYONE.  Yes, we have shelter, and we can eat. But we’re all struggling right now, all of us.  No one likes to be the first one to admit it.

Think about it, you work hard each and every day, and every week to get ahead.  It’s fine to try and just pay the bills, and that seems to be the focus of what everyone around you is doing “let’s just pay the bills and wait for things to get better”.  Well, to be honest, things aren’t getting better – they are getting worse, much worse.

People are getting foreclosed on every single day. Everyone is pinching their pennies. The proud thing to do, is to NOT talk to your neighbor and act like the deep depression (officially called recession) is not affecting you. But it is… It is affecting you, your neighbor, the guy three doors down, and the family two streets over.

Wake up people. Where does pride end, and realism take over?

To give an example. While your finances aren’t going as far these days – while your purchasing power of your earned wage seems to go less – has your bank lowered their service fees? Of course not. Has the government lowered their taxes on what you owe? Of course not.

You, and me both, are getting downgraded financially, and no one is talking about it.

The stuff we buy, whether it be potato chips or coffee, the price increases, and the content volume is decreased. We feel like the dollar is still worth a dollar, but is it?  Pay attention, we’re on a downward spiral to never never land…  Who has money to go on vacation anymore?  Who has money to buy something silly and stupid like we use to? Every single expenditure we do these days has to be a calculated effort.

The world is different now. You won’t hear that from your neighbors, but you will hear it from me. I am not afraid to talk about it.

Grocery shoppers who use to walk away with 4 bags of groceries are walking way with only 3… That is soon to be 2 bags… Don’t think it isn’t happening. It is an incremental amount over time, that you are not suppose to notice.  10 cents here, 25 cents there, its not even noticeable until you walk away from the cashier and realize “gee, my dollars aren’t going as far as they use to”..

So now that I’ve called it out – what is the real solution?

Unfortunately there isn’t one.

What there IS though, is the fact, that everything you’ve noticed is exactly true and happening. While the major news media outlets won’t officially call it, I will. WE ARE IN A DEPRESSION. THE FIRST ONE SINCE THE 1930′S. YOU’RE LIVING THROUGH A DEPRESSION RIGHT NOW.

OMG (oh my god), could it be true? The answer is YES. Just because you don’t hear it on the TV, doesn’t mean it isn’t true.

This is a depression. Hard working individuals with decent jobs are struggling to survive.

THAT IS A DEPRESSION.

So, granted, your TV may be on, your internet connection may be working, maybe even you were able to get a McDonald’s meal this week.

YOU”RE STILL LIVING DURING THE 2011-2012 DEPRESSION.

Where is your savings? Where is that bundle of cash you have worked so hard to get?  Money in, money out, it goes quick doesn’t it?

We’ve become a society this day and age, where it isn’t ideal to share what is happening with the person next door. They don’t talk to you either. We’re all isolated. Is that a good thing, or bad thing?

What I will tell you is this…

I’m posting this on my blog for 72 hours. If I don’t get a few decent comments from people out there, ranting about this problem, then I’m going to be that neighbor next door that pretends the world isn’t actually happening. I’ll delete this blog post and act like everyone else is — it’s all in our minds, it’s a conspiracy theory, and anyone that points out the obvious deserves to wear a tin foil hat.

I’m broke, and so are you.  Admit it.

Who’s making money here? Banks with their service fees, car insurance with mandatory charges, think about it. Key organizations are doing well during this depression. You and I? We’re fighting to get rent, mortgage, utilities and groceries paid.  Yeah, life is just rosey isn’t it, but no one talks about it.

If you are upset, SAY SOMETHING.

This is the first step in getting the real issue recognized and maybe people realizing where we are.. the sooner we admit it, the faster we can all get to a solution.

4 Comments
Categories: Rants and Complaints | Tags: , , , , , , ,

People always react stupidly to life’s problems.

Posted on January 25, 2012 by
No comments

This happens every single day, and it is time someone points it out.  You’ve probably done this, I’ve done this, and everyone you know usually does this…

 

 

 

 

Have you ever found yourself in these silly predicaments?

1. You hate your job, so you start looking at job ads and sending resumes to them
Wrong approach.

2. Your bank account is low, the bills are mounting, so you cut back on your cellular phone plan or lower your TV channel package.
Wrong approach.

3. Sales at work are dwindling, to get new customers, you lower your prices, put on a major SALE and advertise.
Wrong approach.

4. You had a major fight with a friend, your boss, your spouse, so you decide to go out drinking on Friday night to calm your nerves.
Wrong approach.

By now you’re probably wondering how all of these solutions to these types of problems are wrong.  See, told you, people always react stupidly to life’s problems. While all of those reactions seem like they help the situation, all they actually do, is contribute to the problem.

How can that be? You might say…

It always helps to take a particular situation, exaggerate the same “rule of thumb”, to see how the point remains the same. Let’s take a look at #5 now:

5. The titanic ship is sinking, so you grab a bucket and start bailing water.
Wrong approach.

AHA! Now you’re beginning to understand.  Our first instinct when life presents problems is to look for a quick, and easy solution.  That only works for a short time, and all it does is set you up to receive similar amount of problems in the future.

Let’s look at what your reactions just caused:

1. You start looking at job ads and sending resumes to them, you land a job, but now your new job has an entire different set of problems. You hate your co-workers, the job description doesn’t match what you had expected. Your boss is a jerk, and the company is about to be bankrupt next year.
This reaction created more problems.

2. You cut back on your cellular phone plan or lower your TV channel package.  However next month, you went over you cell phone minutes and got charged $35 extra which negated the savings you were expecting.  Since you had less channels on TV, you found yourself at the local video store paying to rent movies. You even bought a few DVD’s to tie you over. Nothing was on TV, so you went out with friends instead, it ended up costing you money.
This reaction created more problems.

3. To get new customers, you lower your prices, put on a major SALE and advertise.

While sales volume increases, your cost of goods sold (remember that term from accounting class?) has increased.  The cost of the advertising in addition to the lower sales price has basically caused you to break even.  Once you stop the sale, you find that your sales dwindle off, and you’re back to square one. All you did was waste time, energy, and effort into a short term solution that didn’t fix a darned thing.
This reaction caused more problems.

4. You decide to go out drinking on Friday night to calm your nerves.

This may have calmed your nerves, but next week you have a different fight, with the same person, about a different issue. What you’ve solved is nothing really. All you’ve done is put yourself in a situation where the same peril can happen to you again.
This reaction can cause more problems.

5. You begin bailing buckets of water on the titanic as it sinks, and you soon realize, all you did was exhaust yourself. The ship still sunk, but now your out of energy to survive in the cold water, and you perish.  You can’t save a sinking ship, so stop trying.
This reaction caused more problems.

If you’ve read this far, then you want real answers.

I will provide you some ideas, and I’d love to hear your own comments.  Whenever we come up with solutions, it is important to STOP. THINK. DISCOVER. PLAN. EXECUTE

Abbreviated that is S.T.D.P.E  (which isn’t a catchy word, so you’ll just have to get past it)

 

Here are better solutions to the previous 5 examples:

1. You hate your job.

CORRECT: Start talking to people in your industry. This is best done with strangers. People who don’t even know your name. This way you maintain confidentiality so it won’t get back to your current job. Your friends and family won’t judge you and scoff “oh look, John hates his job”.

Read newspapers, do research, network, get the information you need before making a decision on what to do, where to do it, and how to do it.

What’s that? You found out in an industry journal that some massive company is branching out into a new area that you have expertise in? Great.  Scope out the job. Read their history. Find someone that worked there BEFORE, who can talk about the place.

I can’t think for you, but some of you might be saying “Well, how could I possibly find someone that use to work there?”

Think about it. Resumes are posted online.  Websites like linkedin.com carry histories of where people use to work.  Old forum posts from 5 years back might have someone signing their name with a title of the company and then they are signing their name with their new signature.    If there is a will, there is a way, create your own ways.

People that no longer have any ties to companies they use to work have volumes of helpful information that could tell you whether or not it would be a great place for you to work. Heck, people even post publicly about it. “I use to work at XYZ” – they brag about it like credentials on the “About Us” page of a website.

Ask them how the company was doing before they left. Why did they leave? Are they sorry they left? Would they ever consider returning?

2. Your bank account is low, the bills are mounting.

Really? Is your financial situation going to greatly improve by lowering your cell phone bill or TV channel package to only save yourself $50 a month?  Is that the real issue here, you’re only short $50 and your life would be so much better saving that tiny bit of money?

“But it will help, at least right now” you say.

CORRECT: Come up with a long term plan of action FIRST.  Begin executing that longer plan to get you out of this long term problem.  When time permits, (and time always does permit) you can make small changes SECOND.

Obviously your income isn’t matching the expenses you want.  Most people will say “you want too much, you’re living outside of your means.”  While that is true, a better idea is to INCREASE your means.  Raise your income.  That’s better than just lessening the desires for things you want.

3. Sales at work are dwindling, to get new customers, you lower your prices, put on a major SALE and advertise.

Ask yourself first: Why are sales dwindling?  What is the real issue here?

Some people may say “well XYZ is taking our business”.  Well if you are selling the exact same products as XYZ and you lower your prices, don’t you think XYZ will take notice and lower theirs as well, until someone gives in?

CORRECT: Perhaps the product or service you are selling is the real issue.  Perhaps you need to find some products that are EXCLUSIVE to your store.  Maybe you can create a value added service that XYZ competitor doesn’t have.  This is the longer term solution that will help your business.

Customers don’t always shop on price. Often they will shop based on novelty, by recommendation, or perceived value (not just price).  Look and think outside of the box.  If you come up with some real creative ways to reach these customers that XYZ is unable (or unwilling) to copy, then you’ll have people clamoring for your product or service.

4. You had a major fight with a friend, your boss, your spouse, so you decide to go out drinking on Friday night to calm your nerves.

What happens the following Monday? Perhaps another major fight. What will be your solution? Next Friday go out drinking with friends again?

The question is why did the fight occur in the first place? The “details” of the fight isn’t the answer to this question either.

But why?  Who was tense? Who was intolerant. Look at the bigger picture. The details themselves are trivial. Problems happen all the time, that’s normal, and everyone knows that.. But for a fight to erupt means:

CORRECT: Someone is stressed.  Maybe someone simply has a bad personality defect.  Can something be done to lower that person’s stress load, so they are less likely to be so tense?  In the case of a personality defect, you can’t change the person, so maybe it is time to get away from them.

5. The titanic is sinking

CORRECT: Grab a life jacket, and get off the boat as safe as your best options permit. Did I really need to say this?

–

People always react stupidly to life’s problems.

You don’t need to react stupidly.

Think before you act. Plan ahead for a longer term solution and get the process rolling FIRST.

When you get time (and you will get time) you can do some short term solutions SECOND.

This is the key to avoiding reoccurring pitfalls and traps in life. It will hinder similar problems plaguing you in the future.

Your comments?  I hope you have some. I’ve given you plenty of food for thought here.

Other people want to hear what YOU have to say too.

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Categories: What do you think?, What would happen if? | Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Youtube videos can’t go viral when a user chooses the wrong license!

Posted on January 12, 2012 by
No comments

This is an ironic example I came across today on Youtube. If you make videos yourself, don’t let this happen to you.

Quite simply, someone got legitimately upset, when the advertised price of the Baltimore Sun was $2.12 but a particular store was charging $3.12 instead.

Armed with a video camera, the person walked into the store and confronted the staff about it. He said that the video would be put “all over Youtube and that it would go viral”. After the initial shock, the staff proceeded to do something quite surprising (watch the video to see for yourself).

Now, as of the time of this writing, the video only has 58 views. That’s not very viral, is it?

Watch the video and read my explanation below as to why the initial standard Youtube license chosen for this video was incorrect.

There is something that is not understood by people who shoot videos and want them to go viral. There are two different licenses that each Youtuber can choose to release their video under as follows:

Standard License (reuse NOT allowed) :

While fair use laws still exist, this is a much more restrictive license.  It basically means that the video uploaded may be accessed through Youtube and it cannot be incorporated into other mediums (like in someone else’s video, tv program, etc) in its entirety.  For instance in this blog, I can embed the video, but the person still has to go use the Youtube service to watch it. If Youtube decides to remove the video, or the person deletes their channel, or get if they get suspended, the video is lost forever.

In addition, some parts of this particular video, the camera was held “sideways”.  Someone else might want to edit the video and fix that. According to the standard license, the moment you import that video into your movie maker software and start making changes and subsequently re-distribute it, you’ve violated the standard license agreement.

Ever see a television program where they reference a video, but they don’t play the entire thing? Some of the time it is simply because the video on Youtube has a “standard license”, so all they can do is use little pieces under fair use laws to reference the video. Do everyone a favor and use Creative Commons License, it makes a world of difference!

A MUCH BETTER OPTION:

Creative Commons License (reuse allowed):

You retain your copyright and other users get to reuse your work subject to the terms of the license.  Which basically means that the video can be incorporated in part, or in WHOLE, as part of another work (like someone’s own video, TV program, etc).

If you want something to go viral, I highly suggest you release it under the Creative Commons License.  You will have a lot more people interested in using your video and helping it spread.  Not everyone wants to link back to your Youtube channel. Some people want to redistribute the video their own way, by broadcast, by adding it to a DVD compilation for example, etc.

 

To encourage your video to go viral,  select “Creative commons license” when you upload it.

Content creators would love to use your creative commons video to help you spread the word. Give them that opportunity.

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Categories: Ideas: Good and Bad?, Rants and Complaints | Tags: , , , , , , , , ,

Commodore 64 and what we’ve lost along the way.

Posted on January 10, 2012 by
1 comment

I read a tweet linking to http://www.retrocomputers.eu/2012/01/04/your-commodore-64-memories/ which basically is asking people about their Commodore 64 memories.

I tried commenting on that blog post, but it didn’t seem to have a save button. So here goes my first trackback. Let’s see if this works.

In response to “It would be great to hear your response to this brilliant 8 bit computer”

My reply:

The best thing about the Commodore 64 is that all the users had the same hardware. It meant software had to be dynamic and unique. No one told you to go out and buy more RAM or get a better video card.

If your software didn’t work in a standard C64, it didn’t get sold. That simple. As a result, software was written tight. Every last byte was carefully chosen due to space limitations.

This is the problem with computers today. It’s too easy for lazy software developers to just tell you to upgrade to a faster machine to make up for their laziness and poor coding skills.

I remember the first time I heard actual digitized music coming from the Commodore 64. It wasn’t a .MID file, it wasn’t the SAM speech synthesizer, it was actually a rendition of “Everyone was Kung-Fu Fighting”…

Actual Song

C64 Version

 

Apparently it really put the synthesizer chip to a real test. The programmers of that little demo had to block out the video screen with random colors and use all of the buffer space just to play the song.  It was said that they had used every last byte, had programmed the entire thing in hexadecimal machine language, and there was barely any bytes left in the machine to spare.

We were pleasantly shocked by the effort involved.  What was incredible about it, wasn’t the 8 second clip of the music playing, it wasn’t the fact that the C64 was able to play it.  It was the fact that these talented programmers were able to get the Commodore 64 to do something that no one had ever seen before.

That’s what the world needs more of, real special programmers who work for software development firms where the market departments aren’t dictating what the IT departments are doing.

People do not understand most of what goes on in large corporations with software development. I think I’ll have to leave that for another blog post at http://lifeisfunny.freethrills.com

But hats off to Andy @ Retrocomputers for bringing up the topic and thanks to him @andytuk for the tweet !

 

1 Comment
Categories: What do you think? | Tags: , , , , ,

Writer’s Block: How to overcome it.

Posted on January 10, 2012 by
No comments

 

 

 

 

I am not a professional writer. It doesn’t matter; writer’s block is something that happens to the best of us.

For instance, have you ever bought a birthday or anniversary card and rather than just sign your name, you attempt to write a little paragraph or two?  Instant writer’s block. How do you possibly put your emotions and personal feelings into a few short sentences?

Writing a business letter? How about a rebuttal letter to a newspaper article? Any of these can stimulate writer’s block.

Let’s discuss what writer’s block actually is, and ways to overcome it.

 

Writers block is publically defined as:

“Writer’s block is a condition, primarily associated with writing as a profession in which an author loses the ability to produce new work. The condition varies widely in intensity. It can be trivial, a temporary difficulty in dealing with the task at hand. At the other extreme, some “blocked” writers have been unable to work for years on end, and some have even abandoned their careers. It can manifest as the affected writer viewing their work as inferior or unsuitable, when in fact it could be the opposite. The condition was first described in 1947 by psychoanalyst Edmund Bergler” [excerpt from Wikipedia]

(While we are on the subject of Wikipedia, please consider donating to them they are a fantastic resource).

These are my ways to deal with writer’s block:

AVOIDANCE

Avoiding writer’s block can be done by a variety of ways. Being refreshed and having a good sleep are key. Get a good night’s sleep the night before, and be refreshed when you begin writing. If you are half way through a literary piece and you find yourself struggling, take a break and come back to it in a few minutes. Go grab a coffee, munch on a cookie, whatever it takes to put your mind at rest for a brief period.

 

ENVIRONMENT

Create an environment where writer’s block is less likely to occur. This means, don’t write in a situation that is likely to cause distractions.  TV and radios can’t be blaring. Traffic noise can’t be causing a problem for you either.  People running around the office or the house can be distracting as well.

For instance, it might be wise for you to use time during the office lunch hour when the employees are away to compile your difficult letter.  Or don’t write that blurb in that birthday card inside the post office while people are coming and going while you sit huddled in a corner.

Writing a novel as a full time job? Modify your sleep schedule so you sleep in late in the morning, and you go to bed late at night. You’ll find that when the city seems to quiet down for the night, it is a very peaceful time to write.  Dogs are no longer barking, loud motorcycles aren’t driving down the street. Phones aren’t ringing, and the rest of your family is asleep.  This is a golden time to write as long as you, yourself, isn’t tired.

 

MINDSET

Your mind must be in a creative mood.  We all get moody for various reasons.  This could happen due to nutrition, stress, even simple interruptions.  Each and every day there are periods where you will be in a good, bad, happy, or even a creative mood.  Don’t write while you are in a bad mood unless it is a customer complaint letter. :)

When your mindset is right, AND the environment is friendly, you’ll be able to write without having writer’s block. It is that simple.

 

INSPIRATION

Perhaps both your mindset to be creative and the environment is right, but for some reason, you’re not having any inspiration.  That’s an easy fix. Think about what you’re about to write, and find someone, or something, to inspire you.

For instance, if you are planning on writing a fiction novel, go read a fiction novel that you didn’t write. Watch how the words and descriptions you are reading seem to turn your brain on to thinking about these things. Descriptive words from someone’s writings can inspire your brain to start thinking along those lines.

Thinking about writing an excerpt in a birthday card and having trouble? Look in your memory box for previous cards written to you. Read them.  If you put your brain through the exercise of experiencing something, it will become inspired to create like minded things.

 

With the foregoing being said, I’m going to re-define writer’s block MY WAY:

“Writer’s block is a condition that anyone can experience when attempting to write. It is a situation where the brain is not able to create or concentrate due to a wide variety of factors. The mindset must be right. The mind must be inspired.  Finally, the environment must be suitable for the writer to thrive.  When all conditions are favorable, it is impossible to experience writer’s block.” — Jason  http://lifeisfunny.freethrills.com

So the next time you are experiencing writer’s block, look at your environment and take some action.  Small changes can remedy that situation.

:-P Scientists are working a new medication in tablet form that will alleviate writer’s block.
– That’s a intended joke. But who knows, might that even possible some day?

Is there something I’ve missed? I’m experiencing a little writer’s block at this moment and need to hear from you.

Your Comments?

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Categories: Ideas: Good and Bad? | Tags: , , , , , ,
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