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No News… What Do We Do?
News outlets are no longer allowed on Facebook. It looks like it might be going that way soon on a lot of other social media platforms as well. A lot of people are upset, and I can understand why the news outlets themselves are upset. After all, the reason news outlets went on social media in the first place was to reach more people for less money because nobody watches TV anymore. Most people don’t want to go through the trouble of re-routing to a different app or multiple different apps just to try and get a distorted sense of what is going on in the world.
But let’s be completely honest; whoever actually cared about the news was already on each news outlet’s individual apps during or before they relied on social media to get a tiny synopsis and picture or video to replace their television station. And anyone who sees the news on their social media platforms with that as their sole source don’t actually care. They only mention it to friends in passing or think about it simply because it’s right there. If it wasn’t in our faces, would people actually care? Probably not.
Now, here comes the real question: is it really such a bad thing? Especially when most news outlets are told by higher-ups what to shove in our faces instead of anything people would actually care about, more information is not what we need. How can we ever get to the information we need and want if we get exhausted from scrolling and passively absorbing the same fluff pieces rebranded? Would our lives really be worse without the news? I feel like a lot of people would prefer to spend their current amount of time “reading the news” (scrolling mindlessly on social media) on something else that is better for their happiness. If you really do like reading the news, go right ahead, but if you’re someone who only sees the news in passing on your Instagram or Facebook feed, why go through the extra effort to obtain information you were never interested in before?
So, instead of telling you how to get the news, or the best news outlet, or which people to follow to still get your dose of fluff, I am going to share what we could try replacing those with that will produce our own personal feel-good fluff.
- Go outside. Yes, it is oversaid, but it is fun, relaxing, and it allows you to get rid of your energy. I have found that after too many days of not physically exerting myself, I get tired of not being tired. After a long stretch of relaxation, I get restless from all the resting. Especially living in town with a tiny yard, it can be difficult to find something to do just to get moving. It can be refreshing to use all your energy and be absolutely spent after a day of fun or work, then to fall into your bed and immediately sleep peacefully after days of tossing and turning.
- Talk to a person. Face to face. Could be your parent or sibling, or auntie, cousin, or a stranger. Even a coworker. If you have to walk down to a coffee shop or park to do that, then that’s even better!
- Read a paper book. Fiction, for fun, with as many or as few cliches and cringe moments as you like. Re-read something you’ve read a million times (City of Bones is my go-to), go to your library and pick up something you haven’t heard of, or pick up that book you’ve been meaning to read for three years but haven’t because it’s ridiculously thick for something that is supposed to fit in your pocket.
- Everyone has pencil crayons, markers, pens, and a random coloring book that you can’t remember the origin of. Color it. Go wild. Or draw something of your own, even if the only thing you can draw is a duck.
- Play a video game. Remember, this isn’t about forsaking all technology, it’s just using your time for joy instead of numbing your mind. If your thumbs still have the urge to scroll, why not grab a PS4 controller and race your brother or sister in a Mario game from hell.
- Pet your dog. Lay with them, scratch their cute little forehead, throw their favorite toy, take them outside. Play tug-of-war with your cat if you want. Make weird faces at your lizard through the glass.
- Do your own thing. If you like dancing, have a dance party with yourself and your pet. If you like singing, go sing in the shower, kitchen, or bedroom. Clean out your closet; if by “clean” you also mean “try on everything and walk in front of the mirror ten times”. No judgment.
- Bake or cook something. Food is good. Make food and feed yourself, your mom, your neighbor, even if you’ve never cooked anything in your life. Or, if it is too hot to cook, make a slushie or homemade ice cream.
There are so many things we could do with this new “problem” that is no news. Have fun, work, do anything you want. Just stop worrying about things out of your control. Until next time, keep thinking outside the box, and keep reading in between!
Welcome Back! To You and Me
It’s been a while since I last posted, and that’s because life has been crazy lately. You know those periods where you’re so busy with stuff you have to do (or just feel like you need to do) that you hardly have the energy to do things you’ve been meaning to sit down and work on? Yeah, about nine months of that. Lots can change in that time, like getting my first part-time paid job, attempting to volunteer, birthdays, holidays, and planning moves and life changes. I’m sure lots has changed with you too. I had kind of dropped the ball on writing.
Today at work, though, I got the overwhelming urge to write something here. Then I realized I didn’t really have anything to write that I thought anyone would want to read. I spent most of the rest of my time at work trying to come up with a topic to write about that I actually had enough to write on to warrant a blog post, but I finally decided that this blog isn’t necessarily a rigid thing. It moves and grows with me, and I don’t have to keep on trying to capture my whole mindset in a blog post. I am sure that anyone reading this will find things they can and can’t relate to in my writing, and I am comfortable with that.
That being said, here are some topics that came to mind:
- Podcasts I have been listening to and why I like them. I would love to hear suggestions!
- Space Based Solar Power (a really interesting and concise article about it is available on base-search.net by Lyle M. Jenkins under the title “Development of Space-Based Solar Power” if you would like to learn more).
- How physics supports some spiritual concepts, for those who want to believe in something bigger than themselves but also love science, like me.
- A comforting note to self and others about how a lot of people will lend a hand if you only ask.
So, I am going to throw all of these in and show a little bit about why I like pondering these ideas while doing a job that is mostly physical labour.
My favourite podcasts right now are “Science and Spirituality” with Kevin Carton and Chris Carton, “The Psychology of Your 20s” with Jemma Sbeg, “The Canadian Money Roadmap” with Evan Neufield, and “Date Yourself Instead” with LYSS. The first three are educational, and the last one is great for entertainment. I listen to these when I am at work and my music feels too repetitive so it gets my brain and body working at the same time.
Space-Based Solar Power is a very cool concept I only just learned about in which we would put solar panels in space to soak up the sun’s rays, then convert it into microwaves to send down to Earth, where they would be received and turned back into electricity for use. This could potentially be applied to rural areas, places with fewer hours of sun that still need electricity, and just anyone who isn’t able to have their own solar panels. There are of course flaws that would need to be worked out, but you can read about those in the article I found (free to read, by the way).
I love science, particularly anything in space or biology, and I am decently knowledgeable about basic physics concepts. I also have done and will continue to do a lot of thinking about how spirituality and connection between people’s bodies and their spirit or souls or whatever you believe in can work with modern science. The “Science and Spirituality” podcast helps with thinking of those concepts, so if you would like to learn more you can listen on Spotify. Basically, there is something called the law of attraction, and to me it does make sense. I also like to ponder the idea of black holes in our universe leading to white holes in another universe, if the multiverse is real.
Lastly, I just wanted to say that a lot of people will think they have no power to change their lives unless timing is perfect and they have everything they need already. If you had everything you needed already and the timing could ever be perfect, you would have already changed your life by now. So, I think that we could all work on asking for help a little bit more so we can lend a hand to each other and have a part in changing more lives than our own. I know I will be working on that.
P.S. Have you all heard Dolly Parton’s new song yet? Interesting…
Until next time, friends, keep thinking outside the box, and keep reading in between!
Citing:
M., Lyle. 2009. ‘Development of Space-Based Solar Power’. Renewable Energy. InTech.
Fire ~ Water
Isn’t it strange how fire can be snuffed out by its own smoke? Why produce the very thing that in certain conditions could kill you? The smoke needs to be wafted away from the fire in order for the fire to continue, yet it keeps on making more. And it takes in wood and leaves and buds and seeds, things that are useful and necessary for other things to live, and just turns it into something even it cannot use. Fire can wreck everything, yet the world hasn’t yet ended in a blazing inferno.
Water can kill too, even more violently, yet we say it is the opposite of fire. It can be just as painful, damaging, and destructive, but we seem to love its beauty and love it for its tranquil mask. It looks pretty and innocent until it shows its raw power to destroy homes, uproot plants, drown bodies and sink ships. Water seems docile and good-natured until it snaps for no reason. The ocean looks calming, free, and still, hiding its history of destruction and murder just under the surface.
Fire may be destructive, but it shows us its power so we know to be careful with it. Water acts like it is peaceful, but it is just a trap for the poor unsuspecting swimmer. Water gives life, but it can take it away without warning. Fire takes life, but at least you’ll see the smoke.
I know a lot of people who are like water. And so many people think water is safer than fire.
Self-Made Millionaires and Billionaires Don’t Exist
Okay, so we all know that millionaires and billionaires exist, and it may seem as if they are godly or amazing sometimes because they have accumulated so much wealth. However, I see too many of them being described in the media as “self-made.”
And I’m not talking about the physical definition of being made.
I am talking about how nothing comes in a vacuum. I try to take time every once in a while to appreciate the experiences and people who have influenced me, for better or for worse, even if it is cringe-worthy. Those things made me who I am, and continue to shape who I will be in seven, fifteen, fifty years.
But the media and the business world makes it seem as if successful people we look up to were just born that way. Success was their destiny. And then we end up hating our own destiny for putting us in a lower position. We say that we wish we could be like that. And on the one hand, someone could viably say that it just wasn’t meant to be. Then there will be someone out there, trying to be motivational, who says that everyone could be successful like that with the right drive. And if either one of those opinions makes you feel better, then great! But a lot of people are going to hate the idea of “destiny” because they like to have control, and tons of people are going to hate the idea of “drive” being the key because it makes them feel like they are more of a failure from the lack of evidence from their efforts.
I prefer to think that it is a mixture of both. If you’ve ever seen those “motivational” posts about how Bill Gates started in his parents’ garage, it probably leans toward the “drive” hypothesis. The comments saying “But I don’t have a garage” are coming from the “destiny” hypothesis. But what if I told you they were both right, at least a little?
You see, it is easy for someone who doesn’t know you to say that you could do it too; just as easy as it is for you to be pessimistic about it for yourself. But if you look at it from a third-person view, you may notice that with the right resources and motivation, you too could become as successful as Gates or Bezos. However, too much of one or the other could be the difference between living the life of your dreams and just dreaming about it.
Like I said, success is not possible without one’s surrounding conditions being ideal for them. For example, Gates’ parents were nice enough to let him use their garage for his startup. If they hadn’t, would he have been able to get where he is today? I don’t idolize the man, but nobody else would be able to if he had gotten a minimum wage job and stayed for the security. Does this mean that it is all destiny?
On the other hand, we hear of celebrities who were stuck in a life of prison sentences but bounced into their roles as we know them today. How did they succeed when it seemed like all the cards were stacked against them? Some people would say this points to the drive hypothesis.
I think that instead we would have to look at a combination of their experiences, influences, knowledge, and personality in order to figure that out. Even if it looks like they succeeded on their own, they didn’t. Quite frankly, it depends on how you network, how you decide to spend your money, and how you handle different situations. It depends on where you live, your family’s socioeconomic status, and what resources you have access to. You cannot accumulate wealth in a vacuum, because it is not possible for your business to succeed without clients, customers, and other workers. You cannot learn the skills and develop the mindset necessary to succeed without people and experiences to teach you. We learn from people in every interaction we have with them and every situation created by the many players. The idea that someone has created their own success is both true and untrue, and depending on how you think, you may dig your own grave of unhappiness and comparisons. Appreciate the things in life that led you where you are without repeating mistakes. If you want to reach for the stars, awesome, but know that if you don’t touch them, you won’t freeze forever, and that if you do touch them, you might get burned.
Until next time, keep thinking outside the box, and keep reading in between!
Everybody My Age Poem
Everybody my age went to the Calgary Stampede
Everybody my age has a car or their license
Everybody my age has friends they hang out with every day
Everybody my age has money to spend
Everybody my age has been to a bar or party to get wasted
Why is it that everybody my age seems to have a cooler life than me?
But you know what?
Everybody my age thinks I’m smarter than them
Everybody my age thinks I have a cooler mom than them
Everybody my age thinks I have friends that are better than them
Everybody my age thinks I wear makeup
Everybody my age thinks my life is better than theirs
And it makes sense that they can’t see the reality
Because the only people we see our age
Are through a screen
Dissecting Division Between Pro-Choice Abortion & Vaccine Advocates
The overturning of Roe V. Wade and the widespread rage over it has been all I see on my social media feeds since the news happened. Rightfully so. And I agree that it is horrible, and it will cause deaths and trauma, and that people who don’t deserve it will probably be charged with bogus penalties. I stand with the people protesting this decision, but I also can’t help but think that this is part of a bigger issue.
Remember the trucker convoy protesting mandatory vaccination? I wrote a piece about the similarities between the struggle for freedom being fought by the truckers over vaccinations and that of abortion activists. Unfortunately, nobody at the time seemed to make the same connection. In fact, I had someone get mad at me over it and call me pro-killing living, breathing human beings. They were an abortion activist.
I think it is safe to say there are intolerant people in every group fighting for a cause. And I get it. When you get so dedicated to this one important issue to you, when that is your main goal and purpose, you kind of get tunnel vision. You don’t see how the fight to choose what substances get injected into your veins ties into the fight to choose who you have sex with and if and when to have a child. You start to lose sight of how effective we can fight injustices like tyrannical governments when we fight together, even if we don’t agree on everything. You stop listening to people around you with the slightest difference in opinion. And that’s understandable, but I don’t think I can accept it.
I am going to list some important similarities between the two issues that occurred (unbelievably) just months apart, and I would like you to clear your mind of any assumptions you have before you read.
- They both emphasize and prioritize, and even sometimes disregard opinions or actions of those other than, the individual. Individual agency and freedom to choose is absolutely key to both arguments, which is supposed to be guaranteed by legislation in both Canada and the United States of America, but has lately been called into question.
- Some people do not have the physical capability or health to go through with these types of vaccinations or a pregnancy, so it is crucial they have the freedom to continue life without shame, segregation, or the risk of death because of mandates. Since it is unjust to have mandatory pregnancy at the risk of the parent, then it is also unjust to have mandatory vaccinations at the risk of the receiver.
- How is it, by some people’s logic, okay to demand a vaccination for all people when it is not okay to mandate sex, a certain type of sex, or childbirth/parenthood? I think that I should have the same agency over my whole body health as I do over my reproductive health, and I expect that to be complete agency.
- If the reason to get vaccinated is to protect other people and that is acceptable, then why should we be enraged if someone says that you must have children because your parents want grandkids? If we are going so far for selflessness as to inject ourselves with one substance, why not do it for another? Selflessness is not human nature, and neither is it human nature to be controlled by an obscure entity of other humans.
Now, why should one be allowed to decide whether they have a child but not be permitted to decide whether they receive a vaccination for something they may very well already have natural protection against? It would be just as unacceptable if this situation was reversed. But people don’t think of it like that. The main difference between the two groups was that one was represented in the media to mainly affect men, and the other mainly affects women. Even with feminism supposedly coming as far as it has, and with the supposed goal of becoming equal to men, many people could not care less if an issue affects a man. Even though the reality is that the vaccination mandates effect on our agency affects both men and women, people didn’t think of it like that because so many women were fine with rolling over and getting it in order to make life easier. And, better yet, all these feminists got vaccinated because a big powerful man said to.
So answer me this: Is there actually a difference between these two issues that does not lie in roots of sexism, discrimination, and fear? And if there is, why would the government care? COVID was a test of how far the government could go with controlling the population, even when not intended as such. Fear is the reason they got away with so much before people got tired of it, and false hope is how they got further after that.
I have seen a couple of people now making videos calling out the pro-choice vaccination protesters in light of this whole abortion issue, but I made the connections before they did to the convoy. I understand where they are coming from, but at the same time I can see it from the other side too: Where were the abortion protesters during the convoy in January? Why weren’t they posting on social media to help us keep our agency too? Why did they give the government and inch with the vax mandates yet not see that they would take a mile five months later with the abortion ruling? Where were the signs with “Keep your laws off our bodies” and “My body, My choice” even if it was for men too? The two groups should have been working together the whole time, but unfortunately I cannot see a reality where either one will be the bigger person and make the first step. The division imposed by the government and society has never been more clear, and it won’t get better until people can listen long enough to team up against the real enemy instead of fighting each other.
Maybe it will take protesters’ bank accounts getting frozen in the US for people to realize the connections I pointed out long ago. Maybe it will take their businesses being forced to shut down due to their opinions. I hope it doesn’t take hate comments and threats of violence for them to realize it. Another common denominator between the two: The government ignored the needs and beliefs of their people in order to spread hate and division, and they will continue to do so unless their people make them regret it. Don’t fall for their games and become another puppet.
Until next time, keep thinking outside the box, and keep reading in between!
Survey Available for New Post Idea
I have a hypothesis, and I really want to test it. The only problem: I need other people to answer some questions. So, to all you reading, can you please head over to the link to answer a quick ten-question survey about some of your experiences growing up? The questions center around what your education was like, how close your community was, and how you felt growing up.
Once I have enough responses, I will look at the data and share on here what my hypothesis was, my inspiration, and whether I was correct in my initial predictions. I will also share my thoughts after looking at the answers and will be happy to hear your thoughts as well.
But this post cannot happen unless I get answers! So please, please take a few minutes to answer my survey as best you can, and check back later to see the results. You are completely anonymous as well, so please answer honestly. The link is below!
https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/8Y7QBKM
Until next time, keep thinking outside the box, and keep reading in between!
Customer Service and Retail Jobs: What Needs to Change?
I saw a video today in which a person was complaining about their cashier job at a large clothing store because they are not allowed to sit down while running the register. It got me thinking again about the differences between larger corporations and smaller businesses and the gap in how they treat their employees.
The person in the video and various people who commented detailed their frustration at not being allowed to sit down at the register while working. Understandably, they took many bathroom breaks throughout the day just for a chance to rest their aching feet.
While I was watching this video, I was actually at work in a small, locally owned establishment, and I was sitting in a comfortable swivel chair at the register. I can’t stop thinking about the fact that so many starter jobs, which often take place in retail, have unfair working conditions for no good reason. There are so many reasons to let your employees be comfortable during their 8 hour work day: they will be happier if their feet and back don’t hurt; they will be more engaged with customers, which gains your store more loyalty, thus more money; your company won’t have an undesirably high turnover rate; and your employees would not find it so easy to hate you, unless you are lacking in other areas as well.
I understand that it may look, from a management viewpoint, that standing all day isn’t all that hard. But how many times do you see the manager themselves out at the counter, also standing all day? How often do they get their fancy office chairs replaced because of ergonomic injury prevention? Equipment to make working accessible and easy for employees is widely, easily available, especially for larger corporations that are making more money.
This brings me to my next point: why is it that the companies that make the most money often treat their workers so poorly that they quit, but people continue to use these companies over other options? I think that there is definitely a double standard in place in the business-to-consumer relationship. If you get bad service from a large corporation, that hardly stops you from using their services or buying their products. However, if a small business messes up your order, or if they are slightly more expensive than a competitor, they may as well not exist to you. I am not trying to make anyone feel guilty, but I am trying to get people to think. Of course large corporations who pay their employees minimum wage to stand all day and wreck their joints will cost less than a good quality small business. That is precisely their game. It’s how they all got so successful in the first place. If service sucks but the consumer can afford to buy more stuff, they win.
Why are we letting these faceless, unwelcoming, harmful corporations control us? When did “quality over quantity” stop being a policy to live by? Why aren’t we making it possible for us to break away from large corporations by shopping and using services of smaller businesses? Of course people want change. The market has been dominated by huge, almost-monopoly businesses for decades now. Entrepreneurs who care about their customers and employees have no chance to succeed without consumer support. I personally don’t think that the answer to dominating corporations in industries is giving the government all the power. I think that solution isn’t really a solution at all, simply a shift of power from one evil to the next. If we actually want any kind of equality in the labour and business world, we need to break away from both huge corporations and the huge government. Control by one group of people who think they are better than everyone else is no better than control by a couple groups of people who think they are better than everyone else. This is especially true when we rely on just that one group for everything. Don’t put all your eggs in one shaky, old, broken, corrupt basket, but don’t put them in the same two baskets your whole life. One day, those baskets you rely on are going to break, and when they do we will all regret it. We have the power to change stuff, but extremes aren’t going to work. There is only so far left you can go until you become right again.
Until next time, keep thinking outside the box, and keep reading in between!
My Response to Shakespeare: “You Say You Love the Rain…”
Recently I have seen this quote by William Shakespeare all over the internet. I understand the viewpoint this was born from, and it is beautiful and deep, but I can also see another point of view. So I decided to write my response to it, just as an example of how there are multiple sides to every story, and how each one is as important and crucial, sometimes for survival or happiness, as the other.
“You say that you love rain, but you open your umbrella when it rains.
You say that you love the sun, but you find a shadow spot when the sun shines.
You say that you love the wind, but you close your windows when wind blows.
This is why I am afraid, you say that you love me too.”
— William Shakespeare
Okay, but
Sometimes the rain drowns
When you only want a cleanse
Sometimes, the sun burns
And you get blisters on your neck
And sometimes the wind whips
Harder than a thousand lashes
So forgive me if, when your love starts to hurt,
I find better
I think this needs no more explanation. Thanks for reading!
Until next time, keep thinking outside the box, and keep reading in between!
Writing Prompts That’ll Make You Scratch Your Brain
Here is another creative post. I haven’t really had a lot of inspiration lately, so I thought I would get back into the swing of things by coming up with some prompts for everyone. Here we go! If you write something, share it and tag my socials! TW: suggestions of violence.
- All the old stories about an apocalyptic event say that the negative effects were felt after some big blowup. When it actually happens, the main character realizes that the apocalypse was planned long before, and you can’t even trust non-perishable items. They go searching for a way to satisfy their need for knowledge, all while dodging deconstructed, lawless groups and trying to find food that won’t kill them.
- You are part of an advertising campaign that promotes a medical device. Suddenly, a whole lot of people are mad at you, and you can’t get hold of the creators. You are forced into hiding while you try to make sense of things, and right the wrongs. The only problem: no one can tell you what the wrongs are.
- You are going about your day when your home town gets bombed. You and your family had an emergency plan, and apparently so did some other people. You band together to stop the war, but not everyone is who they seem to be.
- You’re the child of a mafia boss. Some dicey situations in the city make your father hire a bodyguard for you. The bad – or good – thing: they’re ridiculously attractive. However, the fire between you puts you both in danger.
- You become a celebrity, and you love your rise to fame. Then you get invited to a celeb-only event, and you are terrified of what it entails. The catch: they won’t let you leave without participating.
Until next time, keep thinking outside the box, and keep reading in between!