I Think, Therefore I Blog

Facebook Depression (Follow-Up)

2009-05-04T21:22:00.002-02:30

This is a follow-up to a previous post. You can read the first one here.

As I'm sure those of you who have read this blog know, I'm not a huge fan of Facebook. Last November, I wrote a post to that effect, and have thus far, kept my nose clean of that unruly social network. However, with the recent update of the Facebook for Blackberry application (now ver. 1.5), I felt pressured into rejoining my friends and colleagues in the interactive online community.

So, I purged my "friends" and my applications and my photos, and I started fresh, convinced that this time was going to be different. I even signed up with a new email address. It was as if I was a brand new person, starting a new life, in a "new" world, but with all of my previous knowledge. Knowledge that I thought would give me an advantage over my 2006 self.

I could not have been more wrong. I won't go into too much detail about what happened next, mainly because I'm not entirely sure myself what happened, but somehow, Facebook managed to suck me back in. The service that, just days before, I promised to treat like my beloved Twitter, gobbled me up and spit me out again.

I found myself accepting requests from people I didn't know, and making a lot of interactions and updates that just weren't warranted.

Now, I know the general concencus is that "Everyone's on Facebook", but I knew that that couldn't be true. So, I broke out Google and did a few searches. A lot of interesting and controvercial blogs, message board posts, and videos entered my radar, but I found one that deserves special mention.

This may come as a shock to some, but in February, ReadWriteWeb.com wrote a story about recent studies done at Stony Brook University in New York, that concluded that Facebook use by adolescent girls actually contributes to depression.

You can read the full article here.

Clearly, I'm not a 13-year-old girl, but this alone, much less the rest of the crap that Facebook brings to the table, is enough of a reason to keep me off of it. I will give it another week, even though I don't see myself liking it any less, and then I'll make my final verdict.

Any predictons?

See you in the comments, and oh, please give that article a good read.

Penny for Your Thoughts?

2009-05-04T19:11:00.004-02:30

Back in July, I had the pleasure of traveling to Sydney, Australia for the World Youth Day events. Now, documenting that experience is a post for another day. Today, I want to outline something that is proving to be very annoying here in North America, that the people "down under" don't have to deal with. Pennies.

I know it sounds weird, to get frustrated over a few little pieces of copper, but think about it: they cost more to make than they're worth, they take up a lot of room in your pocket/wallet, and almost no one uses them, so they pile up, unnecessarily. Surely, there must be a better way.

Well, there is, and this is what I'm getting at. The Australian government has discontinued pennies as legal tender, and instead rounded up (always up) the sticker price of items in stores to the nearest factor of $0.05. I presume that you're thinking "Up?! But that's more expensive! How is that better?" Don't worry, they've thought of that. To balance costs for the consumer, they've reduced sales tax to roughly 10%. I think that's something that most people can be happy with.

I just think that this a great system that's convenient for everyone.

Do you think something like this would work in Canada/US? Leave your piece in the comments.

The Trade Talks

2009-03-20T15:53:00.009-02:30

Back in January, I mentioned that I would be embarking on an adventure, wherein I would start with a single red paperclip, and use it to initiate a series of trades, that I hope will eventually lead to the ownership of an automobile.

As I mentioned then, I don't have much in the way of rules or a plan for the trading process, just that I wasn't going to rush or force a trade. With that in mind, I figured it would take a while to start the ball rolling, but I figured that it would be worth it. It has taken a while to get the word out, but fortunately, I was attending an E-Marketing seminar on Friday, and just through conversation, someone became interested in getting involved.

The man in the photo below is Jordan Wright, Manager of Programs at the Gardiner Center. He offered to trade my red paperclip (which, by the way, has been on my key chain for the past two months) for a book that was featured at the seminar: 101 Ways to Promote Your Website by Susan Sweeney, CA, CSP, HoF. Since the book is valued at just under $30, I thought that it was a terrific bargain.

As if that weren't enough, Mr. Wright also included a $75 Google AdWards Gift Card in the trade. I can honestly say that I didn't see this coming. I can tell you that I felt pretty weird just offering him a paperclip in exchange for everything. He must have great plans for that paperclip.

If you're reading this, Mr. Wright, thanks, and sorry for missing out on the afternoon.

Well, it looks like my experiment is off to a great start. I'm going to keep my eyes and ears open for potential trades, so remember to keep checking back as I will be documenting the entire process. Also, if you're interested in being a part of this adventure, drop me an email, and I'm sure that we could work something out!

As always, keep learning, keep teaching, and keep blogging fun.

2009-02-26T16:13:00.002-03:30

I took this picture at the entrance to the little "hallway" leading to the bathrooms in our local nationwide-chain coffee shop. I find it odd that they expect blind people to feel their way around, 7 feet in the air.

For anyone reading this now, I'll post more later, I just thought it was really funny.

2b or not 2b?

2009-02-16T17:27:00.003-03:30

Last semester, during a pre-calculus class, we were just beginning to tackle a particularly nasty type of equation, when my friend John aske rhetorically, "Why did they invent math?!". This query, which left most of our class without an answer, though they were in complete agreement, got me to thinking... would math exist without us?

I know that you're probably thinking that even if superior intelligence-enriched homosapiens didn't exist on earth, two apples on the ground would still be one apple plus one apple equals two apples, but I'm referring to graphs, formulas, quadratic equations and radical numbers.

Personally, I think math would exist with or without us. In theory, anyway. The first thing that I would consider in my evaluation is whether or not humas can create and/or modify things that can't be seen, touched, heard, smelled or tasted. Well, we know that no matter what, one plus one equals two. Human beings didn't create that, we just came up with a way to represent it using symbols: 1+1=2. We could apply this rationale globally, and say that we can't create something that can't be sensed in any way, shape or form. Math is simply a number of theories and ideas, represented by numbers, and put into practical use by humas. Much is the case with all rational/irrational numbers, formulas, graphs and equations.

My only wrinkle is with negative numbers. I think we invented negative numbers. Logic would suggest that you can't have aany less apples than zero, or anything else. This begs the question "Why would we create numbers that have no place in reality?" My only answer (in which I have no confidence) to this applies to the field of physics. Please correct me if I'm wrong, but I think negative numbers are used to illustrate what I call "reverse velocity"... going backwards.

In conclusion, I think math is around whether we like it or not, but just be glas that we didn't invent it. If we did, then it could be postulated that we could destroy it. Though I'm sure this would suit John and most other students just fine, I think it's just too important to pass up.

These are my views. This is my place. Dig it.

P.S. This might be my new sign off phrase, and I would just change the last part every week. I'm going to try it out, and you guy(s) let me know what you think.

Go for Green!

2009-02-04T12:33:00.026-03:30

In recent elections, the hot-button issue always seemed to be the environment. Politicians claimed to care and made promises to take action against polution, but to be honest, I don't remember seeing much being done.

Late last year, the folks over at the CBC decided to do what the guys up on the hill claimed they'd do; do something! They organized the One Million Acts of Green campaign, the tagline of which is "One million acts of green, one act at a time". With George Stroumboulopoulos at the helm, the idea was to encourage Canadians (and beyond, hopefully) to adopt practices to help the environment. The program officially launched on October 21, 2008, and came to an end on February 3, 2009, clearing the goal of 1, 000, 000 acts!

Individuals and groups from coast to coast came together with their various acts, from things as simple as using a travel coffee mug to things as involving as insulating the attic or basement. Read more about the initiative here:

Personally, I think this was/is a fantastic idea! It seems to be a general concencus that one person can't do anything to help the environment. I think this program proves otherwise. It proves that together, we can all make a difference. What I love most is that it delivers this message without implying that we need to buy a new electric car, or recycle and compost everything we use, but that the simplest thing that you can do can make a difference.

Feel like you're not contributing positively to the environment? The challenge isn't over! New goals are being set all the time, and there are always acts to be done.

Whether you contributed to this cause or not, leave a comment here telling me about an act that you've done to help the environment!

Life in the Trades

2009-01-27T17:22:00.016-03:30

This morning, I was listening to Q on CBC Radio. As part of Jian Ghomeshi's introduction to a story, he mentioned Kyle MacDonald, a man who managed to trade one red paperclip for a house. Not directly, of course, but he traded the paperclip for a pen, the pen for a doorknob, the door knob for a Coleman stove, and so on... 14 trades later, he became the proud owner of a house in Kipling, SK. You can find Kyle's story here:

This story inspired me to attempt my own experiment. Starting today, I plan to trade a paperclip for a car (I tried to make my adventure original, but I couldn't think of anything more "worthless" than a paperclip). I have no idea how it's going to happen, but I plan not to rush or force a trade. Part of the fun is seeing where I end up!

I will include photos all along the way, so please check back!

Here is my first item!

Who knows what's next?

The Blogosphere is Growing

2009-01-22T16:38:00.004-03:30

I'm an avid blogger who's been writing things like a blog, off and on, for a few years now. I'm not a very successful or accomplished blogger, and largely because of this, I give up and move on. However, I think it's important to remember that I've been writing "off and on". Stopping, but always coming back. The fact that I'm writing this post proves that I'm in the blogosphere. This means that there has to be a reason for it. Today, I examin why I blog, and why you should start your own.

As I've established, I'm here, and there's a reason for it. I think the reason is that I'm benefitting from it, and enjoying something about the process. Most times that I sit at the computer to write something, nothing comes to mind. That's where Google comes in. I usually type in "Blog ideas" or something like that, and I get pages and pages of just lists and suggestions. I love this part. I then go and pick through a few of the top sites to see what interests me. There are always a few things liste that I can talk about. Though you may not see it here, I take these ideas and expand on them. It's fun trying to put my own spin on something that someone else already developed.

What's even better than that, is the the stuff that I can't talk about. If I see something in a list that I don't know anything about, but I find it interesting, I'll Google it. I've learned so much from doing that. Though you don't see it all up here (or anywhere else for that matter), it's still a lot of fun.

Writing blogs are great. They are relaxing, influential, a great way to learn about things, a great way to keep up on current events, and it allows you to get your voice out into the world. Even if no one reads your blog, it's definitely a character building tool that can help you personally. I think that most people should have one.

It's true that any information that you might want to convey in a blog can be more conveniently relayed through MyFace or Spacebook or whatever your poison is (yes, I tried that jumble), but what's the fun in slapping two or three sentences together to satisfy a coworker's interest in how the kids are? Make a blog about it. Describe things in your life the way you see them, instead of using drop-down menus that can restrict your creativity. There is a very good chance that someone will read your blog and enjoy it! If you don't know what to blog about, take a look at the headlines of your local paper and write your opinions on those issues, or post your own opinion on something that's already been blogged about. The possibilities are endless with a blog. Get your ideas out there and let them develop. You may think that you don't have an opinion on much, but trust me, you'll develop one once you exercise it a bit.

I encourage everyone who reads this to go out and start their own blog! It doesn't even have to be online, just designate a book to be your blog, and develop your ideas in that first!

If you do decide to start one, post a comment here telling people about it, and we'll all check it out!

If you do blog (or don't), I want to hear your opinion. Leave a comment, or take the poll. Just, whatever you do, don't let it change you!

You Live, You Learn

2009-01-19T13:08:00.008-03:30

First off, let me just start by apologizing to the reader(s) of my blog. I posted back in November that I would try to make at least on post per week on various topics of interest to me. This hasn't happened. That afternoon, I was extremely motivated to start a blog, and develop an identity for myself on the world wide web. However, I failed to acknowledge my biggest flaw, not just with making blogs, but generally in my life: I procrastinate. It doesn't just happen every once in a while, but all the time, and like a virus, it manages to creep into every aspect of my life.

It sucks.

There is one ray of light, however. It makes for a fantastic segue into my post.

Almost five months ago, I began taking courses here at Sir Wilfred Grenfell College, with an open mind and bursting potential. Almost four months ago, it died. I have no idea what happened, my motivation just extinguished and was replaced my a yern to be lazy. What happened? College happened. I'd heard for years that you have to work harder in college than any level of schooling before it, but I underestimated the magnitude of the importance of this advice. To be completely honest, I didn't break my back studying and working on academics in high school, and I didn't need to. Going to class and taking the notes was enough. I did really well, so I didn't think much of all the information that I was being bombarded with in either of my five courses. This really started to catch up with me, however, when I started getting evaluations back in mid-October. Needless to say, they weren't anything to get excited about. It really just went downhill from there. I was being burried alive, and the more I struggled to get out from under the massive mess of missed homework and assignments and looming midterm exams, the more seemed pile up on me.

That sucked, too.

At that point, I basically just gave up. In retrospect, not the best move, but it seemed to be the easiest. This is where the title of my post comes in. "You Live, You Learn". It's very true, and I speak from personal experience. Eleanor Roosevelt once said "Learn from the mistakes of others. You can’t live long enough to make them all yourself." I've referred to this quote several times in my life, and I think that it's very good, but this was a mistake that I had to make, in my opinion, because otherwise, I would still be under the false delusion that effort isn't required.

I was reluctant to tell my parents about my teetering grades, as it cost them an arm and a leg to put me into school, but I learned my lesson. This term, I started off with a fresh perspective and a motivation to not waste another for months. So far, I've kept up with my resolution, which keeps me motivated through these long, cold, wintery days.

If you're in college (or aren't), I want to hear your opinion. Leave a comment, or take the poll. Just, whatever you do, don't let it change you!

How I used Facebook

2008-11-05T20:00:00.014-03:30

As I'm sure most people know, Facebook is fairly handy. You can keep tabs on what your friends are doing now, stay in touch with old friends, and even have a laugh at their expense. I joined Facebook in November 2006 for just those reasons. I thought it was cool at first, but it became an addiction. For about a month, it was all I could do. I spent hours perusing profiles and tagging everyone I knew. It took a while, but I got it under control.

I updated my profile a few times a day. I tagged a few photos that a friend uploaded. I occasionally updated some of my personal information. After a while, though, I began to find that things were getting pretty repetitive. Dedicated, I stuck with it. About a year later, Applications were born. I thought they were cool, too. Soon, they too became enormous time-wasters, especially with them getting more and more pathetic. I was still a fan of the social networking site, but there was a problem. My Inbox was constantly being infiltrated by ridiculous invitations to play Scrabble, battle fish or some other odd thing, or become a Vampire. I don't want to become a Vampire. Not when I'm online simply trying to escape from daily stress. Save it for World of Warcraft.

I had had enough. About a week ago, I came to a sudden realization. Facebook is stupid. I hardly used it to communicate with people anymore, as anyone I cared to talk to was an 'Enter' away on MSN. I found that I was only going on Facebook because I had the account. I felt obligated to update my status or see what my friends were doing simply because I could. That didn't seem right to me. In my opinion, the whole point of social networking is the desire to widen your circle of friends. I no longer had the same desires as that Sunday afternoon back in 2006.

Needless to say, I'm no longer a user. There may come a time when I miss clicking through the profiles of people I'll never see again, the walls that I'll never write on, the status updates I'll never take seriously, the invites that I'll never read, but I doubt it. The whole site has lost some of its credibility, I think. It was fun while it lasted, but it's over, and I think I'm better off without it.

Alica Mathias describes Facebook as a time-wasting, in-joke fueled venue for stalking one's friends and potential romantic relations.

Couldn't have put it better myself.

If you use Facebook (or don't), I want to hear your opinion. Leave a comment, or take the poll. Just, whatever you do, don't let it change you!

Follow-up Note:

I found this video on YouTube today... it pretty much sums up my opinion of Facebook. Enjoy!

The First of Many

2008-11-05T17:14:00.007-03:30

Hello, people in the interweb.

If you're reading this, I honestly can't believe that you have nothing better to do with your time. Unless, of course, you're reading this in the future, and my skills as a blogger have improved. In which case I thank you. This is my first post for this blog, but not my first post altogether. I have had several, less-than-successful blogs in the past, all of which have crashed and burned. I truly hope that I can break free from my chains with this one, and create something I'm proud of. I've been itching to write something for quite some time, but never really had the confidence/motivation/ideas/creativity (pick one) to do so.

I plan to write this blog for years to come. I don't expect fans to develop or anything like that. This is just a form for my musings. With that said, I hope to post at least once a week, about pretty much anything, from movie reviews to politics to my opinions on dogs peeing in public, so please, check back. You may see something you like. I encourage comments on my blog, whether you like it or not. It tells me what to focus on, and what to stay away from. Most importantly, it tells me that I'm not wasting my time. If no one ever reads this, then I might as well be writing in the Maed journal that I keep in my sock drawer. Over the next little while, expect to see changes here. I'm still trying to find my niche, as it were.

I'm happy to be back in the blogosphere, and I hope, for the love of God, that I don't run out of things to say.

Thanks for reading!