The Bad vs. The Good
“Bad news travels faster than good.” “If it bleeds, it leads.” What is wrong with human kind? All I know is I saw this first hand as a t-v news reporter. Although I hear people complain about t-v news being negative — it’s what people tuned into more than a news program that started with a good story. The ratings proved it. What is it about humans and gossip? Why do we love to spread it? Heck, that’s probably how news began in the first place. Are we demented? Are we just sick in the head? Nope, not according to Ohio State University psychologist John T. Cacioppo, Ph.D. He says, “Your brain is simply built with a greater sensitivity to unpleasant news. The brain reacts more strongly to stimuli it deems negative. Thus, our attitudes are more heavily influenced by downbeat news than good news.” A reason our brains do this he believes is to warn us of danger. If we see or hear of something bad, we usually try to stay away from it.
Now I’m not saying this justifies speaking ill of others. I’m not saying negative is better than positive. But taking the bad and using it as a precautionary tool might just turn it into good! 
Is being a Woman an Insult?
Okay, I need your help with this one. When a guy says to another guy, “Quit being a girl!” what is he inferring? I always felt funny about that phrase, but never said anything about it until I heard a lady referencing it say, “Since when is it an insult to be a woman or a girl?” Yeah! I think she’s right… or is she? It should never be a bad thing to be of the female gender. I should never feel put down just because I don’t have the same body parts as a man. And if it’s about being emotional, why are having emotions a bad thing? Are some men scared of showing or having them? If it’s indicating intelligence, well, I know women are equal there.
On the other side of it… may be a guy is saying those kinds of things because in reality he doesn’t want to be a woman. Okay well, at least we know now that guy will never have a sex change. Glad we cleared that up. 
But having attributes that are generally stronger in a woman like crying, etc. doesn’t make a man effeminate. Nor is it a sign of weakness. I looked up the word ‘female’ on a popular reference website, take a look at what the synonyms are –
For the adjectives: changeable, child-bearing, delicate, effeminate, effete, fair, feminine, fertile, gentle, girlish, girly, graceful, ladylike, maidenly, matronly, modest, muliebral, oviparous, petticoat, pistil-bearing, pistillate, pure, refined, reproductive, sensitive, she-stuff, shy, soft, tender, twisty, virgin, vixenish, weak, womanish, womanlike
For the nouns: amazon, babe, beauty, broad, cheesecake, chichi, cupcake, cutie, dame, doll, dowager, duchess, femme, filly, fox, frail, gal, gentlewoman, girl, hussy, kid, lady, madam, mama, matron, old bat, old lady, old woman, petticoat, piece, pinup, seductress, she, she-stuff, shrew, siren, sis, skirt, temptress, ten, tomato, weaker sex, wench, wren
Okay not all of them are bad. But I definitely feel put in a box. What if I don’t meet all of these, am I not considered a real woman? And what’s up with the words ‘weak’ and ‘weaker sex’… wow!!! May be some reference books need to be updated. This is a big topic to chew on and I would love to read what you think… (both men and women)!
Get off the Road!!!
How many of us have had that thought when we’re driving and another driver makes us mad? What’s interesting to me is I can think such hateful thoughts about drivers and then see the driver in person and feel stupid. Like may be we’re both going to the same store. I might be more inclined to duck so they won’t see me get out of my car. Or end up knowing the person, whoops! I will say age has calmed me down, I don’t seem to be as angry. Thank you maturity. I hate when, in the past, I’d really like a person and then they get behind the wheel of a car and everything changes. They are no longer that sweet person. It would seriously alter my opinion of them.
I’ve also noticed once I get to my destination I tend to forget pretty quickly about that incompetent driver. Call it ADHD or just getting old, but in retrospect I realize how ridiculous I’ve acted and how embarrassed I am of myself. So why freak out about something that will pass (literally) in a few minutes? Who knows? May be it all goes back to when we were younger and hated when other kids cut in line. 
Lying About It
Oh no, I have a bump on my tongue — I must have lied! That’s what the old wives tales says at least. Lying about anything makes me feel horrible. So I try to stay far from it. But are there certain times when lying comes in handy? David Smith, director of the New England Institute and author of “Why We Lie” says, “We (lie) all the time as a society. Sometimes we don’t even realize we’re doing it. Just imagine going through a day where everyone told the truth. It would be a nightmare scenario.” Nightmare scenario? Really? Do we need to lie sometimes? May be. For example, if your significant other loves a certain piece of clothing and you don’t, does it really matter that you don’t? Hmm. Should we lie in that case? Is it worth hurting the other person’s feelings to tell the truth? What about at work? We all joke about ‘yes men’ but how many of us are? We don’t want to disappoint our boss or create friction, then again if we have a better idea — that might work for us in the end in getting a promotion.
Lying can cause a person to feel insecure and paranoid. I guess it all depends on how big the lie is. If we’re lying about an affair then yes paranoia will probably set in. If we’re lying about what we really wanted for dinner, we’re probably okay. I guess go with your gut and do what your conscious can handle. Now back to the bump on my tongue hmm, that must be from biting it!
Myspace Stalkers
I think we all have a bit of stalker in us and myspace proves it. How many of us have checked and rechecked another person’s myspace page? The other person might be someone of interest, our significant other, or a jealous counterpart. I have often felt obsessed with a person just because I checked their page a few times that day. Then I start doubting my sanity and think something is wrong with me! But it always passes, I quit checking their page so ridiculously much. I calm down and remember the life I sort of have! But in defense of all the ‘myspace stalkers’ you must admit the website is like public e-mail. It was kind of made for others to peer into your life.
But what is this phenomenon of stalking? Why do we snoop? I’ve heard of people going through their boyfriend/girlfriend’s cell phone to look at texts and call records. Others look at journals, credit card bills, etc. According to a Match.com poll one in 10 of us peep on our significant others regularly. Why do we not trust? Are we all insecure and scared of getting hurt so much that we lower ourselves to deceit? The best advice I can give, which is simple, is talk. Communicate with your significant other. Be open. Ask them who their best friends are and who they stay in contact with. My boyfriend and I even ask each other about people we don’t know who have commented on each other’s myspace pages. The worst scenarios are usually the ones we imagine. Don’t assume. Hopefully the longer you’re together the more trust you’ll build. Which in turn helps you relax and not freak out. 
My Worst Date that Never Happened
So I meet this guy while I’m out with friends one night. He gets my number. He calls and asks me out. The plan — do dinner and then go to one of his friend’s Halloween Party. I’m a little nervous because I don’t know this guy at all, but we set the date.
Then he calls back. Are you kidding? I couldn’t believe this guy just ask if he could bring a friend on our first date. Supposedly the friend was having a tough time, his girlfriend had broken up with him and he had no where to go on Halloween… WHAT?! I’m sorry for his friend, but it’s just Halloween. After careful consideration I call the guy back and say, “Sorry, I can’t go out with you. It sounds like your friend really needs you right now, why don’t you just hang out with him.”
He tried to explain, he tried to plan another date. I tried to get off the phone. I won.
Smiley Faces
What’s the deal with the smiley faces? When people first started adding the happy faces it was a colon and parentheses, which took me the longest time to figure out why people kept typing a colon and parentheses after a sentence. I thought it was some type of code I didn’t know about. I thought I wasn’t intelligent enough to understand it! Then I realized it was a stupid smiley face. I couldn’t decide if I was annoyed of these tiny happy faces or if I liked them. Obviously I use them now, so I caved in to the popular little marvel.
I’d like to know the beginnings of the darned smiley face. I wonder if Wal-Mart made it popular or if it was the people first and Wal-Mart copied. Hmm, there’s some good food for thought! Yeah, right. Then everyone went nuts and started typing frowns and winks and tears :~( !!! And what’s this… :p …is the face sticking it’s tongue out? So new faces were running rampant and began appearing on e-mails throughout the world. All the while I was still trying to figure out how to implement the first one !
But the great thing about these small surprises is how it brings the e-mail you’re receiving to life. Seeing a miniature smiley face makes a note feel a little friendlier. It helps portray what the author really means a bit better. You understand they’re being sarcastic if they add a wink. If you get a tear you know they’re “really sad”. So I say include a little face at the end of your sentence… it may just be what the reader needs!
Why can’t I be like my Dog?
Well actually dogs, I have 2 dogs. It would be so nice to not care about anything more than playing, loving, eating, and sleeping. I don’t think I’ve ever seen them really have a bad day… I’ve seen them not feel well, but bad day — nope, not so much. What is it about being covered with hair and a having tail that makes them so happy? Not that I want to be covered with hair and have a tail, but come on now — how many of us look at our dogs and think, “Wow, you’re really pleased with the cards life has dealt ya?”
I admit my female dog will snap at my male dog when he’s trying to get her to play and she’s tired. Hmm. That sounds very similar to men and women. But as human as I try to make them (because they are my babies), I am quickly reminded my furry friends are merely animals. A fact not hard to notice when they eat unprintable things! Still I say we should learn from our dogs. We should freak out when our significant other gets home from work. We should never stop loving on each other. We should eat only when hungry. And we should sleep most of the day… if only!
Reading is so 1900′s…
Do you read? With the invention of movie theaters, televisions, and computers I must say reading has been put on the back burner. Sitting down with a good book is like wearing a girdle. Not many do it anymore, unless they’re older people. But books are making a comeback with the craze of Starbucks and Barnes and Nobles, especially with generation X and Y. Research says reading helps a person’s brain function better. I wonder if this research was prompted and performed by librarians? I kid, I kid. But I do wonder what all reading helps with. Does it make a person process and understand a situation faster? Does it give a person a quick sense of humor? Does it help with a person’s patience? Or does it just give a person a bigger vocabulary to spout out? So I guess my question is, why do we NEED to read? And what about books on tape or c-d or now I guess even on ipods?! Is this defeating the purpose of reading?
Now don’t get me wrong I’m not a total lump I have a favorite author and read his books when possible. But I hate how the world makes me feel like an idiot or like I’m loosing my ‘smarts’ if I’m not currently reading a book.
So I don’t know… what do you think? Has reading this blog helped stimulate your brain?
I’m exhausted!!!
The Heat party was last night and it was huge! More than a thousand people showed up to dance the night away! Congrats to everyone who put so much into making this ‘the event of the summer’. From a red carpet entrance, to a rockin’ DJ, to taking modeling pictures — I do believe it was a success! Now to get some rest.
