The Flashlight Club

One day this past week I couldn't charge my iPhone or iPod because my two USB cables stopped working. So I was faced with a challenge since I usually fall asleep listening to music. I remembered this small radio which probably came from my grandma's house years ago. Nifty little thing. I've always been impressed that you can listen to the radio for free and 24/7. Good thing for me! 

I've jokingly said to my mom she needs an iPad Mini to use when she can't fall asleep. It was hard for me to imagine what it was like to fall asleep in silence and no little box of light to stare at. It finally hit me- that's what she's done her whole life. Not all that long ago there were no smart phones and computers. Besides T.V. and radio, what could one hear at night? Nothing!

That shows it's possible to live without it. Plenty of people do and don't feel devoid of anything. Sure it's nice to carry out business and stay connected with friends (an overused phrase) but how much time do we spend doing necessary things? You get this profound feeling once you turn off the screen. The whole world of the internet is gone. It's not a physical thing. 

You don't have to get rid of all technology because people in the past lived happily without it. Just see if you benefit from spending a little less time with it. Read this blog, take care of your work, see the new photos of your nephew on Facebook and go do something else. 

Don't Break Your Own Rules

People always seem to be quick to tell you what to do. For kids, parents and teachers have all the control. For adults, their boss, spouse, friends and everyone in between call the shots. Everyone has their own idea of what you should and shouldn't do. It can be irritating. But what about when you decide for yourself what not to do? 

Only you know your whole situation, all your strengths and weaknesses  When you've resolved something yourself  it's worth following though on especially when it's clear what needs to be done. 

If you break your own rules- what's stopping you from failure? 

Temporary Insanity

   How much longer can what's popular on the Internet now stay popular?  Does each thing have an expiration date set to expire? Content on the Internet is obviously fast pace and changing each day. A news story attracts most of its readers in the first few days or even less.  A video might get passed around for a weeks time. All websites they reside on and more needs to be questioned.

   Most of us have social media websites we visit regularly. For the past three years Facebook has been the top choice for many. I signed up for Facebook in 2006 when a friend invited me. I didn't think much of it. I literary only knew one other person on the site so there wasn't much I could do with it. I let my account lie dormant while spending time where my friends were, Myspace. There was a good four year period when that's what most people used (maybe you were Xanga type of guy.) While everyone was searching for a new layout for their page and leaving "pc4pc!" comments, Facebook was gaining popularity with the college kids it welcomed. I'm not going to go into the whole history of Facebook, that's not what this is about. But why did people totally switch from one thing to another? I know its full of inaccuracies but in the movie The Social Network,  Mark Zukerberg asked how The Harvard Connection would be different from Myspace or Friendster. The answer was that girls would want to date guys from the school and because of exclusivity. That's just two things Facebook became to have making it stand out. There are more answers to that question and you can see the differences between the two now. Cut to today and only a tiny fraction of users remain on Myspace.

   Just in the same way, what's next? How much longer can the popularity of Facebook, Twitter, Instagram or even YouTube continue? Each of them have been established as some of the top go-to places. Not to say that the whole population is divided between these, because there are a lot of similar places to talk with friends, upload pictures and watch videos. There isn't a clear answer. Each can adapt to the interests of the users if they are willing to.

   One reply could be that because the Internet is improving and becoming more and more advanced is the reason why things can't last. Websites that were created in the early 2000s don't stand a chance in their original form. The features and layout of YouTube are ever-changing since it started almost eight years ago. Very likely it will soon have its first video with a billion views. Yet those who make money uploading videos on the site for a living are sensitive to the fact that YouTube won't be around forever. They have other pursuits and create content elsewhere. Some are part of a company, like Maker Studios, that produce content immune to the popularity of YouTube. People want to secure material in something more reliable than a single website.

 
   Indeed none of these websites will suffer a fall unless another rises above them. If and when this takes place is anyone's guess. I'm certainly not the only person to examine this. Are you questions them too?

Influence

   The fall time and all holidays that it encompasses has been talked about nonstop for months now. 

I'm finding this year to be the most extreme for many reasons. It's not enough for a store to sell holiday things during the month they occur, now the seasons must be celebrated too. 

  
   My whole life I thought summertime was what people enjoyed the most. But going back to August I kept hearing about "getting ready for fall" and people actually anticipating it. Why? Seasonal everything. One thing is clothing. Obviously the fashion world prepares for the weather changes and new trends, but now people can't wait to put a sweater on. Think about that.  You want to be so uncomfortably cold you have to put on a sweater? That's what you look forward too? Boots aren't worn when they're needed, they're just a fashion accessory. 

  
   Another thing that's really being pushed is fall time drinks. Starbucks and Dunkin Donuts can now get consumers to come in more frequently with the offer of seasonal drinks. You can get either pumpkin, caramel, or mint flavored chemicals added to your expensive coffee.

   Your home also must be ready for the change. The season offers stores the opportunity to sell an untold amount of decor items. There used to be a time when the only leaves you saw were on the ground, and the only pumpkins were edible ones. This is in addition to all the holiday decor available.

   Media is an aid to commercialism. It's just adapting to this change and giving its support. But now things have become more "social."  Social media can be used for the further outreaching of advertisement in order to get you to buy seasonal stuff. It now comes to you on the most personal level possible Internet-wise.

   I can't help but take note of the degree to which this manifestation of the pervading influence has burst forth upon us. What can be hyped up next?

Wait and See

   I'm always been one to get some great deals on clothes and other things. For a long time I wanted some way to share these impressive finds. My latest buy is worthy of this humble blog.

   Going all the way back to July, I saw a girl wearing these really interesting shoes. The next month or so I saw them in Dillard's. To my dismay they were $89. I obviously didn't want to pay that much. As time went on and I was in the store again they were reduced to $69. I almost did consider getting them because I thought they were so cool. But I held back. Eventually I was there in  September and saw there was a big shoe sale going on. Excitedly I found the shoes and they were marked down to thirty something dollars. Not too bad. Alas they were only left in sizes 5 to 7. Too small for me. All hope seemed to be lost!

  I was there late last Friday and they had their usual amount of shoes on sale. And me refusing to accept defeat, I looked for them. And to total surprise, I found just one pair. In an 8 too. My size! The sale price was still $30, fine with me.

Gianni Binni. Originally $89.99

 Also I found these awesome shoes with a good amount of other shoes all for $9.99.
All designer, I mind you. Crazy!

Gianni Bini. Originally $49.99

When the total for both came to $21.83 I thought "what!?!"

..for some reason unknown to me...the woman who checked us out voided the price of the first and gave them to is for $9.99 also. Possibly they should have been marked down more because they were from the summer.
 

Never pay full price!

How To Appear Smart

Appearing smart doesn't require that much intelligence. All it will take is reading this list! That and not letting people see past the surface. We're just going to give an impression and then move on.

 

#1 Have books handy

   Not just any books, it has to be particular ones. Having each Twilight book on your shelf isn't going to do you all that good with the type of people we're trying to attract. So what books do you need? There's a lot of options and it shouldn't be too difficult to decide what will work and what won't. Just ask yourself "Would a smart person read this?" or in other words "Is this book beyond me?" If it is, you've got something good! It can be anything dealing with literature (the study of/ and or classic novels) mathematics, science, or some other genus reading material. Now what you do with those books is important. If you ever have people coming to your home you want to appear smart to, have these books handy. They can be on the bookshelf or even on the coffee table. Try not to make it too obvious that you want them to be seen. Throw a couple of average readers on a shelf next to them. Even a couple of well selected books can do the trick.

   Here's my own example. Look at these books. There is no way of knowing if I've actually read them or not.
As far as any passerby is concerned,  I have. But the truth? I'm yet to read Literature and Life in America. Love Poems and Sonnets of Shakespeare I'm rather afraid to read. Industrial Control Instruments I have never read and never will. The only reason I got that book from a Library sale was just for this purpose! For show!

But not everyone you want to come across as smart will be in your home. This leads to #2, which is similar to #1.


#2 Carry a book around

   All the books you have reserved for #1 will work for this step. You don't have to carry a book around with you where ever you are,  just in appropriate places. That's really for you to decide. 
Don't pick the MOST difficult book to carry because you should be able to read it if you absolutely have to in an emergency.  I'm not going to carry that  Industrial Control Instruments book around. That would just be silly. Take a book that interests you, but you probably won't be reading its entirety any time soon.

   This is an example that's already worked for me. I did state testing this past year for school and in between sections of the test we were allowed to read. As one teacher past by me she asked what I was reading. Wordlessly, I showed her this page. Yes, it was the autobiography of  Italian metal worker Benvenuto Cellini. Her only reply was "Oh...that's deep." I had only read two pages of this book and that's all it took. The teacher had much more to say to the girl next to me reading The Hunger Games. Ha! It takes a certain kind of person to understand the things you and I will be holding.  Harvard classics only!!!


#3 Watch T.V and YouTube 

   You're probably already doing this step. You can  pick up bits and pieces of information with this. Not everything you watch will be useful. Obviously you will learn more from a documentary than you will from an episode of Keeping Up With the Kardashians.  But what's mentioned by the people in shows, movies, and even videos on the internet can teach you something. It's not going to teach you anything in depth, but it may be good enough. You've probably heard of people knowing "a little bit about everything." Well that can now be you, all from you paying attention to your entertainment! You can benefit from this by dropping these bits on information of what you know in conversation when applicable.



#4 Quote exoteric movie lines 

   When the discussion turns to film, you can quote exoteric lines from movies (well known and obscure). You don't have to claim whether you've seen the movie or not.  People will be blown away from you reciting an excerpt from a movie. They will be so awestruck that you won't even need to say anything else for the rest of the conversation. That may be because you don't know anything about the movie, but they will probably assume you just know it so well you're above talking about it. A few times I've quoted "“What is the victory of a cat on a hot tin roof? I wish I knew... just staying on it, I guess, as long as she can...”  Have I seen the movie Cat on a Hot Tin Roof?  No. But you would think I did if you heard me quote it.
In case of an emergency mention the sled that said "Rosebud".


By following these steps and whatever else you can think of- you can successfully appear smart, knowledgeable and interesting. You may have very shallow friends but take it for what it's worth. 

Good Days are Here Again

"Those were the good old days..."


Were they?


   I often look back on things and think that. The people and the places I went in the past now seem so delicate. Delicate in the sense that they were really great and nothing can change that memory.

Next I'll think  "If only I was back at that time again." But what's funny is I probably was never aware that I was experiencing the good times when they were happening.
Of course I had fun when I was with the people I really cared about and knew it. But I think I should have appreciated them even more.
 


If this is really the case that only things in the past were good, then things must be getting progressively worse.  Either they are or your memory of the past is distorted. Maybe some of things look so nice because you're only remembering the good.
Certain places you can never return to. People you once spent time with are no longer your friends. Dwelling on this gets to be so painful. Change isn't easy, especially when it's a change for the worse.

So what now?  You just have to hope that you will be happy sometime in the future and do things memorable, big or small.