Escape and Bad movie-ing

So sometimes a bad movie is still entertaining, because its still entertaining. Sometime entertainment for entertainment's sake is awesome. Bad movies come in many flavors; but the worst are the ones that think they are oscar worthy, but we see right through the effort, you can tell they are trying too hard...they film in exotic locals (not exotic, but uncommon...northern Italy, or Newfoundland...or something), they let the camera sit too long on scenes, and the actors talk very little; because it is about the "acting".

Some bad movies are so very entertaining...the action movie is a prime example...visual stimulation, loud noises, funny dialogue...like non-sexual porn really. Sometimes a dumb, senseless comedy serves the same purpose.

While I am on the topic of movies, why do people avoid going to movies alone...its not like its a great opportunity to socialize, in fact you aren't supposed to talk. I travel alot, and often on my own, so its a prime opportunity to see movies that I can't see otherwise...with kids and wife and whatnot. I think more people should do things alone more often...its like people have lost the ability to be alone with themselves.

Escape is an essential part of keeping sane...you need to disconnect from everyday life, and even other people from time to time...reset your brain...other people add clutter to the train of thought; you need to drop a few extra cars off the train every once in awhile.

Now I am not anti-social...quite the opposite (look I am blogging)...but as with all things, balance is key...too much "together" time is bad, and so is too much alone time. Same as beer, and food, and most all things; balance is the most healthy. I am not balanced...not at all, I drink too much, eat to many rich foods, sit too much and exercise too little. But I know balance is healthy...that doesn't mean I actually do it.

So...don't be afraid to go to a few bad movies...and definitely don't let others decide if you like the movie. And be unbalanced for the love of pete.

By the way...I don't proof these...this is pure stream of conciousness...

Is this soap box too big...or am I shrinking? Whatever...time for another beer and a burger...maybe an action comedy movie....

Friends or "Friends"

I am sure lots has been written about social media and its side effects, and I debate one aspect with myself all the time. I am a relatively social being, I mostly enjoy the company of others, and have witnessed over the years that I need human contact every few days or I get antsy (not sure how to define that, but thats how I get so back off)

This social nature has likely led to my mild addiction to social media; this blog being the latest iteration. Although the catalyst for this blog was a long hidden desire to write (and be read) and a comment from my wife that she likes my writing (she had been reading a long winded description of an interesting situation that had occurred while I was in Brazil on business).

But back to the social media thing, particularly Facebook. The greatest thing about this stuff is that it allows you to reconnect with good friends that have drifted away over the years....but is it really a connection...people have to chose to be on FB, and they can choose what goes on there. I am not suggesting that everyone has virtual selfs on FB, but unless the re-connection leads to an actual reconnection in the non-virtual world, is it really a reconnection. I am not sure....

I don't think I am alone in getting uncomfortable when someone puts something too personal on a social media feed...somethings shouldn't be shared with everyone...but on the other hand, I am grateful at times that social media has let me know that a friend is going through hardship, as I have a chance to try and help...but if I was really a good friend, wouldn't I have been in close enough communication with the person to know the hardship was happening...I don't know if that's the case. Life is busy, and time is limited...perhaps its a slightly evolutonary event to have one's friends weeded out as we go through life...perhaps.


No opinion this time...just raising discussion points I guess.

stops writing and goes for some golf and beer...with a furrowed brow...

Selective Patience

I will wait 10 minutes in a huge line to get Tim Hortons and not think twice (just did it this morning), but if I have to wait more than 5 minutes at the ATM I am livid...and don't tell me its a reward thing...I get coffee at one place, but I get money at the other...so I can buy coffee and other things (beer). But we have selective patience it would seem...I have no patience for someone going 5 km/h under the speed limit, and in reality they are only making me about 1 minute later to get where I am going....and I am going to work so they are actually doing me a favor! (Just kidding, I love my job...now), but I will wait for 10 minutes at the water slide with my daughter and not an errant word would spout from my mouth.

So why are we these parodoxial creatures when it comes to waiting....in Atlantic Canada our patience is tested less...I have been in large cities where sitting on a highway not moving in your car for 20 minutes is consider normal; that would be a huge pile up here in rural Canada (hell in Rio you just assume that you will sit idle for 2 minutes for ever 2 minutes of moving; which is why when they move, they REALLY move!). I used to live 20 minutes from the "downtown" of the town I live in, and all my friends thought I was crazy for commuting 15-20 minutes everyday...but that kind of commute in many places in world would be considered great. (BTW I now live 2 minutes from my office...so thats awesome!) So maybe its more a matter of relative patience (not talking about having patience with the mom-in-law), as in your patience level is relative to where you are, and what you expect.

Patience relative to location...I have been to these large cities and experienced the patience demands without freaking out...but I still get frustrated if I sit idle for 2 minutes here at home....and my travel mates are the same.

So I am struggling to come to a point...so here it is; I hate slow drivers...get off the flippin cell phone, or pay attention to the speed limits...if it changes from 50 to 80, follow suit....and if you aren't comfortable driving 110km/hr on the highway, get off the bleeding highway! Take some other road....I need to get to Tim Horton's before the line gets too long!

and he leaves the soapbox for the next whiner....

Pay attention to your surroundings...use your noodle

So I have come to realize that the majority of people are completely oblivious to their surroundings. You know what I mean...they don't use their rear view mirror while driving (while texting usually), they push their cart really slow while blocking the whole aisle at the store while looking for the Special K in the cracker aisle, they hold up everyone while boarding a plane so they can make sure their huge carry on is situated just so and they have their book and hand sanitizer close at hand, they take their time loading their change into their change purse while you wait and watch before you can order your latte....you get the picture...and I am getting worked up, so lets continue.


This phenomena gets real scary when we require the general public to make big decisions...like the local election...the vast majority of people don't bother to read up on the issues, and just take the 30 second sound bite from the radio news as the full story on an issue...and the media person is in such a competition for your attention he/she is less interested in delivering the info we need to know, and more interested in grabbing your attention with controversy and buzz words. For example, How many people know that our government is on track to spend 50% of its budget on health care by 2015 (that's only 5 years away!)...and the problem will get worse as our "boomers" continue to retire...and our current anti bacterial, hypochondriac, pandemic fearing tendencies have set us up to run to the health care system every time we have an ache or pain!

There are really complicated and important issues facing our society and we need to be informed and use our collective voice to make sure these issues are addressed. Environmental issues, the demographic time bomb ... these issues will be politically difficult, expensive and long term issues to deal with; so we need to Pay Attention!

It doesn't take hours of study, we have the web and social media...technology makes being informed easier than it ever has been, yet we are getting more detached from each other. It just takes some interest in your fellow human...it comes down to caring about what others are doing/saying...if we let the business men and politically motivated make all the decisions for us, we'll get deeper into the hole.

And then he stepped down from the soap box and went back to work....