The Church of Facebook
I've decided that people who regularly use Facebook as a way to push their political agenda irritate me immensely. I didn't join Facebook to have left- or right-wing agendas shoved down my throat via the daily News Feed. I joined the site to find out how my friends are doing, reconnect with old contacts, and share media. Instead, a solid 25% of daily updates seem to center around things like "Vote for Proposition 3847A and help shut down the Democratic party!" and "Barack Obama is the great American savior. Be sure to vote for him again in 2012!" For the love of everything holy, don't these people ever stop?
I have no problem with someone announcing that they want to expand the death penalty to include misdemeanors or that they blindly support socialized medicine regardless of the facts, but only if they post about it once or twice. When they turn their status updates into a virtual pulpit and preach about it multiple times per day, my irritation increases exponentially. The only thing that keeps me from posting a snotty remark on their profile is my steadfast policy of keeping my political views off of Facebook.
In modern America, friendly political discussions are becoming far more polarizing than ever before. I used to post about it all the time on my blog, but I've seriously scaled back. I only talk politics with my closest friends now and only after we've agreed to drop the topic entirely if the discussion becomes too heated. That's not to say I don't enjoy a good political discussion (which, thankfully, most of my closest friends are intelligent enough to maintain). In fact, I enjoy hearing opinions that differ from my own... which is probably why I have so many liberal friends. That's not to say that I'm conservative, as I sit more in the middle. On a scale of 1 to 10 (1 being extreme liberal, 10 being extreme conservative), I probably sit around a 5.5 - 6.0. If you averaged all of my views together, I'd probably come out slightly on the conservative side of a moderate stance.
I don't appreciate extreme views, which is probably why I don't belong to a political party (hang with me, my point is coming up in a second). I feel as though I should be flexible enough to take a little bit from both sides of an issue. There is no right answer anymore. Political issues have become far too complicated to allow for black and white thinking and, in my opinion, it's dangerous to take an extreme stance. Not only does it pigeon-hole the person, but it polarizes people who have not yet formed an opinion. When someone preaches to the extreme, it's a turn-off for me. The person comes across as being crazy, forceful, and ill-informed. My initial reaction is to take an opposing viewpoint to create balance. I don't like being strong-armed into supporting something.
This is exactly the kind of reaction that Facebook political preachers elicit from me and the reason I keep my politics off of Facebook. I've also decided that I will no longer post political opinions on my blog. If someone wants to know my stance on something, they'll have to first earn my trust, show they can make an informed decision, and then talk about it in a calm and controlled manner.
Some say it’s mystic; It’s electric!
I'm not one to give out free advertising. I refuse to wear clothing emblazoned with company logos, I don't let car dealerships put their company license plate frames on my new car, and I don't hang up political signs. If a company or person wants attention or sales, they can spend their own funds to make that happen. This includes spending it on me. For example, if Best Buy wanted to pay me $10/hour to wear one of their blue polo shirts around in public, I'd be more than happy to oblige. All that aside, I am willing to provide a company or product with positive word of mouth on my own volition, if I feel that it is especially beneficial, groundbreaking, or noteworthy. This is one of those times.
I've been using rechargeable batteries intermittently for years. For a while, I used Energizer NiMH batteries, but grew increasingly frustrated with their performance. I would charge these things up, put them in a drawer, and find them completely dead when I pulled them out six months later. What's the point of using rechargeables if they aren't convenient? As a result, I would buy huge packs of alkaline batteries and just keep throwing them out as they died. I felt like I was single-handedly supplying the local landfill with all of its garbage needs, which left me feeling like a heel, but what was I supposed to do? Spend four hours charging up my Energizers only to have them die again in no time? I don't think so.
That all changed about a year ago when I purchased a 4-pack of Sanyo Eneloop batteries, along with an included AC charger. I took to these things faster than you can say 'paradigm shift.' They charge up in the standard amount of time, but they hold their charge for years. Yes, you read that correctly, I said YEARS. Using LSD NiMH technology, they can be recharged over 1,500 times and hold 75% of their original charge for three years (according to Sanyo). Is that not enough for you? As an added bonus, they come fully charged and ready to use when you buy a set... just like a typical pack of alkalines.
So, yeah. There's my shiny endorsement for Sanyo battery products. If they felt like tossing a few advertising dollars my way, I wouldn't be entirely unappreciative.
The Medical Vampire
I had the distinct pleasure of having blood drawn today. This is one of those activities with which I have a poor history and it's due mostly to my body's repeated attempts to pass out during the procedure. I'm not even sure why this happens. I don't have an aversion to blood, nor do I cringe at the sight of a needle, yet when I see a needle pierce my arm, I get lightheaded. It's one of those unpleasant feelings that I don't want to experience on a regular basis, so I tend to avoid injections and blood drives unless they're necessary.
I guess it all boils down to the concept of blood being syphoned from my veins. Deep down, my subconscious knows that blood is meant to be kept inside the body. Historically, the loss of blood usually signifies impending death, so I attribute my feelings to the lessons of evolution. Thankfully, I'm not one of those people that refuses medical treatment if it involves needles. Logic wins out on a regular basis and I realize that continued health relies on a regimen of vaccines and blood tests. When it's needed, I'm always willing to oblige. The trick is to not see the needle and, thankfully, most medical professionals are very understanding.
And in case you're wondering, my blood work went fine today. Didn't see the needle, didn't pass out, and the nurse/technician that drew the blood was an absolute ace. I barely even felt it.