This week’s Word of the Week is “Facebook”, which isn’t a real word, is it? Anyway, I finally took the plunge and signed up for facebook, much to my other half’s chagrin. I’m not quite certain what actually tipped the scale in my mind to join but it happened.
After being a member for a couple of days I understand the allure but I am befuddled as to how the millions of participants keep up with all of the (trivial) information that courses through the veins of this internet monstrosity.
As one of my oldest friends on the site scribbled on my wall, “facebook, where life is a constant one liner”. One could not have said it any better. Since joining, I have been bombarded with a whole new dictionary of facebook euphemisms and acronyms. Sigh. It seems as if our communication skills are truly headed down a path of one liners and abbreviations.
Facebook makes it so easy to meet new people and find new relationships, it is a little unnerving. I had always felt that true friendships are like fine wine that take years to develop and mature. In this new world of fast paced meetings and convenient interactions, is there any room left for truly deep and meaningful human connections?
Anecdote Categories:
Word of the Week
A lot can be said for keeping your mind clear and free from clutter. In life we are bombarded everyday by circumstances and issues that can clog up our thinking and other cognitive processes.
By simply taking time to relieve our minds of all this extraneous “junk” can help in reducing stress and making our minds work better. Much like a computer’s memory works more efficiently when we do a clean up or delete some unused program and files.
There are several methods one can use to accomplish this task which are very easy and well worth doing.
Meditation – There are many methods, so you are bound to find one that works for you and it can be done in a matter of minutes. You basically just need a quiet place to start.
Mindfulness – Similar to meditation, this study can be beneficial to those who are extremely busy. It calls for one to slow down rather than stop completely. Clearing out a room or organizing some books would be considered effective mindful exercises.
Expressive Writing – Putting to pen to paper and just letting your thoughts flow out can be a very good mind clearing process. Keeping a diary on hand or a journal can be a helpful way of examining your problems and assist in overcoming them.
Distraction – By allowing your mind to change its focus, from negative issues, you can give it time to address the situation and reduce the magnitude of the dilemma. Try tai chi or judo. Both activities will clear the mind and allow you to refresh and refocus in on the difficult task ahead.
By utilizing these tactics you will give your mind healthy boost of energy and allow it to become stronger and work more efficiently.
Anecdote Categories:
Well Being
We all enjoy feel good stories, challenges that ordinary people have overcome and events so earth shattering our lives have or will never be the same again.
In this week’s “Above and Beyond”, I have opted to post a very personal event as something out of the ordinary that changed many people’s lives.
In 1957 my father, born and raised in Jamaica, West Indies decided that he wanted a better existence for his family. He ventured to the U.S.A. to find work and search for a place he could make home. Unfortunately or fortunately he decided that Florida was not the place for him and he returned home. The following year he voyaged to the U.K. and for some reason, believed that this was the place he could put down roots.
Several decades later four generations of “Burtons” now exist, living quite happily in England. My father had to endure many years of hard labor and weather he wasn’t used to, so that his descendants could have an upbringing and life he was not initially privy to. He is a very proud man and living in a society where he was a pioneer of sorts, could not have been easy to say the least.
Accomplishments come in all shapes and forms, big and small. In my mind, his achievement may not have contributed to the salvation of mankind but it is just as vital to society. It is these small and generally over-looked events in history that make our world better and create a stronger and more diverse community for us all to share in.
Anecdote Categories:
Above & Beyond
The woman in the UK caught putting moggy the cat into a wheely bin needs to be taken out and shot. If you haven’t seen the video or heard all the uproar about her “misstep”, then check it out on the msn.com homepage or on google.com.
It defies belief that a middle-aged woman who looks like she couldn’t hurt a fly would be so cruel. In the video the cat actually comes up to her and whilst she is smoothing him, he sticks up his tail and seems excited and happy with the human contact.
Her reason for mistreating the cat seems unclear. The R.S.P.C.A. have got involved and she was arrested shortly after wards, as this was all caught on Britain’s CCTV. In my view she had it in for her neighbors and took it out on their cat. She could also just be a very mean person. Either way it seems inexcusable, in my view.
Anecdote Categories:
On the Radar
With all the hoop-la surrounding the recent Egg-recall, you could be forgiven for thinking that something is seriously wrong with the FDA’s system of regulating egg producing factories.
In fact I can remember as far back as the late eighties, that there have been issues with cleanness in these types of institutions. It would be crazy to assume that anything radical has changed, since very little has been done on the legislative level.
What it comes down to is that these companies have been left to their own devices for decades. They have been allowed to cut corners in order to increase profits, at will, and without any real ramifications.
It’s all big business in the egg making industry. If you can’t turn a blind eye then you’ll end up walking on egg shells straight out the door and out of a job. That’s one anecdote no one wants to be telling in this mud-dredged economy.
Anecdote Categories:
On the Radar
Tonight marks the peak of the Perseids Meteor Shower. This event is one of the biggest meteor shower events of the year and according to scientists it should live up to all the hype.
As a personal anecdote, my other half and I have been following meteor showers for several years. It is something that we enjoy very much. Tonight we have already observed several meteors from the main event but we have also been lucky enough to see a couple from two other showers that have already peaked.
If you haven’t already seen a meteor, otherwise known as a falling star or fireball, you don’t know what you are missing. Check it out tonight, right now as a matter of fact. Mother Nature’s show is spectacular!
Anecdote Categories:
Stuff We Like
An Anecdote for Everyone. etaBlog contains unique examples of personal humorous Anecdotes, articles, news and points of view in attention-grabbing Anecdote sections. The site has examples of Anecdotes that encompass a wide range of subjects. Some of the posts are humorous Anecdotes and others are about personal life experiences. They may even contain stories about famous people or events. Examples of our Anecdote categories are as follows: - Above and Beyond, Food Maze, Green Bionics, On the Radar, On Thor's Day, Plain Stupid, Recreation, Science & Nature, Stuff We Like, Well Being, and Word of the Week. These topics are cultivated and researched throughout the week and expressed on etaBlog in creative ways and avenues of envisaging our world.
