John's Blog

"So far, Google Plus is a social network for talking about Google Plus."
Twitter / @sandofsky: So far, Google Plus is a s ...

True, and for the life of me I don't even know why I would need yet another social network. Yet it holds an odd appeal. At first it was the appeal of the forbidden, since you couldn't get an invite. But now that I'm there I must concede it has a nice feel. We'll have to see if the novelty wears off, or if that changes once the riff-raff arrives.

But just as my participation here dropped off once I discovered Twitter, it's inevitable that one of my current social media outlets will suffer if this catches on. I'm not placing any bets. Anybody remember MySpace?

I keep toying with a return to blogging either on this platform or on Tumblr. But I'm haunted by two thoughts. The first is that I find myself with little substantive thought to share on existing social media outlets. But the second is by far more sobering. On occasion I actually look at blog stats. (When I get bored I guess, so you would think that would be more often.) But when I see what has drawn the most pageviews in the past, I'm humbled to find that the biggest chunk of people viewing my blog were searching for "Pam Anderson's nipples." So there ya' go.

There was a time when this was a daily habit. Not necessarily a good one, but a habit nonetheless. Life events and shifting social media habits made this a place I visit less frequently. But I just can't pull the plug. I keep thinking that I could use this as a place to share more personal musings like I see others doing with Tumblr.

Ah, but there's the rub. Being able to share personal thoughts is something I've never done very well. Consider this a baby step. Maybe there will be more, maybe not.

I was wondering just what it might take to get me to hit the old blogosphere again. Looks like I found a cause, heartbreaking as it is...

(VIA Gorillasushi Relief Fund:)

Jason, aka @gorillasushi, aka mega-talented designer, intrepid Chicago(ish) planner, and all-around awesome human, recently lost his wife after weeks of in a medically-induced coma. In the wake of this unspeakable loss, he is left with mounting medical bills from her inpatient treatment, surgeries, and weeks of hospitalization, in addition to funeral expenses and having to sell their home in an awful market.

Nobody should have to bear all of this alone. Money is tight for many of us, but if you’d like to help our friend during this difficult time, please consider donating. No amount is too small, and every little bit will help. If you have any questions about this fundraiser or other ways in which you can help our friend, contact Toni/frageelay at tonitravelsgmail.com.

Thanks.

"All I ask of you is one thing: please don't be cynical. I hate cynicism -- it's my least favorite quality and it doesn't lead anywhere. Nobody in life gets exactly what they thought they were going to get. But if you work really hard and you're kind, amazing things will happen."

Conan O'Brian

Tags: TV, humor, pop-culture

"Nice guys finish last, but we get to sleep in."
Leslie Nielsen

Tags: quotes, humor

If Your IM Buddy List Was Honest… (VIA BuzzFeed and Holy Taco)
Tags: pop-culture, humor

"Doing nothing is very hard to do ... you never know when you're finished."
Leslie Nielsen

Tags: quotes

Could it be that the new year brings a new and invigorated attitude towards blogging? Perhaps, but don't count on it. Recently I haven't even had the energy to tweet, much less something more long form. But yet, like a kid who rediscovers an old toy finding that it still works and still brings joy, I find myself considering picking up THIS old toy. Still too busy to make that happen, but we'll see.

Tags: pointless rambling

Good intentions DO NOT a blog entry make. If they did, you wouldn't be reading this poor excuse of a post. Apparently, I remain incapable of a thought that exceeds 140 characters. If that changes, I'll let you know.

Tags: pointless rambling, blogging, pop-culture

"It never hurts to ask. Unless you ask for hurt."
Takayuki Ikkaku, Arisa Hosaka and Toshihiro Kawabata

Tags: quotes

In the event that anybody still visits here (God only know I don't) I thought I'd repost an excellent piece from Graham Gudgin who has a case of raised hackles over the so called The Great American Healthcare Debate:

Entering a clinic in the US for the first time many years ago, I was shocked to find that the very first office door that greeted me was labeled "Financial Consultant." Shocked is not too mild a word to use. I think my Wife was surprised by my reaction. I really found it offensive. She was just used to it.

Healthcare is a huge issue in the news right now, as one of the things that President Obama promised if he got into power was "universal healthcare." Because I come from a country with so-called "socialized medicine," I have been asked many times just recently about how healthcare works in Britain. This is hardly surprising, since opponents of the proposed plan have often said things like, "We don't want a system like Britain or Canada" as if this is a bad thing. Even my own Doctor, during a routine check-up, started quizzing me about whether I preferred the US or UK healthcare system. I told him that, although not perfect, the National Health Service in the UK did ensure that everyone, whether they could afford it or not, was covered. His response was that anyone in the US could get free treatment in hospital emergency rooms. I didn't get a chance to say what I really wanted to, that I thought it would be really nice if the poor didn't have to wait until it became an emergency. Those who cannot afford health insurance either put off treatment, often until it's too late, or fill emergency rooms with non-emergency cases, stretching those already overworked departments.

Criticism of the National Health Service, mostly unfounded, by American opponents of Obama's plan has had a surprising effect amongst the British. A British friend wrote to me, "4 million Brits twittered in defence of the NHS almost crashing it. The debate is happening here---Fox news found an MEP (not MP), who defended the American 'healthcare only for those who can afford it' system, to spout some hysterical rightwing piffle. It has had a dramatic effect---the conservatives have gone from a shoe in, to an even contest in a week." He was talking about the opinion polls comparing the incumbent Labour party with the Conservative Party.

Conservatives in the US have been raising a very noisy protest against the proposals. Past vice-presidential candidate Sarah Palin started talking nonsense about Obama creating "death-panels" of bureaucrats who would make life or death decisions about our nearest and dearest. While Obama and his supporters have talked about 47 Million people in the US being uninsured, there are people who deny those figures, mentioning illegal immigrants (who wouldn't be included in the count anyway), Millionaires (this includes property which people would have to sell if they needed healthcare) and people who are in the process of switching insurance. The figures are probably much worse, because poor people often take a gamble on health insurance, taking it out some years and not others.

The right-wing have also gotten many ordinary working people scared that they are going to lose their choice of coverage. In the UK, if you can afford it, you can take out insurance and be treated privately. However, if you cannot afford to do this, you're still covered. This is what's being proposed in the US. In fact people will have more choice, not less.

These scare tactics take advantage, I think, of a deep-rooted "take care of yourself" ethic in the US. Another friend of mine, this time in Canada, said, "They keep saying 'I don't want to be socialized' like public health care and caring about our neighbours is a bad thing." I think that not only is universal healthcare the right thing to do, especially for the richest country in the world, but it's short-sighted for individuals to only consider their own situation right now. What happens if you get laid-off from your job, or want to start your own small business? US healthcare is big business, and that is where I believe things go wrong. The health of our people is essentially an issue of infrastucture.

Do you still think the US healthcare system works just fine now? The World Health Organization would disagree.

Tags: politics, healthcare, current events

"I bought a cactus. A week later it died. And I got depressed, because I thought, Damn. I am less nurturing than a desert."
Demetri Martin

Tags: quotes, humor

Via Fuck Yeah. Strange Finds!

Tags: humor, pop-culture, strange

Some wit and wisdom via a clip from Seth MacFarlane's Cavalcade of Cartoon Comedy.

Tags: humor, life experiences, pop-culture, Seth MacFarlane