As Always...

As always, I look back on what I've written when I step away from the blog for awhile. Surely enough, most of it looks like utter trash.

Good-bye Facebook

"Jeff, why in the heck did you delete your Facebook page?"

Simple.

Actually, not so simple, but after I explain, I hope you'll see how it is simple. Summing it up in to three reasons will be the easiest way to answer your question (if you in fact care). First, Facebook was a HUGE waste of my time. Second, it was an overkill on communication and keeping in touch. Third, and finally, Facebook takes away the human element that is so vital to communication.

Being on Facebook has wasted countless hours of my time, maybe even days. I can safely say that I logged on at least three times a day for AT LEAST ten minutes at a time. I would say on the average day I wasted at least an hour on Facebook. Since I've had Facebook for the past three years, I've wasted, I'm guessing, about 1095 hours logged on to Facebook (this might be too high of a guess, but hey, I'm trying to pursuade you). Wow. Since I've only been enrolled at East Carolina for roughly 360 of these days (two school years at ABOUT 180 days a year, not including summer. I'm at the beginning of my third year, so I've managed to save myself). If I would have used 1/4 of those hours studying or doing something productive, I would have a 4.0 GPA. If I spent 1/4 of those volunteering on campus or actually helping someone in my community, the world would be a better place. If I would have spent 1/4 of those hours taking in campus activities, I would have gotten more bang from my buck by taking in the entire college experience. If I would have spent 1/4 of those hours actually talking to people FACE TO FACE, I would have better relationships, and even possibly, a girlfriend!

Facebook is also, simply, an overkill on communication. People have asked me "How in the Hell am I supposed to get in touch with you?" Simple: e-mail me, write me, call me, instant-message me, or Heaven forbid, come talk to me face to face. Facebook is not necessary for ANY of these tasks. Facebook has pictures, applications (which, my God, are ludicrous as best), bumper stickers, and other retarded shit that is simply overkill. I will admit, however, that the groups were good for networking with other people around the globe who had similar interests as myself. This feature was not worth the entire Facebook package, as I can simply find groups and feeds on discussion questions by searching on Google.

Facebook has taken away the human element in communications. A number of people that I know (and I have been guilty of this myself) look people up on Facebook to learn about them. People who do this can probably tell you more about the person than their parents just because they've looked through other people's pictures, groups, and interests on Facebook. Facestalking! Many other people just comment back and forth when they live two doors down from one another. I had, I'm guessing, over 200 friends on Facebook. I probably communicated with five of them on a daily basis, 10-20 of them on a weekly basis, 21-100 on a biannual basis, and 101-200 were probably never contacted or contacted me after adding me as a friend. A person who I barely even know has the ability to look through my profile, look at my groups, form an opinion on my political, religious, social, and philisophical views as well as my likes, dislikes, and personality without ever talking face to face with me. You might ask "But Jeff, you can simply deny a random friend request." You are absolutely correct, and I normally do just that. The 101-199 people that I'm referring to are people that I've maybe met once or twice, or who I used to know well, but no longer talk to. Human interaction with one another is essential to the human psyche. Facebook does NOT fill that gap.


I am glad to be ridden of my Facebook. I sometimes type Facebook.com in to my browser. It was a bad habit, and I'm glad it is starting to die off. I now have more free time to play my guitar, read, study, learn new things, attend campus events, hang out with my friends, talk to my parents on the phone, proofread my work before handing it in, working out, and closing my eyes for a few moments and enjoying some solitude.


I also will not miss the fifty or so "Happy Birthday" posts I get from people who wouldn't have even known it was my birthday if it was not for the feed on the side. I love a good weed out.

Eliminating the Unessential

If anyone out there actually reads this thing, then...well....wow. Ok, kidding, here is an update on my status.

I started school on the twentieth of this month. This is my first semester as an English major, and I'm really enjoying it. I'm reading some of the greatest texts in history which are broadening my knowledge of human understanding. I'm also enrolled in Philosophy of Ethics. I'm enjoying my philosophy class, and I'm quite sure that I'm going to minor in philosophy, even if it adds another semester or two to my time as an undergrad.

Living in an apartment, away from campus, has been truly beneficial. I have a break on M,W, and F from 10 until 2. During this time, I go the library and study. Unlike my previous years of college where I would go back to my room and sleep when I had a break, I spend my time studying or reading. I also enjoy having a bedroom to myself.

Now, since I've completed my update, here is my thought for the day:

"Getting rid of the unessential"

Unburden your life. Only take what is essential and increase your happiness as you put yourself in to balance.

My Past Two Weeks

Well, where should I start?

I enjoyed the 4th of July. I was planning on sitting at home watching the Law & Order marathon instead of fireworks. Devin Becton called me, and my plants changed. I hung out with him and Marvin. We ended up going down to Union Point to watch the firework display. I was impressed with the display of pretty ladies and beautiful fireworks.

Work has been steady. Camp is starting to wear on me though, as it has become monotonous in some respects. It is somewhat challenging to continue to think of new games for children to play during the day. Children are becoming restless. Employees have begun to have disputes with one another about issues in which they disagree on.

I was incredibly happy to leave work Friday because of (1) dealing with my kids this past week, which has been particularly hectic, and (2) my parents were gone this weekend. This means that I had the whole place to myself. It was nice to get the entire place to myself for a little solitude. I can't say that a majority of my time was spent on productive things, but I can say that I've done much thinking about possible career choices. As you know, I'm majoring in English, which can be a step towards law school.

I truly think that I would enjoy practicing law and that I would enjoy the rigors of law school. After much research and mental debate, I'm not sure that law school is the correct path to a life of happiness and contentment. I just recently finished reading The Lazy Person's Guide to Success, by Ernie J. Zelinksi. I truly agree with many of the principles outlined in this book. I want to work at a job that I enjoy, but does not consume my life.

I think is it possible to find a healthy balance between being a lawyer and having a life outside of work. According to anecdotal evidence which I have read, lawyers are generally unhappy in their profession, wishing that they had done something other than pursue a career in the field of law. I have also read anecdotal evidence from those who say they are completely happy and couldn't envision being in another career field.

From my time spent reading, I have concluded that it is possible to be happy in the field of law if you are willing to avoid jobs with huge salaries and firms which demand excessive billing hours. But who knows???

In other news, I'm taking the week off and going to see the Stones at the beach this week. Sweet.

My Superlatives (According to Facebook Ratings)

As I signed on to Facebook tonight for the estimated 30th time, I received a notification saying that I had been compared to someone. It turns out I was voted a happier person! I continued on to look at my rankings.

Some rankings are accurate (according to my opinion), and some rankings are not.

I won 3 out of 3 votes for better taste in music. I can't argue with this. I mean, who could vote against someone who is well-versed in the likes of Eric Clapton, Led Zeppelin, Huey Lewis & The News, Jack Johnson, Pink Floyd, John Williams, and Richard Cheese, to name a few. I would be surprised if you recognized more than three of the names listed.

I won 3 out of 3 votes in the category of "More likely to skip class." Ha. In high school I missed 6 days during my sophomore year. The rest of the time I had perfect attendance. In college I've missed 2 guitar classes, 1 exercise class, and 1 English class. I missed my English class because I had to volunteer for six hours for another class. The next time I'm skipping class, I'll be sure to remember that I'm "More likely to skip class."

I also had 3 out of 4 and 2 out of 2 on "smells nicer" and "rather have dinner with," respectively. Wow, I must have been compared to some fairly horrible people if this is the case. I played football in high school, which meant that weight training was in the morning during either first or second period. I know that I smelled like ass after each weight training because I would wear the same gym clothes for a week or two before washing them. Yeah, gross. The "having dinner" part is just as comical. I'm 20 years old and my parents still hassle me about my manners as the table. A few of my campers at the YMCA comment about how I chew with my mouth open when I eat an apple. My only defense for someone wanting to have dinner with me is that I can bring some interesting conversation (just ask anyone that ate dinner with our crew during the past year).

I received 2 out of 2 votes for "most fashionable." For those of you who know me, you know how lax I am about my dress. I usually throw on a pair of shorts and a T-shirt for the day (sometimes a collared-shirt). Oh well, I must have been compared to Yoda and Richard Simmons for my two wins.

Some of these are kind of accurate though.

Some of the ones that I did not fair well in are "would rather sleep with," "rather kiss," "more attractive (which I only got a 3 out of 9 on)," "better body," and "nicer."

Hmm, I'm going to have to argue that since the rankings about me being "more fashionable," etc., are incorrect, then I must be "more kissable," "better body," etc.

Hey, a guy can dream, can't he?

Nice Pencils! Now, Fork Them Over...

The following passage I am about to type up for you is a passage from Neal Boortz's book Somebody's Gotta Say It. Dad dropped this treasure chest in my lap, and I thought I would share the booty (almost contradicting what the passage is about) with you.

I would encourage you to go buy this book (or at least read a chapter or two while burning some time in Books-A-Million). In one chapter, Boortz tells a story about a child who gets school supplies. The child is ecstatic because he is getting new pencils, markers, paper, backpack, etc., for school.

When the child goes in the next day the teacher asks him to dump all of his supplies into a big tub. The teacher explains to the child that the supplies should be for for everyone in case they need them.

This, according to Boortz, is where the child first learns about the abolition of property rights. Your child is being taught that "their property rights end when someone in authority says they end. Here the child is giving up his belongings to a government agent," says Boortz. Like Boortz says, it starts early.

Boortz thinks you may be skeptical about this situation, as many of his callers were. As it turns out, there were also callers backing the accuracy of the statement made by Boortz. Children actually experience this type of thing in classrooms.

You might ask "How are these things related to human rights? It is physical property, not something that is a part of you."

Boortz explains the answer to this question by saying "It is a simple truth that property rights are the very basis of human freedom. We come into this world with nothing but our bodies and our minds. Those are the assets we bring with us to the marketplace. And no society based on economic and social freedom has ever survived the loss of private property rights.

Nobody would seriously argue against the notion that we, as individuals, are the sole owners of our minds and our bodies. We present our physical and mental labor to the free enterprise marketplace and trade it there for wealth, usually in the form of money. It can be said that we have received that money in exchange for the expenditure of a portion of our lives. That property is every bit as much ours as our very bodies and minds are.

To demand that we forfeit property to the government--even so trifling a piece of property as a schoolboy's notebook--is to demand a degree of involuntary servitude from us all."

Wow. Looking at it that way presents a point of view in which few people would argue that Boortz is comparing this type of economy to Marxism. Marx even states "From each according to his ability. To each according to his need."

In my opinion, Boortz is correct.

Boortz tells a story about his daughter in day care. The daughter is sent to day care with a bag of candy. The teacher took the bag of candy away, saying that it isn't right for her to have anything that every other child didn't have. If she didn't bring enough to share with everyone, then she couldn't have it at all.

Boortz, upon hearing the news from his daughter, confronts the day care coordinator. Boortz asks "why it was the day care center's policy to indoctrinate children into the idea that it was not right for them to have property that other children didn't have."

Boortz received a blank stare.

Boortz then proceeded to ask her how she would feel if the bank distributed her next paycheck among its other customers, telling her it wasn't nice for her to have money that other people didn't have. The coordinator got the point.

Sharing is an important life-lesson that is to be learned when children are growing up. What children should NOT be learning is that they HAVE to give their property to other people because someone says so.

Maybe this view is a little cruel and self-centered?

Maybe so... but probably not. I have grown up moderately well-off, never had to share much because I was an only child and never went hungry. I recognize that I was born into a position better than many other children.

However, this does not justify the government mandating me to give money to it for the support of others. I am mentally competent to decide how I distribute my charitable money. Ask my friends about how I spend my money; I have almost never turned down someone who has asked me to buy lunch for them when times are hard for them.

So does this make me a capitalist pig? "Yeah Jeff, you're like, being unfair man. Everyone needs to, y'know, help out...pitch in so we can all live better lives. Competition is lame man... it is going to do us in one day."

Seriously?

Competition is everywhere. You compete in courtyard games. You compete in organized games and sports. You compete when you go for a job interview. You even compete when you are looking for a mate.

So, to the person (assuming it is a guy) who claims that I am a capitalist pig, let me ask you this: Can I have your girlfriend? You have a girlfriend and I don't, so this means that you cannot have one. We are just going to have to cut her up in to pieces and share. Or to the other guy who is dating the incredible hot sexy woman who stands 5'8, has full natural breasts, puts out anytime you like, and is incredibly loyal to you: I don't have a girlfriend like that so you have to share to accommodate my needs. How about to the man who is 6'5 and can run a 4.4 second forty-yard dash? I cannot do these things. If this equal? Of course not.

The diversity and individuality in life is one of the greatest things about life. I hope I am not forced to give it up.

Are you starting to see how unrealistic it is to expect that we are all going to have the same things?

Writers Block

Writer's block is a bitch. Having nothing to write about makes me seem is though I am negligent towards my blog. Maybe I am. I figured I would fill you in on a couple of happenings that have occurred in the past few days.

1. Marty returned home from basic (boot camp, whoop ass period, etc.). It was good to see him slimmed down to nearly an even 200 hundred pounds. I don't want to release a position on my feelings of the War (Iraq), the Marines and how they are perceived, or any sort of political candidacy or their position on the War. I am, however, glad to see the Marine Corps give my friend an opportunity at a better life by teaching him necessary life and career skills. Semper Fi!

2. I drove my first "long drive." I drove to High Point, which is about 4 hours from New Bern, all by myself. Yeah, I know, give me a cookie, blah blah blah. It was super sweet driving that far on my own. It was also cool driving in my new car. This leads me to my next thought.

3. I would not have been able to afford my car without the help of my late-grandmother. She was supportive of me all through my life. During her lifetime and younger years she lived a frugal life, always saving, being safe. Due to her frugality and wise money-management techniques, I am fortunate enough to have things that many other people do not. I hope that someday I am able to repay my grandmother's generosity by doing the same thing for my future children and grandchildren.

4. Law & Order is the first show in a LONG time that I have actually made an effort to watch. For some reason I am intrigued by the arguments made by the D.A. (Jack McCoy) and the opposing attorney.


Well, that is all I have for now. Adios!