World Through Other Eyes

A few things in the news recently have made me realize that I don't see the world the way other people do. And I'm glad for that and sad that they don't see all the beauty I see. I am scared for how the world will change (or not change) for my kids (and grandkids) because some of these issues really should be dead to us by now. I hope we can evolve.

The Hunger Games. I read all three books when my daughter got them as gifts. Similar in nature to the Uglies-Pretties-Specials series. A teen dystopian story. About kids killing kids while the adults use them to control other adults. How fear rules us. How eventually you have to step up and fight tyranny. I don't quite know what I would do in those circumstances but it is good to think about them. Then the movie came out last month. And instead of talking about these large issues, a whole bunch of idiots got upset that some of the characters in the movie were black. After the author described them as being dark-skinned. REALLY??? That is ridiculous and sad. Skin color has nothing to do with the larger issues in the book. And that is what made the news.

A new app called Girls around You. A group of programmers figured out a way to make an app that could pull info from twitter, facebook and foursquare and tell you where girls were around you if you checked into their app. The app got pulled after people called it creepy. It is creepy. But is it creepy for everyone. And scary that so many young people don't realize how much info they post online for the world to read. BUT, it is just as creepy for young men to be stalked. Or older people to be stalked. And if they called the app find new friends around you, no one would have commented. And the news today is how the women are at fault for posting their personal info. Kinda like how women dress impacts the attention they get. NO one should be hurt for being stupid. I try to teach my kids how not to be victims... post after an event.. don't tell where going online... but if they make a mistake then what? When will our world stop applauding predatory behavior? I fully expect that app to be launched again.. with more caveats about how they are not the problem. And they are not. People not paying attention is the issue. But why can't we protect one another rather than using this new open world to hurt one another?

Social media is a wonderful thing. We can be connected immediately. And help one another quickly. But we can just as quickly hurt one another with these words. We have to do better. The world is a beautiful place.

Bye Bye OPP

So, last week I had to make up my mind if my freelance business was going to attempt another year.

It will not.

It was sad to see some of my clients close (medical publications are not what they were) and to realize that I've moved on from some of the other things I used to do "on the side."

So, while I'm still interested in doing new things... I'm perfectly happy where I am and what I am doing. I'm not going to waste energy for a few bucks here and there. If an opportunity strikes, I know what I need to do to take it, but right now I'm going to focus on the kids (time to start thinking about colleges for the middle child) and cheer on their sports.

Which means that I'll probably get offered some new freelance opportunity next month. Karma has a sense of humor :)

Year of the Dragon

So, seven weeks since I last blogged. Here's why:

1. Work got busy, really busy and I love that.

2. Holidays. College son came home for three weeks, all other family made it safely in for the festivities. We had a lot of fun.

3. 2012 started.

The last point might look a bit odd, but then again it is an even year. Not my fav. It started with my dad falling on New Year's Day, followed by an MRI on the 4th, followed shortly by emergency surgery. All this happened while I was sick and unable to visit him cause of an infection. Then the cat suffered a major stroke and had to be put down. Luckily my oldest was still home and able to do the running around for me, but he did have to go back to school!

Thus while the end of 2011 was a fun, busy blast that kept me from blogging, the start of 2012 was a major turnaround that has tied up every free moment available. The last three weeks have been nuts.

So, why blog today? Today is the start of the Chinese New Year. My youngest is a dragon. This should be a good year. And I'm hoping that this New Year celebration will start something better in my house, cause the Gregorian calendar event was a minor disaster :)