Words That Really Bug Me

Do you agree with me?

 

How To Stop The Swearing Habit

If you struggle with swearing and would like to break the habit, 

here are some simple hacks that may help you.

 

One Big Difference Between Men and Women

 

Classic Wrestling Memories from the 80's

I'm willing to admit that I watched wrestling as a teenager. 

Here are some of my favorite wrestlers from that old school era.

 

My Failed YouTube Ventures

 As you know, I haven't actually blogged here for several years, but instead have been making YouTube videos. Here is a quick video showing some of my failed YouTube channel attempts.

Are You Superstitious?

 

If I Was Running For a Political Office...

 

Deception in The Fitness Industry

 

Too Many Ads and Sponsors

It's been a long time since I've posted to my blog. Many years ago I used to wonder how people could neglect their blog and allowed it to turn into a ghost town. I guess now I know how that happens. Things change over time. The biggest change for me over the years has been changing my focus from a blog to a YouTube channel. Since I'm too lazy to write anything else, here is my most recent video about sponsors and ads we frequently see online.

Feel free to subscribe to my channel if you enjoyed this.

https://www.youtube.com/user/YourFitnessQuest/videos

Driving Adventures Update

In my last post, I shared some interactions I've had with the police over the years here in Ghana. I was hoping not to add to it so soon, but a few days ago I had another encounter. While driving through town, my wife and I stopped at a red light at a busy intersection (the one mentioned in my prior post where officers walk around your car to check to see you have insurance and registration stickers.) My wife hates going that way due to this, but I reminded her that we are not breaking any laws and we had current stickers on the car so we have nothing to worry about. 

When we came to the red light I could see the same officer who had pulled us over in the past from my rear view mirror. He was several cars behind us walking through the stopped vehicles. He walked right up to us and tapped on the window and motioned for us to roll it down. I did so and he said our proof of insurance was not scanning. This bothered me since he had not even tried to check it and had just walked up to us and made this statement. I pointed to the insurance sticker on the windshield that showed it was still in force until the end of next month. He insisted it was not scanning which means it must be counterfeit. He opened the back door and got in our car and told us to drive to the nearby police station. I could not believe this was happening again. 

When the light turned greed he told me to turn left at the busy intersection. I was not in the left turn lane or even the one next to it, but was in the third lane over and he told me to just turn on my signal and go left. I told him I was absolutely not going to turn left across two lanes of traffic in an intersection and ended up going straight for about half a mile before I could turn around and double back to the police station. When we got there he told me to come in. 

He then explained to me that there are many fake insurance stickers provided by third parties and they are not valid and it is against the law to use them. I told him this was a valid sticker purchased from a real insurance company. He kept insisting if it were, it should scan in his database when he enters the license plate. This still shocked me since he had still not even attempted to input any data into his phone. His co workers in the police station were just smiling and laughing. After a few moments of silence he quietly slid over a slip of paper to me that had scribbled the number 200 on. I told him I was not going to pay it. 

I realized that he did not remember me from our previous encounter so I reminded him that over a year ago he had pulled me over when our car had a recently lapsed insurance sticker on it. At that time he told me it would be 600 cedis or we would have to go to court where it would be more expensive. I told him I only had 240 which he immediately took and said I could go. I didn't have a problem paying a "fine" at that time since the insurance had in fact lapsed on that occasion.

I told him I was not going to pay any bribe today since I had not broken any law and had an active insurance on the vehicle. He kept saying we had counterfeit third party insurance which was against the law but I knew he was just trying to intimidate us. I told him we have been living in Ghana for over 6 years and we are not naive tourists. I told him I was pulled over two weeks ago by different police officer and they had no problem with my insurance then. I told him I'm sick of police trying to extort money from me because I am a foreigner. After several minutes he just handed me license back with an almost embarrassed look on his face and said we could go. 

I was later able to access the online insurance database he talked about. When I input our license plate, it showed an active policy was in force for the vehicle which shows that he was just lying the whole time, but I already knew that. 

My Driving Adventures In Ghana

Recently while driving, I made a right turn at a red light after coming to a complete stop and making sure no vehicle was coming in my lane. As I turned the corner I was immediately stopped by a police officer standing nearby. He pulled over several vehicles including the ones I had just followed but signaled for them to move along when he saw me. He came up to my window and in disbelief and disgust repeatedly yelled “Why?” I said “why what?” and he quickly signaled for his partner to hop in my back seat and accompany me to the police station. As I was driving there I remembered that turning right on a red light is against the law in Ghana. I learned this before but had forgotten since I’d recently returned from driving in the US for several months. Interestingly, when I am stopped here at a red light with my right turn signal on, many times the cars behind me will honk wanting to know why I’m not going so it makes me wonder if that rule is actually enforced. Apparently it is.

We arrived at the police station a few minutes later and the commanding officer was watching World cup commentary very loudly on TV. After a few minutes of me straining to hear what he was saying, he lowered the volume and drew a diagram of the intersection and told me that even if the lane was clear and I had stopped, I was not allowed to proceed until the light turns green. He was much calmer than the original officer who flagged me down. He said I would need to go to court on Monday to discuss it with a judge. This surprised me since usually when we get pulled over, the officer tells us we did something wrong and that we will have to pay a fine OR go to court. They are usually looking for a bribe to dismiss it and let you on your way, but nobody brought up payment at all and that shocked me. I asked the officer how much a ticket for an infraction of turning right on a red light would be and he said the court would decide depending on the severity. It could be 600 cedis up to 1,200 but there was no way he could determine it. I thought that was odd that they didn’t have a set fine for traffic infractions.  He took my Ghanaian drivers license and issued me a hand written ticket which indicated I was arrested on it. He said to come back Monday at 9:00 am for court. I asked where the court is and he said nearby and to just come to the police station first.

Before I proceed, here is some background to our prior experiences with police in Ghana over the last 5 years:

Many officers have been polite and friendly when we go by a check point or are pulled over, but those instances are usually the exception. Over the years we have been pulled over for the following reasons:

-Just to be asked where we are going on many occasions

-Because the police want to know where we are from

-We've been told our car was too dirty and that was an infraction

-We've been stopped and asked what food we have because the officer was hungry

-During Covid we were pulled over for not wearing masks while driving with the windows up on the freeway

-We've been stopped and the officer asked if we would take him back to the US with us

- Most of the time we are asked if we have “something small for the boys” or “what can you do for me?” This means they want some money to proceed. We don't pay bribes when this happens. If we talk with them long enough and they see we are not intimidated tourists new to the area, they eventually let us go.

Years ago I was pulled over for running a road block at night. The road block consisted of a vehicle parked on the side of a dark road and someone with a flashlight standing in a nearby front yard.  A few minutes later I saw lights flashing as a jeep full of officers with machine guns quickly raced after us and pulled me over and angrily wanted to know why I would run through their road block. I responded I saw nothing in the road but someone walking on the roadside with a flashlight. He informed me he was going to have to take me to jail. I said “ok" and I think my calm response shocked him. When he realized we had been living in Ghana for several years and were not new he got frustrated and just asked what I was going to do for him. I pretended I didn’t know what he was getting at. He finally said the batteries in their flashlights were finished and he needed new ones and asked what I was going to do. When I told him I only had a few cedis he was insulted and walked off angrily and got in his jeep and then quickly pulled over the next car that drove past us on the road.

Once while waiting in traffic at an intersection, an officer walked up and down the line of cars checking their insurance and registration stickers. One of ours had recently expired unknown to us so an officer jumped in the back and told us to drive to the nearby police station. The boss at the station said the infraction of expired insurance was going to be over 800 cedis or go to court. I don’t usually pay bribes but I realized the insurance had lapsed so I didn’t have a problem paying a fine but didn’t want to prolong the process and go to court. I told him I only had 240 cedis and he ended up taking it and sent me on my way with no receipt or paperwork. I’m sure he documented the transaction and forwarded the money to the appropriate places.

If I do break a traffic law I am willing to pay the fine as long as it is a standard fee and not an outrageous adjusted amount just because they think I am a naive, rich American. I just get a kick out of the police choosing to get angry and lecture me about dangerous driving when on a daily basis I see the following things on the roads in Ghana:

People parking on narrow roads and obstructing traffic flow to visit shops on the side of the street.

Traffic lights at busy intersections that have burnt out bulbs and have not worked for months before being repaired.

People driving on the wrong side of the road playing chicken in an attempt to avoid the potholes on their side of the road.

Drivers running through red lights through intersections.

Cutting in front of other drivers who have the right of way.

Excessive and obnoxious honking.

Trucks packed well over capacity that are leaning over and ready to topple. I’ve seen the fallen ones blocking traffic many times too.

Motorcycles cutting between both lanes of traffic when it is not safe to pass. Several months ago one driver scratched up the side of our car doing so then proceeded to yell at my wife as if it was her fault.

Motorcycle drivers holding a cell phone up to their face while driving with just one hand.

Driving with broken headlights at night (last night I counted 11 vehicles without lights over a 2 mile stretch of road)

After living in this driving environment for 5 years I am just surprised when the police choose to get upset over small things because I'm a foreigner and treat me like I'm guilty of vehicular manslaughter when they turn a blind eye to so many moving violations all day.

Anyway, I returned to the police station Monday morning. The commanding officer showed up shortly after and said “I didn’t think you would come, so I gave your file to an associate. He will be here later today. Come back at 3:00.” I made another trip later in the day just to be told that I could either pay a fee at the police station, or go to court later which would be much more expensive. There it was, the bribe finally showed its head but it took several days instead of the usual immediate traffic stop. I ended up paying 300 cedis which was equivalent to about $25 dollars. I had broken a traffic law and I felt that was a reasonable fine. When I asked for a receipt they were surprised and laughed and said the original hand written ticket they issued was the receipt even though it contained no documentation of me paying anything. I was just glad to get my driver’s license back from them and leave.

Living here has given me greater empathy for minority groups who claim they are profiled by the police back in the US. In the mean time, I'll just keep trying to blend in better and not stick out, but that can be a challenge. Until next time.

 

Taking the Good

I wrote this post back in mid 2000 during the peak of riots, civil unrest, and uncertainty, but never published it. Since I can't seem to produce any new content these days for his blog, I am sharing this new, yet old post that has never been seen.

Recent trends in society have made judging and labeling people a very popular sport. Labels are now quickly bestowed upon people with opposing viewpoints. This has recently been highlighted by many founding fathers of this country being labeled as hateful, racist men. Some people want to destroy any evidence of their lives and that includes the many contributions they have made to society. I think we need to look at the bigger picture. Let's not throw the baby out with the bath water!

I've been let down many times in my life by having someone I thought was a role model fall from grace. Below is a list of people who I previously looked up to (some I still do) for a variety of reasons and was saddened when I learned of their failures, secret lives, or other aspects of their life that hurt others or negatively impacted the world.

OJ Simpson- Since I was a kid I admired his athletic skills and accomplishments. I felt he was a charismatic, nice guy and liked seeing him in movies after his retirement from the NFL. He was a rags to riches role model for so many people. It sucked to see him fall.

Bill Cosby- For decades he was a clean comic with universal appeal. He was so relatable and fun. He entertained and set an example for so many people. It was sad to learn about how many women he had hurt.

King David- I love the story of this young man standing up to Goliath and the Philistine army with such faith. With one brave act he became a military hero and saved his people. Then he got sloppy.

There are many lesser examples who have done less serious things to fall from grace but I still appreciate and enjoy their accomplishments and contributions.

I might add my disappointment in the many actors and musicians who I really enjoyed and looked up to but they needlessly ended their own lives prematurely through drug abuse and destructive behavior. 

There are many talented actors I admire for their skill and love to see perform in films. This doesn't mean I have to agree with their beliefs or political statements. Tom Cruise is probably my favorite actor but I don't share his beliefs in Scientology. I appreciate the acting skills of Sean Penn, Robert De Niro, Tim Robbins, and Leonardo DiCaprio but I don't share their same political views on certain subjects.

There have been many talented late night TV hosts and comedians who have made me laugh over time but I don't agree with their politics or hypocrisy. Many people in the entertainment world are Atheists. I believe in God but I can still listen to, learn from, and appreciate the contributions of those who don't.

I appreciate the fact that Trump is not intimidated by the media. He has improved the economy (especially economic conditions for minorities). I believe he loves his country and is looking out for Americans first and foremost. At the same time I am so turned off by his egotistical behavior, provocative tweets, and immature name calling. 

I thing Michael Jordan is the greatest basketball player of all time and was my childhood hero but after watching The Last Dance documentary, I was slightly put off by his intense, obsessive, competitive nature which spills over into other areas of life like gambling. I enjoyed seeing him win games and push his team, but it's frequently not pretty behind the scenes when you live at that level of intensity and expect teammates to live up to the same standard.

I loved Magic Johnson and the 80's Showtime Lakers but I don't like the fact that the Lakers were so promiscuous, careless, and essentially a travelling brothel. 

Karl Malone was one of my favorite basketball players. I admire his work ethic and power but he fathered a child with a teenager and then denied responsibility or support. I don't think the NBA or the Jazz will be ripping down his statue in front of the arena any time soon.

Lebron is my favorite player today and the main reason I have followed the NBA for years. I respect him for his all around game and what he has made of himself, but I don't necessarily agree with many his political or social statements.

All of these talented people have influenced society and contributed many good things. Many of them have a dark side or negative contributions too. Just like all of us. Some of the examples I gave are extreme and others not that big of a deal. I think all of us can relate to doing good things and then there are moments of our lives we would prefer to forget or erase. 

I understand that people are passionate about their beliefs as we see today with the zealous social justice warriors who want to topple statues, attack whatever they disagree with and rename everything and do away with any history that is not palatable to their country. The boycotting and cancel culture expects perfection but nobody is free from controversy.

I will stand up for what I believe is right, but at the same time I will appreciate, applaud, and enjoy all the good I see in the world, even if it came from someone with an imperfect past. I will continue to be amazed at LeBron's basketball skills, I  will probably still laugh when I hear a classic Cosby joke, and I will definitely continue to appreciate the contributions of our founding fathers and the Constitution they established.

Midlife Crisis Dunk Challenge

It's been a while since I posted here so I thought I'd share an update of what's new.

 

Time Travel Expert Rates Time Travel Scenes

I recently found myself watching a bunch of YouTube videos where an expert like a doctor, lawyer, soldier, or wilderness survival specialist reviews scenes from movies or TV that are related to their specialty. They then proceed to give their analysis and opinion of how legitimate each scene is. I feel I'm a good judge of noticing when a movie scene is no longer realistic and loses credibility. This got me wondering what my specialty might be. I have always been a fan of time travel movies. I've even covered the topic of time travel on this blog previously.

So I thought it would be funny to do a parody of these "expert critique" videos I frequently see online but cover a subject that is pure fantasy. I ended up making the following video. Enjoy.

PS- I just realized today that my settings require my approval for people to post comments on this blog. I didn't realize that and found comments going back to 2017 (most of them spam) but some actual ones too. I will check them more regularly in the future. 

My Rantings About Tik Tok

I've been critical of several social media platforms in the past and I'm up for a new round today. Over the last year I've noticed a lot of trends with Tik Tok. I don't have the app but I am always flooded with Tik Toks that are being promoted on Facebook, Instagram, and Youtube. Today I'd like to share my analysis of this trending platform.

I first remember seeing a bunch of teenagers doing dance moves in unison and that was my first exposure to it. I then started seeing some funny comedy skits on Tik Tok. There are some DIY projects and occasional life hack tips. I have to admit there have been some funny and creative things, but it is usually cringe! Lately the trend seems to be a bunch of women trying to prove how confident and happy they are and how much better they are since they got divorced or started their new online business. "I think she doth protest too much."

This platform was made for people who want to dance around to music and point a finger as their short message appears while nodding their head in approval. There are like 10 songs that they always use over and over as they either do a short comedy skit, brag about how successful they are, or twerk and show off their body. I can't get that stupid "Oh no, oh no, oh no no no no no" song out of my head.

I'm going to make a parody video mocking these Tik Toks and will post it here later.

Getting Tired of Covid

 I am losing my patience in dealing with the Covid pandemic. Yesterday my wife and I went on some errands to replace a modem and buy some data, and I came home very frustrated.

We mask up when we go out in public as requested by Ghana's government and as required by the larger businesses in the area. When we arrived we did our usual hand washing routine outside the store before an employee pointed his thermometer gun at our heads to get our temperature, and then he squeezed two big pumps of sticky hand sanitizer on our recently cleaned hands. We then walked a few paces into the store and were met by another woman who informed me that I was not social distancing, since I was standing next to my wife. She had us separate and stand on some floor stickers further away from each other. She then said we had to sanitize our hands. We explained that we did so 15 seconds ago by another employee and pointed to her coworker standing near the door, but she insisted we add more sanitizer. My wife did so but, before I could, I was told only one of us could come in the store, so I sat in a waiting area outside the store. 

I know these precautions are an attempt  to slow the spread and protect people. I also respect private businesses to enforce whatever rules they decide. It is their business; "no shirt, no shoes, no service comes" to mind. Even though I see where they are coming from, I am getting sick of this. In that moment I had some empathy for the people I've seen on the Internet complaining about the loss of freedom and making a scene in public places. 

Here is my problem: If this disease had a high mortality rate and there were dead bodies stacked in the streets, I would be the first to wear a full hazmat suit, if I even dared to leave my home at all. Ghana has over 30 million people and over the last year there have been 565 deaths from Covid. In contrast, they experience about 2,000 deaths from traffic accidents a year. I am much more likely to die driving my car here than I am from Covid.

I understand the mortality rate changes significantly when comparing different countries, age groups, and those with existing health problems, but I just don't feel it is the threat that we are told it is. I think the way this pandemic has been handled has been more detrimental than the actual disease. Isolation, inactivity, uncertainty, loss of livelihoods, and damage to the economy has caused an increase of stress, depression, anxiety, substance abuse, domestic violence, and suicide for many people. We can't be blind to all the collateral damage that has occurred.

I'm also frustrated by the many conflicting messages from the "experts". At first we were told we don't need masks, then you were a grandma killer if you don't want to wear one. Within the last week, "experts" suggested we wear two masks! Whenever scientists, virologists, or doctors share opposing views and data, or question the efficacy of masking for this particular virus, they are often crucified by the mainstream media as being quacks or conspiracy theorists. 

I just wish there was more "science science" and less "political science" when it comes to Covid. For some reason, the disease is no longer a threat once you walk in a restaurant and sit down to eat. A group of maskless friends can sit next to each other for hours eating and laughing with no problem, but if I'm driving with my immediate family in my car with the windows up and come to a police check point on the road, they want to know why we are not wearing our masks. 

I have seen many arbitrary and illogical rules as well as a good share of hypocrisy and abuse of power from leaders and experts around the world when it comes to Covid precautions. That makes it all the harder to jump on board and do whatever we are told for the greater good. 

Luckily there is a vaccine available now. I am not an anti-vaxxer but I am not excited about injecting myself with an experimental vaccine that has been tested for less than a year, with no long term studies. I would actually jump at receiving it if it solved the problem and I could return to the normal life of pre-2020 but, after receiving the vaccination, I am told you still have to social distance, wear a mask, and you can still get Covid!

When I went to the mall last week I noticed the sign above. This has been up since last March when the Pandemic hit. This is what "science" is saying here. I guess I will stay away from our goats and will make sure to cook my eggs very well to protect me from the virus. 

I believe this virus is real and can be deadly to a certain segment of the population. We should all take common sense steps to protect ourselves and we should do more specifically for those high risk individuals who are the most vulnerable. Whatever we do, let's handle it with actual science and truth, not just fear or good intentions. We've experienced a year of contention, judging, name calling, fear mongering, and virtue signaling and I'm sick of it. Protecting lives doesn't have to be done at the exclusion of our livelihoods, standard of living, or freedom. 

Conspiracy Theories

You may have noticed that over the past several years the concept of conspiracy theories has become more popular with some individuals while at the same time being immediately dismissed by others. Recently the label of conspiracy theorist is being used as an insult.

The definition of conspiracy is "a secret plan by a group to do something unlawful or harmful." A conspiracy theory is defined as "a theory that rejects the standard explanation for an event and instead credits a covert organization with carrying out a secret plot."

Since the world began there have been countless conspiracies and you would have to be a fool to think that they don't exist. Anytime people work together in an attempt to cover up a crime it is a conspiracy. The problem is when some people attribute almost everything they see on the news or in the government as a conspiracy. 

There are some really good movies address this topic. Films like Close Encounters, 3 Days of the Condor, The Manchurian Candidate, The X-Files, Capricorn One, The Divinci Code, Jack Reacher, and many others have all featured a person who had a hunch or inside information that something about an event was not right. They are immediately labeled as being paranoid or crazy. They then have an uphill battle with superiors and the public as they try to prove there was some kind of cover up by the higher powers. This concept makes for great movies but isn't usually applauded in real life.

There are some people who say conspiracy theories don't exist and refer to those who believe in them as tin foil hat wearing, delusional people. These are the people who quickly dismiss any theory and are quick to label those who disagree with them or question government as conspiracy theorists. They frequently say things like "the government is here to protect us, it would never do that" or "how could that many people be in on the secret together without someone finding out?"

On the other extreme there are some people who attribute almost everything that happens to conspiracies. Some people don't believe we landed on the moon. When there is a mass shooting they insist that it is a false flag and that the victims are government actors. These paranoid people don't trust anyone and are suspicious of everything and of all authority.

Neither of these two extremes give their cause much credibility. I find myself more in the middle. I don't consider myself a conspiracy theorist but I'm troubled by unanswered questions about 911. I believe in vaccines, but I 'm disturbed with certain aspects of the industry. I believe in government and law and order but I also have concerns about government overreach. I just don't care for the current trend of calling someone a conspiracy theorist as an attempt to silence them or make them look crazy.

So I guess what I'm trying to say is let's not be so fast to attribute every thing that happens to a behind the scenes secret organization that is out to enslave us. At the same time, let's not dismiss people's concerns they have about ulterior motives or consequences of things they see happening around us. If you wonder why people don't always trust their governments, just look at the history books and see what horrible things those in power have done to others through the ages.

Solving this issue once again comes back to being able to determine real truth, not just what most people or a biased media outlet may tell you. That is the ironic challenge of our day when there is more information available than ever before but we are not sure which sources to trust. 

On a lighter note, my boys have a Youtube channel where they do short comedy skits making fun of movie tropes. I wrote the following sketch for them about this subject.

People I've Misjudged

As I look back over my life there have been times when I was quick to judge others. It really is easy to judge a book by it's cover. Often when we make judgement calls, we do so out of laziness or bias without sufficient information to make an informed decision. 

For this post I am not referring to anyone I really despised but rather just didn't care for, I made a quick decision that I was not a fan of them and it stuck for a while until I learned more about them. Here are some people I decided I didn't really like after an initial brief encounter but some time later realized I had made a mistake.

Fred Willard- I first remember seeing him as one of the hosts of a the TV show Real People back in the late 70's. He just didn't appeal to me and never came across as being very funny in the things I saw him in. That was until I saw his performances as a clueless dog show commentator in Best in Show or as a bumbling singing group manager in A Mighty Wind. His awkward, inappropriate style and hilarious improvisation skills are great.

Led Zeppelin- My initial experience with this famous band was not from listening to their music but just hearing people mention their name when they talked about hard rock/heavy metal bands like Deep Purple or Black Sabbath. I was not a fan of that kind of music and decided I wasn't into Led Zeppelin. It wasn't until I was in my 30's listening to a block party on the radio that I began to appreciate their music. With more exposure over time I was impressed with their talent and versatility and now understand why Robert Plant, Jimmy Page, John Paul Jones, and John Bonham are considered one of the greatest rock bands of all time. (I had a similar experience with Pink Floyd too.)

Norm McDonald- Norm was the news anchor on SNL during a time when I chose to watch little TV so that was about all I saw him aside from some small roles in Adam Sandler movies that didn't impress me much. It wasn't until I came across interviews with him that I realized how intelligent and funny he was. There are certain things that only he can do, like the clip below from a Bob Saget Roast. These programs are known for having the participants cut loose with foul language and savagely roast the participants, so when they gave him the go ahead and told him to not hold back, he told a bunch of lame jokes from a 40's joke book. The audience didn't know how to handle it and it was over their head, much like I didn't get his style when I first encountered him. It is one of the most awkward and funny things I've ever seen and is classic Norm.

Roy Clark- As a kid I always hated Saturdays and one reason was because of the lame TV shows that came on in the evening. First there was Hee Haw and that was followed by Lawrence Welk. I hated both of these music genres and used to make fun of Buck Owens and Roy Clark pickin' and grinnin' in their overalls. I'm still not a country music fan today but I can totally appreciate Roy Clark's talent. Here is a short clip from an episode from The Odd Couple where he made a guest appearance. Over time I googled his performances and I had no idea he played so many instruments and styles of music. With more exposure, my mind was blown by this talented performer and my opinion of him changed. 

These are just a few people who I did not care for after my first introduction to them. In some cases, it took me decades to change my opinion and finally appreciate their talent and contributions. Unfortunately 3 of them have passed away by now. One thing that helps me really appreciate people is learning more about them. When you know their backstory and where they came from it can make all the difference in helping you appreciate someone. Hopefully I can learn from these experiences and won't be so quick to judge or write people off in the future before I get to know more about them. 

The Power of Perception

I find it fascinating when people witness an event, yet they come away with very different takes on the exact same thing they both saw. This has really stood out with politics and the recent elections. People can see the same video footage of something yet come away with completely different thoughts on the subject. Media bias and propaganda can plays a big role in this, but people are also stubborn and like to look for proof to back up their opinions. 

Here are some visual examples of how powerful perception is.

Obviously our environment, background, and upbringing impact how we view things.

The pictures above and below are both taken of the same events at the exact same time, but depending on your vantage point, they can create very different stories.

Sensationalism and controversy draws more viewers so it's common for the media to share inflammatory and provocative stories and narratives. This happens on both sides of the aisle. 

Not to bash media, but it is much more difficult to find unbiased news sources today. There is such an abundance of information online, yet ironically, many people don't trust the accuracy of that information or the motivation of the sources.

I like this last picture because it shows that things are often more complex than we imagine and sometimes in our quest for truth, we have to be willing to look at things from another perspective in order to be enlightened with the big picture. When we can see where someone else is coming from they don't seem quite so threatening and stubborn to the "truth" that is so obvious to us.

I really don't think the media, politicians, salespeople, etc. will ever stop manipulating the truth in order to promote their agenda, but I do hope that people will have more civility, patience, and willingness to examine issues more thoroughly in order to get all the facts. 

Evolution of Society's Behavior

I appreciate the many advances in technology we've made over the years. Life is certainly more convenient than ever before. I'm glad we no longer have to deal with rotary phones, taking your film to Fotomat to get pictures developed, use dial up internet, card catalogs, or VHS tapes.

We get things much faster today and that includes the news which runs 24/7. We hear opinions on sports, news, politics, and everything else. A big segment of entertainment these days consists of critics who share their opinion, pontificate, mock, or question others.Not only do we have an abundance of actual news, but everyone has turned into a news commentator with social media. There are many different viewpoints and even the experts frequently contradict each other about any given subject.

As much as I appreciate the abundance of news at times, I have noticed a negative side effect from it. We have lost our ability to be patient and think before we react. We jump to conclusions too quickly. I've seen friends argue about articles they post online when they haven't even read them and just assume they know a person's position from a headline. There is so much sensationalism and frequently an agenda or bias behind the media we take in. I despise how everything turns political so fast. People regularly get offended and outraged when someone expresses a different point of view.

I was surprised how quickly the Covid-19 panndemic quickly turned political and divided people into different camps. If you thought the government over reacted in their response and did more harm than good, then you are an insensitive, selfish, conspiracy theorist, that doesn't care if people die. If you were concerned and wanted people to wear masks and social distance then you were in favor of  Totalitarian dictators, willing to give up your freedom for security, and just following with all the other scared sheeple.

The truth of the matter is most of us were feeling bi-polar about the whole thing. I kept going back and forth between these two extremes as did many others, but I think most people could relate to both sides. It is possible to be concerned about everyone's health while at the same time being concerned about your constitutional rights and quality of life. Lives and livelihood are both important.

Last week when I saw the footage of the cop kneeling on a incapacitated George Floyd's neck I was sickened and outraged. Over the last several days my anger has only grown as I watch people assault, rob, vandalize, and create chaos all around the country. Knee jerk reactions and people giving in to their anger has only escalated tension and amplified the problem.

Once again we are encountering people being painted into the two extreme sides of the issue. If you criticize people rioting and looting, then you are told you must agree with systemic racism. If you say most police officers are good people who serve their community, then you are a racist and part of the problem.

Again we are coming back to the us vs. them mentality. "You are either with us or against us." Maybe I'm with both of you and maybe I'm not with either of you! People are more complex than being divided into two groups or given a simple label when it comes to every issue.

They say hindsight is 20/20. When we look back on troubled issues of the past it is easier to make sense of why things happened and what would have been the best way to deal with them after we have gotten all the facts, but unfortunately that takes time. Nobody is willing to be patient and discuss things civilly when they are like powder kegs just waiting to explode. I've found myself guilty of this too recently. I felt my blood boiling this week after watching several different video clips of violence and injustices done to a variety of people as a result of all this anger.

We currently have the perfect storm that cultivates fear and anger. We live in such a polarizing and divisive society and the speed in which we get information and the poor quality of that information is a real problem.  Political narratives, speculative and biased news stories, partial truths, denial, conspiracy theories, ignorance, and prejudices all muddy the water and our ability to see clearly.

If someone has a different opinion or viewpoint than you, that does not mean that they hate you or are attacking you. I appreciate it when I see civil debates between adults who may disagree with each other but do so amicably and respectfully. That is so rare these days since most people go ballistic as soon as they realize you don't agree with them and resort to name calling and labeling others.

The only way to fix our problems is to take a step back, take some deep breaths and then change our energy. We have to lose the anger and cultivate more love and respect for each other. I only see things getting better when we can focus on and put more attention on all of our similarities as opposed to our differences. That goes for every group, not just black/white, Republican/Democrat, Christians/Muslims, and Ford/Chevy.