Anti-Social Socialites

I just got an iPhone. This is big for me as I have never had any sort of smart anything let alone a smart phone, And Damned if I haven’t turned into the sort of on his phone all day text message, app happy shmuck I absolutely hate. What happened to me? I think its just about the most rude and annoying thing when you are sitting down with someone and they are constantly checking their phone for updates and Facebook and texting everyone in the whole freaking world. But here I am, hypocrite of all hypocrites, doing the same sort of antisocial annoying crap I have always loathed. Is it just me, or are we becoming less social by becoming more social? I have a Myface page and accounts on blogs and forums and now with my new phone I’m so text happy I can talk to everyone without actual seeing their face or hearing their voice. I can skirt along my responsibilities as a friend by writing on someone’s wall. God forbid I actually have to call anyone. Its all well and good to keep these internet friends but when it really comes down to it, when you need help moving who are you going to call when you haven’t actually seen anyone in 3 years. We are so connected that we are disconnected. What was it like before the cell phone? Does anyone even remember anymore? No cell phone? How will I ever get in touch with anyone ever again. Back in the really not so distant past when you were 13 and you wanted to get a hold of your girlfriend who lived down the street you would call her house and ask her parents if she could talk and if she wasn’t there, tough luck. Your next best bet was to give a note to one of her friends to give to her in 3rd period science. The world didn’t end, we went on living and having friends without myface.

So what went wrong? Nothing. Nothing went wrong. We progressed and like humans do we have evolved and adapted to our new techo-dependent culture. And that’s okay. I don’t mean to sound like Andy Roony, I’m happy with the way technology has evolved to make our lives a little easier, or at least a little more fun. I just think enough is enough. If im sitting with you please PLEASE don’t be on your phone texting or checking you e-mail. Its annoying and I promise I will not do it with you. When your waiting in line with other people, don’t talk as loud as you possibly can. Its annoying and everyone hates you. If you are ordering at the counter at Starbucks, or anywhere else for that matter, Don’t be on the cell phone the whole time. Its rude. Don’t have it on in a restaurant or movie theatre, Seriously EVERYONE hates you when you do that.

I think the bigger issue here is people have just forgotten how to be courteous. Use technology to the fullest but please don’t be an ass. Hold on a second I just got a text…

'Haute' Importance

As you all know (or may not know, I don’t know how much you guys pay attention to me.) I love food. Good freshly prepared food. I just don’t understand how people could go out to the Applebee’s and Cheesecake Factories of the world for over priced frozen entrees when you can go to a local Brasserie or Corner Bar and get better, fresher food in a better more friendly atmosphere for the same price. I used to be alone in this thought process save for few other closet gourmands and gastronomists. Funny thing is though; people are actually starting to give a shit about food. It’s a revolution. It has become popular and trendy to hunt out that obscure Thai place, or an out of the way French café. The younger generations, my generation, actually seem to care about good food! And they seem to care about where the food comes from as well. Farmers markets are on the rise and advocates for the so-called “slow foods” movement are popping up everywhere. And no I’m not talking about the Emeril/ Rachel Ray/ Gordon Ramsey/ Food Network BS, But real chefs doing really interesting things all over the country. “Haute Cuisine”, or literally translated “high cooking”, That was once only found in the bigger cities, and for ridiculous amounts of money, can now be found in places like Wichita, or Santa Fe, and for a reasonable price. Every young graduate coming out of the CIA or other culinary schools thinks he’s freaking Escoffier, and that is not a bad thing. They are bringing this passion back to the small towns of America and doing some really wonderful things.

I think this rise in knowledge is due in large part to inflation, distrust in the government regulatory bodies, and just simply people are getting sick of having fat, McDonalds addled bed wetting manatees for children. And quite frankly are tired of being Manatees themselves and have realized that P-90x and Fen-Phen and Ephedra are not going to make you look like Sienna Miller any more than getting drunk will make the Sasquatch at the end of the bar look any prettier. It may work for a little while but sooner or later you will have to face the facts and hope she has a good personality. Food is important, maybe the most important. It is literally what sustains us and keeps us alive. We owe it to ourselves to eat healthy, eat local, and eat fresh. It’s just worth it.

That being said I have a confession to make. I love me some Popeye’s Chicken. Oh man is that good. I don’t know if its fresh or where it comes from, and honestly I don’t want to know. If I knew I would probably not eat it any more. I guess everyone has his weakness, mine is cheap chicken and biscuits.