Social Motivators: The Year in Review (Part Eight)

As a university student in Toronto, and specifically at UTSC, I think it’s important to think about accomplishments in this past year. While there really aren’t that many at the local level worth thinking about that many outside would care about, one worth mentioning is the bid for the 2015 Pan-Am Games. On November 6, 2009, the victory in Toronto’s bid for the 2015 Pan-Am Games was announced at the party on Queen’s Quay. Mind you, I’m not much of a sports enthusiast, but to see an international sports event finally being held in one’s home city is exciting for a social enthusiast, especially since these events seem to bring countries together in a very unique way.

I don’t really have much more to say about this, so I’ll just add some links for you guys, and leave you with this question: Have you guys been to sporting events that operate on an international level? Is it worth holding them, in your opinion?

Links:

Globe and Mail Article

CBC Article

Toronto 2015 Pan Am Games Homepage

Social Motivators: The Year in Review (Part Seven)

Over the past year, technology has comparatively improved in many respects. I can think of one in particular which crosses the mind of many PC users; Windows 7. When I tried the PRC, I wasn’t too impressed with the outcome of it but that could have been for a number of reason caused by a failure of a Virtual PC emulator *ahem* Microsoft *ahem*, once I actually installed it, I had a realization: Windows Vista was the bastard child of Windows XP and Windows 7 after a night of cheap beer. Windows 7 was a major improvement to Vista’s horrible (shiny, but horrible) excuse of an operating system. At first glance, it doesn’t obviously look much better, but delving deep into test runs, the difference between the two is astounding. I won’t bombard you with details, but many have agreed that while 7 isn’t visually much more impressive, it is more efficient in many other respects.  For a definitive opinion on this matter, read through this webpage.

Another bit of technological improvement (okay, more like addition) on the internet is the new Google suite, Google Wave. While it is still invite only, its release has been much anticipated by developers and freelance techies as well as the average users at home, and without disappointment. Many of its features are still buggy or missing, but again, the main reason for this is that it’s still being tested. Apart from those two major developments in software, there are many hardware improvements. On this list are the PS3 120GB, the DSi, HP’s TouchSmart 600 PC, and the iPhone 3GS.

There wasn’t too much in terms of technology this year, but the improvements that were made are ones that we can consider significant enough that it doesn’t matter so much that we didn’t get to see many more.

What’s your opinion? What made your technological year worthwhile? Or, if the question fits, what ruined it?

Social Motivators: The Year in Review (Part Six)

One of the big things that happened this year in the entertainment industry is Twilight: New Moon. Now, I’m not a screaming fan girl, so I’m not exactly for it. However, that being said, it doesn’t mean I’m against the idea of romantic love affairs between teenaged human beings and teenage vampires who are actually 20 years older than they look. I think this guy had it right when he came up with this parody trailer:

Because it really did look this silly to me.

All jokes aside, the entertainment industry has had its fair share of ridiculous. From Kanye West’s interrupting Taylor Swift becoming an internet meme, to Chris Brown beating up Rhianna, and from Perez Hilton getting beaten up to Christian Bale dropping the F-Bomb over 90 times in 4 minutes (or was it the other way around?).

There are also (for the more perverted) racy images of younger female celebrities that attracted much media attention, such as Vanessa Hudgens, Miley Cyrus etc. And who could forget the sex tapes? Of course, I won’t be linking them mostly because they either no longer exist, are pay-per-download, or are just plain disgusting, but you can google them if you so desire.
Apart from these obviously attention grabbing stories, there are others, which I haven’t been following mostly because I couldn’t care. However, I will say that 2009 seems to have been the year of the Douche. What do you think? Was this a good year for the entertainment industry? What stories have you been focusing on? Is it really worth it to treating these people like they’re special just because they have the limelight?

Social Motivators: The Year in Review (Part Five)

One of the most bizarre things to happen this year must have been the incident with Balloon Boy. The incident, which became an international online news story, was cited by Wikipedia as follows:

The balloon boy hoax occurred on October 15, 2009, in Fort Collins, Colorado, when the parents of a six-year-old boy, Falcon Heene, falsely claimed that he had floated away in a home-made balloon. The event attracted world-wide attention. At the time, it was reported that Falcon Heene was apparently traveling at altitudes reaching 7,000 feet (2,100 m) in a homemade helium balloon coloured and shaped to resemble a silver flying saucer-type of UFO. Falcon was nicknamed "Balloon Boy" by some in the media.

This is an example of how desperate some people are for attention. Even funnier than this hoax is that the boy was actually not in the balloon at all, but in an attic. So why do we still call him balloon boy? Oh well. I guess there is such a thing as bad publicity.

Next time dad, you might want to set your child up for publicity in a less creative way. Maybe teach him how to rap horribly, have him win a few awards, and do some stupid thing to turn him into an internet meme. Like Kanye.

In case you don’t know, Baby Jessica can be read about here.

This picture reminds me; I have a movie to watch.

For more information on balloon boy, visit this site.

Christmas Motivation: Things People Will Do

So today, as I was out on my weekly walk (mostly out of habit), I discovered that the critter that had been going through recycling bins and trash cans in my neighbourhood was in fact, not a critter at all. Instead, it was this old woman who perused through peoples’ garbage cans and recycling bins for cans and bottles that she might perhaps take to a recycling depot. 

Okay, so this isn’t the woman, but she looked equally as funny, with her cart and garbage bag full of cans and bottles. It’s interesting how some people’s lives never seem to stop despite the circumstances. It’s important to remember that despite the holidays we can’t stop living life and being productive. Yes, it is important to celebrate and kick back, but the holidays don’t mean we can just stop being responsible for our actions and lives. I don’t mean that we have to do what this woman is doing, but realistically, during the holidays, we should at least have some kind of control so that at the end of it, we can go back to our lives knowing we did our best to make sure that we are in one piece, as well as making sure the rest of the world is too.

Social Motivators: The Year in Review (Part Four)

One of the major events this year was the death of a huge icon in entertainment. This is a man that stood out in society as someone who stood for change, while giving us meaningful, wholesome entertainment. I am of course talking about…Billy Mays.

It’s been an eventful year in celebrities for the grim reaper; Billy Mays, Michael Jackson, Farrah Fawcett, Brittany Murphy, and Patrick Swayze. I think the number of deaths and the number of times I’ve heard people say something along the lines of “it’s a shame, they were good at what they did” has been interesting. Not surprisingly, those words came up a lot for many of them. However, people still made a controversy over some of them. I can understand you being upset that MJ is dead, but there was nothing you could have done, and personally, I feel it shouldn’t be a personal loss, but if it means something to you, then do something about it. Have a dance-fest like these guys:

What are your thoughts? Who will you miss most that died this year?

Social Motivators: The Year in Review (Part Three)

A couple days ago, I talked about Barack Obama and the changing atmosphere on the global stage that his election to office brought. A question that I have today is whether or not it was really that big. In a notable move by the Norwegian Nobel Prize Committee, President Obama was awarded a Nobel peace prize; as the third US president to receive the award, there is a huge expectation set on Obama for his term(s) in office.

Many people argue that it was too soon, and certainly unwarranted/undeserved after only a few months in office, but perhaps they just like the idea that he isn’t George W. Bush. The Nobel committee cited Obama’s efforts to strengthen multilateral relations and international diplomacy, as well as his vision of a world free of nuclear arms. The following video is from MSNBC video archives, states that Obama was nominated 12 days after taking office, which is quite bizarre by my view.

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

Indeed it was too soon. But in retrospect, did he deserve it? Let me know by replying to this post below.

Social Motivators: The Year in Review (Part Two)

Here’s a serious issue (okay, maybe not that serious). H1N1. I honestly think the hype was way overdone. Besides the fact that you had other people talking about comparing figures, and how much more lethal other more common diseases were, you had those who simply couldn’t care. And then you have this couple.

Quite honestly, this image is utterly bizarre to me. I don’t know if anyone else sees the hilarity in it, but I giggled. H1N1 has definitely been an interesting problem faced by many; sure it was fatal and many did die, but what makes this so compelling is that, while the media blew it way out of proportion, there were no real sacrifices, and no heroes were made as a result. It was just some news story that got blown out of proportion.

On a lighter note, as a result of the H1N1 incident, the following picture has seen itself out on the internets a lot more, as the motivational poster trend continues to grow.  

Feel up to a challenge? Then give yourself a shot at making a (de)motivational poster out of it and email it to me at kevin.lt.wang@gmail.com.

Social Motivators: The Year in Review (Part One)

So to start off, I want to say that this year has been pretty amazing. Over the next two weeks, I’ll be blogging about some of the most amazing events this year has to recall. I’ll be turning to my subscription with Maclean’s and taking pictures and  uploading them, recalling the most compelling moments in 2009. To start off with, we go back to November of 2008: all across the United States was an excitement in the air about having a new president, and we found out on the 15th (some of us anyways) that Barack Obama had just been elected as the President of the United States.

The following pictures are from the Commander-in-Chief’s Ball held in January on the night of his inauguration.

The inauguration of Barack Obama became one of the defining moments of the past 10 years in American history, and is certainly distinguished as a memorable event for the world, as America’s first black president is inaugurated into office. At the same time, the dignity with which George W. Bush makes his final address and takes his leave is also worth noting. He hasn’t been the best leader, but he is certainly one to remember.

So my question for you guys this week is: what has been one of the most memorable moments in 2009 for you? I hope to read your comments, and hear what you have to say.

Photos from http://blogs.denverpost.com/captured/2009/01/21/inauguration-day-in-dc/

The People Hypothesis: The Parent-Child Relationship

The Hypothesis: Parents and children exist in transitivity; parents want children to live through them, but unconsciously, parents also try to live through their children.

It has often occurred to me that the way a parent raises a child depends on how they themselves were raised. It isn’t just a matter of echoing the way the parents themselves were raised: the parents also set up a kind of framework unique to themselves as a means of improving upon the way they were raised. This supposed improvement is based on a subjective and context sensitive system of conditions which establish in the minds of the parents a set of things that need to be done in order to make life better for their children. From a personal perspective, my parents often tell me that they are the way they are around me because they want to see me succeed without having to struggle like them; I often find myself asking “what does this mean for me?” They know what they want for me, and I know what I want for me, but where do those two points meet?

My dad once told me that he’s militant towards me because he wants to be able to hold his head up high when talking about me; and that brought an interesting point to mind which I notice in few parents. The thought is that my parents want to be proud of me, because they want to see me succeed. Consequently, they want me to succeed so they can say they were successful as parents. What this translates to is not only the parents trying to impart their lessons to their children and trying to get them to live through those lessons, but also having their memory remain in their child, so that they can both live through their children, and be the means by which their children learn to live.

Hypothesis: In this instance, the hypothesis is a matter of personal experience, but it seems likely from what I’ve seen.

Social Motivators: Should We Stop Caring About Perfection?

So yesterday, I was doing a little bit of painting. I realized I was pretty terrible at it so I stopped. Thinking back to my childhood, I almost never gave up on a task just because I sucked at it. I think the same should apply for most kids nowadays. Children have such a huge potential in terms of learning and development. This potential is bolstered by their confident creativity as children. Or at least, it used to be that way.

My dad and I were talking about it a couple days ago; he was saying how my cousins are growing up a lot differently than I am, not just because of parentage, but because they never had to learn about stuff on their own. I guess it’s not a bad thing, it just seems like they’re growing up too quickly.

It is quite interesting to think about since many parents will say that their kids are growing up too quickly. It seems to be the case that children maturing more quickly is the problem that parents are facing. Children tend to focus more on getting things right rather than having fun with it; that’s just a priority society has, that’s being pushed on the younger generations earlier than it needs to be. Just as an example, my friend sent me an email which I had seen floating around on the internet before. It’s an image with a caption attached to it:

This image was a homework assignment from a young girl. The following is the response her teacher received the next day:

Dear Mrs. Jones,
I wish to clarify that I am not, nor have I ever been, an erotic dancer. I work at Home Depot and I told my daughter how hectic it was last week before the blizzard hit. I told her we sold out every single shovel we had, and then I found one more in the back room, and that several people were fighting over who would get it. Her picture doesn’t show me dancing around a pole. It’s supposed to depict me selling the last snow shovel we had a Home Depot. From now on, I will remember to check her homework more thoroughly before she turns in it.
Mrs. Smith

As funny as it is, it is also kind of sad that we have to explain on behalf of the child, while trying to ensure that the child doesn’t repeat this train of thought. Sure it’s not a good thing for the child to be depicting pole dancers, much less their mother as a pole dancer, but if that’s not what the child has in mind, why should you censor their creativity? I guess the question that needs to be asked of this is how we should approach the problem of a child’s creativity versus the adult’s desire for perfection.That is the issue that needs to be faced.

Social Motivators: Let’s Learn with Leap Frog

I am all for encouraging children to read. Literacy is a good thing...not only do I have to say that as an English student (it is in the academic constitution somewhere) but because it is something that I firmly believe in. Reading opens up a vast plethora of knowledge, imagination, and excitement. My next statement may seem contradictory. Here goes nothing: the imposition of Leap Frog is a travesty in the educational realm. To narrow this down a bit, I am specifically referencing books solely dedicated to "teaching kids how to read" as being completely bogus opposed to semi-reference Leap Frog books pertaining to history and math.

I love Spongebob Squarepants. I love his little tie and tube socks. I even love his slightly annoying voice. He is a cute sponge...what isn't there to love? As much as I love him, his presence (and every other cartoon voiceover entity) within Leap Frog books does not teach children how to read but rears them to be passive listeners. Rather than children becoming interested in the written word, they become enthralled with narration. Instead of creating literate children, it molds functionally illiterate ones. To better illustrate this point a commercial break is in order (see society always has to deviate from text with visual stimuli to keep interest...wonder where that comes from).

In the interest of holding attention without a catchy narrative voice, I will break this commercial down in point form:

-"reading" is considered mindlessly running a pen over words

-the children are never shown attempting to read the words presented in the books

-the mascot ultimately discourages kids from the prospects of reading actual books

-the mascot himself embodies a sense of misrepresentation (he isn't exactly a man, he isn't exactly a frog...he is some kind of weird man-frog).

We have to ask ourselves about the legitimacy of these “books.” Do we want children to have the ability to independently read and learn or embody a facade of development? This technology has just become another way for parents to shirk their responsibilities as teachers and educators. The Leap Frog system may seem like a good alternative to constant television stimuli but let's be honest, these books have become another inanimate babysitter meant for one thing, entertainment not education.

Contributed by Constance Adams. Check out her blog at: http://constanceadams.tumblr.com/

Social Motivators: Taking Things Too Seriously

I mentioned in my blog post last night that this week would be focused on a particular theme, this week’s being Children. I came across this video yesterday (thanks to Sam) and I wanted to talk a little bit about the implications and effects of controlling education.

The video is a bit of a conundrum. I grew up as a fan of Pokemon; I turned out perfectly alright. I thought it was weird that anyone had objections to people being fans of Pokemon. Then again, it’s the same issue people face when talking about the latest book banning controversies. Adults seem to have a problem with their kids and the fact that they’re supposed to grow up with an imagination. I want to just point out a few things to this preacher, and any other over-preachy Christian Evangelicals out there.

1) If you follow the New Age teaching, you find out that masters…

Are we supposed to follow the New Age teaching? I had no idea that we had to interpret the world through a Christian lens, using New Age teachings as a background.

2) The child at some point becomes capable of taking these powers and channelling them…

I’ve heard of willpower before, and I know there are cases of some strange things, but really? You seriously think that children can learn to channel and control spirits by watching a show which is about other kids, who have physical creatures before them?

3) …using power sources. These powers sources are many of the symbols they pick up in the Pokemon paraphernalia.

Okay, first of all, what? What power sources? In real life, it’s not possible to give that many toys ways to channel power. Creating even a pseudo-power source would be near impossible since no one (not even the Japanese) understand “the spirits” well enough to harness their powers, much less giving children a way to use them. Second, even if these power sources exist, why would the Japanese give them to our kids? They have children who are probably much more capable than we are, after all, everything electronically good awesome comes from there.

4) So Pokemon is a game which teaches children to enter into the world of witchcraft, how to cast spells, how to use psychic phenomena, how to put forward supernatural powers against their enemies, how to fantasy role play…

Three words. Fantasy.Role.Play.

5) While you may not take it so seriously, I assure you, the demons take it seriously, and Satan takes it seriously.

He assures us. I really needed to know that.

6) Jigglypuff is the devil.

Yes, yes it is. Damn Lullaby.

At this point, I think I’m done ridiculing this video. The main thing to take from it though is that some people don’t know how to teach children about life. With Christian Evangelicals, it seems that they can’t even give children a chance to explore a world full of fun little critters who (with the exception of a few) are worthy of a child’s time and imagination.

Children need to be given a chance to explore the world in every little way; video games, books, movies. Of course there are some limits to how far they can go, but without the chance to explore, the child won’t develop properly; they will either age too quickly, or not age at all. Instead of banning things, and demonizing them, just give them the chance to make a mistake, instead of making the mistake for them.

Social Motivators: Childhood Fantasies

Today I sat in my car, on my way home from a Christmas children's party at my dad's hotel. Realizing that my brother was in fact no longer a child, I had to think about the past few years, and wonder why every year seemed to be more of a decline in terms of quality at these events. The thing is, this year, there were two Wiis set up, one with Guitar Hero, and the other with Wii Sports Resort. I struggled with the realization that these kids were spoiled with technology. My brother, having been raised by my parents, refused to go because he thought it was a waste of time. I guess my brother and I grew up without worrying about, or needing, shiny things. A little earlier today, a song came on the radio called "My Grown-up Christmas List" which reminded me about something I'd written about a few years ago. I don't know where it is right now, but somewhere on the internet is a reminder about the simple meaning of Christmas as an adult. When I listened to "My Grown-up Christmas List" today, the words "As children we believe/ the grandest sight to see/ was something lovely wrapped beneath our tree" struck me the most. The reason for this is that while I was at the party today, I noticed so many kids who were excited about having something under their trees, something they could open and play with, and something of an opportunity to discover a new game, a new shape, a new experience.

Going backwards, I remember a few things I did in high school; one of those experiences led me to have a talk with a few people from Free the Children. I'm also reminded of the guest lecture that Dr. Orbinski of Dignitas International gave at UTSC, and the book that I received during that talk. I am fortunate enough to have grown up with an amazing education system and academic background, and one of the results of my academic history is the experiences that people have shared with me, that have taken me around the world through another person's story. From the perspective of Free the Children, and from Dr. Orbinski's stories, I have learned so much about the children who don't have anything, and yet how simple and happy they can be in the toughest situations. More often than not, it is our inaction as citizens of the first world that they do not have, but perhaps by their simple happiness, and the fact that they don't complain, because they can't, is enough to give them at least a chance to speak for themselves, if not giving them a chance to feel comfortable/safe. My hope is that every child has a lap to sit on where they can feel safe and loved. Even though this is most likely not going to be the case, I still have hope.

I've decided that on Sunday nights when I update, I'll set up a kind of question which will focus on the theme for the week; just leave a comment in the box below. And don't forget to follow this blog for frequent updates!

Question of the Week:

"They are the 'king'…the children who will grow up to bear Kohona upon their shoulders." – Nara Shikamaru (Naruto)

Children are our future and the ones whose future we need to protect. To what extent would you say we needed to act in order to protect their future? What would you do to make sure their future was bearable?

The People Hypothesis: Social Deficiencies

The Hypothesis: People who are uncomfortable in their own skin are usually socially deficient in some way, shape, or form.

"The People Hypothesis" is a self-indulgence project which you as a reader might perhaps be interested in, or not. Its purpose is as a reflection upon people as they interact, in contrast to the other blogs on this site, whose focus is on what motivates people to interact. The first reflection of this sort I chose to be on social deficiency because of some interesting events that have been happening lately.

Despite what you all may be thinking I am not referring to the Tiger Woods situation. Nor do I mean anyone in the spotlight. I mean to keep this as localized as possible.

If you ask people what it means to be socially deficient, they might tell you that it has to do with not being able to talk to people. While this may be a common problem, it isn't the root of it. In the same way an iron deficiency isn't the inability to react to and interact with iron, social deficiency isn't a problem of not interacting with society. Deficiencies are a matter of process; there is something missing in a person that is preventing them from interacting properly. The hypothesis is that this missing link is caused by an insecurity of some sort that seems to make it the case that a person can't, for example, treat others as human beings.

Just as an anecdote, this story is something which has been happening for a while lately. I have this friend, let's call her Jenny. Jenny has had a significant role to play in a student-run organization at my school over the past few years. Over the summer though, Jenny decided she wanted to leave this group and focus on school. Her reasons for doing so would be the typical need to set her priorities straight, something that no one could disagree with, and the desire to get away from peer pressure from the group's president, Jake. Jenny's girlfriend at the time, Emma, was also a part of the reason for her quitting, as she supported Jenny's decision, emphasizing her need to focus on school work. It wasn't until recently that it became evident that her real problem was with a girl named Corinne. Even though Jenny and Jake used to be really good friends, they aren't anymore since Jenny has understood it to be that Emma was swaying Jake and turning him against Jenny.

The purpose behind the story is this: Emma is an example of a study sample for this hypothesis. Given the following character sketch of Emma, perhaps we might try and figure out where she fits in to Jenny's motivation for quitting.

Emma's story begins before Jenny and Jake ever meet her. Emma is already acquainted with Corinne via grade school.
Emma has been pointed to as the motivation for Jenny's quitting, her personality is such that she will deny having done anything, or having any motive that might lead her to do so.
According to several accounts, Emma has been promiscuous and sexually active in the past; this story is relayed directly from her mouth through other people (one of these sources being of the first degree). In these accounts, she had a sexual encounter with a guy that another girl had feelings for, and may or may not have cuckolded her.
Her reasons for disliking Jenny are unclear, but she has admittedly shown different sides of herself to different people, I included; these stories don't add up, and it is highly suspect that Emma has yet to tell anyone the complete story.

Analysis: Emma's social deficiency is a combination of being incapable of having a positive relationship with anyone who wants to try to have a positive relationship with her, and the uncanny ability to destroy other people's relationship with those people who are trying to have a positive relationship with her. Confused yet? Essentially, Jenny wanted to try to be friends with Emma at the beginning, but Emma didn't like Jenny because of it. This resulted in Emma trying to force people to turn against Jenny.

The result of this animosity is that people are now divided, and don't know how to pick a side. It really shouldn't be that hard; you try not to pick sides. But when it comes down to it, the side people had to pick was the one that was hurting them less. So what does this have to do with Emma's insecurities?

Emma is supposedly trying to convince people that she's the one that is ethical and sane, by convincing people that Jenny is crazy and/or talks too much. From this, one might figure that Emma is insecure because Jenny is secure, so the only way Emma can compensate is by destroying Jenny's reputation. The consequence is her social deficiency. Hence, Emma is an insecure person whose insecurity causes her to act in socially deficient ways.

Hypothesis: Plausible. Q.E.D.

Social Motivators: Public Emergence Transmission Abusers (Ahem…PETA)

Here's to you PETA.

I've seen some ridiculous ads. Believe me, celebrity endorsements aren't an uncommon thing. But at some point you just have to say, "Enough is enough!"

I can forgive them their misgivings that people are absolutely okay being half naked, wrapped in shrink wrap, in 27 degree Celsius weather, and covered in stuff.

And perhaps they thought that women also enjoy sitting out on a pier in the middle of the day, in snakeskin body paint, while some six year old girl is busy laughing her head off.

Perhaps they don't see the irony in their treating women like meat to show people not to treat animals like meat (or whatever it is they're trying to do). But seriously, how could you be so mean to children?

I can't believe you'd do this! It's like telling children that the tooth fairy is real. (It's actually much more useless than the tooth fairy but whatever.) Giving hope to children should be illegal all over the internet! On the other hand, I completely condone what they made this young girl do.

Hurray for blasphemy and destroying the innocent reputation of children everywhere.

Resources:
Alicia Silverstone is a Vegetarian.
Half-naked interns getting baked. In Seran wrap.
Not-so-sexy naked snake lady attracts weird looks in St. Petersburg.
Sea-Kittens don't really live in the sea. They aren't kittens either.

Social Motivators: The Paparazzi

Does anyone remember the incident surrounding Princess Diana's death? I remember having discussions about it back in Grade 4, and the word 'paparazzi' appeared in my vocabulary for the first time. It was interesting to me at the time because the word started off as something negative.

Today when we talk about society, the words 'paparazzi' and 'the media' and 'media moguls' appear so frequently, and get thrown around and taken for granted as being something we can pay attention to or not. But what does the word 'paparazzi' mean?

If we think in terms of Hollywood, paparazzi are just those annoying photographers that follow celebrities around, that people just choose to ignore. The word's meaning has been attributed, supposedly by the Italian director F.Fellini, to the suggestion of a "buzzing insect, hovering, darting, stinging." There is a negative connotation to it. They're like annoying houseflies or wasps that won't leave no matter what you do.

Our society has gotten to the point that we let the paparazzi "be" as they choose to be. Especially in twinkle-towns around the world (Hollywood, Bollywood etc.), celebrities either soak it in or they stay away from them. The problem with this approach is that there is no control over them - the people in the spotlight think that they have a sense of control, but look at the most recent controversies in the news; sex tapes, love affairs, Miley Cyrus, Tiger Woods, and the like.

Quite frankly, we don't need to know about what all these celebrities are doing with thier lives. We don't need to know that Tiger Woods is a man-whore. Is Miley Cyrus a role model for young girls who want to follow their dreams? Who knows! But should what she does in her time matter to us? Seriously?

Maybe I'm wrong though. Maybe we should all be spreading rumours about each other. Maybe we should seriously consider stalking other people for the rest of our lives. Maybe we'll all come to the realization that if we wasted our time caring about the private life of virtual strangers, that our lives might just be a little less painful.

Who knows.