Look, no theme song!

I commented in the comments that this blog has become one long theme song. Once upon a time I used to bore my reader with recaps of my weekend, weird news stories, and other drivel. Somehow I've gotten out of the habit, but mostly I think I've just lost my motivation. 

Part of the problem is Facebook. With everybody updating everybody on everything all the time, no one has the time, or attention span, to read anything longer than a two-line post. People want their updates short, crisp, pithy and in less than 20 words. Who has time for a 250 word blog post?

"Come on, Joe, cut to the chase, ya long-winded bastard!" 

The other problem with Facebook is that with everybody "talking" all the time, a lot of us have stopped listening, and frankly don't really give a shit what anyone is saying anymore. Maybe it's just me. Maybe I'm the only one who doesn't give a shit what you're saying anymore. All I know is that the whole FB thing is starting to annoy me.

There are some things that I really love about it. I'm in touch with cousins and friends that I haven't seen in years and wouldn't be "talking" to otherwise save for the occasional email. I get to see pictures of them and their kids. I feel like they're more a part of my life because I'm involved with their daily lives, even if it is just a post from an East Coast cousin calling me a "loosa." 

Truth be told it's not just Facebook; it's smartphones and all this other multimedia crap. It probably sounds stupid, but it totally irked me to see people camping out a few weeks ago to get the latest iPhone. Is a new smartphone that important that you need to camp out on the sidewalk? Is it that much better than the last iPhone? Maybe it is. Maybe those that know about this stuff could rattle off a hundred reasons why spending the night on the sidewalk was "like totally worth it." Not me. I've got better things to do, like read a book or yell at my kids. But then I think we all spend too much time diddling with this crap already. I see couples all the time, sitting together at a restaurant, both of them dicking around with their phones instead of having a conversation. It's ridiculous. I guess my point is that I see the constant FB updating as the same thing. Live your life instead of broadcasting about it. 

I'm curious as to how many of my FB friends will actually take the time to read this whole post. I know. I can be a long-winded bastard sometimes, but if you've made it this far please post "Read it." in the comments section of this blog, not on FB.

Comments

[jmf]

read it.

I miss your long-winded rants. Do another soon.
I LOVED Freaks and Geeks, but I need more than theme songs, my friend. I'll even take another last meal piece.

[tfh]

read it.
Am always disappointed when I pull up your blog, and what? nothing new - no way. Long winded or short, I read them.

[Pambasilea]

I'm with you on FB Joe. Here's a great rant on Facetards: http://www.weeklystandard.com/Content/Public/Articles/000/000/016/256implp.asp?pg=1

I do not have a Facebook page. Well, that's a lie. One of my brothers created one for me under an alias so that I could go and see pictures of my nieces and nephews and all of that. I will look at it every few months at most, but apart from the pictures of my family, what I see has never struck me as interesting. What people - including my family, people nominally dear to me - write is typically inane, e.g., 'I have the bestest husband in the world,' or 'I hate school,' OR 'Wagner and merlot!' or 'Go Cards!' Who really does give a rat's ass? That shit belongs on bumper stickers you make fun of. Anyhow, the article I linked to above is far more articulate a rant against Facebook than I could ever cobble together. It's also pretty funny. Technically I can no longer make fun of facetards. But I do and will.

Thanks for the rant, Joe. It's catchy.

[Kirsty]

Of course I read it!

My whole life revolves around the written word (which sounds pretty sad, and probably is) and, while I love your theme song posts, I also enjoy your longer ones...

As for FB, I'm pretty much with you on this: it has allowed me to catch up with people I might otherwise have lost forever, and it's great for long-distance friends or family. But I'm not an addict, that's for sure.

Keep writing, Joe... We're all out here, waiting!

[sl]

I may be nearly a week late, but I Read It!! always do. I was this close to closing my FB account, but like you do enjoy seeing the pictures of friends/family in far away places (and those in my back yard I still never see!). If it were not for the silly FB app on my BBerry (and the boring meetings/train rides/airports etc in my life) I would almost never log on to FB. Thanks for your blog, and continued posts.