Hello, Holidays!

Justin Bieber's "Mistletoe" music video:

Although I would not want to be under the mistletoe with Justin Bieber - despite all his baby boy swagger and  coolness, he's way too young for me - I like listening to this song because it puts me in the holiday mood.  And with another Thanksgiving gone by, the holiday season is officially here!

As I was driving home from dinner tonight, I started thinking that it would be nice to be with somebody right now...namely a tall, dark, and handsome somebody since I might as well make the most of this wish.  Is it just me, or do the holidays bring about a longing for companionship to other singletons as well?  Why is this?

My hypothesis is that one, it is cold, so it would be nice to have another person to snuggle up with and stay warm.   It's probably an evolutionary trait.  In March of the Penguins, the penguins huddle together when it gets cold, as well:

http://btr.michaelkwan.com/2011/08/19/movie-reviews-arthur-2011-and-march-of-the-penguins-2005/

Two, people finally have time to slow down from their busy lives and travel home to be with family.  This could go two ways. Either you enjoy the time with family so much, you want to keep adding to it.  Or you've spent a little too much time with your family, and you'd like an extra person there to entertain you and help you eat some of the leftover turkey and ham.

Three, this is the season of giving and sharing.  The holidays are usually a special time, and it would be nice to have someone to share these special moments and memories with.

Best of luck to all the singles out there who are looking for some holiday love!  I hope everyone finds a shawty (or a Bieber) to kiss under the mistletoe this year.

Black Friday

I'm not a Black Friday fanatic, but I can appreciate a good deal.  Happy Black Friday!

Yeah, so I like this commercial...

Happy Thanksgiving!

http://scbrown14.blogspot.com/2010/11/happy-thanksgiving.html

Happy Thanksgiving!  I'm thankful for my family, the people in my life, all of the great memories, and for promising times ahead.

Evolution

One of my favorite quotes is from one of my coworkers,

"You're just higher on the evolutionary chain."  

It's a great response to sayings such as:

• "The computer adds for me."
• "I don't get the recommended amount of sleep at night."
• "I only had 3 wisdom teeth.  I don't know what happened to the 4th."

http://icanhascheezburger.com/2009/12/13/funny-pictures-owlcat/

Trust

If someone loses my trust, is that more valuable than if I lose someone else's trust?  My ego would say, "Of course, my trust better damn well be worth a lot!"  But you must also consider that you have a reputation to maintain and a conscience to pacify.

As we grow out of childhood, we learn, often by firsthand experience, that other people can hurt us.  Sometimes they hurt us by accident due to lack of foresight.  Sometimes they hurt us out of necessity so we can grow up.  And sometimes they hurt us for their own benefit.  It is this last scenario that wrings out the innocent trust we have for others in our hearts and tints it with suspicion.

Can I blame someone for looking out for Number 1 if it is at my expense?  They were only abiding by the rules of Survival of the Fittest.  I would definitely still feel angry, and justifiably so since I need to look out for Number 1 as well.  But there is an emptiness that is left behind when trust is lost.

Interestingly, older people are more trusting than younger people, even though they have had more chances to be hurt in life.  A more optimistic view could be that they have had more opportunities and life experiences to see the good intentions of others prevail.  As B.C. Forbes puts it, "Better to be occasionally cheated than perpetually suspicious." The following article talks about the demographics of trusting people: http://pop17.com/social-trust-who-trusts/.

As unemotional as this post has been, it does honestly hurt like a son of a bee sting to learn that a friend or confidant has betrayed your trust.  I do believe that if people felt truly sorry for their actions, trust can quickly be rebuilt on a more solid foundation.  In the grown up world, though, there is no teacher to say who was right or wrong; there is no feeling of justice.  Without remorse, what is the value of forgiveness?  And without forgiveness, how can we truly trust again?

http://pop17.com/social-trust-who-trusts/

Crazy Fast Hand Cake Lady

I read about the video below on humortechblog.com.  She's like a machine!

 

Jelly Bean Fever

Kina Grannis is a great artist, and so is her new music video for "In Your Arms."  This first clip shows the making of the music video:

Here is the official music video for "In Your Arms":

I can't help but admire all of the time, energy, and patience this team put in to make this 3 minute video.  It's wonderful.  The whimsical quality of the clip, which ironically was created with such meticulous precision, fits perfectly with Kina's style.  She has a refreshing quality to her voice, and her songs make me feel more carefree.  I missed her show when she came to Austin last spring, but hopefully I'll get to catch one of her performances in the future.  Definitely on my bucket list.

Chemistry Lesson

The best sort of humor...nerdy!

http://humortechblog.com/2011/03/chemistry-humor.html

Not-As-Angry Birds

 http://www.laughingbug.com/anger-management-angry-birds/

Human LCD