commentary

Follow, Follow, Follow … Is it the direction you’re headed in?

/ Penny L Howe / 41 Comments

By AcrylicArtist

Follow me, I know the way. I’ll give you a better day. At least that’s what they all do say.

“Follow me on Twitter, hashtag #the latest buzz.”
“Follow me on Facebook, well – just because.”
“Follow me on Google, your circle will expand.”
“Follow me on LinkedIn, I’ll help you understand.”
“Follow me on WordPress, see my written word.”
“Follow me on YouTube to view/hear the greater world.”
“Follow me on GoodReads, read my book review.”
“Follow me on (insert here – a social medium you view)!”

Follow me, follow me, everywhere you go.

Change, inform and criticize – just follow, so you’ll know.

But will you know who you are, in the mix of all the change?

By AcrylicArtist2

Will you still be you – or slightly rearranged?

When you follow anything, know just where it leads.

Follow up your “Follows” – is it a healthy feed?

Technology is wonderful, connections evermore.

Just make sure, you do know where …

… there is an exit door.

~

Have an excellent week ahead everyone!

~ Penny

 

The Rest of the Story – Earth for lunch!

/ Penny L Howe / 28 Comments

We do so many things today where we don’t really think about the ‘why’ of it. We think about the ‘what for’ and ‘how come’, not so much the why or …

… the rest of the story.

Here’s an example: Why do so many people frequent fast food restaurants every day? They didn’t used to. Before life became so hectic and busy (at home) they’d eat almost all their meals there, including preparing lunches to take to school or work. It was just the way it was. Connecting with the family and helping out with the meal preparation. So you’re thinking to yourself, “Oh so that’s the reason why. We’ve gotten too busy. Picking up fast food is convenient.” Well yes and no. That’s just the first part of the story.

The rest of the story has to do with how we initially felt when we stopped in at a fast food restaurant. It was fun. No work involved. yummy fat laden richness wrapped up in a treat like environment. These sensations hitting all of our “feel good” places. It was affordable, quick and pleasurable. At some point these same feelings were passed on to the next generation. Simply stated it became addictive. An easy enjoyable treat … and ‘in our minds eye” a solution to a meal.

Now it has become a part of many millions of people’s life styles. They will tell you and themselves that it is because its convenient, cheap, fast and fun but truthfully, It’s because it’s easier and it definitely (the moment it hits our addictive “feel good” center) has become a way of life, starting as soon as we’re old enough to “get it”.

The sad part is, the food is heavily processed, so as a constant diet, a very bad idea. but even more importantly we need to grow or purchase, in a market, fresh food items (to reconnect ourselves, more closely, to our interactions with the natural part of the planet we live on). Our awareness and involvement of the ecosystems (of which we are a part) is increasingly missing. And we need this connection for our health and the planet’s health as well.

We may live longer, but I don’t think most of us are happier. Many (at a young age) suffer from a variety of health complaints that didn’t exist 50 years ago. Stress not withstanding, (as it is certainly the main “killer” in our over processed life), the food we eat, where it comes from, the processing of it and our own lack of personal hands on involvement is the continuing results of the “fast food” mentality …

*… and that’s the rest of the story.

(*if these words sound familiar to any of you it’s because a very famous American radio talk show host from the 1950’s to the `90’s Paul Harvey” used these lines … as a part of his commentary. They served him well, so I’m borrowing them now. They do help to make a point!)

Have an excellent labor day today if you live in the U.S.A and a great week ahead for my friends who’ve already started their new week in our global community,

Good Day!

~ Penny

Emotional Media Coordinator

/ Penny L Howe / 10 Comments

(Fictional piece and commentary)

The Setting: An executive office of an International News (muti-media) Channel! Two executives having a private conversation.

“What do you think?”

“I think it’s brilliant. Why hasn’t someone thought of this before?”

“You know how ideas are, they’re just suddenly there!”

“So, have you found the person to fill this new position yet?”

“No, I have a few excellent prospects though. But I need to be extremely careful in the selection of this person. He or she will have a lot of control!”

“Well, I can understand that. You’ve settled on the name “Emotional Media Coordinator” then?”

“Yes, has a nice sound to it, don’t you think? This person will single-handedly train the first group of EMC’s Emotional Media Coordinators, whose sole task will be to follow our daily ratings and inform our media centers when they need to change the emotional mix of news being presented.

When the ratings are up they’ll send the message to include some “upbeat and fun” happenings in the news, or perhaps some “new goings on in the science/art etc world. When the ratings begin to drop the Coordinators will send the message to play up the ‘negative news’ . You know, political happenings, disasters, scary things happening, ha, ha, lots of that out there! In the final analysis we will have our thumb on the emotional pulse of our viewers manipulatung their feelings so they’ll want to ‘stay tuned’, as it were!”

“I know we’ve already been doing that, generally speaking, but having a specific group to review, analyse and determine what we broadcast, and when, based on the numbers will really be a boost to our ratings.”

“Yes I’m sure it will. It’ll allow our “people” to “know” the type of content to show as well as how to emotionally present it to the public! This is just excellent.” The future is looking better and better – at least from my view of things – ha, ha, ha, get it … view of things … ha, ha, ha!”

~

This was a piece of fiction. Anyone surmising that this might actually be going on is … well happily entitled to their own opinions! They are your own opinions aren’t they? Well of course they are, Right? And just so you know I’m not biased, News reporters are people too!

~ Thanks for dropping by,

Penny

Snapshot_20120917

Fiscal Pickle – The Gorilla and Elephant in the Room!

/ Penny L Howe / 22 Comments

Fiscal PickleFiscal Pickle

“Hello politicians everywhere! Don’t even think about looking at me for a solution to this mess. I may be the Gorilla in the room, but you’ve gotten so oblivious to the obvious that it’s your fiscal pickle! You’re on your own!”elephant in the room

“You figure it out.”

“I’m going to go hang with the Elephant in the room, actually he’s in the U.K. but you can’t see him either, so we can have a ball laughing at you guys going over the cliff in a barrel.The Fiscal Cliff that is!”

“Just like those enlightened and intellectual individuals who have attempted to do so at various times over there at Niagara Falls.”

“Oh joy three different metaphors here. But to the point: Even if you “got” any of the metaphoric idioms presented here would you even know what to do about the problem?”

“Don’t answer. Let me live not only invisible but in blissful ignorance too!”

~

220px-Annie_TaylorA brief political statement here, which isn’t something I usually do, but I take full responsibility for the contents of this message because I do see the gorilla and the elephant in the room (the ones clearly invisible to all politicians) and I most certainly would not go over the cliff in a barrel), but then that’s just me an ordinary citizen of this country trying to figure out when it’s going to dawn on our politicians that they should be more concerned with what the word Fiscal Responsibility means.

~

Thank you,

Penny L Howe, January 5, 2013

penny

Your kidding Right?

/ Penny L Howe / 15 Comments

So the weather channel is calling our current weather conditions “WESTERN WARMTH“. Warmth? Say again … Warmth? Um that’s the term I use to imply cozy as in comfortable and schmoozy. You know feel good all over. That is so not what’s happening out here. Yesterday it was 107 degrees and today out here, well look at today’s weather forcast and the 86 degrees was at around 9:00 this morning. It’s going to be a balmy 104 today with storms no less:

I decided to recall some “COOLER CLIMES” through some of my photo’s during a retreat in the hills of Chehalem, Oregon.  Worked for me!

I really enjoy the shot of franky and jonny “enjoying?” the view of the “cool” weather. Okay actually they were watching the brave little birds eating while during the falling snow. Here’s hoping you enjoy my take on warm and cool!

A Package of…Cat

/ Penny L Howe / 5 Comments

Is it just me or are some of the changes in the ‘modern’ world really scary? The new norm!

For example recently at an outdoor farmer’s market I overheard pieces of a conversation between a mommy and her three children of varying ages (Estimating age range from 6 to 10 years.)

Mommy: “Isn’t this fun?”

Children: Various responses of disinterest!

Mommy: “Let’s pick out some fresh veggies and fruit!”

Children: Various responses of disapproval! “I don’t like those.” “WHAT is THAT?” “Can we go now?”

Mommy: Stating the magic words of immediate turn off for kids everywhere. “Vegetables and Fruit are really good for you.” You’ll grow big and strong!”

(Now don’t get me wrong. I grew up on a farm where we had our own homegrown produce and there were honestly very few vegetables that I really liked. So in that area things are pretty much the same. It was the next response that was a little chilling to me.)

The eldest child: “Can’t we just go to the store and get some real food. You know, the stuff in packages!

When the “Normal” food that we eat is heavily processed, chemically altered, packaged for the purpose of longer shelf life while providing greater marketing appeal – how much have we really gained/lost in the translation? And how far will it go? When does it end…?

p.s. – I don’t know how franky got into the empty plastic wrapping and it did take me a few minutes to extricate him from inside. However I did think the photo brought emphasis to the point I was trying to make!

If change be a constant, may we not aspire to become part of the change…in a good way * PennyQuote