Just so you know this post isn't all original material, it is inspired by a segment in A.J Jacobs book, "A Year of Living Biblically." So know that. Just know that.
In the book he is talking about a crazy person that lives in his apartment building. Although he likes her very much, she claims to get creeped out by him because of his eye contact. Jacobs had previously been self-diagnosed as someone who doesn't take the customary breaks from long periods of eye contact that happens during conversation, but it still seemed to hurt his feelings.
This moment during my reading is just like those moments one has while listening to stand up comedy. Where a comedian pokes fun at the mundane moments in life that normally do not require any brain waves and makes you say to your neighbor, "That is so true!"
I like these moments.
One of the things that has always stuck with me from my one visit to the "career center" at my local high school was that you should always look people in the eye during a conversation, especially a potential employer.
Sidenote: I imagine the reason I rarely ever visited the "career center" when I was younger was because it felt awkward to receive career advice from a person whom most likely never imagined as a child that one day they would be toiling to advise people what career to choose at the time in their life where they could not care less.
Anyway, this one visit certainly seared into my brain that when engaged in conversation, look the person in the eye.
However, they did not teach the customary breaks that happen during these conversations. I, like most people, seemed to have developed this skill on my own.
What if you did not pick up on this later in life? Or what if you just are very disciplined and do what you were told at an early age and always maintain eye contact no matter how daunting the situation may seem?
If you are one of these unadulterated eye contacters, then I am sorry for thinking that you are a serial killer. You just are doing what you were told.
I know this post is all over the place but I am on a time crunch and lets be honest, the topic isn't enthralling enough to required meticulous revision.
Just think about it and next time your in a conversation, don't break away. We can fight this together.
Sunday, July 19, 2009
Friday, July 17, 2009
Comfort Betrays
I like foods that are good. I know that seems simple enough but it really isn't. Although "Good" can be defined in myriad different ways, it is sad just how many foods out there aren't "good." I believe that good foods are ones that are good through and through. Good presentation, good taste, good nutrients. If one of the elements is missing in the culinary trinity, then I don't believe that it could be called a "good food." If a waiter brings you something that looks awful but tastes delicious, you most likely exclaim, "This actually tastes pretty good for how bad it looks!."
I know your thinking to yourself, "Reid....Reid.....Reid....Nachos happen to be very delicious and when I eat them I think,'boy these are good!.'" While it may appear that you have me cornered you do not at all. One because this is my blog and I can simply delete any seditious comments. But more importantly while you may think the nachos taste good, you know in the back of your head that you feel guilty for indulging in deep fried Tostitos swimming in synthetic "cheese." You never go home from gorging yourself on nachos truly believing in your heart that you made nothing but good decisions throughout the day. Therefore, in my logic, it is not a food that is good through and through.
Two foods for me fit this bill. Sandwiches and Burritos
Yes the sandwich. I am not talking about Paninis stuffed with oozing gobs of mozzarella. I am talking about the good old sandwich. Meat, Bread, and vegetables, together in an ensemble of delight and stuffed in your face.
Burritos. This one is a slippery slope because if one lacks discipline, a visit to Taqueria Vallarta may turn out to be more dangerous than drinking a 8 ounce glass of used mop water, with Pine-sol. If once just has the tortilla and simply fills it with beans and rice (protein power combo), and a meager portion of meat, than your body will be thrilled.
On top of the great taste of these two items and nutritional value, they are very easy on the eyes. I am salivating just thinking of these two treats and I don't think it is going to up the resale of my Powerbook if there is severe water damage.
Added Bonus Alert! They both fit in your hand. No fork included, no two ways to go about it. They go from your hand to your mouth. Have you ever seen someone eat a burrito with a fork? I know they are trying to be polite but it ends up just being really sad. I pray for those people, whatever is causing them to partake in this erratic behavior.
Anyway, if you can think of any other food that fits this bill let me know. If not, leave me comments to delete.
I know your thinking to yourself, "Reid....Reid.....Reid....Nachos happen to be very delicious and when I eat them I think,'boy these are good!.'" While it may appear that you have me cornered you do not at all. One because this is my blog and I can simply delete any seditious comments. But more importantly while you may think the nachos taste good, you know in the back of your head that you feel guilty for indulging in deep fried Tostitos swimming in synthetic "cheese." You never go home from gorging yourself on nachos truly believing in your heart that you made nothing but good decisions throughout the day. Therefore, in my logic, it is not a food that is good through and through.
Two foods for me fit this bill. Sandwiches and Burritos
Yes the sandwich. I am not talking about Paninis stuffed with oozing gobs of mozzarella. I am talking about the good old sandwich. Meat, Bread, and vegetables, together in an ensemble of delight and stuffed in your face.
Burritos. This one is a slippery slope because if one lacks discipline, a visit to Taqueria Vallarta may turn out to be more dangerous than drinking a 8 ounce glass of used mop water, with Pine-sol. If once just has the tortilla and simply fills it with beans and rice (protein power combo), and a meager portion of meat, than your body will be thrilled.
On top of the great taste of these two items and nutritional value, they are very easy on the eyes. I am salivating just thinking of these two treats and I don't think it is going to up the resale of my Powerbook if there is severe water damage.
Added Bonus Alert! They both fit in your hand. No fork included, no two ways to go about it. They go from your hand to your mouth. Have you ever seen someone eat a burrito with a fork? I know they are trying to be polite but it ends up just being really sad. I pray for those people, whatever is causing them to partake in this erratic behavior.
Anyway, if you can think of any other food that fits this bill let me know. If not, leave me comments to delete.
Monday, July 13, 2009
And We're Back
I have been gone. I have been gone in Japan. I have been gone and missing my blog. I didn't want to write while I was in Japan. The reason being that during the day I don't think I would do certain things if I knew that I was going to have to write about them later. I know this sounds bizarre ,but, about 75 percent of the things I do during a single day involve not brain activity whatsoever. For example, I am going to let the cat out of the bag here on this one, but during one night in Tokyo we were having sushi. As I was about so slide the delicious fish down my gullet I noticed a giant green ball of wasabi out of the corner of my eye. Without a single movement of my brain, I picked up the glowing ball with my chopsticks and threw it into my mouth. Exit brain thought, enter chaos. It didn't make sense and it shouldn't. As an "adult" now, I shouldn't be shoving balls of wasabi in my mouth just cause I saw it. Yet, I don't regret it personally. I am however, having to defend myself here and that is not something I wanted to do on a daily basis. So I just decided to forgo writing.
I am back now, so here I go.
In the New Yorker, Elizabeth Kolbert attempted to answer why we are so fat?
We know that the simple answer is that we eat too much and don't exercise. We desire quantity and nix quality. Yet, Liz writes that in the old days people had smaller brains and therefore, required less food to fuel those brains. We as a people nowadays have larger brains and now need to eat more to fuel our brains.
She writes: "Brains are calorically demanding organs. Our distant ancestors had small ones. Australopithecus afarensis, for example, who lived some three million years ago, had a cranial capacity of about four hundred cubic centimetres, which is roughly the same as a chimpanzee’s. Modern humans have a cranial capacity of about thirteen hundred cubic centimetres."
My problem with Liz's hypothesis is this. If we have bigger brains to fuel now, shouldn't we be seeing smarter people? Cause I am just seeing the bigger bodies, yet it seems we are leaking common sense. I mean have you seen the hills? Seriously, Have you?
I am back now, so here I go.
In the New Yorker, Elizabeth Kolbert attempted to answer why we are so fat?
We know that the simple answer is that we eat too much and don't exercise. We desire quantity and nix quality. Yet, Liz writes that in the old days people had smaller brains and therefore, required less food to fuel those brains. We as a people nowadays have larger brains and now need to eat more to fuel our brains.
She writes: "Brains are calorically demanding organs. Our distant ancestors had small ones. Australopithecus afarensis, for example, who lived some three million years ago, had a cranial capacity of about four hundred cubic centimetres, which is roughly the same as a chimpanzee’s. Modern humans have a cranial capacity of about thirteen hundred cubic centimetres."
My problem with Liz's hypothesis is this. If we have bigger brains to fuel now, shouldn't we be seeing smarter people? Cause I am just seeing the bigger bodies, yet it seems we are leaking common sense. I mean have you seen the hills? Seriously, Have you?
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