Everyone - at one time or another - strives to fit into what societies, sub-societies and local cultures consider to be normal. Teenagers don different styles of fashion according to whichever “clique” they belong to, or at least want to belong to. 

This is a perfectly natural thing to do, want or even need. Mammals copy behavior so they will recognize their own species, as the young copy their parents behavior so they’ll continue to be accepted by their parents; usually being the mother. It’s one of the reasons I feel that mammals adapted the “cute” factor.

However, with our species being further up on the intellectual / logical end of the spectrum (more evolved is a misnomer), when do we decide that striving to be normal and accepted becomes unhealthy behavior? Older children, specifically in the ages 11 - 18, will go to dizzying heights to gain acceptance by getting the latest in fashion. What’s more is that parents will feed this awful addiction, and then turn around to tell them to avoid drugs and alcohol. 

For at least 60 years, television, magazines, radio, internet and other sources of media have been giving us the message that being a certain height, weight and wearing certain clothing styles causes to be accepted into the majority of western culture. These “rules” that are in place cause diseases such as bulimia and anorexia to become worse than what they already were. Children will steal shoes or other items to either be accepted by their peers; yet worse, in rare cases, they will even kill to have these items. 

In the office, business meetings, holidays, funerals, church etc. we are often “required” to wear suits / dresses to be let into the fold. Somewhere along the way wearing this clothing “told” people how intelligent a person was or wasn’t. I have met my share of people that could have been another Einstein that barely had any money to their name, but for whatever reason they could not attend universities due to lack of funds or otherwise. Then on the other hand, I have met those that had every education, money and clothes that were available to them, yet were incredibly unintelligent and ignorant. 

How do we combat what peers and the media tell our children which is and is not acceptable while wanting them to think for themselves, as well? How do we show our children that no matter what the logo or mark is on the clothing, it is still nylon, cotton or wool with dye in it? We tell our children that we should not judge others based on what they wear, yet we do; even when we do not intend to do so. 

I feel this amongst other key issues are at the core of how we relate to our fellow humans.

The following struck me as purely American; and perhaps a little like a Sunday's sales paper from the coupon section:

Amongst many other forefathers of the United States, Thomas Jefferson warned against the very institutions which have recently brought the world to recession. Perhaps we should heed said warnings now?

The system of banking is a blot left in all our Constitutions, which, if not covered, will end in their destruction. I sincerely believe that banking institutions are more dangerous than standing armies; and that the principle of spending money to be paid by posterity is but swindling futurity on a large scale.
The end of democracy, and the defeat of the American revolution will occur when government falls into the hands of the lending institutions and moneyed incorporations.

If the people ever allow the banks to issue their currency, the banks and corporations which will grow up around them will deprive the people of all property, until their children wake up homeless on the continent their fathers conquered. 

Paper is poverty… It is not money, but the ghost of money. [In case you didn't catch his meaning here, he's clearly referring to loans and all connected to such]

There is an artificial aristocracy, founded on birth and privelege, without virtue or talents… The artificial aristocracy is a mischievous ingredient in government, and provisions should be made to prevent its ascendency.

The bank of the United States is one of the most deadly hostilities existing against the principles and form of our Constitution. I deem no government safe which is under the vassalage of any self-constituted authorities, or any other authority than that of the nation, or its regular functionaries. What an obstruction could not this bank of the United States, with all its branch banks, be in a time of war? It might dictate to us the peace we should accept, or it might withdraw its aid. Ought we then to give further growth to an institution so powerful, so hostile?

Along with over 70% (guesstimate) of the online globe, I became caught up with the Twitter and Facebook craze a few years ago. The addiction is fully understandable, as you could catch up with friends and family - even those you may have lost contact with - on a daily basis. One can literally watch a person grow, experience through pictures the happy or even not-so-happy occurrences in another's life. Opinions, political debates, philosophy, religion, or just plain jibber jabber can be relayed to everyone you wish via these social website mediums.

After an amount of time, like with many things, the honeymoon high wears off. As with Facebook, many things such as astrology, games, pointless polls, childish "truth or dare" games and many sorts "social junk" get added to the point where no matter how many times one opts out of seeing certain updates, others' scores and activities are included on your "wall" or "news page".

Before those of us that were active online blogged, chatted or even participated in forums. But - and I confess, even I - partially or altogether gave these up in lieu of sites such as Facebook. Then, at least several times a year, real and false claims that Facebook has intruded upon your privacy, or spam / viruses are being spread via shared links, videos or otherwise.

What's more is that many simply add you to their friends list strictly as another number. This not only does not impress me, it annoys me. If I do not talk to you nor vice versa, why do I waste my time in having you on a list simply to impress others that I have a large amount of "friends"? I have few friends by choice, fewer still that I consider being personally close to; whereas the remainder are good acquaintances, colleagues, or yet even less, little more than those you say hello to at the grocery store.

This is why I am returning to what bloggers refer to as the blogosphere. As with the majority of blogging clients, you have as much full control over what happens on your blog as one can have on the internet. Will I miss out on many pictures, videos and the lives of those I have lost contact with over the years? Perhaps, but I am a true believer that if one wishes to keep up with the Jones', then they will find a means. Perhaps even - *gasp*, perish the thought - applying pen / pencil to paper and writing a letter, picking up a telephone, writing an email, sending a text or sending off a postcard to let one know, "I'm thinking of you." The possibilities are endless.

We haven't found whom we're looking for, we're not gaining a strong foothold, and our general presence is bittersweet, at best. Yet, we're still in Afghanistan - "re focused", even.

I'd heard this gentleman before during the Beyond Belief Conference in '06. I love his humor and way of approaching science and skepticism.

Can we just stop driving our cars and using our electricity for a few weeks? Unfortunately, driving has become so much a big part of everyday life, unless one lives in an area where public trans is available, no one would be able to get to work, get their groceries, or otherwise.

That's just the fossil fuel issue. Now electricity; I used to think I couldn't survive a summer without a/c, until I tried a few years without it. I can live without tv, pc, etc. easily. But many of us - inlcluding I - talk the talk but never actually manage to walk the walk.

This summer, for those of us that can, should we go two weeks without using our personal vehicles and bring electricity down to an absolute bare minimum. That, I guarantee you would send a message to corporate fossil fuel hub-bubs. They pay our officials to look the other way and in turn they rake in the money for our dependency. If we use their products as little as possible, officials will have no choice but to take clean alternatives seriously.

Are you willing? I am.