The death of the magazine industry has been touted for several years now. I’ve always been a lover of magazines though and thanks to the decline of print magazine revenues and attempts of companies to increase circulation, I have recently gotten some amazing deals on magazine subscriptions.
Consequently, my mailbox is filled with suggestions for adorable Halloween decoration (Garland of candy corn? What a great idea!), delicious fall soup recipes (Gingered Pumpkin Soup with Gruyere Cheese), and new yoga poses that would surely relieve all my stress if my body would only bend in the amazing positions pictured. But the fun doesn’t stop there- I have an assurance of flat abs with five simple exercise moves per day, a disturbing list of 50 secrets pilots won’t tell me, and a story that discount airline Ryanair is seeking permission to offer “standing room only” flights.
Although removing these magazines from my mailbox at the end of a work day fills me with a special joy, they are quickly laid aside as the needs of my four kids rise to the surface.
On a recent weekend morning I woke up early- ie. before the kids. Steaming cup of coffee in hand I stood in my kitchen thinking about how I should spend those precious few moments of peace. A huge pile of magazines on the entryway table beckoned me. Then the upcoming school carnival came to mind and how I had agreed to recruit and coordinate community volunteers; there was a lot of work yet to do. For a moment I was annoyed. I work a full-time job. Why did I step up to do anything besides maybe bake a cake for the cake walk? But then I remember- we do not live in a world with PTAs populated by stay-at-home Moms. Instead, our PTA ledger is filled with women who work full-time jobs, just like me. And many of the women who people probably assume are stay at home moms, actually work one or more part-time jobs doing childcare, coordinating Sunday School teachers, catering, teaching music lessons etc.. I have to admit that sometimes I am thankful for my quiet and orderly office at work when I hear how about my friends’ juggling of kids, meals, sporting games and activities on weekends and evenings to work these various, often underpaid, part-time jobs.
Still standing unproductively in my kitchen I hear a shower turn on from the direction of my 12-year-old twins’ room. It seems like just yesterday when the older boys were little and I took them to their first Mohawk Carnival. Now, my main role for them is taxi driver and bleacher fan. To their extreme embarrassment I chaperoned one dance at their junior high this fall, but the ability to be actively involved in their school lives differs greatly from the opportunities I have at the lower levels with their siblings. So I figure, my house might not always be in perfect order, and I fail miserably at putting laundry away, but it won’t be long before the two little kids are older and the stress of recruiting volunteers for the goldfish toss is a distant memory.
So, how did I end up spending those few moments of peace? I pulled my favorite magazine, Real Simple, from the stack, gathered the remaining magazines into a paper sack and walked it down to my neighbor’s house before I could change my mind. Her Mom is having surgery the weekend of the carnival and since she won’t be able to work a shift in the goldfish toss booth, I figure she can read the magazines guilt-free. Who knows? Maybe when she recovers she’ll make me some Gingered Pumpkin Soup. . .
Monday, October 25, 2010
Tuesday, October 12, 2010
How the Movie "Catfish" messed with My Mind
This past weekend I saw the very disturbing movie “Catfish.” The main premise of the film is that the internet, specifically Facebook, has the power to convince us of a particular reality, when in fact the ideas and images exchanged, despite their ability to evoke strong emotions in us as humans, may in fact be complete fabrications of the truth. Does the presentation of a fictitious virtual world as true make the author a liar? This question has left me feeling not just perplexed, but also intrigued.
Since watching the movie I’ve been thinking about Facebook in general and how we present ourselves in the virtual world. It’s not that I think most people are using Facebook to purport to be someone they are not, but it has also made me wonder if most people consciously consider how accurately they present themselves virtually and to whom they grant access to this wealth of information.
Are you curious? Take a minute and google a name (including maiden name if applicable) surrounded by quotes then + Facebook and possibly a city. The search results indicate what everyone with internet access can see. If you have someone’s Facebook log in information you can go directly to the Basic Directory Information section of the Privacy Settings and preview the profile as others (anyone in the world) see it. If you are surprised by what you see, you might wish to take some time to review privacy settings not only for your own Facebook account, but those you care about as well- including grandparents, children and teens.
Early this summer, Facebook began phasing in new privacy setting options in order to allow Facebook users to significantly curtail information shared on their site. This is good news- but only for those who actively seek out and make changes to their accounts.Where should you start? First, go to:
http://www.facebook.com/privacy/
and review the settings. Default settings are set to allow everyone on Facebook access to everything posted- birthdates, lists of relatives, photos of friends, all pictures, contact information, even photos posted by others in which you are tagged etc. Therefore, if you have not explicitly gone to the privacy settings and made changes, the default settings prevail.
However, basic privacy settings, although a good place to start, give you only limited control over who has access to information on Facebook. Do all of your “friends” really need equal access to all information, photos etc. you post? Probably not. Maybe it’s just me, but I find it slightly disconcerting to walk into work Monday morning and have colleagues comment on photos I posted on Facebook of my kids’ weekend sporting events. Instead of being forced to “de-friend” people, simply spend some time organizing your friends into lists of groups such as “High School Friends,” “Work Friends” and “Family” and then grant access accordingly. At the same time, if you have teenagers at home you should be aware that even though your kids may have granted you “friend” status, you may have been categorized as I have described and therefore not have access to all of the information and photos about and of them posted on Facebook.
Since watching the movie I’ve been thinking about Facebook in general and how we present ourselves in the virtual world. It’s not that I think most people are using Facebook to purport to be someone they are not, but it has also made me wonder if most people consciously consider how accurately they present themselves virtually and to whom they grant access to this wealth of information.
Are you curious? Take a minute and google a name (including maiden name if applicable) surrounded by quotes then + Facebook and possibly a city. The search results indicate what everyone with internet access can see. If you have someone’s Facebook log in information you can go directly to the Basic Directory Information section of the Privacy Settings and preview the profile as others (anyone in the world) see it. If you are surprised by what you see, you might wish to take some time to review privacy settings not only for your own Facebook account, but those you care about as well- including grandparents, children and teens.
Early this summer, Facebook began phasing in new privacy setting options in order to allow Facebook users to significantly curtail information shared on their site. This is good news- but only for those who actively seek out and make changes to their accounts.Where should you start? First, go to:
http://www.facebook.com/privacy/
and review the settings. Default settings are set to allow everyone on Facebook access to everything posted- birthdates, lists of relatives, photos of friends, all pictures, contact information, even photos posted by others in which you are tagged etc. Therefore, if you have not explicitly gone to the privacy settings and made changes, the default settings prevail.
However, basic privacy settings, although a good place to start, give you only limited control over who has access to information on Facebook. Do all of your “friends” really need equal access to all information, photos etc. you post? Probably not. Maybe it’s just me, but I find it slightly disconcerting to walk into work Monday morning and have colleagues comment on photos I posted on Facebook of my kids’ weekend sporting events. Instead of being forced to “de-friend” people, simply spend some time organizing your friends into lists of groups such as “High School Friends,” “Work Friends” and “Family” and then grant access accordingly. At the same time, if you have teenagers at home you should be aware that even though your kids may have granted you “friend” status, you may have been categorized as I have described and therefore not have access to all of the information and photos about and of them posted on Facebook.
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