Ira corner

Facebook- The next step in the evolution of Ira

2009-09-09T12:26:00.000-07:00

My daughter came home for a visit from college this past weekend, and she found it to be high time to introduce me to facebook.
It is Wednesday, and she is already sending me comments to chill on sending her quizzes. Hey, I gave her fair warning. Does she not watch the verizon commercials??
I have been sucked in by the world of facebook. The past couple of days I was introduced to food flinging, flairs, farmville and I left my comments to anyone brave enough to become my facebook friend. When I open my email in the morning it is full now of friend requests. I was not aware I had this many friends. As a matter of fact I have felt kinda isolated ever since moving to the USA. Guess, I have been going about this the wrong way for the past couple of years.
While I can definitely understand what all the buzz is about now, I do have to remark, that I think that facebook is fun and a good way to keep in touch with people, however I would not want to miss the "old fashioned way" of social interaction. When I talk to a friend in person, I get immediate feedback, from which a conversation can evolve. Also, I miss the cues bodylanguage can give you, or what some people refer to as the silent communicator.
However, since I just moved and don't know anyone, facebook will be my best friend.

Twillight

2009-09-03T20:05:00.000-07:00

It is past 11 pm but I simply cannot get to sleep, so I figured I try another blog.
While I was lying in bed trying to get to sleep I was thinking of a conversation I had with my daughter this week. She is a freshman at college and is taking her english comp class, where amongst other things, her professor discussed the twillight book series. According to my daughter, her professor found the books to be written poorly and could not make it past the third chapter, while my daughter, myself and millions of other readers, stayed up nights reading the series. This poses the question, what makes a book a classic? I remember reading the Great Gatsby, in College, which is considered a literary classic, I however, did not care for the book at all. While I appreciated the symbolism, I found the book to be boring. There was no plot to speak of and I simply did not care for the characters. In particular, Daisy, wow, what a Drama Queen. In my opinion the right characters can make or break a story. There have been books, where I almost felt depressed after reading the last page, because it meant having to let go of a character I came to love. It almost felt like loosing a good friend.
I have had this discussions with english majors, who believe that a well written book should have proper language. Again, anyone appreciates a well written book, however, does that mean one has to use what my husband calls the "Five dollar words". I remember how hard it was to get my daughter to read a book when she was little. However, once a friend of hers introduced her to a certain book collection she was hooked. It is great when one can learn from books, but every once in a while everyone just wants an "easy read". I am a native of Germany and although I have studied English in Highschool and lived in the USA for 15 years I still end up looking up words in many books. I can assure you , this takes alot of the fun out of reading. In particular when I was attending college, reading textbooks took me twice as long as some of my other classmates, and it is very frustrating. Then I felt, that some of these books deepen the level of stratification. One can only climb higher on societies ladder when one knows the secret language. Speaking properly is a sign of a good education. And for the rest of us we can only try to listen hard and hope that we understand enough words to piece together what the other person is talking about.
Maybe persons growing up bilangual are more sensitive to this, I don't know. Anyhow, I am drifting off now, lets get back to the discussion about what makes a book a literary classic. I find writing to be an art form, and art is usually in the eye of the beholder. Think about paintings. Does a picture drawn by a preschooler contain less beauty than a Van Gogh? I think not. As a matter of fact it is the same as comparing Twillight with The Great Gatsby. One is simpler than the other, yet no less meaningful to the reader who treasures it. What do you think?

My first attempt at blogging

2009-09-02T11:13:00.000-07:00

Since I am currently in a situation where I am not employed I figured I make my first attempt at blogging. I am not quite sure yet, what to expect will be the outcome of this, but I figured why not take another step into the ever evolving world of technology. I am 41 years , so using all the new technology out there does not neccessarily come easy to me. As a matter of fact it has been less than a year since I tried myself at texting on a cell phone. Until then I only knew how to make or receive a call, and to be honest was quite happy, that I was able to accomplish that much. I am proud to say , that I have now mastered to add my own new contacts, and sent a text message ( which might take me 20 minutes but nonetheless). Of course, now my husband, ever so eager to buy new gadgets, has realized my advancement and relentlessly tries to talk me into buying a new cell phone with more options. So far I have shot down, any attempt, at change. With my menapausal forgetness starting I am thankful for any gadget I can operate without calling for my husband or daughter to come and help ( see complicated remote controls, where it happens ever so often that I push something by accident and am not able to work the TV on my own anymore). Many of my friends teenagers confirm, that their moms are constantly bugging them for help as well. So refusing to buy a new gadget, could also be considered as a desperate attempt to stay independent. That is my story and I am sticking to it.