The only way to save GM, is to kill GM. – Michael Moore

Like many Americans, I have fond memories of riding in huge boats with “GM” emblazoned on the seatbelt buttons. I also remember my grandfather being rather adamant about the brand at times, as grandparents tend to be when it comes to American cars. Talk about a new generation.

Thanks to my friend, Monica, for sending this to me. And thanks to Michael Moore for writing it. I don’t always like your movies that much, but good article (As though he’s reading this).

Find his article here.

This one is from the “Weirdness File” (I told you I was moving towards a less article-style of posting).

Apparently the woman who posted this Craigslist ad (click on the image) has grown tired of looking for a man on her own, so she has decided to lay the burden on her parents, effectively putting them in charge of arranging a marriage for her.

Now, I’m not trying to be vulgar here, and I work hard not to be vulgar when it comes to what I write and post here, but it is my humble opinion that when most men see the word “used” and the word “vagina” in the same sentence, they are going to be more than a tad turned off.

I mean, technically, what she is saying isn’t bad when she refers to her “used vagina,” that only means that she has slept with some guys before, but to use the term “used” like it was a baseball glove, followed up by the clinical “vagina” term, does not not equate to good advertising for this woman.

I’m hoping this woman has been through the online dating ringer before resorting to this. Actually, I hope she has tried everything when it comes to finding someone, if it has come to this.

I almost want to reply to her with:

“We know we can be difficult, but it’s worth it in the end. We will be pains in the ass to you whether you have our parents arrange our marriage or you meet us on your own. Chin up! It will happen, girl!

Sincerely,

Men”

Question for both women and men: If you were in this woman’s situation, would you go this far? She mentions that her family is from Southeast Asia (no country, though) and that apparently arranged marriages were once the norm in her culture, but if you had a similar background, would you resort to this?

Leave a comment!

I’ve noticed a rash of these kinds of profile photos and avatars lately. I’m sure this technique has been around for some time, but I never took much notice of it until recently after being on Facebook, Myspace, Twitter, etc. It started me thinking about perceived “uniqueness” and the so-called “global community.”

To me, the increasing number of these types of photos are another in a long line of methods to make oneself feel “unique” across the internet. Which makes me laugh right away, seeing as how one of the higher purposes of the internet is to connect people across cultures. “Social Media,” as it is called nowadays, is on the forefront of this culture-mashing trend. Creating a global community is the higher goal, but, as usual, the manic desire of people to differentiate themselves from others by any means necessary is the dominant theme. Showing up to work or school with pink hair is no longer necessary now that everyone connects online: “I want to be different online” is now the cry.

Trends gestate out of a need to look and feel different, but the more subconscious need is to belong. The kid who arrives at school one day with his ball cap tilted to the side, the guy who drives a souped-up Honda Civic complete with enormous spoiler, or, in back in my day during the mid-90s: the guy who shows up at the local Starbucks with greasy, slicked-back hair wearing a leather jacket. These are all tactics used to separate yourself from one community but ingratiate yourself to another. This is a total contradiction because what these people are truly looking for is acceptance. And acceptance means belonging.

With all of the talk these days concerning “globalization,” “global community” and the like, it is no wonder that the need to belong while not belonging is still prevalent. It might as well be labeled as a human instinct at this point since I don’t see too many animals practicing this behavior. It should also be noted that marketers and advertisers play a large role in this. Deciding on one’s own is difficult, especially being raised in this media-smothered era. Trends appear, become adopted by a sub-section of individuals, advertisers take notice and monetize it, and before long the trend is stale, out of touch and suddenly does not hold the same aura it once did. Look at flannel, Doc Martins or (hopefully soon) those God-awful Ed Hardy shirts.

Let’s face it, “globalization,” “global community”? These are just buzz words concocted by technology journalists, PR specialists and bloggers (like me, ha!). Human beings will never have a truly “global community,” even if we all were to somehow do away with war, religious conflicts and the like, because human beings like to one-up. I’m not saying we are all inherently insecure but…well…it is much easier for us to hate than like, that much is clear (just take a look at any IMDB message board; a friendly critique of a film almost always mutates into a hate-mongering profanity-fest). Love, community, helping others; these things take work, solid effort. Hate is the always-boiling pot on the stove, ready to be used at a moment’s notice, but kept on the back burner to make room for the other pans that need constant attention.

You might be thinking that pulling all of this out of a few half-portrait-style photos is taking a bit too far, but the trend of using these types of photos to represent yourself tells me something: The need to at once belong to a particular group but separate yourself from the individuals within that group will never cease. Even into adulthood, this need remains (do I need to give any more examples of the gripes among different departments within an office: sales department vs. editorial, etc. or to use a more pop-culture example, the subconscious need for many musicians to belong to a particular genre of music but to continually subvert any attempt people make to label them as a member of that genre?). Insecurity dogs us at every turn, and dear God how terrifying it is to think that someone might be different from us despite our own best attempts to be different from everyone else. The contradictory nature is blatant.

My girlfriend often accuses me of being an “old man” when it comes to my opinions and general take on life. I’m sure I will hear the same when it comes to what I have said here, but, when it comes down to it, I just can’t help wondering, Why can’t you just take a damn picture of yourself with a nice smile? Does EVERYTHING have to be modified in order to make you feel special? Do you really need to pull a tough-guy face or catch only half of your head? It’s a profile picture for Twitter. Just take a normal picture and stop trying to point yourself out.

Sigh. So much for making my posts shorter.