I had a very nice weekend. My friend Steff came up (from where she lives) to see me. Good times.
I'd also like to draw your attention once more to WP Pro Business. I wrote some more articles there recently and I really like how they turned out.
Of course, the main focus lately has been on Japan. Fortunately for me, the people I know over there are safe and sound in Osaka. Unfortunately, that isn't true for everyone. And I'm very sorry if anyone reading this lost someone they love...
There have been a lot of disgusting/stupid people on the Internet saying "That's what they get for Pearl Harbor." Excuse me, but I believe HIROSHIMA is what "they got" for Pearl Harbor. Not to mention that what we did to them was way worse than what they did to us! (Death toll for the attack on Pearl Harbor = 2459 people; Death toll for the attack on Hiroshima = 80,000 people directly and then more later due to the radiation). God, people are so enraging/stupid sometimes. Even as a "joke," that's in very poor taste; especially under the circumstances.
There's also been a lot of people longing for the "good old days." People talking about how much "worse" things are these days... Don't get me wrong--I understand nostalgia (and am not above it myself sometimes)--but I think that saying that one decade was "better" than another is a bit ridiculous. I think that people's "Nostalgia Goggles" are blinding them a bit.
Let me show you what I mean:
The 1940s...
What people remember:
Sure, there was a war going on, but it was a war where we (Americans) were the Good Guys! There was great hair, great fashion, great music, yadda yadda...There was also:
Oh yeah. That... Forgot about that, didn't you?The 1950s...
What people remember:
I abhor the movie Grease (I think the ending is a terrible message and that Sandy is an idiot), but I know that that's what a lot of people (especially people my age or younger) view the 1950s as. Again...fashion, music, "innocence," and so on.There was also:
The Korean War (or, as I like to call it, the war everyone forgets!), the Cold War, fear of communists, increased nuclear testing, and a whole bunch of other stuff that wasn't very good.The 1960s...
What people remember:
Again, fashion and music are a big part of what people remember. Woodstock... So on and so forth.There was also:
The Vietnam War. As well as the assassinations of Martin Luther King, Jr., Malcolm X, and John F. Kennedy. The Manson Murders took place during the 1960s as well!The 1970s...
What people remember:
Peace and love, Mannnnnn... Again, music and fashion. "Free love." All that jazz. And Star Wars. Can't forget about that.There was also:
The Gas Crisis, the Energy Crisis, the Watergate Scandal, and--oh, yeah--the Vietnam War and Cold War were both still going on.The 1980s...
What people remember:
Fantastic music and movies. An all-around good time for everyone involved.There was also:
No...I just can't do it... I can't point out any faults in an era that gave us Back to the Future... Oh, all right...
AIDS first showed up in the 1980s. John Lennon was assassinated. There were a lot of nuclear/terrorist threats. It wasn't all good times.The 1990s...
What people remember:
I grew up in the 1990s. This is the era that I have "nostalgia vision" for. It was very bright and colourful!There was also...
Need I say more? Before we had Clinton, we had that guy. There was also the Gulf War (among other wars), the Riots, the Oklahoma City Bombing, and a whole bunch of other stuff that could definitely be classified in the "not good" section.All that and I didn't even mention all the NATURAL disasters that have taken place over the years!!
I think what I'm trying to say was best said by Billy Joel (in the song "Keeping the Faith"):
"The good old days weren't always good and tomorrow ain't as bad as it seems."
I know things are difficult right now--there's no denying that--but don't lose heart. EVERY era has had bad to go with the good. So, don't worry. We'll get through the 2000s just fine. <3
Until next time...
--Lauren*
http://littlezotz.webs.com
I do not own any of the images I used. Credit goes to whoever credit is due to.
