Push it to the limit

Prepare yourselves, America. Times are a changin'.

This isn't supposed to sound like a sales pitch, so I apologize in advance if that's what it sounds like. I'm just still so amazed by this new product that I have planned to purchase one as soon as I get home.

Amazon Dash Buttons. 

Genius. Pure genius.

These amazing little buttons are hooked up to your Amazon Prime account— if you don't have one, you should probably get one.

They're amazing for college students and your regular average joe that hates interacting with other human beings on a day-to-day basis.

There are a plethora of different brands hooked up to these as well. Got the munchies and you're almost out of Doritos? Push a button and you should receive a new bag in two days' time.

Not fast enough for you?

Just wait until the use of delivery drones is super common, and there are even more brands linked to these Amazon buttons. I mean, Domino's in New Zealand is already trying out pizza delivery drones next week, so why not have toilet paper delivery drones, or detergent delivery drones?

The possibilities are blowing my mind.

This IS the drone you're looking for.

Or shoot, what if you're doing laundry and you have GOT to remember to pick up some more detergent, because you keep forgetting it. Just push this little button on your washer, and you can have your favorite detergent delivered to your door before you run out.

I also think it's a little funny, but they also have Trojan buttons, where you can order from 30 different condom types.

Now, let's have some real talk here. I haven't purchased one yet, so I'm not sure about the little details.

I do know that it hooks up to your Amazon app on your phone, so every time you push the button and purchase something, you should receive a notification if you have it enabled.

Some of you may be thinking, "What about people with kids? What if the button gets pushed a lot at once?"

Amazon has an answer for that too. Their site states:

"With this setting, Dash Button responds only to your first press until your order is delivered—regardless of how many times Dash Button is pressed." 

You have pre-sets on your account, so you can always get your favorite flavor of Doritos, or in Trojan's case you get your favorite type of "love socks."

It's just cool to think about how far technology is coming. Who would have thought you could absent-mindedly press a button and it would make your life 20x easier? Especially as someone who is easily distracted at stores, and will leave with things I didn't even know I needed, this button is a lifesaver.

And for those of you who think this is lazy, yeah you're probably right. But, as someone who dreads going to the grocery story for little things that I may have missed during a normal shopping trip, this little button saves me precious time to play more video games or tend to my garden.

It's the little things in life and technology is getting pretty amazing.

Sincerely,

                               A Pondering Pen

Stand for patriotism, or kneel for liberty

Some think it's unpatriotic, some think it's downright disrespectful, and some think it's revolutionary. Either way, everyone can agree that Colin Kaepernick got everyone's attention.

Kaepernick started the controversy when he sat down during the rendition of the national anthem before the beginning of a preseason game in August.

When asked why he sat, he stated:

“I am not going to stand up to show pride in a flag for a country that oppresses black people and people of color. To me, this is bigger than football and it would be selfish on my part to look the other way. There are bodies in the street and people getting paid leave and getting away with murder.”

The biggest issue he is trying to bring light to, is that there are people in our country that are being denied basic liberties that others are not. Plain and simple.

USA Women's Soccer player, Megan Rapinoe, also wanted to show support for what Kaepernick started. In an interview with the Associated Press, she stated that she was disgusted with how he was covered by the media and how people were making it about something completely different than it was:

“Being a gay American, I know what it means to look at the flag and not have it protect all of your liberties. It was something small that I could do and something that I plan to keep doing in the future and hopefully spark some meaningful conversation around it... [it's] something that's really powerful.”

Megan Rapinoe kneeling during the national anthem.

Kneeling during the national anthem is a shocking statement, and a powerful one. I believe that it is eerily similar to the sit-ins led by MLK—something that outraged people then too.

Many are outraged over this new form of protest, and are even stating that it is disrespectful toward our troops.

That's hard to believe, simply because these players haven't expressed that it's our military's fault that our society has become what it is.

Some people are so angry about this, that they are boycotting the NFL in protest of the players' silent protest.

Now, the hashtag #boycottNFL is trending, and it has the internet in an uproar.

Good reasons to #boycottNFL:
- Domestic Violence
- Animal abuse
- Drugs
- Etc.

Ignorant reasons to boycott the NFL:
- Peaceful protest

— Amelia E. (@BrowncoatAuror) September 9, 2016

Honestly, it's really infuriating that THIS is what will make people say something about NFL players' behavior. Not standing for an anthem, which is a right given to any citizen, is what will make people angry.

Not a man being released from jail, after only serving 3 months for raping an unconscious woman behind a dumpster. Not a man being shot in front of his family in a car, for informing an officer that he had a conceal and carry license.

People are just infuriated that those players aren't standing. I imagine a lot of the people criticizing these players are also doing so, while sitting on their couch during the national anthem, or getting drunk and chatting at a watch party.

There seems to be this illusion in our culture that we are supposed to act like everything is OK, when it isn't.

Sums the situation up pretty well I think.

Someone comes up to you on the street, and asks how you're doing and the appropriate response is, "I'm good" or "I'm OK, you?"

That's what this looks like. People are starting to get pissed now that instead of just going through the motions, NFL players and other athletes are waging a silent, peaceful protest.  Now, these players are being referred to as "entitled," "spoiled," and "ungrateful."

And for those who are saying, "well our troops gave their lives for that freedom and they should show their respect during the national anthem."

No, that's not why we stand during the national anthem.

You stand because you are proud to be an American, and proud of what your country represents. If you feel like you aren't protected, or feel that the American Flag isn't representing all Americans equally, then you shouldn't have to stand for it; that's the rub to giving everyone freedom.

There are holidays made for respecting veterans and those who lost their lives fighting for our freedoms. In our everyday lives, I would like to think that people are respectful toward service men and women when they see them in public. I'm grateful to my dad, my grandpa, and his dad before him, for all of the sacrifices they've had to make to do their jobs, serving our country. But this isn't about them.

The national anthem is about showing patriotism for our country, not our soldiers. It's oppressive to tell these players that they can't express and exercise their first amendment right to a peaceful protest.

If you are on the fence of this issue, just think: should I stand for patriotism, or should I kneel for liberty?

Sincerely,

                               A Pondering Pen

Remembering lives lost, sipping a Coke

Seeing as our nation is observing the massive amount of lives lost Tuesday, Sept. 11, 2001 this week, let us do some remembering of our own. To do so, we need to travel to a Walmart in Panama City, Florida to take in the display that has everyone up in a twitter.

The display designed by Coke, approved by Walmart.

This image has made its way around the internet this week through a tweet by Shawn Richard, who snapped the photo with the caption: "Florida c'mon man."

As of today, two days after the initial post, the photo has been retweeted over 2,500 times, and a photoshop battle ensued to depict, well you may have guessed it, planes of multiple forms crashing into the "Ground Coke Zero."

First, take a second to really see everything in this picture.

You good? I feel like most people would agree the display is simply in poor taste, right? Many have called it offensive.

Keep in mind, Coke designs these setups, but the displays have to be approved by Walmart.

They've since taken it down, but once something is on the internet, it is there FOREVER.

I have so many thoughts about multiple elements in this display.

• Is it creative that they chose to use Coke Zero, to depict what is now Ground Zero?
• I like the Rollback sign between the two towers, you know, where people were making the decision to jump to a horrific death or burn alive.
• At least the Rollback price isn't 3 for $9.11 
• I appreciate Coca Cola inserting their logo into the flag on the banner.
• Where are the planes? Oh wait, here we go. ---->

After going to Walmart's Twitter page Sept. 8, there has been no mention of this trending topic. Coke's official twitter page has yet to make an official comment that I have seen. 

Perhaps they are both trying to pretend it didn't happen?

Interesting PR move, not that this will stop people from enjoying their products/stores.

Either way, Coke is right: "We Will Never Forget" the day Coca Cola joined the Branding Hall of Shame 2016.

Sincerely,

                               A Pondering Pen

Smile, Honey, you look prettier that way

I'm not sure when it became OK in our culture to tell people to smile. Now, that first sentence sounds a little ridiculous, because people are just trying to be nice, right?

How about no?

Wrong.

After speaking with multiple women-- since the guys I asked never seemed to have this problem-- they all had a unanimous feeling of annoyance toward the sentiment. Let's take a second to think about when women are told to smile:

• At the grocery store (which most people can agree can be an annoying task by itself)
• At the gas station
• At work
• At the bar (usually as a pick-up line)
• Walking to work
• The gym

This list could be endless.

It's crazy that this is even a thing, because it isn't like this in Europe, or major cities. If someone stops to tell you to smile, you appropriately look at them like they're crazy-- but only if you aren't from the south/ midwest.

Now, out of the around 20 women I spoke to about this, all of them had AT LEAST one story where they had to deal with this awkward situation. I don't want to speak for everyone so I'll tell you about the most awkward instance of this situation from my own past experiences.

I had a co-worker who was very nice and pleasant to work with. He was funny and always had something witty to say. The guy was cool. 

A little background though: he was married and around 25.

Now, this all started my first week at the job, when I was walking to my boss' office. Co-worker guy saw me, and said, "You always look so mad, are you OK?

To which, I answered, "Oh, I promise I'm not mad. I've been told I have Resting Bitch Face, so that's probably it."

He replied, "Well you should smile more, Honey, you look much prettier that way."

An innocent statement right? I mean, it was a little annoying but I'm not one to call someone out for rubbing my nerves the wrong way when I barely know them. Also, if it had simply stopped at that one statement, I would've dropped it and let it be. 

Did he drop it? No. He did not.

Every day for the following two months, if I saw this co-worker in the office, he would stop and tell me to smile. 

But did he leave it at that? No. He did not. 

He would stand there, and wait, and keep saying smile until I forced an awkward smile to appease him.

Why? Why would he think that's OK? Does he do that to male coworkers that also have RBF? Why is it OK in our society for men to force women to smile?

I also want to point out that women are expected to be soft, understanding, and kind, so if we call out a guy for acting creepy, we are labeled as a "bitch" instead of assertive. I shouldn't be told how to feel.

What my coworker did made me uncomfortable, and as an introvert it also gave me a lot anxiety. I know he wasn't hitting on me since he is married, and he wasn't an older gentleman. This was a new generation with the same old problem, so women should look pretty and take it for the compliment it is.

It felt like I had to always look happy to appease the people around me, to make a prettier background for their lives, and that's not OK.

From a recent response from a user on Reddit when this situation came up:

"Jesus Christ people get SO MAD over the smallest things people say. I personally have never told a girl to smile, but it's not meant to be harmful at all, I'm sorry if some dude said it to you at a wrong time but people in this thread are claiming that the guy is objectifying them? Cmon that's a reach, it's a shitty pickup line and an attempt to be "charming" it's not the end of the world. Besides I guarantee if a girl was interested in the guy, and he said some shit like that you bet your ass the girl would be blushing and smiling."

I have to disagree and say that it's not a small thing to tell a complete stranger how to feel, look, or act no matter the situation. It's a huge faux pas, and to say that and not consider what the other person might be going through is an even bigger faux pas.

Imagine telling someone they are prettier when they smile, and they responded that their parent just died?

Would you feel uncomfortable?

Imagine how they feel when they're reminded by a complete stranger why they aren't smiling, if there is a specific reason. Like, hey, maybe I went out for a jog through the park to get my mind off things, not to have some rando remind me of what I came to get my mind off of.

I'm not saying don't greet someone on the street or strike up a conversation with a stranger; that's what makes people more well-rounded and communicating is what makes us human.

The point is: if I am having a bad day, then I shouldn't have to smile. If I don't want to walk around looking like a maniac, then I shouldn't have to smile. And that should be that.

Sincerely,

                               A Pondering Pen

To get the ball rolling...

"We were on a break!" - Dr. Ross Geller, Friends

I like to bring up issues that make people think and debate, because the sharing of clashing opinions helps "keep my mind sharp," as my friend with an old soul said to me recently. I prefer to keep things light-hearted, but sometimes the situation may call for a more in-depth look. No matter where you stand on an issue, I want to hear what you have to say and why. I usually try not to categorize people by their opinions because human beings seem to have certain nuances that make them unique.

One of the many times Ross was wrong about life. Yeah, I'm salty.

Except-- if you take Ross' side in the debate on whether he and Rachel being "on a break" made it OK for him to cheat. Also, if you don't get that reference, then you should take a stay-cation to educate yourself on the cultural phenomenon that is Friends. On a side note, I met a very cool individual who watched Friends episodes for four months, and she learned how to speak English by doing so. Humans are crazy right?

Overall, random things seem to happen to me all of the time that makes me stop and think, and I want to do that with my readers. I feel like people go through the hustle and bustle of their day, in their own world, and don't stop to have open, intellectual conversations as much as they should. Luckily, I think that is starting to change because, thanks to social media, different opinions are more widespread and people start to remember that the pen is mightier than the sword; talking about an issue and debating it encourages the free flow of thought, while fighting about it gets people nowhere.

Either way, I'm excited to start this journey with everyone, so check in next week for the next topic!

     

Sincerely,

                               A Pondering Pen