Depressed/Crazy - Happy/Sane

According to TV, newspapers, the internet and just about anyone you ask, depression is a serious mental issue that should be treated with therapy, drugs or a combination of the two. Depression is a normal reaction to life's problems (losing a job and having no money, being dumped by the person you shared your life with and are still madly in love with, finding out a relative has a terminal illness).

The drug companies are trying to turn us all into robots - its working. I knew a girl in high school whose sweetheart passed away from cancer. In a month, she was dating someone else. Because thats what normal is supposed to be- you give yourself a time frame to grieve (2 weeks, going by most employers) and then you move on. Personally, I thought she must have had some sort of mental disease.

"Normal" people say you can't prevent sad things from happening but you can control how you react to them. . Sure if you wake up late for work, have a shitty day and catch a cold, you didn't have the best day but its also not cause to go home and eat a whole pint of Ben and Jerry's. But, if your fiance left you at the altar, thats an excuse to stay in bed for 2 weeks and cry.

Depressed people are not crazy, as the media portrays. They are simply more realistic. People that are happy ALL the time are lying to themselves, at least a little bit. Depressed people see life for what it is: you are born, you go through heartaches, death of friends and loved ones, financial woes, illness, aging, discrimination, abuse, suffering and ultimately, death. Death of which we know nothing of, there could just be nothingness. Happy people see life as wonderful, it is filled with loving relatives, relationships, great friendships, vacations, children, success, money, support and many happy moments up until you can die. And then you go to Heaven where you will of course reunite with all the loved ones you lost.

In conclusion, life has some great, wonderful moments. We all can bring up a time in our lives that makes us smile and feel elated. But life isn't wonderful. Some people have shitty luck and can never catch a break. Wouldn't they be sadder than someone who always gets what they want? If someone gets depressed after they get a huge promotion, salary increase, wonderful sex, great times with friends....then YES they need help. There are a lot of things in life you can't change, no matter how many different approaches you take. I am currently struggling with something thats making me very sad - and I don't know what- if anything I can do about it. I am just trying to focus on the good things in my life to keep me afloat. So far, I haven't drowned.

You Need an Upgrade

Technology has enhanced our lives in so many ways. My cell phone, for instance, in addition to being a phone, is a camera, video recorder, social networker, e-book reader, birthday reminder, newspaper(s), barcode scanner, instant emailer, video game player, cheap gas finder, gps with voice turn by turn driving directions, map, compass, MTA subway map, mp3 player/music downloader, movie reviewer/player, translator, instant messenger (on all the platforms), shopper, art gallery, sports score displayer, parking assistant, store locator, bathroom finder, tip calculator and more.

I can post something on Facebook and all my friends and family know what I am up to. The problem is we all became virtual in the process. We don't meet in person to go shopping anymore, we email each other the latest store coupons and sales. And then we update our FaceBook status "Just got a great deal on sweaters at Ann Taylor.com!!!!!".

We don't meet up for drinks, we send each other e-drinks. We ring bells on FB to let people know we were thinking of them rather than stopping by their house. We send ecards for peoples birthdays and evites to invite people to our kids parties. We email our coworkers rather than calling or stepping into their cubes/offices. I don't even have to step foot in a supermarket anymore, a few clicks and food will arrive at my door.

When we are in the airport, on a bus or train, we are listening to our iPods, reading our Kindles and playing games on our DS, PSP or iPhone. Have we so little to say to each other that every second must be filled with entertainment?

We don't use the phone anymore! When I am going to actually meet a friend in person, everything is set up through email, if one of us is late there is an obligatory text. As a teenager, you couldn't get me OFF the phone. I would talk on the phone for hours to a friend I saw everyday; it was a lot of fun, sharing and laughing together. Once I started IMming, I never went back. Now I can log onto Meebo and talk to 10 people at once, and eat or work on a spreadsheet all at the same time. I think I became an expert multitasker, but really, what did we do before computers? Were we really that much less productive?

I don't mind communicating this way, but I worry about the future. Soon we will all be more concerned with what our avatars look like. We won't get family pets we will just take care of our animals in Farmville. We won't cook actual meals when we can make em in Cafe World. We will stop looking for new friends and instead look for new sisters in Sorority Life, where- we can also go shopping and have virtual relationships.

I can't wait for 3D tvs, cars that drive themselves with some simple input commands, the capacity to order take out from our cable boxes, and the day we will all be able to work at home attending conference calls with our avatars on the screen. But i dread technology overtaking our privacy and individuality more than it already has.

Love, Mii

Give a Little- But Who Gives a Lot?

The quake that hit Haiti was awful, they are in dire need of food, medical supplies, body bags, doctors and much more. Some people here still haven't gotten word on their relatives, others received very bad news. Of course we are helping, we are Americans - but I am so tired of the FaceBook/MySpace/Twitter posts and countless emails and ads asking people to text and donate $5, 10 or $20. How much money is AIG donating to Haiti? After our government gave them millions for their own mistakes?? Plus, you are asking people who make minimum wage to basically donate an hour of their time in wages, can't Oprah, Brangelina or Bill Gates spare a few million? The sad thing is, even kids are getting involved because Wyclef Jean started a fund. Great for him- how much money does he have in comparison to your average 19 year old?

Who is helping people in the United States that are homeless, jobless or hungry? We treat our illegal immigrants better than our own citizens. Guess who the majority recipients of welfare, section 8 and WIC are? If you are an American with no passport/green card it is nearly impossible to get a drivers permit. Oh wait...you have a green card? Step right up!

Housing prices are ridiculously high, so high that a married couple who both work full time with a decent HHI cannot afford a decent home! Who is helping us?

But, sadly- a lot of us are treating the Haitian people, who we don't know, better than our own friends. So many people will look at a friend in desperate need of money or a place to stay, and give a generic response such as "thats too bad" or "I wish I could help". Why are we more willing to help strangers than neighbors?

I don't want this post to sound as if I don't give back to those in need - I do. I just think its unfair that taxpayers end up paying for everything.

The Death Cure

We spend so much time, money and resources searching for cures for horrible diseases like cancer and AIDS. What about a cure for death - the biggest killer of them all? ;)

Seriously, why do we just ACCEPT that cells are born and then die. What if we need to redefine what death actually means? What if there is a way to rejuvenate cells like when they first developed, make a heart beat again and a brain functional? How do we know that death is not temporary if we embalm people, and soon after either bury them or cremate them?

I am sure we could figure out how to make people live longer, if not forever. We are just allowed to die so the population can keep procreating and have room for all the new offspring - and if no one died we would get so overcrowded we would have no air to breathe.

But, they would lose so much drug money and hospital money that our government would never allow it. Sorry Walt Disney- I think you are gonna have to remain a deadhead.

Fabulous Apartment---won't last!

Since searching for a nice apartment is a daunting task, you would think building managers and real estate agents who list the properties would take care in posting apartments for rent/sale. Here are some tips for you owners, property managers, real estate agents and roommates posting properties for rent/sale:

If I click on your ad to see pictures of the place, but instead find one of a balding real estate agent, i immediately close it without reading.

Why are you posting pictures of the toilet? With the seat up I may add...

Don't say "railroad apartment" like its a good thing.

Ground floor? Yeah...most people don't want to live on the ground floor because there is less heat, more noise, easier break ins.

A seperate entrance is nice..except when its in your garage. Umm..how am I supposed to get pizza deliveries??

I read a posting for some idiot looking for a share, 1,000 p/month..but it was a clothing free house. So I am supposed to dish out 1,000 for a share and also shed my clothes at the door?

A shared apartment is different than renting a room. Don't advertise a shared apartment but say there is no kitchen/living room access.

A balcony is someplace you can put a small table and chairs and hang out. A balcony is NOT a tiny space out the window where you can stand and not be able to move.

A great apartment over an Indian restaurant is NOT a great apartment. Unless you'd like to pay for the privledge of your clothes smelling like curry and rats running around while you sleep.

Oh an apartment that includes heat-FREE!! Duh--we normally do not pay for heat in NYC buddy.

A pre-war building translates to OLD and in need of repair. Shit will break down at least once a year.

If you say section 8 welcome, what about the rest of us?>why are you even advertising to the rest of us?

No smoking in the apartment is bullshit. As are no dogs---a pit bull, sure I get it. But what harm will a 5 lb. chihuahua do?

No cats allowed? Do you have mice in this building?

Border of Rego Park??!!! Only not near to anything at all!! In the ghetto!!!

If you list a place as totally renovated..renovated does NOT mean a fresh coat of paint and leaky faucets. It means a stainless steel kitchen , new tiles, granite counter tops and everything in new working condition.

Everyone wants to live in Manhattan and you can charge exorbitant prices. But an apartment rental for Saturday and Sundays only? where am i living Monday-Friday?

Close to transportation is good. Close to a local bus or 2-fare zone is NOT good.

2 Bedrooms for 1,000 a month? Oh you have studio, one, two and three bedrooms starting from 1,000. Not cool.

It is really frustrating when I see an apartment I actually like and then see a disclaimer below *photos may not be actual representation of apartment for rent. why not???????

A great apartment with pool access would have an actual pool on the rooftop, not be a Russian bath house on the ground floor. *shudders*

Quaint should not be used to describe anything livable.

I don't call it an ocean view when I've got to lean my neck 10 feet out the widow to see a flash of blue on the right from the corner of my eye.

No parking space but easy street parking? Yeah, in NYC there is no such thing as easy street parking. Except if by easy you mean driving around in circles for half an hour and then finally parking 10 blocks away.

And this place won't last long? Then why has it been on craigslist and trulia for more than 2 years?