It seems that in this Holiday Season, a lot of people I know didn't feel very much Christmas Spirit. When I talked to them they said not only they didn't much "sense of the Holiday", but neither did many of their friends. This seeming lack of a Yuletide enthusiasm had me curious, as such things appeal to my psychologist-side, but I couldn't find an answer – until a talk with a co-worker helped clear things up for me.
Culture
Thoughts on Technology, Geekery, And The Change in What Wait Time Is
I now see waiting time a lot differently. Those times at the dentists office or the train station? They're no longer annoying, or where I try to figure out what have to do with myself. They're productive times.
Why? Because I have a Smartphone. I have a computer that just happens to make phone calls. I can spend that time reading, checking email, updating people, and more. I think of my wait time far differently now than I did a few weeks ago
Celebrity Presence And The Failed Die-Out
Awhile ago a variety of celebrities declared themselves dead, not Tweeting and such until enough donations to fight AIDS came in. Despite this being for a good cause, it was a failure at the time as noted. The site now appears to have donations up to par, but it sort of looks like . . . well judge for yourself (http://buylife.org/).
So why didn't this death-on-social-media have an immediate influx of donations? I think part of it was the odd, kind of self-centered method of raising funds and the tastelessness of it. The other part was that the celebrities stopped being celebrities.