Monday, August 03, 2009

Should a new phone really make me that happy?

Apple bling iPhone wallpaperImage by The Pug Father via Flickr

This post has been on the back burner (and on my mind) for a few weeks now. The story that it reminds me of most in my own life has to do with all the words exchanged about whether the Palm Pre is/was a better phone than the iPhone.

Here's my take, "Who cares?"

I'll be happy with my iPhone and you be happy with your Pre, cool? Honestly, I'd hope that technology continues to improve itself and, in conjunction, improve our lives. If the iPhone didn't have competition... well, let's just say that Apple is good, but can't be relied upon for every technological advance to be made in mobile phone technology.

Right about the time I was secretly laughing at the arguments amongst friends about whether the Pre or the iPhone were "the best," Seth Godin wrote a blog post that really hit home; the objectivity and subjectivity that occurs in the world...
"The external world is remarkably consistent, and yet we blame it for what's going on inside of us. People who think the world is going to end always manage to find a new thing that's going to cause it to end. People itching to be bummed out all day long will certainly find an external event that give their emotion some causal cover. The thinking happens long before the event that we blame the thinking on."
So true. Half full or half empty? You are what you eat; you are what you tweet.

Seth then asks the question, "Should a new phone really make you that happy?" And, I answer, it depends on how long you waited to upgrade. :-) I got sold on the iPhone when I was sitting in the The Tune Inn on Penn in DC and remembered that I had to send an email to our membership base, some hundred thousand plus strong, when my friend turned his iPhone around on the table, slid it over to me and said, "Can you do it with this?" Oh yeah, cheeseburgers, beers and nothing like sending a political email blast from one of the greatest dive bars in America.
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22 comments:

Anonymous said...

Adore your musings. Don't stop.

Robert Zamees said...

I won't. I promise. IF, you continue to share them with those who like to giggle... and think. Okay, fine. I'll keep writing whether you do or don't. Won't I? Maybe. Yeah, sure... I can't help it. Feels too true to my mission when I muse.

Anonymous said...

Good. Your fellow creative and analytic thinkers need your thoughts. I'm not following you on Twitter, but I do read your tweets from time to time. It's odd, sometimes I think my tendency to overthink makes me understand the deeper meaning in your seemingly random tweets. Perhaps not. Perhaps that is my mind searching for something. Either way, I dig 'em. The dimples, too.

Robert Zamees said...

:-) I need (NOTE: NEED) more creative and analytic thinkers in my life... NEED 'EM. If you are over-thinking then you are very likely to be getting what I'm talkin' about completely.

They are never, ever random tweets; they are the mystery of me waiting for someone that has a key.

I don't mind not being followed; as long as I can connect with people such as yourself here or there or somewhere else, that's what I'm doing all of this for. And, on that note, if you want me to follow, please shoot me a tweet and I'll make sure that I am!

Cheers,
@zamees

Anonymous said...

I get it. As do I.

No random tweets? Love it. Mine are at times an electronic allegory. Metaphors are my friend.

I tweet about design, art + fashion. Some personal things, but I refrain more often than not. The main reason being that I don't have the courage to put my inner being out there like you do; I admire you for it.

More soon.

Robert Zamees said...

I look forward to "more soon."

In regard to putting oneself out there, part of the mystery is not revealing the whole story, yet make it interesting enough that everyone else fills in the blank with their own idea of what might have happened.

After she walked right past me--without seeing me, mind you--I texted her... and the response was so...

Gotcha. Captured. Tell me more!

Anonymous said...

...and the response was so reassuring to me that her heart did, in fact, mirror mine! Though my chest swelled with excitement and a literal warmth spread throughout my entire being, I looked on, despite the overwhelming emotional distraction taking place in my soul. As she brushed a strand of her blonde hair back from her face, her goofy schoolgirl-esque grin came back into view; it was outshined only by her beautiful eyes, which were dancing with electric emotion. For me.

I continued to study her closely as she began to thoughtfully tap out a reply...

(I'm not a writer. But you probably have gathered that... By the way, now you have my email. Enjoyed your post this morning.)

;)

Robert Zamees said...

See! In reality...

...the response was so dubious that I shook my head in stupidity; one for still having her number in my phone and two for forgetting that her balloon is the kind to be at the mercy of the wind, never to be tied to a young child's wrist long enough to recognize the joy of standing still.

;-)

Anonymous said...

Eh, a balloon which remains at the mercy of the wind is gonna end up tangled in a tree and pop eventually. Ha.

;)

Robert Zamees said...

I've been to the balloon graveyard... it's a trip, a REAL trip. I was sailing a distance race out on the Pacific Ocean and all the balloons that'd recently been lost ended up in the same space of sea... wind patterns, swell... you know there is this great gathering of floating debris out in the middle of the ocean? Well, this wasn't it, but there were a ton of balloons up in this particular space.

I genuflected and went back to my sheets (and my rum).

Anonymous said...

Well that's most appropriate; all of the ballloons which couldn't be tied down, ended up together. Fitting.

I say this with a grin. Some people deserve each other. And yes, as a fellow thinker, you know this may be taken a multitude of ways.

I wouldn't mind being tied to a child's wrist. And I'd like my balloon in pink, please.

Robert Zamees said...

"Ended up together" totally made me giggle. Thank you.

Do I know you? Real world? Virtually?

Anonymous said...

You are most welcome.

Real world? No. Virtually? Indirectly, I suppose. We've been on the same statuses in times past. You'd probably recognize my profile photo.

And I'd recognize yours too...even when you're turned around wearing a blue polo shirt. ;) That site is a project for when I have more time to take it in properly, however. Looking forward to it.

Robert Zamees said...

I look forward to our continued sharing! :-)

BTW, that guy in the blue shirt... hey, I'm wearing his shirt right now... well, he is the protagonist in my book. Rewrite is SO CLOSE to being complete! I'm gonna find some way to seriously celebrate that accomplishment.

Anonymous said...

As do I. :)

Congratulations on the near completion and also for translating the language of your soul onto paper- a task nearly impossible for but a small percentage of the truly gifted. Thinkers are hot.

Robert Zamees said...

Thinkers are hot and I sure long to find more of them in my local hood.

Anonymous said...

Mmmhh, I do as well.

Night~

Anonymous said...

I saw this on Twitter this morning and for some reason, you came to mind: "The most powerful weapon on earth is the human soul on fire."

Good stuff.

I put the clues together & found your site. I was absolutely blown away. I have more words, but I have to find them first.

Robert Zamees said...

"The most powerful weapon on earth is the human soul on fire."

Powerful, but sounds painful! However, I'm not so far off from that feeling right now, more "fired up" than "on fire."

Thank for the kind compliments, I'm so motivated to write more when I get them. Thank you. Thank you!

When you have your words, I'll be here.

Anonymous said...

Dear Mr. Dark Time,

Hope the sun shines again for u soon.

Signed,
Me

Robert Zamees said...

A drunken evening with a great friend seems to have let the light back in. :-)

Anonymous said...

Ah, that'll do it every time! Glad to hear it! *grin*