Carl Setzer

Perhaps you've heard this trending story about Brian Presley (an actor) & Melissa (a model). (if not, here's a brief summation here ) via Huffington Post Just read David Amerland's piece, When Melissa Met Brian: A Lesson in Social Media Ethics over at Social Media Today. So, my take. Melissa started with the assumption that Brian was attempting to cheat on his wife with her and ran with that. In analysis, this seems an act of arrogance on her part. (The man in the seat next to you is talking to you. The only reason is he wants sleep with you?) Be that as it may, she unleashed the mindless reactivity of the internet. It's amazing how quickly that can get launched and how nearly impossible it is to put that "genie back in the bottle". Sure, it's important for us social media users to think before we post, but we should also consider thinking before acting on something we read. Always remember there are two sides to a story. (Mea cupla: I sa...

Often, I'm tempted by a desire for glamor. This strange need to own a grand, stately, and rather ridiculous home. Then we add a car with chauffer. Perhaps serving staff, or a private jet. At least flying first class (man, the notion of leg-room sounds grand). Yet, it sounds rather empty. When I read such pieces as this one , I am reminded of what I enjoy. The modest pleasures of friends, wine, art. These represent the best I see in life. Though I occasionally get tormented by the fact my life is rather free of grand luxuries, I take solace in the glories within my life. Lest I forget these blessings, I remind myself of those who have so little. These things I take for granted, that seem rather humble to me, actually are grand luxuries to so many who walk this earth with me. That fact humbles me the most.

One challenge of late, being the progressive I am, has been finding the right blend of cost and "quality". Quality is getting special emphasis here as I am adding to the generally understood usage. Besides adhering (or exceeding) our expectations for longevity, accomplishing the product's purpose, and such, I also add quality of life. Meaning, in more depth, impact upon the earth. This is more than just environmental concerns, but also those of social justice. What makes this challenging is the huge array of metrics for "sustainability". There's Fair Trade , Rainforest Alliance , Organic , Utz Kapeh , Monterey Bay Seafood Watch , Forest Stewardship Council , USGBCs LEED , Song Bird Friendly , Slave-Free , etc (this is just what rattles off my head). Few people want to spend time considering their purchases, much less researching the different schemes, blah blah. For me, I often shoot for the easy way. Shopping at such institutions as Whole Foods or PCC...