Random Thoughts on the nature of Media and the effect it has on culture

So as I scrolled down my face book page today there was a posting by NPR that mentioned that When the Cosby show was in it's hay day it had a viewing audience of 25 million and that Currently American Idol only has 15 million. This got me to thinking. Does the proliferation of media content and the ways to access it diminish the experience homogeneity of the American popular culture experience, effectively segregating the country.

For example: When TV was first Broadcast there were three channels now there are hundreds. When there was only three the American population only had three choices, therefor if you were watching TV (Which as we Know not everyone was ) you were exposed to one of three experiences. Now you don't even have to watch "regular" TV at all or even cable, there is net flicks, Hulu, DVR's, and many, many other ways to choose what media watch. In a short space of years we have gone from Saturday morning Cartoons to multiple cartoon Channels. My question is 'Is this diversification and personalization of media contributing to the divided atmosphere of the country?'

My hypothesis is that as we are more able to personalize the type of media we ingest we loose a common cultural base, thus further separating the American public. It makes it harder to say to a neighbor 'Did you see (Insert show here) last night?' and thus decreasing common experiences. Then as you take that on a National Scale no wonder are country is becoming more and more polarized. We can't find common ground because we don't have a common basis for reference making it harder and harder to relate to each other. We don't have to listen to the 'other guys' opinion we can search out media that only backs up our own opinion.

Don't get me wrong I love all the variety and the options and I think that there is so much good that comes out of people being able to express there opinions through social media (otherwise I wouldn't have this blog). It make me question though if there should be some type of common cultural basis for our country that gives us a place to start from. I love the diversity of our country and I would hate to lose that, but I would really like to see us pull together and function as a whole as opposed to two sides of a coin.

I know there are many other ideas and variables that contribuate to this division. I don't have the answer I am much better at coming up with the question :) Tell me what you think.

All my love..... Jennette

"Back" in bed / Ms Inferrtility but's in yet again

So it has been a rough week I have been in bed the last two days due to injuring my back by sitting on the floor. Yep you read that right I sat on my floor in my bedroom to look at clothes under my bed and I suddenly had an excruciating pain up the left side of my back, I couldn't breath and I couldn't sit up straight. I then got to drive my self to insta care after trying to call people while I couldn't breath deeply. I then had to wait for another hour to get in with the Dr at the insta care all for him to give me a shot to relax and kill the pain and tell me It was probably caused by sleep deprivations and stress. In the midst of all this I was trying to get my work covered and texting with people. This stressed me out even more. I admit there are definitely times I am not a spectacular worker but this was really bad because I forgot a report last week and it affected a lot of people. The hearing ended up being rescheduled. The Dr put me on naproxin and hydracondone so I can't drive and I am home in bed with the net book.

Last year I went to the adoption conference for work and listened to a woman talk about her journey with Infertility in titled Miss Infertility the uninvited guest at my life's party. I have adopted her idea of Miss Infertility as an uninvited guest that shows up at life events. There are the obvious times when she invades your space and mind such as baby showers and blessings, Every time you find out some one else is pregnant and mothers and fathers day, but then there are the unexpected times like getting a x-ray.

Yesterday they did a chest and back x-ray to check for pneumonia and tumors (yes they actually told me that) and every time they do an x ray they ask you if there is any chance you are pregnant. So because I have Poly Cystic Ovarian Syndrome (PCOS) I have a very erratic menstrual cycle and will go months with out a period. Due to the fact it has been since November they had me do a pregnancy test. And as with every pregnancy test I take ( even though I know how unlikely it is) I start day dreaming of it coming back positive, how I would react, telling Sam, telling others, when would it be due, going to the Dr. etc etc...... and then the inevitable " your good" which is their way of saying you are not pregnant and I hear yep your still broken can't do the one thing I woman is supposed to be able to do. Something a lot of people do on accident ( this is very apparent at my job ). They don't know that it breaks my heart a little bit more every time I hear it. So as I do my x ray there Ms Infertility sits in the corner laughing and putting me down.

So, how do I end this? I want to end on a positive note so I will talk about Martin Luther King Jr. This last Monday was MLK day I am so inspired by the life and Message of Dr. King. I think the world can really learn from the underlying theme of non violence and love. I strive every day to send more love to the world and to banish hate from my life. I am not perfect by any means but it is my goal to choose love every day.

All my love ..... Jennette

Feeling good, dieting not quite so good

So I a feeling really happy today it may be because I forgot to take my medication but oh well I will take what I can get :) Have you ever felt too good to work? That is where I am at today. I wish we could call off for feeling good. "Sorry boss, I can't come to work today because I feel to happy and it would just kill my buzz." I know it corny but It makes me chuckle. I often find my self more amusing than others do, but oh well. :)

On the life style change ( As I really shouldn't call it a diet, because diets end and frankly this can't if I want to actually get healthy (and as to if I really want to is another topic all together)). I Have been trying to make healthier choices eating oatmeal for breakfast, getting grilled chicken sandwiches with out sauce. Trying to eat more fruits and vegetables etc.... I have gone for two walks since I wrote last which is better than nothing. I still want to exercise more. If I could set up an ideal exercise program in my mind. It would be 1 hour yoga every morning, Then 30 minuets of cardio either running, elliptical or my really preference Dancing and then 30 minuets of strength training alternating days of upper and lower body. I really miss dancing with a group though. May be I should suggest the 30 minuet Dance party break at work. We all have 30 minuets 3 days a week to exercise. We could commander a conference room get one of those spinney lights at Spencer's and crank some music with a great beat and just let go. Personally I think it would be great for moral and team building.

Eating changes seem to be the hardest for me due to the eating out 3 times a day. If anyone has any suggestions I would love to hear them.

Well I had better get back to work

All my love..... Jennette

To Diet or not to Diet that is the question

This seems to be the eternal question for me. I am currently at my heaviest weight ever and I am plagued again by the question Should I try and lose weight. I am the queen of losing 20 lbs. It seems every time I focus on losing weight I lose 20 lbs and then I lose my motivation ( It may have been hiding in the 20 lbs I lost). My main excuse for not trying to lose weight right now is time. As in I don't have the time, I can't find the time, it takes to much time, energy, focus etc..... With working 40 hours a week, 20 hours of internship plus grad school classes this is an easy excuse to use.

My reasons to lose weight are plentiful. Here are just a few: 1) I will just keep getting fatter if I don't do something. 2) The likely hood of me ever getting pregnant reduces even more with every pound I gain. 3) I only getting older and it it will just keep getting harder to lose weight. 4) I'm pre-diabetic 5) My legs hurt all the time 6) My knees kill when I go up stairs or stand up 7) I look like shit or Jello if you want to talk specifically about my stomach 8) I feel like I am better than this, not better than other people who are over weight (I don't want to be misunderstood here), I know how to lose weight and I know I should and I know I can do it. I just don't seem to be able to get past the it will take to long/ I don't have the time etc.... crap.

It doesn't matter how busy I am there is always a healthier choice on what to put in my mouth even if I have to eat out three times a day due to my schedule. I have three half hours a week I can work out when I am at work plus I am off Saturday and Sunday. I can do this I just need to do it. Why does it seem like the knowledge portion of the event and the doing seem to be on opposite sides of the grand canyon and I am trying to build a bridge between them with tooth picks.

I understand that food is an addiction for me. I eat when I am board and when I want to avoid doing something else. The funny thing is that I am currently doing substance abuse addiction training at my Practicum/Internship. I can completely relate to the addicts when I apply what they say to food. I think I should do a relapse cycle on my food addiction. Sometimes I wish I could process it with them and get my core issues and thinking errors processed by the group. I wonder if the therapeutic community treatment model would work for weight loss. Ok so that is a little bit of a sided track but still.

I feel I need support but I am so ashamed of having failed so many times in the past I don't even like talking about it. I make promises and commitments to myself and I never keep them so I have learned that I can't even trust my self to do what I say. I have tried being accountable to an outside source such as Weight Watchers etc... but that only works for so long I lose the 20 lbs and then I stop. I have reached my 10% goal at Weight Watchers 5 different times. Right now If I was to go for this goal I would need to lose about 23 pounds and ultimately to get my self in to the mid range of acceptable weight for my height I need to lose 100 lbs. That is a lot to look at. Last night on the biggest loser Bob said something that struck me when talking to a man that has already lost 150 lbs and needs to lose 300 lbs more. he said " right now you can't focus on the future you have to focus on what you can/need to do today." I want to try and look at it like that, from a be in this moment perspective. I can't promise myself the future but each moment I can chose not to put the unhealthy option in to my body.

So this morning when I weighed myself (neked none the less, well I guess that is as less as you can get) I weighed 227 pounds my first goal is the 10 % goal which I would like to have done by my Birthday on May 6, 2011. So as nervous as it makes me to put this out there I am going to lose 23 pound by that date. Please give me your support and any tips you have I will try and keep you all posted on how I am doing.

All my love........ Here we go!