beautifulpeople.net
"beautifulpeople.net —introducing beautiful people to other beautiful people".
No, this web address isn't some kind stupid joke. Oh, no! This is real live, really serious stuff for those elitist plastic fantastics on the look for—no, not Miss or Mr Right, but—Miss or Mr Perfect!
Those hoping to gain membership must first submit a photo of themselves. A rating process invites existing members of the opposite sex to vote on whether a new applicant is 'beautiful' enough to be granted a membership, while those who don't measure up are ruthlessly booted off. I'm not sure exactly what happens if a member breaks the rules by say putting on weight, losing their suntan, forgetting to use their tooth whitener or, perish the thought, having too many birthdays. I guess they’re booted out too.
Organisers say only one in 15 applications passes this stringent process—but claim more than 500 apply each day. "People are fed up of wasting time and money meeting unattractive people on the net," explained a spokesman for the site, "beautifulpeople.net isn't about political correctness. We simply and unashamedly exist so that beautiful people can meet other beautiful people."
Does anyone else find this as ludicrous as me? What about finding your soul mate based on compatibility, friendship and true love? Isn't intelligence attractive? Doesn't being a good person count for something? What about having a great sense of humour, or being brave and courageous? And, surely being kind and caring should tip the scales of love in your favour?
But wait just an eyebrow plucking moment, how many people are fortunate enough to be born with a beautiful body and a perfect face anyway? It frequently takes a lot of hard work and effort to be a 'beautiful person'! It can take years of dreary dieting, countless hours of exercise, and endless pill popping to achieve that 'perfect' body. And, let's not forget it takes a lot of guts to allow a surgeon to slice into your face to achieve nothing less that the perfect nose, chin, or what ever. Not to mention how brave you have to be to allow someone to stick a steel tube into your belly or thighs, or both, in order to have that 'excess' fat sucked out! And, what about those age defying martyrs who suffer the agony of having poison injected into their faces to hide their smile lines? Yes, the list of gruelling and painful practices and procedures some people are prepared to endure for the sake of vanity goes on and on—mercifully, for those reading this, I won't.
In fairness, some people really are just simply born beautiful. So, maybe I'm being too harsh on the 'beautifulpeople.net'? After all isn't this group just the non-intellectual equivalent of Mensa? Nobody knocks Mensa. These 'beautiful people' may not have mastered quantum physics or understand Einstein's theory of relativity, but damn it, most of them will have worked tirelessly at preening themselves and perfecting their poses! We never criticise like-minded intelligent people enjoying each other's company. So, alternatively, what's so silly about beautiful bodied, clone faced people mixing and mingling?
Well, unfortunately, unlike intelligence, courage, kindness, and many other qualities we look for in a mate, the concept of physical beauty is constantly changing. Like it or not, the way we look is just a temporary and superficial measure of who we are, since every minutes of every day we're all changing and aging—it's just the natural process of life.
Please, I'm not suggesting that a great looking man, or woman, can't possess many of the same mate-attracting attributes as their plainer looking brothers and sisters. And, I'm not saying that people who have gain success because of their looks are any less deserving of those who haven't. Intelligence and beauty, however, are largely to do with our environment and genetics, both of which we have no control over.
Certainly few things in life are worthier of celebration than ‘beauty’. It's just that, I really think we're sinking to all new levels of shallowness when groups like this rear their ugly heads.
Saturday, November 24, 2007
Tuesday, November 20, 2007
My Silver Slippers
As I sit here, in my comfy slippers, I just can't help but think—"Oh, the pressures of looking gorgeous and glamorous for, us, women."
It's easy for men, but when the invitation says "black tie" it invariable means high heels for their partners. I mean, I'm no fashionista, but even I realise it's just not a good look to wear pair of shoes that look like a couple of giant squashed olives with a cocktail dress. Eek! However, especially for any length of time, a pair of high heels can be one of the most uncomfortable items in a woman's wardrobe. So, why do women wear them? It's vanity, I tell you, that's what it is that makes women sacrifice comfort for compliments!
It's like, what makes a Hollywood actress look so damned hot and sexy strutting her stuff on the red carpet? Is it her fabulously flawless face and overly coiffured hair? The skimpy designer gown that's barely covering her hotter than hot body? Or, even, the million dollar jewels she's managed mooch a loan of? Oh, no, no! I tell you, it's those damned skyscraper heels she's so practised at wearing, that's what it is!
I ask you, what red-blooded male can resist a woman in high heels? And, as any hetrosexual man will tell you, a pair of stilettos will always make curvaceous legs look even longer and lovelier. Yep, whether a woman's doing a sexy strut in the bedroom, or a twirl on the dance floor, a pair of spiky heels will most surely boost, not only her butt, but her sex appeal too!
I suppose I shouldn't complain so much. I'm a very average shoe size, so at least I have a good choice of styles. I have friend who's almost 180cm and her feet are much longer to match. I mean, not Sideshow Bob big, but large enough that it's really difficult for her to find anything that's doesn't come in black or brown, and look like something my granny might wear. She also has legs that go for days, and a face and body that makes men's mouths drop wide open when she walks into a room, so I guess it's only fair that she should have trouble buying shoes.
Ah, but I digress…
Anyway, we've been invited to this 'black tie' evening, again. It's a regular thing every year coming up to Christmas. It just seems so inappropriate, too, to expect men to wear suits and ties in such warm weather. I guess they don't call it the silly season for nothing.Well, I found a pair of gorgeous shoes, but they're not even marginally ambulatory! So, why am I such a victim? Maybe I should just spray paint my slippers silver instead?
As I sit here, in my comfy slippers, I just can't help but think—"Oh, the pressures of looking gorgeous and glamorous for, us, women."
It's easy for men, but when the invitation says "black tie" it invariable means high heels for their partners. I mean, I'm no fashionista, but even I realise it's just not a good look to wear pair of shoes that look like a couple of giant squashed olives with a cocktail dress. Eek! However, especially for any length of time, a pair of high heels can be one of the most uncomfortable items in a woman's wardrobe. So, why do women wear them? It's vanity, I tell you, that's what it is that makes women sacrifice comfort for compliments!
It's like, what makes a Hollywood actress look so damned hot and sexy strutting her stuff on the red carpet? Is it her fabulously flawless face and overly coiffured hair? The skimpy designer gown that's barely covering her hotter than hot body? Or, even, the million dollar jewels she's managed mooch a loan of? Oh, no, no! I tell you, it's those damned skyscraper heels she's so practised at wearing, that's what it is!
I ask you, what red-blooded male can resist a woman in high heels? And, as any hetrosexual man will tell you, a pair of stilettos will always make curvaceous legs look even longer and lovelier. Yep, whether a woman's doing a sexy strut in the bedroom, or a twirl on the dance floor, a pair of spiky heels will most surely boost, not only her butt, but her sex appeal too!
I suppose I shouldn't complain so much. I'm a very average shoe size, so at least I have a good choice of styles. I have friend who's almost 180cm and her feet are much longer to match. I mean, not Sideshow Bob big, but large enough that it's really difficult for her to find anything that's doesn't come in black or brown, and look like something my granny might wear. She also has legs that go for days, and a face and body that makes men's mouths drop wide open when she walks into a room, so I guess it's only fair that she should have trouble buying shoes.
Ah, but I digress…
Anyway, we've been invited to this 'black tie' evening, again. It's a regular thing every year coming up to Christmas. It just seems so inappropriate, too, to expect men to wear suits and ties in such warm weather. I guess they don't call it the silly season for nothing.Well, I found a pair of gorgeous shoes, but they're not even marginally ambulatory! So, why am I such a victim? Maybe I should just spray paint my slippers silver instead?
His World
I did something extraordinary leading up to Christmas; I ventured, all alone, into the hermetically (himetically?) sealed world of the hardware store. The place where sons of Adam take pride in dominating over everything created in metal and wood. Where the only other place a man can feel more like man's man is in his own private Eden—his backyard shed.
I was looking for one of those rotisserie things you attach to a barbeque. I thought it might make an interesting and novel Christmas gift for my other half since the barbie is, without question, his domain. Actually, I think its one of man's most primal urges to want to cook meat over an open fire. It's like "Me big brave hunter—take care of steak and sausages. You, little woman—gatherer of salads and burger buns."
Yes, real men know how to handle a barbie!
But I digress...
So anyway, back to the hardware store where a most affable store assistant approached me. He seemed kind of impressed that I knew the exact make and model of our barbie and began a long explanation about how to install the nifty gadget. I was feeling kind of flattered that he, of the male species, would share his 'superior' knowledge of such complex things as 'drill bits' and 'brackets' with me—one of the mere female variety.
Then, I mentioned my mate and he immediately cut the tutorial short, telling me: "Oh, don't worry then, he'll know how to do it for sure." I felt desolated! I felt deflated! Damn it, I felt dethrone from my position of gender equality! Well, the male of the species giveth, and the male of the species taketh away.
I did something extraordinary leading up to Christmas; I ventured, all alone, into the hermetically (himetically?) sealed world of the hardware store. The place where sons of Adam take pride in dominating over everything created in metal and wood. Where the only other place a man can feel more like man's man is in his own private Eden—his backyard shed.
I was looking for one of those rotisserie things you attach to a barbeque. I thought it might make an interesting and novel Christmas gift for my other half since the barbie is, without question, his domain. Actually, I think its one of man's most primal urges to want to cook meat over an open fire. It's like "Me big brave hunter—take care of steak and sausages. You, little woman—gatherer of salads and burger buns."
Yes, real men know how to handle a barbie!
But I digress...
So anyway, back to the hardware store where a most affable store assistant approached me. He seemed kind of impressed that I knew the exact make and model of our barbie and began a long explanation about how to install the nifty gadget. I was feeling kind of flattered that he, of the male species, would share his 'superior' knowledge of such complex things as 'drill bits' and 'brackets' with me—one of the mere female variety.
Then, I mentioned my mate and he immediately cut the tutorial short, telling me: "Oh, don't worry then, he'll know how to do it for sure." I felt desolated! I felt deflated! Damn it, I felt dethrone from my position of gender equality! Well, the male of the species giveth, and the male of the species taketh away.
Friday, November 9, 2007
The Suntan Fad
Throughout history primitive tribes have worshipped the sun. Indeed, many people still do, while making huge sacrifices! So, what exactly is it about a suntan that so many people perceive as a healthy and sexy look? What's exactly is so gorgeous about skin that's been exposed to the sun until it looks like well-worn leather? And, what's so damned healthy about sunburn, sunspots, and skin cancer?
I tell you, I could baste and bake my poor little bod twelve hours a day, seven days a week and it still wouldn't cook to anything like a well done brown. Sure I'm a blonde, but there's just no way I'm ever going to achieve that photo negative Paris Hilton look unless it's been sprayed on at least five layers of fake tan!
I guess the idea of a tan being glamorous dates back to, the then trendsetter, Coco Chanel. Before she came back from her holiday in... oh, I don't know, some exotic place, that only the rich and famous frequented, no one could have cared less whether or not your skin was tanned. Then, after her little sojourn, almost over night, a suntan became synonymous with a glamorous and leisurely lifestyle.
Actually, before that, I guess a sun tan rather marked you as one of the working class, and certainly not beautiful or something worth striving for. Wasn't it Mr. Darcy from Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice who, upon observing Elizabeth had been spending too much time outdoors, observed, "Her skin has become rather brownish; most unattractive..."?
Just look at Nicole Kidman --I wouldn't have to tell my other half twice, he's madly in lust with that woman!. Yes, just look at her smoother than smooth, paler than pale, milkier than milky complexion. How does she get that way anyway; that incredibly fine and translucent looking skin-- moonbaking? She's just gorgeous! And, I tell you something else, you won't be seeing any premature winkles or aging on her lovely face and body.
So, armed with the knowledge we now have about the dangers of too much sun, why are so many people still so determined to expose themselves to those harmful rays for the sake of darker skin? I ask you, what exactly will it take for the suntan fad to fade into the flaky falderal of fashion's fickle and farcical history?
Throughout history primitive tribes have worshipped the sun. Indeed, many people still do, while making huge sacrifices! So, what exactly is it about a suntan that so many people perceive as a healthy and sexy look? What's exactly is so gorgeous about skin that's been exposed to the sun until it looks like well-worn leather? And, what's so damned healthy about sunburn, sunspots, and skin cancer?
I tell you, I could baste and bake my poor little bod twelve hours a day, seven days a week and it still wouldn't cook to anything like a well done brown. Sure I'm a blonde, but there's just no way I'm ever going to achieve that photo negative Paris Hilton look unless it's been sprayed on at least five layers of fake tan!
I guess the idea of a tan being glamorous dates back to, the then trendsetter, Coco Chanel. Before she came back from her holiday in... oh, I don't know, some exotic place, that only the rich and famous frequented, no one could have cared less whether or not your skin was tanned. Then, after her little sojourn, almost over night, a suntan became synonymous with a glamorous and leisurely lifestyle.
Actually, before that, I guess a sun tan rather marked you as one of the working class, and certainly not beautiful or something worth striving for. Wasn't it Mr. Darcy from Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice who, upon observing Elizabeth had been spending too much time outdoors, observed, "Her skin has become rather brownish; most unattractive..."?
Just look at Nicole Kidman --I wouldn't have to tell my other half twice, he's madly in lust with that woman!. Yes, just look at her smoother than smooth, paler than pale, milkier than milky complexion. How does she get that way anyway; that incredibly fine and translucent looking skin-- moonbaking? She's just gorgeous! And, I tell you something else, you won't be seeing any premature winkles or aging on her lovely face and body.
So, armed with the knowledge we now have about the dangers of too much sun, why are so many people still so determined to expose themselves to those harmful rays for the sake of darker skin? I ask you, what exactly will it take for the suntan fad to fade into the flaky falderal of fashion's fickle and farcical history?
The Bald Truth
You know, every time I hear a man making self-deprecating jokes about his baldness, I have to ask myself, "Why?". I mean, sure women look for certain qualities in choosing a mate, but how often do you hear one say, "Well, what I'm really looking for in a man is hair. Yep, loads of it, and it's all got to be on top of his head."?
I read a quote by actor Bruce Willis a while back, he said, "I don't rely on my hair for my masculinity or my acting." Ah, yes, Bruce Willis, what pure uninhibited masculinity! Why, every word he utters simply drips with testosterone. While so many men in Hollywood literally chop and change their hair to suite the roles they play, Bruce's sexy trade mark, his five o'clock shadow and close cut hair, remains unchanged. What on earth was Demi thinking when she left him for that baby faced what's his name? I just don't get it. What sane woman lets a hot hubby like Bruce slip away? Sure, I realise a lot of women go through crazy mid-life crisises, and maybe so is she, but "Bruce" verses "Ashton"? I mean, ladies, if you had to choose... I mean if you were given a choice... I mean if you could be so fuckin' lucky, honestly, which one would you take?
Ah, but I digress....
Well, sure bald and balding men can be just as sexy as their hairy brothers. Remember the late, the great, the hotter than hot, Yule Brynner? He didn't need hair to make him one of the sexiest men ever? In fact wasn't it his lack of hair that rather intensified his smouldering good looks? What about Britain's sexiest man, Sean Connery? I tell you, with or without hair, that man doesn't get older he just gets hotter. Ed Harris, Woody Harrelson, andr Brendon Fraser, to name just a few, are all losing their hair, but who cares? Hair does not maketh the man.
OK, so, if you're a man concerned about your receding hair line or thinning top, how about following Bruce's lead because, let me tell you, that rugged masculine look is simply tailor-made for you!
But really, how did all this ridiculous obsession with men's hair first come about? Was it perhaps when Delilah hacked off Samson's locks? You know, I think I would have done the same thing, regardless of whether that was really where his strength lay. Like I was just telling someone the other day, I refuse to drool over a man with longer, shinier, or better hair than mine. I want to be the pretty one!
Ah, but I digress again...
Do some men still feel that their masculinity to linked to the hair on their heads? A friend of mine began going bald from a very early age. It bothered him initially, but he's an intelligent man, and he soon realised that it wasn't the changes on the outside, but more specifically the changes on the inside, of his head, that were the real issue. Yes, it's all got to do with attitude. He now proudly shaves his head, and often rubs oil on it too, to make it shiny. Oh, and he has this crazy t-shirt that says: "This mighty sex machine is powered by a cranium solar panel".
So, to all you bald or balding men out there I say, say no to rugs and plugs! Believe me, women are looking for a whole lot more than what is, or isn't, on top of your head. Stop counting those damned hairs, and start listing all of those fine qualities that make you the man you're proud to be!
You know, every time I hear a man making self-deprecating jokes about his baldness, I have to ask myself, "Why?". I mean, sure women look for certain qualities in choosing a mate, but how often do you hear one say, "Well, what I'm really looking for in a man is hair. Yep, loads of it, and it's all got to be on top of his head."?
I read a quote by actor Bruce Willis a while back, he said, "I don't rely on my hair for my masculinity or my acting." Ah, yes, Bruce Willis, what pure uninhibited masculinity! Why, every word he utters simply drips with testosterone. While so many men in Hollywood literally chop and change their hair to suite the roles they play, Bruce's sexy trade mark, his five o'clock shadow and close cut hair, remains unchanged. What on earth was Demi thinking when she left him for that baby faced what's his name? I just don't get it. What sane woman lets a hot hubby like Bruce slip away? Sure, I realise a lot of women go through crazy mid-life crisises, and maybe so is she, but "Bruce" verses "Ashton"? I mean, ladies, if you had to choose... I mean if you were given a choice... I mean if you could be so fuckin' lucky, honestly, which one would you take?
Ah, but I digress....
Well, sure bald and balding men can be just as sexy as their hairy brothers. Remember the late, the great, the hotter than hot, Yule Brynner? He didn't need hair to make him one of the sexiest men ever? In fact wasn't it his lack of hair that rather intensified his smouldering good looks? What about Britain's sexiest man, Sean Connery? I tell you, with or without hair, that man doesn't get older he just gets hotter. Ed Harris, Woody Harrelson, andr Brendon Fraser, to name just a few, are all losing their hair, but who cares? Hair does not maketh the man.
OK, so, if you're a man concerned about your receding hair line or thinning top, how about following Bruce's lead because, let me tell you, that rugged masculine look is simply tailor-made for you!
But really, how did all this ridiculous obsession with men's hair first come about? Was it perhaps when Delilah hacked off Samson's locks? You know, I think I would have done the same thing, regardless of whether that was really where his strength lay. Like I was just telling someone the other day, I refuse to drool over a man with longer, shinier, or better hair than mine. I want to be the pretty one!
Ah, but I digress again...
Do some men still feel that their masculinity to linked to the hair on their heads? A friend of mine began going bald from a very early age. It bothered him initially, but he's an intelligent man, and he soon realised that it wasn't the changes on the outside, but more specifically the changes on the inside, of his head, that were the real issue. Yes, it's all got to do with attitude. He now proudly shaves his head, and often rubs oil on it too, to make it shiny. Oh, and he has this crazy t-shirt that says: "This mighty sex machine is powered by a cranium solar panel".
So, to all you bald or balding men out there I say, say no to rugs and plugs! Believe me, women are looking for a whole lot more than what is, or isn't, on top of your head. Stop counting those damned hairs, and start listing all of those fine qualities that make you the man you're proud to be!
Plastic No So Fantastic
Plastic surgery is nothing new, particularly in Southern California. It is after all land of the beautiful people. A while back, however, while on holidays, I saw adverisments offering women genital cosmetic surgery, “labiaplasty” (nipping women’s genital lips), “vaginal rejuvenation” (tightening the vaginal muscles) and “vaginal reconstruction” (tightening, shaping, sculpting).
One advertisement reads, in part: "Women experiencing sexual dysfunction or embarrassment because their labia (labia minora) are over-sized or asymmetrical. Also women who dislike the large size or shape of their labia, which may cause inelegance or awkwardness with a sexual partner.”
Inelegant or awkward! Well, hello?? Sex isn't always going to be an erotic version of Mills and Boon novel, now is it? Will cutting away part of the labia really make a woman more sexually attractive? Is an "over sized labia" really such a handicap? Or an "asymmetrial labia" really so ugly?
What sort of society is it where women fret about what's between their legs to the extent of considering, and obviously in many cases submitting to, this type of surgery?
Sure, women worrying about their body size and shape is nothing new. Look at our society's obsession with ideal body. It's turning countless teenage girls into anorexics, and it's leaving a legacy of women suffering the effects of fad diets, body scarring, and leaky fake boobs.
Now, it should go without saying, I have no problem what so ever with anyone taking full advantage of reconstructive surgery. Certainly, people who have birth defects or accidents, and women, who have suffered major changes to their bodies due to pregancy and childbirth, should certainly have the option of corrective procedures without compunction.
But, it seems to me that pharmacists, plastic surgeons, and marketing companies are getting richer every day by convincing us all that our bodies are inadequate!
Surely being able to accept yourself, love your face and body, and to use it confidently with your partner is what good sex and body image should be all about.
Plastic surgery is nothing new, particularly in Southern California. It is after all land of the beautiful people. A while back, however, while on holidays, I saw adverisments offering women genital cosmetic surgery, “labiaplasty” (nipping women’s genital lips), “vaginal rejuvenation” (tightening the vaginal muscles) and “vaginal reconstruction” (tightening, shaping, sculpting).
One advertisement reads, in part: "Women experiencing sexual dysfunction or embarrassment because their labia (labia minora) are over-sized or asymmetrical. Also women who dislike the large size or shape of their labia, which may cause inelegance or awkwardness with a sexual partner.”
Inelegant or awkward! Well, hello?? Sex isn't always going to be an erotic version of Mills and Boon novel, now is it? Will cutting away part of the labia really make a woman more sexually attractive? Is an "over sized labia" really such a handicap? Or an "asymmetrial labia" really so ugly?
What sort of society is it where women fret about what's between their legs to the extent of considering, and obviously in many cases submitting to, this type of surgery?
Sure, women worrying about their body size and shape is nothing new. Look at our society's obsession with ideal body. It's turning countless teenage girls into anorexics, and it's leaving a legacy of women suffering the effects of fad diets, body scarring, and leaky fake boobs.
Now, it should go without saying, I have no problem what so ever with anyone taking full advantage of reconstructive surgery. Certainly, people who have birth defects or accidents, and women, who have suffered major changes to their bodies due to pregancy and childbirth, should certainly have the option of corrective procedures without compunction.
But, it seems to me that pharmacists, plastic surgeons, and marketing companies are getting richer every day by convincing us all that our bodies are inadequate!
Surely being able to accept yourself, love your face and body, and to use it confidently with your partner is what good sex and body image should be all about.
Be Happy
I was reading an article about the late Christina Onassis the other day, while I was waiting to have my hair trimmed. I'd decided to lash out a little and have it washed and blow dried also. Apparently, the world's wealthiest woman was a very 'down to earth' kind of lady, in fact, although it was never actually confirmed, it was rumored that she even used to wash her own hair!
Sure, I'm sure she had her ups and downs, just like all of us of 'down to earth' people, but I guess, too, it's all relative. Like this morning when I took my jeans out of the washer only to find they were covered in little pieces of fluff white stuff. I just bet Ms Onassis never experienced the frustration of discovering she'd accidently left a tissue in the pocket of her jeans when she washed them.Then again, on the flip side, maybe one of the reasons she was reputed to be so damned miserable most of her life was that, and I know this is very cliched, she never really enjoyed the simple things in life.
It's interesting to note studies done by the University of Illinois and University of Pennsylvania, last year, revealed that a nation's economic fortitude is not as tied to the well-being of its citizens as previous believed."It has been assumed that money increases well-being and, although money can be measured with exactitude, it is an inexact surrogate to the actual well-being of a nation. In a 1985 survey, respondents from the Forbes list of the 400 richest Americans and the Maasai of East Africa were almost equally satisfied and ranked relatively high in well-being. The Maasai are a traditional herding people who have no electricity or running water and live in huts made of dung. It follows, that economic development and personal income must not account for the happiness that they are so often linked to."Instead, the researchers propose that a population's "engagement, purpose and meaning, optimism and trust, and positive and negative emotions in specific areas such as work life and social relationships" should be considered when measuring the strength of a nation.
The sad truth is that we're twice as rich as we were in 1957, but only half as happy. Dr. David Myers, authority on the psychology of happiness: "Never has a culture experienced such physical comfort combined with such psychological misery. Never have we felt so free, or had our prisons so overstuffed. Never have we been so sophisticated about pleasure, or so likely to suffer broken relationships."
Myers dubs us "the doubly affluent society." In nearly 50 years, we have twice as many cars per person. Our homes are bigger and our families are smaller. We have microwave ovens, dishwashers, and so many more labour saving appliances. Plasma screen TVs, home computers, and endless other gadgets and gizmos for our entertainment pleasure. We spend billions a year in restaurants, bars, and spas. Yet, despite this 'wealth', we're not as happy as our parents and grandparents!
Damn it!
Of course money provides our material needs but does it ever fully satisfy our material wants? Like a drug, it gives us a short burst of happiness, but what is enough to satisfy us completely long term? It's the phenomenon scientists call the "hedonic treadmill". We get a pay rise, we spend more, we spend more so we need a pay rise, and so on.
Ah, but I digress.
So, back to me at the hairdressers. Well, after I had my hair done, I went home and had a good look in the mirror. My hair didn't really look very different just shorter. The herbal essences, exotic extracts, and all the other goodies, that were supposed to be in the shampoo, once again, just hadn't worked the same magic they always seem to in the ads.
Later, when my other half came home he glanced at me and said, "Your hair looks good." Let me tell you, that gave me a buzz money just couldn't buy!
Footnote: In the same magazine there was an article about Christina Onassis' daughter, Anitha. Often dubbed 'the poor little rich girl', she was recently quoted as saying, " I just want to be like everyone else." It's kind of ironic isn't it, that money just can't buy that for her?
I was reading an article about the late Christina Onassis the other day, while I was waiting to have my hair trimmed. I'd decided to lash out a little and have it washed and blow dried also. Apparently, the world's wealthiest woman was a very 'down to earth' kind of lady, in fact, although it was never actually confirmed, it was rumored that she even used to wash her own hair!
Sure, I'm sure she had her ups and downs, just like all of us of 'down to earth' people, but I guess, too, it's all relative. Like this morning when I took my jeans out of the washer only to find they were covered in little pieces of fluff white stuff. I just bet Ms Onassis never experienced the frustration of discovering she'd accidently left a tissue in the pocket of her jeans when she washed them.Then again, on the flip side, maybe one of the reasons she was reputed to be so damned miserable most of her life was that, and I know this is very cliched, she never really enjoyed the simple things in life.
It's interesting to note studies done by the University of Illinois and University of Pennsylvania, last year, revealed that a nation's economic fortitude is not as tied to the well-being of its citizens as previous believed."It has been assumed that money increases well-being and, although money can be measured with exactitude, it is an inexact surrogate to the actual well-being of a nation. In a 1985 survey, respondents from the Forbes list of the 400 richest Americans and the Maasai of East Africa were almost equally satisfied and ranked relatively high in well-being. The Maasai are a traditional herding people who have no electricity or running water and live in huts made of dung. It follows, that economic development and personal income must not account for the happiness that they are so often linked to."Instead, the researchers propose that a population's "engagement, purpose and meaning, optimism and trust, and positive and negative emotions in specific areas such as work life and social relationships" should be considered when measuring the strength of a nation.
The sad truth is that we're twice as rich as we were in 1957, but only half as happy. Dr. David Myers, authority on the psychology of happiness: "Never has a culture experienced such physical comfort combined with such psychological misery. Never have we felt so free, or had our prisons so overstuffed. Never have we been so sophisticated about pleasure, or so likely to suffer broken relationships."
Myers dubs us "the doubly affluent society." In nearly 50 years, we have twice as many cars per person. Our homes are bigger and our families are smaller. We have microwave ovens, dishwashers, and so many more labour saving appliances. Plasma screen TVs, home computers, and endless other gadgets and gizmos for our entertainment pleasure. We spend billions a year in restaurants, bars, and spas. Yet, despite this 'wealth', we're not as happy as our parents and grandparents!
Damn it!
Of course money provides our material needs but does it ever fully satisfy our material wants? Like a drug, it gives us a short burst of happiness, but what is enough to satisfy us completely long term? It's the phenomenon scientists call the "hedonic treadmill". We get a pay rise, we spend more, we spend more so we need a pay rise, and so on.
Ah, but I digress.
So, back to me at the hairdressers. Well, after I had my hair done, I went home and had a good look in the mirror. My hair didn't really look very different just shorter. The herbal essences, exotic extracts, and all the other goodies, that were supposed to be in the shampoo, once again, just hadn't worked the same magic they always seem to in the ads.
Later, when my other half came home he glanced at me and said, "Your hair looks good." Let me tell you, that gave me a buzz money just couldn't buy!
Footnote: In the same magazine there was an article about Christina Onassis' daughter, Anitha. Often dubbed 'the poor little rich girl', she was recently quoted as saying, " I just want to be like everyone else." It's kind of ironic isn't it, that money just can't buy that for her?
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