Day 40: Neighbors

It used to be ok (maybe even expected) to get to know your neighbors. In todays world we are lost in the technology of being connected to each other and as a result are more alone then ever.

Day 38: TV

It used to be ok to park your kids in front of the TV. Especially on those lazy Saturday mornings when all the best, and when I say best I mean most violent, cartoons were on.

The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) recommends that children under age 2 avoid all TV and kids 2 to 6 years old watch only one to two hours a day.

What are today's parents suppose to do.....

Hopefully the AAP never looks into the effects of southeast Asian immigrant raising our children.



Before we know it we're actually going to be parenting our own children and really who has time for that.

Day 37: Allergies

It used to be ok for a kid to bring a peanut butter sandwich to school. According to the American Allergy and Asthma Care of New York we are twice as allergic as we were 10 years ago. Like the dead coal mine canary I can’t help but wonder if the human immune system is trying to tell us something.

Day 36: Peanuts @ 10,000 ft

It used to be ok to serve peanuts at 10,000 feet. A flight used to include a meal, refreshments, even a pillow and blanket if requested. Flying was luxurious and as a passenger you were made to feel important and appreciated. On a flight today you are lucky to get the seat you paid for never mind any basic comforts. When traveling by air today a person is more likely to feel like a criminal then royalty. Gone are the days of the Concord and here are the days of the air-bus.

Day 35: Common Sense

It used to be ok to assume that people possessed general common sense. Apparently in today’s world this is no longer a reasonable assumption. It is however, reasonable to sue McDonald’s for serving coffee that is too hot just ask Stella Liebeck of Albuquerque, New Mexico who successfully sued McDonald's for 2.7 million.

Day 34: Sexual Harassment

It used to be ok to sexually harass women. In the office "nice work toots" followed by a firm pat on the bottom used to indicate a job well done. In today's work place this kind of appreciation would likely get you fired or at very least a some sensitivity training.

Day 33: Dandelions

It used to be ok to have a few dandelions on your lawn. It's not that people didn't care about the appearance of their homes it just didn't seem that important to have a perfect lawn. As we all expect more of ourselves and each other it seems lawn care has been added to the list of ways we can fail to keep up.

Day 32:Working 9 to 5

I used to be ok to work from 9 to 5. What happened to the 8 hour work day, the 40 hour work week. In todays world work starts at 8 am and still goes to 5.



When did that change and how did everyone not notice?

Day 31: Throw Garbage Out

It used to be ok to throw your garbage out without thinking about it. Now you are faced with multiple choices as to which bin your garbage should go into and everyone around you is watching to make sure you do it correctly.

Day 30: Old Car

It used to be ok to own and drive an old car. Next time you are out driving around take notice of the fact that there are very few old cars on the road. It seems everyone is driving something new. The only people driving old cars are old people or students. My mother didn't own a new car until she was in her 50's. As a 2 income middle class family we owned two older cars and when they broke we fixed them or had them fixed depending on the level of complexity of the issue.

Today everyone and anyone can own a new car because......

- replacement is often cheaper then fixing and really who fixes anything anymore.

- financing has been made possible for most people.
(If you have a job you car probably "afford" to lease a new car)

- We are all getting less and less adverse to carrying debt.

Day 29: Fast Food

It used to be ok to eat fast food but now we know better and are choosing healthier, more nutritionally sound foods.....right?

When I selected this topic and started researching the annal profits of some of the big fast food restaurants I expected to see declining profits with peaks long ago in the less informed carefree 80's. Instead I found that despite all we now know about heart disease, cancer and obesity, profits of fast food restaurants continue to raise.

Really?????????