Technology has become such a pervasive entity in our lives that we look upon it has we do buildings or cars.  It's here to stay so we might as well live with it in any way possible.  I stumbled upon a site (by way of my mom) that captures these feelings of technology's creep into our lives so well.  Here are a few of my favorites photos below, but you go to the site and scroll through the interesting creations.

Check out the rest of the photos here.

As I made my way down the streets of downtown DC, something particularly odd struck me. 

And yet when I looked closer, it wasn't odd at all, but actually very normal and very common. 

It would actually be odd if I didn't see what I saw.  But twenty years ago I wouldn't have seen what I saw. 

And what I saw were massive amounts of people strolling down beautiful boulevards, in perfect weather, hypnotized by a numbing infatuation with technology.

Yes, I am talking about the cell phone.  The magical, addictive world of constant communication; who can resisit?  In this decade it has now become completely normal to talk to yourself as you drive your car,  walk down the street, or walk your dog, to the delight or fright of some unexpecting onlookers.  It's become part of life, and it doesn't seem to be going away any time soon.

But it becomes quite humorous when on the same intersection I see pedestrians in all four corners of the crosswalk buzzing away on their cell phones, completely oblivious to their surrroundings, onlookers, and even moving vehicles.  I am not one to criticize of course because i have been victim to the emergency phone call about which red dress to buy for the Friday night outing, as I'm walking my dog through a busy intersection.  And yes, this usually turns into the cell phone becoming glued to my ear for the rest of walk, degrading my dog's exercise break to a hurried jog so as to get back home and check my facebook page. So, I am the last one to talk.

But the reason I am talking and bringing up this issue is to address the reason why we have to keep our phones glued to our ears, particularly when we are alone.  Is it easier to avoid eye contact, interaction, and awkwardeness if we look too busy to engage with other people due to a phone call.  It seems more and more the case to me.  We  sometimes use our technology as an excuse to avoid human interaction, and this very well could be completely subconcious so we don't know we're doing it.  Maybe my absentmindedness comes in handy here as many times as I've forgotten my phone at home, only to be forced to make it through the day without my umblical cord.  

As an update to my previous post "Get out and Spend......at your local charity" I decided to list a few resources for better gift-giving this year.

1.  I found a great website called changingthepresent.org, a nonprofit website offering gifts that change the world.  This year, why not give a gift that will make a difference without breaking the bank.  It's a nice change from last year's portable dog toilet  or The Hillary Nutcracker.  Here's a list of other great websites that offer charitable gifts.

 2.  Knit a scarf.  As outdated and granny as this sounds, imagine the feeling you get receiving a stylish scarf or hat that someone knitted themselves.  Emphasis on the word stylish of course.  My mother recently took up this hobby and has been churning out the cutest scarves in this season's styles and colors.  She even made one in the colors of my alma mater.  So pick up some knitting needles and knit your way through your list of family members while watching Jon Stewart.

                                                                 Knit a scarf this season by BraceletSeeds

3.  There have been some crazy rumors swirling around that Wal-Mart will be selling the 4GB iPhone for $99 after Christmas.  If there's one piece of technology I would vouch for it would be the iPhone or iPod touch. There are so many things you can do with this little gadget, it's endless. You can even plant real trees.  I know many out there are strong anti-Wal-Mart activists but this deal may render that title temporarily unavailable according to some.  So go out and buy a $100 Wal-Mart gift card and pray.  Either way they get a $100 gift card out of it.

4.  Find out what someone really needs.  And I don't mean those perfect pair of Manolo Blahniks.  I mean something that they really need.  Something that they may not even realize they do.  Example: your grandparents live alone (and you're against the belief of placing them in a nursing home.)  Why not pay for cleaning services for a  full year to make life a little easier for them?   Make sure you know the person enough to know that they would truly appreciate this.  

5.  Books.  You can never go wrong with a good read.  Find out what the person's passions or intellectual pursuits are and then find the relevant title.  Even better, get an audiobook.   A constant commuter would truly appreciate this gesture. 

6.  Pay for one class of lessons.  Cooking, language, self-improvement, dance.   Depending on their passion, there are endless lists of options to choose from.  Do they religiously watch Food Network's Ace of Cakes? Sign them up for a cake-decorating class.   Be creative! 

7.  You can never go wrong with gift cards, especially in hard economic times.  And it doesn't even have to be over $50.  But be careful of hidden convenience fees, particularly from banks and shopping malls.  Make sure the recipient knows to use the gift card as soon as possible to avoid late usage charges.  Or better yet, choose an online store like Amazon, Ebay or Lottay to help them get more out of less.

8. Chocolate!  Chocolate makes everyone feel better.  Make sure to get a purer form of chocolate to get the full benefits.  A gift that is good for you and yummy.

9.  And the perfect gift this season?  Security.   This can range anywhere from positive thinking to get through hard times, to a software security suite for their computer, to a USB drive to guarantee the safety of their content.  

In the end, however, I believe helping your gift recipients participate in helping those less fortunate than themselves could easily increase their feelings of well-being and security.