Got a hot date tomorrow? Didn’t catch the news this week…or ever? Don’t worry, we’ve got your back. This is a snapshot of what’s current in the world, so you’ll always have something interesting to say…on a first date or otherwise. Remember, if you want to find someone great, be someone great. Go get your read on.
POP CULTURE
What: Why would U.S. President Barack Obama personally appear on “Between Two Ferns”?
The Essentials: Obama recently appeared on Zach Galifinakis’ intentionally stupid but satirical ‘Between Two Ferns’ online mock interview show. Conservative media criticized him for it. He claims he did it because the people watching this show, are the people he needs to sign up for health care.
Why It Matters: Obama has always been ahead of his rivals in terms of engaging younger voters. This has in fact been a big strength for the Democratic party in general, particularly over the last decade. They have spent more time and resources successfully engaging social media and pop culture than the conservative Republicans. “Obamacare”, aka the Affordable Care Act, requires younger, healthy people to buy into the system in order for it to be financially viable. Younger people tend to believe that they’re invincible, and therefore don’t opt to buy health care unless prodded a little. Now, we’ll wait to hear whether the interview made an impact on healthcare signups.
CULTURE
What: What does “The Culture Wars” mean?
The Essentials: A generalized term for groups of people debating about what’s generally right & wrong on a given topic. More recently it’s been used as general term referring to opposing Liberal & Conservative viewpoints on a number of social issues over the past 50 years in the United States. Hot topics include gender equality & sexual orientation, environmentalism vs. economic development, religion vs. secularism, reproductive rights, gun control, and a host of other issues.
Why It Matters: How a person feels about these topics is a pretty good measure of how likely you are to share similar values. These aren’t topics you’ll want to bring up on a first date, but sprinkle them into your conversation when you start dating someone you like. For example, start it off on a lighter note by asking your date how he or she feels about state legalized recreational marijuana. Asking what people think about this is a good two-fer question, because it provokes conversation on (a) how a person feels about “casual” drug use, personally and in general, and (b) government’s involvement in people’s lives.
TECHNOLOGY
What: Wearable computing is coming? What do I do?
The Essentials: Google Glass, WIMM One, Zypad, Oculus Rift are some of the big first players in a ‘wearable’ computer market that may have a huge impact in the future, both to how people navigate around the online & physical worlds.
Why It Matters: These devices will provide you with immediate information from your surroundings in the real world. For example, you’ll be able to look up directions while you’re walking down the street, find shopping recommendations, be alerted to sales & discounts to name a few. Headsets will change how consumers experience the internet. The internet may be experienced in three virtual dimensions instead of just looking at a two dimensional monitor display like it is now. Like most cutting edge technology, headsets were originally conceived as a military application, allowing soldiers more real time information, and sharing line of sight among members of a unit.
