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Wednesday, November 3, 2004 Basic Black by Arthur Black Dear Diary: You make me sick I never travel without my diary. One should always have something sensational to read on the train, Oscar Wilde Shows you how much difference difference a little talent can make. I've been keeping diaries for decades and the only time I re-read them is when I'm having trouble falling asleep. My diaries are about as sensational as the Yellow Pages for Minot, North Dakota. The trouble with diaries (well, with my diaries) is that they too quickly degenerate into a whiney litany of poor- little-me complaints and fatuous fatuous observations. Example? Here's an entry from my diary for Friday, October 18, 1988: "3:58 p.m. Cloudy, mild. Waiting for the train in Union Station. Lost a pair of pigskin gloves this week, but found my favourite pair of reading glasses. Good trade. Besides, I found the gloves on a bus a year ago and they weren't that warm anyway..." Trees died for this???? I guess if I had to defend my diarizing I'd argue that it gives me something to do in doctor's waiting rooms, coffee shops and airport lounges while other people are reading Harlequins,, playing Solitaire, filling in crosswords... or Having a Life. Besides, it's supposed to be good for you, keeping a diary. Check Out ||{ jjjlj I] 1 ! l' : |P 1 Creative Writing courses always stress the importance of carrying a notebook and jotting down your impressions. impressions. Motivational speakers recommend it as a daily habit. And a lot of famous people have followed that advice. The Diary of Bridget Jones became a movie. Virginia Woolf's diaries made her famous and Mae West's made her rich ("Keep a diary" said the legendary Hollywood gold digger, "and some day your diary will keep you")--and we would know a lot less of 17th century life in London if an obscure Secretary to the British Admiralty named Samuel Pepys hadn't scratched out daily observations observations in his diary. Nevertheless, Dr. Elaine Duncan says they were all wasting their time and probably probably harming themselves to boot. Dr. Duncan, who is with Glasgow's Caledonian University, University, conducted a study of 94 students who kept diaries and compared their psychological psychological profiles with 41 students students who didn't. "We expected expected diary-keepers to have some benefit, or be the same," she said, "but they were the worst off." Dr. Duncan speculated that by constantly writing about the negative events of their lives, diarists may never get over those events, resulting resulting in various health disorders. disorders. The doctor's conclusion: "It's probably better not to get caught in a ruminative, repetitive repetitive cycle. You are probably much better off if you don't write anything at all." v fpg9.q2; 4dr., air cond. automatic, cd player, power V - ai windows. White with tan. 109,000 origi- 2000 Chev Cavalier nai klm. i.o®sg A Quad seats, 3800 motor, air cond., loaded-rust- free. like new interior, great Not that the Glasgow study will dampen the enthusiasm for diary keeping. In fact, thanks to computers and the Internet, I reckon we're well into the Renaissance Era for diaries. You know about Blogging? That's where people people type their thoughts, opinions, opinions, observations and allround allround blatherings into a computer computer and send it out over the Internet for the delectation of the rest of us. Blogs are basically basically cyber diaries. Are they popular? Experts estimate that there are five million blogs on the Internet and the number is mushrooming mushrooming by the hour. Blogs are so popular that Nokia, thé world's largest mobile phone supplier, is bringing out a new cellphone to cater to the emerging market. It's called , the Nokia 7610. It's about the size of a... well, diary, but it doesn't have pages. It has a large screen that can display photographs and even videos which bloggers can instantly 'send' to all and sundry--via their cellphones. It's got a name, this latest Internet wrinkle--it's called 'life caching'. A spokesman for Nokia describes it as "a new communications modality modality where people share their experiences on the Web and people who care about them read about it." I call it... kind of sad. Researchers are just beginning to twig to the ironic Catch 22 of our love affair with the Internet--the fact that even as it facilitates communication, productivity and infonnation access, it withers face-to-face connection with family, friends, neighbours and the Korean guy who runs the corner corner store. Sure, I can bank online now,'but it means I no longer get to hear about Alice the teller's kids, or look at the local art work in the Credit Union lobby. Reminds me of something I saw the other day walking past a Toronto cyber café full of people, all hunched over their individual keyboards, many of them tapping out their hopes and dreams, their fears and wonderings to... nobody, really. really. To a void. I wish I'd had the presence of mind to offer them an even more revolutionary 'commu nications modality'. I wish I'd suggested they exit their programs, programs, shut down their computers, computers, turn to the person next to them and say "Hi." ; i; 1 i!' ill ii=r lliiüiiil liL 111 ywlw (pt tA& lûût UM¥ia Got a story you'd like to share with our readers? Then, this is your opportunity to put pen-topaper! You can have the Last Word" simply by emailing your story to: oronotimes@rogers.com or, fax us at 905-983-5301 or, drop by the office: 5310 Main Street, Orono between 8 and 5 Monday to Friday. NEWCASTLE FUNERAL HOME Family owned and operated by Carl Good, Funeral Director, and Joyce Kufta 386 Mill St. S„ Newcastle 905-987-3964 www.newcastlefuneralhome.com "Caring for our Community " 1995 Ford Windstar LX buy. .04dr., 3.1 motor, . air cond., factory options, lady driven, must Ka tppn 1993 Chev Lumlna Euro All our cars sold with safety, E- test and have lubrico warranty inc. Call Al Landry today at 905-697-9800 UNITED • sales Located at Silver & Church St., Dowmarwillo Clarington Leadin/' the Way CORPORATION OF THE MUNICIPALITY OF CLARINGTON PUBLIC NOTICE www.municipality.clarinflton.on.ca §2005 MUNICIPAL GRANT PROGRAM The Municipal Grant Process was initiated to assist organizations with funding for programs and services not provided by the Municipality. Applications for Municipal Grants are now available for local organizations that provide social, recreational, civic and hall boards/community centres that directly benefit the Municipality of Clarington and its residents. Applications can be picked up at: Municipal Administrative Centre Community Services Department 40 Temperance Street Bowmanville, Ontario Monday - Friday (8:00 AM - 5:00 PM) APPLICATIONS COMPLETED IN FULL WILL BE CONSIDERED FOR A 2005 GRANT IF RECEIVED ON OR BEFORE FRIDAY, DECEMBER 10, 2004.