Cool is as cool does
Oh, Christian McBride. You're a cool dude, really. You're a bespectacled, turtleneck-wearing jazz bassist - who am I to argue over coolness with thee? But, hey, dude, I just thought we'd jive about your piece for NPR. You know, 'Be Cool', about how the cool is gone.
I'll have to disagree in a very broad way, first of all - I don't think "people" are getting meaner. Some are mean, some aren't, but I think the global trend is toward greater tolerance and coolness. Anyway, we can argue over that next time we jam.
But look here, about your article - people used to get much worse than the third degree for the color of their shoes, shirts, caps, and - yeah, skin. Remember?
And cell phones - they're better than land lines. Honest. You can call your kids while you're taking a stroll to the local pizza shop. You can get invited to a friend's hastily put-together party while enjoying soup at the restaurant. And oh, yeah, you can also use it at home - many do. Cell phones also have these cool "silent" and "off" buttons. Man, I wish my landline had that!
Oh, I don't mean to be a smartass, but have you ever actually been to a coffee shop? I'm sitting at one right now, as a matter of fact. And I'm working. On my laptop. The place is super-chill - lots of high school kids trading gossip, old dudes reading the newspaper, several moms with their kids. No stress, honest. About a third of us are on our laptops. I don't know what's on other people's screens, but the work-related gobbledy-gook on mine isn't stressing me out at all. Hey, if you have a stressful job, that's your problem, not whether you do it while having coffee or not.
Technology is cool. Coffee shops are cool. So, hey, I'm with you 100%. Let's all cool it up and cool it down to max. You know, some would say that includes not kvetching over the realities of modern urban life. Just sayin'. Peace.
I'll have to disagree in a very broad way, first of all - I don't think "people" are getting meaner. Some are mean, some aren't, but I think the global trend is toward greater tolerance and coolness. Anyway, we can argue over that next time we jam.
But look here, about your article - people used to get much worse than the third degree for the color of their shoes, shirts, caps, and - yeah, skin. Remember?
And cell phones - they're better than land lines. Honest. You can call your kids while you're taking a stroll to the local pizza shop. You can get invited to a friend's hastily put-together party while enjoying soup at the restaurant. And oh, yeah, you can also use it at home - many do. Cell phones also have these cool "silent" and "off" buttons. Man, I wish my landline had that!
Oh, I don't mean to be a smartass, but have you ever actually been to a coffee shop? I'm sitting at one right now, as a matter of fact. And I'm working. On my laptop. The place is super-chill - lots of high school kids trading gossip, old dudes reading the newspaper, several moms with their kids. No stress, honest. About a third of us are on our laptops. I don't know what's on other people's screens, but the work-related gobbledy-gook on mine isn't stressing me out at all. Hey, if you have a stressful job, that's your problem, not whether you do it while having coffee or not.
Technology is cool. Coffee shops are cool. So, hey, I'm with you 100%. Let's all cool it up and cool it down to max. You know, some would say that includes not kvetching over the realities of modern urban life. Just sayin'. Peace.
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