generation "one-up"

it seems that these days everyone is trying to do something to "one-up" the next guy. this is particularly true with our generation. (i understand the dilemma i may encroach upon by using the phrase "our generation" but other than Charlie Brown, i think i can safely presume no one older than 37 reads this blog. and if you are 37, you were probably about 11 in 1980.)

i would like to call us generation "one-up" today. somehow this seems related to growing up in the 80s. in the 80s, Music Television (MTV) was introduced, Compact Discs were introduced (CD's), 8 tracks were gone, records were dying. faster cars came. better cars. cars designed not only to meet ones basic transportation needs, but also to look "cool" or "radical." (there was a new clever Cadillac commercial i saw the other day that reminded me of this.) and fashion. so many outfits to try and wear. so many crazy things. this wasent too new of an idea, but the doors flew open in the 80's and 90's with fashion in my opinion. with the introduction of malls a few decades prior, for the first time people shopped for fun. not just for necessity. but the 80s and 90s also brought the internet. and this brought mail order shopping to the next level. now people could search online department stores, and have the latest and greatest products shipped to their door. and with the internet came chatting. and chat rooms. we were all kids in chat rooms wanting to be noticed, saying the most clever and/or outrageous things to be noticed. to be special. and then we started our blogs. which continue today. some of us have more practical websites and ideas, but really...whats it for? there came google and del.icio.us. and ebay! and there came news online and virtual magazines. oh and let me remind you...the 80s brought Video games. oh deer. us little kids (and parents got in on the action as well) would sit around for hours hacking away at Super Mario Brothers. trying to "beat" one another. every two hours you would hear someone in the household say "i beat your score" and on it went...

and on it goes.

so here we are. generation one-up. we are at the point where people are starting to do silly things to stand out, to be noticed, to one up each other. you know what im talking about so i wont divulge. and i admit, i fall into the trap. im writing a novel in a month. its crazy and stupid. i would like to say that im doing it as a personal experiment to see if i can do it and what its like. cause i am. but i also cant honestly say there is zero pride in the progress. weve all been conditioned to some point. admit it.

and so this brings me to todays picture, brought to you by the letter U and the number 4. this man took a Polaroid picture every day since about 1989. his wall measures 30 meters. impressive. how will you one-up him?