Wow-lots going on, and yes, I have opinions.
Farrah-so sad. I remember being 20 pounds overweight working as a cashier at TG&Y (a 5 and dime) and having to look at that stupid poster every day and knowing I would never look like that. Now we are more savvy (hah) and know those media images cannot be lived up to by normal people-OK, at least I AM more savvy. Lots of plastic surgery going on in the heartland these days, housewives transforming themselves into trophy wives. But, I never hated Farrah, and I doubt she would have been thrilled to know that poster made me hate myself. Life is so very NOT cut and dried, and to hate her for the poster would, in my opinion, make me as guilty as the media moguls who marketed it. She was much more-a real live human being with hopes, dreams and flaws. And in the end, she wasted away to nothing due to a hideous disease. Beauty is no shield, and I'm sure it had it's challenges too. And a big part of that beauty was the genuine spirit behind that smile-that cannot be faked. I am surprisingly deeply moved by her passing. Media images aside, she did play a part in making me who I am today, and her courageous (ugh, I wasn't going use that word) examination of cancer and what it means to die was an important thing for we, as a nation to see, because we've hidden our illness and old age for too long. Fly free dear angel.
Michael Jackson. Wow. TMZ is saying he's dead. DEAD. Boom, heart attack at 50. Oh mortal coils hitting hard today. As disgusted as I was with his behavior, I always believed (this is going to sound strange) that he was truly and legitimately fucked up and not attention seeking for attention's sake. And understanding that helped me understand and forgive other fucked up people in my life, realizing their action were harmful and hurtful, but I was collateral damage, not a target. Well, that, and I am a sucker for such undeniable talent. And, what a cautionary tale for brilliance being no substitute for mental health. That is a lesson that has lurked in my head and maybe kept me from being really and truly fucked up too.
Jon and Kate-get out of the public eye and don't drag those kids through a divorce for our entertainment and your enrichment. Exploitation is an ugly thing, and I hope and pray that we as a nation don't participate and approve of it with our viewing and advertising dollars. I flinch every time I see the Kate haircut on one of those super mom wanna be's....guess those media images are still all powerful.
Finally-to all politicians-we ALL make choices. If you are going to choose a public life, perhaps you should also choose to be faithful as well. Dragging a family through a public infidelity (hmmm, Jon and Kate, maybe you should read this) seems somehow much more cruel than a run of the mill scoundrel. Now, I'm not a public person, but I have had entanglements, and I always was up front and broke one off before pursuing another. It's terribly uncomfortable-people cry and get mad and it's messy. But it's NOTHING like what happens when you do it the other way, in public. I don't think we choose to fall in and out of love, but we can choose to behave in an honorable way. If the new love is not to be denied (and I can buy that) at least be honest to the old one out of respect for what was. Shit, it's not that hard. Really.
Showing posts with label current events. Show all posts
Showing posts with label current events. Show all posts
Thursday, June 25, 2009
Friday, April 20, 2007
All in how you look at it
I want she wants he wants we wants we all want something but no one is really sure what. Do we really suffer from too many choices? Maybe a better choice of words is do we really torture ourselves with too many choices. Suffering is probably best reserved for people who have no choices.
I brought the kick ass boot out yesterday at work. I woke up fuming about a co-worker’s actions the day before, and that person disregarded my not so subtle “enough” warning and that of someone else as well. They were launching what I call the diversionary assault-jumping on me to cloud the real issue which was why something hadn’t been done.
Now I have actually taught classes in strategic e-mail and what NEVER to do. Beyond not being nice, it’s never ever a good idea to put anything blatantly wrong in writing that can easily be forwarded. It’s also extremely foolish to assume that people delete everything every day.
Finally, my title, Risk Manager, and the fact that I hang out with auditors and accountants and legal people, might lead you to believe I am pretty good about keeping the “paper trail” alive. It’s also my job to point out if something that is supposed to be done hasn’t been done, and preferably before the actual time comes to report that in front of the big dogs so that the medium dogs can take care of it.
Yet, I don’t go around dredging up stuff to make people’s lives miserable. I am an amiable person, I just want to get the job at hand done with as little fuss as possible. But, if there is one thing I can’t stand, it’s a bully. I will always step in if someone else is being bullied, always. So, what on this green earth made this idiot think that I would allow myself to be bullied?
Another thing about me that is kind of odd is that I don’t like a lot of back and forth and escalation. If I have the means to finish something, I give a fair warning and then I will drop the A- bomb in the next volley. It is a more efficient use of time and effort on everyone’s part.
I’ve learned a lot from working with my dogs-the alpha dog doesn’t run around barking and making a lot of noise-he or she just gives the order and expects it to be followed. Now, I am in no way alpha at my office, not even close, but why would you attack someone who is just doing their job, making a simple, polite, reasonable request? The funny thing is, the “loaded gun” I used, was loaded by the person who was being a jerk. This person handed me a gun, gave me ammo, and then went on the attack.
Now I know my feeble brain is trying to make sense of this and align it with the Virginia shootings somehow. It would be like that fellow handing all the students loaded rifles and THEN going on his assault. I just don’t get it.
Anyway, the little skirmish did free me from some angst-here was a clear problem and a clear solution. And, because it was a clear cut case of self defense, it was a righteous bit of ass kicking. And maybe that is my answer to yesterday’s question-maybe that guy in Virginia felt righteous about what he did.
Perspective is a weird thing, isn’t it?
I brought the kick ass boot out yesterday at work. I woke up fuming about a co-worker’s actions the day before, and that person disregarded my not so subtle “enough” warning and that of someone else as well. They were launching what I call the diversionary assault-jumping on me to cloud the real issue which was why something hadn’t been done.
Now I have actually taught classes in strategic e-mail and what NEVER to do. Beyond not being nice, it’s never ever a good idea to put anything blatantly wrong in writing that can easily be forwarded. It’s also extremely foolish to assume that people delete everything every day.
Finally, my title, Risk Manager, and the fact that I hang out with auditors and accountants and legal people, might lead you to believe I am pretty good about keeping the “paper trail” alive. It’s also my job to point out if something that is supposed to be done hasn’t been done, and preferably before the actual time comes to report that in front of the big dogs so that the medium dogs can take care of it.
Yet, I don’t go around dredging up stuff to make people’s lives miserable. I am an amiable person, I just want to get the job at hand done with as little fuss as possible. But, if there is one thing I can’t stand, it’s a bully. I will always step in if someone else is being bullied, always. So, what on this green earth made this idiot think that I would allow myself to be bullied?
Another thing about me that is kind of odd is that I don’t like a lot of back and forth and escalation. If I have the means to finish something, I give a fair warning and then I will drop the A- bomb in the next volley. It is a more efficient use of time and effort on everyone’s part.
I’ve learned a lot from working with my dogs-the alpha dog doesn’t run around barking and making a lot of noise-he or she just gives the order and expects it to be followed. Now, I am in no way alpha at my office, not even close, but why would you attack someone who is just doing their job, making a simple, polite, reasonable request? The funny thing is, the “loaded gun” I used, was loaded by the person who was being a jerk. This person handed me a gun, gave me ammo, and then went on the attack.
Now I know my feeble brain is trying to make sense of this and align it with the Virginia shootings somehow. It would be like that fellow handing all the students loaded rifles and THEN going on his assault. I just don’t get it.
Anyway, the little skirmish did free me from some angst-here was a clear problem and a clear solution. And, because it was a clear cut case of self defense, it was a righteous bit of ass kicking. And maybe that is my answer to yesterday’s question-maybe that guy in Virginia felt righteous about what he did.
Perspective is a weird thing, isn’t it?
Friday, April 13, 2007
Friday the 13 and hard luck tales
Ah the open road this weekend-just a drive up to Oklahoma, that will include a snake drop off/gerbil pickup, lunch at Jakes and then another snake pick up on Sunday. I want to go by the tiger refuge on the way home, but I don’t think my legs are up to it yet and the idea is to occupy myself with things I can do while sitting down -driving, eating, snuggling my spotty dogs who are still in Oklahoma until I can care for them properly. Well, I can care for them now-but getting them out the back steps when they don’t want to go is iffy. Cody and Greta are better behaved in that arena.
I’ve been eating not so well this week, and I’m just not going to worry about it until next week because Jakes is truly food for the soul and may just save me. Jakes is in Chickasha Oklahoma and I may just ask if I can take pictures because there aren’t words to describe the mounds of food. Rib dinners come with two sides-and if you order the taters they are served on a piled high 12 inch dinner plate. That is a plate just for the taters, the ribs come on their own plate. I’ll leave the rest for the post debauchery review.
In spite of it all, I’m feeling fat and old and uncomfortable in my own skin again. I think a person only has SO much energy-optimism and then it needs to be refreshed and restored before they can move on. My leg hurts, my hands are bruised (don’t know how that happened) and I’m just generally battered. Maybe, like the snakes, I am ready for a good shed.
Got go on record about current events. Imus should be horsewhipped, but I wonder if the result would be different if he had said that about a small Okie College team instead of Rutgers. I never liked him anyway-he was mean spirited. WHY I dislike him and I DO like Howard Stern, I really cannot explain. Maybe Howard gets points because he’s a tall, somewhat gawky, Jewish person, therefore he is not “the Man”. Of course Imus is an ugly old goat, but the “Man” can be ugly and still be in a position of power.
At the end of the day, we are all responsible for our words. If you can’t censor yourself any better than that, you don’t need to be in a position to speak to and influence thousands of listeners. The situation also reveals the immense power of the marketplace-we are all free to say what we want, but by golly don’t piss of the advertisers. However, behind the advertisers are the consumer. It’s really all very democratic if you think about it-we are voting with our dollars and the advertisers new Imus had crossed that line and he slammed two very powerful demographics, all black people and all women. “The Man” should perhaps take notice.
Anna Nicole Smith was a junkie. Tragic, like any other junkie, but no more tragic than anyone else, and a lot better off while she was alive. She was no “candle in the wind” but a victim of her own appetites and desire to be noticed. If her son’s death is any indication, her daughter may have a better chance without her than with her. My daughter is a junkie and I pray alot for HER daughter.
Hey, I’m no angel, I sit here drowning in my own appetites for sugar and butter; but I expect no pity and I don’t expect anyone to fix it but me. Maybe a male dominated society created an unhealthy body ideal for ME too, which I couldn’t live up to, therefore I turned to chocolate chip cookies like Anna turned to methadone, et. al.....But at the end of the day, we are all responsible for our actions. Anna just had bigger tits and got a better payoff than I did.
I’ve been eating not so well this week, and I’m just not going to worry about it until next week because Jakes is truly food for the soul and may just save me. Jakes is in Chickasha Oklahoma and I may just ask if I can take pictures because there aren’t words to describe the mounds of food. Rib dinners come with two sides-and if you order the taters they are served on a piled high 12 inch dinner plate. That is a plate just for the taters, the ribs come on their own plate. I’ll leave the rest for the post debauchery review.
In spite of it all, I’m feeling fat and old and uncomfortable in my own skin again. I think a person only has SO much energy-optimism and then it needs to be refreshed and restored before they can move on. My leg hurts, my hands are bruised (don’t know how that happened) and I’m just generally battered. Maybe, like the snakes, I am ready for a good shed.
Got go on record about current events. Imus should be horsewhipped, but I wonder if the result would be different if he had said that about a small Okie College team instead of Rutgers. I never liked him anyway-he was mean spirited. WHY I dislike him and I DO like Howard Stern, I really cannot explain. Maybe Howard gets points because he’s a tall, somewhat gawky, Jewish person, therefore he is not “the Man”. Of course Imus is an ugly old goat, but the “Man” can be ugly and still be in a position of power.
At the end of the day, we are all responsible for our words. If you can’t censor yourself any better than that, you don’t need to be in a position to speak to and influence thousands of listeners. The situation also reveals the immense power of the marketplace-we are all free to say what we want, but by golly don’t piss of the advertisers. However, behind the advertisers are the consumer. It’s really all very democratic if you think about it-we are voting with our dollars and the advertisers new Imus had crossed that line and he slammed two very powerful demographics, all black people and all women. “The Man” should perhaps take notice.
Anna Nicole Smith was a junkie. Tragic, like any other junkie, but no more tragic than anyone else, and a lot better off while she was alive. She was no “candle in the wind” but a victim of her own appetites and desire to be noticed. If her son’s death is any indication, her daughter may have a better chance without her than with her. My daughter is a junkie and I pray alot for HER daughter.
Hey, I’m no angel, I sit here drowning in my own appetites for sugar and butter; but I expect no pity and I don’t expect anyone to fix it but me. Maybe a male dominated society created an unhealthy body ideal for ME too, which I couldn’t live up to, therefore I turned to chocolate chip cookies like Anna turned to methadone, et. al.....But at the end of the day, we are all responsible for our actions. Anna just had bigger tits and got a better payoff than I did.
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