I’m cute. Let’s put me in charge.
This week has been hellish at work. So instead of starting with hell, let’s discuss some very interesting movies I have seen recently.
The Fountain with Hugh Jackman and Rachel Weisz - Spanning over one thousand years, and three parallel stories, The Fountain is a story of love, death, spirituality, and the fragility of our existence in this world. Honestly, when the movie ended, I just had to sit there for a bit and absorb it all. It is a fascinating movie that is both easy to watch and deep enough that you need to take time to think about it afterwards. I thought it was truly remarkable and very interesting. I recommend it to someone who isn’t looking for instant gratification that night.
Alpha Dog with JT (Justin Timberlake) – Surprisingly, it is a fact-based crime story of events that happened in California in 1999. The environment is the drug trade amongst the youth and what happens when one bad decision avalanches into several. The most interesting thing to me was that, since I had no recollection of these events, I had no idea how it would end until it did. Whether it was good acting or my belief in people, or even a combination of both, the ending caught me unawares. I hate to be vague, but I don’t want to give away the ending for those, like myself, who were not up to date on the entire story. It was really well done and very interesting and I do recommend it.
Open Season with Martin Lawrence, Gary Sinise and Billy Connelly – An animated film about a bear raised by humans who gets thrust into the wild. (Yeah, Ashton Kutcher is in it, but you can ignore that fact, just like I did, if only because Billy Connelly steals all the scenes he is in.) It’s a hilarious movie, full of comedy, great voices and of course, the all-important lesson that wild animals belong in the wild. I recommend it for those looking for a lighthearted romp. Sidenote – I so want the porcupine. So cute!
And books – if you are any bit of a reader, I highly recommend Jasper Fforde’s series about Thursday Next. These books have made me laugh so much with the play on so many things, like MS Window versions, photo radar cameras and grammar errors. If you know the classics, you will love the book more. But even for those like me who have a natural resistance to the classics, you will know enough to thoroughly enjoy these books. I am reading book 3 right now and they are bringing in a new program that seems a lot like the way MS Windows is developed, marketed, etc. So funny.
So h-e-double hockey sticks – remember how I have mentioned that there always has to be one in the office, well, since the moment I started, I have known who the primary one would be. This week was her week to express the qualities that make her the ‘one’. I hate it when people diss you to your face and then say no offense intended. Look Be-yotch, if saying that relieves your guilt, whatever. Because offense was taken just like it was intended. And then to have the nerve to ask for my assistance, which really was just a thinly veiled way to get me to do the icky part of her job. It is remarkable to me that I didn’t throw her out the window. Why do I always have to find the ones that think they are so nice, when they’re not? At least this ones says it behind my back and to my face, guess I should be happy about that. It makes for a frustrating time at work, even though I have so many people who appreciate what I do and who understand what my job is and who support me. Arghhhhh! And the thing is she is just not worth it. I hate giving her the power to elicit a response out of me and to make my day horrible for even a few minutes. I noticed that I treat her different. If anyone else asks for help, I will drop what I am doing to help them. But when she asks, I always say it depends, what do you need. Do you think she has noticed this? I have.
In other frustrations, this week I had to sew D’s pants again (cause D doesn’t sew). This is the third week in a row that I have sewn these two pairs of pants after they have gone through the wash. The first time, the little hook on the pants fell off, so I sewed a new one on. Second time, the dryer pulled both of the hooks off. I sewed them again, really well. This time, the dryer pulled one off, making a small tear and on the other pair, since it couldn’t get the hook off, it ripped the pants a good two inches. Uck a duck! So now I have bent the hook and resewn it all. The really sucky part is that these are new pants. They have only been used for about two months.
This reminds me of the video that Baby Jail had on her blog. The Story of Stuff is a very interesting 20 minute video about the cycle of consumerism. It is completely worth seeing, even if you do nothing with the information. It is enough that it makes you aware and it makes you think. And I personally was happy that someone else has learned the horrors of Hell-mart and is thinking they may not shop there again. We need to take some action, even if it is only passing on information. Education is key.
People forget how new so many things/ideas/concepts/behaviors are. 50 years ago, people didn’t spend money like they do now. 50 years ago, we didn’t have the environmental problems we have now. 50 years ago, people were happier. I am not saying that we haven’t discovered wonderful thing in those 50 years. I don’t discredit what innovation, science, and evolution has created. But in all that has happened, we have lost that sense of stewardship of our planet; we have lost a sense of connection with other people; we have lost our place in our lives, in history, and in the universe.
They say that 50 is the new 40 and 40 is the new 30, etc. And yet people wonder then why it is taking so long for people to discover themselves and their place. Firstly, we live to about 100 years old now. Yet we retire at 65. What do we do for 35 years? Then if each decade equates to an earlier decade that means that people in their 20’s are equivalent to children and people in their 30’s are just exploring themselves and finding love, etc. Years ago, you lived to 50 so you fit life in a very short time and you grew up faster. Well, you double the life span, you double the time it takes to grow up. And to retire at 65 with the knowledge that you could live another 35 years, how can one not have to revamp their whole lives – who they are, what defines them, what do they do. 50 years ago, your job defined you – you were blue collar, white collar, mother, etc. Now, you could be all of that in one week, let alone a lifetime. Innovation and evolution are all great things, but I don’t know that we have intellectually, emotionally or spiritually kept up. So many people act like little kids, needing instant gratification, lacking a sense of right or wrong, and not aware of consequence.
How do you discipline a 30 or 40-year-old person who is acting like a child? If it is not illegal, what can you do? Goodness, you just have to look at the response of so many smokers to the latest law to see how childish people can be. There is no care about what the consequence is of their smoking beyond their addiction. No care that second hand smoke is one of the highest killers of people, higher than the damage they do to themselves by smoking. No care that they litter the ground with their butts, thereby leaching the toxins into the water supply and affecting everyone. No, these people only care that someone has told them no. And their response is often just to blow the smoke in your face because you had the nerve to tell them no, you don’t accept their behavior. It is like dealing with a two year old who wants that toy in the store.
And I don’t think that I am not a part of the problem. I have my instant gratification moments; one just has to look at my library to know my weakness. Or look into my pantry. I may not shop at hell-mart, but I know that some of the brands that I buy are not environmentally friendly companies. I want to research more, but I also want my time to be my own. I don’t want to go to the farmer’s market every week and buy groceries, even though I know that I am getting better quality, more environmentally friendly goods, at a much higher price. How do you find balance? That is my goal.
Here’s my quote for this week
The Fountain with Hugh Jackman and Rachel Weisz - Spanning over one thousand years, and three parallel stories, The Fountain is a story of love, death, spirituality, and the fragility of our existence in this world. Honestly, when the movie ended, I just had to sit there for a bit and absorb it all. It is a fascinating movie that is both easy to watch and deep enough that you need to take time to think about it afterwards. I thought it was truly remarkable and very interesting. I recommend it to someone who isn’t looking for instant gratification that night.
Alpha Dog with JT (Justin Timberlake) – Surprisingly, it is a fact-based crime story of events that happened in California in 1999. The environment is the drug trade amongst the youth and what happens when one bad decision avalanches into several. The most interesting thing to me was that, since I had no recollection of these events, I had no idea how it would end until it did. Whether it was good acting or my belief in people, or even a combination of both, the ending caught me unawares. I hate to be vague, but I don’t want to give away the ending for those, like myself, who were not up to date on the entire story. It was really well done and very interesting and I do recommend it.
Open Season with Martin Lawrence, Gary Sinise and Billy Connelly – An animated film about a bear raised by humans who gets thrust into the wild. (Yeah, Ashton Kutcher is in it, but you can ignore that fact, just like I did, if only because Billy Connelly steals all the scenes he is in.) It’s a hilarious movie, full of comedy, great voices and of course, the all-important lesson that wild animals belong in the wild. I recommend it for those looking for a lighthearted romp. Sidenote – I so want the porcupine. So cute!
And books – if you are any bit of a reader, I highly recommend Jasper Fforde’s series about Thursday Next. These books have made me laugh so much with the play on so many things, like MS Window versions, photo radar cameras and grammar errors. If you know the classics, you will love the book more. But even for those like me who have a natural resistance to the classics, you will know enough to thoroughly enjoy these books. I am reading book 3 right now and they are bringing in a new program that seems a lot like the way MS Windows is developed, marketed, etc. So funny.
So h-e-double hockey sticks – remember how I have mentioned that there always has to be one in the office, well, since the moment I started, I have known who the primary one would be. This week was her week to express the qualities that make her the ‘one’. I hate it when people diss you to your face and then say no offense intended. Look Be-yotch, if saying that relieves your guilt, whatever. Because offense was taken just like it was intended. And then to have the nerve to ask for my assistance, which really was just a thinly veiled way to get me to do the icky part of her job. It is remarkable to me that I didn’t throw her out the window. Why do I always have to find the ones that think they are so nice, when they’re not? At least this ones says it behind my back and to my face, guess I should be happy about that. It makes for a frustrating time at work, even though I have so many people who appreciate what I do and who understand what my job is and who support me. Arghhhhh! And the thing is she is just not worth it. I hate giving her the power to elicit a response out of me and to make my day horrible for even a few minutes. I noticed that I treat her different. If anyone else asks for help, I will drop what I am doing to help them. But when she asks, I always say it depends, what do you need. Do you think she has noticed this? I have.
In other frustrations, this week I had to sew D’s pants again (cause D doesn’t sew). This is the third week in a row that I have sewn these two pairs of pants after they have gone through the wash. The first time, the little hook on the pants fell off, so I sewed a new one on. Second time, the dryer pulled both of the hooks off. I sewed them again, really well. This time, the dryer pulled one off, making a small tear and on the other pair, since it couldn’t get the hook off, it ripped the pants a good two inches. Uck a duck! So now I have bent the hook and resewn it all. The really sucky part is that these are new pants. They have only been used for about two months.
This reminds me of the video that Baby Jail had on her blog. The Story of Stuff is a very interesting 20 minute video about the cycle of consumerism. It is completely worth seeing, even if you do nothing with the information. It is enough that it makes you aware and it makes you think. And I personally was happy that someone else has learned the horrors of Hell-mart and is thinking they may not shop there again. We need to take some action, even if it is only passing on information. Education is key.
People forget how new so many things/ideas/concepts/behaviors are. 50 years ago, people didn’t spend money like they do now. 50 years ago, we didn’t have the environmental problems we have now. 50 years ago, people were happier. I am not saying that we haven’t discovered wonderful thing in those 50 years. I don’t discredit what innovation, science, and evolution has created. But in all that has happened, we have lost that sense of stewardship of our planet; we have lost a sense of connection with other people; we have lost our place in our lives, in history, and in the universe.
They say that 50 is the new 40 and 40 is the new 30, etc. And yet people wonder then why it is taking so long for people to discover themselves and their place. Firstly, we live to about 100 years old now. Yet we retire at 65. What do we do for 35 years? Then if each decade equates to an earlier decade that means that people in their 20’s are equivalent to children and people in their 30’s are just exploring themselves and finding love, etc. Years ago, you lived to 50 so you fit life in a very short time and you grew up faster. Well, you double the life span, you double the time it takes to grow up. And to retire at 65 with the knowledge that you could live another 35 years, how can one not have to revamp their whole lives – who they are, what defines them, what do they do. 50 years ago, your job defined you – you were blue collar, white collar, mother, etc. Now, you could be all of that in one week, let alone a lifetime. Innovation and evolution are all great things, but I don’t know that we have intellectually, emotionally or spiritually kept up. So many people act like little kids, needing instant gratification, lacking a sense of right or wrong, and not aware of consequence.
How do you discipline a 30 or 40-year-old person who is acting like a child? If it is not illegal, what can you do? Goodness, you just have to look at the response of so many smokers to the latest law to see how childish people can be. There is no care about what the consequence is of their smoking beyond their addiction. No care that second hand smoke is one of the highest killers of people, higher than the damage they do to themselves by smoking. No care that they litter the ground with their butts, thereby leaching the toxins into the water supply and affecting everyone. No, these people only care that someone has told them no. And their response is often just to blow the smoke in your face because you had the nerve to tell them no, you don’t accept their behavior. It is like dealing with a two year old who wants that toy in the store.
And I don’t think that I am not a part of the problem. I have my instant gratification moments; one just has to look at my library to know my weakness. Or look into my pantry. I may not shop at hell-mart, but I know that some of the brands that I buy are not environmentally friendly companies. I want to research more, but I also want my time to be my own. I don’t want to go to the farmer’s market every week and buy groceries, even though I know that I am getting better quality, more environmentally friendly goods, at a much higher price. How do you find balance? That is my goal.
Here’s my quote for this week
How about making “what am I thinking?” your mantra this year? Because your inner bitch knows it beats “what was I thinking?” any day.
Labels: books, life, movies, quote of the day, rant
posted by Taryn at 4:49 pm
1 Comments:
I know we talked about this today, but I'm only part way through this blog and I thought about another thing. Just because she says, "No offense" doesn't mean she isn't giving any. And you are well within your rights to call her on it. You might begin with:
A: "Actually I do take offense to your approach." "And just because you say no offense, doesn't mean you aren't giving it."
B: "I understand you may feel strongly about having your work questioned...but this is the job I was hired to do, and I take my job very seriously. It's important that you understand it isn't you being singled out here, this job is important for the entire department's productivity."
C: "Now, I would appreciate it if you would stop complaining to me about how it's making you feel bad, and start thinking about how you can contribute to make this an easier process."
D: Until then, I will continue on in the fashion my job description provides.
E: "Now...where were we?"
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