What is it?
The reduction of media purchases to once a fiscal quarter, aka one entertainment purchase alone, or of each type, every three months.
Why do it?
To send the entertainment industry a clear message in the only language that matters. Our money. We cannot cut entertainment out of our lives, but we can make a conscious effort to scale back. If this industry is going to use our money to buy the political clout to negatively impact other industries (like controlling the internet), and if you feel this is a misuse or betrayal of the money you spend to have a good time, a message to the entertainment industry is in order. You can help send that message.
How does it work?
Make a plan to cut back, follow it, and send a note to the big players in the entertainment industry that this is what you are doing and why. The note is important. They need to be told WHY they are losing YOUR money.
The Bare Bones –
This is my plan. You don’t have to follow my plan exactly. By all means, tinker with it. Customize parts of it to fit your own entertainment needs.
Step #1 Don’t Make Things Worse.
Do NOT commit online piracy. If everyone quit paying for stuff and just started pirating it, the only message that would be sent is that the internet DOES need to be regulated within an inch of its existence. It also sends the message to the industry that we really cannot LIVE without their product. That we need it so bad we will STEAL to get it. It says we are junkies. And junkies don’t make the rules. The drug dealers do.
Step #2 Who Do You Curb?
Know your industry. Not ALL of the entertainment industry is causing a stink. Find out what smells. For my own part, I checked out OpenCongress. For each Bill (for example…SOPA and PIPA) there is a section marked Money Trail. There is a breakdown of how much $$$ each industry sector gave to the politicians behind and in support of, the Bill. Feel free to get as nit-picky as you like, but to keep this simple as possible, these are the entertainments giving the big money.
Music
Movies (both Big Hollywood and Independent)
TV (Broadcast and Cable)
Reading material (books, periodicals, magazines, digital publishing)
There are more…sports is pretty big on shelling out the $$$, but we want this Quarterly Strike to be effective…so that leads to the next step.
Step# 3 I Just Can’t Live Without My…
Know what hurts you too much to cut back. You cannot give up everything, I’m not even asking you to try. But at the same time, saying you are giving up football when you don’t even WATCH football to begin with… that really doesn’t help that much. Pick one thing to NOT limit. In my own case, I cannot cut out reading. I love it way too much so I won’t try. TV is another hard thing to live without, but since I’ve already picked reading as my untouched entertainment I will have to start cutting back on my TV viewing. Music and Movies though….those I’m going to apply full Quarterly Strike on. And there are a lot of ways to do the quarterly strike. If you want to be extreme…go full limit and only pick ONE type of media purchase every three months. Not everyone can go that extreme. But I figure most people can opt to restrain themselves to buying ONE NEW CD, ONE NEW DVD, and ONE movie ticket every 3 months.
Step#4 Still Enjoy Entertainment Anyway!
Know your loopholes. Everything in your current entertainment collection has already been paid for. You can watch them as much as you like with no restrictions. You bought them already…the industry doesn’t care how many times you watch them. Listening to regular radio in the car is free. They get their money from ads. There are also plenty of writers and music artists self-publishing too now.
Get some patience. You don't have to see a new film in theaters on opening day. Wait. It will come out on DVD. Keep waiting. Buy it used. Used media has already paid the industry when it was first purchased. When you buy used, the money goes to support where you bought it…and that’s it. The entertainment industry doesn’t get a portion of secondhand purchases. Used bookstores, libraries, pawn shops, and trading with friends can come in handy here.
Step#5 They Need To Know!
Here is the really hard part. These industries need to know why you’ve cut back your support. It’s one thing if you are doing it to save money (which this is a pretty good plan for anyway). But if you are an avid user of the internet (which if you are reading this, you probably are) you might want to protect it politically too. One thing the Blackout one-day Protest was VERY effective at…was informing the political world just how MUCH influence the internet has on the voting populace. We will likely see more political banners than we used to in places we didn’t normally see them. Those old guys in office who were content to snooze away dreaming of the internet as a “series of tubes” that just kids and perverts messed around on, they just got a wake-up call. So did these industries. “Someone” is going to try getting some internet control again. And I’m just not willing to have an industry that gives us sequel after sequel of ‘Fast and Furious’ schlock deciding what sort of content the internet can have.
The great thing about the internet, complaining is easy! Most places have a feedback form on their websites. And our Offenders have websites. Your note can be something very basic, you can use this if you like:
“I don’t appreciate your organization trying to control the internet. For the foreseeable future, I’m curtailing my entertainment usage to one movie, music, and/or published product per fiscal quarter. I don’t want you using the money I spend for political agendas I don’t agree with. Have a nice day.”
And here is a short list of websites with contact information
Movies:
Motion Picture Association of America: ContactUs@mpaa.org
National Amusements -Who they Are : customer_service@national-amusements.com
Regal Entertainment Group: http://www.regmovies.com/corporate/contactus.aspx
Time Warner: http://www.timewarner.com/contact-us/
(one of the world's largest media companies...and you can only contact them by snail mail or phone? Keep these guys away from our internets)
The Walt Disney Company: TWDC.Corp.Communications@disney.com
NBCUniversal: nbcuniversalviewerfeedback@nbcuni.com
Music:
Recording Industry Association of America: http://www.riaa.com/aboutus.php?content_selector=about-who-we-are-riaa (another one without online contact. Snail mail & phone only)
Wednesday, January 25, 2012
Thursday, January 12, 2012
When Social "Codes" Collide
Yeah I know I suck. Can’t keep up with a blog worth a damn….but I’ll keep trying.
I had a fun discussion with a friend this morning about the difference in perception between men and women regarding the same thing.
Me: You know when a guy is chatting up a girl at a party? And in the course of the conversation it comes up that she is already seeing another guy? Then the guy talking to her seems to just lose all interest in meeting her, and he takes off like a bat out of hell? I hate that! It comes across as though his only interest in speaking to her at all was for possible mate material. It totally devalues her as a person in her own right, with interests of her own that are worthy of discussion. It makes him look like a jerk, and for her…if she does become available one day, she’s not going to forget his one-track interest. She probably won’t be interested in starting anything with the guy she remembers dropping her like a stone at that party.
Male Friend: You are forgetting the “guy code”. When a guy discovers a girl he’s interested in is taken, out of respect for her romantic partner, and not to mention their mutual friends (many of whom are probably right there at the same party), he is obligated to show respect by not giving the wrong impression to anyone who may be observing. The impression being that he’s making a move on another guy’s girl. That wrong impression could lead to his getting his ass kicked. And since he probably had to work up a lot of nerve to start talking to the girl in the first place, his “exit strategy” could easily be equally unsophisticated.
Huh.
This was quite interesting to me. Because despite having had more male friends than female ones in the course of my life, that does not qualify me necessarily to have an inside view of “guy code”. Realizing this gap in my “opposite sex information file” I did what I always do…. GOOGLE!
Went here first: http://itsguycode.com/theguycode/181-the-guy-code.html
Okay…so reading that made me want to take a shower. Though I can see the shadow of what my friend was indicating.
Then I went here: http://uncyclopedia.wikia.com/wiki/Guy_Code
It’s less skuzzy, more informative, and a little more sympathetic to the root of the whole mess… basic human nature. Also has a picture of Dr McNinja, which I must confess…the awesomeness of that may be influencing my positive feelings toward the article.
I would have liked to reference a third webpage but most of what I was sifting through amounted to videos, and since not everyone can view videos at work (where you might be reading this) I didn’t want to include material you couldn’t check out.
I realized it wouldn’t be fair to only eyeball “man code” without checking out “woman code” too so I did that as well. I suppose I should KNOW girl code already but as I said earlier, most of my friends have been guys.
Naturally, I went here first: http://uncyclopedia.wikia.com/wiki/Girl_Code
o.O What. The. Fuck? Okay….completely writing that one off. Hell, I even checked the history listing for that one. The creator’s profile makes certain things clear. Namely that contrary to the alternate article on guy code (written by someone else entirely), no real effort at credibility is being attempted here. Unfortunate. Moving on.
So I tried here: http://madamenoire.com/44987/girl-code-10-friendship-commandments-every-girl-should-know/11/
This one is somewhat better. A tad superficial maybe, but several points match up quite well with “man code" with one marked exception, at least…so it seems so to me. Rule 5 of this article's list of woman code sums up as “No One-Upping your friend”. And I consider this a contrast with “man code” because from my observation hanging out with guys, a large aspect of male bonding seems to be regularly one-upping each other. Interesting.
This website made direct comparison contrast of both: http://www.hercampus.com/love/cracking-girl-code-and-bro-code
Hmm. Several points made here directly contradict points made on both sides elsewhere, so I’m uncertain of the value.
One contrast I did find…when googling, it was easier to find clear “guy code” material than girl code material. If anything…there was more denial that “girl code” even existed, or if it DID it was for parody or spoofing purposes only. I did NOT find “girl code” videos within the first 2 search result pages…and I did for “guy code”.
Much more to the point for me, seems to be an underlying assumption regardless of “code” that all communication with a member of the opposite sex implies some sort of intention for mate selection on a temporary or future basis.
Well.
Sooo. According to the rules of social culture I’m totally in the wrong then for assuming I’m perfectly within my right to be just friends with a guy, right? Turns out… not only am I NOT wrong, but a lot of society is trapped in a throwback timewarp. Check this out: http://www.psychologytoday.com/articles/200109/can-men-and-women-be-friends
That article felt pretty satisfying. So, where does that leave us when it comes to dealing with “The Codes” respectively? I think it helps to be aware of them to a certain respect. At the beginning of all this, I honestly thought some of these guys were just being single-minded jerks fishing for a sexually available woman. At the same time there is too much disparity among people regarding what the “codes” ARE to feel totally confident about the underlying factors that may or may not be going on in a guy’s head when he meets me.
So what to do? I don’t want a guy to feel “tricked” into breaking an unspoken guy code in the sense of waiting too far into a conversation to inform him that I’m spoken for. At the same time, I don’t want to give the impression that I think that he’s pursuing me intimately right from the word “Hello”. Strikes me as presumptuous and vain on my part, even during those times when I can tell a guy is interested in me that way before he’s opened his mouth (though admittedly I’m usually the last to know….some guys do manage to project interest at football field lengths…even I can pick up on that!).
I think I’m going to give it the time it takes to go through the inane pleasantries…and through the course of one actual topic. If he’s not asked me if I’m available in that timeframe, and shows signs of wanting to start another topic and stay in my company I’m going to interject with some polite, but bare bone bluntness.
Something like: “I’m enjoying your conversation, I’d like to continue, but I know there are some common cultural norms I’d like to get out of the way. I do have a boyfriend. He is not a muscle-minded moron. No real friend of ours would dare presume to act for either of us either. If you are uncomfortable continuing talking to me, I will understand.”
That could work. Hmmm.
I had a fun discussion with a friend this morning about the difference in perception between men and women regarding the same thing.
Me: You know when a guy is chatting up a girl at a party? And in the course of the conversation it comes up that she is already seeing another guy? Then the guy talking to her seems to just lose all interest in meeting her, and he takes off like a bat out of hell? I hate that! It comes across as though his only interest in speaking to her at all was for possible mate material. It totally devalues her as a person in her own right, with interests of her own that are worthy of discussion. It makes him look like a jerk, and for her…if she does become available one day, she’s not going to forget his one-track interest. She probably won’t be interested in starting anything with the guy she remembers dropping her like a stone at that party.
Male Friend: You are forgetting the “guy code”. When a guy discovers a girl he’s interested in is taken, out of respect for her romantic partner, and not to mention their mutual friends (many of whom are probably right there at the same party), he is obligated to show respect by not giving the wrong impression to anyone who may be observing. The impression being that he’s making a move on another guy’s girl. That wrong impression could lead to his getting his ass kicked. And since he probably had to work up a lot of nerve to start talking to the girl in the first place, his “exit strategy” could easily be equally unsophisticated.
Huh.
This was quite interesting to me. Because despite having had more male friends than female ones in the course of my life, that does not qualify me necessarily to have an inside view of “guy code”. Realizing this gap in my “opposite sex information file” I did what I always do…. GOOGLE!
Went here first: http://itsguycode.com/theguycode/181-the-guy-code.html
Okay…so reading that made me want to take a shower. Though I can see the shadow of what my friend was indicating.
Then I went here: http://uncyclopedia.wikia.com/wiki/Guy_Code
It’s less skuzzy, more informative, and a little more sympathetic to the root of the whole mess… basic human nature. Also has a picture of Dr McNinja, which I must confess…the awesomeness of that may be influencing my positive feelings toward the article.
I would have liked to reference a third webpage but most of what I was sifting through amounted to videos, and since not everyone can view videos at work (where you might be reading this) I didn’t want to include material you couldn’t check out.
I realized it wouldn’t be fair to only eyeball “man code” without checking out “woman code” too so I did that as well. I suppose I should KNOW girl code already but as I said earlier, most of my friends have been guys.
Naturally, I went here first: http://uncyclopedia.wikia.com/wiki/Girl_Code
o.O What. The. Fuck? Okay….completely writing that one off. Hell, I even checked the history listing for that one. The creator’s profile makes certain things clear. Namely that contrary to the alternate article on guy code (written by someone else entirely), no real effort at credibility is being attempted here. Unfortunate. Moving on.
So I tried here: http://madamenoire.com/44987/girl-code-10-friendship-commandments-every-girl-should-know/11/
This one is somewhat better. A tad superficial maybe, but several points match up quite well with “man code" with one marked exception, at least…so it seems so to me. Rule 5 of this article's list of woman code sums up as “No One-Upping your friend”. And I consider this a contrast with “man code” because from my observation hanging out with guys, a large aspect of male bonding seems to be regularly one-upping each other. Interesting.
This website made direct comparison contrast of both: http://www.hercampus.com/love/cracking-girl-code-and-bro-code
Hmm. Several points made here directly contradict points made on both sides elsewhere, so I’m uncertain of the value.
One contrast I did find…when googling, it was easier to find clear “guy code” material than girl code material. If anything…there was more denial that “girl code” even existed, or if it DID it was for parody or spoofing purposes only. I did NOT find “girl code” videos within the first 2 search result pages…and I did for “guy code”.
Much more to the point for me, seems to be an underlying assumption regardless of “code” that all communication with a member of the opposite sex implies some sort of intention for mate selection on a temporary or future basis.
Well.
Sooo. According to the rules of social culture I’m totally in the wrong then for assuming I’m perfectly within my right to be just friends with a guy, right? Turns out… not only am I NOT wrong, but a lot of society is trapped in a throwback timewarp. Check this out: http://www.psychologytoday.com/articles/200109/can-men-and-women-be-friends
That article felt pretty satisfying. So, where does that leave us when it comes to dealing with “The Codes” respectively? I think it helps to be aware of them to a certain respect. At the beginning of all this, I honestly thought some of these guys were just being single-minded jerks fishing for a sexually available woman. At the same time there is too much disparity among people regarding what the “codes” ARE to feel totally confident about the underlying factors that may or may not be going on in a guy’s head when he meets me.
So what to do? I don’t want a guy to feel “tricked” into breaking an unspoken guy code in the sense of waiting too far into a conversation to inform him that I’m spoken for. At the same time, I don’t want to give the impression that I think that he’s pursuing me intimately right from the word “Hello”. Strikes me as presumptuous and vain on my part, even during those times when I can tell a guy is interested in me that way before he’s opened his mouth (though admittedly I’m usually the last to know….some guys do manage to project interest at football field lengths…even I can pick up on that!).
I think I’m going to give it the time it takes to go through the inane pleasantries…and through the course of one actual topic. If he’s not asked me if I’m available in that timeframe, and shows signs of wanting to start another topic and stay in my company I’m going to interject with some polite, but bare bone bluntness.
Something like: “I’m enjoying your conversation, I’d like to continue, but I know there are some common cultural norms I’d like to get out of the way. I do have a boyfriend. He is not a muscle-minded moron. No real friend of ours would dare presume to act for either of us either. If you are uncomfortable continuing talking to me, I will understand.”
That could work. Hmmm.
Thursday, April 14, 2011
Yeah...I Suck
So very long since I updated?
Say it isn't so!
Ah well, happens to bloggers all the time...there they are happily blogging away with so much to say...
And BANG! Life happens.
As for how much I'm going to put in my blog regarding what has contributed to keeping me away...don't know. Cannot imagine many people want to read anyone's blog when it's just a diatribe about their own personal whatever.
Ah well.
Say it isn't so!
Ah well, happens to bloggers all the time...there they are happily blogging away with so much to say...
And BANG! Life happens.
As for how much I'm going to put in my blog regarding what has contributed to keeping me away...don't know. Cannot imagine many people want to read anyone's blog when it's just a diatribe about their own personal whatever.
Ah well.
Tuesday, June 29, 2010
Amazon is Down-own-own-own (Echoooooo)
Today is a rare day. Amazon.com has been down for over 2 hours.
For those of you who may read this, and have either a sense of deja vu', or a desire to throw something at me... I will predict that you frequent Twitter to a certain degree.
Now that is more interesting to me than my beloved book dealer being out of my favorite smack.
I have done a rare thing the last hour or so. I have watched the Twitter feed regarding Amazon being down. My feelings about Twitter are very much justified. EVERYONE has something to say....and next to NO ONE is actually listening.
How do I know? Easy. Every other tweet on there was either informing us that Amazon is down, or asking if anyone is having the same issue of Amazon seeming to be down. Every other tweet...for the last two hours.
All anyone had to do to actually find out IF Amazon were down, or if anyone else had noticed a problem with Amazon...would be to do a search in Twitter for recent tweets regarding Amazon...and MAGIC!!! Multiple tweets confirming the issue already in existence!
But no. That is not what Tweeters actually DO apparantly. They must tweet their query (regardless of how many times it's been tweeted prior), because it's the TWEETING that is important, not the content of the tweet, or even the answer to the supposed "query". And I say supposed query...because I ask a lot of questions myself...then I google for the answer. See I seek answers before considering asking the world at large, because I'm fairly certain (and never been wrong yet) that I'm never the First Person to EVER ask something.
I could only watch the Twitter feed on this for a couple hours. And to be honest, even by then I was feeling a bit drop-kicky towards most of the people on there. Some of them posited interesting ideas, like musing about how much money on average Amazon was losing by being down (and a couple folk looked like they'd actually sought out the answer). But most tweets were of the two types I already mentioned. Which said pretty clearly to me that people were more focused on tweeting, than reading existing tweets on the subject.
The repitition created a textual cacophony that in truth, is still making my head hurt a little.
I'm just not a Twitter fan.
For those of you who may read this, and have either a sense of deja vu', or a desire to throw something at me... I will predict that you frequent Twitter to a certain degree.
Now that is more interesting to me than my beloved book dealer being out of my favorite smack.
I have done a rare thing the last hour or so. I have watched the Twitter feed regarding Amazon being down. My feelings about Twitter are very much justified. EVERYONE has something to say....and next to NO ONE is actually listening.
How do I know? Easy. Every other tweet on there was either informing us that Amazon is down, or asking if anyone is having the same issue of Amazon seeming to be down. Every other tweet...for the last two hours.
All anyone had to do to actually find out IF Amazon were down, or if anyone else had noticed a problem with Amazon...would be to do a search in Twitter for recent tweets regarding Amazon...and MAGIC!!! Multiple tweets confirming the issue already in existence!
But no. That is not what Tweeters actually DO apparantly. They must tweet their query (regardless of how many times it's been tweeted prior), because it's the TWEETING that is important, not the content of the tweet, or even the answer to the supposed "query". And I say supposed query...because I ask a lot of questions myself...then I google for the answer. See I seek answers before considering asking the world at large, because I'm fairly certain (and never been wrong yet) that I'm never the First Person to EVER ask something.
I could only watch the Twitter feed on this for a couple hours. And to be honest, even by then I was feeling a bit drop-kicky towards most of the people on there. Some of them posited interesting ideas, like musing about how much money on average Amazon was losing by being down (and a couple folk looked like they'd actually sought out the answer). But most tweets were of the two types I already mentioned. Which said pretty clearly to me that people were more focused on tweeting, than reading existing tweets on the subject.
The repitition created a textual cacophony that in truth, is still making my head hurt a little.
I'm just not a Twitter fan.
Sunday, April 18, 2010
Calm the FUCK Down!
So, the volcano in Iceland is spewing ash and disrupting air travel. Yeah. Shit happens. I can understand being frustrated by it.
But it makes no sense to be ANGRY about it.
I had the news on, and they were doing the interview thing where they stick the microphone in the stranded passengers faces, and while most people were clearly frustrated and tired, some went so far to be ANGRY.
Can you explain what there is to be angry at? It's nature...she's occasionally a bitch, and most of us (especially where I live) just deal with the fact that nature likes to throw ash every now and then.
The angry people were actually kind of creepy, in the sense that they actually seemed to expect "someone" to do something about their misfortune, and it was a crime than nothing had been done yet.
And part of the reason this attitude is creepy, is I think it encourages dangerous actions...kind of like KLM trying to see if they can force a plane to fly through ash clouds (they are testing this now).
Yeah. Count me OUT on that passenger list. I'd be checking to see if any cruise ships were offering special rates for stranded air passengers. Seven days and I'd be back in the States.
But it makes no sense to be ANGRY about it.
I had the news on, and they were doing the interview thing where they stick the microphone in the stranded passengers faces, and while most people were clearly frustrated and tired, some went so far to be ANGRY.
Can you explain what there is to be angry at? It's nature...she's occasionally a bitch, and most of us (especially where I live) just deal with the fact that nature likes to throw ash every now and then.
The angry people were actually kind of creepy, in the sense that they actually seemed to expect "someone" to do something about their misfortune, and it was a crime than nothing had been done yet.
And part of the reason this attitude is creepy, is I think it encourages dangerous actions...kind of like KLM trying to see if they can force a plane to fly through ash clouds (they are testing this now).
Yeah. Count me OUT on that passenger list. I'd be checking to see if any cruise ships were offering special rates for stranded air passengers. Seven days and I'd be back in the States.
Wednesday, March 31, 2010
PUT Them Down!
The multi-use phones. iPhone, Android, Hero, whatever.
Put them down.
Ah Ah Ah....I SAW that!!! Take that oversized paperclip off your damn ear! NOW!
Thank You.
Now let's chat.
The other day I was watching a movie at a friends house. There were four of us sharing time together..hanging out...having fun. All of a sudden, as though some predetermined signal had been received...all three of the people there pulled out their phones and started screwing around with them to the exclusion of each other and their guest (me). And no, they did not all receive calls or texts at the same moment.
My own housemate has become a phone whore too. We go to a movie, and on the drive to the theater...he's sitting in the passenger seat texting, texting, texting as I drive. Before he joined the multi-use phone craze..we used to do the most radical thing in the car on the way somewhere...we used to talk...TO EACH OTHER!!!
NEVER should digital communication become perceived as more vital or important than live interpersonal communication...but that is what is taking place. And as these phones become more loaded with features (or Apps), somehow they've become more interesting or stimulating than actual interaction.
That or their users are so entranced by the cool tech, the perception that they are being rude as fuck to the person standing right there trying to talk to them gets lost in the "novelty" of playing solitare on their phone (oooooh aaaaaaah).
I'll admit, the new phones ARE cool. And yes...I think maybe I too will eventually buy one when I can justify the price of the additional dataplan to myself.
But here is part of what gets me...the friends I mentioned earlier? They share a three bedroom apartment, none of them can afford a car, their budgets limit them to generic brands, but they all three have these slick new phones.
I can afford an iphone, but I'm still waiting (for what? Not quite sure). I use an old Motorola that doesn't even have a camera. Maybe I need for my ancient phone to fully die.
But it's really something to see a clutch of teenagers huddled together all hanging out...texting madly to people who are not even there, to the exclusion of each other.
It's just a bit wacko.
Put them down.
Ah Ah Ah....I SAW that!!! Take that oversized paperclip off your damn ear! NOW!
Thank You.
Now let's chat.
The other day I was watching a movie at a friends house. There were four of us sharing time together..hanging out...having fun. All of a sudden, as though some predetermined signal had been received...all three of the people there pulled out their phones and started screwing around with them to the exclusion of each other and their guest (me). And no, they did not all receive calls or texts at the same moment.
My own housemate has become a phone whore too. We go to a movie, and on the drive to the theater...he's sitting in the passenger seat texting, texting, texting as I drive. Before he joined the multi-use phone craze..we used to do the most radical thing in the car on the way somewhere...we used to talk...TO EACH OTHER!!!
NEVER should digital communication become perceived as more vital or important than live interpersonal communication...but that is what is taking place. And as these phones become more loaded with features (or Apps), somehow they've become more interesting or stimulating than actual interaction.
That or their users are so entranced by the cool tech, the perception that they are being rude as fuck to the person standing right there trying to talk to them gets lost in the "novelty" of playing solitare on their phone (oooooh aaaaaaah).
I'll admit, the new phones ARE cool. And yes...I think maybe I too will eventually buy one when I can justify the price of the additional dataplan to myself.
But here is part of what gets me...the friends I mentioned earlier? They share a three bedroom apartment, none of them can afford a car, their budgets limit them to generic brands, but they all three have these slick new phones.
I can afford an iphone, but I'm still waiting (for what? Not quite sure). I use an old Motorola that doesn't even have a camera. Maybe I need for my ancient phone to fully die.
But it's really something to see a clutch of teenagers huddled together all hanging out...texting madly to people who are not even there, to the exclusion of each other.
It's just a bit wacko.
Wednesday, March 10, 2010
What the Hell?
Heath Ledger got sick. He took cold medicine along with prescription drugs . Heath Ledger died.
Brittany Murphy got sick. She took cold medicine along with prescription drugs. Brittany Murphy died.
Today Corey Haim died. Granted…he does have a history of substance abuse, but from what I’m reading so far in the news… Corey Haim was sick with “flu-like symptoms” the last couple days, and he was in possession of prescription medications. Somehow it wouldn’t surprise me much if he also possessed over the counter cold medicine. I’m a regular Sherlock Holmes right?
So what is really going on? Most of us have heard at some point that you are not supposed to mix prescription drugs with cold medicines. And you’d think the tragic examples of several media darlings the last few years would be a heady reminder for us all. But people keep dying anyway.
Part of the answer is really POOR communication on the part of our doctors. They used to express the notion that open communication was entirely the patient’s responsibility. Well look how well THAT idea works!
Doctors are not easily accessible. They are busy people. But that contributes to the communication problem. So what happens when someone with an Oxycontin prescription starts getting that itchy tickle in the back of their throat heralding the onset of cold or flu? Do they call their doctor? They might try…but what happens? Usually they end up leaving a message. Many doctors seem to share a trait that returning calls on messages are really not that big a priority for them. It probably doesn’t help that a large volume of the calls they get likely DO fall into the “no big whoop” category….but even THAT is a result of poor communication and even poorer public information. Such as people heading for the hospital for issues that could be handled faster (and often cheaper) at a Clinic.
But back to the poor patient on Oxycontin who tried to do the right thing. It’s been three days since they left a message for the Doctor asking if they can safely take cold medicine, and they are miserable from the stuffiness, sore throat, and coughing. They can’t sleep, they can’t think, they cannot taste food properly…or swallow it comfortably. Life sucks. So they call the Doctor back.
For the sake of this scenario, let’s be merciful (we already know the repetitive run-around that can take place) and say our patient actually lucks out and is able to talk to the Doctor the second time they call. Let’s say the doctor is cool and tells them which medicines are okay to take. He’s trying to be helpful…but here comes a new problem. Doctors often don’t refer to medicines by Brand name. For a lot of people…tissue is called Kleenex even when the actual Brand is Kirkland. The Doctor is trying to help by being as specific as possible… but this involves actual drug ingredients which generally have a lot of syllables…even the spelling of which, if accidently wrong, refers to a different ingredient.
The Patient gets frustrated. This is going to mean looking at the backs of a lot of boxes and bottles sorting the safe from unsafe. And they already do not feel well. And the words the doctor is saying on the phone do little to make the patient feel good. They might recognize an ingredient the doctor mentions as being what they think of as “Sudafed”…and now worse, they may feel a little angry. After all…can’t the Doctor just say “Sudafed” and be done? The patient feels like crud, and this doctor is sending them to the store to do what sounds like intensive research, instead of just saying, “Buy this, this, and this. Do not buy any of that though, it could be dangerous.” And now the doctor is asking cheerily if they have any more questions…which the patient might, except now they either feel like an idiot, or that they are being sent on a snipe hunt. So the questions may go unasked.
The patient goes to the store. They look on the backs of boxes, and yes…they see the ingredients the doctor talked about. But they are not comfortable about the purchase, because the box also lists ingredients the doctor never mentioned! Or even better, the patient is pretty certain one of the other ingredients listed is one the doctor might have said to avoid. While the patient does not buy those, they feel even less certain about the medicines with ingredients the doctor did not mention at all. Maybe they should call the doctor again…
Yeah right. That’s going to happen.
Nope. They will just buy the medicines. And…this time, all is well. They get over their cold, and feel somewhat silly about worrying about ODing. And the next time they get sick, chances are very good they will not take the precautions they did the first time getting sick while on their prescription meds. The next time they get sick after that, they misplaced the list of “safe meds” they made way back when…but they think they remember what they bought before, and getting hold of the doctor was such a hassle…and a couple years down the road, they get the flu and die from an OD.
So what is the solution? I think we have to accept that both patients and doctors are human therefore their communication skills are of varying qualities. Perhaps we should take it out of human hands. Internet research can lead to the right answers of what can be safe to take with what, but what would be great would be if there were one well known website where you type in the name of your drug, and in one field pops up a list of safe OTC meds, and in another field (With big red letters somewhere) of the unsafe meds all with a common brand name in parenthesis.
Even more valuable if it made lists for OTC meds, as well as other prescription drugs. That way, if your doctor gives you a prescription for something else later…you could check it. And if there were a concern…then call the doctor to find out about your being prescribed a potentially dangerous combo.
The days of doctors complaining that their patients are “over-informed” because of the internet need to be past. So long as doctors lack the accessibility of the internet, people are going to use it instead. The best thing to do then is try to insure sites where the information offered is accurate as possible.
Brittany Murphy got sick. She took cold medicine along with prescription drugs. Brittany Murphy died.
Today Corey Haim died. Granted…he does have a history of substance abuse, but from what I’m reading so far in the news… Corey Haim was sick with “flu-like symptoms” the last couple days, and he was in possession of prescription medications. Somehow it wouldn’t surprise me much if he also possessed over the counter cold medicine. I’m a regular Sherlock Holmes right?
So what is really going on? Most of us have heard at some point that you are not supposed to mix prescription drugs with cold medicines. And you’d think the tragic examples of several media darlings the last few years would be a heady reminder for us all. But people keep dying anyway.
Part of the answer is really POOR communication on the part of our doctors. They used to express the notion that open communication was entirely the patient’s responsibility. Well look how well THAT idea works!
Doctors are not easily accessible. They are busy people. But that contributes to the communication problem. So what happens when someone with an Oxycontin prescription starts getting that itchy tickle in the back of their throat heralding the onset of cold or flu? Do they call their doctor? They might try…but what happens? Usually they end up leaving a message. Many doctors seem to share a trait that returning calls on messages are really not that big a priority for them. It probably doesn’t help that a large volume of the calls they get likely DO fall into the “no big whoop” category….but even THAT is a result of poor communication and even poorer public information. Such as people heading for the hospital for issues that could be handled faster (and often cheaper) at a Clinic.
But back to the poor patient on Oxycontin who tried to do the right thing. It’s been three days since they left a message for the Doctor asking if they can safely take cold medicine, and they are miserable from the stuffiness, sore throat, and coughing. They can’t sleep, they can’t think, they cannot taste food properly…or swallow it comfortably. Life sucks. So they call the Doctor back.
For the sake of this scenario, let’s be merciful (we already know the repetitive run-around that can take place) and say our patient actually lucks out and is able to talk to the Doctor the second time they call. Let’s say the doctor is cool and tells them which medicines are okay to take. He’s trying to be helpful…but here comes a new problem. Doctors often don’t refer to medicines by Brand name. For a lot of people…tissue is called Kleenex even when the actual Brand is Kirkland. The Doctor is trying to help by being as specific as possible… but this involves actual drug ingredients which generally have a lot of syllables…even the spelling of which, if accidently wrong, refers to a different ingredient.
The Patient gets frustrated. This is going to mean looking at the backs of a lot of boxes and bottles sorting the safe from unsafe. And they already do not feel well. And the words the doctor is saying on the phone do little to make the patient feel good. They might recognize an ingredient the doctor mentions as being what they think of as “Sudafed”…and now worse, they may feel a little angry. After all…can’t the Doctor just say “Sudafed” and be done? The patient feels like crud, and this doctor is sending them to the store to do what sounds like intensive research, instead of just saying, “Buy this, this, and this. Do not buy any of that though, it could be dangerous.” And now the doctor is asking cheerily if they have any more questions…which the patient might, except now they either feel like an idiot, or that they are being sent on a snipe hunt. So the questions may go unasked.
The patient goes to the store. They look on the backs of boxes, and yes…they see the ingredients the doctor talked about. But they are not comfortable about the purchase, because the box also lists ingredients the doctor never mentioned! Or even better, the patient is pretty certain one of the other ingredients listed is one the doctor might have said to avoid. While the patient does not buy those, they feel even less certain about the medicines with ingredients the doctor did not mention at all. Maybe they should call the doctor again…
Yeah right. That’s going to happen.
Nope. They will just buy the medicines. And…this time, all is well. They get over their cold, and feel somewhat silly about worrying about ODing. And the next time they get sick, chances are very good they will not take the precautions they did the first time getting sick while on their prescription meds. The next time they get sick after that, they misplaced the list of “safe meds” they made way back when…but they think they remember what they bought before, and getting hold of the doctor was such a hassle…and a couple years down the road, they get the flu and die from an OD.
So what is the solution? I think we have to accept that both patients and doctors are human therefore their communication skills are of varying qualities. Perhaps we should take it out of human hands. Internet research can lead to the right answers of what can be safe to take with what, but what would be great would be if there were one well known website where you type in the name of your drug, and in one field pops up a list of safe OTC meds, and in another field (With big red letters somewhere) of the unsafe meds all with a common brand name in parenthesis.
Even more valuable if it made lists for OTC meds, as well as other prescription drugs. That way, if your doctor gives you a prescription for something else later…you could check it. And if there were a concern…then call the doctor to find out about your being prescribed a potentially dangerous combo.
The days of doctors complaining that their patients are “over-informed” because of the internet need to be past. So long as doctors lack the accessibility of the internet, people are going to use it instead. The best thing to do then is try to insure sites where the information offered is accurate as possible.
Tuesday, March 2, 2010
It's a Plot
It has to be. Every time I want to do anything that requires time or attention...start Aikido, join a community group, or gee...try blogging regularly, my job ACTIVELY interferes.
I don't want to whine about work on here, so in brief I'll just say I've been wearing a lot of hats and that tends to leave my brains a smooshy zombie pudding by the end of the day...and this has gone on for a couple months.
Even as I type this (my thought was...gee it's been quiet for over ten minutes, I could write something real quick), the phone is ringing like a bitch. Gotta go.
I don't want to whine about work on here, so in brief I'll just say I've been wearing a lot of hats and that tends to leave my brains a smooshy zombie pudding by the end of the day...and this has gone on for a couple months.
Even as I type this (my thought was...gee it's been quiet for over ten minutes, I could write something real quick), the phone is ringing like a bitch. Gotta go.
Friday, January 22, 2010
The Stupid, It Burns
So in the news recently it came to light that Trijicon has been embossing bible verses within the serial numbers on gun scopes distributed to military forces in Iraq and Afghanistan.
I can only shake my head. It’s easy for everyone in America to call bullshit when Islamic leaders profess their religion as being one of peace while at the same time their more zealous members strap bombs to their bodies and get on airplanes. But when you try and point out that Christianity is a bloody minded cult as well…folks are either confused or in rabid denial.
Bible verses on gun sights.
In a funny way, I find that worse than the muslim suicide bombers. These are gun sights being used to target people. And not just people...
A.
Single.
Person.
You don’t use a gun sight to take out a whole crowd at once. You use it to focus on a single person. A person. Not a deer or a bunny…our guys overseas are not out there to bring home the meat. Their targets are specifically human.
A shooter has time to see the face of his victim. They may have just heard a really good joke, or were just thinking about their family, and that final expression is what the shooter sees before ending his life.
It is part of war and no, it’s not pretty, but some assfucker at Trijicon wanted a product stamped with a bible verse to be part of that gruesome process!
What is really messed up are the folks who think this practice helps support our troops. Um…how? Only by attaching magical thinking and superstition to the presence of these verses on military equipment. How is this different from rubbing a rabbit’s foot, or tossing a penny in a well hoping for good fortune? This type of thinking is discouraged in the bible (look it up yourself)…but these folks think it is okay to treat the bible like its magic.
And with all this circular reasoning and hypocrisy…I’m supposed to have respect for religious people?
Not going to happen.
I can only shake my head. It’s easy for everyone in America to call bullshit when Islamic leaders profess their religion as being one of peace while at the same time their more zealous members strap bombs to their bodies and get on airplanes. But when you try and point out that Christianity is a bloody minded cult as well…folks are either confused or in rabid denial.
Bible verses on gun sights.
In a funny way, I find that worse than the muslim suicide bombers. These are gun sights being used to target people. And not just people...
A.
Single.
Person.
You don’t use a gun sight to take out a whole crowd at once. You use it to focus on a single person. A person. Not a deer or a bunny…our guys overseas are not out there to bring home the meat. Their targets are specifically human.
A shooter has time to see the face of his victim. They may have just heard a really good joke, or were just thinking about their family, and that final expression is what the shooter sees before ending his life.
It is part of war and no, it’s not pretty, but some assfucker at Trijicon wanted a product stamped with a bible verse to be part of that gruesome process!
What is really messed up are the folks who think this practice helps support our troops. Um…how? Only by attaching magical thinking and superstition to the presence of these verses on military equipment. How is this different from rubbing a rabbit’s foot, or tossing a penny in a well hoping for good fortune? This type of thinking is discouraged in the bible (look it up yourself)…but these folks think it is okay to treat the bible like its magic.
And with all this circular reasoning and hypocrisy…I’m supposed to have respect for religious people?
Not going to happen.
Friday, January 8, 2010
Getting Myself Under Control
Weight loss is a frequent New Year’s resolution. People joining gyms, and for a month of two, are pretty dedicated at the attempt.
Problem is, they’ve often shocked their system, and or are engaged in dieting behavior, and not lifestyle behavior.
What is the difference?
Dieting behavior is extreme. People don’t intend to diet forever…just until they get to where they want to be. And that is part of why diets utterly FAIL.
Dieting is not complementary to life. And it’s not obvious at first. A couple weeks go by…and you are sticking to the plan feeling pretty proud of yourself. Then it happens.
Life.
And by life, I mean something happens to jostle or upset the routine. Humans are not machines. We are alive, and as a result…life happens. Your friend has a birthday party (cake is not part of the diet plan), or your work schedule gets changed (now you have to pick a new workout time). And even if you don’t eat a bite of cake at the party, and you can re-schedule your gym workout without a hitch…something has still happened emotionally. A mild, almost unnoticeable sensation of aggravation or maybe annoyance because the Plan was threatened.
And guess what? Life is going to happen again. And it will wear your resolve away. Your car breaks down, and you miss a workout. Your boss brings in warm cinnamon rolls and it’s been a crap day. Or you start emotionally compensating to make up for how you’ve been depriving yourself…you had your workout…you’ve earned a hamburger!
And without meaning to, you’ve slowly slid off the wagon. Diet Fail. You have to try again, only now you are discouraged by the failure, so guess what’s probably going to happen again?
A change in Lifestyle behavior is a better goal. Successful weight loss, weight that comes off and stays off, does not happen quickly.
The first question than must be answered is: How “in shape” am I satisfied with being?
That really is an important question. Because what you have to accept, is the lifestyle that goes along with your notion of the “ideal” body might not be compatible with your own life. If you want to look like an Olympic athlete, you have to dedicate yourself to the athletic lifestyle. There’s no way around that, and there are only so many hours in the day.
The first level of “in shape” you should consider as a goal, is one your doctor is less worried about. This means losing enough weight to get your blood pressure into the normal zone. Lifestyle goals are reasonable goals. This is not about a tv show where you lose 50 pounds in 3 months. If you were getting paid to get in shape, yeah fast weight loss would be a reasonable goal, but most of us can’t afford to quit our jobs for three months for some kind of Booty Boot Camp, we have to make do with what time we have.
A lifestyle change does not have to happen quickly. That is the good thing about it. You don’t start your lifestyle on Monday (that’s a diet mentality). It's also not about becoming "thin". Define thin. If you are pointing at a picture that is not of you, you are already making an error. Chances are, whoever you are pointing at has a completely different body type. And if you picked a professional photo...that image has been airbrushed and altered more than you probably realize. It is not real. This is about a real body, to go with your real life.
I started with getting my sugar under control. This doesn’t mean sugar never passes my lips, it means I’m aware of the sugar passing my lips, as well as what type of sugar it is. High Fructose Corn Syrup (HFCS), is off the menu for me. I find that foods containing it do less to make me feel full, so I keep eating them.
I’d also decided to try and steer clear of overly processed foods in general. While the makers of HFCS and other modern food products like to loudly proclaim their products do not contribute to obesity, the fact is people were thinner before highly processed foods hit the market.
So I try to eat plenty of real foods. If I can’t pronounce it, why should I eat it? But that actually increases my awareness of what I eat, because frankly the food tastes fuller (and better). Taste is part of how we start to feel full. If we eat something with very little flavor, we end up eating a lot more of it. My food tastes good, and I KNOW I just put a pat of real butter on there...so I watch how much of it I eat.
A real food goal for me was a challenge that took a long time to start being successful at. Mostly because when I started that goal, I did not yet have a working stove or oven. I ate out of the microwave. I do have a working range now, but since it’s usually just me, I have little interest in spending more than 20 minutes preparing a meal.
Next was getting control of how MUCH I ate. This meant re-training my eating habits. I stopped eating with the tv on for the time it took to re-train (I do eat with it on now, but my attention is on my food now). The American meal training is thus “As fast and as much as possible, in the time you have”, which is not what you want. The way I eat now involves eating slowly enough to taste my food. Part of why having full flavored food is important…you will notice the flavor of your low-fat diet meal is not up to par if you are still eating that crap. Eating slowly means my body has time to get full and tell me it’s full. And full means satisfied…not barely able to move.
Next came the calorie calculator. I use this one. I’m not the type of person who has any interest in counting every damn calorie (that’s a dieting behavior). But having an idea of how many calories I eat to maintain my current weight…and trying to eat a couple hundred calories below it each day…that is fairly reasonable.
It became pretty clear at this point that increasing my activity level was required. The calorie calculator I’d picked wouldn’t go below a certain number of recommended calories per day, but my body was compensating by dropping my metabolism down a hole and making me feel like crap. Sure, it would mean I had to eat more, but more physical activity meant raising my metabolism. Notice, I don’t call it “exercise”. Exercise means different things to different people. To me it sounds like an arduous punishment. That’s not something I want in my lifestyle. My main physical activity is something I enjoy.
Walking. I like walking. I just happen to do it faster and more often than I used to. I also make an effort to do a lot more of it on the treadmill while I watch something on tv.
Now…it probably doesn’t sound like I’m doing all that much. But I also walk during my breaks at work, I take the stairs whenever and wherever I can, and I park far from the door when I go somewhere. I make physical activity happen as part of my life.
Here is the result. I started working on these changes back in April of 09 and continued (with gradual increases in speed and duration of walking) up to the middle of October 09. During that time I went from weighing 157 pounds to weighing 140.
I then went on vacation, and really have not been on the treadmill regularly…except just enough to keep me at 140 (weight maintenance is easy compared to losing it). It is now time to increase my physical activity again to continue what I’d started. I’d met the goal, my blood pressure is well down and my doctor is happy.
So now I’m setting a teeny goal. The reason its teeny…is because it’s a weight loss goal which is a dieting behavior. But small is doable. I’m going to drop to 135 and see if I can maintain that (which I’m sure I probably can). What is NOT a dieting behavior...I'm not setting a strong time limit on myself to get down to 135. Let's say...before spring-ish. Here is the thing...even if I don't reach my goal, I figure so long as my weight doesn't go up, I'm doing good.
A bathroom scale is obviously mandatory. I figure that was a big contributor to my original weight gain in the first place, that and living out of the microwave and eating lot's of restaurant food....but the biggie was that scale. I did not KNOW I was gaining in the first place, so it was able to get out of control.
Notice what is critically different about a lifestyle plan yet? There are no eating restrictions that could result in negative emotions, or poor self-image. I do not miss fat or sugar, because I eat fats and sugars. I make sure to eat more good fats, and I stick to sweet things made with cane sugar when I do eat them.
So far...it works!
Problem is, they’ve often shocked their system, and or are engaged in dieting behavior, and not lifestyle behavior.
What is the difference?
Dieting behavior is extreme. People don’t intend to diet forever…just until they get to where they want to be. And that is part of why diets utterly FAIL.
Dieting is not complementary to life. And it’s not obvious at first. A couple weeks go by…and you are sticking to the plan feeling pretty proud of yourself. Then it happens.
Life.
And by life, I mean something happens to jostle or upset the routine. Humans are not machines. We are alive, and as a result…life happens. Your friend has a birthday party (cake is not part of the diet plan), or your work schedule gets changed (now you have to pick a new workout time). And even if you don’t eat a bite of cake at the party, and you can re-schedule your gym workout without a hitch…something has still happened emotionally. A mild, almost unnoticeable sensation of aggravation or maybe annoyance because the Plan was threatened.
And guess what? Life is going to happen again. And it will wear your resolve away. Your car breaks down, and you miss a workout. Your boss brings in warm cinnamon rolls and it’s been a crap day. Or you start emotionally compensating to make up for how you’ve been depriving yourself…you had your workout…you’ve earned a hamburger!
And without meaning to, you’ve slowly slid off the wagon. Diet Fail. You have to try again, only now you are discouraged by the failure, so guess what’s probably going to happen again?
A change in Lifestyle behavior is a better goal. Successful weight loss, weight that comes off and stays off, does not happen quickly.
The first question than must be answered is: How “in shape” am I satisfied with being?
That really is an important question. Because what you have to accept, is the lifestyle that goes along with your notion of the “ideal” body might not be compatible with your own life. If you want to look like an Olympic athlete, you have to dedicate yourself to the athletic lifestyle. There’s no way around that, and there are only so many hours in the day.
The first level of “in shape” you should consider as a goal, is one your doctor is less worried about. This means losing enough weight to get your blood pressure into the normal zone. Lifestyle goals are reasonable goals. This is not about a tv show where you lose 50 pounds in 3 months. If you were getting paid to get in shape, yeah fast weight loss would be a reasonable goal, but most of us can’t afford to quit our jobs for three months for some kind of Booty Boot Camp, we have to make do with what time we have.
A lifestyle change does not have to happen quickly. That is the good thing about it. You don’t start your lifestyle on Monday (that’s a diet mentality). It's also not about becoming "thin". Define thin. If you are pointing at a picture that is not of you, you are already making an error. Chances are, whoever you are pointing at has a completely different body type. And if you picked a professional photo...that image has been airbrushed and altered more than you probably realize. It is not real. This is about a real body, to go with your real life.
I started with getting my sugar under control. This doesn’t mean sugar never passes my lips, it means I’m aware of the sugar passing my lips, as well as what type of sugar it is. High Fructose Corn Syrup (HFCS), is off the menu for me. I find that foods containing it do less to make me feel full, so I keep eating them.
I’d also decided to try and steer clear of overly processed foods in general. While the makers of HFCS and other modern food products like to loudly proclaim their products do not contribute to obesity, the fact is people were thinner before highly processed foods hit the market.
So I try to eat plenty of real foods. If I can’t pronounce it, why should I eat it? But that actually increases my awareness of what I eat, because frankly the food tastes fuller (and better). Taste is part of how we start to feel full. If we eat something with very little flavor, we end up eating a lot more of it. My food tastes good, and I KNOW I just put a pat of real butter on there...so I watch how much of it I eat.
A real food goal for me was a challenge that took a long time to start being successful at. Mostly because when I started that goal, I did not yet have a working stove or oven. I ate out of the microwave. I do have a working range now, but since it’s usually just me, I have little interest in spending more than 20 minutes preparing a meal.
Next was getting control of how MUCH I ate. This meant re-training my eating habits. I stopped eating with the tv on for the time it took to re-train (I do eat with it on now, but my attention is on my food now). The American meal training is thus “As fast and as much as possible, in the time you have”, which is not what you want. The way I eat now involves eating slowly enough to taste my food. Part of why having full flavored food is important…you will notice the flavor of your low-fat diet meal is not up to par if you are still eating that crap. Eating slowly means my body has time to get full and tell me it’s full. And full means satisfied…not barely able to move.
Next came the calorie calculator. I use this one. I’m not the type of person who has any interest in counting every damn calorie (that’s a dieting behavior). But having an idea of how many calories I eat to maintain my current weight…and trying to eat a couple hundred calories below it each day…that is fairly reasonable.
It became pretty clear at this point that increasing my activity level was required. The calorie calculator I’d picked wouldn’t go below a certain number of recommended calories per day, but my body was compensating by dropping my metabolism down a hole and making me feel like crap. Sure, it would mean I had to eat more, but more physical activity meant raising my metabolism. Notice, I don’t call it “exercise”. Exercise means different things to different people. To me it sounds like an arduous punishment. That’s not something I want in my lifestyle. My main physical activity is something I enjoy.
Walking. I like walking. I just happen to do it faster and more often than I used to. I also make an effort to do a lot more of it on the treadmill while I watch something on tv.
Now…it probably doesn’t sound like I’m doing all that much. But I also walk during my breaks at work, I take the stairs whenever and wherever I can, and I park far from the door when I go somewhere. I make physical activity happen as part of my life.
Here is the result. I started working on these changes back in April of 09 and continued (with gradual increases in speed and duration of walking) up to the middle of October 09. During that time I went from weighing 157 pounds to weighing 140.
I then went on vacation, and really have not been on the treadmill regularly…except just enough to keep me at 140 (weight maintenance is easy compared to losing it). It is now time to increase my physical activity again to continue what I’d started. I’d met the goal, my blood pressure is well down and my doctor is happy.
So now I’m setting a teeny goal. The reason its teeny…is because it’s a weight loss goal which is a dieting behavior. But small is doable. I’m going to drop to 135 and see if I can maintain that (which I’m sure I probably can). What is NOT a dieting behavior...I'm not setting a strong time limit on myself to get down to 135. Let's say...before spring-ish. Here is the thing...even if I don't reach my goal, I figure so long as my weight doesn't go up, I'm doing good.
A bathroom scale is obviously mandatory. I figure that was a big contributor to my original weight gain in the first place, that and living out of the microwave and eating lot's of restaurant food....but the biggie was that scale. I did not KNOW I was gaining in the first place, so it was able to get out of control.
Notice what is critically different about a lifestyle plan yet? There are no eating restrictions that could result in negative emotions, or poor self-image. I do not miss fat or sugar, because I eat fats and sugars. I make sure to eat more good fats, and I stick to sweet things made with cane sugar when I do eat them.
So far...it works!
Wednesday, January 6, 2010
Happy New Year!
Well, it was a busy season. December 23rd saw me in the ER for abdominal pains. I was useless for the five days following. No idea as to the cause.
New Year’s was nice and quiet. Played some dominoes and finally started eating some holiday foods (had been eating “carefully” since the ER trip).
I’m not sure what it is about New Year’s, for me it’s always the forgotten holiday every year. I spend two months planning and getting ready for Christmas…and then after that holiday is over, someone asks me what my plans are for New Year’s and I’m like: “Oh! New Year’s! Umm…”
Every damn year I forget New Year’s! So often, I wind up really not doing anything because I forget about it until a day or two before. And it is such an intensely social holiday, I need all the time after Christmas to emotionally prepare myself for the partying. So if I forget (which I always do) until too late, by that time I REALLY have no desire to do the New Year’s thing at all so I do something quiet instead.
And as other peace-lovers know, doing something quiet for New Year’s is not looked on favorably by our more social family members and friends. Admit to someone you spent that evening at home enjoying a good book while watching the ball drop in Times Square on tv, and folks wonder what is wrong with you.
I do have some good news though, I bought a camera. Never been much into taking pictures, because I figured I wasn’t really that good at it. But then, I don’t think I’ve really put any more effort into the activity beyond point-and-shoot…and randomly guessing whether or not I need to use a flash (often taking the same pic with, and without flash), and somehow hoping that my photos are going to turn out good. If anyone reading this really is into photography, you can likely guess how often my pictures have disappointed me. Especially since I’ve always been super frugal about my shots, and never adjust anything on the camera other than the auto-zoom feature.
Now I’m going to take a real stab at TAKING good pictures, instead of hoping my pictures wind up looking good (I’m going to figure out what all those other buttons really do!). The reason this is good news of course is that this blog is likely to get some pictures on it.
Fingers Crossed!
New Year’s was nice and quiet. Played some dominoes and finally started eating some holiday foods (had been eating “carefully” since the ER trip).
I’m not sure what it is about New Year’s, for me it’s always the forgotten holiday every year. I spend two months planning and getting ready for Christmas…and then after that holiday is over, someone asks me what my plans are for New Year’s and I’m like: “Oh! New Year’s! Umm…”
Every damn year I forget New Year’s! So often, I wind up really not doing anything because I forget about it until a day or two before. And it is such an intensely social holiday, I need all the time after Christmas to emotionally prepare myself for the partying. So if I forget (which I always do) until too late, by that time I REALLY have no desire to do the New Year’s thing at all so I do something quiet instead.
And as other peace-lovers know, doing something quiet for New Year’s is not looked on favorably by our more social family members and friends. Admit to someone you spent that evening at home enjoying a good book while watching the ball drop in Times Square on tv, and folks wonder what is wrong with you.
I do have some good news though, I bought a camera. Never been much into taking pictures, because I figured I wasn’t really that good at it. But then, I don’t think I’ve really put any more effort into the activity beyond point-and-shoot…and randomly guessing whether or not I need to use a flash (often taking the same pic with, and without flash), and somehow hoping that my photos are going to turn out good. If anyone reading this really is into photography, you can likely guess how often my pictures have disappointed me. Especially since I’ve always been super frugal about my shots, and never adjust anything on the camera other than the auto-zoom feature.
Now I’m going to take a real stab at TAKING good pictures, instead of hoping my pictures wind up looking good (I’m going to figure out what all those other buttons really do!). The reason this is good news of course is that this blog is likely to get some pictures on it.
Fingers Crossed!
Thursday, December 10, 2009
The Holiday Incident
This was a little strange.
Last night I was stretched out in a recliner enjoying the warmth from the woodstove. I had a mug of rich creamy eggnog (Mmm nutmeg!) close at hand. From another room came the soft instrumental of White Christmas on the radio. I was feeling all drowsy and at peace with the world, when I started to hear something outside. I smiled, thinking “Carolers” when it dawned on me that it was too early in the Season yet for that.
So who were the people I could hear outside?
I went to the window and looked out. There was a mob on my front lawn trampling my snow. I might have ignored them entirely, but they had pitchforks and flaming torches.
And they were incredibly angry.
Concerned, I took another long sip of my eggnog.
“Down with the Atheist Agenda! Save Christmas!” I heard one of them yell. Well that got me a little annoyed. I went to my computer and quickly checked over my official copy of the Atheist Agenda, thinking there was something to worry about.
I went through it line by line….eating christian babies?...check…banning prayer in churches?...check…beating little old ladies on their way to Sunday Services?...check…
I went through the whole Plan. Nothing in it had anything to do with Christmas. I relaxed. I’d worried than someone in our ranks had spilled the beans and been telling tales. The person on the lawn had just been guessing.
From outside, I heard someone else cry out “We will win the War on Christmas! Save the Season!”
Shit. War? War.
I put down my eggnog. This was serious. I carefully reached for a gingerbread cookie. No cookie crumbs fell into my computer keyboard. That was good.
I checked Our website, expecting to see text of our leaders gravely discussing our declaration of War on the religious holiday.
Nothing was there.
I checked our affiliates, thinking maybe someone had gotten a little overexcited about something and fired the first shot prematurely.
Nope. So…who declared war on Christmas? I googled.
Christians. Wow. Christians had declared War on their own Seasonal celebration, but were trying to pin it on everyone else! I dunked my gingerbread into my eggnog and nibbled while listening to the rabble on my front lawn.
I was going to have to pull out the big guns to get those nutters away from my house. This was going to get messy.
Having decided, I went to my desk and grabbed three of my chosen weapons. 40% Off coupons for some big name game console at a nearby electronics store.
Regretfully, I tossed them off the balcony and into the crowd. The punching, kicking, and biting started before I’d even made it back inside.
By the time I’d finished the Religious Incident Report for my local Chapter of Evil, it was all quiet on my front lawn.
I made plans to call some friends the next day to help me with the mess outside. I did go outside briefly to gather some pitchforks and the remains of the torches. Their handles would make a nice addition to my woodstove.
Oh! Tragedy! My snowman was demolished! And bloody snow doesn’t hold together well, or look very nice. I would have to bring out the plastic Frosty the Snowman.
Just like last year.
Last night I was stretched out in a recliner enjoying the warmth from the woodstove. I had a mug of rich creamy eggnog (Mmm nutmeg!) close at hand. From another room came the soft instrumental of White Christmas on the radio. I was feeling all drowsy and at peace with the world, when I started to hear something outside. I smiled, thinking “Carolers” when it dawned on me that it was too early in the Season yet for that.
So who were the people I could hear outside?
I went to the window and looked out. There was a mob on my front lawn trampling my snow. I might have ignored them entirely, but they had pitchforks and flaming torches.
And they were incredibly angry.
Concerned, I took another long sip of my eggnog.
“Down with the Atheist Agenda! Save Christmas!” I heard one of them yell. Well that got me a little annoyed. I went to my computer and quickly checked over my official copy of the Atheist Agenda, thinking there was something to worry about.
I went through it line by line….eating christian babies?...check…banning prayer in churches?...check…beating little old ladies on their way to Sunday Services?...check…
I went through the whole Plan. Nothing in it had anything to do with Christmas. I relaxed. I’d worried than someone in our ranks had spilled the beans and been telling tales. The person on the lawn had just been guessing.
From outside, I heard someone else cry out “We will win the War on Christmas! Save the Season!”
Shit. War? War.
I put down my eggnog. This was serious. I carefully reached for a gingerbread cookie. No cookie crumbs fell into my computer keyboard. That was good.
I checked Our website, expecting to see text of our leaders gravely discussing our declaration of War on the religious holiday.
Nothing was there.
I checked our affiliates, thinking maybe someone had gotten a little overexcited about something and fired the first shot prematurely.
Nope. So…who declared war on Christmas? I googled.
Christians. Wow. Christians had declared War on their own Seasonal celebration, but were trying to pin it on everyone else! I dunked my gingerbread into my eggnog and nibbled while listening to the rabble on my front lawn.
I was going to have to pull out the big guns to get those nutters away from my house. This was going to get messy.
Having decided, I went to my desk and grabbed three of my chosen weapons. 40% Off coupons for some big name game console at a nearby electronics store.
Regretfully, I tossed them off the balcony and into the crowd. The punching, kicking, and biting started before I’d even made it back inside.
By the time I’d finished the Religious Incident Report for my local Chapter of Evil, it was all quiet on my front lawn.
I made plans to call some friends the next day to help me with the mess outside. I did go outside briefly to gather some pitchforks and the remains of the torches. Their handles would make a nice addition to my woodstove.
Oh! Tragedy! My snowman was demolished! And bloody snow doesn’t hold together well, or look very nice. I would have to bring out the plastic Frosty the Snowman.
Just like last year.
Monday, December 7, 2009
My Relationship, My Business
So I was reading some True Confessions in the Singles section, and I started to see several variations of an "instruction" that I recall being influenced about somewhat as I was growing up (they really should re-name that website Trainwreck Confessions as there are some doozies, but anyway...).
Here it is in a nutshell: "Ladies, if He is not proposing within a year, leave him and move on. You are wasting time that could be spent on someone who WILL commit."
Maybe when I was younger, I might have considered this to be "good" advice. But now I look at these "confessions" and as I google around, honestly I find the priorities valued in this statement and others like it to be absolutely abhorrent and mercenery.
According to the Society that values such a statement...the state of Being Married is more important than WHO you are getting married to. And if a guy is not willing to shell out the money for The Ring (oh the shallow BS I've overheard regarding that ornament!), go through the ordeal of a wedding, and set up house with you within a certain timeperiod...nevermind how happy he makes you, or how content you feel about your relationship with him. Sorry, your relationship has exceeded its 'Sell By' date and must be discarded.
I'm really glad my parents raised me to see my independence and self-sufficiency as the highest priority. I never saw marriage as my life's "goal". The folks didn't raise me to view marriage as the finish line. Actually, the only finish line I had, was to complete college and get a job that paid enough for me to be able to support myself. EVERYTHING else I've done since then, is all my own.
Marriage is not something I NEED to do, or am SUPPOSED to do. I suspect that takes a lot of pressure off, as I watch other women go absolutely nutballs obsessing over their looks, their clothes, and stressing out over some arbitrary self-imposed time limit.
I remember one female associate of mine had just had her 23rd Birthday, and she said to me that she would have to get serious because: "I've got to be married before I turn 25, or I'll be the biggest Freak."
I remember those words quite well, especially as I was 25 myself when she said this to me. I occasionally wonder what became of her. Did she meet her deadline? Or did she realize that the deadline for obtaining a significant other paled in comparison to developing and loving her significant self?
I celebrated my 33rd Birthday last month. I spent it with my BF and my family at his place having a lovely dinner (he's a fabulous cook) and enjoying being together. Yet according to the "one year" BS, I should have moved on a long time ago. That is just appalling to me. I'm happy. A lot happier than I've been in relationships past. I'm not going to sabotage something wonderful because it doesn't fall into "acceptable" Social "values".
But other women would do so. They would leave, or threaten to leave a wonderful man. They would hold the relationship itself hostage in pursuit of a perceived Finish Line...a Happily Ever After (not so happy if you are issuing Ultimatums), without realizing that a Life together only begins with a wedding. The wedding is not the end.
A Life Shared seems more precious and valuable to me than a ring, a dress, or a wedding. I wish other women felt the same way, and could see themselves as whole people instead of incomplete halves.
Here it is in a nutshell: "Ladies, if He is not proposing within a year, leave him and move on. You are wasting time that could be spent on someone who WILL commit."
Maybe when I was younger, I might have considered this to be "good" advice. But now I look at these "confessions" and as I google around, honestly I find the priorities valued in this statement and others like it to be absolutely abhorrent and mercenery.
According to the Society that values such a statement...the state of Being Married is more important than WHO you are getting married to. And if a guy is not willing to shell out the money for The Ring (oh the shallow BS I've overheard regarding that ornament!), go through the ordeal of a wedding, and set up house with you within a certain timeperiod...nevermind how happy he makes you, or how content you feel about your relationship with him. Sorry, your relationship has exceeded its 'Sell By' date and must be discarded.
I'm really glad my parents raised me to see my independence and self-sufficiency as the highest priority. I never saw marriage as my life's "goal". The folks didn't raise me to view marriage as the finish line. Actually, the only finish line I had, was to complete college and get a job that paid enough for me to be able to support myself. EVERYTHING else I've done since then, is all my own.
Marriage is not something I NEED to do, or am SUPPOSED to do. I suspect that takes a lot of pressure off, as I watch other women go absolutely nutballs obsessing over their looks, their clothes, and stressing out over some arbitrary self-imposed time limit.
I remember one female associate of mine had just had her 23rd Birthday, and she said to me that she would have to get serious because: "I've got to be married before I turn 25, or I'll be the biggest Freak."
I remember those words quite well, especially as I was 25 myself when she said this to me. I occasionally wonder what became of her. Did she meet her deadline? Or did she realize that the deadline for obtaining a significant other paled in comparison to developing and loving her significant self?
I celebrated my 33rd Birthday last month. I spent it with my BF and my family at his place having a lovely dinner (he's a fabulous cook) and enjoying being together. Yet according to the "one year" BS, I should have moved on a long time ago. That is just appalling to me. I'm happy. A lot happier than I've been in relationships past. I'm not going to sabotage something wonderful because it doesn't fall into "acceptable" Social "values".
But other women would do so. They would leave, or threaten to leave a wonderful man. They would hold the relationship itself hostage in pursuit of a perceived Finish Line...a Happily Ever After (not so happy if you are issuing Ultimatums), without realizing that a Life together only begins with a wedding. The wedding is not the end.
A Life Shared seems more precious and valuable to me than a ring, a dress, or a wedding. I wish other women felt the same way, and could see themselves as whole people instead of incomplete halves.
Wednesday, December 2, 2009
A Few Words On The Holidays
Just to let you know, I’m not the most holiday oriented person. My decorating is limited to one battery operated desk-friendly snowman with shifting colored lights in his belly, and two mini stockings (purple) nailed to the bedroom door.
I give the snowman a couple fresh batteries, and the stockings stay nailed to the door all year long. A holiday scented wax tart gets popped in the wax warmer and that my friends, is the extent of my festive expression for the season.
My mother always finds my seasonal expressions to be insufficient. I don’t think a year goes by anymore without her calling me “Scrooge” at least once regarding my lack of decoration (we celebrate Christmas in her well-decorated home every year, if I’m not celebrating gift exchange at my place, what is the point?), and my expressions of distaste regarding what passes for Christmas music these days.
I’m sorry but songs about children starving, grandma’s dying, and wives fighting a losing battle with cancer are not “touching”, “sentimental”, or “inspiring” to me. These songs are depressing as hell. I’m not sure when it came into vogue for Christmas songs to be tragic odysseys of melancholy despair…but it’s not a trend I enjoy one bit. I’ll listen to White Christmas or Jingle Bell Rock, but I don’t want to listen to heart gouging glurge. Tears in my eyes and a giant lump in my throat are not Christmas-y to me.
“But WhiteRaven, aren’t you an atheist? What are you doing celebrating a religious holiday at all? Isn’t that an admission that you actually believe?”
Christmas is just one of the current names for this celebration. The celebration itself is older than that name, or its older names like Yule or Saturnalia. The celebration is more important than the name attached to it, and I can say Christmas just fine without bursting into flames, though I usually stick to “Happy Holidays” as a greeting as it covers everyone regardless of their religious proclivities. I occasionally have had people angrily say “Merry CHRISTmas!” in response to my preferred salutation. I find this ironic and hypocritical as supposedly this is the season for peace on earth and goodwill to all mankind, yet some Christians are steadfast Holiday Hogs and don’t want to share the Season with the rest of us. And yes, I single out the Christians on this one, as I’ve never had anyone rudely snap back with “Happy HANNUKKAH!” or “Happy KWANZAA!” when I greet them with Happy Holidays. There may be some touchy celebration hoggers in those camps too I’ve just not encountered them.
I mentioned before that the celebration is more important than the name attached to it. What do I mean by that?
I’m referring to the psychological value of social connection. I will admit I’m a hermit. It’s not that I don’t value the people in my life I just don’t have that need to connect on a regular basis with people beyond my intimate circle. My mother (and I’m sure other folks) sees this as a flaw, and express that I need to “try harder” without really understanding what this means for introverted little me. I let the people closest to me know I care with specifically chosen gifts, and online shopping is my best friend in the world. Less actual shopping means less stress for me, and more people I’m willing to get gifts for, and my social circle can expand a touch as a result.
Funny, but the Santa Claus concept represents a figure that makes me look extroverted by comparison.
Think about it. The guy spends 364 days with just his wife, some reindeer, and elves (non-humans). Then on one night a year, sneaks into every home in the world to leave carefully chosen presents for people while they are ASLEEP. If that doesn’t say “I want you to know I care about you, I just don’t want to have to deal with you.” I don’t know what does.
Like Santa, it won’t kill even the most reclusive amongst us to take the time to think on our loved ones and see to it we show our appreciation by giving them a gift that shows we really DO pay attention to them, and appreciate their interests even if we don’t tell them so all the time.
I give the snowman a couple fresh batteries, and the stockings stay nailed to the door all year long. A holiday scented wax tart gets popped in the wax warmer and that my friends, is the extent of my festive expression for the season.
My mother always finds my seasonal expressions to be insufficient. I don’t think a year goes by anymore without her calling me “Scrooge” at least once regarding my lack of decoration (we celebrate Christmas in her well-decorated home every year, if I’m not celebrating gift exchange at my place, what is the point?), and my expressions of distaste regarding what passes for Christmas music these days.
I’m sorry but songs about children starving, grandma’s dying, and wives fighting a losing battle with cancer are not “touching”, “sentimental”, or “inspiring” to me. These songs are depressing as hell. I’m not sure when it came into vogue for Christmas songs to be tragic odysseys of melancholy despair…but it’s not a trend I enjoy one bit. I’ll listen to White Christmas or Jingle Bell Rock, but I don’t want to listen to heart gouging glurge. Tears in my eyes and a giant lump in my throat are not Christmas-y to me.
“But WhiteRaven, aren’t you an atheist? What are you doing celebrating a religious holiday at all? Isn’t that an admission that you actually believe?”
Christmas is just one of the current names for this celebration. The celebration itself is older than that name, or its older names like Yule or Saturnalia. The celebration is more important than the name attached to it, and I can say Christmas just fine without bursting into flames, though I usually stick to “Happy Holidays” as a greeting as it covers everyone regardless of their religious proclivities. I occasionally have had people angrily say “Merry CHRISTmas!” in response to my preferred salutation. I find this ironic and hypocritical as supposedly this is the season for peace on earth and goodwill to all mankind, yet some Christians are steadfast Holiday Hogs and don’t want to share the Season with the rest of us. And yes, I single out the Christians on this one, as I’ve never had anyone rudely snap back with “Happy HANNUKKAH!” or “Happy KWANZAA!” when I greet them with Happy Holidays. There may be some touchy celebration hoggers in those camps too I’ve just not encountered them.
I mentioned before that the celebration is more important than the name attached to it. What do I mean by that?
I’m referring to the psychological value of social connection. I will admit I’m a hermit. It’s not that I don’t value the people in my life I just don’t have that need to connect on a regular basis with people beyond my intimate circle. My mother (and I’m sure other folks) sees this as a flaw, and express that I need to “try harder” without really understanding what this means for introverted little me. I let the people closest to me know I care with specifically chosen gifts, and online shopping is my best friend in the world. Less actual shopping means less stress for me, and more people I’m willing to get gifts for, and my social circle can expand a touch as a result.
Funny, but the Santa Claus concept represents a figure that makes me look extroverted by comparison.
Think about it. The guy spends 364 days with just his wife, some reindeer, and elves (non-humans). Then on one night a year, sneaks into every home in the world to leave carefully chosen presents for people while they are ASLEEP. If that doesn’t say “I want you to know I care about you, I just don’t want to have to deal with you.” I don’t know what does.
Like Santa, it won’t kill even the most reclusive amongst us to take the time to think on our loved ones and see to it we show our appreciation by giving them a gift that shows we really DO pay attention to them, and appreciate their interests even if we don’t tell them so all the time.
Monday, November 30, 2009
State Fair Sized Infants
15 Pound Baby
Can someone tell me when the media turned childbirth into a 4-H Club contest? I turned on the news this morning to watch a newsanchor slobber all over this story. Words like "wow" and "amazing" kept getting tossed out like this behemoth infant were a prize winning heifer at the State Fair.
Are your kidding? Is the size of this kid really that much of a shock? Look at the boy's mother for crying out loud. That woman is heavy. And that's not babyweight, that's long-term lifestyle heavy. Her husband is no featherweight either, but next to her, even HE looks diminutive.
Any why is this story getting "wow"s and "awesome"s from the media table anyway? This is a kid, not a cabbage. You do not get high scores for birthing heavyweights, you get childhood health problems like diabetes, early arthritis, and obesity (there's a shocker). Just look at the pictures of this poor boy. He just looks wrong. But positive media attention is the reward. That's just great. Need we guess what kind of message that sends to people who crave attention? Get fat! Have fat kids! Have LOT'S of kids too! Odds are good you will be featured on National News at the very least. But hey...fat...health problems....AND a horde of kids? Hellloooo TLC Channel!
(When did The Learning Channel = Obesity, Little People, and SuperBreeders? Anyway...)
And the proud parents are nicknaming him "butterball". They call his sister "pork chop" (born at more than 11 pounds). My how sweet. One would hope such "nicknames" would vanish once a child was old enough to understand it's given name...but from what I've seen in my extended family...nicknames are for LIFE.
I can just hear it now...that girl will be getting ready to walk out the door with her date for Prom, and Mom walks up with the camera saying "Smile Pork Chop!"
But yeah. I Googled "heavy babies" and got lot's of results pointing towards the health concerns for these kids. Once this one's 15 minutes of fame are over, he's just destined to be another trundling toddler without the energy to play.
Sad.
Can someone tell me when the media turned childbirth into a 4-H Club contest? I turned on the news this morning to watch a newsanchor slobber all over this story. Words like "wow" and "amazing" kept getting tossed out like this behemoth infant were a prize winning heifer at the State Fair.
Are your kidding? Is the size of this kid really that much of a shock? Look at the boy's mother for crying out loud. That woman is heavy. And that's not babyweight, that's long-term lifestyle heavy. Her husband is no featherweight either, but next to her, even HE looks diminutive.
Any why is this story getting "wow"s and "awesome"s from the media table anyway? This is a kid, not a cabbage. You do not get high scores for birthing heavyweights, you get childhood health problems like diabetes, early arthritis, and obesity (there's a shocker). Just look at the pictures of this poor boy. He just looks wrong. But positive media attention is the reward. That's just great. Need we guess what kind of message that sends to people who crave attention? Get fat! Have fat kids! Have LOT'S of kids too! Odds are good you will be featured on National News at the very least. But hey...fat...health problems....AND a horde of kids? Hellloooo TLC Channel!
(When did The Learning Channel = Obesity, Little People, and SuperBreeders? Anyway...)
And the proud parents are nicknaming him "butterball". They call his sister "pork chop" (born at more than 11 pounds). My how sweet. One would hope such "nicknames" would vanish once a child was old enough to understand it's given name...but from what I've seen in my extended family...nicknames are for LIFE.
I can just hear it now...that girl will be getting ready to walk out the door with her date for Prom, and Mom walks up with the camera saying "Smile Pork Chop!"
But yeah. I Googled "heavy babies" and got lot's of results pointing towards the health concerns for these kids. Once this one's 15 minutes of fame are over, he's just destined to be another trundling toddler without the energy to play.
Sad.
Friday, November 13, 2009
A Tale of 2 Lap Babies
Story 1 – Last year I was sitting in First Class for my 5 hour flight, and I noticed that there was a Lap Baby present. The child was clean and dressed in nice but comfy clothes. The parents were equally well dressed. The child was happy, and took pleasure in attention in an undemanding way. When the child got a little fussy (once….in 5 hours), the parents quickly conferred with each other, and Mom took the child to the bathroom promptly.
Story 2 – Three days ago, I was sitting in First Class for my 5 hour flight, and I noticed there was a Lap Baby present. The child was sloppy in a threadbare onesie pajama. The parents were dressed in a fashion that…well…I honestly had to wonder how in fuck they’d managed to be seated in First Class (my first thought was that a Walmart somewhere was missing some customers). The child was frequently screaming, and when it wasn’t, it tried to crawl over the backs of seats to reach for the heads of folks sitting behind, or was on the floor grabbing the ankles of the folks sitting in front. It was eventually handed off to stewardesses who practically demanded the kid after 5 minutes of the parents just ignoring the shrieks (they were able to keep the kid quiet…but the parents couldn’t? Hmm).
After the Lap Baby in First Class last year, I had been pleased that there were still people who took the trouble to take care of their kids, and see to it those children were not a burden to others. I had been happy to share First Class with this peaceful and responsible little family who made me feel a glow that their child would be part of the future.
Then I encountered the striped pajama monkey three days ago. If anything, the difference between the 2 stories highlights the difference between parents and breeders. Parents do not assume the world at large is responsible for, or has to put up with their children. Ever. Breeders assume that children are meant to be tolerated….by themselves and everyone else. Nice.
Thing is…I travel First Class as much as possible just so I can avoid small children. It’s not that I can’t put up with cranky kids on a short flight, anyone can do that. But my flights are NEVER short. At least one leg of my travel is going to be about 4 to 5 hours no matter what. That is a long time to put up with disruptive children. Especially the ones travelling as Lap Babies. What are people really saving by not purchasing a seat for their young child? This depends highly on the length of flight of course.
Think of a young child as a wiggly little thermonuclear reactor that makes various levels of noise in relation to its discomfort. Ever have a cat sit on your legs? It’s sleeping peacefully, and you don’t want to disturb it…but your thighs are cooking off and your feet are asleep! How long can you tolerate just the weight and increasing heat of a housecat on your lap? Time it. Seriously. Find out just how long you can tolerate that. If you are miserable after an hour...think of how you will feel cramped in a plane seat with dry air and pressure changes, turbulence, or overhead announcements upsetting your very young child.
Also consider…eventually (after your legs have fallen off) the cat finally gets to feeling too warm, and moves off your lap. At least, it’s going to try to. You have to force it to stay right there. I hope your cat is declawed. What happens when your lap baby overheats on the plane? If you have someone travelling with you, at least you can pass the kid back and forth and that cuts down on some of the discomfort for all involved, but it doesn’t relieve much if the child in question is just plain tired of being held. If you think the vocalizations of the protesting cat are annoying, just wait until junior starts up because he doesn’t get that you can’t put him down. Unless you are one of those people who doesn’t realize the travel realities of beverage carts and people going to the bathroom, or you just don’t care…you cannot reasonably put your baby on the floor of a commercial aircraft.
Oh, and if you are one of those people who think your child has every right to be wherever you put them even the aircraft floor, other people and service personnel be damned, consider this: Just how well do you imagine the plane is cleaned between flights? Those maintenance folks are in a hurry, and stuff is often missed. I once found some of the stuff that gets missed, and guess what? Folks taking insulin shots can be just as inconsiderate and thoughtless as Entitle-Moos who think their kid should be able to crawl everywhere they want. I found used insulin needles in the magazine pocket once. You need to read that again? I found USED NEEDLES!
One can only guess what charming wonders your little one could find on the floor. Would you like to guess how many prescription pills accidently get dropped during a flight? Some of that stuff is potent. Not even a whole intact pill would be needed to affect a young child, and you know everything that touches their hands will eventually end up in their mouth. Even if it’s just powdered remains of a pill crushed into the floor the vacuum cleaner missed, the results could be life threatening. Would you let your infant crawl around licking the floor of a New York subway car? No? What is the difference besides less graffiti and a little more upholstery?
But what the heck, let’s say your baby is truly a wonder. It falls asleep on every flight, never cries, and never wants to roam the aircraft. It is perfectly and blissfully content to smile at appreciative stewardesses and fellow passengers in passing, and makes Tibetan Monks look agitated and disruptive in comparison. You are very lucky.
It still might be good to get an idea of the frequency of clear air turbulence on your flight route before you decide to just lap your baby. Taking a look at sites like this could be helpful, but it’s a sketchy and unreliable sort of prediction. Especially if you are booking a flight a couple months in advance, a few days of clear air turbulence tracking is not going to be that useful. People can get injured by clear air turbulence. And only the people wearing seat belts diligently (even when the sign is turned off) are going to be safe from being bounced around like a dried pea in a tin can.
I know air travel is safer than travelling by car. That is going to be true if you consider crashes to be the only significant danger of travelling by air, but as I pointed out with the needles and dropped medications earlier, what you need to be concerned with are specific dangers that affect YOUR CHILD. We already know that we cannot physically hold children safe from the force of inertia in a minor car collision we can see coming. Do you really believe you can be more successful against inertia when you can’t see it coming? The danger of clear air turbulence is minimized in our minds, despite knowing it can cause injuries and fatalities, simply because it rarely results in the crashing of the entire plane. The news of 2 people dying from getting knocked around is overwhelmed by the relief that they whole plane did not go down.
If a grown adult at 120+ lbs can be fatally knocked around as a result of clear air turbulence, do I really need to point out what happens to a 20 lb. lap baby? My imagination doesn’t really want to go there, and it doesn't have to. There are some descriptions in the articles linked in the next paragraph.
But if it’s really a danger, why do airlines allow lap children? I can hear you asking me that. Because when you consider the biggest risk being clear air turbulence…the odds are in your favor. The airlines are willing to let you take that risk based on those odds. They do not want to lose revenue and use the travel statistic of air being safer than car as their justification to allow unsafe practices. See? And there’s this article, and this one. And no surprise, there are those trying to abolish the practice….but like every safety feature and FAA regulation…rules are not laid down without sufficient blood.
I may not want kids, and I may find screaming babies annoying as hell, but I think they do deserve more safety consideration than they are currently getting from the FAA. And given that consideration, even story 1 with the good lap baby deserves a little more parental awareness. When every other mode of transportation requires safety seats by law…you have to wonder why the FAA would just say it’s okay to “hold ‘em on your lap”. This is Federally Endorsed Neglect disguised by “intent to help you save money” folks. YOU are required to wear the seat belt, secure your property, and even secure THEIR crappy tray table (that is broken ½ the time)…but your kid? Nah. Just hold it.
Either accept that children cost travel money as much as you do, and see to their safe transportation, or do not travel until they are big enough to justify the cost (for you) of purchasing a seat.
Story 2 – Three days ago, I was sitting in First Class for my 5 hour flight, and I noticed there was a Lap Baby present. The child was sloppy in a threadbare onesie pajama. The parents were dressed in a fashion that…well…I honestly had to wonder how in fuck they’d managed to be seated in First Class (my first thought was that a Walmart somewhere was missing some customers). The child was frequently screaming, and when it wasn’t, it tried to crawl over the backs of seats to reach for the heads of folks sitting behind, or was on the floor grabbing the ankles of the folks sitting in front. It was eventually handed off to stewardesses who practically demanded the kid after 5 minutes of the parents just ignoring the shrieks (they were able to keep the kid quiet…but the parents couldn’t? Hmm).
After the Lap Baby in First Class last year, I had been pleased that there were still people who took the trouble to take care of their kids, and see to it those children were not a burden to others. I had been happy to share First Class with this peaceful and responsible little family who made me feel a glow that their child would be part of the future.
Then I encountered the striped pajama monkey three days ago. If anything, the difference between the 2 stories highlights the difference between parents and breeders. Parents do not assume the world at large is responsible for, or has to put up with their children. Ever. Breeders assume that children are meant to be tolerated….by themselves and everyone else. Nice.
Thing is…I travel First Class as much as possible just so I can avoid small children. It’s not that I can’t put up with cranky kids on a short flight, anyone can do that. But my flights are NEVER short. At least one leg of my travel is going to be about 4 to 5 hours no matter what. That is a long time to put up with disruptive children. Especially the ones travelling as Lap Babies. What are people really saving by not purchasing a seat for their young child? This depends highly on the length of flight of course.
Think of a young child as a wiggly little thermonuclear reactor that makes various levels of noise in relation to its discomfort. Ever have a cat sit on your legs? It’s sleeping peacefully, and you don’t want to disturb it…but your thighs are cooking off and your feet are asleep! How long can you tolerate just the weight and increasing heat of a housecat on your lap? Time it. Seriously. Find out just how long you can tolerate that. If you are miserable after an hour...think of how you will feel cramped in a plane seat with dry air and pressure changes, turbulence, or overhead announcements upsetting your very young child.
Also consider…eventually (after your legs have fallen off) the cat finally gets to feeling too warm, and moves off your lap. At least, it’s going to try to. You have to force it to stay right there. I hope your cat is declawed. What happens when your lap baby overheats on the plane? If you have someone travelling with you, at least you can pass the kid back and forth and that cuts down on some of the discomfort for all involved, but it doesn’t relieve much if the child in question is just plain tired of being held. If you think the vocalizations of the protesting cat are annoying, just wait until junior starts up because he doesn’t get that you can’t put him down. Unless you are one of those people who doesn’t realize the travel realities of beverage carts and people going to the bathroom, or you just don’t care…you cannot reasonably put your baby on the floor of a commercial aircraft.
Oh, and if you are one of those people who think your child has every right to be wherever you put them even the aircraft floor, other people and service personnel be damned, consider this: Just how well do you imagine the plane is cleaned between flights? Those maintenance folks are in a hurry, and stuff is often missed. I once found some of the stuff that gets missed, and guess what? Folks taking insulin shots can be just as inconsiderate and thoughtless as Entitle-Moos who think their kid should be able to crawl everywhere they want. I found used insulin needles in the magazine pocket once. You need to read that again? I found USED NEEDLES!
One can only guess what charming wonders your little one could find on the floor. Would you like to guess how many prescription pills accidently get dropped during a flight? Some of that stuff is potent. Not even a whole intact pill would be needed to affect a young child, and you know everything that touches their hands will eventually end up in their mouth. Even if it’s just powdered remains of a pill crushed into the floor the vacuum cleaner missed, the results could be life threatening. Would you let your infant crawl around licking the floor of a New York subway car? No? What is the difference besides less graffiti and a little more upholstery?
But what the heck, let’s say your baby is truly a wonder. It falls asleep on every flight, never cries, and never wants to roam the aircraft. It is perfectly and blissfully content to smile at appreciative stewardesses and fellow passengers in passing, and makes Tibetan Monks look agitated and disruptive in comparison. You are very lucky.
It still might be good to get an idea of the frequency of clear air turbulence on your flight route before you decide to just lap your baby. Taking a look at sites like this could be helpful, but it’s a sketchy and unreliable sort of prediction. Especially if you are booking a flight a couple months in advance, a few days of clear air turbulence tracking is not going to be that useful. People can get injured by clear air turbulence. And only the people wearing seat belts diligently (even when the sign is turned off) are going to be safe from being bounced around like a dried pea in a tin can.
I know air travel is safer than travelling by car. That is going to be true if you consider crashes to be the only significant danger of travelling by air, but as I pointed out with the needles and dropped medications earlier, what you need to be concerned with are specific dangers that affect YOUR CHILD. We already know that we cannot physically hold children safe from the force of inertia in a minor car collision we can see coming. Do you really believe you can be more successful against inertia when you can’t see it coming? The danger of clear air turbulence is minimized in our minds, despite knowing it can cause injuries and fatalities, simply because it rarely results in the crashing of the entire plane. The news of 2 people dying from getting knocked around is overwhelmed by the relief that they whole plane did not go down.
If a grown adult at 120+ lbs can be fatally knocked around as a result of clear air turbulence, do I really need to point out what happens to a 20 lb. lap baby? My imagination doesn’t really want to go there, and it doesn't have to. There are some descriptions in the articles linked in the next paragraph.
But if it’s really a danger, why do airlines allow lap children? I can hear you asking me that. Because when you consider the biggest risk being clear air turbulence…the odds are in your favor. The airlines are willing to let you take that risk based on those odds. They do not want to lose revenue and use the travel statistic of air being safer than car as their justification to allow unsafe practices. See? And there’s this article, and this one. And no surprise, there are those trying to abolish the practice….but like every safety feature and FAA regulation…rules are not laid down without sufficient blood.
I may not want kids, and I may find screaming babies annoying as hell, but I think they do deserve more safety consideration than they are currently getting from the FAA. And given that consideration, even story 1 with the good lap baby deserves a little more parental awareness. When every other mode of transportation requires safety seats by law…you have to wonder why the FAA would just say it’s okay to “hold ‘em on your lap”. This is Federally Endorsed Neglect disguised by “intent to help you save money” folks. YOU are required to wear the seat belt, secure your property, and even secure THEIR crappy tray table (that is broken ½ the time)…but your kid? Nah. Just hold it.
Either accept that children cost travel money as much as you do, and see to their safe transportation, or do not travel until they are big enough to justify the cost (for you) of purchasing a seat.
Thursday, November 12, 2009
Question For the Day: Ft Hood Jerk
Been on vacation, but now I'm back.
During my vacation (on my Birthday no less) the Ft Hood Massacre took place.
And a rare thing has occurred...the perpetrator of this violence was apprehended before he could off himself.
The jerkoff is in the hospital with his four gunshot wounds...but he's awake and talking.
Now...here is the question for the day:
What is it like to be the nurse who has to go into his room and interact with him?
Does he or she say "Good Morning" to the person responsible for killing 13 people and wounding 29 others?
And what about little "accidents"? Granted, the guy is likely under guard, but how excited are they likely to get if the nurse happens to oops and drop his orange juice in his lap? So what if it happens 3 or 4 times with every meal?
Of course I suppose it's possible there are no nurses taking care of his day to day requirements at all. Could just be MPs changing his bedding and serving his meals. But the same questions apply.
It is so rare for mass killers like this to survive, there really isn't a "How To" guide for the folks who have to take care of his needs. And he's not in a correctional facility hospital yet. So it's not like he's being treated by people who deal with murderers regularly at this time, unless caregivers with this experience have been temporarily reassigned to this Army hospital.
So perhaps the question is moot in reality.
But what whould you do if you had to be this guy's nurse? What minor torments (if any) would you employ?
During my vacation (on my Birthday no less) the Ft Hood Massacre took place.
And a rare thing has occurred...the perpetrator of this violence was apprehended before he could off himself.
The jerkoff is in the hospital with his four gunshot wounds...but he's awake and talking.
Now...here is the question for the day:
What is it like to be the nurse who has to go into his room and interact with him?
Does he or she say "Good Morning" to the person responsible for killing 13 people and wounding 29 others?
And what about little "accidents"? Granted, the guy is likely under guard, but how excited are they likely to get if the nurse happens to oops and drop his orange juice in his lap? So what if it happens 3 or 4 times with every meal?
Of course I suppose it's possible there are no nurses taking care of his day to day requirements at all. Could just be MPs changing his bedding and serving his meals. But the same questions apply.
It is so rare for mass killers like this to survive, there really isn't a "How To" guide for the folks who have to take care of his needs. And he's not in a correctional facility hospital yet. So it's not like he's being treated by people who deal with murderers regularly at this time, unless caregivers with this experience have been temporarily reassigned to this Army hospital.
So perhaps the question is moot in reality.
But what whould you do if you had to be this guy's nurse? What minor torments (if any) would you employ?
Friday, October 16, 2009
Fallout 3 - How I Handled SubQuest "Oasis"
So, yes, I play video games. Fallout 3 is an excellent game. I want to talk about one sidequest in it. Major Spoiler potential here, but if you had the same moral and intellectual conundrum I did, maybe reading my thoughts on it could help you. Maybe.
Granted, it’s just a game, but I still like to be able to feel that my in game decisions are right for me.
So here is the deal, you character comes across a little place in the wasteland teeming with green growth. The place is called "Oasis". It turns out, all of this growth stems from one man, Harold, who has rooted to the spot and been there for decades, while a mutation ravages his body. He has named the growth “Bob”. Yes, he talks to it, and yes Harold is a tad mental.
There are three options.
1- Put Harold out of his misery (he's very bored) by killing him.
2- Rub a substance on his heart to inhibit his overall growth, but keep him alive.
3- Rub a substance on his heart to accelerate his growth so the greenery spreads all across the wasteland.
Now, one of these 3 options, I dismissed immediately. No way in hell was I going with option 3 (more on that in a minute). The very idea was bone chilling. I was stuck between the other two.
I was curious as to what other people decided to do, so I started checking the game forums. Boy was I surprised at first to see other people considering option 3 as a valid choice, and even going so far as to call that greenery “natural”.
My first thought, was “are people really this retarded?” Not a very charitable thought, as I then considered that many of these people were quite possibly just kids who had not yet taken even a HS Biology class yet.
Let me tell you the problem I had with option 3. Harold made it quite clear that all the greenery was still “him”. That it was like having senses all over the valley his mutation had covered so far. That means, from a biological consideration, all the trees, plants, and grass, despite having different physical structures, are still genetically the same. Not just the same, but still all one single organism.
Harold got this mutation by falling into a vat or puddle of goo inside a military facility. By what definition can one call this “natural”? Whoever started the association “green = good” needs to be slapped back into his or her momma.
The critical element for a successful ecology is biodiversity. Harold’s growth is the opposite of biodiversity. Granted, it’s a shortcut to a green planet, but at what cost in the long run? The pools of water surrounded by greenery have just as much radiation as water anywhere else in the wasteland. Maybe I would have felt differently if the greenery were having a tangible positive impact on the environment, like removing or reducing radiation levels wherever it grew, but it did not. The greenery was just there for its own sake. It just looked pretty. Nothing in nature exists just to look pretty. In fact, things that are pretty in nature serve to attract organisms that the pretty thing finds useful in some way. And by useful, I mean they serve as either a vector for proliferation (spreading seed), or as a resource (food). That consideration makes the greenery “Bob” potentially ominous.
Now, is helping Harold commit suicide an option? Depends how you feel about suicide. I consider it a last resort. The question I had to have answered was “Is Harold’s potential for personal development over?” And at first, it seemed like that answer was “Yes” as he was stuck in one spot, and the people who came around him were only there to worship him.
But then I talked to Sapling Yew, the little girl, and learned that Harold did indeed have a friend, and where there is one friend, there is the potential for other friends. Having friends who can come and share stories, and Harold being able to still do the same…yes, Harold still had the potential for personal growth.
The other thing to consider, at this point with the growth “Bob” already spread across this valley, there is no guarantee the death of Harold would mean the death of “Bob”. And given my feelings already mentioned about “Bob”, that seems like a Very Bad Thing.
So I went with option 2. Inhibit the growth (stopping “Bob”) and accepting that Harold would continue to live, likely for a very long time. But considering that knowledge in the Fallout 3 Wasteland is at a premium, with undamaged books selling for considerable bottlecaps, Harold has the opportunity to become a living repository of knowledge for the future generations. He can be more than he currently is.
I also imagined future scientists (after completing Project Purity) could travel north, and really study Harold and “Bob”. And discover for sure whether or not “Bob” represented a true potential for benefitting the Wasteland (then come up with a way to undo the growth inhibition), or if he really was a potential ecological disaster fortunately stopped before it had a chance to upset the existing biodiversity (scant though it is) of the Wasteland.
Lot of thinking for a video game, I know. But that’s just me.
Granted, it’s just a game, but I still like to be able to feel that my in game decisions are right for me.
So here is the deal, you character comes across a little place in the wasteland teeming with green growth. The place is called "Oasis". It turns out, all of this growth stems from one man, Harold, who has rooted to the spot and been there for decades, while a mutation ravages his body. He has named the growth “Bob”. Yes, he talks to it, and yes Harold is a tad mental.
There are three options.
1- Put Harold out of his misery (he's very bored) by killing him.
2- Rub a substance on his heart to inhibit his overall growth, but keep him alive.
3- Rub a substance on his heart to accelerate his growth so the greenery spreads all across the wasteland.
Now, one of these 3 options, I dismissed immediately. No way in hell was I going with option 3 (more on that in a minute). The very idea was bone chilling. I was stuck between the other two.
I was curious as to what other people decided to do, so I started checking the game forums. Boy was I surprised at first to see other people considering option 3 as a valid choice, and even going so far as to call that greenery “natural”.
My first thought, was “are people really this retarded?” Not a very charitable thought, as I then considered that many of these people were quite possibly just kids who had not yet taken even a HS Biology class yet.
Let me tell you the problem I had with option 3. Harold made it quite clear that all the greenery was still “him”. That it was like having senses all over the valley his mutation had covered so far. That means, from a biological consideration, all the trees, plants, and grass, despite having different physical structures, are still genetically the same. Not just the same, but still all one single organism.
Harold got this mutation by falling into a vat or puddle of goo inside a military facility. By what definition can one call this “natural”? Whoever started the association “green = good” needs to be slapped back into his or her momma.
The critical element for a successful ecology is biodiversity. Harold’s growth is the opposite of biodiversity. Granted, it’s a shortcut to a green planet, but at what cost in the long run? The pools of water surrounded by greenery have just as much radiation as water anywhere else in the wasteland. Maybe I would have felt differently if the greenery were having a tangible positive impact on the environment, like removing or reducing radiation levels wherever it grew, but it did not. The greenery was just there for its own sake. It just looked pretty. Nothing in nature exists just to look pretty. In fact, things that are pretty in nature serve to attract organisms that the pretty thing finds useful in some way. And by useful, I mean they serve as either a vector for proliferation (spreading seed), or as a resource (food). That consideration makes the greenery “Bob” potentially ominous.
Now, is helping Harold commit suicide an option? Depends how you feel about suicide. I consider it a last resort. The question I had to have answered was “Is Harold’s potential for personal development over?” And at first, it seemed like that answer was “Yes” as he was stuck in one spot, and the people who came around him were only there to worship him.
But then I talked to Sapling Yew, the little girl, and learned that Harold did indeed have a friend, and where there is one friend, there is the potential for other friends. Having friends who can come and share stories, and Harold being able to still do the same…yes, Harold still had the potential for personal growth.
The other thing to consider, at this point with the growth “Bob” already spread across this valley, there is no guarantee the death of Harold would mean the death of “Bob”. And given my feelings already mentioned about “Bob”, that seems like a Very Bad Thing.
So I went with option 2. Inhibit the growth (stopping “Bob”) and accepting that Harold would continue to live, likely for a very long time. But considering that knowledge in the Fallout 3 Wasteland is at a premium, with undamaged books selling for considerable bottlecaps, Harold has the opportunity to become a living repository of knowledge for the future generations. He can be more than he currently is.
I also imagined future scientists (after completing Project Purity) could travel north, and really study Harold and “Bob”. And discover for sure whether or not “Bob” represented a true potential for benefitting the Wasteland (then come up with a way to undo the growth inhibition), or if he really was a potential ecological disaster fortunately stopped before it had a chance to upset the existing biodiversity (scant though it is) of the Wasteland.
Lot of thinking for a video game, I know. But that’s just me.
Wednesday, October 14, 2009
Entitle-Moo and Tween Invade Post Office
So yesterday I had to mail a box. The day before yesterday was a Federal holiday, so I had a pretty good idea that it would be busy when I got there.
Sure enough…major line. I share an understanding nod with a couple folks in front of me, and settled in to wait.
Suddenly, the door bangs open, and in storms this little tween girl, who takes in the sight of the line and loudly begins to exclaim about its length. Her mother follows her into the postal office, and starts exclaiming even louder than her tween about all the people in line. Like what the hell were WE all doing there?
So then moo-om gets in line behind me, and tells her kid to go linger where the postal workers can see her, maybe they would be “nice” and disregard everyone else because she had been in earlier a couple hours ago. I’m happy to say that did not work.
They had been there before trying to track down the boots this kid ordered from China. The tween had filled out the delivery instruction for where she lived instead of where she would be, and there was now a routing issue. How do I know? Moo-om couldn’t shuddup about it. For half of the tirade, I really don’t know who she was talking to as I sure never turned around. A guy got in line behind them (after sulky brat came back from making the try to hop the line), and then moo-om took his courtesy hostage, but prior to the man’s arrival I guess she was ranting at the world at large before he got in line. Charming.
I can say everyone in line felt the same way about this woman and her kid because everyone’s shoulders would tighten in unison every time the woman spoke. The guy in front of me turned just enough to give me a sympathetic look (bitch was practically yelling in my ear) before facing forward again.
The tween kept exclaiming, loudly, about how pissed she’s going to be if the postal workers don’t hand over her boots. Now…my mother would actually have gotten after me for saying something like that. It’s not that she never got pissed off at people, but she made it very clear to me that it wasn’t appropriate to get pissed at people until they’d earned it. Openly and loudly planning to be pissed off (basically threatening people), was inappropriate.
Not according to this girl’s moo-om apparently. She was in total agreement with her rude little sprat. Really fun was when they’d caught sight of the guy who’d tried to help them before. Tween exclaiming (at volume still) that she didn’t want help from that “Asian guy” after he’d “screwed them up last time”. As if she could alter random chance while the line was still 10 people deep, and dictate which of the employees were going to give her service.
I was sort of amused in a way. She didn’t want service from the Asian employee at the post office after ordering footwear from China. I would have pointed out the irony if it didn’t mean actually having to talk to these people. Rather doubt they would have appreciated it anyway.
It was as if everything that went through this kid’s head had to come spewing forth from her mouth. No filter at all. Nor volume control. My mom would have sent my rude ass to the car, or more likely threaten to take us out of there all together as I clearly did not deserve the effort she was expending to help me get my boots, and I could just wait until the postal service sorted the issue out.
I almost wish I’d hung around to see how their encounter with the Postal Workers went. But by the time I got my package sent off, I just wanted to put some miles between myself and them.
As I left, I wondered how and when this tween girl was going to be slammed with the fact that the world did not actually revolve around her. Not that awareness and realization of that were guaranteed if her moo-om were any example. She’d pretty clearly missed that memo herself somehow. And was active and eager to influence her daughter's "social skills" shudder
Sure enough…major line. I share an understanding nod with a couple folks in front of me, and settled in to wait.
Suddenly, the door bangs open, and in storms this little tween girl, who takes in the sight of the line and loudly begins to exclaim about its length. Her mother follows her into the postal office, and starts exclaiming even louder than her tween about all the people in line. Like what the hell were WE all doing there?
So then moo-om gets in line behind me, and tells her kid to go linger where the postal workers can see her, maybe they would be “nice” and disregard everyone else because she had been in earlier a couple hours ago. I’m happy to say that did not work.
They had been there before trying to track down the boots this kid ordered from China. The tween had filled out the delivery instruction for where she lived instead of where she would be, and there was now a routing issue. How do I know? Moo-om couldn’t shuddup about it. For half of the tirade, I really don’t know who she was talking to as I sure never turned around. A guy got in line behind them (after sulky brat came back from making the try to hop the line), and then moo-om took his courtesy hostage, but prior to the man’s arrival I guess she was ranting at the world at large before he got in line. Charming.
I can say everyone in line felt the same way about this woman and her kid because everyone’s shoulders would tighten in unison every time the woman spoke. The guy in front of me turned just enough to give me a sympathetic look (bitch was practically yelling in my ear) before facing forward again.
The tween kept exclaiming, loudly, about how pissed she’s going to be if the postal workers don’t hand over her boots. Now…my mother would actually have gotten after me for saying something like that. It’s not that she never got pissed off at people, but she made it very clear to me that it wasn’t appropriate to get pissed at people until they’d earned it. Openly and loudly planning to be pissed off (basically threatening people), was inappropriate.
Not according to this girl’s moo-om apparently. She was in total agreement with her rude little sprat. Really fun was when they’d caught sight of the guy who’d tried to help them before. Tween exclaiming (at volume still) that she didn’t want help from that “Asian guy” after he’d “screwed them up last time”. As if she could alter random chance while the line was still 10 people deep, and dictate which of the employees were going to give her service.
I was sort of amused in a way. She didn’t want service from the Asian employee at the post office after ordering footwear from China. I would have pointed out the irony if it didn’t mean actually having to talk to these people. Rather doubt they would have appreciated it anyway.
It was as if everything that went through this kid’s head had to come spewing forth from her mouth. No filter at all. Nor volume control. My mom would have sent my rude ass to the car, or more likely threaten to take us out of there all together as I clearly did not deserve the effort she was expending to help me get my boots, and I could just wait until the postal service sorted the issue out.
I almost wish I’d hung around to see how their encounter with the Postal Workers went. But by the time I got my package sent off, I just wanted to put some miles between myself and them.
As I left, I wondered how and when this tween girl was going to be slammed with the fact that the world did not actually revolve around her. Not that awareness and realization of that were guaranteed if her moo-om were any example. She’d pretty clearly missed that memo herself somehow. And was active and eager to influence her daughter's "social skills" shudder
Tuesday, October 13, 2009
Terra Nova Review
I caught the Opening night of Terra Nova by Ted Tally, directed by Tom Skore at UAA last Friday. Tally wrote the screenplay for ‘Silence of the Lambs’, so he’s no stranger to creating the framework for intense visual entertainment.
Director Tom Skore’s talent for ‘herding cats’ is evident in his prior directorial work, and no less so in this performance. He inspires actors to really dedicate themselves to their roles while at the same time allowing for their need for self expression, but not to the point of going in opposition of the playwright’s intention.
Terra Nova was the name of the ship that carried Robert Falcon Scott to Antarctica to make a try for reaching the South Pole in 1912. The play Terra Nova recounts what happened on that Expedition.
I would go so far as to say that what happened to these men heralded the beginning of the end of modern humanity assuming it had carte blanche dominion over the natural word. A truth harshly confirmed a few short months later with the RMS Titanic sinking.
I have to give credit to Costume Designer Frances Covais Lautenberger. Authenticity of appearance was a major point as pictures from the actual Expedition were part of the performance.
Lighting Design was handled to beautiful and stunning effect by Daniel Anteau, who was tasked with the challenge of bringing the Aurora Australis inside…and virtually to the opposite pole! Patterns of haunting beauty and desolation were conveyed. This was enhanced by the Sound Design put together by Erick Hayden. The combination of the light and the sound were sufficient to make one feel Antarctica in their seat. Bring a sweater. In this ambience you may need it.
And then there were the actors themselves.
Jaron Carlson plays Scott. He conveys the pressure of being a public figure subject to the expectations and hopes of his entire country, the uneasiness of trying to balance being a national hero with just being a man with a young family, and the upsetting jolt that carrying the tried and true values of his society to the most uncivilized place in the world may not only fail, but could even be fatal to the men he considers as younger brothers and sons.
Nathan Huey plays the role of expedition member Edgar Evans as a man pushing to be part of something he sees as greater and grander than himself. His determination to match reality with his dreams, and his physical drive to succeed the race to the pole in spite of the odds make him someone we understand and sympathize with on his trek.
The role of Lawrence Oates was played by Bradford Jackson. The Perfect Soldier, Jackson manages to fill a pretty big pair of shoes as a man’s man whose selflessness would have been beyond belief had there not been a recording witness. Oates has become a romantic figure in entertainment and in art, Jackson brings the heroic angel down to earth and turns him back into a real human being with merits, flaws, and aged beyond his years by his life in the service.
Joshua Kovach plays Dr Edward Wilson, principled and dedicated, he is the beating heart of humanity for the expedition. Joshua delivers a sense of deep care and sensitivity for life. His embodiment of the sympathetic ear is downright priestly in its degree of confidence. This quality adds greatly to the sense that the group shares a deep bond just as the original members of the Expedition did.
The part of Henry Bowers was played by Zach Gowdy, as a man short in stature, but large in personality, he is the organized and undisputable optimistic spirit of the party. Zach embraced the sense of ease, merriment with enthusiasm and friendship. The group banter flows around and through him naturally, his timing for humorous delivery was excellent, and served as the glue binding these men together.
Kathleen Scott is played by Tiffany Guinn with a welcoming warmth and affection, seasoned perfectly with an intriguing and delightful prickliness. Kathleen Scott was a woman of strength and personality that most women were just beginning to own in that era. Antarctica disappears in a sensation of warm summer when Robert Scott remembers her, only for the cold chill to come howling back with a vengeance when immediacy demands his attention.
The practical antagonist embodied by Scott’s imagining of his competitor Roald Amundsen is played by Eric Holzschuh. He is as goading as he is encouraging to Scott, he speaks hard truths, but like Cassandra of Agamemnon his words go unheeded. As time and hardships increase for the party, Scott’s delusion of Amundsen becomes increasingly real to the point of him becoming almost an unmentioned sixth member of the expedition.
The actors complement each other extremely well as they work to bring to life not only the text as Ted Tally wrote it, but to do honor to the history of a group of men who pushed for glory at the bottom of the world.\
This performance runs from October 9 through Sunday October 25th, Fridays and Saturdays, 8 PM with Sunday Matinees at 3PM. Directly following the Sunday 18th performance, there will be a symposium on Arctic climate change.
Ticket costs on Friday and Saturday performances are $13 for general admission, $18 for reserved seating. Sunday matinees are $10 for general admission and $13 for reserved seating. Discounts are available. Call the UAA Theater Box Office (907) 786-4849 for more details.
Director Tom Skore’s talent for ‘herding cats’ is evident in his prior directorial work, and no less so in this performance. He inspires actors to really dedicate themselves to their roles while at the same time allowing for their need for self expression, but not to the point of going in opposition of the playwright’s intention.
Terra Nova was the name of the ship that carried Robert Falcon Scott to Antarctica to make a try for reaching the South Pole in 1912. The play Terra Nova recounts what happened on that Expedition.
I would go so far as to say that what happened to these men heralded the beginning of the end of modern humanity assuming it had carte blanche dominion over the natural word. A truth harshly confirmed a few short months later with the RMS Titanic sinking.
I have to give credit to Costume Designer Frances Covais Lautenberger. Authenticity of appearance was a major point as pictures from the actual Expedition were part of the performance.
Lighting Design was handled to beautiful and stunning effect by Daniel Anteau, who was tasked with the challenge of bringing the Aurora Australis inside…and virtually to the opposite pole! Patterns of haunting beauty and desolation were conveyed. This was enhanced by the Sound Design put together by Erick Hayden. The combination of the light and the sound were sufficient to make one feel Antarctica in their seat. Bring a sweater. In this ambience you may need it.
And then there were the actors themselves.
Jaron Carlson plays Scott. He conveys the pressure of being a public figure subject to the expectations and hopes of his entire country, the uneasiness of trying to balance being a national hero with just being a man with a young family, and the upsetting jolt that carrying the tried and true values of his society to the most uncivilized place in the world may not only fail, but could even be fatal to the men he considers as younger brothers and sons.
Nathan Huey plays the role of expedition member Edgar Evans as a man pushing to be part of something he sees as greater and grander than himself. His determination to match reality with his dreams, and his physical drive to succeed the race to the pole in spite of the odds make him someone we understand and sympathize with on his trek.
The role of Lawrence Oates was played by Bradford Jackson. The Perfect Soldier, Jackson manages to fill a pretty big pair of shoes as a man’s man whose selflessness would have been beyond belief had there not been a recording witness. Oates has become a romantic figure in entertainment and in art, Jackson brings the heroic angel down to earth and turns him back into a real human being with merits, flaws, and aged beyond his years by his life in the service.
Joshua Kovach plays Dr Edward Wilson, principled and dedicated, he is the beating heart of humanity for the expedition. Joshua delivers a sense of deep care and sensitivity for life. His embodiment of the sympathetic ear is downright priestly in its degree of confidence. This quality adds greatly to the sense that the group shares a deep bond just as the original members of the Expedition did.
The part of Henry Bowers was played by Zach Gowdy, as a man short in stature, but large in personality, he is the organized and undisputable optimistic spirit of the party. Zach embraced the sense of ease, merriment with enthusiasm and friendship. The group banter flows around and through him naturally, his timing for humorous delivery was excellent, and served as the glue binding these men together.
Kathleen Scott is played by Tiffany Guinn with a welcoming warmth and affection, seasoned perfectly with an intriguing and delightful prickliness. Kathleen Scott was a woman of strength and personality that most women were just beginning to own in that era. Antarctica disappears in a sensation of warm summer when Robert Scott remembers her, only for the cold chill to come howling back with a vengeance when immediacy demands his attention.
The practical antagonist embodied by Scott’s imagining of his competitor Roald Amundsen is played by Eric Holzschuh. He is as goading as he is encouraging to Scott, he speaks hard truths, but like Cassandra of Agamemnon his words go unheeded. As time and hardships increase for the party, Scott’s delusion of Amundsen becomes increasingly real to the point of him becoming almost an unmentioned sixth member of the expedition.
The actors complement each other extremely well as they work to bring to life not only the text as Ted Tally wrote it, but to do honor to the history of a group of men who pushed for glory at the bottom of the world.\
This performance runs from October 9 through Sunday October 25th, Fridays and Saturdays, 8 PM with Sunday Matinees at 3PM. Directly following the Sunday 18th performance, there will be a symposium on Arctic climate change.
Ticket costs on Friday and Saturday performances are $13 for general admission, $18 for reserved seating. Sunday matinees are $10 for general admission and $13 for reserved seating. Discounts are available. Call the UAA Theater Box Office (907) 786-4849 for more details.
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