I don't know how the weather is where all of you are but around my parts it is considered "unseasonably" hot. I think I just saw Satan in spedos on the beach catching some sun as Hell must have begun freezing over. It feels like 500 degrees with this humidity if it is only 90. Normally I wouldn't waste valuable blog space for something so trival as the unseasonably hot humid day I am currently experiencing. But I just have to tell you that if you've wondered what it felt like for Bilbo crouching next to Smaug in that cave while the dragon snored then you need only step out into this laughable "breeze". This is what I call a dragon's breath!
I left the laundry room behind me about 3 hours ago, headed for the AC and Mocha at Aroma's only to find that the AC is down and my iced latte became tepid in record time. And I sucked it down in like 4 drags! It is so uncomfortable that I am falling asleep as I am trying to accomplish something before Monday. And as I sleep I dream of blue popsicles.
They are really indigo purple. Dole makes an AMAZING blueberry acai popsicle. A 6-pack can be had for as little as 3.00 if you know where to look. I am dreaming of them in my half-lidded stupor. I do not want to eat. I do not want to swim. I want to feel that cold popsicle electrify my tooth enamel while the insides of my cheeks scream for mercy. I soooo want adult sized popsicle molds. I can think of a hundred cold delicious things to freeze in them.... do they make 12 ounce molds?
Quick Robin! To the search engine!
http://www.amazon.com/ They've got 'em! What a surprise. Amazon has everything. I think that I also saw some cool molds at http://www.bedbathandbeyond.com/ At the very least they were in the store. I think its time to take the risk of melting and go shopping. I can build my own damn popsicle!
Saturday, August 14, 2010
One off the Bucket List
There is not a lot of daring and adventurous items on my bucket list. I do not want to hike the grand Tetons or scale the face of El Capitan. I do not want to be the CEO of a multi million dollar corporation. I do not want to have some thing exotic or domestic named after me. On the contrary, my bucket list is rather mild mannered. It's full of small things. One of those small things just got crossed off.
A random stranger at a wedding told me I was hot. Okay so maybe not a bucket list kind of thing since it is full of random unpredictability. But you have to understand that between my sister and I and my girlfriends and I, I'm usually what is referred to as the Ugly Duckling. My mother favored my sister's looks with new clothes, professional hair cuts and trips to the beauty counter to learn how to apply make up. Her friend Heather always took her back and re-taught her, but that is another story. My girlfriends were always trying to get me to be more girly and it never occurred to me that anyone would think that I was pretty even if I wanted them to. And we were so young it didn't matter. Honestly, I had all sorts of hobbies and interests so it never bothered me to go unnoticed by boys until just recently. And I've always been on the quirky side of things since I'm a geek. Sweetie is the first person in 6 years to really appreciate my looks and that is kind of hard to get used to. So I've been content to have his compliments and my primal feminine self is content at last. And I go about my life making me happy.
One of the things that makes me very happy is a great purple shirt from India that is rather gypsy like. It's dark so it favors a fuller figure. It has a lace-up bodice so it shows a bit of daring and adventure. and in the right setting I look like I'm ready to lay out a Tarot spread or cast Arthur's sword back into the lake. I wear it for evenings out. And I wore it to a wedding reception last weekend. The midriff is bare which, even though I've lost an amazing 16 more pounds made me rather nervous. I never know how things like this are going to be interpreted,. But I was going to be hanging with the work crowd who already know I'm kinda weird so it was okay. In a crowd of rednecks I stood out like a witch in a Puritan church. Yikes!!!! But my group, who has seen this twice, was totally cool with it. And I just had fun.
At the end of the evening, as I am headed to my car and perfectly content to get some shut eye, I was stopped by three guys. I had my key aimed at the door lock when one of them asked, "Are you having a problem?" I must have given him the go-funny eye cause he hurried up and finished his thought, "Cause you look HOT!" My only response was "Thanks. But no." He walked away offended. But some totally random stranger said I was hot. It used to happen to my sister everywhere that we went... to the point of being annoyingly sickening. And I always wanted that kind of thing to happen. So it has. Cross it off the bucket list.
But as always seems to happen when I cross anything off that list, I end up adding something else. That item is: Random guy thinks I'm hot and tries to pick me up & I actually have a great response that takes the event in another direction. No more dead end streets with these random acts of life.
A random stranger at a wedding told me I was hot. Okay so maybe not a bucket list kind of thing since it is full of random unpredictability. But you have to understand that between my sister and I and my girlfriends and I, I'm usually what is referred to as the Ugly Duckling. My mother favored my sister's looks with new clothes, professional hair cuts and trips to the beauty counter to learn how to apply make up. Her friend Heather always took her back and re-taught her, but that is another story. My girlfriends were always trying to get me to be more girly and it never occurred to me that anyone would think that I was pretty even if I wanted them to. And we were so young it didn't matter. Honestly, I had all sorts of hobbies and interests so it never bothered me to go unnoticed by boys until just recently. And I've always been on the quirky side of things since I'm a geek. Sweetie is the first person in 6 years to really appreciate my looks and that is kind of hard to get used to. So I've been content to have his compliments and my primal feminine self is content at last. And I go about my life making me happy.
One of the things that makes me very happy is a great purple shirt from India that is rather gypsy like. It's dark so it favors a fuller figure. It has a lace-up bodice so it shows a bit of daring and adventure. and in the right setting I look like I'm ready to lay out a Tarot spread or cast Arthur's sword back into the lake. I wear it for evenings out. And I wore it to a wedding reception last weekend. The midriff is bare which, even though I've lost an amazing 16 more pounds made me rather nervous. I never know how things like this are going to be interpreted,. But I was going to be hanging with the work crowd who already know I'm kinda weird so it was okay. In a crowd of rednecks I stood out like a witch in a Puritan church. Yikes!!!! But my group, who has seen this twice, was totally cool with it. And I just had fun.
At the end of the evening, as I am headed to my car and perfectly content to get some shut eye, I was stopped by three guys. I had my key aimed at the door lock when one of them asked, "Are you having a problem?" I must have given him the go-funny eye cause he hurried up and finished his thought, "Cause you look HOT!" My only response was "Thanks. But no." He walked away offended. But some totally random stranger said I was hot. It used to happen to my sister everywhere that we went... to the point of being annoyingly sickening. And I always wanted that kind of thing to happen. So it has. Cross it off the bucket list.
But as always seems to happen when I cross anything off that list, I end up adding something else. That item is: Random guy thinks I'm hot and tries to pick me up & I actually have a great response that takes the event in another direction. No more dead end streets with these random acts of life.
Thursday, August 12, 2010
mystery!
This is the into I remember best. There are other versions by Mr. Gorey.
This is the one that I know. Before the first nanosecond began, I was in my chair with the bowl of popcorn and hunkered down for an evening of Sherlock Holmes for however long the season lasted. 19 years old and operating a day care in my own place took a lot out of me. I also had social obligations with my group out of high school before they all left for college. Those Summers were so busy, especially weekend trips to North Bar Lake or hosting duties for Fridays or Saturdays that it rained. Sunday was my day to veg and regroup. I was a grown up now and had to get my grown up head on. Mystery! was that much needed switch.
Dianna Rigg was my favorite host. She may be the only host I clearly remember. She was not overly dramatic with her introductions nor terribly maudlin like others tended to be. And then there would be Holmes. Holmes aired in the early Autumn so the episodes are perfumed with the scent of falls leaves and the applesauce and pumpkin muffins I put up for the month to feed the kids. To this day I watch my collection on Sundays, especially the rainy ones, in candle light with a favorite comforter and the windows open enough for the chill breeze to highlight the goosebumps. The only thing missing?
Edward Gorey intro.... so click again and enjoy.
http://www.amazon.com/ and http://www.borders.com/ will have the 2010 Calendar, Holmes episodes and anything else you want to make goosebumps rise on a dreary grey day.
Yes-ter-dayyyy....
All my troubles seemed very far away in one regard. In the wee quiet hours of the first shift I found an old friend who has been missing for many weeks. Yes, one and the same. I miss that camaraderie. He has an amazing ability to make all the little things that get in a persons way seem less like K-2 and more like an ant hill. But our friendship has had to go underground.
It seems silly, crazy and sooooo 5th grade. But I did notice a pattern. Whenever I expressed happiness or relief about things being normal, had my tow days off and came back he was more angry than ever before. I thought that he is just one of those crazy Gemini's who never knows which side of the coin he wants to live on. That little voice inside my head told me that I had not gotten to the bottom of the back stabbing yet. So I told the last person that I trust, formerly the top of the only people I can trust list, there is no more talking about me with him. Period. I had been the Wabbit. Then I had been excised. Then I was the Wabbit again. Right after having regained Wabbit status I came back to an angry frozen tundra that makes the Hoth Ice Planet look like a Sno-cone machine. So I told her I am off limits. Left. Returned.
And on my return found an abysmal landscape. She tells him everything that she knows will make him angry at me. I can't fathom the motive. But I don't need to. The fact that it happens every time I say something to her is evidence enough that there is no one in my department with whom information can be shared. And now I see that he knows that is the case as well. He has seen it all along, I am afraid. Rather than be direct, he has been obtuse so that I never know exactly to what situation I am supposed to apply his pearls of wisdom.
My readings have told me that there was more to the situation than I could see. Of course I interpreted that how I wanted to, which was not how it is. How it is, is this: we still like each other as co-workers and friends, we miss each other's wit and humor, he thinks I'm crazy to go to Germany for a concert, I hope he is happy with his new girlfriend and that it lasts longer than the others have and both of us are working passed the "What Might Have Been". But the only way that we can connect is going to be when no one else is around. For whatever reason there are 5 people who do not want us to talk. Even something as harmless as being told the story of his car accident could set the gossiping harpies on the path to re-establishing a DMZ betwixt us. For all the world I don't understand that. It isn't new. I've had this kind of thing happen all my life. But it is still astounding.
It seems silly, crazy and sooooo 5th grade. But I did notice a pattern. Whenever I expressed happiness or relief about things being normal, had my tow days off and came back he was more angry than ever before. I thought that he is just one of those crazy Gemini's who never knows which side of the coin he wants to live on. That little voice inside my head told me that I had not gotten to the bottom of the back stabbing yet. So I told the last person that I trust, formerly the top of the only people I can trust list, there is no more talking about me with him. Period. I had been the Wabbit. Then I had been excised. Then I was the Wabbit again. Right after having regained Wabbit status I came back to an angry frozen tundra that makes the Hoth Ice Planet look like a Sno-cone machine. So I told her I am off limits. Left. Returned.
And on my return found an abysmal landscape. She tells him everything that she knows will make him angry at me. I can't fathom the motive. But I don't need to. The fact that it happens every time I say something to her is evidence enough that there is no one in my department with whom information can be shared. And now I see that he knows that is the case as well. He has seen it all along, I am afraid. Rather than be direct, he has been obtuse so that I never know exactly to what situation I am supposed to apply his pearls of wisdom.
My readings have told me that there was more to the situation than I could see. Of course I interpreted that how I wanted to, which was not how it is. How it is, is this: we still like each other as co-workers and friends, we miss each other's wit and humor, he thinks I'm crazy to go to Germany for a concert, I hope he is happy with his new girlfriend and that it lasts longer than the others have and both of us are working passed the "What Might Have Been". But the only way that we can connect is going to be when no one else is around. For whatever reason there are 5 people who do not want us to talk. Even something as harmless as being told the story of his car accident could set the gossiping harpies on the path to re-establishing a DMZ betwixt us. For all the world I don't understand that. It isn't new. I've had this kind of thing happen all my life. But it is still astounding.
First Article
I have the rough draft of my first article done. Yea!!!! Now I just need to spend some time with the publishing site to get the feel for it. So Monday is concentrate hard day. Yea!!!!! I wish I had the same abilities to reach goals that I had in high school. Holy crap I got a lot done!!! But I was also introverted with few outside distractions. Somewhere during the leap to hyper-space I managed to become extroverted and I get nothing done now. Well, not nothing. Just not as much as I used to.
But 1st article done. Yea!!!!!! But better than that, I now know what my niche is. Singlehood. I've been doing this single gig for a long time, since I was 19. And I've learned a thing or two about surviving the family-oriented world we live in. So that is the direction I am going to go. How to, survival guide and unsolicited advice. Oh don't fear... I'll still send up the geek colors to cool things that all of us need to know about. But the money is in the how to because I can link to products that will hopefully send people scurrying for the next coolest thing. That is afterall how this new economy is going to work. I think.
And then there is art.
But 1st article done. Yea!!!!!! But better than that, I now know what my niche is. Singlehood. I've been doing this single gig for a long time, since I was 19. And I've learned a thing or two about surviving the family-oriented world we live in. So that is the direction I am going to go. How to, survival guide and unsolicited advice. Oh don't fear... I'll still send up the geek colors to cool things that all of us need to know about. But the money is in the how to because I can link to products that will hopefully send people scurrying for the next coolest thing. That is afterall how this new economy is going to work. I think.
And then there is art.
Wednesday, August 11, 2010
Summer Reading List
One of my favorite artists from Somerset Studio fame is Lynne Perrella. Fell in love with her work the first time I saw it. You have to spend some time with each piece to really experience it. Rich and textured with multiple layers and exquisite patterns, each piece is a thing to behold. My friend Michelle is lucky enough to know Lynne personally. So whenever Lynne does something cool Michelle lets the rest of us know. I've been waiting for a really depressing time to get this book. When you feel bad it is easier to justify a visual feast like this for the price. Art Making & Studio Spaces takes a look at how 31 creative people use their space.
It is a significant topic worthy of its own book as each space somehow seems to be a part of each individual work. Our spaces are a reflection of us and directly impact the creative process. The work space is a place that inspires and processes outside inspirations. More than a utilitarian setting, the artist's workspace is where the Muse takes up residence and starts dictating the emerging work. Each space in this book is an amazing journey in and of itself. Totally worth a look. And totally worth the price.
http://www.amazon.com/ and http://www.somersetstudio.com/ are great places to find artsy things.
It is a significant topic worthy of its own book as each space somehow seems to be a part of each individual work. Our spaces are a reflection of us and directly impact the creative process. The work space is a place that inspires and processes outside inspirations. More than a utilitarian setting, the artist's workspace is where the Muse takes up residence and starts dictating the emerging work. Each space in this book is an amazing journey in and of itself. Totally worth a look. And totally worth the price.
http://www.amazon.com/ and http://www.somersetstudio.com/ are great places to find artsy things.
Crossing fingers
It is apparent to me that if I am to get to Germany I will have to do some fund raising. So for the next couple of weeks I will be working on building Facebook page to accomodate that. I'm going to auction off my artwork. I know. I wasn't going to sell the chakra paintings until I knew for certain that I have some workable e-files to save and send a publisher. I still think that the postcard book design is my best option for reaching pepople. But I don't have the whole series done and without a studio its going to be hard to finish. And I've had lots of interest in the heart and solar plexus pieces. Of course if you guys want in on it you'll have to friend the page at Facebook and bid. International purchases might be kinda tricky, but we can manage. Western Union does overseas doesn't it? At any rate... I need to make some money. And I need to know I can sell.
Scary. I keep telling myself that I don't want to sell my babies. But what good are they sitting in storage? I know I'm ambivalent. I'm an Aquarius, hellooooo.... So I guess that is going to be the thing that gets me through this hump. WIth luck I will make enough to get into a place to live too. Fingers crossed.
Question... do I sell the jewelery too?
Scary. I keep telling myself that I don't want to sell my babies. But what good are they sitting in storage? I know I'm ambivalent. I'm an Aquarius, hellooooo.... So I guess that is going to be the thing that gets me through this hump. WIth luck I will make enough to get into a place to live too. Fingers crossed.
Question... do I sell the jewelery too?
Tuesday, August 10, 2010
Making the jump to journalism
I was born an artist, crayons and color books were my best friends rain or shine. Then I learned how to draw things and that was it for me. So how did I become a writer? It's the other thing that I have always been so I didn't become one per se, I chose to shift my focus. Many people have been telling me that I have a talent for this. My brother's teachers all thought he should be a writer because of the way I edited his homework. People who have benefited from my informative and entertaining letters have said the same thing. I don't know why I keep telling myself that I can't write or don't want to write. But I've decided to because I need a change in my life.
I've been working a menial labor job for two years and my body is reaching the end of its ability to cope. My brain isn't very happy about it either. So I was on Facebook one day and a friend's results for a personality test came up. I thought what the heck, I'll try it. And it turns out that it is a legit research test based on the Keirsey Briggs test. I took the test and wailed at the results.
Having just been told by a supervisor that I have a strong personality and no one likes to work with me in my department, I didn't like what the bar graph showed. Strong scores for Openness, Extroversion and median range on Conscientiousness did not make me feel better about the low scores on Agreeableness and Neuroticism. I thought, "Oh no! Colleen was right!" But I read the descriptions and it turns out that it isn't a bad thing. It means she was right I have a strong personality and I need to find a better fit. As I poured through the page to read the Jungian analysis of my type there were career recommendations. Number one?
In bold letters JOURNALISM, Political science and law made the cut too. But the career match was 92%, 54% and 21%. Actually the law scored so low that it was written in so fine a print I barely noticed it there. Fitting, no?
So I'm going to be a journalist because Facebook told me to? Not exactly. A pastor once told a story about a guy who begged God to rescue him when he fell overboard. The cruise ship threw out the life preserver. He didn't take it. A little Polynesian skiff came by but he wouldn't let the haggard old fisherman save him. Then a commercial boat came by. He didn't accept help from them either. "God will save me." He told everyone. So he was surprised that he drowned. When he saw God he asked him why that happened. God said "I sent you all the help you needed but you refused. What were you waiting for? The Love Boat?"
How many hints do I need?
I've been working a menial labor job for two years and my body is reaching the end of its ability to cope. My brain isn't very happy about it either. So I was on Facebook one day and a friend's results for a personality test came up. I thought what the heck, I'll try it. And it turns out that it is a legit research test based on the Keirsey Briggs test. I took the test and wailed at the results.
Having just been told by a supervisor that I have a strong personality and no one likes to work with me in my department, I didn't like what the bar graph showed. Strong scores for Openness, Extroversion and median range on Conscientiousness did not make me feel better about the low scores on Agreeableness and Neuroticism. I thought, "Oh no! Colleen was right!" But I read the descriptions and it turns out that it isn't a bad thing. It means she was right I have a strong personality and I need to find a better fit. As I poured through the page to read the Jungian analysis of my type there were career recommendations. Number one?
In bold letters JOURNALISM, Political science and law made the cut too. But the career match was 92%, 54% and 21%. Actually the law scored so low that it was written in so fine a print I barely noticed it there. Fitting, no?
So I'm going to be a journalist because Facebook told me to? Not exactly. A pastor once told a story about a guy who begged God to rescue him when he fell overboard. The cruise ship threw out the life preserver. He didn't take it. A little Polynesian skiff came by but he wouldn't let the haggard old fisherman save him. Then a commercial boat came by. He didn't accept help from them either. "God will save me." He told everyone. So he was surprised that he drowned. When he saw God he asked him why that happened. God said "I sent you all the help you needed but you refused. What were you waiting for? The Love Boat?"
How many hints do I need?
New Blog
Have I mentioned how much I love the TV show Castle? Not in a while? Well here we go. I love the show. Most of all, I love how the show is now a thing. If you follow on Facebook you get the website administrator, someone who posts as Castle as if Castle has a life outside of what we see on the show and thus some pretty interesting insights into the City of New York itself. That said, I'm kinda digging the NYC scene. Today on the Blogs of Note, The King of New York City Hacks gets the nod.
He is a native born and bred New Yorker, yellow taxi driver and the eyes and ears of the city he calls home. Great sense of humor and community. I've read everything on his page and followed. I particularly like his thoughts on the whole Goldman Sachs thing. Puts me in mind of the Robber Barons from the early part of our Industrial Revolution. Just like our ancestors did a hundred or so years ago, we are sitting around waiting for someone else to mete out justice. If they had held a gun to your head and held up your train you'd fight them. But they do it within the parameters of law and commerce, which is to the Robber Barons the new "you're too stupid to grasp this" as theology was to the dark ages church. So we believe we are too stupid to question their imperatives and they keep robbing us blind. The King puts it a bit differently but the sentiment is the same.
Totally worth a trip to the site even if you don't decide to follow. http://kingofnewyorkhacks.blogspot.com/
He is a native born and bred New Yorker, yellow taxi driver and the eyes and ears of the city he calls home. Great sense of humor and community. I've read everything on his page and followed. I particularly like his thoughts on the whole Goldman Sachs thing. Puts me in mind of the Robber Barons from the early part of our Industrial Revolution. Just like our ancestors did a hundred or so years ago, we are sitting around waiting for someone else to mete out justice. If they had held a gun to your head and held up your train you'd fight them. But they do it within the parameters of law and commerce, which is to the Robber Barons the new "you're too stupid to grasp this" as theology was to the dark ages church. So we believe we are too stupid to question their imperatives and they keep robbing us blind. The King puts it a bit differently but the sentiment is the same.
Totally worth a trip to the site even if you don't decide to follow. http://kingofnewyorkhacks.blogspot.com/
Monday, August 9, 2010
Meeting Vicki
Been searching the blogosphere again. Its fun to see what everyone is doing with their spare time. I might pick up a new interest or be reminded of something I haven't visited in a while, like the Holmes post. Today I found a rather nice blog by a thinking person who wonders about the same things we all wonder. Well at least the things that I wonder. And we are following a paralel path toward seperating the people we know into categories.
Vikram, if you've followed my e-trail back here and see this, please leave a comment. I wonder what you think about the kind of people who are more comfortable with, and feel a greater attachment to, those in your "familiar strangers" category. I tend to judge myself harshly that I don't have the kinds of close personal friends prized by heroines of Victorian fiction. But perhaps there should be no judgement; just an acceptance of what is.
Vikram, if you've followed my e-trail back here and see this, please leave a comment. I wonder what you think about the kind of people who are more comfortable with, and feel a greater attachment to, those in your "familiar strangers" category. I tend to judge myself harshly that I don't have the kinds of close personal friends prized by heroines of Victorian fiction. But perhaps there should be no judgement; just an acceptance of what is.
Threat Made Good
Thanks to DernWraithslayer at Youtube for posting this clip. http://www.amazon.com/ has the complete Granada production series available.
Some time ago, I made a list of all the things that I've been meaning to share. Part of the delay has been a lack of techno know-how. Another part of that has been a lack of focus. Surprise! Today as I have been trying to find some peace to talk to peole without that quakey "My life is taking a shit I'd rather be onto the next life. Don't mind me."voice, I realized that I know more about blogging and links than I did a year ago and that I should get busy trying to do some of these things. So here we are.
I once threatened to reveal why Jeremy Brett is the best Holmes ever. I still maintain that Rathbone is a James Bond version of the most well known consulting Detective in all of Brittish History, neigh! the world. But I can't really tell you how great Brett is (saddly, that should be was as he passed in 1995). He defies description. So instead I will show you. This is from the middle of an episode called "The Musgrave Ritual". It was always one of my favorite stories because of the puzzle. It was rather Doctor Jones before we ever met Indy. As you watch this clip (it's a full 10 minutes) you'll see Brett's obeservant Holmes. He is always looking. Edward Hardwick's Watson is a great foil as I have said before. But he isn't the dolt that Hollywood made him out to be long ago. I give you... Holmes at his finest.
http://www.sherlock-holmes.co.uk/ for Museum hours. In my special features from the Granada collection, the museum seems to be endorsed by the grandchildren. According to Wikipedia the whole family is not entirely behind the venture. That said, I would still go to Baker street and hang out for a while. Admission is a mere 6€ for adults. Cheaper than a movie in the States.
Some time ago, I made a list of all the things that I've been meaning to share. Part of the delay has been a lack of techno know-how. Another part of that has been a lack of focus. Surprise! Today as I have been trying to find some peace to talk to peole without that quakey "My life is taking a shit I'd rather be onto the next life. Don't mind me."voice, I realized that I know more about blogging and links than I did a year ago and that I should get busy trying to do some of these things. So here we are.
I once threatened to reveal why Jeremy Brett is the best Holmes ever. I still maintain that Rathbone is a James Bond version of the most well known consulting Detective in all of Brittish History, neigh! the world. But I can't really tell you how great Brett is (saddly, that should be was as he passed in 1995). He defies description. So instead I will show you. This is from the middle of an episode called "The Musgrave Ritual". It was always one of my favorite stories because of the puzzle. It was rather Doctor Jones before we ever met Indy. As you watch this clip (it's a full 10 minutes) you'll see Brett's obeservant Holmes. He is always looking. Edward Hardwick's Watson is a great foil as I have said before. But he isn't the dolt that Hollywood made him out to be long ago. I give you... Holmes at his finest.
http://www.sherlock-holmes.co.uk/ for Museum hours. In my special features from the Granada collection, the museum seems to be endorsed by the grandchildren. According to Wikipedia the whole family is not entirely behind the venture. That said, I would still go to Baker street and hang out for a while. Admission is a mere 6€ for adults. Cheaper than a movie in the States.
Discernment or Discrimination
There is a lot to be said for using your brains. And honestly not enough people do so. Because of lawyers and affirmative action policies the rest of us are afraid to use what we have. There are many who would have us all believe that discernment and discrimination are the same things as stereotyping. The next time you apply for a job pay special attention to the equal opportunity statements on the application. Employers practically promise to hire anybody. And once just anybody gets into a place and they've realized their mistake there is little that they can do to correct it.
Discernment and discrimination are shades of the same concept. Both imply a conscious and careful observation to the details a person presents in an interview and should begin with the first time that the prospective new hire is seen. It isn't enough to know that a person is physically capable of doing the work. They have to show some mental capacity above that of a turnip or rutabaga. That does not mean that a person has to have a college degree to drop a fry basket at McDonald's. That is the kind of thing that those laws were meant to stop. What I mean is that there are ways of determining if a person is intelligent without relying on the status of a degree. I don't have a degree and I wouldn't want anyone to assume that I am only smart enough to drop a fry basket. But I hate working with peole who chose to limit themselves to the barest functions of life. Intelligence can be seen in other more telling ways:
1. Handwriting. Oh I know. Handwriting analysis is akin to witchcraft and divination in a lot of people's minds. But it does help you build and idea of a person. Basic handwriting analysis is all you need as an HR director or hiring manager. Sloppy, uncoordinated letters without obvious physical deformity in an adult reflects immaturity or laziness. Large letters with unnecessary flourish which obscures the instructions in the boxes on the application scream "Pay attention to me!" and should tell you that you are looking at some form of a diva who will become very high maintenance. Hearts dotting i and j or replacing o scream immature. Shaky lines say no confidence.
2. Spelling and text short cuts. Short cuts on the application more often than not reveal the tendency to take short cuts in all areas. Spelling more than one or two words wrong on the application either says "I can't bother to concentrate on this" or "I don't know better." In the first case I need not elaborate. In the second there is a double edged sword. Not every applicant has to be qualified to take down the national spelling Bee Champ. But if your applicant can not spell the simple words that are most often filling those answer boxes you've got someone on your hands that isn't really going to be thinking a lot.
Astrology and Birth Order tell a lot about people. I'm not talking that crap in the paper. I mean a basic understanding of the Sun signs. You'll see who the natural leader is, who will follow quietly, and who will follow and not let you fall on your ass. Sun signs will tell you who your Geordie LaForge, Counselor Troi and Commander Rikers will be. Birth Order will point out how to pair people. Astrology is ubiquitous enough that I won't explain it here. But let me hit the highlights on the birth order.
1. Eldest Sibs have a strong sense of duty, direction and care about their fellow employees. The draw back is that the eldest is often taken advantage of because they will do everyone's work to keep the parents happy and protect the youngsters. One of the greatest advantages to the eldest is that they will follow the dream for the business and get behind the boss. The flipside is that if they ever get to the point where they feel that they have been ignored by the parent/boss or that they aren't being heard when the warnings are given they tend to give up.
2. Middle Sibs are the peacemakers and will tend to be walked on by the younger ones while trying to get attention by downplaying what others do. Some middle sibs with a good sense of themselves will just be great workers who keep to themselves.
3. Youngest Sibs. These are the attention-getters, braggers and the first to make more of their contributions than there really ever is. The highest population of gossips are going to be among the younger sibs in the work environment. Drama surrounds them.
5. Only child. These guys are the wild cards. Either headstrong and independent like an eldest sib or weak-willed and needing constant supervision.
Hand in hand with the birth order and astrology signs is understanding the Introvert and Extrovert personality. This will determine to what degree these attributes manifest. Neither is good or bad in and of itself. But it will help a hiring manager figure out who will be easy to work with and who will cause problems.
And this is weird. Oh c'mon! This is me we are talking about. You have to know this was coming. Phrenology and Physiognomy. Basically these admittedly pseudosciences suggest that the traits of a persons face reflect the truest nature of character. Someone with a blank stare or bulging eyes that blinks on rare occasions may have very little going on upstairs. The logic in that statement is that intelligent people are observant. Observant people are always taking in information which is revealed by eye movements and an expression of interest in what is being said. On a more complicated level which approaches rudeness is the observation that certain mental impairments cause rictus in facial muscles which set jaw lines, mandibles and brows into permanent sculptures.
I have to say that it is not the judgement of science that is rude but rather the frank language that makes it less than sympathetic to the feelings of individuals concerned in the observation. But that said, one can not ignore that there is much truth to these observations. In no way am I implying that people who do not possess "ideal' and "pleasing" characteristics do not deserve a job or should not be permitted to contribute to society. I am only saying that there is a place for them in the world but that not everyone has to be subjected to them.
I have of course two examples in mind. One is a friend from long ago. She had bright eyes and showed interest in life. Something happened in college and she hasn't been the same. Her facial muscles are rigid and she does not show emotion outside of the extreme. She has no ready smile. She looks bored and disinterested in everything including her friends. She should not be a Walmart greeter, hair stylist or a front desk receptionist. I don't know what she should do instead of the job she does have. It doesn't suit her. Her guest service job requires engaging people. When I have to deal with her I feel like she is in a hurry to get rid of me even if I haven't gotten everything settled when I leave.
The other example is of someone with the rictus of the intellectually impaired. Her whole head sticks out over her neck in an unnatural way, her teeth push her mouth out and stretch her lips thin. Eyes deep set under a thick brow probably don't really indicate intelligence so much as past ethnic pairings but her level of intelligence does coincidentally reflect old phrenological treatises. The fact that she often is found staring at coworkers with what can only be described in the modern vernacular as "creeptastic intensity". When she is angry this expression hardens so that she resembles a rabid badger. Suitable for the factory but not so much for working directly with customers, she seems the poster child for reinstating the study.
There are a hundred thousand little clues in the naked city that tell you what people are like if only one would pay attention. These are some of the profiling items I have used in my Internet dating adventures. And I have not regretted the choices when I've applied them. If it makes you feel better about me I do feel horrible that I am so judgemental. But I have to tell you I am relieved to be free of toxic personalities. As an empath I attract them like bees to wildflowers. But you have to know who to walk away from and from whom to run. Employers who don't make any attempt to do more than fill a spot with a warm body do their business and the staffers that care a disservice. Some kinds of profiling have to be okay.
Don 't they?
Footnotes: I first learned about Phrenlogy from my Bacons comprehensive encyclopedia of printmakers plates. It is a several hundred page book of wonderful etchings used to illustrate everything from the early 1800's. Dover recreated the compilation and put it out there for all of us budding artists to drool over. Michelle found her copy at Borders and I had to scramble to get the last copy. It is since out of print.
Discernment and discrimination are shades of the same concept. Both imply a conscious and careful observation to the details a person presents in an interview and should begin with the first time that the prospective new hire is seen. It isn't enough to know that a person is physically capable of doing the work. They have to show some mental capacity above that of a turnip or rutabaga. That does not mean that a person has to have a college degree to drop a fry basket at McDonald's. That is the kind of thing that those laws were meant to stop. What I mean is that there are ways of determining if a person is intelligent without relying on the status of a degree. I don't have a degree and I wouldn't want anyone to assume that I am only smart enough to drop a fry basket. But I hate working with peole who chose to limit themselves to the barest functions of life. Intelligence can be seen in other more telling ways:
1. Handwriting. Oh I know. Handwriting analysis is akin to witchcraft and divination in a lot of people's minds. But it does help you build and idea of a person. Basic handwriting analysis is all you need as an HR director or hiring manager. Sloppy, uncoordinated letters without obvious physical deformity in an adult reflects immaturity or laziness. Large letters with unnecessary flourish which obscures the instructions in the boxes on the application scream "Pay attention to me!" and should tell you that you are looking at some form of a diva who will become very high maintenance. Hearts dotting i and j or replacing o scream immature. Shaky lines say no confidence.
2. Spelling and text short cuts. Short cuts on the application more often than not reveal the tendency to take short cuts in all areas. Spelling more than one or two words wrong on the application either says "I can't bother to concentrate on this" or "I don't know better." In the first case I need not elaborate. In the second there is a double edged sword. Not every applicant has to be qualified to take down the national spelling Bee Champ. But if your applicant can not spell the simple words that are most often filling those answer boxes you've got someone on your hands that isn't really going to be thinking a lot.
Astrology and Birth Order tell a lot about people. I'm not talking that crap in the paper. I mean a basic understanding of the Sun signs. You'll see who the natural leader is, who will follow quietly, and who will follow and not let you fall on your ass. Sun signs will tell you who your Geordie LaForge, Counselor Troi and Commander Rikers will be. Birth Order will point out how to pair people. Astrology is ubiquitous enough that I won't explain it here. But let me hit the highlights on the birth order.
1. Eldest Sibs have a strong sense of duty, direction and care about their fellow employees. The draw back is that the eldest is often taken advantage of because they will do everyone's work to keep the parents happy and protect the youngsters. One of the greatest advantages to the eldest is that they will follow the dream for the business and get behind the boss. The flipside is that if they ever get to the point where they feel that they have been ignored by the parent/boss or that they aren't being heard when the warnings are given they tend to give up.
2. Middle Sibs are the peacemakers and will tend to be walked on by the younger ones while trying to get attention by downplaying what others do. Some middle sibs with a good sense of themselves will just be great workers who keep to themselves.
3. Youngest Sibs. These are the attention-getters, braggers and the first to make more of their contributions than there really ever is. The highest population of gossips are going to be among the younger sibs in the work environment. Drama surrounds them.
5. Only child. These guys are the wild cards. Either headstrong and independent like an eldest sib or weak-willed and needing constant supervision.
Hand in hand with the birth order and astrology signs is understanding the Introvert and Extrovert personality. This will determine to what degree these attributes manifest. Neither is good or bad in and of itself. But it will help a hiring manager figure out who will be easy to work with and who will cause problems.
And this is weird. Oh c'mon! This is me we are talking about. You have to know this was coming. Phrenology and Physiognomy. Basically these admittedly pseudosciences suggest that the traits of a persons face reflect the truest nature of character. Someone with a blank stare or bulging eyes that blinks on rare occasions may have very little going on upstairs. The logic in that statement is that intelligent people are observant. Observant people are always taking in information which is revealed by eye movements and an expression of interest in what is being said. On a more complicated level which approaches rudeness is the observation that certain mental impairments cause rictus in facial muscles which set jaw lines, mandibles and brows into permanent sculptures.
I have to say that it is not the judgement of science that is rude but rather the frank language that makes it less than sympathetic to the feelings of individuals concerned in the observation. But that said, one can not ignore that there is much truth to these observations. In no way am I implying that people who do not possess "ideal' and "pleasing" characteristics do not deserve a job or should not be permitted to contribute to society. I am only saying that there is a place for them in the world but that not everyone has to be subjected to them.
I have of course two examples in mind. One is a friend from long ago. She had bright eyes and showed interest in life. Something happened in college and she hasn't been the same. Her facial muscles are rigid and she does not show emotion outside of the extreme. She has no ready smile. She looks bored and disinterested in everything including her friends. She should not be a Walmart greeter, hair stylist or a front desk receptionist. I don't know what she should do instead of the job she does have. It doesn't suit her. Her guest service job requires engaging people. When I have to deal with her I feel like she is in a hurry to get rid of me even if I haven't gotten everything settled when I leave.
The other example is of someone with the rictus of the intellectually impaired. Her whole head sticks out over her neck in an unnatural way, her teeth push her mouth out and stretch her lips thin. Eyes deep set under a thick brow probably don't really indicate intelligence so much as past ethnic pairings but her level of intelligence does coincidentally reflect old phrenological treatises. The fact that she often is found staring at coworkers with what can only be described in the modern vernacular as "creeptastic intensity". When she is angry this expression hardens so that she resembles a rabid badger. Suitable for the factory but not so much for working directly with customers, she seems the poster child for reinstating the study.
There are a hundred thousand little clues in the naked city that tell you what people are like if only one would pay attention. These are some of the profiling items I have used in my Internet dating adventures. And I have not regretted the choices when I've applied them. If it makes you feel better about me I do feel horrible that I am so judgemental. But I have to tell you I am relieved to be free of toxic personalities. As an empath I attract them like bees to wildflowers. But you have to know who to walk away from and from whom to run. Employers who don't make any attempt to do more than fill a spot with a warm body do their business and the staffers that care a disservice. Some kinds of profiling have to be okay.
Don 't they?
Footnotes: I first learned about Phrenlogy from my Bacons comprehensive encyclopedia of printmakers plates. It is a several hundred page book of wonderful etchings used to illustrate everything from the early 1800's. Dover recreated the compilation and put it out there for all of us budding artists to drool over. Michelle found her copy at Borders and I had to scramble to get the last copy. It is since out of print.
Morphing
So, continuing the trend of change, there are new features to the blog. I've added instant comment buttons, hopefully made the thing more readable, and changed the attribution. Let me explain.
Comment Buttons. Sometimes you don't want to leave a comment but you want someone to know that you've been to their blog and know what they are saying. So there is a BTDT button; Been There Done That, and just like on Facebook a Like button. And the Whoa button for things that kinda skip your record.
Readability. This is a huge concern for me since I seem to be something of a Typographical nut job. It might have something to do with the fact that I am getting older and the eyes are letting me down slowly but surely. Mostly though the thought of all those lines of text being bumped around in the archive were getting to me. I hope this helps. I need to make the body text a bit bigger and hesitated to do so because the body point size matches the gadgets point sizes. This set up is not friendly toward its own margins so its a bit of a challenge.
Attribution. Normally I wouldn't bother with those things. But, if I have learned anything from the Wheaton about how intellectual property needs to be shared within reasonable limits, it is this. There is nothing wrong with the sharing when you have permission. Sharing promotes growth in any industry. But the person who originates the material needs the credit. Even if there is no money involved, one stray comment in a blog can blossom into something else further down the road and that needs to be honored. So I have given permission to share. All I ask is credit where due and that you all send your friends this way.
Comment Buttons. Sometimes you don't want to leave a comment but you want someone to know that you've been to their blog and know what they are saying. So there is a BTDT button; Been There Done That, and just like on Facebook a Like button. And the Whoa button for things that kinda skip your record.
Readability. This is a huge concern for me since I seem to be something of a Typographical nut job. It might have something to do with the fact that I am getting older and the eyes are letting me down slowly but surely. Mostly though the thought of all those lines of text being bumped around in the archive were getting to me. I hope this helps. I need to make the body text a bit bigger and hesitated to do so because the body point size matches the gadgets point sizes. This set up is not friendly toward its own margins so its a bit of a challenge.
Attribution. Normally I wouldn't bother with those things. But, if I have learned anything from the Wheaton about how intellectual property needs to be shared within reasonable limits, it is this. There is nothing wrong with the sharing when you have permission. Sharing promotes growth in any industry. But the person who originates the material needs the credit. Even if there is no money involved, one stray comment in a blog can blossom into something else further down the road and that needs to be honored. So I have given permission to share. All I ask is credit where due and that you all send your friends this way.
Sunday, August 8, 2010
Um.... I guess.
It may be that it was time for a change in the blog anyway. Sometimes its the cosmetic changes that make us look a little deeper into what lies at the heart of a thing. It does not always make sense but it is often the case. In this instance, the blog was dated and not as crisp and clean as I would have liked even though I was rather attached to the way it looked. Afterall, my first blog and the first template that I really settled on, there needs to be some kind of continuity to at thing. And I hate it when a blog up and changes its look; makes me think that I went somewhere I didn't mean to be. And it is the first rule of blogging.
Don't make your reader wonder if they got the right house. As much as a constant address, a constant look to your blog tells a reader they are home. I love that about Wil and Michelle's blogs. I know I have the right house and once I get inside I can settle down and enjoy being there for as long as I like. On the other hand; there is something to be said for change.
Blogger keeps developing these tools and creating more layouts to appeal to a wider variety of writer so that the community will grow. And if anyone would know the cardinal and veneal rules of blogging it would be Blogger. So why create a new template and change the basic services so that you can't keep your old blog's look, or get back to the old look if you mess up or change your mind, if that rule is so sacrosanct? Exactly.
So the key is balance. I'll try not to change templates as often as I change necklaces no matter how cool the thing looks. I may swap out some colors for the sake of readability. But I won't know that needs to happen until I start writing nd find out what annoys the crap out of me.
Hope you guys are having a gret time writing your own blogs and remembering to keep your pleasures simple and frequent. For myself I am thinking that this weekend (weekend for me) is going to be the time to really dig into the sand and get some good vibes running through me. I've got to think fast and think well.
Don't make your reader wonder if they got the right house. As much as a constant address, a constant look to your blog tells a reader they are home. I love that about Wil and Michelle's blogs. I know I have the right house and once I get inside I can settle down and enjoy being there for as long as I like. On the other hand; there is something to be said for change.
Blogger keeps developing these tools and creating more layouts to appeal to a wider variety of writer so that the community will grow. And if anyone would know the cardinal and veneal rules of blogging it would be Blogger. So why create a new template and change the basic services so that you can't keep your old blog's look, or get back to the old look if you mess up or change your mind, if that rule is so sacrosanct? Exactly.
So the key is balance. I'll try not to change templates as often as I change necklaces no matter how cool the thing looks. I may swap out some colors for the sake of readability. But I won't know that needs to happen until I start writing nd find out what annoys the crap out of me.
Hope you guys are having a gret time writing your own blogs and remembering to keep your pleasures simple and frequent. For myself I am thinking that this weekend (weekend for me) is going to be the time to really dig into the sand and get some good vibes running through me. I've got to think fast and think well.
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