Bear with me... I haven't posted for about 4 months, so I'm double posting now. With the entire Balloon Boy saga, I started wondering... Why are we so fixated on morons and douchebags? Seriously, isn't that all that Hollywood is? And it's a billion dollar industry?
I've sometimes played with the notion of being famous, but I don't think I want to be. It would probably turn me into an idiot or a complete jerk. And if not, I'm sure the media would portray me in one of those lights to sell magazines or get ratings, or otherwise make money off of me.
I'm just tired of seeing so many people do so much stupid stuff. Can't we cure cancer or something already? Abolish war? Not have a 6 year old fly off in a homemade weather balloon?
Saturday, October 17, 2009
Climate Control
My workplace is currently assessing its climate. They're trying to get a feel for what it's like working there and what issues face it's employees. I'm all for contributing to these types of conversations, but I'm very hesitant to fill out the online survey that was distributed.
I began taking the survey and stopped when I got about 1/4 of the way through. It began asking very specific questions about demographics. The survey asked about things like age, gender, ethnics, marital status... your basic rundown of information that goes into charts and graphs. However, after thinking about my demographics, I realized that everything I put into that section would easily identify my answers. After all, I am the only 26-32 Caucasian married male in my department. Actually, I'm the only 26-32 male in my department, and one of 5 males total.
I don't have bad things to say about work. But, there are things I'd like to see improve. And my M.O. is to not complain about things until they get really bad and cause disruptions to my ability to get things done. And I do believe that there are currently things that are getting in my way. I've voiced concerns through the correct channels, but I've so far been brushed off. So I've really stopped seeking approval and validation through these channels, because it's not going to happen. (It has been made abundantly clear.) Instead, I'm going to have to self-motivate and refocus, which is easy for me to do.
Let's touch on a little psychology, shall we? Many people operate on a reward/punishment system, which states that people do things to either receive a reward or to avoid punishment. I tend to respond much better to rewards than to avoiding punishment. In fact, I think the only organization that operated well under the punishment avoidance structure was the Mob... and that didn't turn out well for many people. Lately, there has been a lot of punishment avoidance going on, and not a whole lot of praise. And that's fine, because that's how some people operate. And I can work with that. But I'm going elsewhere to get my rewards, which will keep me going stronger.
And the place I'll go? Well, money doesn't motivate me. I'm not one of those materialistic people who needs to have things. Sure, I'll take a 50" widescreen LCD TV with built in keg fridge, but I don't need it. It's nice to have, but it serves its purpose. I'm a helper. I like seeing the impact of my work on the people it serves. And in Educational Fundraising, the people that are helped are students. If I can see the students succeeding and doing great things, then that's good enough for me. I think that's one reason I like volunteering for things that are outside of my comfort zone. (Like things with Student Activities, and events like Late Night Breakfast.) It gives me a chance to hear first hand that there are opportunities that are available to these students and that some of them are coming out of our office. As long as the students are thriving, than so am I.
I'll still in the air about this climate survey thing. The emails claim that everything is confidential, but I don't think I want to take my chances. I can imagine seeing a printed chart that states that "...Married Males aged 26-32 really think work is unfair..." and then being called into someone's office. (It's not unfair... you get my point.)
I'm going to mull it over, and maybe even take more of the quiz...errr...test...err... confidential survey to see if my comfort level changes.
I began taking the survey and stopped when I got about 1/4 of the way through. It began asking very specific questions about demographics. The survey asked about things like age, gender, ethnics, marital status... your basic rundown of information that goes into charts and graphs. However, after thinking about my demographics, I realized that everything I put into that section would easily identify my answers. After all, I am the only 26-32 Caucasian married male in my department. Actually, I'm the only 26-32 male in my department, and one of 5 males total.
I don't have bad things to say about work. But, there are things I'd like to see improve. And my M.O. is to not complain about things until they get really bad and cause disruptions to my ability to get things done. And I do believe that there are currently things that are getting in my way. I've voiced concerns through the correct channels, but I've so far been brushed off. So I've really stopped seeking approval and validation through these channels, because it's not going to happen. (It has been made abundantly clear.) Instead, I'm going to have to self-motivate and refocus, which is easy for me to do.
Let's touch on a little psychology, shall we? Many people operate on a reward/punishment system, which states that people do things to either receive a reward or to avoid punishment. I tend to respond much better to rewards than to avoiding punishment. In fact, I think the only organization that operated well under the punishment avoidance structure was the Mob... and that didn't turn out well for many people. Lately, there has been a lot of punishment avoidance going on, and not a whole lot of praise. And that's fine, because that's how some people operate. And I can work with that. But I'm going elsewhere to get my rewards, which will keep me going stronger.
And the place I'll go? Well, money doesn't motivate me. I'm not one of those materialistic people who needs to have things. Sure, I'll take a 50" widescreen LCD TV with built in keg fridge, but I don't need it. It's nice to have, but it serves its purpose. I'm a helper. I like seeing the impact of my work on the people it serves. And in Educational Fundraising, the people that are helped are students. If I can see the students succeeding and doing great things, then that's good enough for me. I think that's one reason I like volunteering for things that are outside of my comfort zone. (Like things with Student Activities, and events like Late Night Breakfast.) It gives me a chance to hear first hand that there are opportunities that are available to these students and that some of them are coming out of our office. As long as the students are thriving, than so am I.
I'll still in the air about this climate survey thing. The emails claim that everything is confidential, but I don't think I want to take my chances. I can imagine seeing a printed chart that states that "...Married Males aged 26-32 really think work is unfair..." and then being called into someone's office. (It's not unfair... you get my point.)
I'm going to mull it over, and maybe even take more of the quiz...errr...test...err... confidential survey to see if my comfort level changes.
Sunday, June 14, 2009
Stupidity at Sea
I know that the analogy of a 'train wreck' is widely overused, (particularly when discussing the night life of pop starlets and young Hollywood), but I've been stuck on a show for an entire season now. This show not only encapsulates the essence of the train wreck; it has also begun to redefine the train wreck.
Those of you who watch Animal Planet have probably seen commercials for Whale Wars. The previews present the show as a crusade against illegal whaling practices, with a bit of vigilante justice from a group of seaborne do-gooders and ecologists. After watching the show, it's far from that. I've found it to be a ragtag bunch of idealists with great intentions but without the single glimpse of a shred of common fucking sense. (Hey, they're extremists, so I'm using extreme language. These guys fire me up quite a bit.)
Quick premise: Japanese whaling fleets kill whales in the Antarctic Sea. The Japanese make mad stacks of cash selling whale meat for food and other products. There are international sanctions that prohibit killing too many whales, but the Japanese also claim to be doing research on the whales, such as following their migratory routes and studying their feeding habits. Enter the Sea Shepherds: A "militant" offshoot of GreenPeace, who will do whatever it takes to stop the Japanese from killing whales. They spun off of GreenPeace when they found the typical channels of protest to be too passive for their liking. With the help of donations from celebrities, (like Anthony Kedis from the Red Hot Chili Peppers), they were able to purchase a ship to actively chase down the Japanese whaling fleets.
They chase the Japanese whalers, then harass them with a variety of nonviolent methods. They throw bottles of buteric acid, (which smells horrible and is difficult to remove), and another substance which makes the decks of the Japanese ships slippery. They also attempt to deploy ropes to tangle the ships' propellers, thus causing the ships to stop. Wonderful, isn't it?
Well, here's where the common sense leaves the picture. After seeing the way the Sea Shepherds try to stop the Japanese, I'm not sure I see them as the good guys. Let me explain. Yes, I like whales. I don't think anything deserves to be harpooned and dragged about by a ship. I'm not a fan of people who profit from murder. (Sorry Colonel Sanders...) But there is no way that a whale's life is more important than that of a human being. There are so many unnecessary risks that are taken by these fools.
First and foremost is their equipment. The crew is untrained in inexperienced in some of the worst sailing weather on Earth. They are asked to perform dangerous tasks at a moment's notice by the ship's captain. In the first season, they deployed a small inflatable ship from the larger ship, which capsized and injured crew mates because of unfamiliarity with the crane that lowered the inflatable into the water. The inflatable ship was about to begin a buteric acid tossing run on one of the Japanese ships. Well, the mission didn't happen, because people got hurt. Whales died and people almost died. Not efficient if you ask me.
The most recent episode revealed a problem with their main vessel, The Steve Irwin. (Yes, it's named after the Crocodile Hunter... and they're helping whales. Go figure.) The hull of the Steve Irwin is not rated for collisions with ice... and they spend their entire time in the ANTARCTIC OCEAN. Seriously. If I was going to sail in the southernmost waters, I'd plan accordingly. Chances are really good that there is going to be icebergs. Maybe these idiots should've watched Titanic. That being said, they don't avoid ice. They often sail directly through ice fields, despite knowing that one good hit could sink their entire ship. And then how many whales could they save? None. Because they'd all be dead. Help wouldn't arrive if their boat sank for at least a few weeks. (Remember, they're in an inaccessible part of the world!)
The decision making of the senior crew is inexcusable. They have no regard for human life. When a storm surrounded their ship with ice chunks, they placed crew members in the lowest hold of the ship to bail out water if something breached the hull. Isn't that the LAST place anyone would want to be in that situation? Of course, they selected new crew mates to sink first, so that's not all that bad, right?
I'm all for conservation. And I've seen how horrible the process of harpooning a whale is. But it occurs to me that there must be a better way to stop whaling than what these morons are doing. It basically boils down to novices chasing blips on a radar screen, getting into unnecessary trouble, and having it all aired out on Animal Planet. I get so enraged when I watch this show. I can't imagine how much is wasted on gas, (for the main ship, the inflatables, and the helicopter they use), how much time is wasted, and how much bad publicity they generate for being idiots.
If you don't believe me, watch the show. Watch their careless actions. Watch the danger they get themselves into with their bad decisions. Then tell me... how many dumbasses have to die in order to save the whales through the Sea Shepherd method?
Those of you who watch Animal Planet have probably seen commercials for Whale Wars. The previews present the show as a crusade against illegal whaling practices, with a bit of vigilante justice from a group of seaborne do-gooders and ecologists. After watching the show, it's far from that. I've found it to be a ragtag bunch of idealists with great intentions but without the single glimpse of a shred of common fucking sense. (Hey, they're extremists, so I'm using extreme language. These guys fire me up quite a bit.)
Quick premise: Japanese whaling fleets kill whales in the Antarctic Sea. The Japanese make mad stacks of cash selling whale meat for food and other products. There are international sanctions that prohibit killing too many whales, but the Japanese also claim to be doing research on the whales, such as following their migratory routes and studying their feeding habits. Enter the Sea Shepherds: A "militant" offshoot of GreenPeace, who will do whatever it takes to stop the Japanese from killing whales. They spun off of GreenPeace when they found the typical channels of protest to be too passive for their liking. With the help of donations from celebrities, (like Anthony Kedis from the Red Hot Chili Peppers), they were able to purchase a ship to actively chase down the Japanese whaling fleets.
They chase the Japanese whalers, then harass them with a variety of nonviolent methods. They throw bottles of buteric acid, (which smells horrible and is difficult to remove), and another substance which makes the decks of the Japanese ships slippery. They also attempt to deploy ropes to tangle the ships' propellers, thus causing the ships to stop. Wonderful, isn't it?
Well, here's where the common sense leaves the picture. After seeing the way the Sea Shepherds try to stop the Japanese, I'm not sure I see them as the good guys. Let me explain. Yes, I like whales. I don't think anything deserves to be harpooned and dragged about by a ship. I'm not a fan of people who profit from murder. (Sorry Colonel Sanders...) But there is no way that a whale's life is more important than that of a human being. There are so many unnecessary risks that are taken by these fools.
First and foremost is their equipment. The crew is untrained in inexperienced in some of the worst sailing weather on Earth. They are asked to perform dangerous tasks at a moment's notice by the ship's captain. In the first season, they deployed a small inflatable ship from the larger ship, which capsized and injured crew mates because of unfamiliarity with the crane that lowered the inflatable into the water. The inflatable ship was about to begin a buteric acid tossing run on one of the Japanese ships. Well, the mission didn't happen, because people got hurt. Whales died and people almost died. Not efficient if you ask me.
The most recent episode revealed a problem with their main vessel, The Steve Irwin. (Yes, it's named after the Crocodile Hunter... and they're helping whales. Go figure.) The hull of the Steve Irwin is not rated for collisions with ice... and they spend their entire time in the ANTARCTIC OCEAN. Seriously. If I was going to sail in the southernmost waters, I'd plan accordingly. Chances are really good that there is going to be icebergs. Maybe these idiots should've watched Titanic. That being said, they don't avoid ice. They often sail directly through ice fields, despite knowing that one good hit could sink their entire ship. And then how many whales could they save? None. Because they'd all be dead. Help wouldn't arrive if their boat sank for at least a few weeks. (Remember, they're in an inaccessible part of the world!)
The decision making of the senior crew is inexcusable. They have no regard for human life. When a storm surrounded their ship with ice chunks, they placed crew members in the lowest hold of the ship to bail out water if something breached the hull. Isn't that the LAST place anyone would want to be in that situation? Of course, they selected new crew mates to sink first, so that's not all that bad, right?
I'm all for conservation. And I've seen how horrible the process of harpooning a whale is. But it occurs to me that there must be a better way to stop whaling than what these morons are doing. It basically boils down to novices chasing blips on a radar screen, getting into unnecessary trouble, and having it all aired out on Animal Planet. I get so enraged when I watch this show. I can't imagine how much is wasted on gas, (for the main ship, the inflatables, and the helicopter they use), how much time is wasted, and how much bad publicity they generate for being idiots.
If you don't believe me, watch the show. Watch their careless actions. Watch the danger they get themselves into with their bad decisions. Then tell me... how many dumbasses have to die in order to save the whales through the Sea Shepherd method?
Tuesday, June 2, 2009
RW09
This past weekend was Reunion weekend at the college. It's all hands on deck as 1500 alumni, friends and spouses converge on the campus from all parts of the world. I'm typically a "behind the scenes" guy, (with my database skills! Jealous?), but Reunion Weekend brings my inner social butterfly. (I've been told that I have social skills as well.)
Since I work with computers, it is often assumed that I'm well equipped to handle anything that is plugged into a wall. So Reunion Weekend means I'm the AV "OH CRAP IT'S BROKEN FIX IT" support guy. And I don't mind that at all. I helped setup multimedia presentations, slideshows, and did a bit of troubleshooting with people's personal laptops. All that stuff is well and good, but the part that makes the weekend is the people that come back. (And consequently, people are what make my job so enjoyable.)
Each Reunion Year has Landmark Classes: Always the 10th, 25th, 40th, and 50th Reunion classes. There are also Generational Clusters, which are specific reunion classes, and one year ahead and before them. (For example, this year's 45th Generational reunion was made of the classes of 1964, 1963, and 1965.) Each reunion and reunion cluster has its own dinner. This year, I staffed the 20th Generational, (classes of 1988, 1989, and 1990.) I can't believe how nice people are, and how willing they are to just talk and talk and talk. Conversations weren't strained, or akward. It was just an all around nice situation. However...
There are also some problematic situations. For example, our entertainment this year was a band comprised of 3 staff members and 1 alumnus of the college. The person next to me thought their time on stage was a perfect time to talk over the volume of the band and tell me what she thought of each person that was on stage. She happened to have a very strong opinion towards one of the band member's wives, which she screamed VERY LOUDLY... as said wife was sitting no less than 5 feet away. Personally, I think our dinner guest was way out of line, and had a totally skewed perspective. In fact, I think she might have had a little crush on the band member, which became more and more apparent as more wine flowed...
There was also a choir reunion. I know, I know... all the preconceived notions about choir and "band geeks" and all of that. But it was nice to see the reunions turning out to support the choir concert. The choir returned and put in a solid 2 days of practice, and really put on a great show. I'm not a graduate of this college, but I really got chills when I heard them perform the Alma Mater. Wonderful work by all involved with the concert.
But I think I was most impressed by my Co-workers. (Well, most of them.) There are a lot of people who did some very gritty work and put in some really long hours. And they're the people that probably won't get any recognition from the people that were having a great time at Reunion Weekend. They were hidden in storerooms, behind piles of programs and paperwork, and generally running around like mad people. But it's because of these people that everything was so successful. Yes, the President did a great job, (and people raved about him all weekend!), but the true stars of the weekend are the coordinators. If you happen to read this, you should be getting back some of those 16+ hours per day that you put in. GO TAKE A NAP!
And only 363 more days until Reunion Weekend 2010...
Since I work with computers, it is often assumed that I'm well equipped to handle anything that is plugged into a wall. So Reunion Weekend means I'm the AV "OH CRAP IT'S BROKEN FIX IT" support guy. And I don't mind that at all. I helped setup multimedia presentations, slideshows, and did a bit of troubleshooting with people's personal laptops. All that stuff is well and good, but the part that makes the weekend is the people that come back. (And consequently, people are what make my job so enjoyable.)
Each Reunion Year has Landmark Classes: Always the 10th, 25th, 40th, and 50th Reunion classes. There are also Generational Clusters, which are specific reunion classes, and one year ahead and before them. (For example, this year's 45th Generational reunion was made of the classes of 1964, 1963, and 1965.) Each reunion and reunion cluster has its own dinner. This year, I staffed the 20th Generational, (classes of 1988, 1989, and 1990.) I can't believe how nice people are, and how willing they are to just talk and talk and talk. Conversations weren't strained, or akward. It was just an all around nice situation. However...
There are also some problematic situations. For example, our entertainment this year was a band comprised of 3 staff members and 1 alumnus of the college. The person next to me thought their time on stage was a perfect time to talk over the volume of the band and tell me what she thought of each person that was on stage. She happened to have a very strong opinion towards one of the band member's wives, which she screamed VERY LOUDLY... as said wife was sitting no less than 5 feet away. Personally, I think our dinner guest was way out of line, and had a totally skewed perspective. In fact, I think she might have had a little crush on the band member, which became more and more apparent as more wine flowed...
There was also a choir reunion. I know, I know... all the preconceived notions about choir and "band geeks" and all of that. But it was nice to see the reunions turning out to support the choir concert. The choir returned and put in a solid 2 days of practice, and really put on a great show. I'm not a graduate of this college, but I really got chills when I heard them perform the Alma Mater. Wonderful work by all involved with the concert.
But I think I was most impressed by my Co-workers. (Well, most of them.) There are a lot of people who did some very gritty work and put in some really long hours. And they're the people that probably won't get any recognition from the people that were having a great time at Reunion Weekend. They were hidden in storerooms, behind piles of programs and paperwork, and generally running around like mad people. But it's because of these people that everything was so successful. Yes, the President did a great job, (and people raved about him all weekend!), but the true stars of the weekend are the coordinators. If you happen to read this, you should be getting back some of those 16+ hours per day that you put in. GO TAKE A NAP!
And only 363 more days until Reunion Weekend 2010...
Monday, May 25, 2009
Nike Minus Running Program
My wife and I made the great mistake of devoting an entire day to shopping. We're both pretty serious shoppers, even if it doesn't show on the outside. We never look for anything amazingly specific, but we can impulse buy with the best of them. We're far from irresponsible: We both have credit cards paid off by the end of the month, and we really don't buy anything TOO crazy. (As evident by the fact that I don't have that 42" flat panel TV yet. I'm working on it...)
This weekend, I did have one objective: Polo shirts for work. Something nice and presentable that allowed for some breathing and allowed be to look at least a bit businesslike. 7 polos later, I called it "mission accomplished."
During the trip though, I wandered into the Nike Store to see what the new trends in sports were. I've always been a fan of Nike, and found that their shoes fit my feet amazingly well. I played a lot of sports in my life, and I've bought shoes from Reebok, Adidas, and all those other companies, but I've always headed back to Nike. (Currently, I have 3 pairs of shoes from Nike, including golf spikes. Yes, I realize I'll never be like Tiger. Ditto for my Lebron shoes.)
The store was having a big Memorial Day sale, so we popped in and meandered around the store. I went to the back of the shoe section, and ran into a really cool pair of white running shoes with a black swoosh and gold detailing. (Black and Gold happen to be my Alma Mater's colors, so it was a sign, right?) To add to my excitement, I turned the shoe over to see the Nike + symbol, meaning it worked with my iPod Touch to record my workout progress. I'm one of those people that think technology can improve anything... meaning also that it can ruin anything as well. (Foreshadowing! Oh my!)
Well, I purchased the shoes, and a Nike + sensor, which is the little transmitter that sends info to the iPod. I also picked up a new set of earbuds and an armband for my iPod. (The earbuds and armband weren't the nike/ iPod brand. I think it was Philips and Belkin. Whatever.) But I was pumped about running for maybe the first time in my life.
I got home, and started reading the directions. Setup seemed more than easy, so I put everything together and got ready for my first run in ages. I booked it up Park Avenue, which is a GIANT hill and ran out of gas at the top. I am horribly out of shape, but I pressed on out of excitement for all my new gadgets. About 15 minutes later, I returned back at the start and looked at my iPod to see my results.
Blank Screen. I had just ran for nothing. I went inside, synced up, and no results. Something went wrong. I spent the rest of the day reading Internet message boards about fixes, and finally just did a complete restore of my ipod. (It took about 1 hour to fix everything.) But I think it might have worked. Besides the obvious wasted time, and phantom run, I still carry the same excitement about my purchase. Hopefully it works the second time around. Still, the setup is a bit frustrating for a few reasons. I'll only share one right now, since the others might remedy themselves after time...
The sensor has a wake/sleep button, which controls when the shoe sensor is on or off. Well, you really can't tell when the unit is on or off without recalibrating the entire thing. Why couldn't they have just made an on/off switch? I'm horrified that this $20 thing is going to have it's battery run out without me even using it. There's no way to charge it or change the battery, so I'd have to buy a new one. Apple, consider this my grumble. I'm not a fan of running, and instead of grumbling about running, I'm grumbling about your product design...
We'll see how it goes...
This weekend, I did have one objective: Polo shirts for work. Something nice and presentable that allowed for some breathing and allowed be to look at least a bit businesslike. 7 polos later, I called it "mission accomplished."
During the trip though, I wandered into the Nike Store to see what the new trends in sports were. I've always been a fan of Nike, and found that their shoes fit my feet amazingly well. I played a lot of sports in my life, and I've bought shoes from Reebok, Adidas, and all those other companies, but I've always headed back to Nike. (Currently, I have 3 pairs of shoes from Nike, including golf spikes. Yes, I realize I'll never be like Tiger. Ditto for my Lebron shoes.)
The store was having a big Memorial Day sale, so we popped in and meandered around the store. I went to the back of the shoe section, and ran into a really cool pair of white running shoes with a black swoosh and gold detailing. (Black and Gold happen to be my Alma Mater's colors, so it was a sign, right?) To add to my excitement, I turned the shoe over to see the Nike + symbol, meaning it worked with my iPod Touch to record my workout progress. I'm one of those people that think technology can improve anything... meaning also that it can ruin anything as well. (Foreshadowing! Oh my!)
Well, I purchased the shoes, and a Nike + sensor, which is the little transmitter that sends info to the iPod. I also picked up a new set of earbuds and an armband for my iPod. (The earbuds and armband weren't the nike/ iPod brand. I think it was Philips and Belkin. Whatever.) But I was pumped about running for maybe the first time in my life.
I got home, and started reading the directions. Setup seemed more than easy, so I put everything together and got ready for my first run in ages. I booked it up Park Avenue, which is a GIANT hill and ran out of gas at the top. I am horribly out of shape, but I pressed on out of excitement for all my new gadgets. About 15 minutes later, I returned back at the start and looked at my iPod to see my results.
Blank Screen. I had just ran for nothing. I went inside, synced up, and no results. Something went wrong. I spent the rest of the day reading Internet message boards about fixes, and finally just did a complete restore of my ipod. (It took about 1 hour to fix everything.) But I think it might have worked. Besides the obvious wasted time, and phantom run, I still carry the same excitement about my purchase. Hopefully it works the second time around. Still, the setup is a bit frustrating for a few reasons. I'll only share one right now, since the others might remedy themselves after time...
The sensor has a wake/sleep button, which controls when the shoe sensor is on or off. Well, you really can't tell when the unit is on or off without recalibrating the entire thing. Why couldn't they have just made an on/off switch? I'm horrified that this $20 thing is going to have it's battery run out without me even using it. There's no way to charge it or change the battery, so I'd have to buy a new one. Apple, consider this my grumble. I'm not a fan of running, and instead of grumbling about running, I'm grumbling about your product design...
We'll see how it goes...
Friday, April 3, 2009
Just a Touch...
I don't spend a lot of time looking in mirrors. Maybe 10 minutes per day, but only if I'm shaving. Sometimes to make sure my fly isn't down before an important meeting. But I took some time out today to actually look in the mirror today. I realized that I officially have some gray hairs.
I thought it would trigger some kind of internal thought process on pondering my mortality, or a bit of the jitters, or some kind of weird physiological response. Instead, I think it's kind of cool.
I've had jet black hair for my entire life. I remember phases in Junior High when everyone was feeling a little rebellious and decided to color our hair with kool-aid and hot water. (No kidding) So while all the light-haired kids were getting streaks of red and blue and green... I just got to stay with black.
It's a bit of a change. I have 1 wild gray hair up front, and the sides are starting to get a bit lighter in some of the tips. I think it might look pretty cool but the time things change. At the very least, I'll have people stop bugging me at work about being so young. Being perceived as "young" in the workplace usually goes hand-in-hand with inexperience. And I'm not inexperienced. I have a lot of different jobs and responsibilities under my belt. (And in a lot of different fields too!)
No "growing old" complex for me. I'm going to take the dignified route and not plan on dying the rogue strands. Let's just see how far this thing goes...
I thought it would trigger some kind of internal thought process on pondering my mortality, or a bit of the jitters, or some kind of weird physiological response. Instead, I think it's kind of cool.
I've had jet black hair for my entire life. I remember phases in Junior High when everyone was feeling a little rebellious and decided to color our hair with kool-aid and hot water. (No kidding) So while all the light-haired kids were getting streaks of red and blue and green... I just got to stay with black.
It's a bit of a change. I have 1 wild gray hair up front, and the sides are starting to get a bit lighter in some of the tips. I think it might look pretty cool but the time things change. At the very least, I'll have people stop bugging me at work about being so young. Being perceived as "young" in the workplace usually goes hand-in-hand with inexperience. And I'm not inexperienced. I have a lot of different jobs and responsibilities under my belt. (And in a lot of different fields too!)
No "growing old" complex for me. I'm going to take the dignified route and not plan on dying the rogue strands. Let's just see how far this thing goes...
Monday, March 30, 2009
Filled Notepads, Empty Head.
I've been bringing a lot of work home lately. I'm not a fan of working outside of the prescribed work times, but sometimes it just has to be done. (And technically, I'm salaried, meaning I'm never really off the clock.)
Tonight, I wrote two manuals for the software program we use in fundraising. We're moving to an entirely new system in a few months, but it was necessary to write these manuals for the old system as well. This part of it isn't really changing much, and it'll give me a head start on the new manuals I have to write. I get to pass my knowledge to a selected few tomorrow, (read: captive audience), so I'm pretty excited to see how this is received.
In a sick sort of way, I really enjoy doing this sort of thing. (Go creationist part of me!) But I wish it was a different sort of writing. I really enjoy creative writing, and I haven't been very motivated lately. I have about 4 things in the works right now, but I've been too focused to make any progress on them. One, which is a screenplay type of thing, is pretty complete in my head. There are details I have to finalize, but I just need to get it into words. I have blocks of dialogue just floating around up there, mingling out of order with scenes and characters and settings... but it's just disorder right now. I need to make it something cohesive and then force it upon someone else to tell me how it is. Really, what's the point of writing something if no one is reading?
Historically, I do my best writing in hotels, when no one else is around. (No, I'm not JK Rowling and this isn't Harry Potter. But she has a wonderful theory of writing in specific settings for maximum efficiency.) The big problem I have is the lack of a writing device. (ie: a laptop.) I have an ancient laptop, but it's horribly slow to boot up. I can type ahead of it's ability to display things on the screen. I might be better served with just a pen and paper, which means competing with my ever so sloppy handwriting. (And, I have notepads and notepads of story scribbles. All I need is more 1/2 constructed story ideas.)
I'm off to DC in a few days, so maybe something will come across that will facilitate my creative streak. Maybe I'll find a free coupon for a laptop while I"m walking down the street. Maybe I'll find further motivation. Anyone willing to be a surrogate muse for a weekend?
Tonight, I wrote two manuals for the software program we use in fundraising. We're moving to an entirely new system in a few months, but it was necessary to write these manuals for the old system as well. This part of it isn't really changing much, and it'll give me a head start on the new manuals I have to write. I get to pass my knowledge to a selected few tomorrow, (read: captive audience), so I'm pretty excited to see how this is received.
In a sick sort of way, I really enjoy doing this sort of thing. (Go creationist part of me!) But I wish it was a different sort of writing. I really enjoy creative writing, and I haven't been very motivated lately. I have about 4 things in the works right now, but I've been too focused to make any progress on them. One, which is a screenplay type of thing, is pretty complete in my head. There are details I have to finalize, but I just need to get it into words. I have blocks of dialogue just floating around up there, mingling out of order with scenes and characters and settings... but it's just disorder right now. I need to make it something cohesive and then force it upon someone else to tell me how it is. Really, what's the point of writing something if no one is reading?
Historically, I do my best writing in hotels, when no one else is around. (No, I'm not JK Rowling and this isn't Harry Potter. But she has a wonderful theory of writing in specific settings for maximum efficiency.) The big problem I have is the lack of a writing device. (ie: a laptop.) I have an ancient laptop, but it's horribly slow to boot up. I can type ahead of it's ability to display things on the screen. I might be better served with just a pen and paper, which means competing with my ever so sloppy handwriting. (And, I have notepads and notepads of story scribbles. All I need is more 1/2 constructed story ideas.)
I'm off to DC in a few days, so maybe something will come across that will facilitate my creative streak. Maybe I'll find a free coupon for a laptop while I"m walking down the street. Maybe I'll find further motivation. Anyone willing to be a surrogate muse for a weekend?
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