Telling it like I see it
so don't ask if you don't want to know
Spice it up
Feb 19th
I love, love, love this new Old Spice commercial. I’m fascinated every time it comes on. Thanks to my friend Sharon (@HellZiggy) I watched this interview with the ad guys who came up with it and how it was shot, and even that doesn’t take away from how cool it is.
And here’s a link to the 15-second other one where the guy is riding backwards. I hadn’t seen that one before but I’m not as impressed.
Full disclosure, I don’t really care for the smell of Old Spice (asthma issues) but I completely agree with the man-should-smell-like-MEN point they’re making.
Five Reasons I Hate Flying
Feb 14th
Number Five
Because of the shitty way airlines treat people. We’re forced to strap ourselves into smaller-than-theater seats with no leg room. No matter what size, shape or smell you are you’re packed in like sardines. And now we pay for blankets, pillows, drinks, and snacks if we want them and gawd forbid you want a real meal. If something were ever to go wrong with during the flight, the passengers are the last to know. We’re cattle, kept barely satisfied until they can dump us at the other end. And we pay them out the ass for the pleasure.
Number Four
The TSA. Not just their guidelines about fluids, but that all their guidelines are fluid. From one agent to the next they don’t work the same. I could stop now cuz you all know what I mean, but I had friends who worked for TSA and the stories they told me… well, there’s more bullshit there than you could ever imagine.
Number Three
Ginormous airports that always seem to schedule my flights at opposite ends and have no easy way to get from point A to point B. And especially at Atlanta’s airport, their penchant for last-minute gate changes, not next door but across the fucking airport. Name the one place where you are the most tired, confused, rushed and anxious and I’ll bet it’s the goddamn airport. And the parking! Or rather, the not-parking. Even something as simple as picking someone up at the stupid airport is a nightmare.
Number Two
The bullshit over packing. What you’re allowed to take on the plane and what you have to check. You’re damned if you do and you’re damned if you do. You want to carry everything with you (for me this means my electronics and medication) but you can’t get at it anyway on the cramped plane so why bother? Except the stupid airlines lose bags every flight so do you really want to take the chance of getting where you’re going and having no medications?
Number One
Restless leg syndrome which only bothers me on planes. That and a physical response to anything that goes straight down. Roller coasters, planes, certain elevators, backyard swings – these things make me tense up and can’t move or even breath. Completely my problem, but alcohol helps.
I understand why there aren’t trains anymore. When flight became more affordable to the masses the speed and overall convenience was the death of rail travel. Trains couldn’t compete then. But I’ll bet most vacation and even some business travelers would actually prefer trains at this point. The overall hassle of being trapped on a plane traded in for a few hours more but with freedom of movement and a place to stretch out? Hell yes, people would take trains now. I know there are a few commuter rails in the east but we have nothing around here. Maybe through Tuscon.
By the time you figure in airport driving, parking, baggage checking, security check, boarding and then getting out at the other end, would rail travel really take that much more time? And would it be worth it?
All this is the real reason I drove to Florida. And why I have no desire to go back to Dragon*Con. And why I chose San Diego ComicCon over Balticon. And why I really don’t want to go to North Carolina. Because of the long flights. Hell, even the short flights are putting me off.
Working Girl
Feb 13th
I’ve been hired!
Okay, it’s not technically podcast producing, but it is sort of in the field and I’ll eventually get paid. What I do producing podcasts includes a lot of dumping files in this program and waiting for them to do something and then systematically making changes then dumping files in another program and waiting for it to chunk away doing it’s thing.
Well so is this job. It’s the attention to the detail of 47 steps from beginning to end. And that I do and do well.
Monkey work maybe? No, you have to have half a brain.
The thing is, I can’t stop. My back is killing me and I keep yawning. There are a lot of little projects and I just can’t stop tonight. Like I want to get it all done NOW.
Fine, I’ll save the rest for tomorrow.
Shuffle
Feb 12th
Wednesday I went to the VA Medical Center for my breathing test. As directed I skipped my morning dosages, but as I’m slowly getting better anyway it wasn’t that big of a deal.
So… the really nice lady who tried to kill me was one of those constant talkers. You know those people you meet occasionally who talks over you, repeats what you say or finishes your sentences for you? Bless her little peak pickin’ heart you can tell they can’t help it. Yeah, sure, okay, yeah, oh no, Arrrrgh.
Anyway, it’s been a long time since I’ve take this particular test:
- Don the nose clamps.
- Place the plastic toilet paper tube in your mouth and wrap your lips around it tight.
- Take normal breaths until instructed to suck in as much air as you can in one big breath.
- Blow, blow, blow hard until you’re out of air, your toes curl up, you wet your pants and the room goes dark.
- Finally take in another deep breath and remove equipment.
- Rest one minute, breathing normally.
- Rinse and repeat until you have three “good” samples.
I’ve no idea what the criteria is for a “good” sample. I had to do it four times before she was satisfied. Then I did a regular breathing treatment and waited 15 minutes before starting the whole process over again. At least the second time through I did it in three. I’d forgotten about the wetting my pants part so I had to walk through the entire hospital and out to my car like that. Embarassing! That and being so dizzy I wasn’t sure I should drive home right away. Can’t wait to go back on the 18th and see the pulmonologist and find out if it was worth it. Will they change/improve my meds?
What's the next big excuse?
Feb 8th
A man cheats on his wife.
A man comes home from work every day and sucks down a case of beer.
A woman spends most of her spare time and money on drugs.
A priest can’t resist molesting altar boys.
Personally, I find it hard to believe people can’t control themselves. I don’t believe in an addictive personality. It’s all in your head and you can control yourself. Calling it an addiction and going to some lame group so you can all whine and hold each others hands is just an excuse for being weak.
Diagnosed? Give me a fucking break. “He can’t help it, he’s an addict.” Fuck that. Blah blah blah. Take responsibility and stop acting like you didn’t MAKE THE FUCKING CHOICE every day to take that drink or smoke that cigarette or touch that child or cheat on your wife or sit on your ass and eat cake.
Calling it an addiction and going to rehab is just you being a pussy. If you can’t control yourself do the rest of us a favor STFU. We’re sick of your excuses. And if you’re out there hurting people, DIE.
And fucking around on your spouse doesn’t make you a sex addict. I makes you an asshole.
The minute you call something an addiction, people start to think it’s okay and the action becomes excusable. Saying someone can’t help themselves is giving them a free pass to continue that behavior. It used to be a disgraceful thing to be a drunk and now people accept that it’s an illness. Illness? I wonder how people with cancer feel about drunks screaming illness. How soon will the other addiction/illnesses become acceptable because they supposedly can’t help themselves? And now every abhorrent behavior is getting their own diagnosis/excuse. What isn’t mental illness/chemical imbalance/NOT RESPONSIBLE? Bullshit.
Yes, I was a smoker. I’ll be the first to admit I had a hard time quitting. But I take responsibility for every cigarette I smoked. I don’t blame the cigarettes or other smokers or advertising or peer pressure, I blame my own weakness. The same for cheesy food and desserts. I like the taste of these things and I need to convince myself they’re bad for me. I take responsibility for everything I choose to stuff in my face. I drink weekly, but I could stop right now and never drink again. I get depressed but I don’t suffer from depression. I used to have mood swings but I’m not bi-polar.
Normal person who makes bad choices here. What about you?
Second Anniversary
Feb 7th
As of today, I’ve been divorced for two years. Sure seems longer than that. Maybe three?
Nope, went back and looked to be sure. I love that my life is available online.
I’m not as randy as I was then, but I’m content. Life is mellow at the moment but things are looking up.
Teasers are STUPID
Feb 4th
I’m watching last night’s Ugly Betty and doing crap on my laptop and as usual I forget it’s recorded so I can skip commercials. Duh-me. Anyway, towards the end of the program there’s a teaser for the news.
There’s been the sweat lodge story in the news for WEEKS. People died… more got really sick… you all know that, right?
And the teaser?
Self-help guru James Ray, the man at the center of the sweat lodge tragedy, taken in and we have the charges.
Wait, wait, wait, lemme guess! Burglary? False Advertising? No stupid, it’s probably manslaughter or maybe negligent homicide. Like whatever the charges are it will be a surprise and only THAT news station could possibly know the answer. C’mon. Why do news people talk to us like we’re idiots? Every news station and every newspaper and every online news site will have the charges! And if I were sitting on pins and needles wondering what they could possibly be, I certainly wouldn’t wait for the news to come on in two more hours. It’s frakking 2010! I’d Google it!
Whew, rant over.
This should be fun
Feb 2nd
I got the postcard in the mail yesterday regarding my breathing test. It’s next Wednesday at 10 in the morning. Instructions are NO asthma medications for the 12 hours before the test.
I usually take my meds around 9 at night, which will work out fine. But missing the morning dose at 9? And getting myself to Phoenix and into the medical center – which is pretty big – and then going through testing without meds? Not even the albuterol rescue inhaler?
You’ve gotta be fucking kidding me!
You really want me to?
Feb 1st
This is for my original internet pals.
I admit to the occasional foray on to that site. That site that continues to censor and limit subjects due directly to our not-so-subtle prodding over the years. You know, that site.
I don’t post much anymore, because it’s just no fun. They’re so easily upset over anything even remotely controversial. I figure there’s a list of names on a red flag list and though I may not be in the top five, I’m definitely ON that list. So just for shits and giggles I asked to be added to their brand spanking new Private (Adult) Forum.
Hi Spellwight,
I saw that you applied for access to the new Usergroup. Unfortunately, one of the requirements for admission is a minimum of 50 posts within the last 6 months. From what I see, you’ve only had 6 posts within that time frame.
Please feel free to reapply once you have the requisite amount of posts.
Thanks.
Dux
Seriously? You want me to post more? ME?
Shall I post scathing comments in the rainbow bridge thread? Annoy people with my distaste for religions? JUST BE ME?
Whatever.
The downside of social media
Jan 31st
Every week I go to #evfn and gather with 20-30-40 people. The body count differs every week but there’s a core group. Some people come and go and some come back every time.
The problem is I don’t like every one of them, and I’m sure there are some that don’t like me. For the sake of the social situation we appear friendly at best and civil if there’s a real dislike. I think I can tell when someone doesn’t like me and I give them plenty of space.
The thing is, I really don’t want to hurt your feelings even if we didn’t click. Not every has to like everyone else. We’re not in kindergarten, we’re adults and we should realize and recognize when we aren’t connecting.
There are a couple of people who attend I actively dislike. There’s no hope for a connection or friendship and I can’t even be civil to them, but they still seek me out for conversation. Get a couple of drinks in me and I get downright rude. So far I’ve held my nasty comments, but should I? Are we required (as adults) to be at the very least civil to those who completely irritate or worse, creep us out?
What’s the best way to let someone know they should avoid you without being the real downer in a social group situation? Some people are so obtuse. I could be really nasty (which is my instinct) but then I’m the group bitch. While I’m naturally going to be a bitch, I don’t want to be THE BITCH.
By the way, don’t respond with a bunch of whiny “is it me?” shit. If I talk you you, I like you. If I smile politely and nod for short conversations but don’t hang around, we’re not connecting. If I see you coming and head the other way, duh-you.
