I read over my blog entries after the fact, which means after they have been uploaded, and I often realize that they are laden or strewn (I couldn't decide upon which word to use, so chose both) with errors.
So be it.
Life is too short to fix inconsequential errors.
But are they inconsequential? Is deeming them so just a way to deal with the fact that I just don't care enough anymore to revise myself. (while that might be OK on a blog that no one but my dear reader(s) reads, is that OK in the real world? We must always revise ourselves. Although perhaps I mean reinvent.)
Time flew by tonight. I have had a lot of family stay with me recently. Tonight, suddenly, it was silent night.
But not for long. Loch Sess arrives soon. I await the funk.
Wednesday, October 20, 2010
Tuesday, October 19, 2010
Peggy
This post is dedicated to Peggy. Although I'm not entirely sure that she would like what I have to say about her.
I love Peggy. She's bold, ambitious, creative, and tries really, really hard to get what she wants. Which means that she tries too hard sometimes. Which can be her downfall.
(Oh, you're wondering who Peggy is? She's in Mad Men. Watch it.)
It sucks when the problem is that you try too hard. Because what are you supposed to do? Try a little less? Which goes against anything an ambitious person has been told (just give it your very best and forget the rest). How can you sit back and, say, watch things fall apart? Of course, you're going to try and try and try even if it means overwatering your plants so that the leaves turn brown, and roots start to rot, and it's all downhill for peace lily #2).
I like Peggy because she wants to succeed. She has a hunger and a drive. I used to think I had a hunger and a drive. I"m not so sure anymore. I like to think I have a hunger and a drive but that might not be the actuality. I'm mostly lazy.
Peggy goes with the flow. She got pregnant. Of her own volition? Not entirely clear. But she got pregnant. She dealt with it. And she moved on. And I support her for that.
Peggy does not use her looks to her advantage. Yes, she's female, and most men just go ga ga over a woman (particularly, in Man Men). But she's more interested in what she thinks about your work. I loved the scene in the finale episode where she finds out that no one cares that she brought in a new client that is going to save the firm because everyone is more interested that Don is going to marry his secretary. Made me think: yes, I know what you mean. No one expects me to marry anyone at work, but the point is that no one is interested in the sad tale of the person who toils and toils away in obscurity.
I love Peggy. She's bold, ambitious, creative, and tries really, really hard to get what she wants. Which means that she tries too hard sometimes. Which can be her downfall.
(Oh, you're wondering who Peggy is? She's in Mad Men. Watch it.)
It sucks when the problem is that you try too hard. Because what are you supposed to do? Try a little less? Which goes against anything an ambitious person has been told (just give it your very best and forget the rest). How can you sit back and, say, watch things fall apart? Of course, you're going to try and try and try even if it means overwatering your plants so that the leaves turn brown, and roots start to rot, and it's all downhill for peace lily #2).
I like Peggy because she wants to succeed. She has a hunger and a drive. I used to think I had a hunger and a drive. I"m not so sure anymore. I like to think I have a hunger and a drive but that might not be the actuality. I'm mostly lazy.
Peggy goes with the flow. She got pregnant. Of her own volition? Not entirely clear. But she got pregnant. She dealt with it. And she moved on. And I support her for that.
Peggy does not use her looks to her advantage. Yes, she's female, and most men just go ga ga over a woman (particularly, in Man Men). But she's more interested in what she thinks about your work. I loved the scene in the finale episode where she finds out that no one cares that she brought in a new client that is going to save the firm because everyone is more interested that Don is going to marry his secretary. Made me think: yes, I know what you mean. No one expects me to marry anyone at work, but the point is that no one is interested in the sad tale of the person who toils and toils away in obscurity.
Monday, October 18, 2010
The Social Network
I watched The Social Network with my siblings last week. The movie was excellent. It dealt with the present phenomenon of Facebook, and it was interesting to see the web site's origins, albeit in a slightly fictionialized account. The story is built around the deposition transcripts of two lawsuits involving the primary Facebook founder, Mark Zuckerberg. The first lawsuit was brought by three individuals who alleged that he stole their idea when creating Facebook. The second lawsuit was brought by one of his co-founders who claims he was wrongly forced out of thee company. Both of those lawsuits have settled.
Not unsurprisingly, I was most interested in the lawsuits. The depositions of the principal characters showed how adversarial litigation can be. Truly, the process is not about truth-seeking. Rather, it is about entrenching one's position, highlighting the strengths of one's case, and trivializing the other side's position. I found myself wondering -- to what extent do lawyers actually affect the outcome of litigation, or is the success generally driven by the factual circumstances, something that a lawyer does not have control over when a client walks into his or her office. But then one of the junior associates in the film talked about how simple questions could persuasively skew a juror's perspective altogether, and I found myself wondering . . .
about how seeds are planted in our minds. You can neglect these seeds, and perhaps they die and rot away. But when a seed takes root, man, it grows and grows. (Quite unlike my plants, I should add. I attend to them so carefully. I prune them. I cut off the dying leaves. I give them adequate exposure to sunlight. I keep the water out overnight so that the chlorine settles. I put a few drops of plant food in the water. I talk to them. I nurture, I nurture, I give and I give and I give and right now the peace lily in my living room has decided that it simply hates me, and is withering away. By the way, this is peace lily #2. I sound like a crazy person right now.).
Where was I? Once an idea plants itself in your mind, it's really hard to let it go. To see things in a different light. How things could have been otherwise.
What does this have to do with the movie? Ah, such is the nature of my movie reviews.
Next post: The Mad Men Season Finale. If I ever have a daughter, I want her to be like Peggy.
Not unsurprisingly, I was most interested in the lawsuits. The depositions of the principal characters showed how adversarial litigation can be. Truly, the process is not about truth-seeking. Rather, it is about entrenching one's position, highlighting the strengths of one's case, and trivializing the other side's position. I found myself wondering -- to what extent do lawyers actually affect the outcome of litigation, or is the success generally driven by the factual circumstances, something that a lawyer does not have control over when a client walks into his or her office. But then one of the junior associates in the film talked about how simple questions could persuasively skew a juror's perspective altogether, and I found myself wondering . . .
about how seeds are planted in our minds. You can neglect these seeds, and perhaps they die and rot away. But when a seed takes root, man, it grows and grows. (Quite unlike my plants, I should add. I attend to them so carefully. I prune them. I cut off the dying leaves. I give them adequate exposure to sunlight. I keep the water out overnight so that the chlorine settles. I put a few drops of plant food in the water. I talk to them. I nurture, I nurture, I give and I give and I give and right now the peace lily in my living room has decided that it simply hates me, and is withering away. By the way, this is peace lily #2. I sound like a crazy person right now.).
Where was I? Once an idea plants itself in your mind, it's really hard to let it go. To see things in a different light. How things could have been otherwise.
What does this have to do with the movie? Ah, such is the nature of my movie reviews.
Next post: The Mad Men Season Finale. If I ever have a daughter, I want her to be like Peggy.
Sunday, October 3, 2010
Oh this here blog
I wish I could tell you that my real life was far more interesting than my blog life. Because I was just re-reading my last couple of blog posts and I thought, "Ick." As in boring, stop writing already, why don't you go out and do something for a change.
Last night I fell asleep on the couch at 645pm. Yes, it was a Saturday night.
In my defense, I had gone for a long run outdoors (something I never do, being more of a treadmill kind of guy, when I run that is, which isn't often). When I was almost home, I ran into Anjuna the Warrior Hero, and her room-mate, who said, oh come join us as we walk a mile or so. Which I did. Then I left them eating while I ran back home. So, as I lay on the couch, watching an SVU episode, I found myself dozing off . . .
I woke up at 9pm on Saturday night, and thought, oh my. I also realized I had fallen asleep in my sweaty, running clothes. So, I dragged myself off the couch, took a shower and contemplated dinner.
Which turned into a quick run to Gristedes before it closed. There I wandered around looking for (a) cup o' noodles, (b) Thai chili flavor chips, (c) ice-cream (I settle on Pistachio and then another tub of Hazel nut) and headed back home. Nothing screams sad and pathetic as shopping at 945pm in Gristedes for cup o' noodles, let me tell you.
It's fall. I have to pretend that the new season of TV shows is NOT my best friend and make a concerted effort to go outside and socialize with the real world. Stay tuned.
Last night I fell asleep on the couch at 645pm. Yes, it was a Saturday night.
In my defense, I had gone for a long run outdoors (something I never do, being more of a treadmill kind of guy, when I run that is, which isn't often). When I was almost home, I ran into Anjuna the Warrior Hero, and her room-mate, who said, oh come join us as we walk a mile or so. Which I did. Then I left them eating while I ran back home. So, as I lay on the couch, watching an SVU episode, I found myself dozing off . . .
I woke up at 9pm on Saturday night, and thought, oh my. I also realized I had fallen asleep in my sweaty, running clothes. So, I dragged myself off the couch, took a shower and contemplated dinner.
Which turned into a quick run to Gristedes before it closed. There I wandered around looking for (a) cup o' noodles, (b) Thai chili flavor chips, (c) ice-cream (I settle on Pistachio and then another tub of Hazel nut) and headed back home. Nothing screams sad and pathetic as shopping at 945pm in Gristedes for cup o' noodles, let me tell you.
It's fall. I have to pretend that the new season of TV shows is NOT my best friend and make a concerted effort to go outside and socialize with the real world. Stay tuned.
Subscribe to:
Comments (Atom)