Observations In Life

You know you’ve made it in life when you’re famous right? May not. I heard a story this morning on the radio that seemed unbelievable about a woman who was on a toilet for two years. The radio DJs speculated as to which news sources would pick it up and bet on CNN being one of them. The whole article can be found here.

Her boyfriend would take care of her while she stayed there due to a phobia. When she finally was moved the toilet was surgically removed. There are better ways in life to get on the front page of CNN.

It baffles me that after even a few hours the boyfriend would not have sought help but in his own words he is quoted as saying “She is an adult; she made her own decision,” said her boyfriend, Kory McFarren. “I should have gotten help for her sooner; I admit that. But after a while, you kind of get used to it.”

When things are bad in life there’s always worse…

Sometimes you have to wonder about faith in humanity. Everyone’s done it. You’re crossing a street while walking and you see a car coming at you. Often your reaction is to walk faster and get out of the way. It’s probably just a matter of hard wired genes for survival, but in today’s sue happy society, can you really expect to be hit by that oncoming car when you have the right of way? It’s kind of funny to wonder if we really don’t trust the driver behind the wheel.

I was in New York over the weekend with my family. As I’ve mentioned before, leaving your comfort zone and exposing yourself to new environments makes you think a lot.

We walked through Times Square on a fairly warm day. Surrounded by thousands of people on the warm pavement a refreshing drink was a welcomed site as long as it was not being sold at “New York” prices. Just as we were talking about the heat, kids in urban clothes walked by us with coolers on wheels, some speaking loudly, others in hushed tones, selling Poland Spring water bottles for a dollar. Other entrepreneurial members of society walked buy us with coolers or boxes in hand filled with ice and bottles of Poland Spring water. Perhaps it was the combination of voice tones that signified that this was illegal, or perhaps it was the lack of a legitimate storefront with staff wearing name tags, or perhaps it was the fake designer bags and glasses being sold by vendors ready to pack up and run at a moment’s notice, or maybe it was because this was a new and untested experience, or perhaps it was just mom’s warning when I was young to “never accept candy from strangers” that prevented me from buying this water for sale at a great price. Possibly it was a combination of it all.

It was easy to justify to ourselves that it was simply safer and smarter to buy from a store, any store. Hell if we got sick from tainted bottles at least we would have some recourse right? So in the end it’s not just a question of safety and familiarity, but rather accountability that creates a sense of safety and thus drives purchases.

Maybe these would-be Sam Waltons might have been better off setting up a “lemon-aide” stand of sorts and providing a much needed and valued product at a reasonable price.

So I have been doing some unpaid editing/writing for an internet radio/podcasting station monthly newsletter. I’ve been doing this for about 6 months, and I guess I decided to do it because it was at least some kind of outlet for my media-related editorials. I sorta got into this because I’d applied for 1 job (forgot what it was for now) and I wasn’t shortlisted (though I’m sure that was unpaid, too). A few months later I was asked if I wanted to do this. I figured, what the hell.

Over the weekend I went to a ‘trade show’ of sorts - ok, it was a comic book convention, and this is a podcasting website/station dedicated to that sort of media. As we are internet-based, we haven’t been able to all get into one place at the same time to meet, until then. I was handing out my card, asking folks for audio interviews. One ‘employee’ who does the interviews turned out to be a 19-year old girl and neglected to 1) apparently take a shower 2) change her clothes (her tanktop was promoting a brand she is associated with). Bad enough, but worse yet, she doesn’t shave her underarms. This resulted in the most disgusting and embarassing B.O. I have encountered in a long time. Despite her enthusiasm, I was absolutely determined not to take her along to meet any important people. I was also incredibly disheartened that she is, in fact, where the stereotype of ‘Comic Book Guy’ (or girl) of The Simpsons comes from.

The managing director has had a falling out with one of his best presenters last year, who left the company. The MD claims he was only out for himself and ‘not a team player.’ Trouble is, the presenters that are left are just a little bit crap. The lady has B.O., the M.D. has a stupid character whom he ‘talks to’ on his shows (a la ‘Camp David’ on I’m Alan Partridge - don’t worry if you don’t know this reference). The web design of the site is terrible, and the email hosting of the site has had numerous problems. I’ve googled the MD a few times and what I’m reading doesn’t inspire a lot of confidence.

This has got me to thinking - I know none of us are getting paid, and it’s a start-up venture, so it takes a lot of work. I think it really could be a success. But how long does one have to put up with total mediocrity before one can feel proud of the work one has done, and who you’re doing it with? Some people will never get the chance to do great things at all, and I’m desperate to be a part of something I’d want to tell new acquaintances about at social gatherings. This is not something I want to admit I’m a part of yet, because it’s just so damned mediocre.

Will it get any better? Do I have a cut-off date by which if it isn’t any better, I bail out? I don’t know.

I could get into how my brother in college doesn’t understand that one can’t do great things immediately, and may never get to do so (most especially, in media). But, arguably, that’s what I’m learning right now, so eventually, he’ll get it.

Jesus H. Christ, people. Open your damn eyes.

BAGHDAD - The U.S. military spokesman in Iraq said Wednesday that all indications showed that radical Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr remained in Iran.

The anti-American religious leader, who heads the Mahdi Army militia, was first reported by the Americans to be absent from Iraq on Feb. 13, when the latest U.S.-Iraq security drive opened in Baghdad.

Now I’m not going to pretend I know who this Muqtada al-Sadr character is, but I get the feeling he’s our latest “major terrorist threat,” which leads me to believe we will soon have more of a whack excuse to invade Iran. Gotta squeeze in one more invasion before this presidential term is up!

I’m also a little disappointed about the fact that what you see quoted above was the entire pathetic article. See for yourself

I’ve been sitting here contemplating the ideas of good and bad and I must say the vastness of it is blowing my mind.

Obviously, good cannot survive without bad (although I suppose nothing could survive without an equal opposite). There are always negative qualities to even the most practical or beautiful things in life.

When I first started thinking about good and bad, it started with behavior, emotions, and the like. It quickly (within a matter of seconds) branched off into evertything I’ve ever known to be true: people, trees, cars, et al. I can’t even begin to compile a fathomable list because I’m really talking about everything.

Imagine a large sheet of ice that stretches over the horizon. All you see is white. White to your left, to your right, straight ahead, as far as the eye can see. You take a small step forward to continue to explore the expanse and a small crack appears. Without even applying more pressure the crack spreads into a longer, larger crack. The tiny crack you’ve created starts shooting out ahead and off to the sides, forking off here and there and then here again. What felt like 20 minutes going by was actually just a millisecond.

This is what happened to my brain at approximately 7:13 pm yesterday evening outside of Safeway; hence the mind blowing.

Why can’t we find a balance between good and bad? Or is it just me that can’t seem to find contentment in life? It can’t just be me.

Talk amongst yourselves. My glacial brain needs repairing.

People are always concerned about making the right decisions in life? We doubt ourselves and when making a decision we want to be sure it’s the right one.

I just came across this clip of a younger and less famous Morgan Freeman on a cool game site performing as Easy Reader on the tv show The Electric Company. I agree with the game site’s author, I never pictured Morgan Freeman in this way. He’s always the quiet serious type. Does anyone even remember his lesser known acting credits?

I’m not making fun of Morgan Freeman, although this clip is comical. This clip simply shows that the path we start on isn’t any assurance of where we’re going and where we’ll end up. Life is what you make of it and as long as you take advantage of the opportunities available to you, you will probably live a happy life. Usually just making a decision is the right decision. If it happens to be the wrong one, you can change your mind and take a different course of action. I’ve been fortunate with where I’ve ended up so far. I hope my “luck” continues.

I’m sure a young Morgan Freeman took the opportunities made available to him, made some great connections, proved his talent and the rest is history. He’s gone on to win awards, great notoriety and respect in the industry and admiration from countless fans.

So why is making a decision so hard? Why do we feel that we have to be right all the time? What are we really afraid of? If Easy Reader can go on to winning an Academy Award what isn’t possible?

As I was listening to some classic radio over the internet last week and pondering my seemingly impossible situation as a fairly new graduate who went into a lot of debt to go to college, yet having little prospects, the immortal ‘Sixteen Tons,’ all about the futility of working in the coal mines and constantly ending up in debt anyway, seemed a pretty good parallel for my situation. I therefore re-wrote the lyrics and entitled it ‘Graduate Stun.’ I’m sure I’m one of many finding themselves in this situation…

‘Graduate Stun’

Some people say a graduate’s just a new dud
Cattle to corral and keep chewin’ cud
Despite your intelligence clearly shown
You’re just one of millions and you’re all alone

I got Graduate Stun, what did I get?
A data entry job and six-figure debt
Recruiter don’t you call me cos I won’t go
Though I owe my soul on a student loan

Well I had no funding so I had to sign
Promissory notes that are breakin’ my spine
I try to plug up these massive holes
The one in my wallet and the one in my soul

I got Graduate Stun, tryin’ to get
Some kind of payoff from a massive bet
The hirer won’t call me so on I go
Owin’ my soul on a student loan

Well the job applications drive me insane
I try to change my life but it stays the same
Education was supposed to make life so fine
So why can’t I see that tunnel light shine?

It’s the Graduate Stun, why did I let
Myself go to college just for this debt?
Creditor don’t call me cos I got no more
Though I owe my soul on a student loan.

So here I am standin’ in a gulf too wide
Deep in this ditch is where I abide
One side of iron, the other of steel
I’m just frustration from head to heel

It’s the Graduate Stun, the path is set
Never will change no matter how I fret
Contentment won’t call me so it’s all I own
But my soul can’t go on a student loan.

Part of me is embarrassed to share this, but the other part of me wants to laugh at the embarrassed part for sharing it. Since I enjoy laughing at the expense of others, I figured I’d go ahead and announce the following:

I had a nightmare last night that someone spammed this blog with approximately fifty retarded posts with bad grammar and organization.

I woke up in a pool of sweat.

That last part was a lie; it wasn’t that traumatic. I did however wake up very distraught and had to come check the blog to see if it was one of those premonitory dreams.

I’m quite relieved.

After moving to the DC metro area, I signed up with about five different temporary agencies. Only one ever called for a position and when they did call it lasted maybe a few days, or a week at best. Don’t get me wrong, the pay was good and I made a couple of connections, but it just wasn’t enough.
I finally found a full-time position. The job wasn’t really what I wanted to do, but it was a young company and I was paid decently.

Now after two months of working at my steady full time job, the same agency that employed me randomly, e-mailed me to tell me they have a six month position opened for a pay rate of $6 more hourly than what I am currently making. What??? I would have given my left foot for an opportunity like that six months ago.

Here is the dilemma. Do I quit my stable dead-end job or do I take a chance and hope that they will keep me beyond the six months? Either way it is risky or when is it the right time to be risky in the job market? Being fully unemployed in a new city is not something I can endure–again. But the loaded salary and promise of working in my field is like a tease on prom night. Damn, it looks good, but there are no guarantees.