Awesome.

(Wow, posting that last blog felt good. I missed putting what I think out into cyberspace, knowing that there’s a good chance it won’t get read. This blog is less personal, so I can voice opinions I’d be too afraid to post on my other blog.

Plus this one has an app for my iPod Touch, which I use more than my computer.)

I’ve been really annoyed with pretty much everyone lately. Being too judgmental is a real problem of mine; I can find something I don’t like in everyone I see, and I usually magnify that fault until there’s no room for any positive personality traits to win me over.

I’ve been trying to overcome this–it makes it hard for me to stay in a good mood. If I’m constantly complaining (out loud or to myself), I end up cranky and negative. Not only that, but being so critical of others makes me assume that everyone is that critical of me, so now I don’t want try anything new for fear that someone will make fun of me.

Example:
It seems like everyone and their Aunt Lillian is trying to start their own photography business. And why not? Everyone likes taking pictures. You can run it from the comfort of your home instead of getting a real job. You can charge ridiculous amounts of money if you have enough experience. People nowadays want pictures taken for everything: engagements, weddings, pregnancy, newborns, family pictures, senior pictures, etc etc etc.

It really irks me, especially since most of the photographers I know have no talent, no artistic instincts, and are just taking crappy pictures and editing the hell out of them.

Having a nice camera and knowing how to use it doesn’t make you a photographer.

I digress.

I make fun of these wanna be artists so much that when I think “Hey, maybe I should sell my jewelry/teach piano lessons/open a booth at the local boutique,” I shoot my own idea down. “That’ll never work,” I tell myself. “You’ll fail, and everyone will see you fail and whisper about you.” Consequently, I spend a lot of time watching other people succeed and burning with envy.

So now I’m trying to change my thinking to “good for them for trying something new! it’s more than I can say for myself.”

Oh, hey.

It’s been almost a year since I wrote on this blog.

I’ve been hanging out over at Blogger, which is a lot easier (for me) to use. But I feel drawn back here, to my first blog. WordPress was always good to me. And I’ve lost all motivation with my Blogger blog.

Things that have happened since I last posted:

Went and got myself hitched. (Technically, that happened BEFORE my last post, but I didn’t mention it.)
Got a good job. (Also, before my last post.)
Traveled a bit.
Got baby hungry.
Quit the good job. (long story for another day)
Lost the baby hunger.
Got a sporadic part-time job.
Wished I was still a waitress. (I know, I know.)

… and that’s pretty much it. Nothing too exciting. Nothing worth putting into detail.

And since most of the viewers of this blog come from people Googling “I Hate Twilight,” here’s my hate on Twilight for the day:

Twilight (the movie) was pretty awful. Thought that New Moon might be better, which it was, but still awful. Its only redeeming quality was how lovable Jacob was. (But, if you’ve been reading this blog, you know that Jacob is the only character in the books I like, so I may be a bit biased.) The hubby and I saw both of these movies in the local dollar theater, which was jam-packed with college-aged girls–who glared at us intensely because we laughed the whole movie–and the occasional boyfriendsforced to see the movie–who glared as us enviously because they knew their girlfriends would never forgive them for laughing.

Also, someone needs to give Kristen Stewart a big ol’ hug, because she looks depressed in every picture.

Twilight/Tuck Everlasting similarities

In the space between consciousness and sleep last night, it randomly occurred to me how similar Twilight and Tuck Everlasting are. I don’t make it a habit to think about Twilight, but I was just remembering Tuck Everlasting from elementary school days, and thought, “That sounds like Twilight!”

For those of you who have never read it or never heard of it, Tuck Everlasting is a story about a well-off girl, Winnie, who is bored with her life. She meets a family who have a secret: they are immortal. This is because they drank water from a mysterious spring (possibly the fountain of youth?) years ago, and haven’t aged a year since. They are unable to die from injuries, either. Winnie ends up falling in love with one of the children, Jesse. He wants her to drink the water when she comes of age so they can be together forever.

• Jesse’s body is 17. So is Edward’s. They both seem “perfect.”
• Jesse is 104 years old, really. If I remember correctly, Edward is about that age too. or 120 or something.
• Tuck Everlasting takes place in a little town called Treegap. (Similar to Forks, actually.)
• Winnie is an only child, whose parents are both overprotective. Same with Bella.
• Winnie falls in love with Jesse at first sight. (Or, as the book puts it, loses her heart at once.) Bella pretty much does the same thing with Edward.
• Jesse’s whole family is immortal (even the horse). Edward has a “family” of immortals.
• The Tucks move around every once in a while, so people won’t get suspicious that they stay the same age. Same as the Cullens!
• While Jesse wants Winnie to become immortal when she turns 17 so they can be together forever, some of his family doesn’t want her to, saying immortality isn’t all it’s cracked up to be. Same with the Cullens. (Starting to get spooky?)

Anyway, of course there are some differences, such as the fact that the Tucks aren’t vampires, or that Tuck Everlasting takes place in the late 1880’s, or that Jesse is an actual real believable character, or that Tuck Everlasting has a plot in addition to the love story. The biggest difference, though, is the ending.

Jesse takes a bottle and puts some of the immortal water in it. He gives it to Winnie and tells her to drink it when she turns 17, then come find him. Then he and his family run from the law. Winnie decides not to drink it, though, and gives the water to a toad (??). The Tucks only find out because the mom and dad go back to Treegap years later, and see her headstone in the cemetary.

So, unlike Bella, Winnie chooses a normal, mortal life.

Other than that though, the stories are ridiculously similar. Tuck Everlasting was written in 1975, which makes me think SMeyer might have gotten a few of her “original” ideas from Natalie Babbitt.

Just a thought.

Interviews

I kind of consider myself a stellar job-interviewer. I’ve been told by more than one employer that I interview well, and in fact, that’s how I got my last job, even though I wasn’t qualified.

Some tips I’ve learned:

• Eye Contact: Keeping eye contact with someone lets them know you’re listening. If you’re looking anywhere but their face, they may think you’re daydreaming. Also, if you’re looking at your lap while you’re talking, they’re going to think you’re shy/nervous/guilty/ashamed.
• No Fidgeting: Keep your hands in your lap. If you’re in a swivel chair, don’t rock back and forth, as much fun as it is. That would also give the interviewer the impression that you have a short attention span.
• Be Friendly:  Small talk is tedious, but important. It shows you’re easy to get along with, and that you can think on your feet. It breaks the ice and will probably make you more comfortable with the interview.But be creative with it! And don’t act like it’s a hassle for you.
• But not too friendly: If you have something in common with the interviewer, great! Discuss it very briefly. I read an article last week where a man was interviewing, and discovered that his interviewer worked at the same place he did. The man then proceeded to ask his interviewer if he knew every single person at that job, for about 10 minutes. No one likes that. “Yeah, I get it, we know the same people.” This morning, I had an interview where I mentioned the reason I type so fast is because I’ve been playing the piano for years. The guy interviewing me said that he played the piano till he was 12, and it still frustrates him that he can’t play very well. We talked about that for a second, and then we moved on.
• Dress Well: Everyone’s heard it: Dress to Impress. This one is a hard one for me because I like to be comfortable, and I only have one pair of slacks. But seriously, your appearance is vital. If you appear sloppy, they may think you don’t care about the job or that you’re lazy. Trust me, it’s better to be overdressed than underdressed.
• Be Clean: Make sure you smell good. But don’t put on perfume/cologne right before you go, because it might be overpowering. Just make sure you’ve showered recently. Your face needs to be easily visible. Girls (and in some cases, guys), don’t do the whole long-bangs-over-the-eyes thing. Pin the bangs back so the interviewer can look at you. (and don’t over-do the makeup. You want to look like a professional, not a hooker.)
• Prepare Yourself: It’s not a bad idea to practice your responses to questions. There are interview questions that always get asked. For instance: What are your strengths/weaknesses, where do you see yourself in 5 years, what are your professional goals. One question that always throws me is “Tell me about yourself.”  I never know if they want me to tell them my love of crafts, or if they strictly want to know about me business-wise. I usually mix it up, saying stuff like, “I love working with people, and I have a lot of experience with computers. I make earrings, and I type fast.” But I’m not sure if that’s a good response or a bad response. I’ve been told you want to tell them something they’ll remember you by, so after they interview 10 other people, they’ll look at your resume and go, “Oh yes, the girl who’s fluent in Latin!”
• Research: This is also one I’m bad at. 9 times out of 10, interviewers will ask, “What do you know about our company?” And I usually say, “Pretty much nothing.” Bad. How impressive would it be tell them you know about their company and what they do. But don’t say too much otherwise they’ll think you’re crazy. (i.e.: “Founded in 1995, 300 employees, etc.”)
• Ask Questions: Interviewers usually ask, “Any questions?” and if you say no, they might think you weren’t listening, or don’t care. You can say things like, “If you were to hire me, what would my duties be?” You can ask about the pay or the benefits, or even how long they’ve worked there. just ask something to show that you’re interested.
• Follow-up: After the interview itself, it’s smart to send them a follow-up email, thanking them for their time and reiterating your interest in working for them. It’s also wise to insert that one thing that they’ll remember you by. My last job, they remembered me because I was working at a Mexican restaurant they really liked, so when I emailed them to thank them for their time, I said, “If you come into the restaurant in the near future, be sure to ask for me!” And when I was hired, my boss thanked me for the email and told me that was really good business.

Other than that, you just gotta hope they like you.  🙂 That’s all I’ve got.

The World These Days

(disclaimer: I am not a mother. I don’t claim to feel how mothers feel. I’m sure that if I was a mom, I would understand this more. But, as I am childless, this is how I feel.)

People nowadays overreact about everything, I think.

Most political quandaries center around how offended people will get. For instance, “Separation of Church and State.” (those of you who know me well know that this is a subject about which I am passionate.) Prayer has been removed from schools, the Ten Commandments banned from being displayed in most places, “Under God” petitioned to be removed from the Pledge of Allegience and “In God we trust” asked to be taken from the face of the dollar bill —- all to avoid offending those who don’t believe in God.

Ten years ago, if you drove by a Target or a Wal-Mart in December, you’d see “Merry Christmas!” happily postered on its windows. Now, to avoid offending those who celebrate Hanukkah or Kwanzaa (or don’t celebrate at all), stores simply say “Seasons Greetings” or “Happy Holidays.” Not a huge deal, but it’s the principle of the thing. All this, to avoid offending people. But, what if it offends me to NOT say Merry Christmas? I think people should just buck up! Take it like a man! and if someone says “Merry Christmas” to a Jew, the Jew should say back, “Happy Hanukkah!”

(For the record, the phrase “Separation of Church and State” never appears in the constitution. It was a phrase coined by Thomas Jefferson, referring to the first amendment, which says “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion or prohibiting the free exercise thereof.” Now how in the world is displaying the Ten Commandments going against that amendment?)

I could go on and on about Separation of Church and State, but I need to get to my original point.

Recently, a school in Conneticuit banned touching of any kind. No hugging, no handshakes or high fives. They made this rule because a boy was hospitalized after being kicked in the crotch. How is hugging related to being kicked in the crotch? No idea, but somehow they see any physical contact of any kind “dangerous.”

Another school (can’t remember where) has outlawed playing Football at recess. A boy broke his arm (or was it his leg? doesn’t really matter) playing, so no more football! Oh wait, he didn’t break his limb playing the game, he broke it doing his victory dance! He was dancing in the endzone, tripped over a tree root, and broke his whatever. Why don’t they ban dancing? Or tree roots?

These school administrations ban these things to appease the parents of the injured children. In general (and again, refer to my disclaimer up top), people (especially parents) need to blame their problems on someone else. It’s human nature. So when Janet gets a call from the local Elementary School that says, “Timmy broke his leg at recess. Meet us at the hospital,” Janet is freaking out! She’s automatically inclined to blame the school, and so to avoid a lawsuit, the administration bans whatever harmed the child. Call me crazy, but that’s just kids being kids. Children, at some point in their young lives, will get hurt. That’s life. If my child got hurt, I would be upset, yes. But I wouldn’t want them to stop playing for fear of more injuries. I wouldn’t want them to stop hugging their friends, in case of crotch-kicking.

 (This could branch out into a whole nother blog, about how avoiding doing anything remotely dangerous will make your life very boring.)

 (This could also branch out to how sue-happy people are. Molly burned herself with McDonald’s coffee? Well, sue them, because they didn’t warn her that coffee is hot!)

When I was in 4th grade, there was a kid named Nick in my class who everyone loved. He was hilarious. When it came time for us to read “The Witches” by Roald Dahl, his parents insisted he leave the classroom. When we made Christmas decorations out of construction paper, he was ushered to an empty room to read until it was all over. I think that is a much better way for his parents to deal with it, instead of demanding the school remove all witchcraft- or Christian-related activities.

Stop worrying about offending people! It Janet wants the principal to ban Football, or if Atheists want the government to deny any kind of religious history, tell them “Tough love, baby!” That’s life! and if Janet’s going to keep Timmy inside to prevent him from being exposed to injuries or Christians, then he’s going to end up playing video games in her basement till he’s 45.

I have completely run out of blogging stamina. I’m terrible at strong conclusions, so just pretend you got interrupted or something and have to stop reading. Maybe the school called you to tell you little Jeremiah choked on a grape at lunch, so now all children must bring lunch from home.

I know, I know

am contemplating deleting this blog. I’ve got another one, and the only people who read this one are A) reading my Twilight hate blogs, which I’m sick of or B) People I don’t know or C) both A and B.

 

I do need a blog I can write about really personal stuff on, though, just to get it out. But this one gets too many hits for that, plus my new blog is linked to this one, so people can see this one and read it.

Random Interesting Facts

At work, I have a lot of down time, so I use it to look up random facts. Most of these are ones that I’ve researched and made sure they were at least partially true. Enjoy.

• It is believed that Shakespeare was 46 around the time that the King James Version of the Bible was written. In Psalms 46, the 46th word from the first word is shake and the 46th word from the last word is spear.
• Each of the suits on a deck of cards represents the four major pillars of the economy in the middle ages: heart represented the Church, spades represented the military, clubs represented agriculture, and diamonds represented the merchant class.
• The word “lethologica” describes the state of not being able to remember the word you want.
• The international telephone dialing code for Antarctica is 672.
• St. Stephen is the patron saint of bricklayers.
• The word “nerd” was first coined by Dr. Seuss in “If I Ran the Zoo.”
• The word “chortle” was coined by Lewis Caroll, in Through the Looking Glass. It’s a combination of chuckle and snort.
• Combining two words into one (like chortle) is called a portmanteau
• The highest point in Pennsylvania is lower than the lowest point in Colorado.
• “Miranda Rights” were so named because of a man with the last name of Miranda, who got out of a kidnaping/rape conviction because he didn’t know he could remain silent.
• The hippocampus comes from a Greek word meaning “horse sea monster.” Early scientists thought that part of the brain looked like a seahorse.
• Sylvester Stallone wrote the screenplay for Rocky, and sold it at a very low price in exchange for starring in it. That actually made his career.
• During the filming of Fight Club Brad Pitt chipped his tooth , but waited to have it capped until after filming because he felt it added to his character.
• One inch of rain over one square mile is 17,378,700 gallons of water.
• Scratch-and-sniff works by taking the aroma-generating chemical and encapsulating it in gelatin or plastic spheres that are a few microns in diameter. When you scratch the sticker, you rupture some of these spheres and release the smell.
• WD-40 stands for “Water Displacement, 40th attempt”. WD-40 was invented in 1953 and was first used by Convair to protect the outer skin of the Atlas missile from rust and corrosion. Another random WD-40 fact is that WD-40 dissolves cocaine.
• The first couple to be shown in bed together on prime time TV were Fred and Wilma Flintstone.
• The cost of raising a medium sized dog to the age of 11: $6,400
• The world’s youngest mother: 5 years old!
• Michael Jordan was cut from his high school basketball team his sophomore year.
• The opposite sides of a dice cube always add up to 7.
• The name Wendy was first used in Peter Pan.
• Endocannibals eat people belonging to their own society. Exocannibals only eat those outside their tribe.
• The tall chef’s hat is called a toque.
• Richard Gere played Danny Zuko in a London production of Grease in the 1970s
• A gelotologist studies laughter
• The most overdue book in the world was borrowed from Sidney Sussex College in Cambridge, England and was returned 288 years later
• One gallon of used motor oil can ruin approximately one million gallons of fresh water
• The average length of engagement is 16 months. The average time the bride actually spends planning the wedding is 7 months.
• The world’s longest engagement was 67 years. The couple was 15 when they got engaged and 82 when they got married.
• quinquennium is a period of five years.
• In the 1985 Boise, Idaho mayoral election, there were four write-in votes for Mr. Potato Head.
• In 1985, a pregnant women was falsely accused of shoplifting a basketball.
• Hitler was voted Time Magazine’s man of the year in 1938.
• A man named Charles Osborne had the hiccups for approximately sixty-nine years.
• Medical research has found substances in mistletoe that can slow down tumor growth.
• Alexander the Great, Julius Caesar, Napoleon Bonaparte, and Harriet Tubman all had epilepsy.
• The average adult has approximately six pounds of skin.
• The average person spends two weeks of their life kissing.
• Chef Boyardee is actually a real person. His real name is Hector Boiardi and he was born in northern Italy in 1898.
• A googol is the large number 10100, that is, the digit 1 followed by one hundred zeros.
• Switching letters is called spoonerism. For example, saying jag of Flapan, instead of flag of Japan.
• The only part of the body that has no blood supply is the cornea in the eye. It takes in oxygen directly from the air.
• German Shepherds bite humans more than any other breed of dog.
• Adding a drop of olive oil and lemon juice to an ice cube then running it over your face gives you better results than some expensive skin care products.

Income Restrictions?

The other day, the hubby and I went looking for a place to live. We went to a nearby popular apartment complex for a tour. Although it was a bit expensive for my taste, the location was perfect, and it was a nice place. We sat down with the manager—who had insisted we rush over as fast as we can, because she wanted to get out of there by 6—and one of the first things she asked us was, “How much do you two make a year?”

 

We looked at each other, wondering what this had to do with this apartment complex. I knew there was no way she would tell us we didn’t make enough to live there, so we told her how much.

 

“I’m sorry,” she said, “but you make too much.”

 

I was shocked! We make too much to live at this apartment complex? The rent for a two bedroom apartment is one third of their maximum yearly income. That’s ridiculous! I asked why they have such a rule.

 

“It’s for lower income families,” she explained. “It’s so they can have a nice place to live.”

 

After we left, Ryan made a comment that seemed so true. “It’s keeping the poor poor.”

 

I really don’t understand why they have income restrictions like that. I could see them saying, “Sorry, but you don’t make enough,” since we really don’t make that much, and they want to make sure the rent gets paid. Typically, people who make over a certain amount (namely, their cut-off amount) want a nicer place than what they offer.

 

Can anyone explain this to me? Currently, I’m just frustrated and sick of looking at overpriced apartments.

9-5

I got a real job.

That’s right, you read it right. I got a job. One that doesn’t involve the words, “Can I take your order?”

I’m a personal assistant to two real estate agents (brokers? I’m not sure what they are), and so far, I’m bored to tears.

It’s a giant change, going from carrying food to filing papers. Last week, I was constantly on my feet, surrounded by sweaty servers and exhausted cooks, pausing to to converse with my coworkers, exchanging gossip and telling jokes. Now, I sit at a desk all day, playing solitaire, carrying out orders, and occasionally picking up the phone, watching the minutes tick by and cherishing my bathroom breaks. Instead of carrying around an apron full of straws, napkins, and pens, I carry around a purse with two cell phones and a palm pilot—a true business woman!

I’m starting to miss the waitressing life. Dumb, I know. I have this great job with steady pay and benefits, and I miss my old job, one that would only provide about 15 hours of work a week!

I know, I know. I need to stop complaining.

Twilight: the Movie

(For those of you who haven’t yelled at me already for this, here are a few more Twilight rant posts for your enjoyment.

Why I Hate Twilight: the Sequel

https://germonderpop.wordpress.com/2008/03/24/i-dont-get-it/)

While reading Twilight for the first time about two years ago, the thought crossed my mind that this book would be better as a movie. The writing, I thought, was terrible. The character development, shabby. The relationship between the two main characters, shallow and downright creepy. But the concept wasn’t that bad. Get some good actors and a real plot, and you’ve got yourself a blockbuster.

Tonight, I sat through all two hours of the Twilight movie, painfully aware of how well it followed the book. I expected there to be at least some more character development–or at least better portrayal of the characters–but I was disappointed.

First of all, a note to the makeup people: That shade of lipstick on Edward was no bueno. I know you were trying to make him look more pale by making his lips darker, but the obviousness of the lipstick + the poor eyeliner job = a very feminine Robert Pattinson.

The acting was bad. There’s no other way to say it. I don’t know if it was the actors or the director, but Edward constantly looked angry/constipated, Bella always looked dumbfounded/lost, and everyone else was too peppy to be real. The scene choices, while at first glance appear to be nice and dramatic, just added to the bad acting. The scene in the forest? “You’re impossibly fast”? “Say it. Out loud.”? Ring any bells? I was snorting with laughter at this point.

The choice in music was side-splitting. It sounded like it was straight out of a Spanish soap opera–not to insult Spanish soap operas. Any time a moment was a potentially good piece of film, it was like a cue for the dramatized electric guitar to take any thoughts of tortured lovers and replace them with thoughts of David Bowie, and how incredible he looked in Labryinth. (I kid you not. More than once, when the guitar struck up its sappy music, images of David Bowie in tights were drawn to my mind.)

The adaptation from book to screenplay was actually spot-on, which was the disappointing part. It magnified how stalker-esque Edward, and how ridiculous their relationship, is. Honestly, after speaking to each other about the mysteries of the Cullens for a combined total of a few hours, she’s irrevocably in love with him, and he brings her home to meet the fam. And watches her sleep.

The only characters I even remotely liked were Alice and Carlisle. I would have loved Alice, but everything she said hinted at her ability to see the future. “We’re going to be great friends.” “It’s okay, Jasper, you won’t hurt her.” Even her saying “I’ll see you soon” seemed to be flaunting her special talent. As for Carlisle, the only reason I liked him is because I couldn’t stop looking at him.

Do I regret seeing it? Not at all. I haven’t laughed that hard since the final scenes of Australia. Would I see it again? Not unless forced.