I was watching football one Sunday and finding there are some important questions I have for the NFL. Here I pose them to you, the general public:
Who comes up with the team names?
Some of them make sense, some of them do not and some of them are just lame.
For instance, the Cleveland Browns. WTF is a Brown? Or the Jets ... are they talking like an airplane in that situation? Because that is just stupid. And what significance does 49 have for San Francisco?
And the Miami Dolphins. How does that sound imposing at all? You couldn't make them the Miami Sharks? A DOLPHIN? Really?
And why are there so many damn birds. I get them all confused. We have the Ravens, the Eagles, the Falcons, the Cardinals, the Seahawks (whatever kind of bird that is). Honestly. Overkill on the birds.
Why are there NFL cheerleaders?
I mean really, how pointless. It's not like anyone can hear them among the 5000 constantly screaming fans sitting miles above the field.
And I know that men enjoy oggling hoochies with pom-poms but you honestly can't even SEE them either! Not even live or on TV. Literally the camera pans them maybe once before every fifth commercial break. Useless.
Why football on Sunday, Monday and occasionally Thursday?
Why not Friday and Saturday? Who came up with making a game that keeps you up late either drunk on booze or adrenaline on a work night? Every Monday or Tuesday or Friday morning that I have stayed up late watching my team I curse the name of the NFL. If my team lost it is even worse.
Why can't they just keep throwing the ball up the field?
Why is the QB the only one who can throw the ball? Imagine if you could throw the ball back and forth up the field to everyone. So one receiver passes to another receiver and so on, kinda like basketball. I think that would be awesome! I am sure there is a reason the rules are made like they are but just imagine the possibility ...
11.10.2012
The Effects of a Negative Work Environment
Recently I have come to realize that a negative work environment can have much more of an impact on you than people would assume or admit.
Having gotten a new (dream) job, I can see with an enlightened perspective how my internal, mental health has improved, bringing along with it more satisfaction in my personal relationships and realization of my value as an individual in addition to less fear for the future.
Yes, all of this by just changing a job.
Surely I am exaggerating, you say. But no, anyone who has worked in a negative, borderline abusive and demeaning job will know exactly what I am describing. Escaping (and yes, this is the best term I can apply) feels what I would imagine emancipation felt like for the slaves (okay, maybe not that glorious, but you get the idea). To have your ideas, education, talents and skills appreciated by your superiors feels initially like someone speaking a different language.
What? You want MY opinion? You VALUE me? What is this? This is what I find myself frequently asking in my head. As an educated, fairly intelligent, diligent and organized employee, I knew inside that this is always how I should have been treated, hence my chronic unhappiness due to being under-appreciated. I liken it to an mentally abusive relationship (of which I also have experience). You find yourself doing something in your new relationship that the other person would have berated you for in your old relationship and expect the rant to begin when it dawns on you, YOU ARE FREE! Free at last! And oh is it a feeling I treasure with all of my heart.
So when you are feeling down, take some time to examine what it is that is truly affecting you and try with all of your might to get out of the situation. It may take three years (oh yes indeed) but you will not regret one interview, one tank of gas or one ream of paper wasted on resumes when you are finally appreciated for the competent worker you are.
Having gotten a new (dream) job, I can see with an enlightened perspective how my internal, mental health has improved, bringing along with it more satisfaction in my personal relationships and realization of my value as an individual in addition to less fear for the future.
Yes, all of this by just changing a job.
Surely I am exaggerating, you say. But no, anyone who has worked in a negative, borderline abusive and demeaning job will know exactly what I am describing. Escaping (and yes, this is the best term I can apply) feels what I would imagine emancipation felt like for the slaves (okay, maybe not that glorious, but you get the idea). To have your ideas, education, talents and skills appreciated by your superiors feels initially like someone speaking a different language.
What? You want MY opinion? You VALUE me? What is this? This is what I find myself frequently asking in my head. As an educated, fairly intelligent, diligent and organized employee, I knew inside that this is always how I should have been treated, hence my chronic unhappiness due to being under-appreciated. I liken it to an mentally abusive relationship (of which I also have experience). You find yourself doing something in your new relationship that the other person would have berated you for in your old relationship and expect the rant to begin when it dawns on you, YOU ARE FREE! Free at last! And oh is it a feeling I treasure with all of my heart.
So when you are feeling down, take some time to examine what it is that is truly affecting you and try with all of your might to get out of the situation. It may take three years (oh yes indeed) but you will not regret one interview, one tank of gas or one ream of paper wasted on resumes when you are finally appreciated for the competent worker you are.
3.10.2012
52 Book Challenge: Stones from the River
Well welcome to a dose of reality. I sincerly love the variety of the books I read. Keeps things entertaining. And boy, this book was a great read. So real. So blunt. Not sugar coated but not overexaggerated at all. It made you understand (if you don't already) how it feels to be different. But beyond that - so much further beyond that - it really put into perspective the reality of World War Two and the Holocaust from a German perspective. Absolutely fascinating and very emotional.
The author was just outright honest. Gestapo came into people's homes. Gestapo beat Jews in the streets. People actually believed Hitler was going to liberate them. This was how it was. No gore, no exaggerating, no glossing it over. Just pure this is what happened and this is how it was dealt with.
Stones from the River follows a dwarfed woman named Trudi from her birth to her late adulthood. It explores her relationship with people in her town and her coming to terms with her difference. Spanning from World War One through World War Two in a small German town, Trudi offers insight into all of the characters living in her neighborhood and how they each coped with her, with their secrets and with the war. She got into the psychological issues each person deals with through her ability to make herself seem innocent and allow people to divulge their secrets to her. She comes to discover that each person has something that sets them apart from the other, although it may not be as visible as her own.
She explores the nuances in people's attitudes toward Hitler and the extermination of their Jewish neighbors who at one time were close friends and suddenly in some townspeople's eyes were the enemy. Then she notes the denial of the Hitler believer's behavior after the war is over so that they avoid persecution.
The entire book is incredibly insightful. It seems like it is long when you look at it but the read goes by quickly because there is such variety in the characters. It mainly revolves around Trudi but it also goes into the lives of everyone in the town. If you are interested in the Holocaust from a German perspective or just looking for a good read (kind of similar to Our Town but much more detailed) Stones from the River is the book for you.
The author was just outright honest. Gestapo came into people's homes. Gestapo beat Jews in the streets. People actually believed Hitler was going to liberate them. This was how it was. No gore, no exaggerating, no glossing it over. Just pure this is what happened and this is how it was dealt with.
She explores the nuances in people's attitudes toward Hitler and the extermination of their Jewish neighbors who at one time were close friends and suddenly in some townspeople's eyes were the enemy. Then she notes the denial of the Hitler believer's behavior after the war is over so that they avoid persecution.
The entire book is incredibly insightful. It seems like it is long when you look at it but the read goes by quickly because there is such variety in the characters. It mainly revolves around Trudi but it also goes into the lives of everyone in the town. If you are interested in the Holocaust from a German perspective or just looking for a good read (kind of similar to Our Town but much more detailed) Stones from the River is the book for you.
2.28.2012
52 Book Challenge - Book Eleven: Safe Haven
Of course you know that when books starting getting too serious and thought provoking, we always have Nicholas Sparks to turn to. In my time of need after my previous read that questioned love I felt it necessary to reassure myself that unconditional, unrealistic and heroic love do indeed exist by turning to the tried and true classic formula love story.
I thoroughly enjoyed it.
While some people get bored, even exhasperated with the formula love story, I eat it up like apple pie ala mode. It is the guilty pleasure of my reading experience. In fact, I enjoy it so much I usually read some kind of gooshy book at least once per month.
And do you know why? Because life is too damn full of negative. At least these characters have a positive outcome in the end. So love on Nicholas Sparks characters! True love does exist. Love conquers all evil. Love is patient, love is kind. Etc, etc.
The story is about a woman introduced to us as Katie. She is hiding something and we do not know at first but she is starting over in a small southern town. We come to learn she is running from an abusive husband. While starting over, she meets Alex, a store owner in town with two children whose wife has passed away from a terminal illness. Alex and Katie inevitably fall in love and are initially brought together by Katie's compassion for his children.
The budding relationship between the two is juxtaposed with flashbacks of the past and how Katie (whose real name is Erin) ended up in town. Eventually we gain the perspective of both Katie and the abusive husband she has left behind. While she is moving on with her life and finally gaining courage to stop feeling followed, he is on the desperate hunt for her. And did I mention, of course, he is a cop.
Inevitably, the husband finds Katie and comes to get her. Let's not ruin his psychopathic rampage by going into description here ... that part is half the fun (the other half being unconditional love). To top it off there is also a supernatural twist (oh yea, it goes there and I LOVE all over it). In the end ... well I'm sure you can guess what happens ...
Nicholas Sparks = Fairytales for adult princesses
I thoroughly enjoyed it.
While some people get bored, even exhasperated with the formula love story, I eat it up like apple pie ala mode. It is the guilty pleasure of my reading experience. In fact, I enjoy it so much I usually read some kind of gooshy book at least once per month.
And do you know why? Because life is too damn full of negative. At least these characters have a positive outcome in the end. So love on Nicholas Sparks characters! True love does exist. Love conquers all evil. Love is patient, love is kind. Etc, etc.
The story is about a woman introduced to us as Katie. She is hiding something and we do not know at first but she is starting over in a small southern town. We come to learn she is running from an abusive husband. While starting over, she meets Alex, a store owner in town with two children whose wife has passed away from a terminal illness. Alex and Katie inevitably fall in love and are initially brought together by Katie's compassion for his children.
The budding relationship between the two is juxtaposed with flashbacks of the past and how Katie (whose real name is Erin) ended up in town. Eventually we gain the perspective of both Katie and the abusive husband she has left behind. While she is moving on with her life and finally gaining courage to stop feeling followed, he is on the desperate hunt for her. And did I mention, of course, he is a cop.
Inevitably, the husband finds Katie and comes to get her. Let's not ruin his psychopathic rampage by going into description here ... that part is half the fun (the other half being unconditional love). To top it off there is also a supernatural twist (oh yea, it goes there and I LOVE all over it). In the end ... well I'm sure you can guess what happens ...
Nicholas Sparks = Fairytales for adult princesses
2.25.2012
52 Book Challenge - Book Ten: The Marriage Plot
The title of this book implies something a little fluffy. Maybe a story about roping a man into marrying you or searching for "the one". Well don't let it fool you. Like Middlesex (another book written by this author) this book is full of dark undertones while telling the story of complex characters with real life struggles. Except their struggles are the types of struggles no one discusses, which makes this peek into what is going on behind closed doors even more enticing, and offers some relief (at least for me).
The Marriage Plot explores a complex relationship between three main characters who begin as graduating seniors with an abundance of intelligence and diplomas from Brown. But if you think in the beginning of the book that this is another story about wealthy intellectuals who have it all, you are sorely mistaken. Not only does it explore the issues faced by being stuck in between childhood and adulthood, but it also makes an interesting commentary on love and commitment as a whole.
Madeline is a co-dependent woman with no real direction for the future of her life except for to take care of her bipolar boyfriend Leonard. He is literally bipolar and she literally feels obligated to stay with him in spite of all of the messed up scenarious he puts her through. The reader is a fly on the wall through their disfunctional relationship.
In the background of the Madeline / Leonard relationship is Madeline's friend, Mitchell, who is a religious studies guru in hopeless love and hopless resentment of Madeline and Leonard respectively. Mitchell also has not much of a direction in life and hopes to wait out the current recession by travelling around Europe and India.
The story of their relationships devlops based on their character flaws rather than their character attributes. However, I found myself relating to many of the feelings Madeline has towards Leonard and towards life and the future in general. I even found myself relating to Leonard at times (which could say something about me). As I have said before, I appreciate a book that allows me to feel for the characters. I especially appreciate a book that examines the real, flawed side of humanity.
The Marriage Plot intertwines all of these attributes and is puncuated by well written prose which include a lovely use of vocabulary. I can see why this book was reccomended by magazines and other readers.
The Marriage Plot explores a complex relationship between three main characters who begin as graduating seniors with an abundance of intelligence and diplomas from Brown. But if you think in the beginning of the book that this is another story about wealthy intellectuals who have it all, you are sorely mistaken. Not only does it explore the issues faced by being stuck in between childhood and adulthood, but it also makes an interesting commentary on love and commitment as a whole.
Madeline is a co-dependent woman with no real direction for the future of her life except for to take care of her bipolar boyfriend Leonard. He is literally bipolar and she literally feels obligated to stay with him in spite of all of the messed up scenarious he puts her through. The reader is a fly on the wall through their disfunctional relationship.
In the background of the Madeline / Leonard relationship is Madeline's friend, Mitchell, who is a religious studies guru in hopeless love and hopless resentment of Madeline and Leonard respectively. Mitchell also has not much of a direction in life and hopes to wait out the current recession by travelling around Europe and India.
The story of their relationships devlops based on their character flaws rather than their character attributes. However, I found myself relating to many of the feelings Madeline has towards Leonard and towards life and the future in general. I even found myself relating to Leonard at times (which could say something about me). As I have said before, I appreciate a book that allows me to feel for the characters. I especially appreciate a book that examines the real, flawed side of humanity.
The Marriage Plot intertwines all of these attributes and is puncuated by well written prose which include a lovely use of vocabulary. I can see why this book was reccomended by magazines and other readers.
2.18.2012
52 Book Challenge - Book Nine: Home Front
Yes, I am already posting another book I finished. And do you know why? Because it was the best. book. ever. No exaggeration. I could not put it down, nor could I stop crying at it.
This author (Kristin Hannah) wrote another book I read called Night Road - also a fabulous book - so you can imagine how excited I was when I was handed this newbook by my boss (his wife is an avid reader, a perk of the job). I immediately started Home Front knowing it was going to be good but I was not prepared for amazing, emotional, heart wrenching and all those other adjectives that make for an awesome read.
Well I got prepared. By page twenty I actually gave a shit about the characters, by page fifty I felt for the characters, by page one hundred I practically WAS the characters. That is how much I cared. I cared enough to cry not once, not twice, but probably over three times. Actually it was probably the vast majority of the second half of the book, which took me two hours to read.
I have not read a book I felt so emotionally involved in since The Notebook (before it was a movie and everyone was obsessed with it thankyouverymuch). This is a MUST read. This book is so much more than a sappy story, in fact it isn't sappy at all. It is real life. Read it.
I refuse to tell you the entire plot since I feel so strongly you should read it I do not want to give anything away. I will set the tone for you though, since you should have an idea of what it is about. There is a family, the woman is a helicopter pilot for the army, the children are four and twelve, the father is emotionally disengaged and the mother is a perfectionist ... this is how it begins. Then the mother is deployed.
Read the damn book for more.
You will not be let down.
This author (Kristin Hannah) wrote another book I read called Night Road - also a fabulous book - so you can imagine how excited I was when I was handed this newbook by my boss (his wife is an avid reader, a perk of the job). I immediately started Home Front knowing it was going to be good but I was not prepared for amazing, emotional, heart wrenching and all those other adjectives that make for an awesome read.
Well I got prepared. By page twenty I actually gave a shit about the characters, by page fifty I felt for the characters, by page one hundred I practically WAS the characters. That is how much I cared. I cared enough to cry not once, not twice, but probably over three times. Actually it was probably the vast majority of the second half of the book, which took me two hours to read.
I have not read a book I felt so emotionally involved in since The Notebook (before it was a movie and everyone was obsessed with it thankyouverymuch). This is a MUST read. This book is so much more than a sappy story, in fact it isn't sappy at all. It is real life. Read it.
I refuse to tell you the entire plot since I feel so strongly you should read it I do not want to give anything away. I will set the tone for you though, since you should have an idea of what it is about. There is a family, the woman is a helicopter pilot for the army, the children are four and twelve, the father is emotionally disengaged and the mother is a perfectionist ... this is how it begins. Then the mother is deployed.
Read the damn book for more.
You will not be let down.
2.16.2012
52 Book Challenge - Book Eight: Jewel
This was one of those "slice of life" books. The writing was absolutely beautiful but the story wasn't the exciting page-turning pop-fiction most readers are used to. Luckily, I am not most readers and I am used to symbolism and messages in literature (thanks to being a devoted English major).
The story was really about family and the trials and tribulations you go through in different stages of life. It also focused on the main character (Jewel) and her relationship with God. Much of the message in the book was based on the age-old question of whether or not to maintain faith in God during the toughest times. Additionally it was a message about how you react to chllenges with your life and how all of the peices fit together.
To be honest, I enjoyed it for the fact alone that Jewel was faced with quite a few challenges (the primary being a mentally handicapped child) and she powered through them. Now many books obviously have characters that do this but in THIS book, the challenges were REAL. You could actually imagine yourself having the feelings and anxiety and questioning of faith that Jewel goes through. It definitely created well-rounded characters and easily imaged scense and feelings.
The story was really about family and the trials and tribulations you go through in different stages of life. It also focused on the main character (Jewel) and her relationship with God. Much of the message in the book was based on the age-old question of whether or not to maintain faith in God during the toughest times. Additionally it was a message about how you react to chllenges with your life and how all of the peices fit together.
To be honest, I enjoyed it for the fact alone that Jewel was faced with quite a few challenges (the primary being a mentally handicapped child) and she powered through them. Now many books obviously have characters that do this but in THIS book, the challenges were REAL. You could actually imagine yourself having the feelings and anxiety and questioning of faith that Jewel goes through. It definitely created well-rounded characters and easily imaged scense and feelings.
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