DW&F: Facebook Fun and Foul Language

Hello everyone!

Night #2 of sleeping on the new bed went just as well, if not better, than the first night. But I once again had a tough time getting out of bed in the morning. Like the night before, it wasn't that I was still tired, but that the bed was so wonderfully comfortable that I didn't want to leave. I hope I don't end up with a job that starts extremely early in the morning because it will be hell getting out of bed. I realize that companies sometimes scour the Internets to screen their applicants, so if you're reading this because you're thinking about hiring me, I assure you that if hired I'll regularly show up on time! I just might not like it too much. But that's why I have this blog--so I can complain about it here and get it out of my system before coming to work. That way you won't have to hear my complaints! I can't think of a better reason to hire me!

Speaking of which, I'm back in a bit of a routine, except instead of school work, I'm job searching and filling out applications. It's a bit exhausting and draining, not only because of the application process (I abhor bragging about myself, and I feel that's what resumes, cover letters, and applications are all about) but also because there is hardly anything available right now in terms of work. Fortunately, I still have my tutoring gig, which I really enjoy, and Cathy has a great job with excellent benefits for both of us (no bennies for tutors), so we're not in trouble at this point. This means that I can still be somewhat choosy about the jobs I apply for, and as a result, all the jobs that I've applied for thus far (or plan on applying for) are ones that I could actually see myself enjoying. It's a really nice feeling.

But the main reason I'm looking for something other than tutoring is that we'd like to buy a house someday, and my measly tutor salary isn't enough to save for a down payment. So I fill out application after application and mail and/or electronically submit resume after resume, all the while hoping someone will call me for an interview. It's not much different than turning in paper after paper and waiting impatiently for the grade, just like I did in school. Good times!

Daily Win and FAIL!

Win: Facebook fun

I went through a MySpace phase not too long ago. It was great fun for a bit because I was able to connect with people I hadn't seen in a while, including some I hadn't seen or heard from since my high school days. But eventually I got frustrated by its annoying graphics and ads, as well as having to enter a CAPTCHA for damn near everything, and so I started messing around with Facebook. And I was able to get back in touch a whole bunch more long-lost friends, as well as staying in touch with local friends who, for whatever reason, I rarely get to see anymore.

Most of my "Facebook friends" who I haven't seen in a really long time are people I went to high school with in Michigan. I've communicated with some of them, and it's been fun if not awkward. I also have other "Facebook friends" I knew in Michigan--some fairly well--who I've only extended an invitation to be friends with (or they with me), but we've never really communicated otherwise. I've really wanted to send each of them a message or just say, "Hi," but that just seems too awkward and uncomfortable. So I've done squat.

It's really strange because in all this I often find myself experiencing the same insecurities I had when I was back there back then, as well as emotions I haven't felt since then. I also catch myself sometimes slipping into the same behavioral patterns I had back then during my recent interactions with the "Facebook friends." It's pretty disconcerting. In a way, I feel like some part of my past that I was fortunate enough to get away from once I left and headed west is now coming back to haunt me in a way. I am very much aware that I didn't like that time very much for a variety of reasons, most of which had little to do with the kids I went to school with. But most of all (not to sound like a cliche) I didn't like myself. I was a jerk. I know that's difficult to believe. Okay, maybe not so difficult. In my defense, however, I have to say that I really didn't know any better. I thought that's how people were supposed to act, or at least how men were supposed to act.

Some of my schoolmates in Michigan were people who treated me like shit back in the day. I also treated some many of my schoolmates like shit, though usually not the same ones who treated me that way. So this whole Facebook thing is a blatant reminder of so many things I wish I could take back.

I really think people who say they have no regrets are assholes. I learned a lot from my mistakes, and they led me to where I am now, so I wouldn't change a thing in that regard. But dammit, I hurt a lot of people who didn't deserve to be hurt, and that's what really gets to me, and it's what I can't let go of. Although all this stems from a period in my past that seems like a lifetime ago, I also realize it's as much a part of who I am now as anything, so I can't simply just ignore it.

Wait a minute!

Wasn't this supposed to be a "Win!"? How did we get sidetracked with all this Oprah crap?

Sorry about that.

Anyway, the original point of all this was was to simply point out an interaction with a couple of my Michigan "Facebook friends" that happened over the past couple days, which I thought was "Win!"-worthy.

A girl I went to school with (who I'm sure is a currently woman in her mid-thirties with a daughter, but she was a high-schooler the last time I saw her, so I can only think of her as a "girl") posted a status update (for you non-Facebookers, a status update simply allows you to tell your "Facebook friends" how you're feeling or what's on your mind, as well as allowing your "Facebook friends" to respond with comments). Her status update lamented the ridiculousness of all the corporate-sponsored college football bowl games with the sponsor's name in the bowl tile by "wondering when the Kraft Mac and Cheese Bowl is going to debut." Of course, being who I am, thought of a million responses but settled on this:

"I'm waiting for the Kotex Cotton Bowl..."

Yes, not my best work.

As soon as I hit the "Comment" button, I felt a pang of regret. How would she take it? Would she be completely offended and think I'm just some creepy, inappropriate jerk, or else some one who's trying to be funny, but, like Dennis Miller as a football commentator, FAILs miserably? Would she regret ever becoming my "Facebook friend"?

Suddenly, I was again transported back to high school. I went to a small school, and so everyone more or less knew everyone else. But she was two grades ahead of me, and I wasn't close to her. Also, that was almost a lifetime ago, so even though she seemed to have a sense of humor twenty years ago, she could've lost it since then. Furthermore, everyone else who was friends with her or with me would also see my comment, so I began to wonder what would they think? Would her "Facebook friends" wonder who she was "Facebook friends" with and decide to no longer be "Facebook friends" with her, causing her to hold a grudge against me for the rest of our lives and become some creepy stalker who chops me up with an axe while screaming about how I ruined her Facebook life?

Okay, I really didn't worry about that last part, but you get the point.

Anyway, I considered deleting the comment. But if someone comments on your Facebook, you get an email and tells you what the comment was. This meant the damage was already done, and I would just have to face the music. Fortunately, there was another person in my class who is apparently even more inappropriate than I am, and he commented on my Kotex Cotton Bowl comment by saying:

"I heard it's a real bloodbath."

Awesome! Suddenly, my inappropriate comment looked downright appropriate next to that one! I was instantly off the hook, like when you go to a party and get a bit tipsy and say something stupid and you're all embarrassed, but then someone else tries to start a fight, knocks over a lamp, and then pukes all over the couch, and at that point you realize nobody is going to remember the stupid thing you said and you're in the clear. Yes, just like that. Win!

FAIL: Naughty Language on TV

Here's what I'm talking about...



FAIL!

Isn't that just terrible? I only have one question:

Why would these fine, upstanding people, particularly Grover and Mr. Rogers, say all those naughty words? I guess being on TV just proved to be too stressful.

That's why I stick to blogging.

Rob

DW&F: Hons and Murder

Hello everyone!

The new bed was definitely a Win! I really had a tough time getting out of bed this morning because it felt so nice curled up in new bedding on a new, comfy mattress. I woke up slightly sore, but still miles ahead of what I was used to feeling in the morning. And who knows, I may even wake up well-rested and without any soreness at all after a few nights. I love it, and so does Cathy! But instead of taking the easy route and using this for my daily Win!, I'm going to describe something amazing that happened a few days ago...

Daily Win and FAIL!

Win: A grocery store full of "hons"

The other day, Cathy and I went to the grocery store. We were in the produce section, which was very crowded, and we used teamwork to gather and forage for food. Our goal was simple: get in and out of the store as quickly as possible. I knew Cathy had the list, but I couldn't remember what was on it. She was maybe 20 or 30 feet ahead of me, so I called out:

"Hey, hon?"

And immediately, no less than eight other customers--at least two of them men--stopped what they were doing and turned toward at me, as if they thought I was talking to them and they were the "hon" I was referring to! Of course, I had a bit of a spring in my step afterward knowing that so many people wished they could be my "hon." Sorry, folks, I'm taken!

FAIL: Murder

Another unarmed person was killed by a cop. This time, the man was on his belly being restrained and possibly handcuffed, and he was shot in the back by the cop. Also, this time several people caught it on video. And once again, it was a young black man who was killed. What was his crime? He was on a subway in which a fight broke out, and he may or may not have been involved.

Predictably, people are now rioting in the Oakland, where the murder happened. And of course, just as predictably, people are now outraged by the riots. But I don't see how an entire group of people could be expected to have respect for the law when the law clearly has no respect for them.

Yes, rioting is bad and destructive, and I'm a peace-loving pacifist who's against violence in all forms, regardless of whether it's directed toward people, animals, or inanimate objects. But I also realize that groups of people who are oppressed tend to respond with violence eventually. If the message being sent to me is that people of my race (including my spouse/friends/family members/myself) can be shot and killed for no good reason, then you bet I'd be pissed. But beyond that, I don't know how I'd react or what I'd feel compelled to do, and neither does anyone else who's not in that situation.

Of course, that same rationalization can also be applied to cops. But cops are supposed to serve and protect, as well as keep the peace, and they failed miserably on both counts, first by killing another unarmed person, and second by establishing a level of distrust so high that people are out rioting.

And don't get me started on the bogus excuse that's already being thrown around about how the cop simply thought his gun was a Taser. If that gains any traction, look for the "I shot my wife because I thought my gun was the TV remote" defense coming soon to a courtroom near you. Besides, why would any cop need to Tase an unarmed, subdued man lying face down?

When your job requires you to carry a belt full of weapons that can hurt or kill others, "my bad" simply doesn't cut it when you accidentally kill someone (if this was an accident). Look, I realize that being a cop is tough. I couldn't do it, nor would I want to. It seems that some cops simply can't handle the stress from the job, but that's no excuse.

Anyone else who gets stressed out at work and commits murder goes to prison, and nobody makes excuses for them. But there seems to be a different attitude when it comes to cops. Why are people so quick to make excuses for them but not others? There's a sort of obedience to authority mindset here that I can't quite put my finger on at this point...

Regardless, far too often it seems that so many aspects of our entire system of justice is incapable of delivering justice. FAIL!

On that note, I'm going to head to my new, comfy, king-sized bed and try to dream of something happier. Good night everyone!

Rob

DW&F: New Bed and Dust

Hello everyone!

I'm in a hurry to go to bed soon tonight, so let's not waste any time!

Daily Win and FAIL!

Win: The new bed arrived!

Well, the new bed arrived right on schedule, today. I lay down on it earlier with the cat, who was quite confused this afternoon before the delivery people arrived when she walked into the bedroom and saw there was no bed for her to lie on. But in less than a minute of lying down on it, I was ready to fall asleep and had to get back up. So I'm likely going to have a great sleep tonight for the first time in a long time, but there's the possibility that I might be extremely disappointed tomorrow. On the plus side, this means either my Win! or FAIL! for tomorrow is pretty much predetermined. There's the possibility that my sleep could just be mediocre, but I'm not losing any sleep worrying about that. See what I did there?

The best part, as I mentioned before, is that we've upgraded to a king! And the bed doesn't take up the entire bedroom, like I was worried it would do. Win!

FAIL: The monster under the bed

Before our new bed arrived, I had to move the old one and make room. This is what I found. No, that's not a dead beaver, but just a bunch of dust. Actually, the photo really doesn't make it clear how much is there. Just imagine a lot of dust. As Cathy said, that's not a dust bunny, it's a dust lion!

The weird thing is that I actually clean under the bed! Apparently I missed a spot!

And no, I didn't put that book there--it was already there, and how it got there is a bit of a mystery. I almost didn't see it under the pounds and pounds of dust balls. I should've saved all the dust so that someone who's really into recycling could've used it to insulate a house.

I suppose it could've been much worse. But when I removed the box spring, I swear I heard the vacuum cleaner gulp. FAIL!



Well, that's all folks! Good night and sleep well!

Rob

DW&F: Beds and Bogus Offers

Hello everyone!

Tonight, we're having friends over for game night, so I'm hoping to post this before they get here so I don't have to say, "Excuse me, but I need to go blog."

Daily Win and FAIL!

Win: A new king-size bed!

Today we bought a brand spanking new king-size Spring Air mattress and box-spring set. Supposedly, it will be here Tuesday, which means that I might actually wake up Wednesday morning without any back pain. Either that or I'll still wake up with back pain, and that means that we wasted a lot of money. I doubt the latter will happen, though, since I can't imagine a new bed being as bad as our current one with its Grand Canyon-sized depression in the middle. Regardless, since we'll be moving up from a queen-sized to a king-sized bed, it will be nice for both of us to have some room to stretch out since our cat currently insists on taking up half the bed on a regular basis. Actually, now that I think about it, a bigger bed probably just means she'll take up even more room. It's a good thing we don't have a dog! Still, a new bed means Win!

FAIL: Bogus Offers

Here's a credit card I received in the mail today:

If you look closely, it says I'm "pre-approved to apply." What is that supposed to mean? Do I have to be approved before I can even apply?

Seriously, I have a hard time believing that there is such a huge demand for the Citi Platinum Select MasterCard with its "attractive" 9.9% variable APR that it's considered some sort of convenient opportunity to just apply. I mean, basically they're saying that they're offering me the chance to pay 10% or so more each year for the things I already buy. Actually, that's not right. They're offering me the chance to apply for the opportunity to pay 10% or more each year for the things I already buy. Wow, what a deal, eh? I might as well just send them my full paycheck twice a month in the hopes that I might someday receive an offer to merely give them 10% annually as opposed to having to apply to give them 10% annually. One can only dream...

Seriously, I've more or less had it with credit card companies. Think about it this way: they make more money on interest payments when we can't pay our bills and our credit score gets worse. So, do you really think they want us to pay our bills on time? Of course not. But the paradox is that if people can't pay their bills at all, the credit card companies lose money, which is something they don't want. So they try to straddle the line between their customers paying their bills late and not paying at all. And in the end, it's a lot like being friends with a drug addict: sure he'll take you to a lot of fun parties, but he might steal your new LCD TV when you aren't paying attention. Or think of it this way: credit card companies are like loan sharks. They pay you now to screw you later.

God bless the USA!

However, we want to buy a house someday, so let me just say that if you're reading this and evaluating my credit, I love banks! You banky guys rock, and I hope to pay you three of four times the purchased value of my home over the course of 30 years. Viva capitalism!

But as far as credit card companies go, FAIL!

Well, I didn't get this posted before my guests showed up, but that doesn't matter because I'm now much wiser after getting humbled at both Cranium and Apples to Apples. I hope to pass that wisdom on to you, the viewer, shortly in the near future.

Here's a preview of the wisdom I learned tonight: don't lose. Also, don't try to speak Spanish to the lady working behind the counter at midnight at Burrito Boy. You'll only embarrass yourself, and she'll tell your dark-skinned friend that he needs to teach you Spanish.

Rob