Recurring Nightmare

So, twice in the past week I've had a nightmare that I'm back (or maybe still?) in college and I forgot to do something really important.   In the first dream, I was living in my sorority house for a third year (which would NEVER happen) and I almost forgot to go to room picks so I didn't have anywhere to live.  In my second dream, I was going to be a senior in college (again)  and I forgot to register for classes, so I was scrambling to register at the last minute.  So weird.  Also, you know how sometimes in dreams, when you wake up and think it wasn't really a dream but reality, and it takes a couple minutes to realize it was just a dream?  This happened both times.  When I woke up, I started scrambling to get things in order - it wasn't until a couple minutes later that I realized what was really happening.  

What does this all mean?!?!

Offended By Spam

So, I (well, my e-mail address) somehow got on the solicitation list from the Chicago Dianetics Center.  

Sidenote:  Dianetics is a set of ideas and practices regarding the relationship between spirit, mind and body that were developed by L. Ron Hubbard (name sound familiar?  Think Scientology.).  Courtesy of Wikipedia.

So, lately, I've gotten a couple bits of spam....

1)   Life Need Repair?

Come in today for a free Life Repair consultation.

 

Our Life Repair Program consists of an extremely personalized individual profile dividing your life into various divisions so we can see exactly what in your life needs to be handled with the most urgency and speed.

 

Next, we address those issues with the exact thing to handle it immediately so it does not return. 

 

Call today to schedule your free consultation

2)  The Unconscious, Subconscious or Reactive Mind Underlies and Enslaves Man

It's the source of your nightmares, unreasonable fears, upsets and any insecurity.

 

LEARN TO CONTROL YOUR REACTIVE MIND

 

Buy and read Dianetics: The Modern Science of Mental Health by L. Ron Hubbard

 

It contains discoveries heralded as greater than the wheel or fire.

3)  Why Can't You Trust Your Significant Other??

Hi,

 

This Monday at 7:30 pm we will be hosting a free lecture called "Why can't you trust your significant other?"

 

In this lecture you will learn:

1.       Why people cheat in relationships.

2.       How to KNOW whether someone is trustworthy.

3.       How to repair failed relationships.

4.       Why you experience miss-emotions about your significant other like:

·         Sadness

·         Anxiety

·         Worry

·         Anger

·         Hatred

 

You are invited. 

Needless to say, I feel like a 35 year-old man who has been sent a solicitation for Viagra or the Hair Club for Men.  What makes them think my life needs repair??  And I don't have a significant other - but if I did, I better be able to trust him, if he wants to remain my significant other.  Chicago Dianetics Center - you are barking up the wrong tree!!  Why don't you get back to brainwashing Katie Holmes!!  

Defending the Wrongfully Accused

Now, in today's Sun-Times, within the first three pages, one can find stories on three separate instances of men who killed/tried to kill their wives.

People around the office have been commenting on it. Many women have been making the comment 'I'm glad I'm not married' or 'I'm never getting married'. Whenever there are very public stories of very unfortunate situations involving a married couple (such as this, or a raging celeb divorce - oh, we've got those in the daily paper too!) - these lamentations come out.

I would like to propose an alternative theory - in these specific cases, it's not the institution of marriage - it's the asshole(s) involved in it.

Now, granted - let me say this. I'm not married. I don't know what it's like to be married. And, I understand that planning a life with and being with the same person day in and day out for decades on end can be challenging and stressful in many ways. I understand that it's something that one doesn't truly understand unless he or she is experiencing it, and I understand that it might push one to do things he or she normally wouldn't.

WITHIN REASON.

Is murder within reason? Um, not so much!!!

When people hear stories like this - they look to blame marriage. I'm not sure who or what is to blame, exactly, but I don't think marriage is the right target. I'd sooner say to swear off the opposite (or, I suppose, same) sex, dating, romance, relationships, or people in general. Although I'm not sure these are the right targets either, I think they're closer to the bullseye.

Here's my personal take - it takes a certain kind of person to murder someone. We all have certain limits to our character. A normal, decent, good person is not going to be driven to murder by marriage. He (or she) will address conflicts within the relationship in other ways. Most people I know who have sworn off marriage are either a) in a relationship that is pretty close to the equivalent of being married or b) still quick to trust and date.

Not that I'm saying these people should be swearing off all of the aforementioned. However, in the same sense that I wouldn't want to be married to the kind of person who would do something so horrendous, I wouldn't want to be casually hooking up with him either. If someone is a questionable character - what good is ANY romantic involvement with the person?

My proposed solution...I don't really have one. But I think people are using marriage as a scapegoat to justify staying in a relationship with or getting involved with someone whose character is questionable, as if this makes everything ok (it's ok, cause we're not married!). I think we need to more objectively evalute and be more cynical to other people, not institutions. Although I realize that just because two people are good people doesn't mean they can necessarily make a relationship work with each other (in or out of marriage), I think if there's a red flag that one shouldn't be married to someone because of issues of character, the same goes that one probably shouldn't be dating him or her, either.

(Me, recommending cynicism. Surprising?)

Living the Dream?!?

So, when I was much younger, I wanted to be a writer.  It started as a young adult fiction series writer (Ann M. Martin, anyone?!?!), which then progressed into an advice columnist (Dear Jaime...), which then progressed into a journalist.   I wanted to specifically write an opinion column (the kind where I could rant about anything I wanted to).

However, somewhere along the line, partially because of the journalist lifestyle, partially out of the dwindling number of journalism jobs in the country, partially because of a need for stability and a decent income, partially out of having other dreams as well (don't we all?), partially for a lot of reasons, I became disenchanted and took a different career path and majored in advertising.  So here I am now.

Only, I was thinking - the whole idea that our career should be what we do in our spare time; what we would do if we didn't have to work...   I have this blog where I get to write reviews, critiques and commentary on politics and current events.   Through this, I kind of am living out my dream....

Only, I'm not getting paid for it.

Small technicality?!

Looking for Some Reading Material?

So, in case I don't update this blog often enough for your liking and you need some reading material (or perhaps a politics fix), try googling either of the following (with quotations):  "McCain denies" or "Obama denies".   Both promise hours of reading material and hundreds of thousands of entries.

In the spirit of the political campaign, I did some google wars....

McCain denies vs. Obama denies

Advantage (or really, shouldn't it be disadvantage) Obama

McCain lies vs. Obama lies

Advantage Obama (by over double...)

McCain flip-flops vs. Obama flip-flops

Advantage McCain

McCain is a rockstar vs. Obama is a rockstar

Advantage Obama (duhhhh)

No results found for "mccain is a rockstar". There you have it!!

The Secret

I plan on doing an in-depth piece on said book - but first, before I do, I'm wondering - have any of my blog readers read said book?  What were your thoughts and opinions?  Please leave them here - I would love to hear.

Indecent Exposure

So, twice today, on two separate occasions, I saw a man sitting in a car masturbating!!?!?  YUCK! Ew, ew, ew!  This was NOT how I wanted to spend my day off!!  One on of the occasions - it was blatant intentional harassment, so I was able to get the license plate and reported it (he apparently was blatantly intentionally harassing other women in the area, according to the Chicago police).

My question - why!?!?  Ok, I get why to do said act - but in public!?!  Are they homeless?  They both had decently nice cars, so I'm guessing not.  Do they not have an appropriate place where they can do said act?  The second man seemed to be attempting to be discreet about it, but SERIOUSLY.

Now, I get it that the kind of men who do this, these exhibitionists - the first guy I came across - are pervs who are in some way getting a kick out of this - but still, I'm wondering - how?  What's the thrill?  Do they, in some way, think this is a turn on to women?  Let me tell you something - it's not.  It was in better judgment when Britney flashed the paparazzi.

(I'd insert a joke about how if you want to turn on a woman, flash your WALLET at her - although I'm afraid some people might take this the wrong way.  Oops, too late.)

Here is my advice, gentle....err, I mean, men - ALWAYS assume we DON'T want to see it.  If we happen to feel otherwise, I promise, we'll let you know.  Thank you.

Book Review

So I said I'd review the book and here I am, doing so!  The book being, of course, Debunked, by Richard Roeper (which was returned to me signed with a personalized message - sigh).  Ok, moving right along.

The book - hi-fucking-larious!  Almost to the point of embarrassment - I couldn't read it in public because I'd kept on bursting into fits in laughter which got some interesting looks from strangers.  (In response to George W. Bush's suggestion to use less gas in lieu of rising gas prices - 'see, here's the funny thing about gas - we need it to make our cars go!')

What I liked best about the book was the format of short 5-20 page chapters - he didn't drone on and it read just like his daily column in the paper (which I obviously read daily).  Something about his writing style - the dry wit,  perhaps, gets the better of me every time.  

However, I have a few potential criticisms of the book.  Richard Roeper and I are on similar planes - politically, so it was easy for me to read because it reaffirmed my own opinions.  However, I don't know that his book 'reached across the aisle', if you will.  In the same sense that I'd probably wince at Ann Coulter's books, I'm sure this book would have that same eye-rolling effect on those who don't share his beliefs.

Second - I can't help but wonder - what is the controlling purpose of his book?  Brief overview - the subject of this book is Richard going after urban legends and disproving them.   He seems to opt to pull the rug out from under the conspiracy theorists.  For some of the topics he covers - the more trivial, such as evian water - or the more non-credible in the first place, such as the Virgin Mary in the grilled cheese, can easily be 'debunked' in a matter of under ten pages.   However, some of the more serious topics, such as 9/11 or Hurricane Katrina would realistically require almost entire in-depth books in and of themselves to debunk - he touched on a lot of important, interesting points - but it was a brief synopsis of what would be required to really lay the issue to rest.  

Also, he often used improbability as an argument - which, although it has a point to it (if 9/11 was an inside job, how many people would have had to have been in on it, and what are they odds they would have ALL kept their mouths shut?!  almost impossible), it is not completely airtight.   Although it was a great read, I don't know if this was meant to be more op ed (think Bill O'Reilly or Keith Olbermann) than objective news - it is definitely the former; whether or not that was the intention is the question in my mind.  

My final issue - I can't help but wonder, is he against conspiracy theorists in general?  Aren't we taught to not take things at face value; to question everything?   At least, we should be...that's  the only way to overcome misinformation.  I kind of feel he takes a moment to mock the cynics and the skeptics of  the world - the cynics are my people.  Go ahead, take a shot at Catholics, women, Polacks, U of Illinois grads, any other group I potentially could be associated with - but please, please, PLEASE don't mock the cynics.

However, despite my criticisms (how could I not have them;  I'm a cynic, I question everything), I would still say I highly recommend the book.  It's a quick read - I finished it in four work days.  I dreaded when the el came to a stop because I had to put it down.   This was my first Roeper book - I will definitely have to further explore his library.

Ad

Ok, I promise I will stop pimping the ads on my page...however, isn't this one hilarious?

Ad

You know, cause you really want to shop for Jaime...literally.

Good Article

So I read this article in Glamour magazine that I found interesting.  

Hypnosis

Now, I personally am NOT into new age philosophy in the least of ways, however, I found this article to be an interesting, concise argument for hypnotism.  The thing I found most appealing was the fact that, if you read the article in the physical issue of Glamour, you will see pulled quotes of whom it worked for and whom it didn't - it doesn't try to be the have all, be all fix for everyone; it simply makes the argument that it's worth consideration for some people.   This makes it seem like less of a snake-oil sales attempt and more of a real, potential means of helping people.

I know multiple people who swear by hypnotism - from family members to people I work with - some of whom are the last you'd expect to swear by it (such as a fifty-something cynical, practical man who insists he could not have quit smoking without it).  

Also, I found it interesting that those who are dreamers are strong candidates - I am DEFINITELY a daydreamer (to the point that it often got me in trouble in school growing up).   From the brief description, I think I would be the perfect candidate.  Too bad I don't have any bad habits (ha, ha, ha) - at least none that I actually want to change....

Call Me Perez Hilton!

Something exciting has happened - Jaime's blog is (almost) on the radar!  

I signed up for google ad sense (as I'm sure you've picked up on from five prior posts on the subject matter) - and over the weekend, Jaime's Blog got 131 hits in a span of two days!!!  

Granted, these are not necessarily 'unique' visitors.  So let's be honest - let's throw at least 25 hits to me (I'm a narcissist, I like to admire - and sometimes edit- my work) and a good 25 to my mother.   That's still 81 hits unaccounted for!  Ok, maybe we can boost my mother to 35 - still, 71!!!!!  My blog was visited 71 times!!!

This only inspires me to write more quality posts.  (Much unlike, ahem, this one.)

E-mail Forward

I found this amusing....

A man was being tailgated by a stressed out woman on a busy boulevard. Suddenly, the light turned yellow, just in front of him. He did the right thing, stopping at the crosswalk, even though he could have beaten the red light by accelerating through the intersection.

The tailgating woman was furious and honked her horn repeatedly. She screamed and cursed in frustration as she missed her chance to get through the intersection, dropping her cell phone and makeup as a result of the short stop. As she was still in mid-rant, she heard a rather abrupt tapping on her window. She looked up into the face of a very serious police officer.

The officer ordered her to exit her car with her hands up. He took her to the police station where she was searc hed, finger printed, photographed, and placed in a holding cell. After a couple of hours, an officer approached the cell and opened the door. She was escorted back to the booking desk where the arresting officer was waiting with her personal effects.

He said, 'I'm very sorry for this mistake. You see, I pulled up behind your car while you were blowing your horn, flipping off the guy in front of you, and cussing a blue streak at him. I noticed the ' What Would Jesus Do' bumper sticker, the 'Choose Life' license plate holder, the 'Follow Me to Sunday School' bumper sticker, and the chrome-plated Christian fish emblem on the trunk.'

"Naturally, I assumed you had stolen the car."