Are YOU &$^ Material?

You know how there are those radio spots for certain career paths? Example:

"Do you enjoy working in a fast-paced environment? Are you looking to make over $50K a year? You should consider a career as a medical transponder!"

Well, a good friend and I used to work at, let's just say, an interesting company. And not interesting in a good way. We say the tragic experience brought us together. We decided, while carpooling and hearing many a radio spots like the aforementioned, to create the 'want-ad' for said company, based on what the company seemed to be looking for based on it's other hiring choices and job responsibilities.

I will refrain from mentioning the name of said company to protect the guilty (NOT the Sun-Times :)). Imagine the following being read in your typical radio-commercial announcer voice:

"Is busywork your specialty?
Does mental stimulation make you ill?
Do you lack all forms of social skills?
Does being surrounded by interesting people cause you excess anxiety?
Is succeeding just not a priority?
Are you looking for the closest thing to solitary confinement?
Does human interaction frighten you??
Maybe you should consider a career at...."

Handwriting Analyst

So last night's Sun-Times birthday bash included a handwriting analyst as entertainment fare (I can only assume all magicians and balloon animal artists were already booked).

I decided to get in line 'for fun' - giving this the same amount of credibility as a palm-reader, astrologist or psychic. And in case any reader is wondering how much credibility that might be, well, remember, I am a regularly practicing cynic.

Let me preface this with the following statement: often times, things like horoscopes will have very subltly-general statements, such as "the happiness of those you care about is more important to you than your own" or "you're ambitious, it bothers you when others around you don't pull their own weight", which, generally speaking, MANY can find apply to themselves yet will still elicit a reaction of "OMG, sooo true!"

Her analysis of my signature, birthday, and brief cursive sentence:

--I am sensitive but I don't like people to know it
--I have trouble expressing my needs and feelings to others in my life, by the time I'm expressing them, I'm angry
--I see things in black and white, there is very little gray area in my life
--I have some creative side, perhaps I'm a writer....
--Sometimes I put up walls to block out emotions

Her advice to me:

--Become more in tune with my emotions; take down the wall
--See if I can get a deal to write a children's book (....)

Thoughts?

I Love Birthday Parties!

Six months ago, my workplace turned 60. Tomorrow is its 'birthday party' at Morton's steakhouse. When the company agrees to pick up the bar tab, you know there's bound to be some interesting happenings throughout the night.

Happy Birthday Chicago Sun-Times! Here's hoping for another great 60!! (fingers crossed!)

Sex and the City Movie

As you can see from the post below, I saw the Sex and the City movie premiere last night.

As Samantha Jones would say: Spec-fucking-tacular!!

I won't go into any spoilers - but I will say this. I think, in general, 95% of loyal SATC fans will love the movie. Most who saw the movie last night were long-term fans and they all seemed to thoroughly enjoy it. I think people who are not all that familiar with the show and the characters will split - I'm guessing a 50/50 split on reviews from the big-player critics. To look at it as a random romantic comedy - it's not unpredictable and a little long (2 1/2 hour - which flied for me).

However, what made the movie, for me, was that all the characters were exactly as I'd remembered them. They were kept consistent with the show. All original actors were used (even for the bit parts - Magda the housekeeper even!), so it felt as if it could be a seventh season in and of itself.

I know I'll be seeing it again this weekend, as well as purchasing it on dvd. :)

My Fifteen Minutes of Fame

I'm not the only blogger out there....

http://www.nbc5.com/streetteam/index.html?dl=mainclick

This is from the Sex and the City movie premiere....

Book Review

So, I just finished the book "Microtrends", by Mark J. Penn (you may recognize the name of the fired Clinton campaign manager with the NAFTA issue). I must say - FANTASTIC!

I think what I liked best about the book was the style in which it was written. Penn identifies small groups - one percent of the population, or sometimes even less, that are in some ways making significant differences in society and how we live our lives - their small stone is making a big ripple. He makes the argument that these many small groups are the ones making the long term changes in how things work.

He then goes on to outline 75 small groups who are becoming more and more prevalent. Some of the groups were only of moderate interest to me (protestant hispanics, young knitters), while others were quite intriguing, especially because I'd already noticed the existence of said groups (permissive parents, sun-haters, southpaws unbound).

What Penn really does well is, for each group, in under five pages - he gives a strong overview of the group, cites some background research documenting their existence and then goes on to explain why exactly they are significant, along with future implications (we can thank the protestant hispanics for George W. Bush - for they voted for him disproportionately in swing states). With the five page cap (which he only violates once or twice all book), this book is perfect for the reader with ADD. (Although he discusses those "Long Attention Spanners" in chapter 9.)

All in all, I highly recommend this book. Agree or disagree with his points - he has a strong argument for the prevalence of each of the groups he brings up.

Now my new dilemma is which book I should read next....

Worst Phone Ever

So this is my phone. The LG Chocolate.

The blog title implies my feelings toward it quite well. I've had it nine months. It's been a loooong nine months.

Often times, when I have it out and others see it, they will comment that they have the same phone. Then, unanimously, we'll both at the same time say "I HATE IT". It's failproof; it happens almost every time.

What's wrong with it, you ask? The wannabe spin wheel. Try to press right and it goes up. Try to press up and it goes left. A person can adjust the sensitivity, but that doesn't help its inability to understand what it is being asked to do.

Also, after years of having a flip phone, I stopped locking the keypad. With this phone, it is CONSTANTLY placing phone calls of its own will. I had to make a fake number under a fake name 'aa', so I would stop calling the first person in my phone (who now probably wants a restraining order...). Yes, I COULD lock the keypad - but it's an annoyance, especially after years of not having to.

So, my contract renews in a couple months. I will be thrilled to send this chocolate on its way. Yes, I supposed I could spring and buy a new phone now.... Whatever. I thoroughly blame Verizon for trying to convince me that this was a state-of-the-art, cool, fun phone. Not so much, Verizon, not so much.

As I said, I have met a ton of people who have this same phone and feel the same way about it. Is there anyone out there who has had this phone over a month and actually likes it?

Work Week

No, I'm not referring to the preparation week before formal sorority recruitment (formerly known as 'rush')....

Wait - none of my readers understand what the previous sentence means?

NEVERMIND. Moving right along....

I don't know about you, but I'd be ok with having a four day work week with 10 hour workdays. Is anyone with me? I think I've heard of Europeans having this schedule (maybe that's not true...). I think so much more can get done in a day off, and not all that much can get done in the open evening after a full work day (I don't know about you, but I'm exhausted at the end of the day). Who is with me?

Not Just a Three Day Weekend

Back to Reality

American Idol and Dancing with the Stars (which was a mistake to get involved with in the first place, let me tell you) ended this week. THANK GOODNESS. My only worries now are what I'm going to do with all the extra time in my week. I'll have to get back into reading or spend more time outdoors. Seriously - I don't know how I got into the reality tv trap, and I unfortunately can't say I'll be able to prevent it from happening again next season. Sigh.

Starbucks, Part 2

So there's a new Starbucks logo (actually, I heard a possible rumor that it's really an old logo that they've revived) that's causing a lot of controversy. I found a quote from some conservative Christian group on the subject:

The Resistance, a national Christian group based in San Diego, has a problem with Starbucks’ new, design. Resistance founder Mark Dice pointed to the label’s “naked woman ... with her legs spread like a prostitute” and said Starbucks “might as well call themselves “Slutbucks".”

I've never taken 'too sensitive' too seriously. However, judge for yourself:

I must say the new logo is considerably uglier....

I can count all zee way to....

Today is my mother's birthday! Happy Birthday to Marcia - one of this blog's most loyal readers.

Sidenote: A girl really gets slammed at this time of year. Mothers' Day was two weeks ago. My dad's b-day was last week. My mom's b-day is today. Fathers' day is in a couple weeks. Sheesh!