It's after midnight. I've spent the last five hours cleaning and organizing my kitchen. Dishes washed and put away, spices moved from scattered position on countertop to smashed position in cupboard, ping pong balls collected and placed together in one basket. Thoughts on the matter: I didn't realize we had so many spoons or so many different containers of pepper, salt and garlic salt. Also, the pasta maker doesn't really make pasta. I'm not sure what it does. The kitchen doesn't look any different YET I am not disheartened.
It's quiet. Very quiet.
I've decided to make fried rice.
Tuesday, December 29, 2009
Wednesday, December 23, 2009
Carl Jung
"Where love rules, there is no will to power; and where power predominates, there love is lacking. The one is the shadow of the other."
—The Psychology of the Unconscious, 1943
—The Psychology of the Unconscious, 1943
Sunday, December 13, 2009
What About Brian Probably Makes Me Stupid
I promised myself I wouldn't add another post the same night I created this blog but since John has my GRE book and I've been reading Joanna's blogs I figured I'd add another post for shits and giggles.
I'm addicted to Hulu. Somewhere in the recesses of my mind I've convinced myself that watching cliche shows and terrible animation online DOES NOT make me a fan. Absolute bollucks of course but hey, what else am I going to do when I've read all the fmls and checked my e-mail three times? Work on my book? Find online sources to continue my GRE studying? I think not.
One night I was looking for the new episode of American Dad (yep, I'm a fan) and discovered to my dismay there wasn't one for that week. At a loss, I clicked on one the Hulu suggested shows, What About Brian, and was a little surprised.
I went into it thinking it'd be the typical group of friends comedy with tiny moments of drama show. It was on ABC which is not known for taking risky ventures and had a cast of attractive white people. Instead, I found a show that not only took the UK approach to launching a new series meaning instead of a show that's already slated for 12 episodes that begin to meander since writers rarely conceive of a series with the WHOLE story mapped out. Rather, they know the characters, the beginning and the end but the journey there gets muddled, it had a 6 episode first season run that was just enough to create engaging characters and an interesting story line. I can go for hours on what's wrong with television writing but I'll save that for another day.
Back to What About Brian. The premise is a group of friends all are in various states of being together, married for thirteen years, married for a few years or together for two. Except Brian. Brian is the friend who is not in a relationship and, when he is, never stays in for long. Now the show could have made a wacky show about the friends (that include Brian's partner in desiging games, his best friend from high school and his sister) trying to hook him constantly with more and more wacky women until Brian meets the woman of his dreams who doesn't work for a nice heart wrenching episode like she's in the military or has cancer or some bullshit.
In the first episode, we're briefly introduced these characters and Brian gets into a fender bender with a woman who becomes known as Car Girl. He's not into the relationship and everyone can see that and razz him that he should break it off but they know he won't which leads to a surprising moment. The girlfriend of his best friend Adam, a pediatrician named Marjorie, pulls him aside to tell him "I know everyone thinks you're just not the relationship guy. But it's not that. You're a romantic and you're waiting for something. But how are you going to find it if you're messing around with these girls you don't care about..." And the sound drops out while the camera focuses in on Brian. Immediate cut to him confessing to his partner Dave that he's in love with Marjorie. "You're not in love with Marjorie, Adam's in love with Marjorie"
Why do I like this? Because they gave NO indication that there was ANYTHING between Brian and Marjorie. It was total left-field. And when Brian realizes he's in love with her, the show doesn't veer into Brian constantly chasing Marjorie or bemoaning that it will never work. It goes the high natural route. Brian and Marjorie deal with it like normal people. When there's the threat that something might happen between them, they get the hell away from each other and the story focuses back on the other characters who are equally interesting... for once. There's the married couple who make a tenuous decision to open their marriage. The married couple, an older woman with a younger man, who are trying to conceive with the age difference causing obvious problems. The couple (that is Adam and Marjorie) gearing up for their split-second engagement. The best part of this show is the last episode of the season wasn't Marjorie standing at the altar and Brian coming to "save" her. It was the two of them arguing witnessed soundlessly through a window by Adam.
It's no Wire but for what it's supposed to be, a show about relationships between some pretty successful people, it's pretty good.
My major complaint however is the second season. After the end of the first season, I was all geared up to see what happened but what I found was, well, novice recent film school graduate writing. "In the first season, Brian was torn up over Marjorie so let's have him make this big speech about second chances and run after Marjorie. Oh Deena and Dave developed major issues over Deena sleeping with someone in their open major, rather than them having an adult conversation about why that wasn't ok let's have Dave sleep with someone else over the course of MONTHS! Now Deena a victim and it's DRAMATIC!" And the theme song they tacked to the opening, Calling All Friends? Are you serious? No wonder the show didn't last past two seasons.
But for the most part, the first season is pretty entertaining.
I apologize for all the grammatical mistakes, I ran out of time and didn't feel like saving this to finish later. I'll edit later if it's necessary.
I'm addicted to Hulu. Somewhere in the recesses of my mind I've convinced myself that watching cliche shows and terrible animation online DOES NOT make me a fan. Absolute bollucks of course but hey, what else am I going to do when I've read all the fmls and checked my e-mail three times? Work on my book? Find online sources to continue my GRE studying? I think not.
One night I was looking for the new episode of American Dad (yep, I'm a fan) and discovered to my dismay there wasn't one for that week. At a loss, I clicked on one the Hulu suggested shows, What About Brian, and was a little surprised.
I went into it thinking it'd be the typical group of friends comedy with tiny moments of drama show. It was on ABC which is not known for taking risky ventures and had a cast of attractive white people. Instead, I found a show that not only took the UK approach to launching a new series meaning instead of a show that's already slated for 12 episodes that begin to meander since writers rarely conceive of a series with the WHOLE story mapped out. Rather, they know the characters, the beginning and the end but the journey there gets muddled, it had a 6 episode first season run that was just enough to create engaging characters and an interesting story line. I can go for hours on what's wrong with television writing but I'll save that for another day.
Back to What About Brian. The premise is a group of friends all are in various states of being together, married for thirteen years, married for a few years or together for two. Except Brian. Brian is the friend who is not in a relationship and, when he is, never stays in for long. Now the show could have made a wacky show about the friends (that include Brian's partner in desiging games, his best friend from high school and his sister) trying to hook him constantly with more and more wacky women until Brian meets the woman of his dreams who doesn't work for a nice heart wrenching episode like she's in the military or has cancer or some bullshit.
In the first episode, we're briefly introduced these characters and Brian gets into a fender bender with a woman who becomes known as Car Girl. He's not into the relationship and everyone can see that and razz him that he should break it off but they know he won't which leads to a surprising moment. The girlfriend of his best friend Adam, a pediatrician named Marjorie, pulls him aside to tell him "I know everyone thinks you're just not the relationship guy. But it's not that. You're a romantic and you're waiting for something. But how are you going to find it if you're messing around with these girls you don't care about..." And the sound drops out while the camera focuses in on Brian. Immediate cut to him confessing to his partner Dave that he's in love with Marjorie. "You're not in love with Marjorie, Adam's in love with Marjorie"
Why do I like this? Because they gave NO indication that there was ANYTHING between Brian and Marjorie. It was total left-field. And when Brian realizes he's in love with her, the show doesn't veer into Brian constantly chasing Marjorie or bemoaning that it will never work. It goes the high natural route. Brian and Marjorie deal with it like normal people. When there's the threat that something might happen between them, they get the hell away from each other and the story focuses back on the other characters who are equally interesting... for once. There's the married couple who make a tenuous decision to open their marriage. The married couple, an older woman with a younger man, who are trying to conceive with the age difference causing obvious problems. The couple (that is Adam and Marjorie) gearing up for their split-second engagement. The best part of this show is the last episode of the season wasn't Marjorie standing at the altar and Brian coming to "save" her. It was the two of them arguing witnessed soundlessly through a window by Adam.
It's no Wire but for what it's supposed to be, a show about relationships between some pretty successful people, it's pretty good.
My major complaint however is the second season. After the end of the first season, I was all geared up to see what happened but what I found was, well, novice recent film school graduate writing. "In the first season, Brian was torn up over Marjorie so let's have him make this big speech about second chances and run after Marjorie. Oh Deena and Dave developed major issues over Deena sleeping with someone in their open major, rather than them having an adult conversation about why that wasn't ok let's have Dave sleep with someone else over the course of MONTHS! Now Deena a victim and it's DRAMATIC!" And the theme song they tacked to the opening, Calling All Friends? Are you serious? No wonder the show didn't last past two seasons.
But for the most part, the first season is pretty entertaining.
I apologize for all the grammatical mistakes, I ran out of time and didn't feel like saving this to finish later. I'll edit later if it's necessary.
Opening Post/Take That Job Stupid
Because there should always be a statement of intention.
I recently graduated and by recent, I mean within the last two years. What my degrees were in is irrelevant seeing as what you choose as a major rarely reflects what you want to do in life. You're asked to pick a direction but God knows really where you go. Just like your grades (unless you drop out) mean very little.
And I believe I've come to another topic in this opening post. The whimpy, whiny nature of our modern society.
I work two low-paying jobs. Why? I got a degree (two really). I should be a professional by now shouldn't I? Well that's not how things work. I was taught at an early age, if your job pays the bills it's a good job. Some people get the job that pays the bills and allows for weekend trips and splurging while some people get the job that just gets them by. I'm the latter. Do I wish I was paid more, of course. Do I want a job that showcases the skills I developed getting myself into $20,000 worth of debt? I'd be an idiot if I said no. Am I happy? Well, yeah actually. I work all the time, I'm tired all the time, I'm scraping by all the time. But kids, I'm lucky. I only had to weather three months of unemployment before I had a steady paycheck coming in. Only three months of eating what my roommate left behind and (yes) occasionally shop-lifting from grocery stores. I've had friends sleeping on my couch who were worse off. And my jobs are awesome.
I spent two months driving a cab before a few too many close-calls with drunken frat boys and too many nights walking by myself at 3 or 4 in the morning through a bad stretch of town (I didn't have a car of my own then) led me to quit. Luckily by then I'd already picked another job at a hookah lounge. A few months after that, I started nude modeling for extra cash and few months after that I picked up a third job at a record store. Like I said, my jobs are awesome although not as easy as it may seem.
A week ago I was at my record job when a young man came in asking for an application. I was the last hire for awhile so we had to tell the kid no. His response,
"Yeah, no one's hiring and I'm not working in a kitchen,"
What this kid didn't know is that both me and my coworker have second jobs working in a kitchen. I asked how old he was,
"19"
I laughed. Hard. It was rude, but really young man, do you think you're too good for a kitchen?
And here we're running into a problem. Now I admit, I've been holding down two jobs since I was sixteen, many of them service industry while a lot people I know didn't start holding down a job until they hit college or even after graduation. But I think I need to lay down some wisdom.
1) A job is a job. If you wait until you find the ideal job for you you are going to be waiting a long time and by the time you get your ass kicked enough times to consider taking that job you were above... that job will be gone. It's rude, but you can always quit if you find something better.
2) I still live in my small college town and I've learned if you work downtown they will take care of you. All the bars and restaurants know each other. If you piss off the manager of one, you know the manager of another has heard about it.
3) Every "cool" job starts you at the most bullshit position. You start washing dishes until they know they can trust you to not come in too drunk or high to cook. Then you cook and they learn you can handle a decent rush, then they let you tend bar or serve. That's how it works. Then you can get drunk and/or stoned after the shift with the rest of the veterans, because you earned it.
4) Fuck your degree. Your degree says only two things, you paid a shit ton of money for a piece of paper and you know a lot about Medieval Literature. It doesn't say "can be trusted to show up" it doesn't say "Will work hard" and it certainly doesn't say "This person is an intelligent and productive member of society". Think of all the people you've seen passed out drunk covered in their own vomit at a party. They got their degree too.
5) Being a waitress, cook or dishwasher is not easy and only the best are able to turn it into a lucrative job. You know the bartender who's always at your favorite bar and remembers your name and drink? They take home $200 in a night and that didn't happen in one week of hire.
6) My last point may be the most jarring. You think you're better than the guy in the kitchen? You've just asked someone to be alone with your food. In other words, you given them control over what is about to go in your body. Think about it.
Take the job that's offered. It looks better that you've had SOME experience rather than you finding a polite way to explain that you weren't willing to work.
I recently graduated and by recent, I mean within the last two years. What my degrees were in is irrelevant seeing as what you choose as a major rarely reflects what you want to do in life. You're asked to pick a direction but God knows really where you go. Just like your grades (unless you drop out) mean very little.
And I believe I've come to another topic in this opening post. The whimpy, whiny nature of our modern society.
I work two low-paying jobs. Why? I got a degree (two really). I should be a professional by now shouldn't I? Well that's not how things work. I was taught at an early age, if your job pays the bills it's a good job. Some people get the job that pays the bills and allows for weekend trips and splurging while some people get the job that just gets them by. I'm the latter. Do I wish I was paid more, of course. Do I want a job that showcases the skills I developed getting myself into $20,000 worth of debt? I'd be an idiot if I said no. Am I happy? Well, yeah actually. I work all the time, I'm tired all the time, I'm scraping by all the time. But kids, I'm lucky. I only had to weather three months of unemployment before I had a steady paycheck coming in. Only three months of eating what my roommate left behind and (yes) occasionally shop-lifting from grocery stores. I've had friends sleeping on my couch who were worse off. And my jobs are awesome.
I spent two months driving a cab before a few too many close-calls with drunken frat boys and too many nights walking by myself at 3 or 4 in the morning through a bad stretch of town (I didn't have a car of my own then) led me to quit. Luckily by then I'd already picked another job at a hookah lounge. A few months after that, I started nude modeling for extra cash and few months after that I picked up a third job at a record store. Like I said, my jobs are awesome although not as easy as it may seem.
A week ago I was at my record job when a young man came in asking for an application. I was the last hire for awhile so we had to tell the kid no. His response,
"Yeah, no one's hiring and I'm not working in a kitchen,"
What this kid didn't know is that both me and my coworker have second jobs working in a kitchen. I asked how old he was,
"19"
I laughed. Hard. It was rude, but really young man, do you think you're too good for a kitchen?
And here we're running into a problem. Now I admit, I've been holding down two jobs since I was sixteen, many of them service industry while a lot people I know didn't start holding down a job until they hit college or even after graduation. But I think I need to lay down some wisdom.
1) A job is a job. If you wait until you find the ideal job for you you are going to be waiting a long time and by the time you get your ass kicked enough times to consider taking that job you were above... that job will be gone. It's rude, but you can always quit if you find something better.
2) I still live in my small college town and I've learned if you work downtown they will take care of you. All the bars and restaurants know each other. If you piss off the manager of one, you know the manager of another has heard about it.
3) Every "cool" job starts you at the most bullshit position. You start washing dishes until they know they can trust you to not come in too drunk or high to cook. Then you cook and they learn you can handle a decent rush, then they let you tend bar or serve. That's how it works. Then you can get drunk and/or stoned after the shift with the rest of the veterans, because you earned it.
4) Fuck your degree. Your degree says only two things, you paid a shit ton of money for a piece of paper and you know a lot about Medieval Literature. It doesn't say "can be trusted to show up" it doesn't say "Will work hard" and it certainly doesn't say "This person is an intelligent and productive member of society". Think of all the people you've seen passed out drunk covered in their own vomit at a party. They got their degree too.
5) Being a waitress, cook or dishwasher is not easy and only the best are able to turn it into a lucrative job. You know the bartender who's always at your favorite bar and remembers your name and drink? They take home $200 in a night and that didn't happen in one week of hire.
6) My last point may be the most jarring. You think you're better than the guy in the kitchen? You've just asked someone to be alone with your food. In other words, you given them control over what is about to go in your body. Think about it.
Take the job that's offered. It looks better that you've had SOME experience rather than you finding a polite way to explain that you weren't willing to work.
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