[Miscellany]
Thursday, August 15, 2013
Sexual Politics
The most damaging thing about Tony Abbott's comments describing his colleague (candidate for Lindsay, Fiona Scott) is a good choice for the job because she is young, feisty and has sex appeal, is not that it's so very misogynistic (though, just to be clear... I do think it is appalling) but more importantly that it's a reductive way to regard all women.
Generally speaking, it may be flattering to be referred to as having sex appeal but it is completely inappropriate for someone to do so when describing someone's professional capacity. The value on women is already too often measured in our sex appeal. Not only is it shallow to describe someone's best qualities as being part of their looks but also we must note that sex appeal has a shelf life. Therefore when that runs out (and it inevitably will) then what of her qualifications to fulfill her role then? If there are no qualifications so important as her ability to turn men on when that runs out we must assume that she will no longer be useful. More alarmingly, what if you are a woman without any sex appeal? God forbid I suppose you'd have to rely on your sheer tenacity, drive, smarts, experience, clear thinking, idealism and compassion to make it as a politician... not that any of this matters if you are a woman in our future PM's eyes. Apparently, judging by the "oh he was just being nice, lighten up" supporters of T.Abbott nothing of substance about women matters in a LOT of people's eyes.
I understand that's not what Mr. Abbott said but it's not what he said that motivates me to write this it's what lives between the lines of what he said. Ultimately, when you reduce a woman's qualities to sex then that is what you are expecting from her. What of her abilities as a political candidate? Surely, it's taken a lot of other qualities for her to get to where she is yet the sum of her achievements through his eyes is so inconsequential that he cannot even think of what they are!
As for Mark Latham. What an arsehole.
Labels: dirty femmo, political musings, rant, silly rabbit, yes I am taking politics
Sunday, August 11, 2013
Rambling Crazy Lady Post
It's been a funny old contemplative weekend. I caught up with an old friend on Friday night. K is resplendent in the later stages of her pregnancy and I am torn with being so happy for her and with noticing my own utter lack in this department. Soon I will be the only one in that particular friendship group sans child. This is not exactly a welcome concept, mostly due to the fact that our conversations already revolve around poop and children and never around those philosophical and political arguments that we used to have and I wonder how much more baby centered they can become. It scares me for the state of our friendship, how much longer can I sustain not ever being asked how I am? Maybe soon I'll be able to slip away in the middle of a conversation and steal into the gin cupboard and no one will even notice. Even the crazy little voice inside my head is now telling me I need new friends that are at the same stage in life as I am that is (spinsters and lunatics).
K and I were still able to have a rational conversation on the account of the child still being in utero so we made the most of it by me moaning about my job and her looking at me pityingly and K discussing her fears about giving birth and me (unwisely) advising her to take all the drugs available (preferably at once). The birth thing sounds rather hard, scary and horrible but I can't pity it. It's a beautiful miracle and she is so fortunate to have the love in her life that has afforded this experience for her. I am trying to think of the fortunate things in my life. I keep coming up with 'at least I'm not homeless' or 'I never have to compromise over the remote control', which is absolutely true but also kind of sad if that is the best I can do.
EM whom I had dinner with last night is in my predicament but she has made peace with her childless, spinster state. I don't even know how you would begin to do that. I'm the opposite. Case in point - this is the photo I'm staring at right now as I type this. It lives on the wall of my study.
It's beautiful, no? It's a vision of (my) stupid, ridiculous hope and although I love looking at it I hate that I harbor these hopes still. It only makes it harder to move on with my life.
Despite that difference between EM and I, we are of one mind when it comes to the plight of the single lady in her 30s. I like having friends who completely understand what it is like not to want to go to weddings alone and lament on the unfairness of always giving the gift but never being the recipient of any. Also this:
Anyway we are now living in post-feminist glory (apparently) and a woman needs a man like a fish needs a bicycle (or so I've heard) but my God, when will the wilderness years be over? I don't give a shit about being independent or see taking the garbage out as a 'win' in the division of labour. I don't see being single as freeing at all. In fact I think you are more restricted as a single person. I can't quit my job and 'find myself'. Who exactly is going to pay the mortgage when I do that? If I get sick, there is a series of complicated measures I have to go through in order to get through it. There's no depending on someone to pick up the slack when things go wrong. I am not so much fearing being eaten by Alsatians as I am planning it now.
As for breeding. I can almost literally hear the tick-tocking of that old biological clock ringing in my ears and I realise that this is it. Halle Berry may be able to get away with having a baby in her late 40s but I won't be able to. It's now or never and this scares me because... well now is ...NOW. I have thought about this a bit and I have my own set of morals here about the subject but is it selfish to 'go it alone?' I'm not counting it out completely, but let's just say I'm not making any appointments to the clinic either...
I'm not even sure what the point of this entry is. I was going to write about the beauty in the passage of time as symbolised in seeing Before Midnight with K but um... I guess not. Sorry about that.
K and I were still able to have a rational conversation on the account of the child still being in utero so we made the most of it by me moaning about my job and her looking at me pityingly and K discussing her fears about giving birth and me (unwisely) advising her to take all the drugs available (preferably at once). The birth thing sounds rather hard, scary and horrible but I can't pity it. It's a beautiful miracle and she is so fortunate to have the love in her life that has afforded this experience for her. I am trying to think of the fortunate things in my life. I keep coming up with 'at least I'm not homeless' or 'I never have to compromise over the remote control', which is absolutely true but also kind of sad if that is the best I can do.
EM whom I had dinner with last night is in my predicament but she has made peace with her childless, spinster state. I don't even know how you would begin to do that. I'm the opposite. Case in point - this is the photo I'm staring at right now as I type this. It lives on the wall of my study.
It's beautiful, no? It's a vision of (my) stupid, ridiculous hope and although I love looking at it I hate that I harbor these hopes still. It only makes it harder to move on with my life.
Despite that difference between EM and I, we are of one mind when it comes to the plight of the single lady in her 30s. I like having friends who completely understand what it is like not to want to go to weddings alone and lament on the unfairness of always giving the gift but never being the recipient of any. Also this:
Anyway we are now living in post-feminist glory (apparently) and a woman needs a man like a fish needs a bicycle (or so I've heard) but my God, when will the wilderness years be over? I don't give a shit about being independent or see taking the garbage out as a 'win' in the division of labour. I don't see being single as freeing at all. In fact I think you are more restricted as a single person. I can't quit my job and 'find myself'. Who exactly is going to pay the mortgage when I do that? If I get sick, there is a series of complicated measures I have to go through in order to get through it. There's no depending on someone to pick up the slack when things go wrong. I am not so much fearing being eaten by Alsatians as I am planning it now.
As for breeding. I can almost literally hear the tick-tocking of that old biological clock ringing in my ears and I realise that this is it. Halle Berry may be able to get away with having a baby in her late 40s but I won't be able to. It's now or never and this scares me because... well now is ...NOW. I have thought about this a bit and I have my own set of morals here about the subject but is it selfish to 'go it alone?' I'm not counting it out completely, but let's just say I'm not making any appointments to the clinic either...
I'm not even sure what the point of this entry is. I was going to write about the beauty in the passage of time as symbolised in seeing Before Midnight with K but um... I guess not. Sorry about that.
Labels: babies, dirty femmo, friends, girls and women, messy women, rant, singletons, there is no life after babies for the mothers in the equation but maybe they don't mind so much anyway, what women want, women
Monday, July 15, 2013
Not My Place
I was going to do a music post that was me pressing shuffle and posting the first 5 songs that came up for laugh, but then I realised that it really wasn't going to work (for me). There's only so many times that The Pina Colada song can come up before you are shamed to paralysis. Okay I just admitted it, shame on me.
Anyway, the first song that came up was:
It's Not My Place (In The 9 to 5 World) - The Ramones
...which was a funny coincidence because I had *just* been thinking about how I'm one of those people that aren't built for the 9 to 5 workplace. One could argue that teaching with all the holidays one gets and the fact that the kids leave at 3.30pm that it really isn't a 9 to 5 work place but if you are suggesting that it's somehow easier than working a regular office work shift then I'd invite you to come say that to my face. We'd have... "words". It's worse. Way worse.
Anyway, I like it when the ipod randomly acts like a personal psychic and quite frankly I find it often does. In fact music often gives me exactly what I need when I need it, unfortunately more so than people ever have (or will?).
I was thinking though, that it really isn't my place to be in the rat race. I'm not motivated by working up the rungs of the ladder. I'm not excited by extra challenges in the work I do. I don't really want any extra money. I don't want to work long hours. I don't even want to work 5 days a week! When us teachers went on the recent strike part of our strike conditions were to work a 38 hour week. We didn't write reports. We didn't have extra parent meetings. We didn't have extra staff meetings. Of course we STILL put in more than the 38 hour work week that we are supposedly paid a pittance for but we certainly did less. When the discussions came up to go 'get back to normal' and get the shitty pay rise my hackles went up. I would much rather work less. I was happier not writing reports. I was happier not having to "volunteer" to come in on my weekend to do unpaid extra. I was more than happy to pack my bag at a reasonable hour and just leave. I was happier just teaching and enjoying my grade than doing all the extra bullshit that goes along with teaching.
A single girl such as I has got to pay the bills.
It's not my place in the 9 to 5 world.
It's just not.
So what do I do?
Anyway, the first song that came up was:
It's Not My Place (In The 9 to 5 World) - The Ramones
...which was a funny coincidence because I had *just* been thinking about how I'm one of those people that aren't built for the 9 to 5 workplace. One could argue that teaching with all the holidays one gets and the fact that the kids leave at 3.30pm that it really isn't a 9 to 5 work place but if you are suggesting that it's somehow easier than working a regular office work shift then I'd invite you to come say that to my face. We'd have... "words". It's worse. Way worse.
Anyway, I like it when the ipod randomly acts like a personal psychic and quite frankly I find it often does. In fact music often gives me exactly what I need when I need it, unfortunately more so than people ever have (or will?).
I was thinking though, that it really isn't my place to be in the rat race. I'm not motivated by working up the rungs of the ladder. I'm not excited by extra challenges in the work I do. I don't really want any extra money. I don't want to work long hours. I don't even want to work 5 days a week! When us teachers went on the recent strike part of our strike conditions were to work a 38 hour week. We didn't write reports. We didn't have extra parent meetings. We didn't have extra staff meetings. Of course we STILL put in more than the 38 hour work week that we are supposedly paid a pittance for but we certainly did less. When the discussions came up to go 'get back to normal' and get the shitty pay rise my hackles went up. I would much rather work less. I was happier not writing reports. I was happier not having to "volunteer" to come in on my weekend to do unpaid extra. I was more than happy to pack my bag at a reasonable hour and just leave. I was happier just teaching and enjoying my grade than doing all the extra bullshit that goes along with teaching.
A single girl such as I has got to pay the bills.
It's not my place in the 9 to 5 world.
It's just not.
So what do I do?
Labels: 70s, music, musical monday, punk, ramones, rant, stressed teachers, teaching, work
Saturday, April 14, 2012
hopeless hope
I have a lottery ticket in my purse which was drawn last week but which I haven't yet checked. I could be sitting on a million for all I know and then again I might not be. The chances of it not being a winner are almost 100% but it's the .0009% that I'm most interested in. It's like a flash of excitement. A clock ticking. bell chiming. That .0009% is a morsel of hope, something which exists, even at my lowest point.
Perhaps hope is instinctual - like breathing or coughing. I imagine if someone decides to drown themselves, their mind is made up but the body has other ideas. At some point the human instinct kicks in and the body tries with all its might to get to the surface and breathe in some oxygen. The body tries to live, even if the mind wants to die.
Perhaps that's what happens when hope kicks in too. One may be at the end, the edge, so to speak - with no loveliness and no kindness and no joy but then there it is - like a kiss on the cheek; hope. Hope stops you from jumping. It stops you from dying. You grab onto it and clutch at it and somehow pull yourself up and out of the doldrums. While it is yours, hope is your best friend and your only chance of survival. Hope is a smile in a sea of frowns and a laugh in a serious boardroom meeting. She is impossible not to love.
I like having hope but I don't like living with it. She is beguiling and yet deceitful. She draws you in, makes you feel comfortable and then, if you are me - is then crushed, dashed, falsified. Crushed hopes are worse than no hope at all it seems. And yet, instinctively I find some more hope, even where you would think that hope would be lost. It's infuriating. I am constantly fielding the battle between having hope and picking myself up after losing it.
Somehow this ticket in my purse has grown to symbolise every morsel of hope I have left in the world and yet I am destined to never check it for fear of losing it, once again.
Perhaps hope is instinctual - like breathing or coughing. I imagine if someone decides to drown themselves, their mind is made up but the body has other ideas. At some point the human instinct kicks in and the body tries with all its might to get to the surface and breathe in some oxygen. The body tries to live, even if the mind wants to die.
Perhaps that's what happens when hope kicks in too. One may be at the end, the edge, so to speak - with no loveliness and no kindness and no joy but then there it is - like a kiss on the cheek; hope. Hope stops you from jumping. It stops you from dying. You grab onto it and clutch at it and somehow pull yourself up and out of the doldrums. While it is yours, hope is your best friend and your only chance of survival. Hope is a smile in a sea of frowns and a laugh in a serious boardroom meeting. She is impossible not to love.
I like having hope but I don't like living with it. She is beguiling and yet deceitful. She draws you in, makes you feel comfortable and then, if you are me - is then crushed, dashed, falsified. Crushed hopes are worse than no hope at all it seems. And yet, instinctively I find some more hope, even where you would think that hope would be lost. It's infuriating. I am constantly fielding the battle between having hope and picking myself up after losing it.
Somehow this ticket in my purse has grown to symbolise every morsel of hope I have left in the world and yet I am destined to never check it for fear of losing it, once again.
Labels: crazy people, hope, MVOR, random, rant, wonderings
Monday, November 21, 2011
sheesh
When I was a little kid and morning television was filled with re-runs of old shows from the 50s an everyday run of the mill family looked like this:
There you have the quintessential respectable family. No messing around with mum and and dad here. No siree. These folks would ground you faster than you could say 'awww shucks', just for sassing your mother! Watch out.
Then by the time I was in Primary School in the mid to late 80s the modern family looked a little like this:
Again, perfectly normal looking family (even if there are a few tragic fashion mistakes). Can't mistake dad here! There he is in the middle growing enough facial hair to make a coat. Where's mum? Oh there she is, looking mum-ish. These are the folks you want to go see when your boyfriend breaks up with you and you don't know what to do or when you need help with your calculus final.
By the time I was a teen "mom and pops" looked more like this:
or this:
or this:
Yep, no mistaking in any way shape or form who mum and dad are in any of these families. Kinda weary. Kinda tired with a bit of grey creeping in. Looking like they've been around the block a time or two... as it should be. I mean, their kids are TEENAGERS! How fresh faced can you be?
Lately I've noticed that either I'm getting really fucking old or TV mums and dads are pretty much the same age as their kids!
We've got this from The Secret Circle:
and this:
They are apparently parents of 17 year old kids. What's that you say? How can these man-children have produced enough sperm to father anyone above the age of 7? I'm wondering the same thing folks. It's clearly a Christmas miracle...like Jesus!
Then we have the parent group from Life Unexpected:
this:
and THIS:
LIFE Unexpected? Parents unexpected more like it. But... but isn't that the guy from Dawson's Creek? The same Dawson's Creek that had Katie Holmes in it... the same Katie Holmes who now has a 3 year old daughter with a crazy man? Yes, 3 years old, not 17 years old! The mind boggles.
And what about these two knuckleheads from Awkward?:
They have a 16 year old daughter you say? Seriously? SERIOUSLY?
And when I saw this recently I literally spit my coffee out at the screen;
Yes, that's right. That's the guy from Clueless - the one who left his Cranberries CD in the quad and wanted to go get it before somebody 'snagged' it.
...Yeah, I remember the Cranberries. They were around when I was in high school. I also remember watching Clueless when I was a teen. Funnily enough, in Clueless the dad looked like this:
...which looks NOTHING like
and yet they are both supposed to father 16 year old girls. I'm sure it could biologically happen but that doesn't mean that it's NORMAL.
What is going on in TV land? Am I crazy or do modern day TV parents look completely unfit to be doing anything except navigating a hard day of doing beer bongs in the backyard while sitting on their outdoor sofa couch donated from grandma who also happens to slip them a $50 every now and again to 'tide them over'?
I really can't wait until Dakota Fanning's younger sister turns up as the mother of a 34 year old in next season's premiere of "Just a Normal Family".
I may have to stick to re-runs of The Beave..
There you have the quintessential respectable family. No messing around with mum and and dad here. No siree. These folks would ground you faster than you could say 'awww shucks', just for sassing your mother! Watch out.
Then by the time I was in Primary School in the mid to late 80s the modern family looked a little like this:
Again, perfectly normal looking family (even if there are a few tragic fashion mistakes). Can't mistake dad here! There he is in the middle growing enough facial hair to make a coat. Where's mum? Oh there she is, looking mum-ish. These are the folks you want to go see when your boyfriend breaks up with you and you don't know what to do or when you need help with your calculus final.
By the time I was a teen "mom and pops" looked more like this:
or this:
or this:
Yep, no mistaking in any way shape or form who mum and dad are in any of these families. Kinda weary. Kinda tired with a bit of grey creeping in. Looking like they've been around the block a time or two... as it should be. I mean, their kids are TEENAGERS! How fresh faced can you be?
Lately I've noticed that either I'm getting really fucking old or TV mums and dads are pretty much the same age as their kids!
We've got this from The Secret Circle:
and this:
They are apparently parents of 17 year old kids. What's that you say? How can these man-children have produced enough sperm to father anyone above the age of 7? I'm wondering the same thing folks. It's clearly a Christmas miracle...like Jesus!
Then we have the parent group from Life Unexpected:
this:
and THIS:
LIFE Unexpected? Parents unexpected more like it. But... but isn't that the guy from Dawson's Creek? The same Dawson's Creek that had Katie Holmes in it... the same Katie Holmes who now has a 3 year old daughter with a crazy man? Yes, 3 years old, not 17 years old! The mind boggles.
And what about these two knuckleheads from Awkward?:
They have a 16 year old daughter you say? Seriously? SERIOUSLY?
And when I saw this recently I literally spit my coffee out at the screen;
Yes, that's right. That's the guy from Clueless - the one who left his Cranberries CD in the quad and wanted to go get it before somebody 'snagged' it.
...Yeah, I remember the Cranberries. They were around when I was in high school. I also remember watching Clueless when I was a teen. Funnily enough, in Clueless the dad looked like this:
...which looks NOTHING like
and yet they are both supposed to father 16 year old girls. I'm sure it could biologically happen but that doesn't mean that it's NORMAL.
What is going on in TV land? Am I crazy or do modern day TV parents look completely unfit to be doing anything except navigating a hard day of doing beer bongs in the backyard while sitting on their outdoor sofa couch donated from grandma who also happens to slip them a $50 every now and again to 'tide them over'?
I really can't wait until Dakota Fanning's younger sister turns up as the mother of a 34 year old in next season's premiere of "Just a Normal Family".
I may have to stick to re-runs of The Beave..
Labels: family, old, rant, TV, wonderings
Saturday, February 19, 2011
Being lead.
I'm determined this year that I'm not going to let the stress of teaching affect all my moods all the time. Sounds piss easy, I hear you say but actually people like me find this quite difficult.
I have two moods: On holiday mood = happy and relaxed. Working mood = grumpy bitch from hell.
MVOR says that I give way too much of myself especially when it's apparent that the situation calls for me to just back away and let it go. So basically, if you hate and reject me I'm going to go right ahead and prove to you why you should love me even though there is no winning with you. There fore all my hard work goes unnoticed and I get further disgruntled which then self-affirms my feelings of being rejected and abandoned by everybody and I'm left there like a cartoon image of myself yelling "hey, what about me? WHAT about ME? I'm useful! Heyyy, ..anybody?". I'm ace, no really, so ace.
Work is a constant source of me not feeling good enough - this is despite the fact that (...and coming from a person with zero self esteem), I'm a really good teacher and operator. I just need to stop caring so much about what I can and can't achieve with other adults and just let the rest go. But I can't...
New manager is not a doer. As in... coasts along and waits for someone else to do it. Who am I? I'm a worrier and a pleaser. What do I do if I see a gaping hole? Why, I fill it of course. You can see where this is heading can't you? On the one hand I am so glad that I came to the decision to give up this leadership role because I *am* less stressed out - on the other I'm constantly in battle with myself to not to keep doing her job for her.
I find things difficult because:
* we haven't had one team meeting since the year started despite things that are in disarray.
* The team still comes to me with their work related issues and then get all defensive when I refer them to the new leader (ie: defensive because ...hey you shouldn't put all the pressure on the new leader!)
* New leader doesn't know the ropes... or anything resembling a rope and yet refuses to come to me for help despite me saying my door is open (like a million times) - now I'm getting other people coming to me saying that new team leader (NTL) is asking all these dodgy questions ..and shouldn't she be asking me instead?
* I'm still actually doing a chunk of her work because I can see that things need to be organised and yet they are NOT!
* NTL actively is using an effigy of me to stick needles into each night.
As a consequence of all this, despite goal not to let work affect my moods and health I look like a crazy lady who has been living in the forest for 2 years and forgotten what it's like to be human.
Does work give you woe? And if not, how did you achieve that kind of bliss?
I have two moods: On holiday mood = happy and relaxed. Working mood = grumpy bitch from hell.
MVOR says that I give way too much of myself especially when it's apparent that the situation calls for me to just back away and let it go. So basically, if you hate and reject me I'm going to go right ahead and prove to you why you should love me even though there is no winning with you. There fore all my hard work goes unnoticed and I get further disgruntled which then self-affirms my feelings of being rejected and abandoned by everybody and I'm left there like a cartoon image of myself yelling "hey, what about me? WHAT about ME? I'm useful! Heyyy, ..anybody?". I'm ace, no really, so ace.
Work is a constant source of me not feeling good enough - this is despite the fact that (...and coming from a person with zero self esteem), I'm a really good teacher and operator. I just need to stop caring so much about what I can and can't achieve with other adults and just let the rest go. But I can't...
New manager is not a doer. As in... coasts along and waits for someone else to do it. Who am I? I'm a worrier and a pleaser. What do I do if I see a gaping hole? Why, I fill it of course. You can see where this is heading can't you? On the one hand I am so glad that I came to the decision to give up this leadership role because I *am* less stressed out - on the other I'm constantly in battle with myself to not to keep doing her job for her.
I find things difficult because:
* we haven't had one team meeting since the year started despite things that are in disarray.
* The team still comes to me with their work related issues and then get all defensive when I refer them to the new leader (ie: defensive because ...hey you shouldn't put all the pressure on the new leader!)
* New leader doesn't know the ropes... or anything resembling a rope and yet refuses to come to me for help despite me saying my door is open (like a million times) - now I'm getting other people coming to me saying that new team leader (NTL) is asking all these dodgy questions ..and shouldn't she be asking me instead?
* I'm still actually doing a chunk of her work because I can see that things need to be organised and yet they are NOT!
* NTL actively is using an effigy of me to stick needles into each night.
As a consequence of all this, despite goal not to let work affect my moods and health I look like a crazy lady who has been living in the forest for 2 years and forgotten what it's like to be human.
Does work give you woe? And if not, how did you achieve that kind of bliss?
Labels: MVOR, new leader, rant, stressed teachers, teacher dramas, work
Sunday, December 12, 2010
I'll be the fire in your flaming star
I'm having a difficult time trying to grasp my current work situation. I'm working with a new "manager" who pretty much does nothing but talks a good game in order to cover up. As a consequence she always comes up smelling like roses despite her shortcomings..
The new manager has come in following a decision I made not to renew my managerial role with my team. Why did I do that? I was getting sick of doing a lot of work that was way above the position I was being paid for. I was also tired of working with and basically trying to hold together a team that upper management knew didn't work well together. When I saw that upper management left the team as is, I knew I had to get out or go crazy! Upper management made a very bad decision as to who they brought in to replace me (against my advise actually). They needed someone dynamic, hard working, someone who has good ideas and is enthusiastic. We got the opposite - but she is the Prin's "golden girl".
My natural instinct when faced with incompetent people is to come in and mop up the mess. I'm a pleaser, you see. This time, with advise I've decided not to be the pleaser. I've decided to take a step back and be the selfish observer. If she comes to me for advise then I will gladly help her though. I want the team to run smoothly but I also don't want to be doing someone elses job.
Before our planning meeting I emailed new manager a list of what needs to be done, and she did not address any of the things on the list. In fact she spent the day (6 hours) filling in a student evaluation card. I'd imagine that if you were a manager you would want to get everything on track quickly - I'd also imagine that if you had 21 years in the industry and at least 10 of those years in senior management you would know how to chair a meeting. I get the feeling she is playing "funny buggers" and trying to trick everyone into doing the work for her.
I don't think I know how to handle this situation further.
Have you ever dealt with someone like this? What can I do? Heeeeeelp!
Meanwhile onto Musical Monday - Today: At First Sight - The Stems.
How I love this song! oh, it's glorious twangy guitar and smileworthy lyrics. So melodic! So beautiful. This song, like so many others has come right along and nestled right into my heart. I have to make a confession dear reader (how many are there left? Two? Three?) Every other day I thank my lucky stars (and I don't have that many believe me) that I can hear and listen and imagine and that is not a word of a lie. Scouts honour and all that. I just don't know what I'd do if I couldn't hear these little tunes that have somehow become the best kind of family a girl could have.
The new manager has come in following a decision I made not to renew my managerial role with my team. Why did I do that? I was getting sick of doing a lot of work that was way above the position I was being paid for. I was also tired of working with and basically trying to hold together a team that upper management knew didn't work well together. When I saw that upper management left the team as is, I knew I had to get out or go crazy! Upper management made a very bad decision as to who they brought in to replace me (against my advise actually). They needed someone dynamic, hard working, someone who has good ideas and is enthusiastic. We got the opposite - but she is the Prin's "golden girl".
My natural instinct when faced with incompetent people is to come in and mop up the mess. I'm a pleaser, you see. This time, with advise I've decided not to be the pleaser. I've decided to take a step back and be the selfish observer. If she comes to me for advise then I will gladly help her though. I want the team to run smoothly but I also don't want to be doing someone elses job.
Before our planning meeting I emailed new manager a list of what needs to be done, and she did not address any of the things on the list. In fact she spent the day (6 hours) filling in a student evaluation card. I'd imagine that if you were a manager you would want to get everything on track quickly - I'd also imagine that if you had 21 years in the industry and at least 10 of those years in senior management you would know how to chair a meeting. I get the feeling she is playing "funny buggers" and trying to trick everyone into doing the work for her.
I don't think I know how to handle this situation further.
Have you ever dealt with someone like this? What can I do? Heeeeeelp!
Meanwhile onto Musical Monday - Today: At First Sight - The Stems.
How I love this song! oh, it's glorious twangy guitar and smileworthy lyrics. So melodic! So beautiful. This song, like so many others has come right along and nestled right into my heart. I have to make a confession dear reader (how many are there left? Two? Three?) Every other day I thank my lucky stars (and I don't have that many believe me) that I can hear and listen and imagine and that is not a word of a lie. Scouts honour and all that. I just don't know what I'd do if I couldn't hear these little tunes that have somehow become the best kind of family a girl could have.
Labels: musical monday, rant, stressed teachers, stupid people, work
Monday, November 15, 2010
Your Ghost
I was talking to a friend recently.
She is dealing with a hit and run.
That is: a relationship broken via the route of complete silence. One minute you are together and the next he is living as part of the witness protection program somewhere completely unreachable.
I know a lot of men who have done this - it must be in the DNA to pick up and disappear. Perhaps it's an Australian thing.. I don't know..
The thing with the old hit and run though is that it drives the other person completely crazy. You see, they have no idea what they've done wrong AND they have no way of finding out because "the runner" has cut off all contact - so what do they do? They send message after message after message after message after message until you (yes YOU, in the witness protection program) have no choice but to proclaim "She's totally psychotic! See what I have to deal with? I'm so glad I've left that nutjob behind" - and yes, to the untrained eye, yes "the runnee" really IS acting psychotic, but who wouldn't be?
The thing is, she's simply a normal reaction to a fucked up situation (to quote a famous movie). The psychotic is created and then branded. Convenient.
Anyway, I write this because of the unsung hero in all this: The Best Friend - namely: Moi.
...and what has Moi been doing for the last few days? Well Moi has been a patient ear, a faithful advice giver, a sympathiser, an empath, a plan deviser, a bored recipient, a person that has developed a very prominent nervous twitch. All I really want to say is "fuck him, he sucks - find someone good. Please for the love of God, FIND SOMEONE BETTER!" But I, like all women cling to the unreasonable hope that love will conquer all.
And there you have it. I really should be writing reports but of course I'm listening to songs that are really very good but don't get me motivated at all:
Your Ghost - Kristin Hersh (Feat. Michael Stipe)
Musical Monday
She is dealing with a hit and run.
That is: a relationship broken via the route of complete silence. One minute you are together and the next he is living as part of the witness protection program somewhere completely unreachable.
I know a lot of men who have done this - it must be in the DNA to pick up and disappear. Perhaps it's an Australian thing.. I don't know..
The thing with the old hit and run though is that it drives the other person completely crazy. You see, they have no idea what they've done wrong AND they have no way of finding out because "the runner" has cut off all contact - so what do they do? They send message after message after message after message after message until you (yes YOU, in the witness protection program) have no choice but to proclaim "She's totally psychotic! See what I have to deal with? I'm so glad I've left that nutjob behind" - and yes, to the untrained eye, yes "the runnee" really IS acting psychotic, but who wouldn't be?
The thing is, she's simply a normal reaction to a fucked up situation (to quote a famous movie). The psychotic is created and then branded. Convenient.
Anyway, I write this because of the unsung hero in all this: The Best Friend - namely: Moi.
...and what has Moi been doing for the last few days? Well Moi has been a patient ear, a faithful advice giver, a sympathiser, an empath, a plan deviser, a bored recipient, a person that has developed a very prominent nervous twitch. All I really want to say is "fuck him, he sucks - find someone good. Please for the love of God, FIND SOMEONE BETTER!" But I, like all women cling to the unreasonable hope that love will conquer all.
And there you have it. I really should be writing reports but of course I'm listening to songs that are really very good but don't get me motivated at all:
Your Ghost - Kristin Hersh (Feat. Michael Stipe)
Musical Monday
Labels: friends, musical monday, rant, what men don't see
Saturday, October 31, 2009
Liabilities
After 7 months of living here I’ve discovered a few liabilities.
•You cannot leave late for work. If you leave late, you are stuck in the kind of traffic that allows a girl to do a whole face of makeup without having to move forward an inch. Not that I do my make up in the car or anything.. Well, not on days that I’m not running late, anyway.
•Cops – there are lots of them around. I’ve go nothing (personal) against cops or anything but they kind of scare me. I mean they’re only around if baddies are around, right? You don’t see cops in the leafy green Eastern suburbs that’s all I’m saying. Also lots of cops driving around makes it really hard to do my make up in the car of a morning. Not that I do that.. I’m thinking of the other girls. How unfair for them.
•Homeless guy that talks to walls. Technically he’s not really in my neighbourhood but I see him occasionally as I’m putting on blush while driving to work. He makes me sad. Who knew what he was like in a previous life? Maybe he was a teacher? There’s very little that separates the two of us except maybe bad choices, and even then not all choices are created equally. Who’s to say that one bad choice won’t send me hurtling down the same path as homeless wall guy? Hell, I talk to walls too, it’s just that I happen to own them, so I can talk to them privately. He has to borrow his.
•Helicopters circling low on certain Saturdays in Spring destroying any chance of a sleep in.
•Sharing my space with young ladies who start the day off in heels and a hat and a clutch full of betting cash and end up broke, in thongs and spewing champagne on the side of the road. Classy.
Question for my err ...friend: Living alone, you open a bottle of wine on Monday night to have a glass with dinner. What’s the shortest amount of time that the bottle can/should last without proclaiming the …err friend, a lush?
•You cannot leave late for work. If you leave late, you are stuck in the kind of traffic that allows a girl to do a whole face of makeup without having to move forward an inch. Not that I do my make up in the car or anything.. Well, not on days that I’m not running late, anyway.
•Cops – there are lots of them around. I’ve go nothing (personal) against cops or anything but they kind of scare me. I mean they’re only around if baddies are around, right? You don’t see cops in the leafy green Eastern suburbs that’s all I’m saying. Also lots of cops driving around makes it really hard to do my make up in the car of a morning. Not that I do that.. I’m thinking of the other girls. How unfair for them.
•Homeless guy that talks to walls. Technically he’s not really in my neighbourhood but I see him occasionally as I’m putting on blush while driving to work. He makes me sad. Who knew what he was like in a previous life? Maybe he was a teacher? There’s very little that separates the two of us except maybe bad choices, and even then not all choices are created equally. Who’s to say that one bad choice won’t send me hurtling down the same path as homeless wall guy? Hell, I talk to walls too, it’s just that I happen to own them, so I can talk to them privately. He has to borrow his.
•Helicopters circling low on certain Saturdays in Spring destroying any chance of a sleep in.
•Sharing my space with young ladies who start the day off in heels and a hat and a clutch full of betting cash and end up broke, in thongs and spewing champagne on the side of the road. Classy.
Question for my err ...friend: Living alone, you open a bottle of wine on Monday night to have a glass with dinner. What’s the shortest amount of time that the bottle can/should last without proclaiming the …err friend, a lush?
Labels: questions, rant, the list, wonderings
Saturday, November 22, 2008
Party in an Envelope
Dear Lady in the Next Cubicle,
You: Humming the tune to jaws.
Me: Listening to you, aghast that you are 1) humming in a public restroom 2) actually a GIRL, humming in a public restroom.
Love,
Surprised.
Dear World,
Everything at the moment points to me feeling sad, but it's just so much easier to just take it out on everyone else and be angry.
Forgive me, but you give the fucking shits.
Love,
Angry Girl.
Dear Parent of a child that will be in my grade next year,
When I say that your son was being silly and calling out (read: being a complete disruption to everyone, having no respect for authority and sometimes being dangerous) during our little orientation program I meant it in all seriousness. You looked surprised, don't worry, I'm used to that look from people like you - it's the "oh but they never act that way around me" look. Bullshit! I heard on the grapevine that you were in the yard complaining about me saying this to you and then laughing about it.
If you think you can try this shit out on me you've got another thing coming. You have met your match lady. This is my little promise to you: Every time your son fucks up I will be seeking YOU out to deal with it at home. If you don't deal with it then we're going to be having many, many after school meetings, behavioural plans, meetings with the principal etc. It's not going to be pretty. I have all night and I'm willing to spend it, with you, talking about the things you need to get sorted, because yes - it's your responsibility to meet me half way on this, not absolve responsibility just because they're at "school".
You think it's funny that your son is undisciplined? I don't. I think it's a reflection of your parenting. I'm not laughing.
Love,
Not Amused.
Dear Egan,
You want 3-5 things that women do/are, which keep them single? I'll take three from me and two from someone else.
According to Sam de Brito (renowned for writing and ill written, second rate Australian men's column usually agreed with by neanderthals with shit for brains, in The Age and SMH - but apparently these two traits are seen an universally true???)
1. not being young enough
2. not being hot enough.
And mine...
3. Being obsessive about spending time together and not letting their man have any time to himself. God goddsake just give the poor bloke a night or two off to watch porn or footy or to complain about you to all of his friends. He's earned it! Falling into this category is the old calling 5 times a day, just to see how he's going.
4. Making plans that are too far ahead, too soon. The second date is not a good time to plan a wedding - not in any culture. Scrap booking your future wedding/house/family is also not a good idea.
5. Only having one interest in life: him.
Love,
M.
Dear Random Reader,
You found my journal by searching "do men ever fake it?".
Do men ever fake it? pft. You know when you're talking about how your sister's best friend's hairdresser saw some D-grade movie actor at some incredible night spot and your boyfriend is all like "uh huh?" "sounds interesting" "mmmmm, wow" "yeppppppp"?
...he's totally faking it.
Love,
Boys just have a different way of doing it.
Dear Reports,
So I hear you're not going to write yourselves. Good one, but this means I'm still at square one.
Love,
Frustrated.
Dear Head Honchos at the Australian Football League,
You are shit.
Seriously, you are shit.
Ben Cousins is a drug fucked dickhead who is taking the piss out of everyone. He's had his chance and fucked up - BIG TIME and you are still going to let him play? I don't get it. The football world is not a good place for someone who can't handle the pressure. Any other athlete would be out on their arse by now and so should he.
Cut him loose - he needs to go find a real job and give a rookie a chance to get drafted instead.
Love,
Amazed.
Dear Tracie and Rich,
I loooooooooooooooooooooooooooooove pot psychology!
Do Guys Ever Taste Their Own Semen? from Pot Psychology on Vimeo.
You guys are so funny,
Love,
M.
PS: Hey boys, come (cum) clean (haha), have you ever eaten your own spunk? A lot? Regularly? Never but will do so now? Never and never want to? Cum on, answer!
You: Humming the tune to jaws.
Me: Listening to you, aghast that you are 1) humming in a public restroom 2) actually a GIRL, humming in a public restroom.
Love,
Surprised.
Dear World,
Everything at the moment points to me feeling sad, but it's just so much easier to just take it out on everyone else and be angry.
Forgive me, but you give the fucking shits.
Love,
Angry Girl.
Dear Parent of a child that will be in my grade next year,
When I say that your son was being silly and calling out (read: being a complete disruption to everyone, having no respect for authority and sometimes being dangerous) during our little orientation program I meant it in all seriousness. You looked surprised, don't worry, I'm used to that look from people like you - it's the "oh but they never act that way around me" look. Bullshit! I heard on the grapevine that you were in the yard complaining about me saying this to you and then laughing about it.
If you think you can try this shit out on me you've got another thing coming. You have met your match lady. This is my little promise to you: Every time your son fucks up I will be seeking YOU out to deal with it at home. If you don't deal with it then we're going to be having many, many after school meetings, behavioural plans, meetings with the principal etc. It's not going to be pretty. I have all night and I'm willing to spend it, with you, talking about the things you need to get sorted, because yes - it's your responsibility to meet me half way on this, not absolve responsibility just because they're at "school".
You think it's funny that your son is undisciplined? I don't. I think it's a reflection of your parenting. I'm not laughing.
Love,
Not Amused.
Dear Egan,
You want 3-5 things that women do/are, which keep them single? I'll take three from me and two from someone else.
According to Sam de Brito (renowned for writing and ill written, second rate Australian men's column usually agreed with by neanderthals with shit for brains, in The Age and SMH - but apparently these two traits are seen an universally true???)
1. not being young enough
2. not being hot enough.
And mine...
3. Being obsessive about spending time together and not letting their man have any time to himself. God goddsake just give the poor bloke a night or two off to watch porn or footy or to complain about you to all of his friends. He's earned it! Falling into this category is the old calling 5 times a day, just to see how he's going.
4. Making plans that are too far ahead, too soon. The second date is not a good time to plan a wedding - not in any culture. Scrap booking your future wedding/house/family is also not a good idea.
5. Only having one interest in life: him.
Love,
M.
Dear Random Reader,
You found my journal by searching "do men ever fake it?".
Do men ever fake it? pft. You know when you're talking about how your sister's best friend's hairdresser saw some D-grade movie actor at some incredible night spot and your boyfriend is all like "uh huh?" "sounds interesting" "mmmmm, wow" "yeppppppp"?
...he's totally faking it.
Love,
Boys just have a different way of doing it.
Dear Reports,
So I hear you're not going to write yourselves. Good one, but this means I'm still at square one.
Love,
Frustrated.
Dear Head Honchos at the Australian Football League,
You are shit.
Seriously, you are shit.
Ben Cousins is a drug fucked dickhead who is taking the piss out of everyone. He's had his chance and fucked up - BIG TIME and you are still going to let him play? I don't get it. The football world is not a good place for someone who can't handle the pressure. Any other athlete would be out on their arse by now and so should he.
Cut him loose - he needs to go find a real job and give a rookie a chance to get drafted instead.
Love,
Amazed.
Dear Tracie and Rich,
I loooooooooooooooooooooooooooooove pot psychology!
Do Guys Ever Taste Their Own Semen? from Pot Psychology on Vimeo.
You guys are so funny,
Love,
M.
PS: Hey boys, come (cum) clean (haha), have you ever eaten your own spunk? A lot? Regularly? Never but will do so now? Never and never want to? Cum on, answer!
Labels: letters, rant, relationships, stressed teachers, weird things, what men want, what women want
Sunday, November 16, 2008
We Don't Get It.
I'm constantly amazed by the amount of people in "high places" that just DO. NOT. GET. IT.
A great example is the Education Department in Vic. Latest on the ever-increasing pile of crap that will eventually lead all teachers running from the profession is the banning of sugar from Victorian Schools. Now I don't actually have a problem with banning sugar from Victorian Schools. Whatever, good idea - I don't care. Hey I found a quote from Bronwyn Pike herself: "it is vital that we reinforce the healthy living message". Onya Bronny - true dat.
Oh but wait a sec, what's this? "Students will still be allowed to bring sweet treats to school in their lunchboxes". Ummm...what? So apparently this is yet another, let's put all the pressure on the schools to parade the old moral code and take all the pressure off the parents, trick. Great. Let's change things but not actually taking on the most important people in this equation (the parents, duh).
I don't understand why they bother regulating schools with spot checks for healthy food when apparently it doesn't matter what they bring from home in their lunch boxes anyway? I don't know how many times I've said it but the primary influence on young children is not school but their PARENTS. Is this such a difficult thing to understand? Why not do these so called "government spot checks" on student lunch boxes instead of on schools? I don't disagree with having a healthy eating policy in schools - just the opposite actually, but putting all the pressure on schools to enforce eating habits in children is completely missing the mark on promoting healthy eating. Bottom line, if parents can't do it their child isn't going to either. Target the parents. Target the fast food chains. Target advertising on the tele. Oh wait, this results in revenue lost? Ahhh..now we get to the bigger issue; Corruption. I'm sick of schools being a scape goat for problems that could easily be solved if the government/media/parents/workplaces were willing to lose some revenue doing it.
The other example of people in "high places" just NOT. GETTING. IT. comes again in the form of the government. Namely the Federal government and their new stance on internet filters.
Basically the proposal is that Australia will become the new China when it comes to internet filters. As in: all the good sites are banned. Why? Oh, a mixture of things including the internet being unsafe for children (porn, chat etc).
Here's an idea: How about parents control what their children can and can't do on the internet? I know, sounds like a radical idea - but it goes like this: When you have a child you commit to raising them. Raising them includes keeping them out of harms way. Keeping them out of harms way means that parents will actually have to be involved in their child's lives. And that means, less time on the xbox or with the mothers club and more time teaching your child about how to surf safely, be wary and be responsible. If that fails, ever heard of a Net Nanny? It was only invented about a million years ago when dinosaurs roamed the earth, geniuses. Why punish those of us who are barren of children by reducing the best bits of the internet just so parents can keep NOT raising their children? Why on earth people have children when they just don't want to raise them properly is beyond me.
But I don't blame the parents entirely. I'm aware that we live in a society that promotes long working hours and discriminates against stay at home mothers (or fathers) from job sharing or getting back into the work place after a while. Maternity leave is a joke and paternity leave is virtually non-existent! A lot of parents can't afford to take the time to raise their children these days not only because it's too hard to make ends meet - but because we (the people who live in this society) are fucking GREEDY. People want it all. Having it all involves having children AND living the life you had before you had kids and that is actually impossible unless you give up one little thing: Actually raising them.
It's a messy old web we weave. No wonder we just don't get it.
A great example is the Education Department in Vic. Latest on the ever-increasing pile of crap that will eventually lead all teachers running from the profession is the banning of sugar from Victorian Schools. Now I don't actually have a problem with banning sugar from Victorian Schools. Whatever, good idea - I don't care. Hey I found a quote from Bronwyn Pike herself: "it is vital that we reinforce the healthy living message". Onya Bronny - true dat.
Oh but wait a sec, what's this? "Students will still be allowed to bring sweet treats to school in their lunchboxes". Ummm...what? So apparently this is yet another, let's put all the pressure on the schools to parade the old moral code and take all the pressure off the parents, trick. Great. Let's change things but not actually taking on the most important people in this equation (the parents, duh).
I don't understand why they bother regulating schools with spot checks for healthy food when apparently it doesn't matter what they bring from home in their lunch boxes anyway? I don't know how many times I've said it but the primary influence on young children is not school but their PARENTS. Is this such a difficult thing to understand? Why not do these so called "government spot checks" on student lunch boxes instead of on schools? I don't disagree with having a healthy eating policy in schools - just the opposite actually, but putting all the pressure on schools to enforce eating habits in children is completely missing the mark on promoting healthy eating. Bottom line, if parents can't do it their child isn't going to either. Target the parents. Target the fast food chains. Target advertising on the tele. Oh wait, this results in revenue lost? Ahhh..now we get to the bigger issue; Corruption. I'm sick of schools being a scape goat for problems that could easily be solved if the government/media/parents/workplaces were willing to lose some revenue doing it.
The other example of people in "high places" just NOT. GETTING. IT. comes again in the form of the government. Namely the Federal government and their new stance on internet filters.
Basically the proposal is that Australia will become the new China when it comes to internet filters. As in: all the good sites are banned. Why? Oh, a mixture of things including the internet being unsafe for children (porn, chat etc).
Here's an idea: How about parents control what their children can and can't do on the internet? I know, sounds like a radical idea - but it goes like this: When you have a child you commit to raising them. Raising them includes keeping them out of harms way. Keeping them out of harms way means that parents will actually have to be involved in their child's lives. And that means, less time on the xbox or with the mothers club and more time teaching your child about how to surf safely, be wary and be responsible. If that fails, ever heard of a Net Nanny? It was only invented about a million years ago when dinosaurs roamed the earth, geniuses. Why punish those of us who are barren of children by reducing the best bits of the internet just so parents can keep NOT raising their children? Why on earth people have children when they just don't want to raise them properly is beyond me.
But I don't blame the parents entirely. I'm aware that we live in a society that promotes long working hours and discriminates against stay at home mothers (or fathers) from job sharing or getting back into the work place after a while. Maternity leave is a joke and paternity leave is virtually non-existent! A lot of parents can't afford to take the time to raise their children these days not only because it's too hard to make ends meet - but because we (the people who live in this society) are fucking GREEDY. People want it all. Having it all involves having children AND living the life you had before you had kids and that is actually impossible unless you give up one little thing: Actually raising them.
It's a messy old web we weave. No wonder we just don't get it.
Labels: fake mad but not really, kids, obsessive parents, rant, school, stressed teachers
Thursday, September 11, 2008
Stupid computer stuff and rant.
Yesterday in an effort to navigate the old key in the lock while simultaneously holding a rather too full handbag, a basket full of heavy folders and ....my lunch (why humans don't have three arms is beyond me. Obviously we need them!). I found myself in staring in full horror as my lovely external hard drive went from balancing rather perilously atop of my handbag to floating through the air to dropping SMACK onto hard concrete floor at my feet. I'm sure I heard it scream on the way down.
Just to clarify, that would be the hard drive that contains all of my weekly planners, photographs, music, REPORTS, learning plans, reviews and other official professional development files, resume and other documents of that ilk, planners I've been given (or outright stolen) from other teachers over the years... not to mention my own personal writing. Or to put it another way, every single file I have which is not yet backed up onto any other computer. Or ANOTHER way - my life.
Now when I plug in my HD it goes crunch, crunch, crunch, wiz, sad sound... device not recognised by computer on the Mac and on PC comes up on devise list but has a location of "0". How can it be there and NOT be there at the same time? I ask myself. I'm unable to actually access through Mac HD or My Computer though it's detected as "working properly".
oy dear. I've finally rendered an inanimate object as confused as I am. What an accomplishment!
I remain optimistic that putting it into the freezer will miraculously cure everything and it will work, right as rain in a few hours.
Just out of interest on a scale of 1-10 what are my chances of getting my data back via this method?
----
In other news, I need to get something off my chest re work and there seems to be noone about I can offload onto. Luckily I have my trusty blog to spew forth my petty grievances.
I happen to have that cough that has been going around lately. Much of my grade has come down with it, with a couple coming down with pneumonia. I've only had one sick day this year so I decided to take another today and due to cough getting worse, tomorrow too. This is all good, I have a certificate. I'm really sick! When a teacher gets sick they call an emergency in to cover for you.
Of course, prin decided that she wouldn't use my emergency teacher tomorrow to cover my grade. Oh no. Instead my grade is going to be split between the other classes and MY emergency teacher will be used as extra staff on a sports day.
I'm so angry because I'm OWED an emergency teacher. Why should my grade be split up - which causes an inconvenience to not only my children but also to the other teachers in the school? Why should other teachers be punished by having extra children in their classes all day? Why should I lose a sick day when in reality my grade doesn't even see the benefit of it? It's ludicrous! So what am I going to do? Well I'm going to pack a packet of butter menthols and turn up at school tomorrow, that's what. I'm just fuming about having to do so when it's my right to be sick when I'm sick instead of being put in this position. I'm angry because there is no way that I can phone the prin now and say that I've heard that she's splitting my grade and therefore I'm coming in. No, I'm going to have to call prin and pretend that I'm all better.
Yesterday I was telling a friend of mine that teachers are chickenshit because we care about others. That has cost us not only a decent wage but everyday rights as workers. As VP says "we are the ultimate service industry". Indeed, I've just proven him right. I'd love to say a big fuck you to everyone, but in the end my children suffer and I'll get the brunt of the bad vibes because - wow I'm sick and everyone else has to suffer because of it. No thanks. :(
Just to clarify, that would be the hard drive that contains all of my weekly planners, photographs, music, REPORTS, learning plans, reviews and other official professional development files, resume and other documents of that ilk, planners I've been given (or outright stolen) from other teachers over the years... not to mention my own personal writing. Or to put it another way, every single file I have which is not yet backed up onto any other computer. Or ANOTHER way - my life.
Now when I plug in my HD it goes crunch, crunch, crunch, wiz, sad sound... device not recognised by computer on the Mac and on PC comes up on devise list but has a location of "0". How can it be there and NOT be there at the same time? I ask myself. I'm unable to actually access through Mac HD or My Computer though it's detected as "working properly".
oy dear. I've finally rendered an inanimate object as confused as I am. What an accomplishment!
I remain optimistic that putting it into the freezer will miraculously cure everything and it will work, right as rain in a few hours.
Just out of interest on a scale of 1-10 what are my chances of getting my data back via this method?
----
In other news, I need to get something off my chest re work and there seems to be noone about I can offload onto. Luckily I have my trusty blog to spew forth my petty grievances.
I happen to have that cough that has been going around lately. Much of my grade has come down with it, with a couple coming down with pneumonia. I've only had one sick day this year so I decided to take another today and due to cough getting worse, tomorrow too. This is all good, I have a certificate. I'm really sick! When a teacher gets sick they call an emergency in to cover for you.
Of course, prin decided that she wouldn't use my emergency teacher tomorrow to cover my grade. Oh no. Instead my grade is going to be split between the other classes and MY emergency teacher will be used as extra staff on a sports day.
I'm so angry because I'm OWED an emergency teacher. Why should my grade be split up - which causes an inconvenience to not only my children but also to the other teachers in the school? Why should other teachers be punished by having extra children in their classes all day? Why should I lose a sick day when in reality my grade doesn't even see the benefit of it? It's ludicrous! So what am I going to do? Well I'm going to pack a packet of butter menthols and turn up at school tomorrow, that's what. I'm just fuming about having to do so when it's my right to be sick when I'm sick instead of being put in this position. I'm angry because there is no way that I can phone the prin now and say that I've heard that she's splitting my grade and therefore I'm coming in. No, I'm going to have to call prin and pretend that I'm all better.
Yesterday I was telling a friend of mine that teachers are chickenshit because we care about others. That has cost us not only a decent wage but everyday rights as workers. As VP says "we are the ultimate service industry". Indeed, I've just proven him right. I'd love to say a big fuck you to everyone, but in the end my children suffer and I'll get the brunt of the bad vibes because - wow I'm sick and everyone else has to suffer because of it. No thanks. :(
Labels: computer stuff, geeks, humans are dumb because we don't have three arms even though necessity clearly dictates that we should, rant, school, stressed teachers
Tuesday, May 20, 2008
don't be a pri ma donna
*You know, I don't buy all this "we control the computers" crap. Every time I go look for a file I feel like I'm looking for the sock that went missing in the wash. I know I save stuff, it's just that it's never there when I go look for it. Many years of dealing with fax machines that endlessly beep and never actually send and photocopiers that always jam when I come near them and computers that plum don't work has led me to believe that the computers of the world are in a conspiracy against me. I have no idea why exactly they chose me to rage against but boy is it making my life a living hell.* Won't somebody tell me why the young women of the world aspire to be pin ups in d-grade men's magazines? Did I miss the memo on smut being the new black because I'm struggling with the notion that a zoo magazine stripper lookalike is now the modern day equivalent of the Vargas girl? I always thought that being a men's magazine was something one fell into because they couldn't get a real modelling job but it seems that I was absolutely wrong on that one. There are girls who not only fancy the idea but outright aspire to be it! I don't get it. It's like the 13 year olds you see on Jenny Jones who turn tricks in the playground for a 50 bucks, want nothing more to be on the cover of playboy and end up in a made for TV boot camp segment with Major Moses screaming into their faces. When did girls stop wanting to be doctors and prime minister and take up with the smut instead? I find it all extremely disturbing - sorry if you think it's okay for women to degrade themselves by posing for Zoo, but I don't think that good money is a worthwhile compensation for degredation. That's just my view on the subject. I realise that not all people see it as degrading but I do.
* I seriously heard someone say this today "racism didn't exist back when I was a kid. Australia has never had any racism. The aboriginals weren't discriminated against. Sure, we had our jokes but they thought it was funny too!". DUDE what the FUCK? I couldn't believe it. Talk about living on a completely different planet! It was a big eye opener to me that people actually thought like that. Then I came home and turned on Big Brother and saw a similar type conversation on there about the stolen generation and dole checks (and the Aboriginals) and I realised that my theory about life inside the BB house being plenty representative of our culture is true. The problem is that we've got our heads too far up our own arses to actually admit it. Yes folks apparently we really are that shit.
* Why do Madonna and Justin only have 4 minutes to save the world? I like the song and all and God knows it's been in my head for the PAST MONTH but ...the whole song is so random. If I could pick a female superhero then Madonna would probably be it, don't you worry, but I still find the whole concept of the song weird and annoying to be perfectly honest. Has it ever been explained? Why 4 minutes? Should I be consulting the lyrics for further analysis? Is she really going to become a superhero? I hope so. Special powers: crushing people with her power thighs. Girlfriend is BUFF. Will Justin be her sidekick?
Labels: crap reality tele, music, rant
Thursday, April 17, 2008
shorter than it was...
I was going to write a zillion word rant but I'll keep it short and simple.
My team leader talks a lot but doesn't actually know very much - she's good at organising meetings but not actually contributing. I think that if you're a team leader then you should know the most, work the hardest and pick up the slack. That's what you get paid for, after all.
Today out of 7 hours of planning our team leader contributed very little. In fact. Nothing - though she did a lot of photocopying. If I worked in the corporate world I'd enjoy sitting back and watching the car crash but I don't. I work in an industry where actually, contrary to popular belief 90% of us do it because we really care about children - so if someone fucks up it's not the leader who crashes and burns but instead the rest of us and the kids.
This means that today I picked up the slack and am STILL continuing to contribute all alone when I really should be saying flush off flushles and not caring about it. I hate caring that it even gets done. I'm really pissed off that I'm doing the work and not getting paid for it. I'm sick of working really hard only to find more work to do on the other side. I'm angry with myself for feeling accountable to the children.
My team leader talks a lot but doesn't actually know very much - she's good at organising meetings but not actually contributing. I think that if you're a team leader then you should know the most, work the hardest and pick up the slack. That's what you get paid for, after all.
Today out of 7 hours of planning our team leader contributed very little. In fact. Nothing - though she did a lot of photocopying. If I worked in the corporate world I'd enjoy sitting back and watching the car crash but I don't. I work in an industry where actually, contrary to popular belief 90% of us do it because we really care about children - so if someone fucks up it's not the leader who crashes and burns but instead the rest of us and the kids.
This means that today I picked up the slack and am STILL continuing to contribute all alone when I really should be saying flush off flushles and not caring about it. I hate caring that it even gets done. I'm really pissed off that I'm doing the work and not getting paid for it. I'm sick of working really hard only to find more work to do on the other side. I'm angry with myself for feeling accountable to the children.
Labels: rant, school, stressed teachers, work
Friday, March 07, 2008
To Whom it may ..
Dear Ikea shopper,
You are a big wanker. Wanker, Wanker, Wanker, Wanker, WANKER, WANKER, WANKER! ARGH!!
You've got your crappy do-it-yourself bed now MOVE ALONG CHUMP! MOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOVE!!!
No, you DON'T have to double check every single FUCKING package at the checkout! Just don't! DON'T! You don't say to the checkout lady "hm, I think I might have 8 items" when in fact she scanned 7 and then spend the NEXT FIVE MINUTES searching endlessly for this mystery 8th item THAT ISN'T EVEN THERE. She scanned 7, GREAT! You just count your lucky stars that you're not paying for 8 and MOVE THE FUCK ALONG! No, don't INSIST on looking for it! The only think I insist is that you are a GRADE A (in capitals) WANKER. You know when you SHOULD have done that shit? WHEN YOU AND WIFEY WERE GETTING IT OFF THE FUCKING SHELF. Yes, checking items when you get them off the shelf may be like inventing fire to idiots like you but I maintain that it's a GREAT time to make sure you have your shit together. Guess what? There's TWO of you. that means that one gets it off the shelf and the other one DOES NOT STAND THERE GIGGLING LIKE SOME MORON, it's her job to check the shit so that you don't embarrass yourselves at the counter. How's that for a plan, team USA? Why would that be a good idea? Oh I don't know, maybe it's because people like me who know what they want are standing right behind you with my 1 item that should me about 2 MINUTES to get through the register with.. but nooooooo you turn what should have been an easy 2 minute journey into a 15 minute HELL RIDE TO SHITSVILLE!
I hate you....wanker!
Love,
Ikea shopper who actually knows what they are doing.
Dear people in charge of my Education region,
That conversation we had the other day really depressed me. I really felt like that was the last thing I needed to hear about my profession that day. I'm already hanging on by a thread.
For the record, no I don't think that teachers get too much PD and no I don't think that we should be doing more in house PD instead of going out and getting trained by specialists. No I don't think we should be letting the information filter down from teacher to teacher. When exactly do you think we have time to do all this in house networking? Do you realise how exhausted a day of teaching makes you? No, of COURSE you don't, you're a paper pusher. I don't think you understand very much at all. If you stop training teachers to be BETTER teachers then you will get exactly what you foster: CRAP TEACHERS WHO NEVER LEARN ANYTHING NEW.
I feel sad. I feel abandoned by the very people who are supposed to represent my needs. But you don't. You represent the almighty dollar. I don't know if I want to be part of your organisation anymore.
You suck!
Love,
Disillusioned teacher.
Dear Parent who came into my classroom today,
Thank you for saying what you said. Yes I'm chuffed that my group of parents "feel very, very lucky to have Miss F as a teacher". I thought it would be the opposite because of the art room thing. Personally I think being in the art room for a couple of years has made me a better CLASSROOM teacher than I was before but I never thought that parents would give me a chance. I thought I would have been eaten alive without a trail. I'm so happy that you said that my reputation pre-art and in the classroom proceeded me.
Thank you!
Love,
Your Daughter's Teacher.
Dear Friend,
I love you, I really do but I think it's totally bogan to go to the bottle shop and buy one of those little bottles of bubbly and drink it at a restaurant without ordering anything else.
Sorry, no I won't join you in a glass - I'm going to actually order something off the menu.
Am a bit Shocked to tell you the truth.
Me.
Dear S,
No, updating your "status" as "moving house" isn't actually the same as letting someone know that you've moved. We've only known each other for ooo... 18 years so I thought I'd at least qualify for a text.
Access to technology is great but it's not a substitute for good old fashioned courtesy.
Love,
Well, Not Love...Obviously.
Dear #1,
Love Baby S. I really do. I will sit and listen to all the crappy stories about how he bumps into walls and won't fall asleep. I'll sympathise and empathise and other "ises" ...anything, you're my friend. HOWEVER, being at the 1st birthday party was excruciating! I hated every second of it. It's no place for a single gal. You babied up folk are ...well you're really down right scary sometimes. It's frightening and I wanted to leave about 10 minutes after I got there. I really don't belong and I'm not sure I want to belong either. You're all cuckoo for coco pops - sorry but it's true. I hope you're not offended. I DID buy a really cool present.
Love,
Weirded out by babied up people.
Dear Mazda Driver,
I have memorised your car. Get on the Freeway going 80kms again and I swear to God I will hunt you down and rip out your still-beating heart. You think I have anger management issues? Well you're quite possibly right but you STILL need to get the in the left lane and STAY THERE FOREVER bucko! Or better yet, take a taxi. I don't understand why people like you even WANT to get on the freeway in the first place. What's the attraction: Pissing people off? We have plenty of roads out there where you can go 60kms or EVEN 40kms on school days! Sounds like your kind of speed to me.
Love
Late for Work and other Appointments.
You are a big wanker. Wanker, Wanker, Wanker, Wanker, WANKER, WANKER, WANKER! ARGH!!
You've got your crappy do-it-yourself bed now MOVE ALONG CHUMP! MOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOVE!!!
No, you DON'T have to double check every single FUCKING package at the checkout! Just don't! DON'T! You don't say to the checkout lady "hm, I think I might have 8 items" when in fact she scanned 7 and then spend the NEXT FIVE MINUTES searching endlessly for this mystery 8th item THAT ISN'T EVEN THERE. She scanned 7, GREAT! You just count your lucky stars that you're not paying for 8 and MOVE THE FUCK ALONG! No, don't INSIST on looking for it! The only think I insist is that you are a GRADE A (in capitals) WANKER. You know when you SHOULD have done that shit? WHEN YOU AND WIFEY WERE GETTING IT OFF THE FUCKING SHELF. Yes, checking items when you get them off the shelf may be like inventing fire to idiots like you but I maintain that it's a GREAT time to make sure you have your shit together. Guess what? There's TWO of you. that means that one gets it off the shelf and the other one DOES NOT STAND THERE GIGGLING LIKE SOME MORON, it's her job to check the shit so that you don't embarrass yourselves at the counter. How's that for a plan, team USA? Why would that be a good idea? Oh I don't know, maybe it's because people like me who know what they want are standing right behind you with my 1 item that should me about 2 MINUTES to get through the register with.. but nooooooo you turn what should have been an easy 2 minute journey into a 15 minute HELL RIDE TO SHITSVILLE!
I hate you....wanker!
Love,
Ikea shopper who actually knows what they are doing.
Dear people in charge of my Education region,
That conversation we had the other day really depressed me. I really felt like that was the last thing I needed to hear about my profession that day. I'm already hanging on by a thread.
For the record, no I don't think that teachers get too much PD and no I don't think that we should be doing more in house PD instead of going out and getting trained by specialists. No I don't think we should be letting the information filter down from teacher to teacher. When exactly do you think we have time to do all this in house networking? Do you realise how exhausted a day of teaching makes you? No, of COURSE you don't, you're a paper pusher. I don't think you understand very much at all. If you stop training teachers to be BETTER teachers then you will get exactly what you foster: CRAP TEACHERS WHO NEVER LEARN ANYTHING NEW.
I feel sad. I feel abandoned by the very people who are supposed to represent my needs. But you don't. You represent the almighty dollar. I don't know if I want to be part of your organisation anymore.
You suck!
Love,
Disillusioned teacher.
Dear Parent who came into my classroom today,
Thank you for saying what you said. Yes I'm chuffed that my group of parents "feel very, very lucky to have Miss F as a teacher". I thought it would be the opposite because of the art room thing. Personally I think being in the art room for a couple of years has made me a better CLASSROOM teacher than I was before but I never thought that parents would give me a chance. I thought I would have been eaten alive without a trail. I'm so happy that you said that my reputation pre-art and in the classroom proceeded me.
Thank you!
Love,
Your Daughter's Teacher.
Dear Friend,
I love you, I really do but I think it's totally bogan to go to the bottle shop and buy one of those little bottles of bubbly and drink it at a restaurant without ordering anything else.
Sorry, no I won't join you in a glass - I'm going to actually order something off the menu.
Am a bit Shocked to tell you the truth.
Me.
Dear S,
No, updating your "status" as "moving house" isn't actually the same as letting someone know that you've moved. We've only known each other for ooo... 18 years so I thought I'd at least qualify for a text.
Access to technology is great but it's not a substitute for good old fashioned courtesy.
Love,
Well, Not Love...Obviously.
Dear #1,
Love Baby S. I really do. I will sit and listen to all the crappy stories about how he bumps into walls and won't fall asleep. I'll sympathise and empathise and other "ises" ...anything, you're my friend. HOWEVER, being at the 1st birthday party was excruciating! I hated every second of it. It's no place for a single gal. You babied up folk are ...well you're really down right scary sometimes. It's frightening and I wanted to leave about 10 minutes after I got there. I really don't belong and I'm not sure I want to belong either. You're all cuckoo for coco pops - sorry but it's true. I hope you're not offended. I DID buy a really cool present.
Love,
Weirded out by babied up people.
Dear Mazda Driver,
I have memorised your car. Get on the Freeway going 80kms again and I swear to God I will hunt you down and rip out your still-beating heart. You think I have anger management issues? Well you're quite possibly right but you STILL need to get the in the left lane and STAY THERE FOREVER bucko! Or better yet, take a taxi. I don't understand why people like you even WANT to get on the freeway in the first place. What's the attraction: Pissing people off? We have plenty of roads out there where you can go 60kms or EVEN 40kms on school days! Sounds like your kind of speed to me.
Love
Late for Work and other Appointments.
Labels: Crazy Nutters, crazy people, letters, rant, school
Sunday, January 20, 2008
Again with the letters thing.
Dear Corey,
How can I put this?
You make me want to tear out my womb and feed it to the German Shepherds who live down the road.
love,
Sick of the Yellow Sunglasses from Supre.
Dear Babied up people of the world,
Do not ring your spinster friend and then spend that time on the phone talking to your child instead. Spinster friend has got a shitlist.
It's getting longer.
Love
Spinster Friend.
Dear Creators of the show "Ready Steady Cook"
I'm going to miss watching you when I go back to work next week. Yes I really am that pathetic. I do have one question though. Does it REALLY count when you create a dish and use the contestant's "special ingredient" only as a garnish? Surely this is cheating!
Love,
Uptight Viewer.
Dear Girl sitting near me at the Cinemas the other day,
Your BO was so bad I couldn't concentrate on the movie! I COULDN'T CONCENTRATE! I actually took out my peppermint flavoured MIGRANE STICK and pretty much stuffed it up my nose just so I didn't have to smell YOU.
I don't think people need to smell flower fresh every second of the day but why sit near me when the cinema was practically empty. SO many other seats! A VAST NUMBER OF SEATS AAAAALLLL OVER THE PLACE. But hey, sure, sit right near me, no worries.
Love,
Very Serious About Having Good Movie Experience.
Dear Mother on the Beach with her Toddler the other day,
When your little boy pointed at that young, muscle bound dude who had just come in from his swim and exclaimed "Daddy" I smiled. You see, I had seen "daddy" when your family arrived earlier. He was middle aged, pudgy, was wearing full zinc on his nose and had a Gilligan bucket hat on his head. But when you looked down at your boy and said (complete with dead pan delivery) - "nooooooope, Daddy's body looks nothing like that" I laughed out loud.
Thanks for the laugh.
Girl Hiding Behind Book.
Dear Tom Cruise,
Listen here you little FREAK. What the fuck is up? I mean dude, WHAT IS UP with your threads? Is Xenu making you wear turtlenecks? Are you channeling an 8 year old circa 1986 for your hair style? Are you fucking mental? I DO NOT UNDERSTAND HOW SOMEONE WITH SQUIlLLIONS OF DOLLARS AND PERSONAL ASSISTANTS WHO DO EVERYTHING FOR YOU, (PROBABLY EVEN WIPING YOUR ARSE), CAN MAKE SUCH GRAVE MISTAKES REGARDING FASHION LATELY! THIS IS NO TIME FOR PLAYING AROUND WITH SKIVVIES UNDER DRESS JACKETS - PEOPLE ALREADY THINK THAT YOU ARE A FREAKSHOW BONANZA AND THIS ISN'T HELPING MATTERS ANY.CLEAN IT UP TOP GUN!
SORRY ABOUT THE CAPS BUT YOU MAKE ME VERY ANGRY FOR SOME REASON!
Love,
Not a Fan.
Dear Beastie Boys,
I'm a long time fan. You make me want to grab my womb back from the German Shepherds and put it right back in.
Seriously, I can't say this enough; you are fabulous.
Love
Me.
An Open Letter to NYC - Beastie Boys
Sabotage - Beastie Boys
*EDIT*
Here's a crappy meme - as you will soon see it's scarily accurate..
The rules were
1) Put ipod on shuffle
2) every answer = a shuffled song.
3) the song that randomly comes up is the answer.
I tag all of you to do it!
1. IF SOMEONE SAYS “IS THIS OKAY” YOU SAY?
saturday's night's alright for fighting - elton john
Yes, well - you see sometimes it's good to fight.
2. WHAT WOULD BEST DESCRIBE YOUR PERSONALITY?
Tame - Pixies
Depends on the person - however maybe this is a consequence of #3.
3. WHAT DO YOU LIKE IN A GUY/GIRL?
Licking Stick - James Brown
Ipod has done it again! I plead the fifth.
4. HOW DO YOU FEEL TODAY?
Hanky Panky - Madonna
um, can I plead the 5th again? Oh look, there's a lovely butterfly over there..look! *run*
5. WHAT IS YOUR LIFE’S PURPOSE?
where the wild roses grow - nick cave
Oh goody, my life purpose is to die at the hands of a blood thirsty murderer. I will however look absolutely smashing while floating face up in a filthy lake.
6. WHAT IS YOUR MOTTO?
Mayfair song - air
yes...well I have no idea what that is about. Perhaps I like playing monopoly a little TOO much
7. WHAT DO YOUR FRIENDS THINK OF YOU?
c'etait toi (you were the one) - billy joel
Why thank you! (Though I suppose the question is what do you REALLY think of me now that you know I have this song on my ipod?)
8. WHAT DO YOU THINK OF YOUR PARENTS?
holiday - madonna
quite. I always did wish for an extended holiday from them.
9. WHAT DO YOU THINK ABOUT VERY OFTEN?
tu quieres volver - gipsy kings
I agree. I do think in other languages I don't understand very often.
10. WHAT IS 2+2?
soul bossa nova - quincy jones
Is it any wonder I almost failed stats in uni?
11. WHAT DO YOU THINK OF YOUR BEST FRIEND?
I can't make it on time - The Ramones
Ipod knows I'm often late when meeting friends.
12. WHAT DO YOU THINK OF THE PERSON YOU LIKE?
women - the easybeats
You see, ipod is also hinting that the end of my spinsterhood will be through lesbianism. Good one ipod, I shall look into it!
13. WHAT IS YOUR LIFE STORY?
Let it Be - The Beatles
lordy, this thing is good.
14. WHAT DO YOU WANT TO BE WHEN YOU GROW UP?
put your head on my shoulder - paul anka
ahhh, yes. You see this harks back to the days in my early teens when I actually wanted to be a disembodied head atop of someone elses shoulders. It was a short lived dream really - not a lot of money in it. Glad I went into teaching instead.
15. WHAT DO YOU THINK WHEN YOU SEE THE PERSON YOU LIKE?
courage - sarah polly
absolutely. Lots and lots of courage pounding through my veins... Then I run like hell.
16. WHAT DO YOUR PARENTS THINK OF YOU?
gave up - nin
yes, hence the needing of a holiday.
17. WHAT WILL YOU DANCE TO AT YOUR WEDDING?
I say a little prayer - dion warwick
good lord, I'm thinking the poor sod will be the one saying prayers but anyway.
18. WHAT WILL THEY PLAY AT YOUR FUNERAL?
psycho therapy - the ramones
hahahhaha, of course!
19. WHAT IS YOUR HOBBY/INTEREST?
an american trilogy - elvis presley
Indeed, you see I'm much into popular culture, bad food and taking over small developing nations simply by using economic manipulation and brute force. Very American of me.
20. WHAT IS YOUR BIGGEST SECRET?
stuck on you - lionel ritchie
Apparently my biggest secret is actually the fact that I have Lionel Ritchie on my ipod but anyway. Aren't I glad to have that one out of the bag?
21. WHAT DO YOU THINK OF YOUR FRIENDS?
waiting - elizabeth daily
Currently waiting for their babies to grow up so that I get my friends back actually. Good one ipod - clever clogs!
22. WHAT WOULD YOU DO FOR LOVE?
China - tori amos
hm, ipod is being quite obscure here. Has it got something to do with giving up my current life and moving overseas to China where I will be showered with many diamonds and treated like a queen? Yes, I think that's what Ipod might be saying.
oh wait, this is what *I'd* do for love, isn't it? um, well maybe I will move to china and ...start selling china goods for cheap prices to the foreign market - maybe my future love is in trade of some kind. Yesss. The more I think about it the more sense it makes.
23. WHAT IS YOUR STANCE ON RELIGION?
I don't like it like this - The Radio Dept.
Ipod obviously knows I was raised a catholic and now am disgruntled and confused.
24. WHAT DO YOU THINK OF YOUR JOB?
Cold Hearted Snake - Paula Abdul
Christ, ipod not only have you outed that I have Paula Abdul on my ipod but you've really hit the nail on the head about my workplace too!
25. OTHER BLOGGERS THINK THIS ABOUT YOU.
Release - pearl jam
From the looney bin I suppose.
You smug bastards!
Labels: crap cook, Crazy Nutters, crazy people, letters, media, meme, musical monday, pop culture, rant
Monday, November 19, 2007
time is eternal
Does it want to get any hotter? Seriously, what is with the heat wave? We're only in Spring folks. SPRING. How shit is summer going to be if Spring has sprung 37 big ones on us already? If this is a taste of things to come then I'm going to start stockpiling water soon cause the reserves aren't going to make it past December. I predict widespread panic and desperation over the last bottle of Evian at Coles. Maybe we should start killing off the elderly in an effort to conserve water (for the rest of us)...Just thinking out loud.
The heat makes me grumpy.. obviously.
And what's with house prices lately? I know that I've been a broken record about house prices but the other day I found myself at a "renovators delight", which happened to be directly across the road from a rather large block of commission flats. Now I'm sure a lot of honest hard working people live in commission flats - however it was 10am and a guy holding an open stubby of VB beer was taking his woman for a stroll down the street to have Sunday brunch at a popular Southern fried chicken establishment (yes, I saw them go in). I love me some of those fries myself, only not at 10am, but then I realised that for fucks sake this renovators delight in this guy's neighbourhood was going for a MINT. Mint, that is, for what it actually was worth. The clincher was when I asked about parking spaces the real estate guy said there wasn't one on title but he was ....kind of sure that it'd be safe to leave my car parked on the street... it'd be sort of safe anyway. Great. Problem is, this is right in my price range and I'm so very desperate at the moment that I'm wondering whether I should just bite the bullet. Apart from that street the surrounding suburb is one of my favourites in Melb. Would you move opposite a commission flat? Yes it's a serious question.
In Musical Monday news. This is an oldie but a goodie. Way back in the dawn of the 90s, The KLF was taking over the world with their brand of trance and being a child of many dance lessons and obsessed with beats of any kind it was right up my alley. Those of us living the early 90s dream of fluro board shorts (or skirt) worn with a sheer black chiffon shirt and hi-top sneakers can remember that the early 90s dance, trance, rap scene was tragic (see last post) but in amongst the shit there were a few gems of which this was one. I only recently started reliving The KLF. They do not sound dated unlike much of the music that came out of that time. I'm a fan.
The KLF - 3 A.M. Eternal (Live at the S.S.L.)
The heat makes me grumpy.. obviously.
And what's with house prices lately? I know that I've been a broken record about house prices but the other day I found myself at a "renovators delight", which happened to be directly across the road from a rather large block of commission flats. Now I'm sure a lot of honest hard working people live in commission flats - however it was 10am and a guy holding an open stubby of VB beer was taking his woman for a stroll down the street to have Sunday brunch at a popular Southern fried chicken establishment (yes, I saw them go in). I love me some of those fries myself, only not at 10am, but then I realised that for fucks sake this renovators delight in this guy's neighbourhood was going for a MINT. Mint, that is, for what it actually was worth. The clincher was when I asked about parking spaces the real estate guy said there wasn't one on title but he was ....kind of sure that it'd be safe to leave my car parked on the street... it'd be sort of safe anyway. Great. Problem is, this is right in my price range and I'm so very desperate at the moment that I'm wondering whether I should just bite the bullet. Apart from that street the surrounding suburb is one of my favourites in Melb. Would you move opposite a commission flat? Yes it's a serious question.
In Musical Monday news. This is an oldie but a goodie. Way back in the dawn of the 90s, The KLF was taking over the world with their brand of trance and being a child of many dance lessons and obsessed with beats of any kind it was right up my alley. Those of us living the early 90s dream of fluro board shorts (or skirt) worn with a sheer black chiffon shirt and hi-top sneakers can remember that the early 90s dance, trance, rap scene was tragic (see last post) but in amongst the shit there were a few gems of which this was one. I only recently started reliving The KLF. They do not sound dated unlike much of the music that came out of that time. I'm a fan.
The KLF - 3 A.M. Eternal (Live at the S.S.L.)
Labels: 3am really is an eternal time, Ancients of Mu Mu, fake mad but not really, houses, musical monday, questions, rant, wonderings
Sunday, August 19, 2007
I cannot compete with you Jolene.
sonnet cxxx
My mistress' eyes are nothing like the sun;
Coral is far more red than her lips' red;
If snow be white, why then her breasts are dun;
If hairs be wires, black wires grow on her head.
I have seen roses damask'd, red and white,
But no such roses see I in her cheeks;
And in some perfumes is there more delight
Than in the breath that from my mistress reeks.
I love to hear her speak, yet well I know
That music hath a far more pleasing sound;
I grant I never saw a goddess go;
My mistress, when she walks, treads on the ground:
And yet, by heaven, I think my love as rare
As any she belied with false compare.
I've been thinking a lot about this sonnet by Shakespeare and of how beauty does not create love but that the opposite is true - love creates beauty. I truly believe that for both men and women. It's part of our complexity as humans that we don't see things as they really are all of the time. Then I had a conversation with my friend about post baby bodies and had no idea what to think.
F was saying that due to a number of factors her post baby her boobs aren't as big as what they once were. She and a similar post-breastfeeding friend of hers were wondering about having a boob job to you know..fill up again. I was dumbfounded by why someone who is absolutely angelic looking and in the prime of her life would want to have such a procedure done.
I'm going to go right ahead and make an explosive comment: Do women really hate themselves THAT much?
I know that women are the masters of their own bodies yadda yadda yadda and that if a boob job is actually going to make a woman feel better about herself then what's it anyone's business but her own? I have one word for that: propaganda!
I want to know WHY altering something that is already completely normal makes a woman supposedly feel better in the first place? It's not like an overwhelming amount of women are going into surgery to remove a third breast or something - it's usually to make something that is normal look totally generic. Why is it such a good thing for a women to look generic and why god help me I'm going to kick someone right now, do women totally buy into it? Are we completely and utterly SPAZZTICATED?
Women have boobs and they all happen to be different because duh, we women are all different. Women who have breast implants for themselves have really got to ask themselves why, if they want to do something for THEMSELVES they would want that particular something to look the same as everyone elses something? Where are these messages coming from that would cause women to think that our normal functional boobs are somehow inadequate? Why would we tell that to ourselves? Why aren't we up in arms saying 'fuck you!' about this? Furthermore the scores of women who actually say they're doing it for themselves but survey men on what MEN find attractive about boobs have totally lost me. Let me get this straight you need their opinion because you're ...doing it for...yourself? Riiight.
You want to see something a bunch of women did for THEMSELVES? These women here (click link) accepted that their breasts were completely fantastic because they were actually THEIRS. This is not a work safe site and shows normal breasts that are not pornified (made up word). I encourage you to read the submissions that the women have made about their own breasts and I encourage you to read the visitor comments at the bottom on the page too.
Surely we realise that a man who picks a woman over how perfect her breasts are is a complete moron who we don't really want anywhere near our reproductive organs in the first place. Right? I'm sure they're rapt if their lady friend has really nice ta-tas, don't get me wrong I get that much about men, but for normal penis sporting men in search of a relationship - this is not actually a factor in deciding whether they like you or not, right? If anything men are more contrary and fickle than not when it comes to the subject. They tell the small chested girl that more than a handful is a waste anyway (I hate that saying btw) and the ample bosomed girl that they love big ones. Why do they do this? Well 1) they don't want their arses kicked, 2) it's like my friend said: "the only real boobs are the ones I get to touch". Amen brother.
Basically breast implants are just a big bag of poison (okay, okay foreign matter) inserted into someone's chest. If by some grace of god you don't develop the big C from them then surely you've read the stats on how MOST implants go hard because having foreign material in your body causes your body to start attacking itself and to build a shell around the implant. Not to mention that MANY women have to go back and have them replaced anyway - if you don't your breasts will be deformed. Also it's no big secret that many of them leak and rupture or deflate.
Pro-boob job sites/articles always interview women who have had breast surgery within the last 1-5ish years. It's not to say that all post 5 year implants produce suffering but you rarely hear the success story even 10 years down the track. You hear a lot of 'I wish I never did that' 10 years later actually. I've read studies that show 1/3 of women who have surgery have two ruptured implants (or deflation or something like that) - and up to 67% have ONE implant that has ruptured and needs to be replaced. That shit is fucked up. Don't you think it's fucked up?
Anyway, I was lying in bed the other morning thinking about my friend F and her already lovely boobs and lovely life. I was thinking about her being successful in her career and how she already has the man of her dreams and a gorgeous child I just couldn't figure it out. I ultimately came to this conclusion - no women is ever beautiful enough because all beauty that is held up in consumerist society - by both men and women - is unattainable (I mean it's airbrushed for fucks sake of course it's unattainable). If no women is ever beautiful enough then she will always be vulnerable to feeling inadequate - enter boob job. Women who are totally immune to this either have a strong sense of self and trust completely that they are loved for who they are on the inside or ...I don't know, live alternative lifestyles on the fringe of society rather than the mainstream (?).
Then over the radio came the news that blew both the "doing it for themselves" and "men love all boobs because duh, they're boobs" theory out the window for me.
Zoo Magazine has a competition running, in case you hadn't heard. Male readers get to win fake implants for their girlfriend. Well, FOR their girlfriend... to UNDERGO surgery that is. Could you EVER imagine Cosmo or Cleo Magazine offering women the chance to get their boyfriend penis enlargement surgery? Could you even imagine a woman subscribing to this on behalf of her man? I really can't.
What say you - boob jobs; women empowering themselves or women duped into thinking that they are empowering themselves? What part do men and Zoo have to play in all this anyway? And with my musical Monday in mind - are all women threatened by Jolene and images of women who are perfect?
And now to a song that I only recently grew to appreciate and to a singer whose chest doesn't play even a part in what I think of her music. Funny how that works eh?
Jolene - Dolly Parton
Honorable mention to The White Stripes whom have done a BRILLIANT cover of this song.
Jolene (under the Blackpool lights) - The White Stripes
[I just need to clarify here that I'm not talking about post breast cancer mastectomy augmentation or any medical procedure to do with boobs like back problems or inverted nipples etc]
[I also know women who have had boob jobs who love them, I don't doubt that women love their fake boobs - you'd better love them after spending 10,000 on them, I just wonder why we have to have them in the first place!]
Labels: boobs, men, pop culture, pressure, rant, what men don't see, what women want, why, women, wonderings
Sunday, May 06, 2007
the one about the media.
My morning cup of hot Milo suddenly got extra delicious when I read the news that the judge in the Paris Hilton driving like a loon case had sentenced her to 45 days in jail - forcing her lawyers to announce that they would appeal. Paris wailed when she heard the sentence. HAHA There is nothing I'd like to see more than socialites and other celebrities get their just desserts when it comes to breaking the law. Of course, I expect the appeal will go through and she'll be back sleeping under Egyptian Cotton soon enough, but the fact that a judge finally came out and slapped a spoiled rich kid on the face just about made my morning.
I hate seeing people who already have everything in life get all the breaks. Anyone else would have had their car impounded if they'd had as many misdemeanors as ol' Paris - or better yet they'd already be in jail. Why they get such special treatment is beyond me (OJ simpson killed someone and walks free! Yes, yes you know he did) - it's not like they add anything worthwhile to society. For the most part they're just a waste of space, perhaps occasionally providing glossy fodder for tabloid magazines, but that's about it.
An example closer to home (media saturation plus!) is the AFL footballer Ben Cousins who has an addiction to the drug "Ice". I guess there are two camps of thought on what footballers add to society. One is that they are athletes and heroes. The second is that they provide gross misconduct towards women in and around pubs. Probably they are both as valid points as the other (yes I'm being serious).
Ben Cousins - instead of being dropped from the West Coast Eagles when it was found that he was taking ice and being violent in and around town while on it - was send to Miami for a month to rehab. Apparently we don't have adequate drug rehab in Australia (pfe!). Now that he's back is laying low until it all dies down so they can slip him back onto side when no one's looking. Hello! If he's an athlete BUT found out to be a drug taker then he should be shunned by the light of sport and celebrity and left to get a real job. Of course his club has an obligation to get him help but that's it. He's not doing his job as an athlete. Next! If someone is found to embezzle funds from a company are they given a multitude of second chances? No, they are sent to jail. Here's Ben C. He admits to taking an illegal substance for which he purchased illegally and was flaunting it and got into trouble for it many times but in the end gets a tap on the wrist (and a holiday to Miami). Ugh.
* In other news, Prin announced that since she liked my photographs (I had put a couple up to show the kids) I was going to be taking individual photos of all the kids for their portfolios. I'm getting a whole day off school to do it. First, wow! Secondly, oh fuck!
I hate seeing people who already have everything in life get all the breaks. Anyone else would have had their car impounded if they'd had as many misdemeanors as ol' Paris - or better yet they'd already be in jail. Why they get such special treatment is beyond me (OJ simpson killed someone and walks free! Yes, yes you know he did) - it's not like they add anything worthwhile to society. For the most part they're just a waste of space, perhaps occasionally providing glossy fodder for tabloid magazines, but that's about it.
An example closer to home (media saturation plus!) is the AFL footballer Ben Cousins who has an addiction to the drug "Ice". I guess there are two camps of thought on what footballers add to society. One is that they are athletes and heroes. The second is that they provide gross misconduct towards women in and around pubs. Probably they are both as valid points as the other (yes I'm being serious).
Ben Cousins - instead of being dropped from the West Coast Eagles when it was found that he was taking ice and being violent in and around town while on it - was send to Miami for a month to rehab. Apparently we don't have adequate drug rehab in Australia (pfe!). Now that he's back is laying low until it all dies down so they can slip him back onto side when no one's looking. Hello! If he's an athlete BUT found out to be a drug taker then he should be shunned by the light of sport and celebrity and left to get a real job. Of course his club has an obligation to get him help but that's it. He's not doing his job as an athlete. Next! If someone is found to embezzle funds from a company are they given a multitude of second chances? No, they are sent to jail. Here's Ben C. He admits to taking an illegal substance for which he purchased illegally and was flaunting it and got into trouble for it many times but in the end gets a tap on the wrist (and a holiday to Miami). Ugh.
* In other news, Prin announced that since she liked my photographs (I had put a couple up to show the kids) I was going to be taking individual photos of all the kids for their portfolios. I'm getting a whole day off school to do it. First, wow! Secondly, oh fuck!
Wednesday, April 18, 2007
oh quit yer yapping.
Things that are pissing me off right this minute (in no particular order).
* GW can express as much sorrow as he wants at the Virginia Tech murders but that's nothing on the horror inflicted on his behalf in Iraq. Yeah, yeah, okay I know - it's inflammatory to say that. I don't care. The man is a douche.
* The lean back in his chair know-it-all complete and utter wanker of huge proportions in my class tonight. Why do people feel the need to make smartarse comments and unfunny "jokes"? Why can they just come to class and ohhh don't know..LEARN? No, it's not appropriate to talk when someone else is (especially the teacher), no it's not appropriate to flirt with the married lady (especially when it's obvious she don't wanna), no it's not appropriate to boast (nothing to boast about buddy). Even his friend looked kind of uncomfortable.
* When people say something like "man, it was just a joke geez". If less people are laughing than who are offended then actually nope, it wasn't a joke.
* Having 100% certainty that a certain file is on your computer but when you search, it's not there.
* When to get to the point that someone makes a little comment that means absolutely nothing to anyone but you and suddenly you just feel frustrated and are trying everything not to cry your head off in front of everyone.
* self, for not being as organised as I could have been with the movie project. With school holidays and about a million other things to do I never checked the dates of commencement. It's Monday, I need to get a group and permission organised by..well today really. I'm so unbelievably worn out and just not feeling very happy lately - it's just the last thing I want to do. I just want to crawl up into bed and watch episodes of Bewitched (bday present from bro) and not think...about anything.
* GW can express as much sorrow as he wants at the Virginia Tech murders but that's nothing on the horror inflicted on his behalf in Iraq. Yeah, yeah, okay I know - it's inflammatory to say that. I don't care. The man is a douche.
* The lean back in his chair know-it-all complete and utter wanker of huge proportions in my class tonight. Why do people feel the need to make smartarse comments and unfunny "jokes"? Why can they just come to class and ohhh don't know..LEARN? No, it's not appropriate to talk when someone else is (especially the teacher), no it's not appropriate to flirt with the married lady (especially when it's obvious she don't wanna), no it's not appropriate to boast (nothing to boast about buddy). Even his friend looked kind of uncomfortable.
* When people say something like "man, it was just a joke geez". If less people are laughing than who are offended then actually nope, it wasn't a joke.
* Having 100% certainty that a certain file is on your computer but when you search, it's not there.
* When to get to the point that someone makes a little comment that means absolutely nothing to anyone but you and suddenly you just feel frustrated and are trying everything not to cry your head off in front of everyone.
* self, for not being as organised as I could have been with the movie project. With school holidays and about a million other things to do I never checked the dates of commencement. It's Monday, I need to get a group and permission organised by..well today really. I'm so unbelievably worn out and just not feeling very happy lately - it's just the last thing I want to do. I just want to crawl up into bed and watch episodes of Bewitched (bday present from bro) and not think...about anything.
Labels: blah, fake mad but not really, rant, tired
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