Sharp readers may notice a slight change to the previous post - I said some not-very-nice-things about a fellow blogger, and now I feel bad for talking trash since I really don't want to be that kind of blog, so I have deleted the offensive remarks. Once again, I suck.
More evidence of suckage: I am applying for an Information Manager position in which the announcement stated quite clearly they were looking for someone with mad web skillz, so I am hastily trying to update my "online portfolio" - you know the one. The only problem? I don't know what the hell I'm doing. I don't remember anything from my one-weekend class from over a year ago and now I have extra spaces hanging out all over the place, and God knows what else. I so don't deserve this position. And I probably won't get it, so it's win win all the way around.
In case I don't have the time or inclination to blog tomorrow, Happy Halloween!
Sunday, October 30, 2005
Wednesday, October 26, 2005
Beauty is in the eye of the blog reader
After browsing some librarian blogs this evening, it has occured to me that perhaps I ought to spend more time prettifying my blog and adding some bells and whistles if I actually want anyone to read it. Of course, I'm not sure that I really do want anyone other than my friends to read it...
So anyway. I guess I'm too quick to judgment, because after watching the rest of The Office season one episodes I've repealed some of my earlier criticisms. The episode with the basketball game was both cringe-inducing (I had to look away from the TV a few times), and uniquely American. As the show went on, it seemed Carell really made the asshole boss character his own. But I have yet to see any shows this season so I don't know if they're continuing to improve or not. And since probably no one cares anyway, I won't pontificate any further.
Oh yeah, I just read this very interesting thing called Lies I Learned in Library School. It looks like it used to be part of a blog, and now it's just some sort of random floating-on-the-web-in- limbo page. I thought a lot of you might be able to relate to this (hi girls!), even though I think it was written a few years ago. "Librarian shortage," indeed. Ha!
So anyway. I guess I'm too quick to judgment, because after watching the rest of The Office season one episodes I've repealed some of my earlier criticisms. The episode with the basketball game was both cringe-inducing (I had to look away from the TV a few times), and uniquely American. As the show went on, it seemed Carell really made the asshole boss character his own. But I have yet to see any shows this season so I don't know if they're continuing to improve or not. And since probably no one cares anyway, I won't pontificate any further.
Oh yeah, I just read this very interesting thing called Lies I Learned in Library School. It looks like it used to be part of a blog, and now it's just some sort of random floating-on-the-web-in- limbo page. I thought a lot of you might be able to relate to this (hi girls!), even though I think it was written a few years ago. "Librarian shortage," indeed. Ha!
Tuesday, October 18, 2005
She lives!
Contrary to popular belief, I am still alive. Alive and kicking, some might say. Actually, probably just alive. Well, you know how I hate to beat a dead horse. But. And I swear this is absolutely the last thing I will say on the subject - October 18. High of 78 (so let's say 25 for those of the Celsius persuasion). Just let those two concepts marinate for a moment. Now I know that technically Virginia is considered the South, but come on - I barely live in Virginia; it's practically Maryland, for God's sake. And yet I am forced to put up with this literally hellish weather.
OK, that's it. Will not mention the heat again.
Oh yeah, The Office, American style. Not as good as the British one, I'm afraid to say. For one thing, The Office was, is, and always will be Ricky Gervais. Steve Carell is good, but he just doesn't have the frenetic energy of Gervais, which is basically what made the show. And the other problem, aside from the fact that if you've seen the British version you already know most of the story lines, which in at least the first two episodes are almost verbatim the B-version, is the fact that you are always aware this is just a TV show. In the British version, the uncomfortable silences and awkwardness of the actors were so real that you really felt this office existed somewhere and was being filmed. And finally, all the actors in the American version are just too damn good-looking. Even the unattractive people are still attractive - maybe it has to do with the lighting or the make-up, but whatever it is they still come across as TV-ugly, rather than ugly ugly. Not to say that the British actors are ugly, but they are just unattractive enough to look like real people. Also, British accents will always be funnier (to Americans) than American accents. That's just the way it is.
Yep.
OK, that's it. Will not mention the heat again.
Oh yeah, The Office, American style. Not as good as the British one, I'm afraid to say. For one thing, The Office was, is, and always will be Ricky Gervais. Steve Carell is good, but he just doesn't have the frenetic energy of Gervais, which is basically what made the show. And the other problem, aside from the fact that if you've seen the British version you already know most of the story lines, which in at least the first two episodes are almost verbatim the B-version, is the fact that you are always aware this is just a TV show. In the British version, the uncomfortable silences and awkwardness of the actors were so real that you really felt this office existed somewhere and was being filmed. And finally, all the actors in the American version are just too damn good-looking. Even the unattractive people are still attractive - maybe it has to do with the lighting or the make-up, but whatever it is they still come across as TV-ugly, rather than ugly ugly. Not to say that the British actors are ugly, but they are just unattractive enough to look like real people. Also, British accents will always be funnier (to Americans) than American accents. That's just the way it is.
Yep.
Thursday, October 13, 2005
These are really good
Hi all. Well, I'm feeling like a total waste of space right now because every day I come to work, surf the Web, play computer solitaire, and generally contribute nothing to mankind while getting paid to do it. So I have decided that I will use this blog as a forum to get the word out about very important web sites that could save the world and probably cure cancer. Here they are:
www.mycathatesyou.com
A must if you enjoy seeing photos of pissed-off cats (and who doesn't?).
www.20q.net
This is an artificial intelligence game - I started playing last year while bored to death at eHelp, and it has gotten so much smarter since then - you have to check it out.
Chatological Humor
This is Gene Weingarten's chat on Washingtonpost.com. It's diverting. A caveat: you must be registered at Washingtonpost.com to view site (it's free).
Tell Me About It
Only read this if you like to read relationship advice columns. See above caveat.
Hello, I Am Fat
Great, very funny (yet touching, but not in a gross way) blog about being overweight/trying to lose said weight. Probably not for you if you are a guy or a skinny woman who's never been overweight. Otherwise, lovely.
www.Powells.com
For obvious reasons. Also, they have author interviews and book reviews on their site.
If you guys have other boredom-sucking websites you'd like to share, please do so, because I'm dying here.
www.mycathatesyou.com
A must if you enjoy seeing photos of pissed-off cats (and who doesn't?).
www.20q.net
This is an artificial intelligence game - I started playing last year while bored to death at eHelp, and it has gotten so much smarter since then - you have to check it out.
Chatological Humor
This is Gene Weingarten's chat on Washingtonpost.com. It's diverting. A caveat: you must be registered at Washingtonpost.com to view site (it's free).
Tell Me About It
Only read this if you like to read relationship advice columns. See above caveat.
Hello, I Am Fat
Great, very funny (yet touching, but not in a gross way) blog about being overweight/trying to lose said weight. Probably not for you if you are a guy or a skinny woman who's never been overweight. Otherwise, lovely.
www.Powells.com
For obvious reasons. Also, they have author interviews and book reviews on their site.
If you guys have other boredom-sucking websites you'd like to share, please do so, because I'm dying here.
Monday, October 10, 2005
Apologies to Nabokov
So I finished reading 'Lolita' and now I see where he was headed; I feel bad for doubting him. Yet another example of why I suck. Anyway...I have made another Brilliant Observation regarding life, the universe, and everything, and it is this: there seem to be only two kinds of jobs in this world - those that overwork a person to the point of burn-out, and those that bore one to the brink of insanity. I, obviously, am currently engaged in the latter of the two, but I just have to wonder why the working world can't be more balanced. If I think back, it seems to me that every single job I have ever had has been a member of the boredom party. Is it me? Am I attracted to jobs that require so little of me? I don't know. Maybe it's just the jobs I get offered - I have so few skills that I only get the ones where the highest qualification is a pulse.
And now for the weather report: we've been blessed here in Northern Virginia with a couple of cool (read: low 70s, high 60s) days, and finally I can walk outside without feeling like dying. Yay!
Unfortunately I have nothing left to talk about now. I haven't seen any good movies lately - I've become a Netflix drone and the entire third season of Six Feet Under has been clogging my queue for the past two weeks. I like the show and all, but I'll be glad to start watching something about the land of the living again. And I'm happy to report that next up in my queue is the American version of The Office, staring the lovely and talented Steve Carrell. I'll let you know what I think of it, of course.
And now for the weather report: we've been blessed here in Northern Virginia with a couple of cool (read: low 70s, high 60s) days, and finally I can walk outside without feeling like dying. Yay!
Unfortunately I have nothing left to talk about now. I haven't seen any good movies lately - I've become a Netflix drone and the entire third season of Six Feet Under has been clogging my queue for the past two weeks. I like the show and all, but I'll be glad to start watching something about the land of the living again. And I'm happy to report that next up in my queue is the American version of The Office, staring the lovely and talented Steve Carrell. I'll let you know what I think of it, of course.
Tuesday, October 04, 2005
A post with curiously religious overtones
So I've been reading more of 'Lolita' - I'm almost finished now, actually - and I have changed my mind about the book. No, it's still about a pedophile, but I've decided that Nabokov is writing a social satire of 1950s America, an era in which girls and young women were encouraged, practically forced, to become nothing but sexual objects subservient to men. Thus the premise that the narrator and aforementioned pedophile, Humbert Humbert, is given every break in the world in order to have his disgusting way with Lolita - not to give too much away (I know you're all going to rush right out to read it), but through certain circumstances Humbert actually becomes Lolita's guardian. At least, I think that's what Nabokov is getting at, but as I said, I never was very good at the critical analysis. Anyway, it's the only interpretation that makes any sense to me, but I'm going to be a good little reader and find some more criticism to read once I'm through with the book. I'll be sure to let you all know what I find out.
So, how is Fall treating you all? Fall is treating me very poorly, as it has not yet arrived here, and once again I fear it is never going to arrive, but will instead go straight to Winter sometime in December. (And yes, I know seasons aren't supposed to be capitalized but it reads better.) It is still shorts weather here, with a predicted high of 80 degrees tomorrow. In case I haven't mentioned it enough, I HATE IT HERE. Sorry, I just had to get it out of my system. At least I've learned one very important thing about myself, which is that I enjoy experiencing all four seasons as God intended - on the northern hemisphere, in a place where the weather is mild and non-sticky.
In other news, has everyone heard the talk about Ben Affleck running for senator of Virginia? God help us all.
So, how is Fall treating you all? Fall is treating me very poorly, as it has not yet arrived here, and once again I fear it is never going to arrive, but will instead go straight to Winter sometime in December. (And yes, I know seasons aren't supposed to be capitalized but it reads better.) It is still shorts weather here, with a predicted high of 80 degrees tomorrow. In case I haven't mentioned it enough, I HATE IT HERE. Sorry, I just had to get it out of my system. At least I've learned one very important thing about myself, which is that I enjoy experiencing all four seasons as God intended - on the northern hemisphere, in a place where the weather is mild and non-sticky.
In other news, has everyone heard the talk about Ben Affleck running for senator of Virginia? God help us all.
Sunday, October 02, 2005
Somebody took a gloom pill today (it was me).
Hi kids. Sadly, there's not much to report this week. My job is still ridiculously BORING...supposedly my boss is going to come up with some projects for me and possibly let me do some instruction at some distant point in the future when she gets herself "organized." Little does she know that I'm planning on being out of there by then. I've gotten a couple of calls for interviews since I accepted this position (one of which being the mind fuck), but I sorta feel obligated to stay here for a decent period of time, and by decent I mean about three months. But of course life never quite follows our own plans for it, so I'm in somewhat of a quandary about my next step. Do I keep applying for jobs, and if something comes up sooner rather than later just go for it? Or do I hold off for a few months, and then start looking? The flaw with that plan is that it took me five months to even find this job the first time around. *Sigh* I just don't know. I even went so far as to post a message on the Washington Post's job advice forum, but no one has responded so now I feel retarded. I'm also dealing the realization right now that I simply cannot afford to live in this region. I can't. And it's doubtful I will find a job here within the next several months that will pay enough to ever afford it. (Also, I don't like it here, which you all well know.) So, I've been sorta applying for jobs in other areas, but since I'm entry-level I don't really expect much to come of that. But then contemplating another move also makes me feel like shiznit.
In a nutshell, life sucks. I know, I'm so fucking gloomy. I'm beginning to wonder if I will ever not be gloomy. But as long as we're talking about gloominess, I should discuss my current book, 'Lolita.' Um, this book is about a pedophile. At least so much as I have read. Somehow in all the pop culture references I have seen to it, I had a vague idea in my mind that the book was about a man seduced by a 15-ish come-hither vixen. Nope, it's actually about a man having sex with a twelve-year-old child. I'm trying to keep an open mind, as I'm sure there must be some literary value to this book, but I'm just having trouble getting past that one aspect at the moment. And it's all the more difficult given that the book is written in a somewhat humorous tone. This is why I will never be getting an advanced degree in literature--I'm horrible at critical analysis. I started reading some criticisms of the book to see why it has become such a classic and everyone seemed to skirt around this issue that it is about a pedophile. I'm obviously missing something here. In one of the summaries I read, the critic mentioned in all seriousness that the girl seduces the man (which is what the narrator, the man, says happened) but I'm sorry, does anyone actually believe a twelve-year-old is capable of seducing anyone? So now I'm thinking that Nabokov wants us to be sickened by the main character, but for what purpose? I'm going to keep reading, but the whole thing just grosses me out. If anyone wants to enlighten me, I'd appreciate it.
In a nutshell, life sucks. I know, I'm so fucking gloomy. I'm beginning to wonder if I will ever not be gloomy. But as long as we're talking about gloominess, I should discuss my current book, 'Lolita.' Um, this book is about a pedophile. At least so much as I have read. Somehow in all the pop culture references I have seen to it, I had a vague idea in my mind that the book was about a man seduced by a 15-ish come-hither vixen. Nope, it's actually about a man having sex with a twelve-year-old child. I'm trying to keep an open mind, as I'm sure there must be some literary value to this book, but I'm just having trouble getting past that one aspect at the moment. And it's all the more difficult given that the book is written in a somewhat humorous tone. This is why I will never be getting an advanced degree in literature--I'm horrible at critical analysis. I started reading some criticisms of the book to see why it has become such a classic and everyone seemed to skirt around this issue that it is about a pedophile. I'm obviously missing something here. In one of the summaries I read, the critic mentioned in all seriousness that the girl seduces the man (which is what the narrator, the man, says happened) but I'm sorry, does anyone actually believe a twelve-year-old is capable of seducing anyone? So now I'm thinking that Nabokov wants us to be sickened by the main character, but for what purpose? I'm going to keep reading, but the whole thing just grosses me out. If anyone wants to enlighten me, I'd appreciate it.
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