Most Annoying Song EVER!
I woke up this morning with what may well be the most annoying song ever, stuck in my head. It's Double Dutch, by Malcolm McLaren (of Sex Pistols fame). I have heard it several times on Absolute 80's Radio and it's never affected me quite like it is this morning. Not sure why today should be such a problem, but it certainly has presented that way.
Seriously, I've tried all morning to get it out of my head, and I may succeed for short periods of time, but then...
If you've never heard the song, I'm posting it below...so that you, too, might experience the torment that is this stupidly annoying conglomeration of notes and words. Listen, if you dare....(BWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA)
Seriously, I've tried all morning to get it out of my head, and I may succeed for short periods of time, but then...
If you've never heard the song, I'm posting it below...so that you, too, might experience the torment that is this stupidly annoying conglomeration of notes and words. Listen, if you dare....(BWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA)
She'll Sing At Me, She Always Sings At Me!
I am now personally aware of three songs that bare my name. The earliest and best known is by Dolly Parton (covered by everyone and their dog), the second is by Ray LaMontagne (covered by Zac Brown), and the third, is by Bob Dylan (hopefully to be covered by no-one).
*sigh* One might think I'd be flattered that there are songs with my name in them...but one would be wrong. Maybe it would help if at least one of them didn't suck. I mean seriously, the Dolly Parton song is about a man-stealer, Ray LaMontagne's is about a drug addict who basically gives up the girl for the drugs, and the Bob Dylan...well, I've never liked Dylan so I didn't manage to make it even halfway through the song.
But even if the songs didn't blow lyrically (or vocally, in the case of Dylan) wouldn't it be cool to have a song with your name in the title? Well, maybe. But part of what made me detest the Parton song is the fact that, as soon as people find out what my name is, they always want to sing it at me. And they think they're the only ones who have ever done that.
"Ha ha ha! Oh gosh that's funny! That's really funny! Do you write your own material? Do you? Because that is so fresh...You know, I've, I've never heard anyone make that joke before. Hmm. You're the first. I've never [had] anyone [sing that song to me] before...you're so funny!"
Another part of the problem is that I've never liked my name. For some reason I've never felt comfortable speaking it, like it doesn't fit me or something. I had a Zuni tell me that my name sounds powerful! Really? It's a diminutive form of a name that means "He will enlarge," how is that powerful? (Although, I will admit that the meaning does kinda fit, for obvious reasons...)
I don't know what it would take for me to be comfortable with my name...but I'm pretty sure that singing stupid songs at me isn't going to help.
*sigh* One might think I'd be flattered that there are songs with my name in them...but one would be wrong. Maybe it would help if at least one of them didn't suck. I mean seriously, the Dolly Parton song is about a man-stealer, Ray LaMontagne's is about a drug addict who basically gives up the girl for the drugs, and the Bob Dylan...well, I've never liked Dylan so I didn't manage to make it even halfway through the song.
But even if the songs didn't blow lyrically (or vocally, in the case of Dylan) wouldn't it be cool to have a song with your name in the title? Well, maybe. But part of what made me detest the Parton song is the fact that, as soon as people find out what my name is, they always want to sing it at me. And they think they're the only ones who have ever done that.
"Ha ha ha! Oh gosh that's funny! That's really funny! Do you write your own material? Do you? Because that is so fresh...You know, I've, I've never heard anyone make that joke before. Hmm. You're the first. I've never [had] anyone [sing that song to me] before...you're so funny!"
Another part of the problem is that I've never liked my name. For some reason I've never felt comfortable speaking it, like it doesn't fit me or something. I had a Zuni tell me that my name sounds powerful! Really? It's a diminutive form of a name that means "He will enlarge," how is that powerful? (Although, I will admit that the meaning does kinda fit, for obvious reasons...)
I don't know what it would take for me to be comfortable with my name...but I'm pretty sure that singing stupid songs at me isn't going to help.
To Friend, Or Not To Friend
That is the question that was raised today at work. My co-worker received a Facebook friend request from our boss, and she's the only one who did...which kinda has her freaking out a little bit. But the question this scenario raised is, if your boss sends you a friend request on any form of social media, should you accept it?
I've had all day to think about it, and I've come to the conclusion that the answer is no. I took a poll on Facebook to see what my friends and family think and the consensus thus far is that, unless you have a friendly relationship outside of work, you probably shouldn't accept the request because it could cause, at the very least, awkwardness, and in the worst case, you could get fired.
But why would you get fired? Well, let's think about that for a minute...let's say you have a really bad day at work, and it was your boss's fault. You post a status update saying how you really feel, and your boss reads it. I don't know too many boss's who are not going to take that in a bad way. Or maybe you say something bad about the company you work for. Again, not too many boss's are going to be okay with that. I don't want to get fired simply because my boss is having a bad day or because the company I work for is run by an outcast monkey. So, to be sure, I would never send my boss a friend request on any form of social media. I have a right to vent, and frankly, so does my boss. I wouldn't want to remove that option from either of us.
But what should you do if your boss sends the request? That's complicated, because if you accept, then the best you can do is to set the privacy on ranting posts to exclude your boss...okay, but that's complicated, time-consuming, and you'd have to go back and change the settings on everything that's been said or shared up to that point...that's a lot of work.
Your next, and best option, is simply to refuse the request and tell them that you prefer to maintain the separation of business and non-business. Of course, if your boss is a jerk, then this could get you in deep, too...but I would hope, for everyone's sake, that your boss is smart enough to realize that the door swings both ways. You can fire me, but you can't stop me from telling other people why.
Best case scenario? You and your boss agree to pretend you don't exist outside of work.
I've had all day to think about it, and I've come to the conclusion that the answer is no. I took a poll on Facebook to see what my friends and family think and the consensus thus far is that, unless you have a friendly relationship outside of work, you probably shouldn't accept the request because it could cause, at the very least, awkwardness, and in the worst case, you could get fired.
But why would you get fired? Well, let's think about that for a minute...let's say you have a really bad day at work, and it was your boss's fault. You post a status update saying how you really feel, and your boss reads it. I don't know too many boss's who are not going to take that in a bad way. Or maybe you say something bad about the company you work for. Again, not too many boss's are going to be okay with that. I don't want to get fired simply because my boss is having a bad day or because the company I work for is run by an outcast monkey. So, to be sure, I would never send my boss a friend request on any form of social media. I have a right to vent, and frankly, so does my boss. I wouldn't want to remove that option from either of us.
But what should you do if your boss sends the request? That's complicated, because if you accept, then the best you can do is to set the privacy on ranting posts to exclude your boss...okay, but that's complicated, time-consuming, and you'd have to go back and change the settings on everything that's been said or shared up to that point...that's a lot of work.
Your next, and best option, is simply to refuse the request and tell them that you prefer to maintain the separation of business and non-business. Of course, if your boss is a jerk, then this could get you in deep, too...but I would hope, for everyone's sake, that your boss is smart enough to realize that the door swings both ways. You can fire me, but you can't stop me from telling other people why.
Best case scenario? You and your boss agree to pretend you don't exist outside of work.
Risky Business
On Friday, a friend and I got onto the topic of what she wants to do with her life. I had learned a week or so before, that the one thing she really wants desperately to do, is be a hunting guide. This is her dream job and what she wants to spend the rest of her life doing. Unfortunately, it's a bit of an "old boys club," and this has kept her from really making an effort to get into it. Well, we had our little chat on Friday and I told her that sometimes you just have to take a leap because if you never try then you will definitely never succeed.
After some nudging, she sent the company she wants to work for an email asking if they have any jobs available...and after receiving a message from the company owners wife indicating there were no available positions, she heard from the owner directly; and now it looks like her dream might come true!
Even if she doesn't get a job with the company right now, she is on their radar, and will be thought of in the future, especially if she keeps bugging them. But she wouldn't be so close to her dream had she not taken a risk and sent that email.
I have another friend who is going through some difficulties right now, and having a hard time reaching his dream. In his case, his fear is the result of his great responsibility to his family. I can understand that, it's not easy to take risks when you have so many relying on you. It can get depressingly stressful.
Mathematics tells us that the shortest distance between two points is a straight line...but sometimes it's actually shorter to take the roundabout and the side roads. I've tried to encourage him to take a risk but he's stuck in the helpless void of doubt. He has thoughts about what he can do (the roundabouts to take) to get there, even if it's not the most direct route, and I told him that if he's thought about it that much then maybe he should stop and listen, because someone is trying to tell him something.
In my own life, I know that if I hadn't taken some risks then I wouldn't be where I am now...so close to my dreams that I can almost taste them. I may not be taking the most direct route, but the road I'm on is getting me there. I simply have to keep taking those chances, putting myself out there (even when it's super scary), if I want to achieve my goals. Being patient is killing me, but at the same time I've never been happier and felt more alive!
In the immortal words of Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade: "Only in a leap from the lion's head shall he prove his worth." Life is full of leaps of faith, but if you're not willing to take a leap when it matters, then what have you really gained? If you have a dream then don't let the shadow of doubt cloud your path, because the promised land may lie just outside your vision.
After some nudging, she sent the company she wants to work for an email asking if they have any jobs available...and after receiving a message from the company owners wife indicating there were no available positions, she heard from the owner directly; and now it looks like her dream might come true!
Even if she doesn't get a job with the company right now, she is on their radar, and will be thought of in the future, especially if she keeps bugging them. But she wouldn't be so close to her dream had she not taken a risk and sent that email.
I have another friend who is going through some difficulties right now, and having a hard time reaching his dream. In his case, his fear is the result of his great responsibility to his family. I can understand that, it's not easy to take risks when you have so many relying on you. It can get depressingly stressful.
Mathematics tells us that the shortest distance between two points is a straight line...but sometimes it's actually shorter to take the roundabout and the side roads. I've tried to encourage him to take a risk but he's stuck in the helpless void of doubt. He has thoughts about what he can do (the roundabouts to take) to get there, even if it's not the most direct route, and I told him that if he's thought about it that much then maybe he should stop and listen, because someone is trying to tell him something.
In my own life, I know that if I hadn't taken some risks then I wouldn't be where I am now...so close to my dreams that I can almost taste them. I may not be taking the most direct route, but the road I'm on is getting me there. I simply have to keep taking those chances, putting myself out there (even when it's super scary), if I want to achieve my goals. Being patient is killing me, but at the same time I've never been happier and felt more alive!
In the immortal words of Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade: "Only in a leap from the lion's head shall he prove his worth." Life is full of leaps of faith, but if you're not willing to take a leap when it matters, then what have you really gained? If you have a dream then don't let the shadow of doubt cloud your path, because the promised land may lie just outside your vision.
The Tooth About Me
A couple of days ago I apparently broke a tooth. It didn't start hurting until the night before last, but I wasn't able to get in to the dentist yesterday because, for some reason, my dentist doesn't do business on Friday (this confuses me because dental emergencies don't just happen Monday through Thursday, but I understand, everyone likes time off when they can get it...it's just super inconvenient for me right now).
Anyway, as I've known for some time (but had brought home to me this weekend), I'm quite an unpleasant person to be around when I'm in pain. I mean, I won't attack you, or anything, but my patience (which isn't good at the best of times) evaporates when I'm not feeling well.
A friend of mine is also not feeling well right now and I realize that I've been a bit obnoxious trying to draw this person out...Although I feel like I'm being amenable and friendly trying to commiserate or whatever, I have to realize that I'm not the only one who gets more introverted when I'm "under the weather." Sometimes I just want to be alone in my misery, and the idea of communicating extensively makes me even more cranky. Although I don't know this to be the case with my friend, I suspect it's true.
As a true friend I must respect the space of those that I care about, or I can't expect the same in return.
Anyway, as I've known for some time (but had brought home to me this weekend), I'm quite an unpleasant person to be around when I'm in pain. I mean, I won't attack you, or anything, but my patience (which isn't good at the best of times) evaporates when I'm not feeling well.
A friend of mine is also not feeling well right now and I realize that I've been a bit obnoxious trying to draw this person out...Although I feel like I'm being amenable and friendly trying to commiserate or whatever, I have to realize that I'm not the only one who gets more introverted when I'm "under the weather." Sometimes I just want to be alone in my misery, and the idea of communicating extensively makes me even more cranky. Although I don't know this to be the case with my friend, I suspect it's true.
As a true friend I must respect the space of those that I care about, or I can't expect the same in return.
Groundhog Day
Today is Groundhog Day in the US. I have never been a fan of Groundhog Day because I think it's no more sane to use a rodent for weather prognostication than it is for humans to try and predict the weather. Sure, animals have better instincts than humans (far better in most cases) but to suggest that on one day of the year a large rodent will be able to tell you when spring will arrive is just asinine.
I'm clearly not the only one who feels this way, as Adult Swim (the late night version of Cartoon Network) has put up a guide to understanding the Groundhog.
I'm clearly not the only one who feels this way, as Adult Swim (the late night version of Cartoon Network) has put up a guide to understanding the Groundhog.
BELOW: Punxatawney Phil and handlers. Click the picture and enjoy.