There's no such thing as civilized discussion I guess.....

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Doesn't it drive you crazy when someone posts something on FB or blogger (or wherever) and after the first few positive comments it begins to turn into a "word brawl".  Calling people stupid, moronic, etc., and suggesting that they should educate themselves before they comment are all the norm.  I don't typically insert myself into those discussions because they're fruitless.  It usually continues to go downhill, especially if you reply to one.  There are times when it gets downright nasty.  

Why do people do this?  We can't have a conversation?  And why are we surprised that kids bully each other in school when they have the example adults are presenting?  Sadly, bullying on the internet is common.  Probably because it's easy when you don't have to look in the eyes of someone standing right across from you.  That makes it easy to call you/me/them stupid, crazy, uneducated, etc.  

Yeah, you guessed it.  I asked a simple question on one of the blogs I sometimes read.  I did sort of ask for it I guess, as the topic was guns, and tempers flare pretty high whenever we pose a question that insinuates that just maybe you don't need a semi-automatic weapon.  Just so you know, I posed a simple question "Why do you need one?".  The answer from many was disturbing.  "Because I can".  

I was called many names.  I was told I should educate myself before I shoot off my mouth (even though it was just a question, it appears many thought my question was a commentary).  Some thought I was jumping on the Parkland HS bandwagon ~ which I wasn't.  I think it's within their rights to demonstrate, although I don't think in the long run any guns will be banned.  Take a gun away from an American?  Please.

Guess I learned a lesson there: don't ask for clarification when the answer is "because I can".

Love, 365

How typical........

Sudan, the last male white rhinoceros (Bing images)

No doubt you've heard the stories of Sudan ~ the last white rhino (or the last male white rhino).  

Before he died, veterinarians and preservationists? collected his sperm in the hopes they could bring back his species.  Really.....they're going to spend thousands of dollars to bring back a species with the sperm of one single specimen.  There's not enough diversity in a single specimen's DNA for this to be a successful idea.  

This reminds me of the cockamamie plan to use the DNA of saber tooth tigers and clone one.  

We have to face the facts: people are stupid.  They believe that the powder made from a white rhino's horn will cure cancer.  The poaching of rhino's went into over-drive after a rumor that a Vietnamese official was cured with the substance.  These poachers weren't just killing rhino's.  They were also stealing rhino heads from collectors and museums.  One little rumor has finished off an entire species.  Not that this is anything new to our own species, which is apparently willing to erase an entire species off the face of the earth based on a rumor.  

The money spent on the likely fruitless endeavor of using the sperm of an extinct species as a way to bring it back would be better spent educating the people who believe the impossible.  Maybe a new rumor should have been put out there ~ green jelly beans placed in the left ear on a new moon will cure cancer.  Hmmmmmmm.  

Love, 365

Submission and greed.....

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I haven't been on a scale in our 6 months.  That doesn't mean that I don't know what I weigh....my clothes tell me.  Over the past 1 1/2 years I've put on a few pounds, and I've noticed some of my clothes are too tight to wear comfortably.  If I break down (because I haven't done laundry, haha) and wear one of "those" pairs of pants, I'm uncomfortable all day long, so I started putting them in the spare closet, and if they still don't fit (despite my efforts) six months from now, then I'm donating them to Goodwill.   So, the submission part refers to my finally going out to buy clothes in the next size, without beating myself up about it ~ which is tough for nearly every woman on the planet, because many of us feel we should look like the women in magazines, or that one person you know who never puts on a pound and weighs the same she did 20 years ago.  Argh......

Romeo never says a word.  I even asked him if a new pair of jeans looked ok, and he gave me a stare and said "you have to decide if you like them".  I laughed, then he laughed, and I decided I did like them......

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I received my second essay (history class) on Wednesday.  He gave me an 89.  Not bad, but the first thought that ran through my head was "he couldn't have given me one more freaking point?".  Here's where the greed comes in. I have already reviewed my GPA, and know that if I get a B in this class it won't change it one bit.  So, it's ok ~ I tell myself.  I don't need to get an A in this class to graduate summa cum laude.   I consider this class relatively easy simply because other than the occasional quiz, we don't have exams.  We're writing.  Have you read much of my blog?  You know how I feel about writing ~ I think I'm a decent writer, but each and every word that goes down on paper is ripped out kicking and screaming.  I obsess.  I re-write.  Etc.  At one point I realize there's nothing else I can do and I turn it in.  I've finally reached the point that I don't think about it after turning it in until I get the grade.  So, I'm happy enough with an 89.  Really.

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"90% of consumers say that positive online reviews influence their buying decisions"

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Do you read reviews?  I do...Amazon, etc.  I pride myself on checking out the reviews of products before buying, although I read them with a grain of salt as well.  Now I hear that there are companies out there that post fake reviews.  And I'm not surprised at all, in fact probably like most of you, I've had my suspicions.  If I'm looking at a product and suspect that the reviews are just a little "too good", I'll do another search.  

Oh, but everything you read on the internet is true, right?

Love, 365

Goodbye, Stephen Hawking

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This week we saw the death of Stephen Hawking.  He finally lost his battle with ALS, after having lived with the disease longer than any other patient.  But that's not his contribution to the world.  What do we know of his accomplishments?  No much....at least I barely understand them.  The fact that he would just think and work out that math in his head astounds me. 

~He proved Einstein's theory of relativity.

~He developed mathematical proof for black holes.

~He redefined the Big Bang theory.

~He proved the universe has no boundaries.

Much of his work was in tandem with others: Roger Penrose, James Bardeen, Brandon Carter.  

One of his statements I've always pondered was his thought that we should not "invite" alien civilizations to come to our planet (which he believed was highly probable).  His thought was that they would be interested in our resources, and not in helping us with new technologies.  

At any rate, rest in peace, Stephen.  Your brilliant mind and positive attitude will be missed.

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School starts up again tomorrow.  I thought I should check on readings I might need to do and discovered ~ to my dismay ~ that there are 36 pages of readings for history.  Guess I know what I'll be doing this afternoon.  And so it begins, the next 7 weeks will likely cause me to challenge my life choices, hahaha.  

What college is doing for me:

~increased my self confidence

~broadened my horizons

~proving to myself that I can accomplish my goal

~I'm smarter than I thought I was 

Love, 365

Happy St Patrick's Day!

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Thank goodness for St Patrick's Day, as I couldn't for the life of me figure out a good title for today's post :-)

It has been really nice not having class this week.  I was able to go to Ladies Night racquetball and had so much fun.  I do know what I'm missing... :-( 

I had given a thought or two about reading ahead, or gathering thoughts on the research paper for history, but I ended up not doing either.  I don't know if its just laziness or a breather.  The next two months will go by quickly as I have two research papers, one for each class.  That's not something I'm looking forward to.  No matter how much I enjoy the classes, it does absorb much of my free time.  

Last week & this week at work has been interesting.  The Doc's were scheduled to give us a "review" which I put in quotations because it was one of the most pitiful reviews I've ever had.  The OM started it, and the Doc finished it off.  As I said, it was completely lacking in substance.  I finally found out how much more I'll be earning, which was more than I expected.  Then at the monthly staff meeting she announced that our raises (so everyone ended up getting one after all) would begin on April 1st.  So, it took 4 pay periods before I will get the raise I was told I would get the first week of February.  It's like molasses in January, the way things happen around here.  

Ms. Loud, who as you may recall was the most vocal of the employees in complaining about not having a raise has settled down, and the days go by like they have before all of this started.  Although she is annoying (oh my god she says the same things every single day, like "Wow, we're so busy!") I just do my thing and try to ignore it.  I pride myself on being able to get along with most anyone, but she does press my limits sometimes.  A month from now she'll be gone for two weeks, which should be a nice break.

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Perhaps I'm just slow on the uptake (haha) but I've been noticing Romeo has become much more sensitive in the past 10 years....now it's to the point that I really need to quit being irritated by it and manage my reactions more constructively.  I've been thinking about it a lot the past few weeks and reading some articles (this one is a good one) and sadly I'm just now realizing that he's always been sensitive.  Shame on me.  But it's not always a piece of cake either.  We had an argument last week and I realized I didn't handle the situation very well.  Luckily, I was able to hug and apologize, and let him know how much I love him and all was forgiven.  The biggest aha moment was when I figured out that most of our arguments stem from something trivial, and it was usually my reaction made it spin out of control.  So, something I need to work on.  The big takeaway is that we never really quite learning about our partners, no matter how long you've been together.  It's like a plant that requires constant attention and work.  Let's not take each other for granted and make sure we show appreciation for each other.

Love, 365

Mishmash Sunday.... :-)

This isn't my photo, can't recall the person's name who took it

but in the far reaches of New Mexico (Las Cruces I believe)

there is unbelievable beauty in this place....and I love it.

Today started out as nearly every Sunday for the past year, except for the time clock of course.  It didn't bother me today, but come Tuesday morning, it'll bother me.  I hate the time change, although I enjoy the extended hours of daylight that comes with it.  Do I think that DST works?  Nope.  While discussing it with my racquetball friends this morning, Carol said she thought we should quit messing with the time and leave it........although on some level I agree, it's my opinion that the working people want it.  Retired people don't really care, because for them it's the same number of sunlight during the day.  It's those of us who are still working that like the sun to be out longer after work.  It's a system whose time has come and gone, science has proven it doesn't truly save any energy, and the health effects are downright scary.  Interesting conundrum, huh?

It's spring break week here in Albuquerque for college students.  Romeo doesn't get spring break until the last week in March, which happens to coincide with Easter and Good Friday.  I'm looking forward to the break in the usual, although I also admit that I wish I could get a bit of a head start in one of my classes.  I actually could start working on a research paper for the history class, but since our instructor is infamous for changing things up at the last minute, I guess I'll just enjoy a week of no 60 page readings or quizzes.

We're going to try making Vietnamese rolls for dinner tonight....never tried them before but they looked so good, we decided to give them a go.  If they are as good as they look, I'll share the recipe.  Otherwise, we're just going to kick back and watch the Indian Wells tennis tournament, and later Walking Dead.  It's cold and windy outside, and I'm so thankful I have a nice warm and safe place to be today.......

Love, 365

Looks like spring is on the way....

Well, I've never seen it this bad, but close.... 

It has been a crazy week.  Work has still been weird, although it has settled down a bit.  I still haven't seen hide nor hair of my raise, and the OM said that we are each to spend a few minutes with the Docs, in some kind of apparent review process.  Which surprises me as they usually pass the more uncomfortable moments of management to the OM.  I think she doesn't want to handle it either, or she told them that we really need to hear from them.  I don't give a crap.  I just want my raise to show up on my check.  It's already been over 30 days.

Last weekend I was forced to attend "grey area training" at UNM or face a hold on my academic status ~ meaning I wouldn't be able to register for summer classes, and possibly a hold on my grades. This is all due to the fact that I'm taking two classes, and anyone with 6 credit hours per semester is required to take the class.  All staff, employees, professors, etc have to take the training, so I really don't understand why students with less than 6 hours are not required.  Maybe because most take classes online?  I don't know.  It was OK.  I can see the idea behind it.  They did show a funny video about "tea" which was a euphemism for sex.  Here's a link if you want to view it ~ I tried to download the video, but it just wouldn't.  One lady who was close in age to me told me she attempted to have herself exempted, but it wasn't approved.  I told her I didn't even try.  Age is not a reason to be exempted.  Well, anyway, that's two hours of my life I'll never get back.  

I had another paper due this week as well, and next week is spring break, so a little down time is coming up.  I just need to complete the quiz due today, which I'll do this afternoon.

I did attend a lecture sponsored by the Journal of Anthropological Research last night....I thought it would be more detailed, but it had been generalized for the public.  So, another 2 hours of my life gone.  

I took a few days off this week, but why didn't I think of the time change?  I should have done it next week!  Drat!

Hahaha

Love, 365

Ending the week with a whimper instead of a bang.....

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What a weird and awkward week it's been.  It was a continuation of the crap that happened mid-week before this one.  Really, no one wants to do it again.  Ever.

The co-worker (Ms Loud) is staying.  As I hadn't asked all week (preserve me) I had the opportunity to ask her the status of her recent interviews...you know, because I'm human after all, and nosy as hell.  So, she said she is staying (whew, cause I really didn't want her job as I mentioned before).  She had rejected the first offer (still wondering why on that one, sounded like a great deal with the insurance) and the second job interview revealed that office to have a very high turn-over of employees.  Never a good sign, that.  She said the OM had mentioned to her that she had fired 9 or 10 people since she was hired in October.  Oh. My. God.  Does it sound as though she's on a bit of a power trip?  Or perhaps the previous OM hired all her friends and they were crappy employees.  No matter what the reason, that's a definite red flag.  Ms Loud also said she would prefer to stay where she is "happy" rather than someplace that gives you more money but is a nest of vipers.  

I should also mention that we have a 4 day work week, and that office has a 5 day work week.  That's huge.  I don't think I could ever go back to a 5 day work week unless it was my dream job ~ and really with few exceptions, no one I know has a "dream job".  For me that would be paying me to read books I choose and then let you know what I think about them....for lots of $$.  That'll never happen because I have weird taste in reading material (no, not twisted, you bad bad reader).  And no pornography either.  Honestly, you people have a very low opinion......haha

That's enough for now.  It's been a long week....

Love, 365