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Monday, March 25, 2013
Game of Thrones
"When you were born I was the one who pulled you from your mother. I placed you in her arms. From that moment until the moment she dies she will love you absolutely. Fiercely."
Saturday, February 02, 2013
Funny story from work tonight
My friend at work has a problem with his voice which has been diagnosed as stress related.
He asks me to tell the specials of the night to his tables because sometimes people have trouble understanding him completely.
So, I went up to one of his tables tonight and I said "I am going to let you know what the specials are because Dave has a funny voice". I didn't mean to say it like that, but that's how it came out.
So the guy at the table immediately and hilariously said to me "Is he your ex boyfriend or something?" ha ha
And then I laughed but I got a little flustered because I was not in any way trying to make an issue of Dave's voice problem.
Anyway, hilarious customer continued with "Are there any other weird things we should know about Dave?"
Omg too funny.
I went back to Dave after all of this happened and told him what I said so he approached the table and said in his very strained voice "Hi I'm Dave the strange guy with the strange voice" and the couple laughed because they were fun people with a great sense of humour.
I went back to the table later in the night to clear some plates because Dave was busy with another table and the customer said to me "I don't know why you broke up with Dave, he's a really nice guy!"
I wish all of the people I met were so hilarious. :)
He asks me to tell the specials of the night to his tables because sometimes people have trouble understanding him completely.
So, I went up to one of his tables tonight and I said "I am going to let you know what the specials are because Dave has a funny voice". I didn't mean to say it like that, but that's how it came out.
So the guy at the table immediately and hilariously said to me "Is he your ex boyfriend or something?" ha ha
And then I laughed but I got a little flustered because I was not in any way trying to make an issue of Dave's voice problem.
Anyway, hilarious customer continued with "Are there any other weird things we should know about Dave?"
Omg too funny.
I went back to Dave after all of this happened and told him what I said so he approached the table and said in his very strained voice "Hi I'm Dave the strange guy with the strange voice" and the couple laughed because they were fun people with a great sense of humour.
I went back to the table later in the night to clear some plates because Dave was busy with another table and the customer said to me "I don't know why you broke up with Dave, he's a really nice guy!"
I wish all of the people I met were so hilarious. :)
Monday, January 07, 2013
Snake
My dad found a snake on the counter in my parent's house yesterday. In January. In Ontario.
He said "Do you think it's your mom sending us a sign?" as I was on the other end of the phone googling snake meaning. I said "I'm searching that right now."
And I found this:
"As snakes shed their skin through sloughing, they are symbols of rebirth, transformation, immortality, and healing. The ouroboros is a symbol of eternity and continual renewal of life."
and this:
He said "Do you think it's your mom sending us a sign?" as I was on the other end of the phone googling snake meaning. I said "I'm searching that right now."
And I found this:
"As snakes shed their skin through sloughing, they are symbols of rebirth, transformation, immortality, and healing. The ouroboros is a symbol of eternity and continual renewal of life."
and this:
"In many parts of Africa the snake is looked upon as the incarnation of deceased relatives."
My mother just keeps telling us she's around and I love it.
Thursday, January 03, 2013
Friday, December 21, 2012
My friend gave me a rose quartz pendant
Rose Quartz Meaning ... A Powerful Love Stone
Rose Quartz is a pink quartz crystal whose meaning is about love...as it is a stone that epitomizes the vibration of love. This may be why this stone is symbolic of the energy of love, peace and calming energy. One of the facts about Rose Quartz Crystal that is very important is its effectiveness at healing personal relationships.This pink quartz crystal has a powerful effect to aid your emotional healing, and helps heal relationship problems.It is beneficial worn on your body as the soft sweet energy of this crystal will resonate out into your whole aura, allowing you to see the beauty in the world... as your heart resonates to a new tune.
The presence of this lovely pink love stone will send a soothing vibration not only to the person wearing it, but also resonates throughout the room where it is located.
It will bestow a peaceful and calming sensation that can assist in healing of the heart... by dissolving anger and resentment. Rose Quartz is also a stone whose powerful love will resonate to the whole body and heal all chakras.
The energy of the love it resonates is all encompassing ... love for yourself, your partner, your children, your community and the whole world! Love of your country and your fellow human beings is encompassed within this stones influence. Rose Quartz Crystal resonates Goddess Energy and is one of the foremost stones representing the Feminine Principle.
Rose Quartz Healing Effect
Quartz crystal healing using Rose quartz will heal you on both a physical and emotional level. This lovely stone will resonate out the love energy into its surroundings... as all quartz crystals are profound amplifiers of energy. Not only will it assist you with healing yourself but its energy may bring faith and hope to all in the vicinity.The presence of Rose Quartz
will send a soothing vibration throughout the room where it is located.Using this crystal will enable you to heal old negative emotions such as anger, resentment, fear and jealousy that may result from past experiences.
As you are freed from these feelings, you may find that you feel less restrained... and that you can unlock your imagination and discover how to be happy.
I am so lucky to have such wonderful, kind friends.
"What we are today comes from our thoughts of yesterday... and our present thoughts build our life of tomorrow. Our life is the creation of our mind." The Buddha.
Friday, November 09, 2012
I love this Polish proverb because it's true
"The greatest love is a mother's; then a dog's; then a sweetheart's."
Thursday, November 08, 2012
Shooting stars and meteors
I saw a shooting star on August 31st and two Octobers ago.
And probably other times but those are the most significant ones to me.
And I saw a meteor tonight.
It was a huge ball of white arcing fire shooting through the sky in my town.
I found this interesting:
"Our best estimates of the total incoming meteoroid flux indicate that about 10 to 50 meteorite dropping events occur over the earth each day. It should be remembered, however, that 2/3 of these events will occur over ocean, while another 1/4 or so will occur over very uninhabited land areas, leaving only about 2 to 12 events each day with the potential for discovery by people. Half of these again occur on the night side of the earth, with even less chance of being noticed. Due to the combination of all of these factors, only a handful of witnessed meteorite falls occur each year."
I ran back in to my work to tell them about the fireball I saw and they said "You saw a meteor? Maybe your luck is going to change!" Fingers crossed.
And probably other times but those are the most significant ones to me.
And I saw a meteor tonight.
It was a huge ball of white arcing fire shooting through the sky in my town.
I found this interesting:
"Our best estimates of the total incoming meteoroid flux indicate that about 10 to 50 meteorite dropping events occur over the earth each day. It should be remembered, however, that 2/3 of these events will occur over ocean, while another 1/4 or so will occur over very uninhabited land areas, leaving only about 2 to 12 events each day with the potential for discovery by people. Half of these again occur on the night side of the earth, with even less chance of being noticed. Due to the combination of all of these factors, only a handful of witnessed meteorite falls occur each year."
I ran back in to my work to tell them about the fireball I saw and they said "You saw a meteor? Maybe your luck is going to change!" Fingers crossed.
Thursday, October 18, 2012
Are you fucking kidding me???
Dear imbecilic researchers,
Fuck you and your research. You are talking shit. Spend a few months in my body and then tell me that it's imagined or a reaction to society's views on female cycles you fucking jerks.
Fuck you and your research. You are talking shit. Spend a few months in my body and then tell me that it's imagined or a reaction to society's views on female cycles you fucking jerks.
"PMS doesn’t exist. Period.
Don’t blame premenstrual syndrome for feeling depressed, stressed and irritable. Turns out it may be a myth, according to a recently published paper in the journal Gender Medicine by a University of Toronto-led research team.
The researchers don’t dispute physical symptoms linked to menstruation, such as bloating or abdominal pain. But after reviewing 47 studies they found no clear evidence to support the idea that a woman’s menstrual cycle puts her in a negative mood in the days before her periods.
“This puzzlingly widespread belief needs challenging,” concluded the authors of Mood and the Menstrual Cycle: A Review of Prospective Data Studies.
Gillian Einstein, one of the report’s authors, told the Star, “We have a menstrual cycle and we have moods, but they don’t necessarily correlate.”
So why do women attribute feeling down to their menstrual cycles?
For one thing, PMS is a social construct, rooted in negative feelings many cultures have toward menstruation, a natural female function, said Einstein, a neuroscientist and director of the Collaborative Graduate Program in Women’s Health at the university.
Another possibility, she suggested, is that “this is the time of the month when women are given permission to not be sweet, docile and cheerful — expected attributes of women.
“It may be the time of the month when (women) feel they can say what’s on their minds.”
Or as comic Roseanne Barr once put it, “Women complain about PMS, but I think of it as the only time of the month when I can be myself.”
PMS has long been the butt of jokes, with some referring to it as Pissy Mood Syndrome and Pardon My Sobbing. But turns out there may not even be anything to joke about.
For their review, the U of T researchers combed through studies dating back to 1806. They found 646 that dealt with mood and the menstrual cycle — but only focused on 47 that met vigorous scientific criteria.
Of those, 18 showed no evidence of negative mood at any time of the month; another 18 found women were moody before and during their period; seven found classic PMS symptoms and in four studies women were actually crankier when they weren’t premenstrual.
A problem with much of the data was that women knew the real purpose of those studies, which may have influenced their responses.
“What’s interesting about this review is that this is the information that the medical community, psychiatric community and people who are treating women who come in complaining of PMS — this is the literature they rely on,” said Einstein. “And, it’s not that great. Most of it doesn’t meet strong standards of evidence.”
To fill the need for more rigorous research, the team of researchers did their own studies. They found no relationship between women’s hormone levels and their moods, either positive or negative.
Negative mood was much more strongly linked with poor health and high stress levels.
Sure, women are sometimes cranky, snarky, even weepy. But that’s more likely related to their circumstances.
If women are really stressed out, or struggling with a bad life situation, they’re doing themselves a disservice by chalking up their negative mood to PMS, because then they won’t get the help they need, said Einstein.
“There are lots of things in the social sphere that affect women that are not completely tied to the biology of being a woman,” she said. “Don’t underestimate the power of life’s circumstances to affect how you’re feeling.”
Don’t blame premenstrual syndrome for feeling depressed, stressed and irritable. Turns out it may be a myth, according to a recently published paper in the journal Gender Medicine by a University of Toronto-led research team.
The researchers don’t dispute physical symptoms linked to menstruation, such as bloating or abdominal pain. But after reviewing 47 studies they found no clear evidence to support the idea that a woman’s menstrual cycle puts her in a negative mood in the days before her periods.
“This puzzlingly widespread belief needs challenging,” concluded the authors of Mood and the Menstrual Cycle: A Review of Prospective Data Studies.
Gillian Einstein, one of the report’s authors, told the Star, “We have a menstrual cycle and we have moods, but they don’t necessarily correlate.”
So why do women attribute feeling down to their menstrual cycles?
For one thing, PMS is a social construct, rooted in negative feelings many cultures have toward menstruation, a natural female function, said Einstein, a neuroscientist and director of the Collaborative Graduate Program in Women’s Health at the university.
Another possibility, she suggested, is that “this is the time of the month when women are given permission to not be sweet, docile and cheerful — expected attributes of women.
“It may be the time of the month when (women) feel they can say what’s on their minds.”
Or as comic Roseanne Barr once put it, “Women complain about PMS, but I think of it as the only time of the month when I can be myself.”
PMS has long been the butt of jokes, with some referring to it as Pissy Mood Syndrome and Pardon My Sobbing. But turns out there may not even be anything to joke about.
For their review, the U of T researchers combed through studies dating back to 1806. They found 646 that dealt with mood and the menstrual cycle — but only focused on 47 that met vigorous scientific criteria.
Of those, 18 showed no evidence of negative mood at any time of the month; another 18 found women were moody before and during their period; seven found classic PMS symptoms and in four studies women were actually crankier when they weren’t premenstrual.
A problem with much of the data was that women knew the real purpose of those studies, which may have influenced their responses.
“What’s interesting about this review is that this is the information that the medical community, psychiatric community and people who are treating women who come in complaining of PMS — this is the literature they rely on,” said Einstein. “And, it’s not that great. Most of it doesn’t meet strong standards of evidence.”
To fill the need for more rigorous research, the team of researchers did their own studies. They found no relationship between women’s hormone levels and their moods, either positive or negative.
Negative mood was much more strongly linked with poor health and high stress levels.
Sure, women are sometimes cranky, snarky, even weepy. But that’s more likely related to their circumstances.
If women are really stressed out, or struggling with a bad life situation, they’re doing themselves a disservice by chalking up their negative mood to PMS, because then they won’t get the help they need, said Einstein.
“There are lots of things in the social sphere that affect women that are not completely tied to the biology of being a woman,” she said. “Don’t underestimate the power of life’s circumstances to affect how you’re feeling.”
Saturday, October 13, 2012
Regrets
I found this in an article...
A word about regrets. Never, ever allow regrets to dominate your thoughts. Don’t let them rent a room in your mind’s chambers and NEVER let them move in! Think about it this way – what if it had been YOU who’d passed away? Would this loved one have things he or she would regret? Of course! We’re all human, capable of human frailties and faults. But, would you want them to be haunted by regrets or guilt? Of course not. You’d want to tell them, “Forget about that. I never gave it a second thought – I know you loved me. Only remember the good times. I don’t want to be remembered with tears or pain – I want to be remembered positively with laughter and smiles.”
A word about regrets. Never, ever allow regrets to dominate your thoughts. Don’t let them rent a room in your mind’s chambers and NEVER let them move in! Think about it this way – what if it had been YOU who’d passed away? Would this loved one have things he or she would regret? Of course! We’re all human, capable of human frailties and faults. But, would you want them to be haunted by regrets or guilt? Of course not. You’d want to tell them, “Forget about that. I never gave it a second thought – I know you loved me. Only remember the good times. I don’t want to be remembered with tears or pain – I want to be remembered positively with laughter and smiles.”
As Washington Irving said "A mother is the truest friend we have,
when trials heavy and sudden, fall upon us; when adversity takes the
place of prosperity; when friends who rejoice with us in our sunshine
desert us; when trouble thickens around us, still will she cling to us,
and endeavor by her kind precepts and counsels to dissipate the clouds
of darkness, and cause peace to return to our hearts." It is indeed a
great loss to lose your mother...
A Mother's Love
A Mother's love is something
that no one can explain,
It is made of deep devotion
and of sacrifice and pain,
It is endless and unselfish
and enduring come what may
For nothing can destroy it
or take that love away . . .
It is patient and forgiving
when all others are forsaking,
And it never fails or falters
even though the heart is breaking . . .
It believes beyond believing
when the world around condemns,
And it glows with all the beauty
of the rarest, brightest gems . . .
It is far beyond defining,
it defies all explanation,
And it still remains a secret
like the mysteries of creation . . .
A many splendored miracle
man cannot understand
And another wondrous evidence
of God's tender guiding hand.
that no one can explain,
It is made of deep devotion
and of sacrifice and pain,
It is endless and unselfish
and enduring come what may
For nothing can destroy it
or take that love away . . .
It is patient and forgiving
when all others are forsaking,
And it never fails or falters
even though the heart is breaking . . .
It believes beyond believing
when the world around condemns,
And it glows with all the beauty
of the rarest, brightest gems . . .
It is far beyond defining,
it defies all explanation,
And it still remains a secret
like the mysteries of creation . . .
A many splendored miracle
man cannot understand
And another wondrous evidence
of God's tender guiding hand.
Friday, October 12, 2012
My dream last night
My mom sent me a single pale pink rose in my dream last night.
"Generally speaking, a single rose can deliver the message of 'I love you'."
"In the field of dream analysis, analysts believe that dreams featuring pale or light pink roses indicate immense feelings of love or femininity as a primary focus."
"Pink roses are used to convey gentle emotions such as admiration, joy and gratitude. Light pink rose blooms are indicative of sweetness and innocence."
"These are a sweet, innocent pink. Romance is not symbolized. The pretty pink rose buds could be given to a very young girl. The open pink rose flower, to a woman whose virtues you admire. She could be your eldest daughter."
"Generally speaking, a single rose can deliver the message of 'I love you'."
"In the field of dream analysis, analysts believe that dreams featuring pale or light pink roses indicate immense feelings of love or femininity as a primary focus."
"Pink roses are used to convey gentle emotions such as admiration, joy and gratitude. Light pink rose blooms are indicative of sweetness and innocence."
"These are a sweet, innocent pink. Romance is not symbolized. The pretty pink rose buds could be given to a very young girl. The open pink rose flower, to a woman whose virtues you admire. She could be your eldest daughter."
The worst thing that could ever happen has happened
And then I got this email from a positive thinking website that I subscribed to that tells me:
"There's nothing unpleasant, unkind, or unjust that has ever happened within all of time and space, Robin, that I won't eventually undo, reverse, and make right, one billion times over.
Guaranteed."
I'm just wondering when the unpleasant, unkind, and unjust is going to be reversed because right now nothing feels like it will ever feel even the slightest bit better, ever, let alone a billion times better.
"There's nothing unpleasant, unkind, or unjust that has ever happened within all of time and space, Robin, that I won't eventually undo, reverse, and make right, one billion times over.
Guaranteed."
I'm just wondering when the unpleasant, unkind, and unjust is going to be reversed because right now nothing feels like it will ever feel even the slightest bit better, ever, let alone a billion times better.
Monday, December 20, 2010
Facebook coversation with a high school boyfriend
HSBF: Do you like Sabbath or anything like that ?
Me: I love Black Sabbath.
HSBF: Why are you up so late young lady?
Me: I wore a Randy Rhodes tshirt at Elgin don't you remember? ha ha
Me: Rhoads.
Me: Oh wait, he wasn't Black Sabbath he was just with Ozzy, whatevs. :)
Me: I am always up late.
Me: Rhoads.
Me: Oh wait, he wasn't Black Sabbath he was just with Ozzy, whatevs. :)
Me: I am always up late.
HSBF: you cannot "whatevs. " Randy Rhoades !!!! lol
HSBF: Yeah , I remember lol some how. I mostly remember your skirt and stalking look. And your amazing regard for music.
Me: Whatevs.
Me: Awwwww really how cool. I remember going to your house after school and making out on your couch. lol.
Me: I also had bleached skin tight jeans with holes.
HSBF: I'm pretty sure it was my parents couch ... I didn't have a couch until 1994 lol.
Me: Wait????? Stalking look??????????? What?
HSBF: Did I spell 'stalking' wrong ? lmao !
HSBF: Tights ? leotards ? Whatever the fuck it was , you looked great !
Me: lol ya, stockings are tights, stalking is being a predator. haaaaaaaaa
Me: And thank you kind sir. ;)
Me: And thank you kind sir. ;)
HSBF: LOL , no problem , you cornered the market , everyone else was wearing track pants or something.
Tuesday, May 04, 2010
My boss tells me that the chef at my work was in the men's change room, and he moved his jacket and this kid I work with's jacket fell down and out came TWO bags of cocaine. I have NO idea how to make that first sentence less choppy, so just go with it. Chef accidentally knocks over kid's jacket at work, two bags of cocaine apparently fall out, chef tells my boss what happened, and she tells me. I say "Well HOW would he know that it was actually cocaine?" and she says "He tasted it." and I say "So he knows what cocaine tastes like? Is he a chef AND a cop???" She says "Ha ha, yeah that's the best part of the story".
Wednesday, April 14, 2010
At the store...
I am at the cash and there is a woman behind me.
No mistaking that it is a woman.
Cashier says to me: Thanks have a good day!
Cashier says to the woman behind me: Do you need a bag SIR?
I start walking away SLOWLY so I can hear if he says something along the lines of: "Oh sorry ma'am* that just came out wrong!"
Nope. Nothing.
And of course she doesn't correct him because HOW RIDICULOUSLY EMBARRASSING would it be to say "I am not a sir"?
I really hope she didn't go home and like freak out or something just because that idiot cashier decided to pretend we didn't hear him call her sir, and now she might think she looks like a dude.
*Ma'am is the WORST thing you can call a woman in my opinion.
I would rather be called a cunt.
Seriously.
But either way I would despise you.
Unless you were REALLY young and you called me ma'am, then I might let it go because you were trying to be respectful of my oldness.
No mistaking that it is a woman.
Cashier says to me: Thanks have a good day!
Cashier says to the woman behind me: Do you need a bag SIR?
I start walking away SLOWLY so I can hear if he says something along the lines of: "Oh sorry ma'am* that just came out wrong!"
Nope. Nothing.
And of course she doesn't correct him because HOW RIDICULOUSLY EMBARRASSING would it be to say "I am not a sir"?
I really hope she didn't go home and like freak out or something just because that idiot cashier decided to pretend we didn't hear him call her sir, and now she might think she looks like a dude.
*Ma'am is the WORST thing you can call a woman in my opinion.
I would rather be called a cunt.
Seriously.
But either way I would despise you.
Unless you were REALLY young and you called me ma'am, then I might let it go because you were trying to be respectful of my oldness.
Monday, March 15, 2010
My first and last blind date...
From the beginning. My friends are starting to feel sorry for me because I am still single. So one of my friends decides to try and find me a man (which is really sweet of her). She knows this guy that is a client at her hair salon (who she says is REALLY cute and nice) and she asks him if he would be interested in meeting her friend. So he says "Yeah okay, I am not sure about this blind date stuff but let's try it."
She gives him my number.
He calls me.
I will sum up the phone conversation by cutting and pasting the emails I sent to my best friend about it:
Me:
"Talked to him on the phone tonight and one of the first things he said to me was 'A lot of women think I'm arrogant, but I'm not arrogant, I'm just SUPER confident so if I come across like that to you then just tell me to stop it' WHO FREAKING SAYS SHIT LIKE THAT????? IN THE FIRST TWO MINUTES OF SPEAKING TO A PERSON????? And then he said 'I am surprised you haven't heard of me or my brothers, we were pretty infamous, not always for good things' I am actually scared a little. But still going to do it to say I did. Gawd, gawd, gawd."
BFF:
"lol, i am laughing at your description...i can just imagine!!!!!
i am thinking not your type either - but who knows what may happen ha ha"
Me:
"I so want to bail, but maybe you are right, maybe I could sell him a house or something. lol SO not my type."
BFF:
"You will have to fill me in when you get back lol. i am very proud of you for going though, regardless of the outcome, it's a huge step for you! that's right, sell him a house! now that is the right attitude!!"
Me:
"I think I will bring a tape recorder so I don't miss anything he says. Or I guess I could just take notes. Cuz just IMAGINE what kinda shit he is probably going to say after he has a couple sips of beer and has known me for more than five minutes. ;)"
Okay so flash forward to the "day of reckoning". Why the fuck am I actually going? I don't know, because I said I would and I am a sucker? Anyway, K. calls and says "We can go with you so that you are more comfortable because we know him" and I am like "HELL YA, please come!"
So dickhead calls (oh what did I call him?) and says "Are you ready to go out?" And I say "Yeah...K. and L. are going to come, is that okay?" And he's like "Yeah okay, so I will meet you all there? Cool."
We get there and penisface (Wait what? That's not nice...) is already there. I am introduced and we all sit down.
Then fuckface says...
* Actually I will just cut and paste the emails I sent to my BFF AFTER the "date" was over.*
Me:
"As expected...
We all had dinner and he was annoying, and insecure, and opinionated but cute. Apparently I am just not shallow enough to get over bad personalities. At least I went, even if I had chaperones.
He announced (during dinner) that he had a DUI, and he decided to keep it on his record instead of getting it taken off because it's a good reminder NOT TO DRIVE DRUNK. Ugh.
AND he is really picky about ribs, he likes fall off the bone ribs, he will only eat halibut NOT haddock, the restaurant sucked, and blah blah fucking blah.
He has longish hair and he had it down, then UP, then DOWN - every time he went to the washroom he changed it. It was like I was watching a play...that I DIDN'T WANT TO WATCH.
He also told me he likes to give fast food employees a hard time if his food is not hot. I told him (because he asked me - even though I was trying to act like I was mute) 'I would just ask them for a replacement meal because mine is cold', and he said 'NO you have to intimidate them so they NEVER do that to you again" When he was telling me the he likes to intimidate fast food employees thing ALL I COULD THINK was I need to go home and BLOG this.
I think I am going to stay single forever if that's what's "out there".
HOLY SHIT, how can somebody SUCK so much?
She gives him my number.
He calls me.
I will sum up the phone conversation by cutting and pasting the emails I sent to my best friend about it:
Me:
"Talked to him on the phone tonight and one of the first things he said to me was 'A lot of women think I'm arrogant, but I'm not arrogant, I'm just SUPER confident so if I come across like that to you then just tell me to stop it' WHO FREAKING SAYS SHIT LIKE THAT????? IN THE FIRST TWO MINUTES OF SPEAKING TO A PERSON????? And then he said 'I am surprised you haven't heard of me or my brothers, we were pretty infamous, not always for good things' I am actually scared a little. But still going to do it to say I did. Gawd, gawd, gawd."
BFF:
"lol, i am laughing at your description...i can just imagine!!!!!
i am thinking not your type either - but who knows what may happen ha ha"
Me:
"I so want to bail, but maybe you are right, maybe I could sell him a house or something. lol SO not my type."
BFF:
"You will have to fill me in when you get back lol. i am very proud of you for going though, regardless of the outcome, it's a huge step for you! that's right, sell him a house! now that is the right attitude!!"
Me:
"I think I will bring a tape recorder so I don't miss anything he says. Or I guess I could just take notes. Cuz just IMAGINE what kinda shit he is probably going to say after he has a couple sips of beer and has known me for more than five minutes. ;)"
Okay so flash forward to the "day of reckoning". Why the fuck am I actually going? I don't know, because I said I would and I am a sucker? Anyway, K. calls and says "We can go with you so that you are more comfortable because we know him" and I am like "HELL YA, please come!"
So dickhead calls (oh what did I call him?) and says "Are you ready to go out?" And I say "Yeah...K. and L. are going to come, is that okay?" And he's like "Yeah okay, so I will meet you all there? Cool."
We get there and penisface (Wait what? That's not nice...) is already there. I am introduced and we all sit down.
Then fuckface says...
* Actually I will just cut and paste the emails I sent to my BFF AFTER the "date" was over.*
Me:
"As expected...
We all had dinner and he was annoying, and insecure, and opinionated but cute. Apparently I am just not shallow enough to get over bad personalities. At least I went, even if I had chaperones.
He announced (during dinner) that he had a DUI, and he decided to keep it on his record instead of getting it taken off because it's a good reminder NOT TO DRIVE DRUNK. Ugh.
AND he is really picky about ribs, he likes fall off the bone ribs, he will only eat halibut NOT haddock, the restaurant sucked, and blah blah fucking blah.
He has longish hair and he had it down, then UP, then DOWN - every time he went to the washroom he changed it. It was like I was watching a play...that I DIDN'T WANT TO WATCH.
He also told me he likes to give fast food employees a hard time if his food is not hot. I told him (because he asked me - even though I was trying to act like I was mute) 'I would just ask them for a replacement meal because mine is cold', and he said 'NO you have to intimidate them so they NEVER do that to you again" When he was telling me the he likes to intimidate fast food employees thing ALL I COULD THINK was I need to go home and BLOG this.
I think I am going to stay single forever if that's what's "out there".
HOLY SHIT, how can somebody SUCK so much?
Tuesday, March 09, 2010
Email to my boss:
"I think the hand scanner fired me tonight. I tried my number three times and it said my ID was temporarily invalid. I waited for a bit and tried again and it still wouldn't accept my ID. So Dave said to send you an email. This is the email."
Email back:
"I am glad to see you are taking the firing so well—I was a little nervous and really wasn’t looking forward to a face to face — it has been real — happy life!!!!!!"
"Happy life!!!!!" made me lol. And almost roflmao.
"I think the hand scanner fired me tonight. I tried my number three times and it said my ID was temporarily invalid. I waited for a bit and tried again and it still wouldn't accept my ID. So Dave said to send you an email. This is the email."
Email back:
"I am glad to see you are taking the firing so well—I was a little nervous and really wasn’t looking forward to a face to face — it has been real — happy life!!!!!!"
"Happy life!!!!!" made me lol. And almost roflmao.
Monday, March 08, 2010
Girl I haven't seen since high school (we went out for Thai food recently):
"When you came to our high school in your long black coat and big black boots I thought 'oh here comes trouble!'"
Me:
"So you decided to befriend me?"
Her:
*laughs*
Her:
"You taught me how to drink beer. I kept saying it's burning, I can't do it, and you said you've got work at it."
Ha. She also said I was a rebel, who disliked mainstream stuff. Ahhh the old days.
"When you came to our high school in your long black coat and big black boots I thought 'oh here comes trouble!'"
Me:
"So you decided to befriend me?"
Her:
*laughs*
Her:
"You taught me how to drink beer. I kept saying it's burning, I can't do it, and you said you've got work at it."
Ha. She also said I was a rebel, who disliked mainstream stuff. Ahhh the old days.
Sunday, March 07, 2010
Sunday, May 10, 2009
Tuesday, April 07, 2009
I didn't write this list and I don't work at Swiss Chalet but it made me laugh.
It's from the Facebook group "I work at Swiss Chalet and therefore I hate my life".
Ha ha. Just stumbled across it.
THE RULES:
1. Do not ask me for a spoon for the chicken sauce, you are making me sick.
2. Just because i have a name tag on doesn't mean you get to use my name. Ever.
3. I don't know why the white meat is more expensive. It just is. Get over it. It's like 50 cents.
4. No...it's not lemon soup. It's a finger bowl, you wash your cheap hands with it. And stop joking with me about it being lemon soup. I've heard that line nine times today. Shut the fuck up.
5. If you're not planning on tipping properly, take your ass over to the take-out window. They're even more unhappy than us, and will be waiting there to serve you with a frown, and probably some cold fries.
6. Your meat IS going to be a bit pink, you DID ask for the dark meat. Suck it up
7. Do not ask for skinless quarter chicken...do it yourself. Kindergarten is over.
8. Do not expect a finger bowl if you order a pot pie and salad. USE A FORK!
9. NO you cannot have a soup as your side. Pick something else!
10. Do not expect anymore service after you pay your bill. Vacate your table in a timely manner so I may fill it with another group of clueless morons in an attempt to actually make money.
11. When you come to the take-out window, know what you want. There is always a line, and I do not enjoy when you're holding it up.
12. When ordering at take-out, there is no need to tell me your order is "to go". Especially when you say it six times. I think I got the hint when you ordered it at the take-out window.
13. If you want to get my attention do not SNAP YOUR FINGERS AT ME LIKE I'M A DOG! Just because I work at a restaurant that doesn't mean I'm your slave.
14. When every booth/table in the restaurant is full don't bitch about where I seat you. Sit your ass down or go to another restaurant and wait an hour to get sat there.
15. When a hostess brings you to a table in the back of the restaurant do not make a smart ass comment such as "If you would have taken me any farther I would be sitting in the parking lot" and then laugh. It's not witty, it's just annoying and you are not the first one to say it.
16. Do not tell the hostess that you don't want to sit around people/children. ESPECIALLY ON WEDNESDAYS WHEN KIDS EAT FREE! Children have to eat too. If you don't want to be around people then STAY HOME DAMMIT!
17. When I ask you if you would like a booth or a table that is a hint that you are too LARGE to fit in a booth. Take the hint, and save us your bitching and the pains of reseating you five minutes later! No one wants to see you try to wedge yourself into the booth so that you need the JAWS OF LIFE to get out!! And yes, all the booths really are the same size.
18. Stop leaving your coupons on the end of the table like we're going to forget about them. It's not really that important.
19. Dont ask for hot water and 5 lemons, order a fucking tea. It's not that expensive yet. Or better yet, get a pop, so I don't have to take the time to prepare said tea.
20. Don't eat your entire meal and then bitch that it was shitty. You're not getting it for free if there's nothing left on the plate.
21. Don't fucking touch me. I'm not here for you to pet. Give me your order, and leave me alone.
22. If you see a hostess stand, that is a clue there may be a hostess working in this restaurant. DO NOT SEAT YOURSELF. Especially at a dirty table.
23. DO NOT, under any circumstances, bring your check up to the bar to pay, at least in the Buffalo area stores. We haven't had a cash register there since Labor Day of 2005. If it says "please pay server" on the receipt, it might be a good idea to do just that. If you approach my bar, I will only scowl at you and remind you it has now been fifteen months since the register existed.
24. Don't tell me how unpleasant your last visit was. Or your last three visits. I don't care, I don't want to hear it, and I'm not going to do anything about it. Maybe you should just stop coming. That would work out better for both of us.
25. Learn simple math. Please. It is not my job as a server to teach you the difference between a half and a quarter. If you don't know which one is bigger or what they are, you may want to reconsider going back to Kindergarten, or asking the six year old at the table next to you.
It's from the Facebook group "I work at Swiss Chalet and therefore I hate my life".
Ha ha. Just stumbled across it.
THE RULES:
1. Do not ask me for a spoon for the chicken sauce, you are making me sick.
2. Just because i have a name tag on doesn't mean you get to use my name. Ever.
3. I don't know why the white meat is more expensive. It just is. Get over it. It's like 50 cents.
4. No...it's not lemon soup. It's a finger bowl, you wash your cheap hands with it. And stop joking with me about it being lemon soup. I've heard that line nine times today. Shut the fuck up.
5. If you're not planning on tipping properly, take your ass over to the take-out window. They're even more unhappy than us, and will be waiting there to serve you with a frown, and probably some cold fries.
6. Your meat IS going to be a bit pink, you DID ask for the dark meat. Suck it up
7. Do not ask for skinless quarter chicken...do it yourself. Kindergarten is over.
8. Do not expect a finger bowl if you order a pot pie and salad. USE A FORK!
9. NO you cannot have a soup as your side. Pick something else!
10. Do not expect anymore service after you pay your bill. Vacate your table in a timely manner so I may fill it with another group of clueless morons in an attempt to actually make money.
11. When you come to the take-out window, know what you want. There is always a line, and I do not enjoy when you're holding it up.
12. When ordering at take-out, there is no need to tell me your order is "to go". Especially when you say it six times. I think I got the hint when you ordered it at the take-out window.
13. If you want to get my attention do not SNAP YOUR FINGERS AT ME LIKE I'M A DOG! Just because I work at a restaurant that doesn't mean I'm your slave.
14. When every booth/table in the restaurant is full don't bitch about where I seat you. Sit your ass down or go to another restaurant and wait an hour to get sat there.
15. When a hostess brings you to a table in the back of the restaurant do not make a smart ass comment such as "If you would have taken me any farther I would be sitting in the parking lot" and then laugh. It's not witty, it's just annoying and you are not the first one to say it.
16. Do not tell the hostess that you don't want to sit around people/children. ESPECIALLY ON WEDNESDAYS WHEN KIDS EAT FREE! Children have to eat too. If you don't want to be around people then STAY HOME DAMMIT!
17. When I ask you if you would like a booth or a table that is a hint that you are too LARGE to fit in a booth. Take the hint, and save us your bitching and the pains of reseating you five minutes later! No one wants to see you try to wedge yourself into the booth so that you need the JAWS OF LIFE to get out!! And yes, all the booths really are the same size.
18. Stop leaving your coupons on the end of the table like we're going to forget about them. It's not really that important.
19. Dont ask for hot water and 5 lemons, order a fucking tea. It's not that expensive yet. Or better yet, get a pop, so I don't have to take the time to prepare said tea.
20. Don't eat your entire meal and then bitch that it was shitty. You're not getting it for free if there's nothing left on the plate.
21. Don't fucking touch me. I'm not here for you to pet. Give me your order, and leave me alone.
22. If you see a hostess stand, that is a clue there may be a hostess working in this restaurant. DO NOT SEAT YOURSELF. Especially at a dirty table.
23. DO NOT, under any circumstances, bring your check up to the bar to pay, at least in the Buffalo area stores. We haven't had a cash register there since Labor Day of 2005. If it says "please pay server" on the receipt, it might be a good idea to do just that. If you approach my bar, I will only scowl at you and remind you it has now been fifteen months since the register existed.
24. Don't tell me how unpleasant your last visit was. Or your last three visits. I don't care, I don't want to hear it, and I'm not going to do anything about it. Maybe you should just stop coming. That would work out better for both of us.
25. Learn simple math. Please. It is not my job as a server to teach you the difference between a half and a quarter. If you don't know which one is bigger or what they are, you may want to reconsider going back to Kindergarten, or asking the six year old at the table next to you.
Saturday, October 18, 2008
A trigger of remembrance
For many years the numbers 11:11 have been mysteriously appearing to people all over the world. Often appearing on digital clocks, the sightings of 11:11 tend to occur during times of heightened awareness, having a most powerful effect on the people involved. This causes a reactivation of our cellular memory banks. There's a stirring deep inside, a hint of remembrance of something long forgotten.
The appearance of 11:11 is also a powerful confirmation that we are on the right track, aligned with our highest Truth. Throughout the years, I have personally encountered thousands of people all over the world who, have experienced repeated sightings of 11:11. They all want to know what is happening to them and why. What does the 11:11 signify?
11:11 is a pre-encoded trigger placed into our cellular memory banks prior to our descent into matter which, when activated, signifies that our time of completion is near. This refers to the completion of duality. When the 11:11 appears to you, it is your wake-up call. A direct channel opens up between you and the Invisible. When this happens, it is time to reflect on whatever you are doing for a moment and Look Larger. A transfer is in position. You can enter the Greater Reality if you wish pray or meditate and seed your future and also, you can be seeded by the Invisible. You can ask for help in some specific area of your life or simply listen quietly and receive a revelation.
The appearance of 11:11 is an always beneficial act of Divine Intervention telling you that it is time to take a good look around you and see what is really happening. It's time to pierce the veils of illusion that keep us bound to an unreal world. You have been chosen, because you are ready, to step into the Greater Reality. To lead the way for others into a new way of living, into a Greater Love. To ascend from
duality into Oneness.
The 11.11 is the bridge our vitality and oneness. It is our pathway into the postive unknown and beyond.
The Doorway the 11:11
This can presently be perceived
as a crack between two worlds.
It is like a bridge
which has the inherent potential
of linking together
two very different spirals of energy.
As we unite together as One,
bringing together our fragments of the key,
we not only create the key,
but we make visible the Doorway.
Thus this bridge functions
as an invisible door
or a doorway into the Invisible realm.
The 11:11 is the bridge
To an entirely different spiral of evolution.
The symbol of 11:11 was pre-encoded into our cellular memory banks long ago.
Returning our cycle of incarnations upon the Earth. The 11.11 has rested dormantly within us since that faraway position under time-release mechanization, combined with sealed orders which would only open when the 11.11 was fully activated. It has been gently sleeping, awaiting the moment of triggering. And now the 11:11 is finally activated...
11:11 is the pre-encoded trigger
And the key to the mysteries of the universe and beyond.
Some of you have recognized this symbol as something of significance, yet have been unaware of its true meaning. With the advent of digital clocks many years ago, the significance of 11:11 began to make itself felt, often appearing on clocks at times of accelerated awareness. For those of you who have know that 11:11 was something special, we now need you to come forth into positions of leadership. For you are important parts of the key.
I believe we are or connected to an invisible spiritual thread, through which we can transmit information, thoughts, and feelings to each other, even if we never met. Use this channel to send help, prayers, love and positivity to humanity and all our animals.
To my amazement the tragedy in New York and Washington happen on the 11 of September, flight number 11, and the twin towers from a distance looked like the number 11. So please pay attention to the line in my article that says that it is time to take a good look around you and what is really happening.
Thursday, October 02, 2008
My thoughts on the Canadian and American debates:
Canada:
I wish they would stop talking about my kitchen table.
Why didn't Elizabeth May brush her hair before the debates? Are combs not good for the environment? Was she not told it was televised?
You are all lying.
United States:
I wish they would stop talking about my kitchen table.
When men cry in politics (Biden in the debate - oh he did) it is just skipped over like nothing happened, when women cry (Hillary) it is the sign of a weak, hysterical person who should never be in charge.
Should Trig really be up that late? I know that if she didn't bring her baby she would be criticized for neglecting him, but seriously is it really fair to him?
You are both lying.
Canada:
I wish they would stop talking about my kitchen table.
Why didn't Elizabeth May brush her hair before the debates? Are combs not good for the environment? Was she not told it was televised?
You are all lying.
United States:
I wish they would stop talking about my kitchen table.
When men cry in politics (Biden in the debate - oh he did) it is just skipped over like nothing happened, when women cry (Hillary) it is the sign of a weak, hysterical person who should never be in charge.
Should Trig really be up that late? I know that if she didn't bring her baby she would be criticized for neglecting him, but seriously is it really fair to him?
You are both lying.
You know those chickens they sell at the store that are already cooked, just waiting there all nice and hot for you to take home? I think they soak them in crack. I have made lots of chickens myself and they NEVER taste like that.
Somebody asked me today if I still lived with my parents. I said, no I am old, she said old? Then I told her how old and she looked at me like I was insane. Which is nice, but awkward. Mostly nice though.
Went to speed dating last night, I have never been before. I put on my name tag, sat down, looked around the room and thought to myself there are some guys in here that creep me out so much I can't even imagine talking to them in a public place for five minutes, and I BAILED. Yep, at least I am consistent in my behaviour.
Couldn't do it.
Could not.
Somebody asked me today if I still lived with my parents. I said, no I am old, she said old? Then I told her how old and she looked at me like I was insane. Which is nice, but awkward. Mostly nice though.
Went to speed dating last night, I have never been before. I put on my name tag, sat down, looked around the room and thought to myself there are some guys in here that creep me out so much I can't even imagine talking to them in a public place for five minutes, and I BAILED. Yep, at least I am consistent in my behaviour.
Couldn't do it.
Could not.
Monday, September 08, 2008
Saturday, August 30, 2008
Wednesday, June 25, 2008
George Carlin
Yeah Yeah old news, but I loved the guy and I quoted him quite a few times while he was alive so here's one more go for old times sake. We will miss you George...
Life is not as difficult as people think; all one needs is a good set of rules. Since it is probably too late for you, here are some guidelines to pass along to your children.
1. Relax and take it easy. Don't get caught up in hollow conceits such as "doing something with your life." Such twaddle is outmoded and a sure formula for disappointment.
2. Whatever it is you pursue, try to do it just well enough to remain in the middle third of the field. Keep your thoughts and ideas to yourself and don't ask questions. Remember, the squeaky wheel is the first one to be replaced.
3. Size people up quickly, and develop rigid attitudes based on your first impression. If you try to delve deeper and get to "know" people, you're asking for trouble.
4. Don't fall for that superstitious nonsense about treating people the way you would like to be treated. It is a transparently narcissistic approach, and may be the sign of a weak mind.
5. Spend as much time as you can pleading and impressing others, even if it makes you unhappy. Pay special attention to shallow manipulators who can do you the most harm. Remember, in the overall scheme, you count for very little.
6. Surround yourself with inferiors and losers. Not only will you look good by comparison, but they will look up to you, and that will make you feel better.
7. Don't buy into the sentimental notion that everyone has shortcomings; it's the surest way of undermining yourself. Remember, the really best people have no defects. If you're not perfect, something is wrong.
8. If by some off chance you do detect a few faults, first, accept the fact that you are probably deeply flawed. Then make a list of your faults and dwell on them. Carry the list around and try to think of things to add. Blame yourself for everything.
9. Beware of intuition and gut instincts, they are completely unreliable. Instead, develop preconceived notions and don't waver unless someone tells you to. Then change your mind and adopt their point of view. But only if they seem to know what they're talking about.
10. Never give up on an idea simply because it is bad and doesn't work. Cling to it even when it is hopeless. Anyone can cut and run, but it takes a very special person to stay with something that is stupid and harmful.
11. Always remember, today doesn't count. Trying to make something out of today only robs you of precious time that could be spent daydreaming or resting up.
12. Try to dwell on the past. Think of all the mistakes you've made, and how much better it would be if you hadn't made them. Think of what you should have done, and blame yourself for not doing so. And don't go easy. Be really hard on yourself.
13. If by chance you make a fresh mistake, especially a costly one, try to repeat it a few times so you become familiar with it and can do it easily in the future. Write it down. Put it with your list of faults.
14. Beware also of the dangerous trap of looking ahead; it will only get you in trouble. Instead, try to drift along from day to day in a meandering fashion. Don't get sidetracked with some foolish "plan."
15. Finally, enjoy yourself all the time, and do whatever you want. Don't be seduced by that mindless chatter going around about "responsibility." That's exactly the sort of thing that can ruin your life.
Life is not as difficult as people think; all one needs is a good set of rules. Since it is probably too late for you, here are some guidelines to pass along to your children.
1. Relax and take it easy. Don't get caught up in hollow conceits such as "doing something with your life." Such twaddle is outmoded and a sure formula for disappointment.
2. Whatever it is you pursue, try to do it just well enough to remain in the middle third of the field. Keep your thoughts and ideas to yourself and don't ask questions. Remember, the squeaky wheel is the first one to be replaced.
3. Size people up quickly, and develop rigid attitudes based on your first impression. If you try to delve deeper and get to "know" people, you're asking for trouble.
4. Don't fall for that superstitious nonsense about treating people the way you would like to be treated. It is a transparently narcissistic approach, and may be the sign of a weak mind.
5. Spend as much time as you can pleading and impressing others, even if it makes you unhappy. Pay special attention to shallow manipulators who can do you the most harm. Remember, in the overall scheme, you count for very little.
6. Surround yourself with inferiors and losers. Not only will you look good by comparison, but they will look up to you, and that will make you feel better.
7. Don't buy into the sentimental notion that everyone has shortcomings; it's the surest way of undermining yourself. Remember, the really best people have no defects. If you're not perfect, something is wrong.
8. If by some off chance you do detect a few faults, first, accept the fact that you are probably deeply flawed. Then make a list of your faults and dwell on them. Carry the list around and try to think of things to add. Blame yourself for everything.
9. Beware of intuition and gut instincts, they are completely unreliable. Instead, develop preconceived notions and don't waver unless someone tells you to. Then change your mind and adopt their point of view. But only if they seem to know what they're talking about.
10. Never give up on an idea simply because it is bad and doesn't work. Cling to it even when it is hopeless. Anyone can cut and run, but it takes a very special person to stay with something that is stupid and harmful.
11. Always remember, today doesn't count. Trying to make something out of today only robs you of precious time that could be spent daydreaming or resting up.
12. Try to dwell on the past. Think of all the mistakes you've made, and how much better it would be if you hadn't made them. Think of what you should have done, and blame yourself for not doing so. And don't go easy. Be really hard on yourself.
13. If by chance you make a fresh mistake, especially a costly one, try to repeat it a few times so you become familiar with it and can do it easily in the future. Write it down. Put it with your list of faults.
14. Beware also of the dangerous trap of looking ahead; it will only get you in trouble. Instead, try to drift along from day to day in a meandering fashion. Don't get sidetracked with some foolish "plan."
15. Finally, enjoy yourself all the time, and do whatever you want. Don't be seduced by that mindless chatter going around about "responsibility." That's exactly the sort of thing that can ruin your life.
Wednesday, June 18, 2008
Monday, June 16, 2008
My mother found this and gave me a copy. Thanks mom.
I bet my cousin Steph and my friend Heather wish that I had read it before I had a cryfest in their ears on Saturday night (because I sold a bunch of crap at a garage sale and other ridiculous reasons).
Apparently I have some attachment issues, but to inanimate objects.
I have to stop it because I don't want to end up like one of those people who hasn't seen their carpet in 5 years because their house is PACKED full of garbage that they think are treasures.
Happiness cannot be found through great effort and willpower.
But it is already present in open relaxation and letting go.
Don't strain yourself, there is nothing to do or undo.
Whatever momentarily arises in the body mind has no real importance at all.
Far better to simply let the entire game happen on its own.
Springing up and falling back like waves; without changing or manipulating anything.
Everything vanishes and reappears, magically, again and again, time without end.
Although peace and happiness do not exist as an actual thing or place, it is always available and accompanies you every instant.
Vain Song by Venerable Gendun Rinpoche
Word.
I bet my cousin Steph and my friend Heather wish that I had read it before I had a cryfest in their ears on Saturday night (because I sold a bunch of crap at a garage sale and other ridiculous reasons).
Apparently I have some attachment issues, but to inanimate objects.
I have to stop it because I don't want to end up like one of those people who hasn't seen their carpet in 5 years because their house is PACKED full of garbage that they think are treasures.
Happiness cannot be found through great effort and willpower.
But it is already present in open relaxation and letting go.
Don't strain yourself, there is nothing to do or undo.
Whatever momentarily arises in the body mind has no real importance at all.
Far better to simply let the entire game happen on its own.
Springing up and falling back like waves; without changing or manipulating anything.
Everything vanishes and reappears, magically, again and again, time without end.
Although peace and happiness do not exist as an actual thing or place, it is always available and accompanies you every instant.
Vain Song by Venerable Gendun Rinpoche
Word.
Thursday, May 29, 2008
Watching Big Brother Australia on YouTube because I am a BB addict.
Some of the housemates were hypnotized today (the most susceptible)
I was hypnotized once. I forgot my name. Repeatedly. It's a really strange and surreal experience.
After reading some of the comments that people were leaving about the Big Brother people being hypnotized, I decided to Google what personality type is most easily hypnotized and I found this:
"Hypnotizability does not appear to show any obvious correlation with any of the usual personality traits or characteristics. Not only is gullibility not directly correlated, but gender, extroversion/introversion, and neurotic tendencies have also been shown not to correlate well with hypnotizability. (phew!)
T.X. Barber and his colleague Sheryl Wilson did some interesting research where they apparently identified some loose correlates to hypnotizability, and which appear to enhance an individual's capacity to respond to hypnotic suggestion.
Called the 'fantasy prone personality,' (FPP) these people do not seem to form a unitary personality type, but represent a diverse group of naturally imaginative and visionary individuals.
Josephine Hilgard and other researchers have also found similar results, that some people have particularly rich inner fantasy lives and cultivate a lifetime of vivid imagery experience corresponding to an openness to unusual experience, extraordinary memory in many cases, capacity for intense concentration, sharp sensory acuity, and unusually strong somatic responses to mental imagery (such as response to placebos)."
That's right I am smart and shit. ;)Have you ever been hypnotized, if so what do you think?
If you haven't ever been hypnotized and you want to call it bullshit, shut up, because you don't know.
Love Binsk
Friday, May 23, 2008
Sunday, May 18, 2008
Charlie woke me up today at 6 am.
I thought it was a pee pee emergency because he NEVER does that (he sleeps in with his mommy)
I thought it was a pee pee emergency because he NEVER does that (he sleeps in with his mommy)
Anyway I take him downstairs and right before I let him out he starts barking like CRAZY and I see a raccoon ass going UP to my balcony. So we both run upstairs and Charlie is still growling and barking and it's light out and this raccoon is just staring in at us 1 foot away. I figured it had gone mad and was rabid so I closed all the windows and went back to bed.
Tuesday, May 13, 2008
I'm back!
This morning I went to Tim Hortons and this old man let me in the door before him and here's the conversation:
Me: "No you go ahead you were here first"
OM: "No no you go, it doesn't make a difference"
Me: "Okay thanks"
OM: "It's better that I am behind you than you being behind me because I can look at your butt instead of you looking at mine"
Me: *uncomfortable laugh*
OM: "When are the best days of your life?"
Me: (clearly out of my mind starting to CRY)
OM: "You don't know? It's the time you spend in the arms of another woman's husband"
Me: "oh"
OM: "You understand me? I know you"
Me: "what?"
OM: "Your dad, your dad"
Me: "Um okay"
OM: "Do you understand? The best time of your life is when you were in the arm's of another woman's husband. Your dad."
Me: "Ohhhhhhh okay" *more uncomfortable laughter*
OM: "Have a good day"
I cannot have conversations like this when am mentally unstable and have only been awake for half an hour.
How Second Life Affects Real Life
About a year ago in my first visit to Second Life, the popular online virtual world, I spent half an hour trying to make my avatar, or online character, look like a hotter version of myself — which isn't easy when you don't know how to use the tools. When I finally made it onto Money Island to mingle, a stranger approached me and said, "Hello there, Devon." I froze. Then I tried to run. I was desperately searching for the teleport tool when my sister walked into the room, peered over my shoulder at the computer screen and said, "Why'd you make your avatar ugly?" I logged off.
I didn't realize how instructive my sister's question was until recently, when I discovered research being done at Stanford University's Virtual Human Interaction Lab (VHIL). Jeremy Bailenson, head of the lab and an assistant professor of communication at Stanford, studies the way self-perception affects behavior. No surprise that what we think about ourselves affects the confidence with which we approach the world. What is a surprise is that this applies in the virtual world too. With my plain Jane avatar and my inexperience in Second Life, I did what most people would want to do in an uncomfortable social situation: run away.
What's more, Bailenson's research suggests that the qualities you acquire online — whether it's confidence or insecurity — can spill over and change your conduct in the real world, often without your awareness. Bailenson has found that even 90 seconds spent chatting it up with avatars is enough to elicit behavioral changes offline — at least in the short-term. "When we cloak ourselves in avatars, it subtly alters the manner in which we behave," says Bailenson. "It's about self-perception and self-confidence." But researchers are still trying to figure out the psychological mechanisms at work, and which way the effect flows: "Do you consciously wear your power suit to feel confident, or is it that you're in this suit and you're feeling up, but you're unaware of the reason?" says Bailenson.
Bailenson's findings have a lot more real-world meaning than you'd think, if only because so many people are spending a so much time in the unreal world. Some 13 million people have visited Second Life at least once, with about 450,000 residents online in a given week. Even more popular is the online game World of Warcraft, which has 10 million active subscribers who pay to participate. People spend on average about 20 hours a week in alternate worlds like these, and at VHIL, whose high-tech virtual world is entered by way of a $24,000 helmet, Bailenson and his Ph.D. students are trying to figure out how these increasingly common virtual experiences bleed into reality. "I've been doing this for years and people have been laughing at me," says Bailenson. "All of a sudden, I have people calling and asking about what I do."
In one experiment, published in Human Communication Research last year, researchers assessed how an avatar's attractiveness affected human behavior, both online and off. Thirty-two volunteers were randomly assigned an attractive or unattractive avatar (attractiveness was rated by undergrads in a survey beforehand) and instructed to look at them in a virtual mirror for 90 seconds. Then they were asked to interact with other avatars, controlled by the experimenters, in a classroom-like setting. Overall, subjects using good-looking avatars tended to display more confidence, friendliness and extraversion, just as in the real world: they approached avatar strangers within three feet, and in conversations tended to disclose more personal details. Ugly duckling avatars, meanwhile, stayed five and a half feet away from strangers and were more tight-lipped.
Lead researcher Nick Yee, a former Stanford graduate student who now works for the nearby Palo Alto Research Center, replicated his study, then appended a second part: an hour after their forays online, the same volunteers were told they were participating in an unrelated study about online romance. They were instructed to pick two potential dates out of nine photos in an online-dating pool. People who had used attractive avatars seemed to hang onto some of the self-assurance that came from being handsome, choosing better-looking dates than those who had homely avatars. "They thought they had a shot," says Bailenson.
If feeling pretty builds confidence, what does height do for you? To find out, Yee recruited 50 volunteers, randomly assigned them to short or tall avatars, then instructed them to divide a virtual pool of $100 with another participant — one player would suggest how to split the pot, and the other could accept or reject the offer, with each person getting nothing if offers were rejected. People with tall avatars (three or four inches taller than the stranger avatar) negotiated more aggressively than the short ones, while short avatars were twice as likely as the tall ones to accept an unfair split — $25 versus $75.
Again, the behavior held up in real life. When Yee had the subjects shed their avatars and negotiate face-to-face, sitting down, people who had inhabited tall avatars bargained more aggressively, suggesting unfair splits more often. And participants who had had short avatars accepted less-than-even money more often than the tall ones. How tall the people were themselves became less important, if only temporarily, than the height of their online alter-egos.
Virtual behavior may even affect real-world health. Stanford graduate student Jesse Fox randomly assigned avatars to 75 volunteers and divided them into three groups: one group watched their look-alike avatars run on treadmills for about five and a half minutes; another group saw their virtual counterparts lounge around; and a third watched avatars who did not look like them, but were of the same age and sex, run on treadmills. A day later, Fox found that participants who watched avatars of their own likeness exercising had themselves exercised an hour more in the intervening 24-hour period than people in the other two groups. (It's worth noting that the volunteers were all Stanford undergraduates, who were likely more active and fitter to start than the average adult.) "What I'm hoping to find out by picking apart these mechanisms is what motivates people and why this works," says Fox. "If you are energized by seeing yourself run, maybe you can put an avatar on the bottom of your computer screen for five minutes and it would persuade you to go to the gym."
The possibilities are — virtually — endless. Inhabit buffed-up versions of yourself to lose weight, cuter versions of yourself to gain confidence, or older versions to start putting money away for the future (that last one is being studied at Stanford now). "The most stunning part is how subtle the manipulations are and how difficult they are to detect," says Bailenson, "but how much it affects real life later on."
Of course, the effect could potentially work both ways — for good or for bad. "In a therapy setting, we could use these virtual environments to get people to become more confident," says Yee. "But they can also be used in advertising and as propaganda."
Before I entered Second Life again I upgraded my avatar to much cuter dimensions. This time I found myself conversing with people instead of logging off. I was more outgoing. Next, I'm considering giving my avatar a cottage by the sea and a job doing charitable work. Maybe some of the positive vibes will rub off into my real life. I'll let you know how it works out.
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