One might think that I would come back from vacation fired up and ready to blog, full of lengthy trip reports and photos of the remarkable Utah geography, with the kind of insights that only travel can bring (what does the Utah story reveal that is different from my usual Illinois existence?).
Instead, I barely got a truncated trip report in on Friday, made a political comment on Saturday, and gleaned one personal observation from my travels on Sunday. I've also taken the questionable time to respond to comments I received while I was away, the vast majority of which were from a single person - some of them had some interest, others betrayed a colossal misreading of what I wrote and imputed to me beliefs I have never espoused. I probably should have spent less time formulating replies to those.
And there are things going on, things that cry out for some comment, the financial meltdown and accompanying bailout (the American Taxpayer Hold-Executives-Blameless Plan), the continuing campaign with pigs and lipstick and a chirpy small-town mayor who has an excellent chance to become president, the clinching of a second straight division title by my Chicago Cubs, the perfect awfulness of the Emmy telecast, the rapidly encroaching autumn if I want to wax rhapsodic over the seasons. Heck, I could take some of the comments I received and turned them into posts (but should I really spend time defending myself from spurious ideas? Is it really worth my while to point out that I have never claimed that we are run by an "idiocracy," especially when my commenter uses that erroneous formulation to brand me a loser and a failure?).
But right now, I don't care. Whether it's due to the fact that my few reasonable readers are all quite quiet and the noisy ones are, well, not consistently reasonable, or the reality that nine months of blogging really hasn't amounted to anything (c'mon, one little book contract is all I ask), or the realization that all the bloggers on all their chairs haven't made one executive think, hmm, what are the long-term effects of this offshoring and should I hold off?, I'm simply weary of opening up my head and my heart for the examination of anyone who wanders by.
I'm even tired of reading other blogs. These careful examinations by bright people as to why McCain or Obama would be a disaster for this country, all these futile words being thrown at people who are still going to vote by the famous Bush, who do I want to have a beer with, measure, they all seem rather pointless. The earnest people who look at the financial bailout, try to make sense of it and propose something other than that we give Hank "Working for the Weekend" Paulson czar-like powers, they're just spittin' in the wind (as Sarah would say) if they think that these decisions will be made on the basis of what's best for the taxpayer or the homeowner. I've started to see posts and articles on defining the Bush legacy, as if history will look at these eight years as anything other than the point at which it became clear that you couldn't just set and forget the American Dream in order to sustain it, that laissez-faire and "king of the mountain" are great ways to produce rich people but lousy ways to produce a functioning society.
Maybe I'm just frustrated by other people in general. The folks who believe that a good People magazine back story about moose and snow machines and five oddly-named kids are a replacement for actual competence and truth, the folks who have twisted respect for an office into a need to prop up the complete incompetence of the people who hold the office, or, more personally, the people who purport to be friends when you have something to offer them, whether it is a job opportunity or a ticket to a playoff game, but are absent when you simply want to be and to have a friend, I'm kind of down on all of them right now.
I have no conclusion to offer here, perhaps I'll have some spring in my step and a song in my heart tomorrow. Maybe the season premiere of Two and a Half Men will redefine my life and make me eager to embrace the world in its totality again (I don't know about you, but that Charlie Sheen never fails to make me laugh). It's possible that I'll read that Howie Mandel has decided to quit show business after watching a tape of his Emmy performance last night, and I'll know once again that there's a God in heaven and justice can prevail. I'll let you know.
Instead, I barely got a truncated trip report in on Friday, made a political comment on Saturday, and gleaned one personal observation from my travels on Sunday. I've also taken the questionable time to respond to comments I received while I was away, the vast majority of which were from a single person - some of them had some interest, others betrayed a colossal misreading of what I wrote and imputed to me beliefs I have never espoused. I probably should have spent less time formulating replies to those.
And there are things going on, things that cry out for some comment, the financial meltdown and accompanying bailout (the American Taxpayer Hold-Executives-Blameless Plan), the continuing campaign with pigs and lipstick and a chirpy small-town mayor who has an excellent chance to become president, the clinching of a second straight division title by my Chicago Cubs, the perfect awfulness of the Emmy telecast, the rapidly encroaching autumn if I want to wax rhapsodic over the seasons. Heck, I could take some of the comments I received and turned them into posts (but should I really spend time defending myself from spurious ideas? Is it really worth my while to point out that I have never claimed that we are run by an "idiocracy," especially when my commenter uses that erroneous formulation to brand me a loser and a failure?).
But right now, I don't care. Whether it's due to the fact that my few reasonable readers are all quite quiet and the noisy ones are, well, not consistently reasonable, or the reality that nine months of blogging really hasn't amounted to anything (c'mon, one little book contract is all I ask), or the realization that all the bloggers on all their chairs haven't made one executive think, hmm, what are the long-term effects of this offshoring and should I hold off?, I'm simply weary of opening up my head and my heart for the examination of anyone who wanders by.
I'm even tired of reading other blogs. These careful examinations by bright people as to why McCain or Obama would be a disaster for this country, all these futile words being thrown at people who are still going to vote by the famous Bush, who do I want to have a beer with, measure, they all seem rather pointless. The earnest people who look at the financial bailout, try to make sense of it and propose something other than that we give Hank "Working for the Weekend" Paulson czar-like powers, they're just spittin' in the wind (as Sarah would say) if they think that these decisions will be made on the basis of what's best for the taxpayer or the homeowner. I've started to see posts and articles on defining the Bush legacy, as if history will look at these eight years as anything other than the point at which it became clear that you couldn't just set and forget the American Dream in order to sustain it, that laissez-faire and "king of the mountain" are great ways to produce rich people but lousy ways to produce a functioning society.
Maybe I'm just frustrated by other people in general. The folks who believe that a good People magazine back story about moose and snow machines and five oddly-named kids are a replacement for actual competence and truth, the folks who have twisted respect for an office into a need to prop up the complete incompetence of the people who hold the office, or, more personally, the people who purport to be friends when you have something to offer them, whether it is a job opportunity or a ticket to a playoff game, but are absent when you simply want to be and to have a friend, I'm kind of down on all of them right now.
I have no conclusion to offer here, perhaps I'll have some spring in my step and a song in my heart tomorrow. Maybe the season premiere of Two and a Half Men will redefine my life and make me eager to embrace the world in its totality again (I don't know about you, but that Charlie Sheen never fails to make me laugh). It's possible that I'll read that Howie Mandel has decided to quit show business after watching a tape of his Emmy performance last night, and I'll know once again that there's a God in heaven and justice can prevail. I'll let you know.
4 comments:
You describe yourself as a potential high-flier (or at least deep thinker) surrounded by mediocracy (or at least shallow thinkers). I'm convinced you're smart. I'm not sure why you work with mediocre people. Perhaps you aren't good at labor marketing? Perhaps your self-image is not accurate? I'm not sure yet. But: I have NEVER branded you a loser or a failure.
I do think you might give mediocre people and their mediocre ideas more truck than they deserve. I have criticized you for studying second-rate news sources in the past. People magazine and those who read it? Don't focus there. Surely there are people and publications worth your focus! Focusing on average idiots is the last thing you need!
Bring back the brash, passionate Androcass! All this wheel-spinning matters, right? I think it does, but perhaps not in the ways you and I think.
Executives understand the long-term effects of offshoring for their enterprises, and the larger issues are not their concern.
I'd really like you to try to link your perception of working with "blank stare" people to your criticisms of offshoring. I think that's a fruitful direction. I don't know if you've articulated it so directly: You work with glassy-eyed dullards because all the good jobs left the country? Is that it? Am I even getting luke warm yet?
your reader,
mcfnord
p.s. want traffic? more funny pics.
Mcfnord is a trend follower so I would not care for his comments.
We should be to assess Mcfnord's intelligence level by his/her own words:
1) "PS. want traffic? more funny pics"' "Perhaps your self-image is not accurate?", "I have NEVER branded you a loser or a failure".
Our actions and words reflect our views on the outer world - pictures, image, and brand are all instant vision stimulus for those who would easily subjugate themselves to be brainwashed by the mass media and the hypes.
Well, one advice you should consider when you see future postings of mcfnord ... "focusing on average idiots is the last thing you need!"
Regards
SN
You're crazy. And I'm off to follow the trend!
The commenter continues to perplex me. Trend follower? Because I (tongue in cheek) suggest more images? I'm a visual information artist. Here's an example of my work:
http://ljmindmap.com/h.aspx?n=mcfnord
To argue that visual stimulus is akin to heroin issued by the corporate teat is both dour and hilarious. What a depressing life it must be when one relegates imagery to the realm of idiocy and danger.
But Androcass, if you want, you can think of this anon as a thug who comes seemingly to your defense with abusive rhetoric when you call. So you've made a friend? And he's the reader market for anti-globalist business verbiage? This can't feel good to you. But ok.
Gotta go to my idiot job now! ttyl bro
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