Today was a momentous day. I bought a new car for the first time in 13.5 years (and I’ve only been married for 12). FYI, my husband has had about 5 different cars in the last 12 years, but apparently that’s irrelevant….
I thought THAT was my big news for today. But then, I came home, and I read my four- year-old daughter a book before bed, and then she looked at me, filled with excitement at a memory she had forgotten to share, her big blue eyes all lit up, and she started telling me about the field trip she went on today at day care. They took a bus to the park, and here’s how her story went…told quickly and with enthusiasm: “we were on the bus, and Landon said let’s kiss on the cheek and then he said let’s kiss on the lips so we did.” She said this with a big smile on her face, oblivious to the fact that I was having a stroke. OMG I thought. She’s four!!! And she kissed a boy on the lips!! On the bus!! I thought I had a few more years before I had to deal with this. Did I kiss at four? I don’t really remember. But regardless…I was not expecting it to happen to her.
I’m not equipped to deal with this information. I say to her (essentially, I’m paraphrasing because I was in shock and I don’t really remember the conversation exactly)… “the next time a boy says that to you, you tell him that you only kiss on the cheek.” And she says to me (!)…my four-year-old, beautiful, precious girl says to me… “no, I liked it, so I’ll kiss on the lips if he asks me.”
Oh the trauma. The turmoil. The fear of the future. I’m sure it’s just a normal right of passage. I’m sure lots of little girls and boys do such things (after all, this is probably the prime age for “playing doctor.”) But being confronted with it…in such a happy, off-handed way… I can barely explain my emotions. Of course, it’s inevitable, and at least (I suppose) I should be glad that she shared this information with me. But why can’t I keep myself from leaping ahead 10 years or so and wondering what she’ll be doing in our basement some day (“but I liked it…so if he asks…I’ll say yes…”). Oy. I can’t even type any more.
I’m sorry. There’s no big point to this blog entry…no life lesson…no commentary on the big picture or politics or the economy. Other than, I suppose, that this is a moment that millions have lived, in various varieties, over the history of time, and I shouldn’t overreact. (I never overreact, so that shouldn’t be an issue). Lucky for me, I have a son who in a few years will likely be the instigator of the kiss on the bus. Is that sexist? Maybe. Or maybe it’s just nature taking its course. I think I just found a gray hair…
Tuesday, August 25, 2009
Friday, June 12, 2009
Sex, Laughter & Cultural Norms
It’s been awhile since I posted, so I think I’ll take on a controversial topic today. No, it’s not abortion, or the death penalty or drug legalization. It’s the great debate (via media coverage) of David Letterman vs. Sarah Palin!
I’m not surprised that this is all over the news. A famous comedian gives an explanation (not apology) about a joke, which is now all over the web. A politician gives interviews about the dire state of our society due to said joke. Commentators and tabloids exploit it all for our consumption. That’s pretty much par for the course these days, isn’t it? I haven’t checked to see if either of them are twittering about it, but I saw several references and opinions from the public on my Facebook page today. In America, we don’t generally chat about the war or poverty or pandemics. We talk about sensationalized topics that show up on the Today Show in between those stories. (Maybe that’s to keep our minds off of our Incredible Shrinking IRA Accounts, but that’s a different topic.)
So what do I think? First of all, I believe that comedy is an art form, and there are really no rules or taboos for artists to follow. Countless comedians tell countless in-poor-taste jokes every minute of the day, all around the world. Mr. Letterman just happens to have perhaps the largest audience of them all. And why? Because people like his jokes. We all have freedom of choice to change the channel if we don’t. Does he exert undue influence because he’s on TV every night (when he’s not vacationing in Montana)? I love Letterman, but I certainly hope his monologue isn’t guiding anyone’s moral compass.
Do I think that Letterman’s joke was a “sad commentary on the state of our society…encouraging us to laugh at degrading comments about a young woman.” I had to think about that one for awhile, but no, I don’t. Has it “contributed to the acceptance of abuse of young women”? Um…no…it was just a joke! You could have flipped to any number of other channels on air at the same time and seen and/or heard worse (or listened to a CD, or visited a web site).
But is this situation different because the joke was about a minor? Let me think about that. I have kids. I certainly wouldn’t want people to joke about them in…let’s say… unsavory ways. But I can’t even stop my own neighbors from doing that (if God forbid they wanted to), much less anyone else. And the truth is, Palin made a choice to put her family in the public eye. She did so, knowing full well that her unmarried, 17-year-old daughter was pregnant (and even though she is from the wilds of Alaska, surely she must also have known that it would become a big news story. Unless maybe keeping an eye on Russia kept her too busy to ever watch television). And beyond that, she continues to bring her daughters to public events where she will certainly be interviewed and photographed (because let’s be honest…that’s what she wants). Don’t get me wrong. I actually like Palin, and politics is a game that you have to play if you want to get ahead. But I think she’s pretending that she did not choose her current place in our society. A few years ago we didn’t know her name. And when the press jumped on this drummed-up controversy, she happily jumped aboard that bandwagon to remind us all that she’s still here…fighting for America…which apparently is crumbling before our eyes under democratic rule.
Now, do I think that Palin’s daughters deserve to be made fun of on a national talk show? Definitely not. But it’s a fact of life in our society that if you’re in politics…or entertainment…or sports…your life, and your family, is fair game. Honestly, I wish that weren’t the case – I don’t think celebrities should have to give up all their rights to privacy. And I’m quite certain there are a large number of celebrities who’ve suffered worse comments about themselves and their children in the national press. None of that is good. However, that’s how it is, and in this particular example, Palin continues to put herself in the public eye to further her personal goals, and she’s never been shy about putting her children in front of those cameras along with her. Palin was not taking her daughter out to a lovely baseball game. She went with Rudy Giuliani, most-famous-New Yorker-ever, knowing full well they would be photographed and published and talked about, and that was what she wanted. She just wasn’t able to control the spin of all that media coverage.
The only point I heard Palin say that was interesting, was that there has been a political double standard, in that the press has obeyed President Obama’s request to respect his children’s privacy, while they have not given that same standard to her children. That seems fairly true. However, if the White House children some day make what our society considers to be a mistake…any mistake of note…I have a feeling we’ll all hear about it. I guess time will tell.
My conclusion is that the modern world is unfair in a lot of ways. But a politician who hopes against hope to rule the White House one day, is not going to effect change to a piece of our culture that is this pervasive by making fun of a beloved TV comedian. I respect her instinct to protect her children, but it all smacks of effort for political gain, which really negates all her other arguments. Find a better example to make an example of, Sarah, if you’re really trying to save our culture from ruin.
Share your thoughts with me. I know you have them. And we can’t waste all our time talking about things that actually matter.
I’m not surprised that this is all over the news. A famous comedian gives an explanation (not apology) about a joke, which is now all over the web. A politician gives interviews about the dire state of our society due to said joke. Commentators and tabloids exploit it all for our consumption. That’s pretty much par for the course these days, isn’t it? I haven’t checked to see if either of them are twittering about it, but I saw several references and opinions from the public on my Facebook page today. In America, we don’t generally chat about the war or poverty or pandemics. We talk about sensationalized topics that show up on the Today Show in between those stories. (Maybe that’s to keep our minds off of our Incredible Shrinking IRA Accounts, but that’s a different topic.)
So what do I think? First of all, I believe that comedy is an art form, and there are really no rules or taboos for artists to follow. Countless comedians tell countless in-poor-taste jokes every minute of the day, all around the world. Mr. Letterman just happens to have perhaps the largest audience of them all. And why? Because people like his jokes. We all have freedom of choice to change the channel if we don’t. Does he exert undue influence because he’s on TV every night (when he’s not vacationing in Montana)? I love Letterman, but I certainly hope his monologue isn’t guiding anyone’s moral compass.
Do I think that Letterman’s joke was a “sad commentary on the state of our society…encouraging us to laugh at degrading comments about a young woman.” I had to think about that one for awhile, but no, I don’t. Has it “contributed to the acceptance of abuse of young women”? Um…no…it was just a joke! You could have flipped to any number of other channels on air at the same time and seen and/or heard worse (or listened to a CD, or visited a web site).
But is this situation different because the joke was about a minor? Let me think about that. I have kids. I certainly wouldn’t want people to joke about them in…let’s say… unsavory ways. But I can’t even stop my own neighbors from doing that (if God forbid they wanted to), much less anyone else. And the truth is, Palin made a choice to put her family in the public eye. She did so, knowing full well that her unmarried, 17-year-old daughter was pregnant (and even though she is from the wilds of Alaska, surely she must also have known that it would become a big news story. Unless maybe keeping an eye on Russia kept her too busy to ever watch television). And beyond that, she continues to bring her daughters to public events where she will certainly be interviewed and photographed (because let’s be honest…that’s what she wants). Don’t get me wrong. I actually like Palin, and politics is a game that you have to play if you want to get ahead. But I think she’s pretending that she did not choose her current place in our society. A few years ago we didn’t know her name. And when the press jumped on this drummed-up controversy, she happily jumped aboard that bandwagon to remind us all that she’s still here…fighting for America…which apparently is crumbling before our eyes under democratic rule.
Now, do I think that Palin’s daughters deserve to be made fun of on a national talk show? Definitely not. But it’s a fact of life in our society that if you’re in politics…or entertainment…or sports…your life, and your family, is fair game. Honestly, I wish that weren’t the case – I don’t think celebrities should have to give up all their rights to privacy. And I’m quite certain there are a large number of celebrities who’ve suffered worse comments about themselves and their children in the national press. None of that is good. However, that’s how it is, and in this particular example, Palin continues to put herself in the public eye to further her personal goals, and she’s never been shy about putting her children in front of those cameras along with her. Palin was not taking her daughter out to a lovely baseball game. She went with Rudy Giuliani, most-famous-New Yorker-ever, knowing full well they would be photographed and published and talked about, and that was what she wanted. She just wasn’t able to control the spin of all that media coverage.
The only point I heard Palin say that was interesting, was that there has been a political double standard, in that the press has obeyed President Obama’s request to respect his children’s privacy, while they have not given that same standard to her children. That seems fairly true. However, if the White House children some day make what our society considers to be a mistake…any mistake of note…I have a feeling we’ll all hear about it. I guess time will tell.
My conclusion is that the modern world is unfair in a lot of ways. But a politician who hopes against hope to rule the White House one day, is not going to effect change to a piece of our culture that is this pervasive by making fun of a beloved TV comedian. I respect her instinct to protect her children, but it all smacks of effort for political gain, which really negates all her other arguments. Find a better example to make an example of, Sarah, if you’re really trying to save our culture from ruin.
Share your thoughts with me. I know you have them. And we can’t waste all our time talking about things that actually matter.
Saturday, May 2, 2009
Words & Phrases No One Should Use
At work, we frequently talk about incorrectly pronounced words and phrases that drive us insane. Maybe it’s because we’re in advertising. Maybe it’s just because we’re all Type A.
Before you go searching on dictionary.com to prove me wrong about anything written here, I’ll tell you right up front that some of these words (sadly) are now acceptable because they’re so commonly used, but they’re marked as “uncommon usage.” As I like to say, you can’t stop progress. I guess this is a side effect of the many vs. the few winning again (I’m sure that’s what Ashton Kutcher would say, but I don’t think he’s following my blog yet). I wish I could be the person at Merriam-Webster who gets to decide which new words are added to the dictionary each year! But I know I’ll never get that job, because I’m so anal I’d reject most of the suggestions.
Regardless, the word at the top of my list is “irregardless.” My closest friends use this word frequently (you know who you are). It’s meaningless. Now you’ve read it on the web, so you know it must be true.
But I’ve realized that different “wrong” words drive different people insane. One friend hates the term “same difference”…which is something I say frequently. It never occurred to me that it’s a pointless phrase. I’ll have to wait and see (or is it “wait to see”?) whether or not I stop using it now that it’s been pointed out to me. Other irksome words/phrases include:
supposebly (I still can’t believe people actually say this)
pacificly (for specifically)
pitcher (for picture)
tarot cards (it’s tar-oh)
I could care less (it’s couldn’t)
besides the point (it’s beside)
a mute point (it’s moot…although this term has it’s own issues. Look it up if you’re concerned)
Gorilla Advertising (this is an industry fav! FYI…it’s guerrilla!! Although we argue about the spelling of that one too. My way is right.)
Writing this reminds me of when I was in the third grade. I had a friend named “Wendy” and our teacher used to chastise all of us for pronouncing it “Windy.” We had no idea what she was talking about. We all thought she was insane. And I bet most of you hate the phrase “I’m fixing to” What can I say…that’s a southern thing that came from my parents. My Louisiana cousins used to torture my 10-year-old self (from California at the time) for saying “you guys” instead of “y’all.” And if you live above the Mason-Dixon line, trying saying a word like “foil” to someone in the deep south…they won’t even know what you’re talking about. (If you’ve never been there, they pronounce it “foal.”) Needless to say, moving around a lot resulted in a confusing childhood for me, from a dialect standpoint.
I guess none of us are perfect (yes, I just admitted I’m not perfect, you can stop laughing now), and where we were raised has a huge influence on our pronunciation. But if you have a word or phrase to add to the list…please share! If you’re too busy…same difference.
Before you go searching on dictionary.com to prove me wrong about anything written here, I’ll tell you right up front that some of these words (sadly) are now acceptable because they’re so commonly used, but they’re marked as “uncommon usage.” As I like to say, you can’t stop progress. I guess this is a side effect of the many vs. the few winning again (I’m sure that’s what Ashton Kutcher would say, but I don’t think he’s following my blog yet). I wish I could be the person at Merriam-Webster who gets to decide which new words are added to the dictionary each year! But I know I’ll never get that job, because I’m so anal I’d reject most of the suggestions.
Regardless, the word at the top of my list is “irregardless.” My closest friends use this word frequently (you know who you are). It’s meaningless. Now you’ve read it on the web, so you know it must be true.
But I’ve realized that different “wrong” words drive different people insane. One friend hates the term “same difference”…which is something I say frequently. It never occurred to me that it’s a pointless phrase. I’ll have to wait and see (or is it “wait to see”?) whether or not I stop using it now that it’s been pointed out to me. Other irksome words/phrases include:
supposebly (I still can’t believe people actually say this)
pacificly (for specifically)
pitcher (for picture)
tarot cards (it’s tar-oh)
I could care less (it’s couldn’t)
besides the point (it’s beside)
a mute point (it’s moot…although this term has it’s own issues. Look it up if you’re concerned)
Gorilla Advertising (this is an industry fav! FYI…it’s guerrilla!! Although we argue about the spelling of that one too. My way is right.)
Writing this reminds me of when I was in the third grade. I had a friend named “Wendy” and our teacher used to chastise all of us for pronouncing it “Windy.” We had no idea what she was talking about. We all thought she was insane. And I bet most of you hate the phrase “I’m fixing to
I guess none of us are perfect (yes, I just admitted I’m not perfect, you can stop laughing now), and where we were raised has a huge influence on our pronunciation. But if you have a word or phrase to add to the list…please share! If you’re too busy…same difference.
Sunday, April 26, 2009
1972's Vision of The Future...in 2010
My husband and I just inherited a box of books from his childhood. One of them (which Dan vividly remembers reading decades ago) is called “2010 – Living In The Future.” It was written in 1972, when he was 2 years old. Looking at this vision of the far-away future (egads! that’s now!), made us laugh hysterically.
The book illustrations include computers looking like HUGE beasts with dials (like our TV sets had back then). The description of the kitchen’s control panel includes the phrase “it looks like a typewriter.” If only there were a reference to 8-tracks somewhere, the imagery would be complete.
Much of it is reminiscent of The Jetsons – machines showering and dressing us, food appearing on conveyor belts just after you order it, etc. (Although there was no prediction of flying cars, which frankly, was my favorite part of the Jetsons.)
A few things have actually happened. They somewhat accurately describe using computers to order things like groceries…except they’re using telephones along with the computer screen to do so. There was no way to envision the Internet! There are not-quite-right, but still close to the idea, descriptions of going to school from home and using videophones. There’s a page about reading and ordering books on a computer screen, which amazon.com recently pioneered with their Kindle.
I really wish the description of airline travel had come true, which is described as being so cheap and prevalent that you don’t need advance reservations, and so fast that you can be in Australia in a couple of hours!
Interestingly, on the heels of “Earth Day” last week, they wrote that all of our dishes would be disposable and simply washed into the sewers. Apparently there was not much of a concern about conservation issues in 70s…and sadly, they couldn’t envision that our oceans would be filled with garbage swirls the size of Texas by 2009. There’s also a mention that “no one is concerned about pollution anymore” because of technological advances eliminating that problem. If only that one had come true!
But I’m also glad that not all of their predictions are a reality. SO thankful that we are NOT all wearing jumpsuits, which is a major theme in the book (along with still wearing 70s hair styles!)
The most disappointing line says “no matter where people work, they will work for only three days a week” (due to the increases in efficiency). How unfortunate that those changes have actually only resulted in everyone working harder, and wanting more, for less! Sigh. I can only hope my kids don’t have 80-hour workweeks when they grow up.
I can hardly wait to see what happens in another 40 years. I really hope we can pay with things using only our fingerprints. I’m sick of all the change in the bottom of my purse.
The book illustrations include computers looking like HUGE beasts with dials (like our TV sets had back then). The description of the kitchen’s control panel includes the phrase “it looks like a typewriter.” If only there were a reference to 8-tracks somewhere, the imagery would be complete.
Much of it is reminiscent of The Jetsons – machines showering and dressing us, food appearing on conveyor belts just after you order it, etc. (Although there was no prediction of flying cars, which frankly, was my favorite part of the Jetsons.)
A few things have actually happened. They somewhat accurately describe using computers to order things like groceries…except they’re using telephones along with the computer screen to do so. There was no way to envision the Internet! There are not-quite-right, but still close to the idea, descriptions of going to school from home and using videophones. There’s a page about reading and ordering books on a computer screen, which amazon.com recently pioneered with their Kindle.
I really wish the description of airline travel had come true, which is described as being so cheap and prevalent that you don’t need advance reservations, and so fast that you can be in Australia in a couple of hours!
Interestingly, on the heels of “Earth Day” last week, they wrote that all of our dishes would be disposable and simply washed into the sewers. Apparently there was not much of a concern about conservation issues in 70s…and sadly, they couldn’t envision that our oceans would be filled with garbage swirls the size of Texas by 2009. There’s also a mention that “no one is concerned about pollution anymore” because of technological advances eliminating that problem. If only that one had come true!
But I’m also glad that not all of their predictions are a reality. SO thankful that we are NOT all wearing jumpsuits, which is a major theme in the book (along with still wearing 70s hair styles!)
The most disappointing line says “no matter where people work, they will work for only three days a week” (due to the increases in efficiency). How unfortunate that those changes have actually only resulted in everyone working harder, and wanting more, for less! Sigh. I can only hope my kids don’t have 80-hour workweeks when they grow up.
I can hardly wait to see what happens in another 40 years. I really hope we can pay with things using only our fingerprints. I’m sick of all the change in the bottom of my purse.
Thursday, April 9, 2009
What A Complicated World Wide Web We Weave
Twitter me this, twitter me that. Do you tweet? I never imagined I’d ask someone that question. Apparently the trick on twitter.com is to give people a meaningful update in 140 characters or less, rather than sending out daily messages that say “I’m so tired. I need a vacation. Have you seen my shoes?”
You can follow TV characters for entertainment. You can follow colleagues for shared industry information. You can follow friends if you actually like hearing about their random “here’s what I’m doing this second” thoughts. Whatever floats your boat. The problem we discovered today…is that you can’t stop anyone else from following you! Enter possible cyber-stalkers slash creepy-70s-porn-starish tweeters who can choose to follow you at any time.
Twitter is getting hotter, probably because “all the old people have ruined Facebook.” Yeah...I think that would be me...and my friends...and definitely my husband. I think my generation is enamored with the possibilities of the technology, but we're too busy and jaded to use it the way the kids do. We have to teach each other how to forward quizzes. And for some reason...a lot of our husbands are kind of addicted to it. Mine has about 200 Friends...many of them people he met when he was seven years old and hasn't seen since. I'm not kidding! A few of my husband's Friends have actually turned into those pseudo-cyber-stalkers. But I guess if you’re going to have a stalker, digital is the best flavor to get.
Some of my Friends have just stopped checking their Facebook pages. Some of them still just don't get it or don’t care about it. Some throw sheep and fish and garden plants at me fairly regularly. My favorite thing is the flair. Since we’re too old to put plastic buttons on our backpacks/briefcases (like I did as a child in the 70s), at least we can put virtual ones on our Facebook page. It’s a nice flashback to my youth, plus they’re much funnier (and sometimes naughtier) than anything my mom would have let me buy when I was twelve!
I find Facebook interesting, but primarily as a voyeuristic way to look at my Friends' (sometimes embarrassing) vacation pictures or laugh at one friend making fun at another on their walls. Does that make me a bad person? (If you say yes, I’m going to block you from my “Friend” list. )
Which reminds me…whenever I do something, like step on my daughter’s foot, I say to her “I’m sorry,” and she replies “That’s okay. You’re still my best friend.” I guess our whole lives, we’re looking for friends and hoping they won’t disappear because of something we’ve accidentally done to them. But the digital world has added a new wrinkle. I only have about 50 Friends, and I'm still trying to plot how I can get rid of the half I don't care about, without hurting anyone's feelings. (Don't worry - you're not one of those Friends. I promise). I guess ignoring them online is a lot easier than pretending my mom won’t let me play with them after school, like I did in the old days.
Kids today literally need these networks to function in their social lives. My generation uses it more as entertainment (funny videos and quizzes rock) and as a way to keep at least a fleeting attachment to all those people we cared about once upon a time but have lost daily touch with. Sort of like how the "telephone" functioned back when I was young(er)! It makes me wonder what the hell my kids will be doing to keep in touch 30 years from now.
It’s a kick trying to figure out how to use these technologies for marketing purposes, particularly navigating across their constantly changing landscapes. Personally, I'm pretty much over Facebook…but now I’m on to Twitter...look out...
You can follow TV characters for entertainment. You can follow colleagues for shared industry information. You can follow friends if you actually like hearing about their random “here’s what I’m doing this second” thoughts. Whatever floats your boat. The problem we discovered today…is that you can’t stop anyone else from following you! Enter possible cyber-stalkers slash creepy-70s-porn-starish tweeters who can choose to follow you at any time.
Twitter is getting hotter, probably because “all the old people have ruined Facebook.” Yeah...I think that would be me...and my friends...and definitely my husband. I think my generation is enamored with the possibilities of the technology, but we're too busy and jaded to use it the way the kids do. We have to teach each other how to forward quizzes. And for some reason...a lot of our husbands are kind of addicted to it. Mine has about 200 Friends...many of them people he met when he was seven years old and hasn't seen since. I'm not kidding! A few of my husband's Friends have actually turned into those pseudo-cyber-stalkers. But I guess if you’re going to have a stalker, digital is the best flavor to get.
Some of my Friends have just stopped checking their Facebook pages. Some of them still just don't get it or don’t care about it. Some throw sheep and fish and garden plants at me fairly regularly. My favorite thing is the flair. Since we’re too old to put plastic buttons on our backpacks/briefcases (like I did as a child in the 70s), at least we can put virtual ones on our Facebook page. It’s a nice flashback to my youth, plus they’re much funnier (and sometimes naughtier) than anything my mom would have let me buy when I was twelve!
I find Facebook interesting, but primarily as a voyeuristic way to look at my Friends' (sometimes embarrassing) vacation pictures or laugh at one friend making fun at another on their walls. Does that make me a bad person? (If you say yes, I’m going to block you from my “Friend” list. )
Which reminds me…whenever I do something, like step on my daughter’s foot, I say to her “I’m sorry,” and she replies “That’s okay. You’re still my best friend.” I guess our whole lives, we’re looking for friends and hoping they won’t disappear because of something we’ve accidentally done to them. But the digital world has added a new wrinkle. I only have about 50 Friends, and I'm still trying to plot how I can get rid of the half I don't care about, without hurting anyone's feelings. (Don't worry - you're not one of those Friends. I promise). I guess ignoring them online is a lot easier than pretending my mom won’t let me play with them after school, like I did in the old days.
Kids today literally need these networks to function in their social lives. My generation uses it more as entertainment (funny videos and quizzes rock) and as a way to keep at least a fleeting attachment to all those people we cared about once upon a time but have lost daily touch with. Sort of like how the "telephone" functioned back when I was young(er)! It makes me wonder what the hell my kids will be doing to keep in touch 30 years from now.
It’s a kick trying to figure out how to use these technologies for marketing purposes, particularly navigating across their constantly changing landscapes. Personally, I'm pretty much over Facebook…but now I’m on to Twitter...look out...
Wednesday, April 8, 2009
High Expectations
Last night my three-year-old daughter said to me “when I grow up I’m going to have eight kids, and I’ll read all of them as many books as they want.” This was after I had agreed to read her a mere two books…which was clearly not up to her standards.
I’m not too worried that some day I’ll end up with eight grandkids that will expect me to read them libraries full of books, while Ava jets off to Paris on vacation (which is what I try to do whenever my mom comes to visit). But it’s sad that she’s already disappointed (at the unfairness of life? in me?) and wanting more. Do we have an innate obsession with wanting more? Or is this just one of the first items on the long list of things she’ll blame me for later while her therapist hands her a Kleenex®? No…it can’t just be me. As consumers we want Extra Value Meals! BOGOs! Lower Interest Rates! Free Shipping! As employees we want more vacation, less overtime, higher pay. I’ve even heard rumors that (some) clients seem to want more work for lower charges, faster responses with less input, and bigger results from smaller investments. We all want more from everyone. And everyone wants more from us. Even our President is saying “Yes we can. Eventually. Keep working harder on it.”
Are we just scared? Of our economy collapsing? Of another 911? Of losing our jobs? Of not making our mortgage payments? Of not being read enough books before bedtime?
I don’t think so. I think even Montana’s pioneer women wished they had more vegetables in the garden. Indoor plumbing. Running water. They had no idea that in the future we’d be scheduling a run to Albertson’s® before their “20% off Wine” special ended. (Poor girls…I can’t imagine.) And where would we all be now…if they hadn’t wanted more then? I shudder to think.
“Optimist” is not a word people use to describe me. Usually, my glass is half empty. Some days the water is all over the floor. Life is hard. I could complain for hours. But the truth is…I have a great job, nice home, wonderful family, supportive friends, good health. And yes, I’ll always want more. But today, I’m trying to be grateful for what I have.
Of course, that won’t stop me from searching for a good free shipping coupon code. Let me know if you have a good one.
I’m not too worried that some day I’ll end up with eight grandkids that will expect me to read them libraries full of books, while Ava jets off to Paris on vacation (which is what I try to do whenever my mom comes to visit). But it’s sad that she’s already disappointed (at the unfairness of life? in me?) and wanting more. Do we have an innate obsession with wanting more? Or is this just one of the first items on the long list of things she’ll blame me for later while her therapist hands her a Kleenex®? No…it can’t just be me. As consumers we want Extra Value Meals! BOGOs! Lower Interest Rates! Free Shipping! As employees we want more vacation, less overtime, higher pay. I’ve even heard rumors that (some) clients seem to want more work for lower charges, faster responses with less input, and bigger results from smaller investments. We all want more from everyone. And everyone wants more from us. Even our President is saying “Yes we can. Eventually. Keep working harder on it.”
Are we just scared? Of our economy collapsing? Of another 911? Of losing our jobs? Of not making our mortgage payments? Of not being read enough books before bedtime?
I don’t think so. I think even Montana’s pioneer women wished they had more vegetables in the garden. Indoor plumbing. Running water. They had no idea that in the future we’d be scheduling a run to Albertson’s® before their “20% off Wine” special ended. (Poor girls…I can’t imagine.) And where would we all be now…if they hadn’t wanted more then? I shudder to think.
“Optimist” is not a word people use to describe me. Usually, my glass is half empty. Some days the water is all over the floor. Life is hard. I could complain for hours. But the truth is…I have a great job, nice home, wonderful family, supportive friends, good health. And yes, I’ll always want more. But today, I’m trying to be grateful for what I have.
Of course, that won’t stop me from searching for a good free shipping coupon code. Let me know if you have a good one.
Tuesday, April 7, 2009
Welcome!
Welcome to my blog. In an attempt to more fully understand blogging options, i've decided to force my family, friends and colleagues to read my online ramblings (at least once, we'll see if anyone comes back). Please go ahead and RSS me, DIGG me, Tweet me...whatever. And if you don't know what these terms mean, stay tuned...
i'm not sure yet what the theme of this blog will be...i'm guessing primarily adventures with Advertising and Children?
Today's topic is...Doritos(R). Surprised? Yes...I know. In the office this morning we continued our Friday afternoon discussion about Doritos flavors. I'm old school. I like classic products in classic flavors. I'm the ultimate "brand loyal" consumer. Doritos should be nacho-cheese flavored. Not cool ranch...or cheeseburger...or "mystery/mixed up/try-to-guess" flavors. Most (maybe all) of my co-workers disagreed with me. They clearly don't know what they're talking about. But google-ing bits of the discussion led me to two new pieces of information. First, the ORIGINAL flavor of Doritos was actually "Taco", followed by "Plain" (we call those Tostitos now-a-days). This knowledge was kind of a blow...but I'm going with my boss (Brenda's) suggestion that Nacho Cheese is surely the longest lasting and most popular, so it's okay to support it. Second, there used to be a "Pizza Hut Pizza-flavored" Dorito! That's just a gratuitous shout-out to one of my favorite clients. And that's the only non-nacho-cheese-flavor I'd like to try, if it still existed.
Even more interesting...later today Brenda returned from lunch where she literally bought a "taco in a Doritos bag" from the gym restaurant. I don't even know how to wrap my mind around that. But yes...they were Nacho Cheese flavored Doritos! One comment was "Is there meat in there?" The answer was yes. And if you've never heard my "Hey! There's a hot dog in here!" story...ask me later. And now i feel like i need to go pitch the Doritos account. Is this an episode of "Trust Me"? So much product placement. Maybe tomorrow i'll talk about toothpaste.
i'm not sure yet what the theme of this blog will be...i'm guessing primarily adventures with Advertising and Children?
Today's topic is...Doritos(R). Surprised? Yes...I know. In the office this morning we continued our Friday afternoon discussion about Doritos flavors. I'm old school. I like classic products in classic flavors. I'm the ultimate "brand loyal" consumer. Doritos should be nacho-cheese flavored. Not cool ranch...or cheeseburger...or "mystery/mixed up/try-to-guess" flavors. Most (maybe all) of my co-workers disagreed with me. They clearly don't know what they're talking about. But google-ing bits of the discussion led me to two new pieces of information. First, the ORIGINAL flavor of Doritos was actually "Taco", followed by "Plain" (we call those Tostitos now-a-days). This knowledge was kind of a blow...but I'm going with my boss (Brenda's) suggestion that Nacho Cheese is surely the longest lasting and most popular, so it's okay to support it. Second, there used to be a "Pizza Hut Pizza-flavored" Dorito! That's just a gratuitous shout-out to one of my favorite clients. And that's the only non-nacho-cheese-flavor I'd like to try, if it still existed.
Even more interesting...later today Brenda returned from lunch where she literally bought a "taco in a Doritos bag" from the gym restaurant. I don't even know how to wrap my mind around that. But yes...they were Nacho Cheese flavored Doritos! One comment was "Is there meat in there?" The answer was yes. And if you've never heard my "Hey! There's a hot dog in here!" story...ask me later. And now i feel like i need to go pitch the Doritos account. Is this an episode of "Trust Me"? So much product placement. Maybe tomorrow i'll talk about toothpaste.
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