so don't ask if you don't want to know
Archive for January, 2010
The downside of social media
Jan 31st
Every week I go to #evfn and gather with 20-30-40 people. The body count differs every week but there’s a core group. Some people come and go and some come back every time.
The problem is I don’t like every one of them, and I’m sure there are some that don’t like me. For the sake of the social situation we appear friendly at best and civil if there’s a real dislike. I think I can tell when someone doesn’t like me and I give them plenty of space.
The thing is, I really don’t want to hurt your feelings even if we didn’t click. Not every has to like everyone else. We’re not in kindergarten, we’re adults and we should realize and recognize when we aren’t connecting.
There are a couple of people who attend I actively dislike. There’s no hope for a connection or friendship and I can’t even be civil to them, but they still seek me out for conversation. Get a couple of drinks in me and I get downright rude. So far I’ve held my nasty comments, but should I? Are we required (as adults) to be at the very least civil to those who completely irritate or worse, creep us out?
What’s the best way to let someone know they should avoid you without being the real downer in a social group situation? Some people are so obtuse. I could be really nasty (which is my instinct) but then I’m the group bitch. While I’m naturally going to be a bitch, I don’t want to be THE BITCH.
By the way, don’t respond with a bunch of whiny “is it me?” shit. If I talk you you, I like you. If I smile politely and nod for short conversations but don’t hang around, we’re not connecting. If I see you coming and head the other way, duh-you.
Value, worth, cost, MONEY!
Jan 29th
We’ve often had this value vs. worth vs. cost conversation in my family. The kids and I went to yard sales almost every Saturday morning when they were younger. In an effort to teach them value and thrift we’d discuss at length what people at one sale would ask for an object because we’d see it at another sale for a different price. It’s not what the price is that matters, it’s what you’re willing to pay for it. Some people having yard sales over-price their item when the item has no value to anyone else. Value is personal to you, and would the price of VALUED ITEM A be worth the cost.
1stSon is the get-rich-quick kid, always asking, “what can I get for this?” He’s also cheaper/thriftier than I. Where I’m picky about which off-brand items I’ll buy, he seldom buys name-brand anything.
2ndSon on the other hand, goes for the label. Every item of clothing he owns (outside of what the Army made him wear) has Oakley or Tap Out or DC all over it.
GirlChild? Well when she has money she’s thrifty most of the time. She does splurge on Victoria Secret bras. And she prefers to eat out a lot, as do I.
There are some things one shouldn’t go cheap on. I refuse to use anything other than Dawn dishsoap. You MUST have at least 400 thread-count Egyptian cotton sheets, seriously. Never ever buy cheap sheets, you’ll thank me later. With food, I’ll try off-brand things, but I usually end up as cheap as my taste buds will allow. I’m not eating crap to save a buck.
Value of things is harder to identify. The value of an object usually has a direct correlation to the cost of replacing it. I have a couple of Firefly/Serenity items and my Anne McCaffrey books where I’d be upset if anything happened. Of course photos of my family have value to me. But mostly stuff is just… stuff.
I won this comic book (signed by one of the artists, Jay Fotos) last night. I’ve never been a comic book person and I’ve no interest in that whole world. Other people at the event were very impressed which led me to believe there was value in this object. Someone even mentioned eBay! Seriously? I won’t bother with that but I would gift it (as an object of value to them) to someone who would appreciate it, but my non-interest in comic books means I’ve no idea which of my friends would… appreciate it, that is.
(Bad sentence structure there, I apologize.)
What do you place value on in your home? I guess it goes back to the old question, “If you had 10 minutes to leave your home forever what would you grab?” What items do you splurge on?
What’s Happenin’
Jan 28th
Whew, busy busy busy. Saturday I went to CenPhoCamp, learned a little, presented and helped clean up. Then went across the parking lot to Turf for the after party. The presentation went well but thankfully Jack Mangan was there to help answer the tougher questions. I’ll have to remember to give him a special thank you next time I see him.
Sunday I spent the whole say editing MADphx podcasts. Monday I went to Ikea to get new dishes so I could dump my old ones on Ginnie. They’re FINALLY moving out, into Casey’s apartment and he’s moving across the parking lot to a larger apartment over there. They’re all just waiting on Shane to come up with his share of $$$. Tuesday I went in for a 6-month follow-up on my mammogram, a pin-point mammogram (which pinches even more than a plain one) and a left breast ultrasound all for what turned out to be just an aggravated lymph node.
Yesterday I spent all day with Evo training VA regional PR and Marketing people how to make podcasts, be effective on twitter and Facebook. Then last night to his house to record Evo@11.
This morning, I thought I had labs scheduled so I fasted but when I got there I had the dates wrong – not til next May – and grabbed a crappy bagel before my appointment with the nutritionist. Now I have Kira this afternoon and I’ll drop her off before I go to the Phoenix Comic Con kickoff tonight at the Phoenix Civic Center. I can’t decide whether to drive to that or take the light rail. After that I have to drive out to fucking CHANDLER to pick up Krystal because she want to go to the airport at midnight to pick up Max. HE’S OFFICIALLY DISCHARGED FROM THE ARMY.
And tomorrow night is #evfn.
I’m so tired.
Oh yeah, the nutritionist said I had a pulmonologist appointment Feb 18th and some sort of pulmonary test the 8th, so I’m assuming the notification is in the mail.
