It's Saturday evening (or afternoon, depending on where you are) so it's time for another edition of WYFP.
WYFP is our community's Saturday evening gathering to talk about our problems, empathize with one another, and share advice, pootie pictures, favorite adult beverages, and anything else that we think might help. Everyone and all sorts of troubles are welcome. May we find peace and healing here. Won't you please share the joy of WYFP by recommending?
The good stuff is down below.
I wasn't sure what I was going to write about this week. I had lots of ideas in my head but nothing particularly worthy of an entire diary.
At the end of the day I just decided to write the diary as just a bunch of items that I've been worrying about lately. Some of them are personal and petty while some of them are much more general.
However, before I start going bitching and whining, I would like to give thanks that in this universe I have my health, I have a decent job and even though I'm not rich, I don't have major money worries.
Now to the list:
Driving:
I hate driving. I really do. I don't know how people manage to do it every day. It's not driving itself that bugs me - driving on empty roads is awesome. It's having to share the road with so many people and knowing that at any moment any of them could decide to swerve onto your lane causing you to injure yourself in a fiery crash.
The whole idea of the average schmo (me included) being in control of a 2-ton machine capable of causing bodily harm and multiple deaths seems quite alarming to me.
Still, I do manage to drive every week for work. Every Thursday, I have to drive back and forth around the Seattle area and once I'm on the road I'm much too focused on the road to worry about it. I only tend to worry before I get on the road.
It might also be that driving up in Washington state tends to be much more relaxing than down here in California. I don't think I've gotten honked at once in the whole year I've been doing this weekly trip up there. Down here in the San Francisco Bay Area you'll get honked at for not proceeding through a green light a quarter of a second after it turns green. You'll also get honked at for slowing down at a yellow light, waiting for pedestrians to cross the street or god forbid, actually stopping at a stop sign. However, Washington state is also the only place I've gotten a speeding ticket - for doing 72 mph on the freeway! That's barely keeping up in the slow lane over here in California.
Flying:
I'm not afraid of flying or heights. I love being up in the air and always get a window seat! Also, every time I go to Vegas, I always have to ride those really fun rides at the top of the Stratosphere.
What really bugs me is the whole process of getting on the airplane. (I'm looking at you, TSA!) I hate that my name is one the watch list. I rarely get the chance to use those wonderful e-ticket kiosks that speed things up. Instead I have to wait in line, ask an employee at the counter for my boarding pass and wait 5-10 minutes while they go in the back and verify something or another. It's a pain in the ass and I hate it. Trying to get the attention of an employee at the counter is a pain in itself if the whole counter is crowded with people trying to use the e-ticket machines.
After begging for my boarding pass I then have to spend about 10-30 minutes in a line waiting to get my stuff scanned. And let's not forget about the strip show - "Take off your shoes!", "Take off your jacket!", "Take off your belt!". I worry that if someone decides to sneak in a plastic bomb taped to their crotch we'll all have to strip naked to pass through the security checkpoint.
After passing through the security checkpoint I then have to worry whether my flight will be on time, which about half the time it isn't. Sometimes, though, I appreciate a slight delay (30-45 mins). It gives me time to relax a bit and wander around especially if I'm running a little late to the airport. I don't appreciate 5-hour delays like I had last week. Those are not fun.
I'd also like to add that if I'm going to be delayed by an hour or so, Seattle is a great airport to be delayed in. There's plenty of stuff to browse around in and places to relax. Phoenix and Chicago O'Hare are also pretty good airports to kill some time. San Jose and San Diego, not so much since the terminals are completely separated.
My social life:
So I'm heading into my 30's in just over a year and most of my good buddies have settled down - gotten married or bought houses. Since the San Francisco Bay Area is absolutely horrible for young people trying to buy houses, most of my friends have moved away to other cities such as Portland, Phoenix, Tucson, Philadelphia, Chicago, St. Louis, New York, etc.. That has meant a big decrease in social activities especially this year as the last two of my very good friends decided to move away.
Now I'm looking through various social websites to meet people but it's a little bit difficult. I considered signing up for Bay Area Link Up but their registration process turned me off. I understand that ages aren't listed on people's profiles to avoid stereotypes yet I don't understand why it's so important that a person's profession be listed:
Please make sure your profession is absolutely clear. If you write only "consultant" or "self-employed" or "freelance," you've done the reader a disservice. "Consultant in what? Self-employed in what? Freelance in what?" If you're currently unemployed or changing careers, be specific: What was your most recent job? What's your next move?
I'm an architect but honestly, I hate talking about architecture outside of working hours unless it's something that's local. However, when people start trying to get me into arguments about architectural theory I just want to tune them out. For me, those kind of discussions are for work, during the evening I'd rather talk about Halo 3 than Frank Gehry's latest derivative work.
Profit as the ultimate goal:
I realize that the profit motive is quite important in our society and that many advances wouldn't have happened if there was no drive for profit. However, I am tired of seeing corporations and people treating profit as if it was the only goal.
I hate being pestered by telemarketing calls every other day while those same companies can't be bothered to place more people on customer service. While you're waiting 45 minutes on hold to get your DSL restored the same company probably has made several hundred calls to other people asking them to upgrade their service.
I once overheard a conversation on the BART train between two salesgirls. One of them said "I hate selling stuff to people who can't afford it!", the other replied "NEVER put yourself in your customer's pocket. Your only job is to sell, it doesn't matter how they pay for it."
Personally, I find that dishonorable. Hooking people into debt whether that be with credit cards of mortgages is a shameful thing and I have absolutely no respect for people who to that. Similarly, I have no respect for corporations that deny health care to people, take away their pensions or deny people a living wage for the sake of profits. I honestly wish there was a way to remove corporations that place a higher value on profits than on people and the environment.
The rise of ignorance and hostility:
Is it just me or has anyone else a marked increase of ignorance and hostility and over the last several years? Whether it's some lady on the View not knowing whether the Earth is flat or other people debating whether it was controlled demolition or holograms that brought down the the World Trade Center on 9/11, I am continuously surprised by the ignorance of people. I almost chewed out and yelled at a friend when we were having a political discussion when she said "When the Iraqis hit the World Trade Center...". Instead I gently corrected her but still I was surprised by her ignorance.
Personally, I think it's becoming harder and harder to stay an informed person since the media consistently dumbs down stories and focuses more on Britney's performance (and Christ, she's not fat! WTF people?!) than on more serious and real issues. I also think that the average person has more and more worries lately - their health, their job, their house, their children. Still, this just makes it much more important to remain a fully informed person.
One other thing I'm also tired of seeing is the idolization of conflict and violence. Whether it's Limbaugh, Malkin, Coulter and O'Reilly oozing hostility and violence through their various pores, listening to co-workers say "Let's kick the illegals out of here!" or seeing a rise in reality shows that seem more interested in arguments and fights between people, I can't stand to see people yelling at each other. I sincerely hope that it's just a phase* we're going through.
*Yes, that includes our very own candidate diaries. Edwards isn't the Second Coming and Hilary isn't the Anti-Christ so let's stop arguing like they are.
The cutest puppy in the world:
My only problem with this puppy is that I can't give him a hug!
Alright, now it's your turn. Let's hear What's Your Fucking Problem?