Oh, I almost forgot why I started with Vermicious Knids. Lola found the real America.
Our Bedford-style suburb doesn't count. It's a bubble of million dollar shacks and luxury cars driven by teenagers. Now that Romney's out, the signs are all for Obama and Hillary.
But lo, last Friday, Lola was making an emergency Lightning McQueen run. Long story. But this took her to Target.
On a Friday night.
Oh yeah.
As she navigated the overweight mother/daughter pairs buying care packages for the troops - and Dr. Phil DVDs, she came upon the mack daddy. The large-ish woman (note: you don't have to be overweight to be considered a typical American overseas, but it helps) who was eating from the Fritos bag that she was in the process of purchasing and yelling at the cashier about the fact that the sticker said $1.98, but it rang up for $1.99 spewing out chunks of fried corn goodness onto the poor cashier.
It's good to be home.
Ok, but seriously: I suppose everywhere is like this, but I do feel that the US has become much more segregated than when I was younger. The racial segregation is still there (which it largely isn't in the UK), but the economic segregation has become much more blatant. (The UK doesn't have so much of that, though it, of course, exists, in the UK it's more about where you went to school, who you know, what your accent is. You can buy your way up, but not as much as in the US.)
Is it really that way, or am I just in a different part of the economic pile and am seeing it more?
Also had a thought this morning: given the weakening dollar and the loss of face around the world and the looming economic turmoil - are we leaving the 1950's and entering the 1960's and (more to the point) the 1970's? Are we at the twilight of the American century? Do empires fall faster now that everything seems to have accellerated?
No answers, just lots of questions.
Wednesday, March 26, 2008
Saturday, March 22, 2008
Vermicious knids
Willy Wonka, the original is on, and I suppose it's troubling that I consider that to be a better Easter Eve movie than The Ten Commandments. Still, Gene Wilder is so good in that role.
Tomorrow's the younger's second birthday. I can't believe only two years have passed, but there you go.
I was noticing that we've gotten away from talking about American ways. So, here are a few observations:
Palo Alto/Menlo Park Parents Club is a newsletter to which Lola subscribes. Women (primarily) write in to ask questions of the community. The person who send the question then compiles the answers and send the summary to the listserve. It has been quite helpful for some things, but mainly for keeping Lola's sociology training current. Here are a couple of my favorites:
The woman who was checking to see what to do after catching her husband masturbating in the shower.
The 50 responses to the question of what to do with overripe bananas. (Ranging from "Banana pudding" to "Throw them out."
I had a certain amount of surprise on my part that almost no one in my office knew what the NCAA tournament was. That being said, they're mainly not from the US.
However, their not knowing about it is more surprising given that everywhere seemed to be offering NCAA tournament contests (hippie radio stations, supermarkets, libraries, convents).
Someone asked me when I was going to stop wearing button-down shirts to the office. So, I'm gonna start wearing sleeveless t-shirts. Show off the tattoo.
I feel like there's more, but can't think of it. Tomorrow is Easter, happy easter everyone.
Tomorrow's the younger's second birthday. I can't believe only two years have passed, but there you go.
I was noticing that we've gotten away from talking about American ways. So, here are a few observations:
Palo Alto/Menlo Park Parents Club is a newsletter to which Lola subscribes. Women (primarily) write in to ask questions of the community. The person who send the question then compiles the answers and send the summary to the listserve. It has been quite helpful for some things, but mainly for keeping Lola's sociology training current. Here are a couple of my favorites:
I had a certain amount of surprise on my part that almost no one in my office knew what the NCAA tournament was. That being said, they're mainly not from the US.
However, their not knowing about it is more surprising given that everywhere seemed to be offering NCAA tournament contests (hippie radio stations, supermarkets, libraries, convents).
Someone asked me when I was going to stop wearing button-down shirts to the office. So, I'm gonna start wearing sleeveless t-shirts. Show off the tattoo.
I feel like there's more, but can't think of it. Tomorrow is Easter, happy easter everyone.
Tuesday, March 18, 2008
Superheroes
At dinner last night, Cole started telling us about his new superhero - PooMan. PooMan throws (you guessed it) Poo at bad guys. His secret identity is John Robot Fighty.
Dad was proud. Mom giggled, but didn't really get it.
Dad was proud. Mom giggled, but didn't really get it.
Wednesday, March 12, 2008
Nose meet grindstone
Well, it appears that today is my last day before reentering the world of people who get paid to go to meetings and write emails and spend a lot of time getting other people to do their jobs.
Good thing I'm going in with a good attitude.
And, while I try to avoid studying for a little while longer (knowing that my time allotment for studying is going to be creamed in a few short hours), I sit down to write what I've learned during my most extended period of unemployment since I was 15.
1) I'm kind of a prick. (Actually, I knew that before, so strike that.)
2) My wife and my boys kick ass. (I kind of knew that before, but the little guys are becoming more fully formed every day, so I couldn't really know it before then. And Lola and I have never gone through anything like this before, so you never really know how great someone is until chips are down.)
3) I'm not sure I'm an entrepreneur. I am still working on some ideas, but I think I'm the kind of guy who requires a big idea to go off and start a company. I think an entrepreneur is someone who gets their charge from running the company, not from bringing anything in particular to life. If you need the idea, you're human, not an entrepreneur.
4) I'm really not funny. (Shhh, don't tell anyone.)
5) Someone said to always remove a piece of jewelry before leaving the house (I think it was Ugly Betty). I think that I need to do that with my speech - i.e., always stop one sentence short of what I was going to say. Those last sentences have a tendency of undoing a lot of good.
6) 5 miles is not that long to run every other day. The trick is to keep it up when I have to be in the office.
7) Finding a job is tough.
8) I know a lot of people. Many of them are friends. Many of them are acquaintances.In American English, we don't really differentiate (everyone is a "friend", some people graduate to "buddy", nobody is a "mate"). Where language does not make a distinction, life does. I'd like to thank my friends who may be reading this post.
This post is interrupted by a call from Lola from the car as she returns from a playdate. Quote: "Cole, put that window back up. I don't want it down because you're naked." Apparently, there was water at the park.
Interestingly, I'm realising that (in addition to still spelling many words in the British tradition) I haven't, I think, ever written about work stuff. I have to say, much of my days are taken up reading about the industry and general trends, but I haven't bothered to write about what's happening in the world of online business. I think that's good. If I find the time, I may start a new blog separate from this to discuss.
I'll also probably comment on working amongst Americans again here. Heck, I've got a commute again (at least a drive myself to work commute). I haven't had one of those in 6 years! Of course that does impact my ability to drink after work. Or during. Hopefully, I won't need it as much in this job.
A last question here: is anyone reading this blog? If so, any requests? Anything in particular you'd care for Lola and/or I to comment on?
Good thing I'm going in with a good attitude.
And, while I try to avoid studying for a little while longer (knowing that my time allotment for studying is going to be creamed in a few short hours), I sit down to write what I've learned during my most extended period of unemployment since I was 15.
1) I'm kind of a prick. (Actually, I knew that before, so strike that.)
2) My wife and my boys kick ass. (I kind of knew that before, but the little guys are becoming more fully formed every day, so I couldn't really know it before then. And Lola and I have never gone through anything like this before, so you never really know how great someone is until chips are down.)
3) I'm not sure I'm an entrepreneur. I am still working on some ideas, but I think I'm the kind of guy who requires a big idea to go off and start a company. I think an entrepreneur is someone who gets their charge from running the company, not from bringing anything in particular to life. If you need the idea, you're human, not an entrepreneur.
4) I'm really not funny. (Shhh, don't tell anyone.)
5) Someone said to always remove a piece of jewelry before leaving the house (I think it was Ugly Betty). I think that I need to do that with my speech - i.e., always stop one sentence short of what I was going to say. Those last sentences have a tendency of undoing a lot of good.
6) 5 miles is not that long to run every other day. The trick is to keep it up when I have to be in the office.
7) Finding a job is tough.
8) I know a lot of people. Many of them are friends. Many of them are acquaintances.In American English, we don't really differentiate (everyone is a "friend", some people graduate to "buddy", nobody is a "mate"). Where language does not make a distinction, life does. I'd like to thank my friends who may be reading this post.
This post is interrupted by a call from Lola from the car as she returns from a playdate. Quote: "Cole, put that window back up. I don't want it down because you're naked." Apparently, there was water at the park.
Interestingly, I'm realising that (in addition to still spelling many words in the British tradition) I haven't, I think, ever written about work stuff. I have to say, much of my days are taken up reading about the industry and general trends, but I haven't bothered to write about what's happening in the world of online business. I think that's good. If I find the time, I may start a new blog separate from this to discuss.
I'll also probably comment on working amongst Americans again here. Heck, I've got a commute again (at least a drive myself to work commute). I haven't had one of those in 6 years! Of course that does impact my ability to drink after work. Or during. Hopefully, I won't need it as much in this job.
A last question here: is anyone reading this blog? If so, any requests? Anything in particular you'd care for Lola and/or I to comment on?
Monday, March 10, 2008
After the hiatus
Ok, I'll try and keep this short, because - even though it's been forever since the last update - I'm supposed to be studying. And given update number 2, I'll have less time for it going forward. So, here, in no particular order, are the updates:
1) For those wondering how the boys are, I offer you some film evidence:
a) The elder
(thanks Conor for the link)
b) The younger
2) Johnny is employed again. No start date yet, pending a background check. Most importantly, I will be able to continue my MBA uninterrupted.
3) While I was happy for Hillary to do well last Tuesday (because I was concerned with the level of arrogance starting to come from the Obama campaign), I am now thoroughly aggravated with her again. Mainly, because it appears that she believes that her "victories" is a justification for the tactics that she's been employing, rather than understanding that her "losses" (which outnumber her victories) is a repudiation of those tactics. And for those of you who don't like Obama, let me offer the following:
a) If Obama were to suggest that Hillary should be the Vice President (which would be more rational, given that he has more delegates), would you consider that to be straight talk, or an effort to marginalize her?
b) Since you were so up in arms about the Obama advisor making comments to the Canadian government about Nafta, how do you feel about Hillary's campaign making a major noise about it (Hillary herself denouncing it), only to have her campaign do the same thing a week later?
So, I'm happy for a tight race because it brings out people and makes everyone focus on the issues, but I really think that a Hillary Clinton administration would be as divisive as a John McCain one, if not more so. And to be honest, the devisiveness (the just plain anger) is the biggest change I've seen in America since we left. And not for the better. The only thing I can think is that some people are just tired of having been on the losing side (as democrats) of this ungracious, bitter, feud and don't want to see the rules changed when its time for their team to take over.
Oh, I also think that Florida should just be counted (I'm not sure that HC's campaign abided by the rules of not campaigning - she just happened to be down there the night of the election?), but it was the Republican governor who moved the dates. Besides, the delegates don't change the distance to the nomination.
Argh. Lots more, but Statistics and Accounting are calling.
1) For those wondering how the boys are, I offer you some film evidence:
a) The elder
(thanks Conor for the link)
b) The younger
2) Johnny is employed again. No start date yet, pending a background check. Most importantly, I will be able to continue my MBA uninterrupted.
3) While I was happy for Hillary to do well last Tuesday (because I was concerned with the level of arrogance starting to come from the Obama campaign), I am now thoroughly aggravated with her again. Mainly, because it appears that she believes that her "victories" is a justification for the tactics that she's been employing, rather than understanding that her "losses" (which outnumber her victories) is a repudiation of those tactics. And for those of you who don't like Obama, let me offer the following:
a) If Obama were to suggest that Hillary should be the Vice President (which would be more rational, given that he has more delegates), would you consider that to be straight talk, or an effort to marginalize her?
b) Since you were so up in arms about the Obama advisor making comments to the Canadian government about Nafta, how do you feel about Hillary's campaign making a major noise about it (Hillary herself denouncing it), only to have her campaign do the same thing a week later?
So, I'm happy for a tight race because it brings out people and makes everyone focus on the issues, but I really think that a Hillary Clinton administration would be as divisive as a John McCain one, if not more so. And to be honest, the devisiveness (the just plain anger) is the biggest change I've seen in America since we left. And not for the better. The only thing I can think is that some people are just tired of having been on the losing side (as democrats) of this ungracious, bitter, feud and don't want to see the rules changed when its time for their team to take over.
Oh, I also think that Florida should just be counted (I'm not sure that HC's campaign abided by the rules of not campaigning - she just happened to be down there the night of the election?), but it was the Republican governor who moved the dates. Besides, the delegates don't change the distance to the nomination.
Argh. Lots more, but Statistics and Accounting are calling.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)