tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35215770.comments2023-09-11T19:56:03.229-07:00Think Or Be EatenAnghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02385030071978985956noreply@blogger.comBlogger754125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35215770.post-73430751756436059792013-01-24T08:14:50.627-08:002013-01-24T08:14:50.627-08:00Angie is describing the Ominous Parallels, history... Angie is describing the Ominous Parallels, history repeating, ramped up to the max via the new tv, the net. I tried to bolster the dynamic duos research listening to legal talk shows on the net. Sometimes what I hear dovetails with their research, sometimes not. Who has a handle on it all right? The one thing that stands out though, on all these shows, besides selling product of course, if you pose a legitimate question or mention that you've read something not in line with their thesis,well you're getting attacked. Even if it's first hand info such as Whiting on the War Powers of the gov't. I was called out as a communist, racist, fascist, and last but not least, a Jew conspirator, whatever that means. So, experiencing a little of what a certain someone has for over 10 years, I said adios to that scene only last night. Yeah, it's mob mentality for sure. Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35215770.post-90052077975872860052013-01-19T09:03:03.816-08:002013-01-19T09:03:03.816-08:00“Breaking point” is not a new term; it’s been with...“Breaking point” is not a new term; it’s been with us since the advent of psychiatry. It seems it may have been replaced in the popular vernacular by “tipping point,” but, beyond that, the term has specific relevance with regard to psychological manipulation, which, to use your words, is indeed psychologically unhealthy.<br /><br />So it’s not the term but what the term<br />represents that is the unhealthy element. And,like it or not, a breaking point is a lot like a belly button: everyone has one.<br /><br />But the point of Angie’s post was that there is now--more than ever before--a concerted effort to psychologically shape people to put them in a receptive state for whatever behavior our global overlords wish to effect.<br /><br />With 24/7 electronic entertainment and faux information, along with the growing usage of anti-depressants and other mood manipulators, people are being pushed to their breaking points and, sadly, they are doing it to themselves.<br /><br />You are absolutely right: to maintain mental health and some vestige of analytical thinking, it is crucial to take a break, turn the visual and aural noise off. But there is an addictive quality to the noise and many folks are hooked and don’t know it. Case in point: how many people do you see in a day that have cellphones pressed to the side of their heads or stuck in front of their faces? <br /><br />Another game is afoot, however, and this strikes at the core of every person. It’s one thing to successfully resist electronic propaganda, but it’s quite another thing to keep your center together when basic necessities are in deprivation. Assaults on our finances, security, energy, food and water supplies are already underway and will become more intense.<br /><br />Not every person will give in, but most will, then, for us, it’s the ultimate fight for survival just to avoid the mob.<br /><br />Get small. Stay warm. Keep moving.<br />--VyzAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35215770.post-66082965485778293282013-01-18T03:10:02.185-08:002013-01-18T03:10:02.185-08:00This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.Blog ITProsperityhttp://itprosperity.wordpress.com/noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35215770.post-39166530328763107482012-12-29T04:45:53.650-08:002012-12-29T04:45:53.650-08:00Thanks for this article. What a great guy. Good s...Thanks for this article. What a great guy. Good stuff.<br /><br />AngAnghttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02385030071978985956noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35215770.post-23831815502766048282012-12-29T04:44:57.015-08:002012-12-29T04:44:57.015-08:00Hi Publius,
Congratulations on your new home.
A l...Hi Publius,<br />Congratulations on your new home.<br /><br />A lot of people are scared. The political power of the country is off the deep end. The constitution is a bare memory. We've got authoritarian lunatics at the helm bringing in a police state, we're all being spied on, the cops are out of control, crime syndicates are crushing the economy, trillions are flowing to feed non stop wars. We're on a roller coaster ride for sure. <br /><br />I don't know what's going to happen but as scary as things are, I'm old enough to remember the Watts riots. Buildings burning, people getting killed, very serious stuff, very scary. There were lots of serious riots in this country. The Attica State Prison massacre. The Kent State shootings where national guardsmen opened fire on students, killing four of them and injuring nine others. The students were antiwar protesters. There were boiling tensions between the antiwar students and the establishment. There were racial tensions, assassinations, and enough government corruption and brutality to puncture the pink bubble of freedom and democracy. It wasn't all that long ago that men used to cover themselves in white sheets and burn down houses and hang people for the crime of being black.<br /><br />Before my time politics in this country were nasty, dirty and ugly. Organized crime was rampant. During Prohibition there were machine gun fights in the streets. Workers going on strike were confronted by police or armed troops who shot and killed people who only wanted better working conditions and fair pay. Children worked in factories for pennies in pay, and lots of people worked 7 days a week, 12 hours a day, the status quo liked it that way. People lived in slums, in abject poverty, and died of easily preventable illnesses because of malnutrition, overwork, and harsh living conditions. Before that we had the civil war where brothers fought and killed brothers and a staggering number of people died. And that's just a trickling of the kinds of real life horrors and struggles this country seems to always have simmering.<br /><br />The picture perfect self image sold to us by master propagandists tends to paint a rosy portrait of American freedom and democracy and happy kids eating mom's apple pie and rosy cheeked families around an abundant dinner table. But there have always been corrupt power seeking men willing to do the worst things in the world to feed their ambitions. A big fat lie got us into the Viet Nam war, and a big fat lie got us into the war in Iraq, and Afghanistan, and Pakistan, and Libya, and Syria, and Africa, and about 70 or so more other places we're not supposed to know about. Workers have always been exploited and mistreated, bankers have always been scum bags, political intrigues have always been real, and the people are always sold piles of horse shit to keep them in the dark and manipulate them into funding and supplying the labor to the corporatists who rule the world. Politics is bullshit, always has been, always will be. There is always corruption, there are always war profiteers, lies always get us into wars, the media is always complicit, and we are always lied to. Always. Period.<br /><br />Keeping in mind where we've come from and what we've been through, what's happening now seems almost tame in comparison. Could it get really bad? Yes it could. But will it? I don't know. We didn't choose it but this time has been thrust upon us and we need to pay attention and do what we can to plan for possibilities. The hunger and unemployment of the Great Depression may be coming back for another round. The Dust Bowl might happen again. Yes, things could get very hard. <br /><br />Keep your head. Don't let fear take over, that is never going to be helpful. Keep cool, raise your kids, and carry on. If things get hard you'll handle it. When you're given an opportunity to rise to the occasion it can be painful, but it can also be a beautiful thing. That's what life is about.<br /><br />Thanks for your wonderful honest question.<br /><br />AngAnghttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02385030071978985956noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35215770.post-12885525419366435662012-12-25T20:44:39.984-08:002012-12-25T20:44:39.984-08:00By the way, the first part of your post reminded m...By the way, the first part of your post reminded me of a book I really love: <br />Where the Wasteland Ends, by Theodore Roszak. <br />I just looked him up on Wikipedia to confirm the spelling of his name, and was depressed to find he died last year.... I had actually corresponded with him. <br />Here's an essay he wrote:<br />http://articles.latimes.com/2004/jan/28/opinion/oe-roszak28Jacob Gitteshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10559764359800682222noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35215770.post-40022798119848920292012-12-25T20:29:50.550-08:002012-12-25T20:29:50.550-08:00Wow. Was just checking the few blogs I still read ...Wow. Was just checking the few blogs I still read before hitting the hay... I will check out the book and the Internet radio guy in New Zealand when I have a chance. <br />We've just moved to a new wonderful house, but dealing with work (something I have mentioned before), moving, and the holidays (family drama that is an ongoing saga going back to my early childhood - it just doesn't end even though my dad died. I still have my mother and brother to keep the fun going), I don't have much time to think about these issues. They are something I used to spend a lot of time thinking about.<br /><br />I am scared, Ang - the nation seems to be going off the deep end. I have a child, and a wife, and I am afraid for them. I can't be everywhere at once, protecting them. I have good friends, my in-laws are around, and our new neighbors are great. But still - don't you have a feeling that something is amiss? Or is it just the same old, ongoing decadent slide of a power and money and violence worshiping culture?<br /><br />Regardless, I am too busy right now to do much other than work, organize, cook, sleep, read a bit, and try to learn new skills so I don't become "irrelevant." <br />Fun fun fun.<br /><br />Be well, thanks for being out there.<br />Jacob Gitteshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10559764359800682222noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35215770.post-15191936894757918592012-12-21T12:02:36.817-08:002012-12-21T12:02:36.817-08:00Don't sweat martial law. It's here. In you... Don't sweat martial law. It's here. In your right to have an attorney. That's one of the many ways you're brought in under their control. They trick you into believing you've gained ground and "we the people" have spoken. Ooookay.<br /> One of the things I notice is that the news speaks of a community that is rocked and shattered emotionally by this slaughter but in a restaurant the other night I see on CNN the very same people all too willing to be willing to go on national television and get their 15 minutes of fame. It's packaged like a post game report! This is why I do not watch or have tv anymore. 26 people murdered? Hey let's go get some ratings!<br />Real reality tv! It's really sad. <br /><br /><br /> Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04840006831905333064noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35215770.post-84632150819795816992012-12-18T20:16:07.962-08:002012-12-18T20:16:07.962-08:00I find it interesting that the term breaking point...I find it interesting that the term breaking point is relatively new and overused as a phrase. When my aunt had to go to a hospital due to mental problems, I was told she had a breakdown That was the only time I heard the phrase used.<br /><br />We wept, fought, saw people abused, divorced and grieved over the loss of family members, but we never talked about hitting our breaking point.<br /><br />A couple weeks before the Newtown shootings I found out that my second cousin was severely wounded in Afghanistan. I was awakened in the wee morning hours of December 13th to find my father-in-law having a fatal heart attack. I performed CPR on him until the ambulance arrived, comforted his daughter/ my wife and three days later gave his eulogy at the memorial service. But in all of this I can say that I never reached my breaking point. I don't say this to be callous, but to say we have picked up a phrase that is in itself psychologically unhealthy.<br /><br />When we talk about reaching a breaking point, it may well be that we need a break from the particular stimulus. In the days after 9/11/01 my wife watched a great deal of the news coverage. She called me at the library in tears one afternoon, because some of the talking heads on the news channel started talking about the need the government would have to cut the social safety net. She was bothered because she was on disability for bipolar disorder and she was afraid they were going to cut the programs she needed for survival. After I told her to turn off the news reporting and do something else, she recovered.<br /><br />The powers that control the world want us to feel that we are at our breaking point. They do not want a citizenry that is resilient, self-reliant people, who are in strong communities. The powers want us to experience maximum psychological atrophy, so we will cry out for martial law, for the nanny state to take care of them. They do not want strong people who will bend, but not break. Dan Niemanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01123647843596870384noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35215770.post-6881743949894702832012-12-18T14:49:05.851-08:002012-12-18T14:49:05.851-08:00Hey Lynda:
Presidential/governmental lies and mil...Hey Lynda:<br /><br />Presidential/governmental lies and military incursions under the righteous banner of liberation have been with us since the US began kicking ass at the end of the 19th century. (This under proxy of Britain). But a nation at war for over a century is not a healthy nation. The chickens have come home to roost and, sorry, the worst for us is yet to come.<br /><br />Blessed are the peacemakers, but they ain't here.<br /><br />We are the Fouth Reich. And we will pay shortly.<br />--VyzAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35215770.post-47488352347114110762012-12-17T22:02:10.744-08:002012-12-17T22:02:10.744-08:00Thank you for this post. I am sickened by the pres...Thank you for this post. I am sickened by the presidents bullshit and the military industrial lies we are being force fed every day.Lynda Halliger Otvos (Lynda M O)https://www.blogger.com/profile/08938791116446859160noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35215770.post-35479264319287654212012-11-25T23:27:06.799-08:002012-11-25T23:27:06.799-08:00Ang,
Thanks for the great advice, again. Wow.
I wa...Ang,<br />Thanks for the great advice, again. Wow.<br />I was kind of nervous about checking on your follow-up, because... well, I guess I felt I revealed something of myself. <br />I really can be overly sensitive and paranoid.<br /><br />Except that my intuitions are often correct... except when they are not.<br /><br />At my last job, a guy who wasn't my boss, but the CFO, started harassing me all the time. Saying things like, "So how was your weekend... with all those pot smokers in your neighborhood" (I live in the inner city, where people are supposedly too liberal and drugged out!).<br />Or, he might attack me for my anti-war views, which me must have found out about when I stupidly "friended" my real boss on Facebook the day after his brother committed suicide, so I accepted his request. Well, my boss shared my political views with the CFO...<br /><br />It got so bad I had to report him to someone else in management. He was chastised, and sort of apologized, claiming that it was all in "good fun," we should get a beer, etc.<br /><br />The same jerk, I found out, called a nice older coworker, a woman who had just been dealing with breast-cancer, a "bitch". He has also been known to get frisky with young co-worker women when drunk, etc. Very strange and just plain mean... He found out my wife is a yoga instructor, and told me once, as some kind of half-joke, half-revealing comment, "my yoga is drinking." Yikes.<br /><br />Anyway, my current boss and I are getting along OK, partly due to your good advice. It helps that my role has, suddenly, become very critical and strategic to the company, and I am the only one who is doing it right now. Of course, he is trying to hire two or three others ASAP to train for me role. <br /><br />I have started to notice that he often "attacks" or unexpectedly critiques other people in the company. It's like he's a loose cannon out to make a name for himself as some kind of crusader. Interesting. <br /><br />You are an unusually perceptive and wonderful person. Thangs, Ang.<br /><br />It's been a tough week, the holiday and all. My insane brother and my crazy mother are ganging up on me, and criticizing my wife, etc. That's a whole different story. Ever since my dad, who was an alcoholic and mentally ill but somehow able to be strangely open and empathic at times... ever since he died a few years ago, it's been a strange trip. I thought the family dynamics would improve, but somehow the sickness is being kept alive. My brother makes a lot of money, but is lonely and bitter. He used to be suicidal sometimes, but my wife would counsel him. Now he does nothing but bad mouth her. Last summer he dated a young woman, but they broke up. When he thought she might be pregnant, he was going to sue her for custody, because he would be a "better parent." Main point?<br /><br />I feel like I'm surrounded by craziness and insanity. When I try to explain my feelings about politics and the fact that our gov't is killing innocent men and women and children with drones, and that I hold Obama responsible at the moment, the Obama fans get angry and freaked out. It seems that a tiny minority of people I interact with can even see the reality of the brutal world our government helps to foster, in league with corporations, the police state, the arms industries, and the media. The Democrats are as dim-witted as the Republicans, and almost everyone is a willing accomplice.<br /><br />Add in family issues, and the fact that sometimes I dread going to work (like tonight, after two extra days off), and life can be somewhat... challenging.<br /><br />I do have a plan... leaving this company in less than a year and working with a friend who is a real genius in technology, and who, amazingly, is amazingly ethical and empathic and... good. And a great entrepreneur. But I'll really have to push myself to concentrate on almost nothing but learning a new/old fiend in real depth and breadth. <br /><br />There you have it. <br />I hope you had a good holiday, if you celebrate it. <br />Keep on writing. <br />Jacob Gitteshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10559764359800682222noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35215770.post-42821964271707299092012-11-04T21:15:11.733-08:002012-11-04T21:15:11.733-08:00Well I like you Publius, and I don't care what...Well I like you Publius, and I don't care what anybody thinks. ;) It can be disturbing, but it doesn't have to be. Being sensitive and aware serves to give you information. As long as you don't expect others to be sensitive too then you'll be good. You'll have the information you need to see others for the way they are and deal with them as is most appropriate for all involved.Anghttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02385030071978985956noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35215770.post-68415206899957668002012-11-04T21:10:43.773-08:002012-11-04T21:10:43.773-08:00Yeah... I hear you. I know the type. Reptilian i...Yeah... I hear you. I know the type. Reptilian in the sense that where a normal sense of empathy and compassion are supposed to be there is nothing. Just a cold blank spot. As if to compensate, there is an overabundance of ego. Insufferable. And very corporate. <br /><br />This guy is doing what he believes is the right thing. The corporate mindset is that you must create an environment of fear amongst the lowliest workers in order to get the most work out of them. They believe in the stick and carrot philosophy, minus the carrot. It's really a sad and sorry belief system and the reason there has always been so much animosity between workers and bosses. <br /><br />First, he's not going to change. What you see now is all there is ever going to be. So step one is to accept it. Next, your way of seeing things is very much like mine. I find it irritating to come up against the corporate mentality, and I mean that in a literal sense. It can become intolerable in short order because it's just so dang degrading and f.o.s. But for your own sanity and success you can try to perceive this guy as a lost individual. Someone who doesn't get it and is therefore challenged. Have patience with him, and be courteous. He can't help it.<br /><br />The way this guy thinks is managerial. So make him manage. If he's telling you to do something that you can't fit in then ask him to manage it for you. Turn it around by making him solve the problem. Once it's back on him he may recognize you can't do the impossible and maybe he'll back off. Just tell it like it is, say, I have this to do which is priority one, do you agree with that? Get him to see it. If he says your primary duty is not priority one then your butt is covered and it opens the way for you to get clarification from HIS boss. Talk to him like a machine. Is this A or B? I was told it was A, now you're saying it is B. Which is it?<br /><br />He's also obviously trying to make you feel the pressure to do more than your original work contract stated. Since you're salaried you're exactly who he'll want to squeeze freebies out of. You knew going in that there would be some amount of overtime, but if this guy is wanting overtime to become a part of your regular day then you have the right to say you want a pay increase. I know the politics here, you're supposed to be a team player and all that jazz and if you are so unwilling to supplicate yourself as to stand up for what's fair and square it can quickly brand you in a negative way. Another way to go is to turn it back on him to manage for you. If you he wants to give you more work then he'll have to take something away from you to give you the time you need to do it. Again, just say, I have this to do and it takes X amount of time, right? Get him to acknowledge that. Then say I also have this and that to do and that fills up my entire day. I don't want to take work home every night, I want to get my work done during the work day. That's what a work day is for. You tell me what the priorities are and if you want me to take on something more than I already do maybe you can choose what to take away from me to make room for it. I want to do what you need but I can't do the impossible. Like I said, he's the manager so let him manage it. You have to stand up for yourself because if you don't you'll be miserable.<br /><br />I guess the good thing is that you only planned on staying a year. In a way that gives you more room to stand up for yourself. It's not like you had twenty years there and are now getting crushed. So, what you're experiencing is sadly, the usual corporate crap. You wanted to develop new skills, so here's your chance to learn to do wicked diplomacy. It can be done. If you can do it well your problems with him will decrease noticeably. <br /><br />AngAnghttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02385030071978985956noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35215770.post-54494254958013610472012-11-04T20:03:26.678-08:002012-11-04T20:03:26.678-08:00Addendum: I seem to have met a fair number of peop...Addendum: I seem to have met a fair number of people who like me or even really like me. I have trouble with some of the more "aspy" highly introverted, computer geek types... I'm somewhat in the middle, mildly introverted but I really like meeting people and getting to know them one-on-one. Some people seem to be strangely intimidated by me at times... I may be out of my mind, but I sometimes feel that my observational and perceptive abilities ( I studied biology and have always been highly into observing and perceiving and theorizing about the world)are noticed by some people and that they don't like having a person like me around. I should also add that I think I am highly empathic and attuned to emotional nuances. This can be a disturbing ability to have working in the corporate world!<br />Jacob Gitteshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10559764359800682222noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35215770.post-79072633894200455462012-11-04T19:54:57.091-08:002012-11-04T19:54:57.091-08:00Ang,
Great reply - very helpful, and sane and prag...Ang,<br />Great reply - very helpful, and sane and pragmatic.<br />Gosh - what is it really going on here?<br />I work at a software company, a small one that is growing fast. Making lots of money. They don't make anything that hurts people (good!), and make a product that actually helps people (double good).<br /><br />They've grown so fast that they hired a bunch of "middle managers" just after I started earlier this year. These are people who don't really know technology, but manage people... I think they should have promoted one of the younger "kids" who were really doing a good job of managing themselves and others, but no, they had to hire the classic middle manager. <br /><br />Why does he bother me? Even before I was in his department (I was moved recently), I felt that he was superficial, unempathic, and... reptilian. Seriously. He is very into his appearance. I wouldn't find him attractive if I were a woman, but he's probably considered to be a normal, good looking, thin, youngish, ambitious man. But I didn't like him... I felt an air of callousness and manipulative energy. My paranoia? I don't know.<br />I think he added an element of fear to the department. I think he primarily motivates people by fear.<br /><br />After I was moved to his department, I was still doing tasks for my old department, plus I was (and still am) the sole person responsible for an important task that safeguards our customers. I was then given a glorified paperwork task, just when a big customer had a major technical problem. I worked on this problem late, at home in the evening even, etc. <br />I missed the unimportant, glorified data entry task's deadline.. I literally couldn't do it all.<br /><br />He then suggested that he would give me a "time and a half" pay if I did it at night or on the weekends. Well, find... except that I am salaried. I suspect he doesn't even know I'm not hourly, and didn't want to go there.<br /><br />To make a long story short, he threatened to "write me up" if I missed the new deadline.<br />I met it by ceasing to do the important work I was supposed to do, and focus on the somewhat unimportant data entry.<br /><br />I specialize in a certain type of technical work, but he recently asked if I could take more of the other kind my sub-department does. First of all, I was already doing that - trying to help out in that area. Secondly, I felt he was suggesting I wasn't working hard enough.<br /><br />I have noticed that he will talk to other fellow underlings of his about things such as his new big screen TV, thus "wasting" a fair amount of his and the other employee's time. I don't care, really... but how does that jibe with the idea that I should be doing more work, and taking more tasks on? <br /><br />He displays a "hypervigilant" streak, as though he wants people to know that he's always observing them. <br />Now, I am admittedly overly sensitive in some regards, perhaps seeing patterns in the world at times that aren't there, or more likely perceiving patterns correctly but exaggerating the extent of it. I feel that the carefree atmosphere with a lot of good camaraderie I saw in the department when I got there has been degraded... it's becoming more standard and corporate. The "boss" in question emphasizes procedures and standardization and reproducibility instead of people and the gifts they bring.<br /><br />I think this description should suffice. <br />My main goal is to learn some new skills, and get out of that department or even the company altogether in less than a year. I'm a refugee from academia, and am lucky to be given a chance in a new field I wasn't strictly qualified for, other than perhaps innate intelligence and curiosity (no, I don't think I'm a genius, just very adaptable and willing to start again with a beginner's mind).<br /><br />Be well.Jacob Gitteshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10559764359800682222noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35215770.post-1504754818238693762012-11-03T14:57:52.374-07:002012-11-03T14:57:52.374-07:00Thank you Lynda. You hit the nail on the head, we...Thank you Lynda. You hit the nail on the head, we are being ground under like fodder. I too grieve every day for the lives destroyed both overseas and at home and wonder when our nation will stop enabling these merchants of death. Their deceit poisons our minds and our very souls. What I've written is the simple truth and I'm grateful that you can see what I see.<br /><br />AngAnghttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02385030071978985956noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35215770.post-12012839777067502182012-11-03T13:59:49.376-07:002012-11-03T13:59:49.376-07:00You are right, Ang. I understand what you write, I...You are right, Ang. I understand what you write, I agree with what you write, I am unable to do it as well as you do but my heart speaks clearly to yours. <br /><br />I weep with despair as I watch this happen to us. There is no place for souls such as we. We are being ground under like fodder. Thank you for having the orderly mind and ability to write it out so succinctly and concisely.Lynda Halliger Otvos (Lynda M O)https://www.blogger.com/profile/08938791116446859160noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35215770.post-91969536652148147672012-11-02T20:49:49.888-07:002012-11-02T20:49:49.888-07:00Hi Publius,
It's nice to hear from you again....Hi Publius,<br /><br />It's nice to hear from you again. Thank you for your condolences.<br /> <br />Congratulations on the new job and the better pay. I hope it works out well for you.<br />I am glad you asked me for advice about the creepy supervisor. Here's what I think. First off trust yourself. If you feel creeped out then trust it. 2. Keep your interactions with this person strictly professional. Don't talk about personal things, don't talk about feelings, in other words don't give them anything that they can use against you. Just be smart, stay cool, do a good job and realize that at least for the time being that person is not a friend. Maybe after you work for them for a while and get to know the supervisor better you might feel more comfortable with them but if you don't feel "safe" with them in some way then keep a respectable distance. Don't be cold, don't be overly nice, just be yourself and do your work and do it well. <br /><br />I don't know what line of work you're in or where you're located, but in my experience work places can be nests of jealousy and have long running soap operas underway. Just... watch your back. If you can make friends easily there then that's a very good sign. If it's impossible to get anyone to warm up to you then that's not so good. You didn't mention anyone but the supervisor so if that's the only person you're uncomfortable with then that's good. It might turn out that you're not the only one who feels that way about the supervisor, but finding that out will probably be down the road a bit.<br /><br />New jobs can be unnerving sometimes, that's just how it is. But you will know whether something is over-the-line or not. If you're treated with brazen disrespect then you've got a problem. The supervisor may need to see you prove yourself and then once he/she earns respect for you, they might lighten up. You weren't specific about what kind of creepiness you feel, but don't distrust it. It's real. Respect it. My guess is everything will be fine, but again, you'll know that after a time. I hope that helps a bit.<br /><br />I'll look forward to your thoughts on the post when you get some time to write them down.<br /><br />Ang Anghttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02385030071978985956noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35215770.post-63873193194687842752012-11-02T17:16:57.318-07:002012-11-02T17:16:57.318-07:00Ang,
Hello there.
I have commented before, and re...Ang,<br />Hello there. <br />I have commented before, and read you for a number of years now. I have been recently so busy with a new job that I haven't had much time to read blogs or respond.<br /><br />I want to respond to this wonderful post, because I have something to say about it. I will do so later this weekend, I hope.<br /><br />First though, tonight, regarding your father: my condolences. He's lucky to have a daughter like you. I use the present tense, because you are still his daughter, and he still existed... that will always be true. And that's not even talking about an afterlife, whatever you believe about that.<br /><br />My own father died 4 years ago. It was intense and traumatic: he was supposed to come down to my son's 2nd birthday party, but he died instead, after being unloaded from a medivac helicopter. He told the nurse that he felt the greatest pain he ever had, and was dying. He was right, he died. <br />My dad was always a valetudinarian, if not a hypochondriac. He lived to be 86 despite his endless battles with alcohol and drug addiction. He was very abusive at times, but sometimes compassionate and empathic. He was a conundrum: the best dentist in the midwest, probably, and he treated poor people without demanding more than they could pay. If they couldn't pay at all, that was OK.<br /><br />He was open-minded: he used to invite a local orthodontist over for dinner, person who was thought to be gay - and was, and eventually was driven out of town. He was OK with homosexuality. He was an FDR liberal. Open-minded, despite his demons. <br /><br />Anyway, I can honestly say we were reconciled before he died. I wish he hadn't had to suffer so much from whatever it is that drove him to addiction and mental illness. But he was my father. Some people could never forgive him, but what does that say about him?<br /><br />More later. I want to talk about an odd issue with my new job... it's a good job in many ways, pays way better than the old job, but my current supervisor is someone who just gives me the creeps, who I instinctively don't trust... I am trying to determine if it is my paranoia, or if he really is one of the "shitty" people. I am starting to see patterns... how he only uses fear and disapproval to motivate, but never praise. The main thing though is just a heavy, intuitive feeling of distrust and uneasiness. Due to my background of growing up in a "dysfunctional" family, I am not sure if I am just paranoid, or maybe have a more attuned sense for manipulative people of ill-will. I need your help. Thanks again for your essays over the years.<br /><br />PubliusJacob Gitteshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10559764359800682222noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35215770.post-76086899479150131452012-11-01T20:50:27.040-07:002012-11-01T20:50:27.040-07:00Lynda,
Thank you. It is hard to lose someone you...Lynda,<br /><br />Thank you. It is hard to lose someone you love. <br /><br />I am glad to know that you were able to survive marriage to a shitty person and got away from that situation. It is even better that you found someone who makes your life better, instead of worse.<br />I would feel grateful for that too.<br /><br />AngAnghttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02385030071978985956noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35215770.post-71855378738480065222012-11-01T20:41:28.285-07:002012-11-01T20:41:28.285-07:00Ang, my heart reaches out to touch yours with symp...Ang, my heart reaches out to touch yours with sympathy in the loss of your beloved father. May your memories of him and your interactions with him bring you comfort.<br /><br />I, like you, wouldn't hurt another and do not understand the mind that goes with people who can hurt others. I have been damaged by folks like those and it cuts for a long time. I married one. Bad idea. Divorced him; found a better man and married him. He understands and protects me from shitty people and I am grateful for that everyday.Lynda Halliger Otvos (Lynda M O)https://www.blogger.com/profile/08938791116446859160noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35215770.post-87029813140957589492012-10-30T09:36:30.548-07:002012-10-30T09:36:30.548-07:00Education is key. The problem is our youth is bei...Education is key. The problem is our youth is being ill informed, misinformed or flat out lied to. History becomes history because someone says it happened that way. It really makes no difference if it actually happened that way or not. If our young are being told a false history it will become, over time, factual to them. When I speak to our nations youth I am constantly amazed by the lack of information that they have regarding our past and that the information that they have is either inaccurate, incomplete or flat out wrong. The saddest thing is that most really don't care. I can get the attention of some, but in this day and age of sound bites it's very difficult to keep their attention long enough for them to pick up the cause. Occasionally it does happen, and those are the instances that keep me talking. That little spark in the eye of someone who wakes up to the lies and starts to question.<br /><br />There is hope. I truly believe it. Thanks for the enlightening post Ang. Keep it up<br /><br /> Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35215770.post-7595808978355156782012-10-30T03:46:17.625-07:002012-10-30T03:46:17.625-07:00Funny how the religions of peace are so hell bent ...Funny how the religions of peace are so hell bent on war. As an Anon stated, it is in our children's education. Violent cartoons, television, movies, etc are all well and good and the Rabbi/Priest/Preacher have little to say come Sunday morning. But let Janet Jackson have a 'wardrobe malfunction' during prime time and the country loses it's collective mind. Another old saying from the 60's was, 'Make Love, Not War'. Words to live by.Strawmanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00584517325935075427noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35215770.post-46492607298397460502012-10-29T22:13:31.048-07:002012-10-29T22:13:31.048-07:00Wandering Bear,
Excellent comment. Some people m...Wandering Bear,<br /><br />Excellent comment. Some people may never learn, but there are others who can think for themselves. <br /><br />AngAnghttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02385030071978985956noreply@blogger.com