We all want world peace... Right?
Well no actually. Humans cannot survive without some sort of conflict, they'd go insane without it. The intellectuals among us debate, we have no physical need to debate but something inside us draws us into these small conflicts. The not so intellectual types get into drunken fights on a Friday night, a not so healthy version of our debates. It is something innate that makes us need to support a team or group over all others, makes us choose a favourite colour and time of the day. It's frivolous but we need it.
So what would the world be like without conflict? Well, there would never be a war again - Great! But nothing would ever change, no one would ever question anything again- not so good. And our emotions would never be released- definitely not good.
We'd just become mindless drones that plodded along never doing anything out of the ordinary. Art and music would die out, we would not play games or perform a kind deed for the sake of itself.
So, do I wish for world peace? No, I wish for world intelligence and debate. Then maybe we wouldn't get any more bullying or thuggery. Sadly I doubt that will happen any time soon.
I'll keep my need for conflict and revel in it, wearing what I like and choosing to support the causes I do. Will you?
Thursday 21 October 2010
Saturday 16 October 2010
Retail.
(Disclaimer: This is not a rant about my job itself. I like my job. I work with good people and it pays nicely. With that in mind, let's continue.)
As you may know I work in retail. Yes that job that almost everyone does at least once. You may also know, if you have ever worked in retail, that there are certain customers you wish just would not come back. Even we have those.
There's the old man in the wheelchair (That he seems not to need as he trots around it and pulls it along with his legs) hung with his entire life attached to strings. I have no problem with this but it's the first thing you recognise to identify him. He will mumble questions to you, then get very angry when you ask him politely to repeat himself so you can answer. He then uses the next ten minutes, in front of the till (or right next to it) , to hang his shopping bag on the back of his wheelchair, faff around with his strings and sit down, looking at everyone as if they've personally offended him.
I have no problem with the quirks people get in old age, that's fine, but the intentional rudeness just bothers me.
The second is a lad who comes in and hangs around the pick'n'mix, takes some, puts it in a cup, decants it into another cup, walks off, returns and decants it into another cup, fills up the cup, decants it again, walks away, puts a few in his pocket, puts a lid on the cup, walks off, picks it up again, decants it, eats some, closes the cup... lather, rinse, repeat. I'd say it was a psychological issue and you can't blame him for not understanding that taking sweets is stealing, but he won't do it if someone's around. He makes sure no one's looking, gets jumpy when the staff are around and makes sure he LOOKS as if he wants to legitimately buy. That takes a lot of thought and understanding and it drives me nuts because I know the bleeding hearts would scream if we asked him to leave.
Next is a general one. The types that will ask you to fetch items, price check items (That we can only do on a none logged in till), discount items (why should we?) all in the same transaction as the line grows longer and longer behind them.
It just makes life hard for everyone.
My next little complaint is about technology. The tills, oh sweet gods the tills. When they work they work well. When they work. When they don't they're slow, unresponsive, and sometimes simply crash. And all the while I have to apologise. And the scanners decide when, where and what they will scan. They could scan an item from across the room, but you try and scan a large bar code from an inch away and nothing.
Don't get me wrong, I love my job and 99.9% of customers are polite, nice, considerate people, but some things are just irritating. Thank goodness for decent, nice, staff.
So everyone, have you ever experienced an irritating customer, a pain in the butt checkout system or even a rude shop assistant?
As you may know I work in retail. Yes that job that almost everyone does at least once. You may also know, if you have ever worked in retail, that there are certain customers you wish just would not come back. Even we have those.
There's the old man in the wheelchair (That he seems not to need as he trots around it and pulls it along with his legs) hung with his entire life attached to strings. I have no problem with this but it's the first thing you recognise to identify him. He will mumble questions to you, then get very angry when you ask him politely to repeat himself so you can answer. He then uses the next ten minutes, in front of the till (or right next to it) , to hang his shopping bag on the back of his wheelchair, faff around with his strings and sit down, looking at everyone as if they've personally offended him.
I have no problem with the quirks people get in old age, that's fine, but the intentional rudeness just bothers me.
The second is a lad who comes in and hangs around the pick'n'mix, takes some, puts it in a cup, decants it into another cup, walks off, returns and decants it into another cup, fills up the cup, decants it again, walks away, puts a few in his pocket, puts a lid on the cup, walks off, picks it up again, decants it, eats some, closes the cup... lather, rinse, repeat. I'd say it was a psychological issue and you can't blame him for not understanding that taking sweets is stealing, but he won't do it if someone's around. He makes sure no one's looking, gets jumpy when the staff are around and makes sure he LOOKS as if he wants to legitimately buy. That takes a lot of thought and understanding and it drives me nuts because I know the bleeding hearts would scream if we asked him to leave.
Next is a general one. The types that will ask you to fetch items, price check items (That we can only do on a none logged in till), discount items (why should we?) all in the same transaction as the line grows longer and longer behind them.
It just makes life hard for everyone.
My next little complaint is about technology. The tills, oh sweet gods the tills. When they work they work well. When they work. When they don't they're slow, unresponsive, and sometimes simply crash. And all the while I have to apologise. And the scanners decide when, where and what they will scan. They could scan an item from across the room, but you try and scan a large bar code from an inch away and nothing.
Don't get me wrong, I love my job and 99.9% of customers are polite, nice, considerate people, but some things are just irritating. Thank goodness for decent, nice, staff.
So everyone, have you ever experienced an irritating customer, a pain in the butt checkout system or even a rude shop assistant?
Wednesday 13 October 2010
LGBT apparently the cause of loose morals according to tv....
Honestly, finding a tv program that shows a realistic LGBT relationship is like finding a pig with wings. These broadcasters throw out another so called LGBT friendly storyline and expect us to eat it up, like we should be grateful for all of their 'hard work'.
Well, let's see about these so called storylines:
The characters are usually insane and/or so loose they'd be considered as whores if their lovers ever bought them lunch.
That or they're so full of angst that they go and kill themselves.
Yes, I know many LGBT people all over the world suffer discrimination and hardship but please, can we just once show a sane, educated, happy person in an LGBT relationship. PLEASE. Just once.
The closest thing we got was Ianto from Torchwood. He was an intelligent, attractive, bisexual lad that didn't run around sleeping with everything in sight (which was odd for Torchwood.) And guess what , he ended up getting killed off.
I'm just so sick and tired of how we're represented, and it's getting to a level that I find personally insulting. I'm not a beaten down depressed woman that will jump on any other woman as soon as I see them and do not want to be presented in that way.
I'm not usually one for speaking out as England tends to be pretty tolerant and I've had nothing but positive words for who I am, but come on British media.
Ok, rant over. Please comment and give your opinions.
Well, let's see about these so called storylines:
The characters are usually insane and/or so loose they'd be considered as whores if their lovers ever bought them lunch.
That or they're so full of angst that they go and kill themselves.
Yes, I know many LGBT people all over the world suffer discrimination and hardship but please, can we just once show a sane, educated, happy person in an LGBT relationship. PLEASE. Just once.
The closest thing we got was Ianto from Torchwood. He was an intelligent, attractive, bisexual lad that didn't run around sleeping with everything in sight (which was odd for Torchwood.) And guess what , he ended up getting killed off.
I'm just so sick and tired of how we're represented, and it's getting to a level that I find personally insulting. I'm not a beaten down depressed woman that will jump on any other woman as soon as I see them and do not want to be presented in that way.
I'm not usually one for speaking out as England tends to be pretty tolerant and I've had nothing but positive words for who I am, but come on British media.
Ok, rant over. Please comment and give your opinions.
Friday 8 October 2010
The ex...
Boys and girls, we've all had it. You get together, you split up and the next time you meet is impossibly uncomfortable. Today I had that.
Let's start with a little history. I've only had two other relationships before my current one. The first was a secondary school romance that never really went beyond hand holding. That ended by text at a dungeons & dragons session. Yes it was that childish, but me and that ex are on good terms. We both know that we were just silly little kids and it just wasn't working out.
The second... well that was more complicated. She went to the same secondary school as me, a year above, and to college. We were good friends. She was the nervous, soft hearted, downtrodden girl and I was the smart, quiet nerd. It fitted.
I used to be quite unemotional so we decided to have an open relationship. I was mature enough to handle that... She was not.
After a while she started going out with my best friend. He lived near her while she was at uni so it was better. I was fine with that and here at home I developed a crush on my now wife. Everything was fine and dandy until I told her.
She said she was fine with it and I didn't feel like I was going to act on it so I thought everything was ok. I was wrong. Every time she got upset she would accuse me of cheating or hint at it (We were in an open relationship remember). After a large strop about a valentines card that she didn't think existed she dumped me, over text. She quoted the bible at me and said awful things and finally said it was over.
It doesn't end there. My friend is polygamous and had another girlfriend. Everything was going fine for them and I gave them my blessing, but my ex was having none of it. She would threaten him, attack him and psychologically wear him down. She even tried to knife him.
Finally even he snapped, separating from her with the help of his other girlfriend. We all realised my ex's problem. She didn't like you paying attention to anyone but her and I she couldn't have you to herself no one could. She was a dangerous woman and we were all glad to be free of her.
I haven't even mentioned how she split a close group of friends apart. Manipulating us all into hating each other. Even now we're not the close group we used to be and this is years later.
Well, today I saw her. I've avoided her before but today there she was. This woman who almost destroyed so many lives and tried to knife a friend.
She was quiet and meek, asking if me and my wife were still together (our wedding anniversary is this month) and trying to be friendly.
I wasn't rude or angry, but I do now know every detail of my boots, and was so glad when we could get on the bus and away from her. I showered when I got home.
I hold no ill will to her, I'm not like that. I hope she lives out the rest of her life happily, and that she never hurts another person like she did us. I just hope I never see her ever again.
So everyone, there it is, my story. I hope none of you ever go through something like that.
Next time you see one of your ex boyfriend's/girlfriend's think of this and hold no ill will, just walk away and know you'll never have to go through that again.
Tell me your stories.
Let's start with a little history. I've only had two other relationships before my current one. The first was a secondary school romance that never really went beyond hand holding. That ended by text at a dungeons & dragons session. Yes it was that childish, but me and that ex are on good terms. We both know that we were just silly little kids and it just wasn't working out.
The second... well that was more complicated. She went to the same secondary school as me, a year above, and to college. We were good friends. She was the nervous, soft hearted, downtrodden girl and I was the smart, quiet nerd. It fitted.
I used to be quite unemotional so we decided to have an open relationship. I was mature enough to handle that... She was not.
After a while she started going out with my best friend. He lived near her while she was at uni so it was better. I was fine with that and here at home I developed a crush on my now wife. Everything was fine and dandy until I told her.
She said she was fine with it and I didn't feel like I was going to act on it so I thought everything was ok. I was wrong. Every time she got upset she would accuse me of cheating or hint at it (We were in an open relationship remember). After a large strop about a valentines card that she didn't think existed she dumped me, over text. She quoted the bible at me and said awful things and finally said it was over.
It doesn't end there. My friend is polygamous and had another girlfriend. Everything was going fine for them and I gave them my blessing, but my ex was having none of it. She would threaten him, attack him and psychologically wear him down. She even tried to knife him.
Finally even he snapped, separating from her with the help of his other girlfriend. We all realised my ex's problem. She didn't like you paying attention to anyone but her and I she couldn't have you to herself no one could. She was a dangerous woman and we were all glad to be free of her.
I haven't even mentioned how she split a close group of friends apart. Manipulating us all into hating each other. Even now we're not the close group we used to be and this is years later.
Well, today I saw her. I've avoided her before but today there she was. This woman who almost destroyed so many lives and tried to knife a friend.
She was quiet and meek, asking if me and my wife were still together (our wedding anniversary is this month) and trying to be friendly.
I wasn't rude or angry, but I do now know every detail of my boots, and was so glad when we could get on the bus and away from her. I showered when I got home.
I hold no ill will to her, I'm not like that. I hope she lives out the rest of her life happily, and that she never hurts another person like she did us. I just hope I never see her ever again.
So everyone, there it is, my story. I hope none of you ever go through something like that.
Next time you see one of your ex boyfriend's/girlfriend's think of this and hold no ill will, just walk away and know you'll never have to go through that again.
Tell me your stories.
Thursday 7 October 2010
Death or a salesghost...
Every few years it seems like Halloween is dying out, and then it comes back. The problem is it comes back weaker each time. I remember when I was a child, I'd look around the shop fronts and see pumpkins and ghosts everywhere. Now you're lucky if you see a few fake cobwebs. Everyone seems much more interested in Christmas tat.
Once again, I have nothing against christmas. I like christmas. I like gifts and food and family but for goodness sake it's October! I'd love to have a little recognition for Halloween which for me, and thousands of pagans, is an actual religious festival. And I know I'm going to get people screaming "Well Myo', wouldn't you prefer it to stay pure and not commercialised?"
Well, no actually. It's commercialised in America and at least it can celebrated well. Here in ye olde England, the home of many branches of paganism, it is simply forgotten, or presented in some half arsed "Let's put a black cat on a cupcake and call it a Halloween bun." sort of way.
I suppose I'm just a little disappointed. As a child I loved seeing all the displays and the joy all the spookyness brought with it, it got me ready for a damn good Samhain. Now... It's sort of lonely. I don't have that many actively pagan friends so my celebrations are always small but it was nice to see the spectacle of it all and feel like I wasn't so lost .
Well this is becoming a tad emo and it's not meant to be. I'm just frustrated and confused as I thought shops thrived on commercial fads and buying based festivals yet they do not cash in on the festival closest to Christmas in a month that's well known for being quiet on the shopping front. And what about the goth kids? I used to get half of my christmas prezzies at Halloween.
So what do you think: Would you rather a commercial festival or a pure yet forgotten one? Or would you rather let it die out and leave a fond childhood memory?
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