I think that people who are fans of a team such as Ohio State are really sore losers. If you were a true fan of the sport, you’d be a fan of a team that loses too. – a Chicago cubs fan

How Would You Grade Yourself?

My last assignment in my English class I am taking this semester is to grade myself on how I participated in the class – with an explanation of how I came to that grade.  My first thought instantly is, of course, an A.  I’m awesome.  I’m great.  I deserve that A!  But those aren’t valid reasons.

So I start thinking more:  Did I participate enough to get the grade I want?  Was their something more I could have done?  Did I participate more than others in the class who will probably be asking for that very same A?

The answer to all of those questions is: yes.  I did all I could do, but of course their is always room for improvement – I could have done something just a little extra to earn that grade confidently.

So do I sell myself short, and suggest a slightly lower grade to not come off as conceded?  What does that say about myself and the effort I’ve put in the class?  What if the assignment is some sort of trick and the professor will give us whatever grade we think we deserve?  If I put something less than what I feel I deserve, I am shortchanging myself.

The question I pose is this:  How would you grade yourself?  Would you give yourself an honest grade and justify it accordingly, or shortchange yourself because you doubt yourself in some way and don’t think your reasons are honestly justifiable?

Catitude

"Not Impressed"

I took this picture a couple months ago on my picplz.com account, but still find it the best likeness of my cats personality.  She.  Does.  Not.  Give.  A.  Fuck.  Which is probably why I love her so much.  Only a cat with that kind of attitude will lay on your Lay-Z-Boy recliner like she owns it – because she does:

"Don't even think about moving me, just bring me more treats. You are not worthy of my gaze until you bring them to me."

She’s so lazy the most exercise she’s gotten in the last 8 months is with this catnip ball I got her back in April:

While laying in bed one evening, I watch her waltz into my bedroom like she owned the place.  She decided to grace me with her presence and went to jump up on my bed.  My bed is a queen size bed with a low profile box spring, so it’s lower than the usual queen beds.

Whoever said cats always land on their feet lied.  She went to jump on my bed and did not make it and landed on her side and quickly jumped up and scurried off as I laughed so hard, I cried… And then I felt bad and went to the kitchen (where she was waiting for me, it seemed), to give her a couple treats in apology.

Now I have to pick her up and put her on my bed, so she can watch from a perch for my other cat, Twix.

And I’m still not worthy enough for her loving gaze.

Wait.. that is a loving gaze… right?

And The Corporate Temper Tantrum

Most Recent Update on Sears EDA

“The EDA generates about $17 million a year in District 300 SCHOOL property taxes, only $2.9 million of which ever makes it into schools. We are fighting to ensure that the $14 million/year in D300 school property taxes that we are now losing comes back into our system when the current EDA expires in 2013…” - Article From D300

I guess I should try throwing temper tantrums to get out of paying for my rent, car payment, or any other obligation I have to save myself more money.  After all, it seems to be working for Sears.  I remember trying this tactic after my parents divorced when I was young when my mom would not buy me something at the store:

“You never get me anything!  I’m going to go live with dad!”  I would say when my mom would not get me the latest Disney movie on VHS.

Instead of taking care of their responsibilities, Sears is pulling the “I’m going to live with Dad” bit that I tried when I was young because they don’t want to pay taxes.  Taxes that would go to the benefit of local school districts in the area, that are struggling (yes, along with everyone else).

Lets start taking care of our responsibilities, Sears.  I think you owe that to the youth of today… the future owners of your Corporation.

The Week my World Changed: Part Four

For about a week not only had my dad been going through a hard time, but so was I.  I had just graduated high school after all and I was stuck worrying about if I would find my dad passed out in the driveway again because he had drank himself almost to death.  Not only that but I was still going to watch my grandmother for a couple hours, so I had her to take care of also.  Although my dad had insisted that he could quit drinking on his own, he still hadn’t managed to.  My aunt, uncle my mom and I all went to his house one day to sit down to talk to him about getting help.

You can almost picture it like the A&E show “Intervention” where the family gathers in one room, only no letters and no mediator.  We all tried to remain relatively calm and not to raise our voices at one another and with a few slip ups I’d say we did alright.  The family meeting was about 2 hours and we begged him to go to detox and then he needs to follow up with something afterwards.  We went back and forth where he would agree to nothing, then just to detox but then he didn’t want to have anything to do with anyone else.

“You’ve got to try something different.  You just did the detox before and ended up back where you were and worse.” This was the basic response from each of us when he was insisting that he didn’t need to go to meetings.  To him, going to meetings would be admitting he had a problem.  And it wasn’t a problem to him if he could quit himself.  That was his was of proving he had control over the situation, which he clearly did not.

In the end we didn’t have to convince him of either because it was strongly suggested that he take the initiative to do what we were trying to get him to do the whole time.  My dad went to detox, came out and was taking to his first Alcoholics Anonymous meeting with the guys whose number he had gotten at the hospital earlier that month.  Six years later, my dad hasn’t picked up a drink, and still goes to AA Meetings 4-5 days out of the week.  I learned an enormous amount of things about my dad at that time, and still am learning more about him each day.  He’s taught me that asking for help doesn’t make you any less of a person because you can’t do everything on your own.

The Week my World Changed: Part Three

I woke up the next morning to find my keys gone.  I pulled my sheets back to check that I had not pushed it around in my sleep but I hadn’t.  When I walked out of my room, I noticed that my car was not in the driveway and my dad was not in the house.  I don’t recall if I called him a let him have an earful or if I waited until he got home to but either way I don’t remember ever being so mad.

“If you ever take my car again without asking me I will call the cops on you and report my car stolen!” I had shouted at him.

My dad reiterated that he could quick drinking by himself but that he just needed to easy himself off slowly.  He also begged me not to tell his sister or my mother that he had taken my car without permission.  After much arguing back and forth I told him I wouldn’t tell them so long as he stops drinking and if he starts drinking again and it becomes this bad, I’ll would.

The timeline for the next couple days are shady.  I do remember I found out after the hospital visit he had met someone who wanted to sponsor him for Alcoholics Anonymous meetings.  He had the mans number but didn’t seem like he was going to call him.  Like I said, he had it in his mind that he could quit himself.

He did slow down his drinking, but he did not stop so a family meeting was called.

Internet Memes: Good or Bad?

I’m sure by now the majority of the internet has seen or at least heard about the Old Spice Guy.  What was just a television commercial has turned into a meme via his own YouTube Channel by replying to people by video who have sent him a Twitter post/reply.  People all over the internet, including actress and former singer Alyssa Milano have made many comments about him being anything from ‘better than Chuck Norris’ and a ‘marketing win’.

According to Huffington Post, another internet meme: David After The Dentist has earned (according to a post from June 29th, 2010) about $150,000.  I just hope that when this kid grows up he doesn’t end up like the Star Wars Kid who had to seek professional help after being tormented by classmates.  He is now getting a law degree according to this post.

So are internet memes good or bad?  Do they fade too quickly, or not quickly enough?