People Ruin Everything: Why I Hate My Job

Grammarly before my edits to this post. While I like using this program, it can be too aggressive, especially for work.

I haven’t taken care of this blog much lately, but I had to write something today to manage my anger.

I hate people sometimes, and recent events provide another example of why. You should know that I don’t like confrontation. I try to be polite most of the time because I don’t want any trouble. That hurts me sometimes because I should defend myself more, but I will speak up when someone is being cruel, dismissive, and out of line.

Quick PSA: Don’t Drink Bleach, Y’all

Bleach is for cleaning, not for your body. Original Image by JeepersMedia via Flickr. (CC by 2.0)

So, if you have been paying at list indirect attention to Donald Trump’s coronavirus press briefings, you may have heard about his suggestion of “injecting” sunlight and even disinfectants (like bleach and Lysol) directly into people’s bodies in order to get rid of the coronavirus.

Our Leaders Are Failing Us During This Coronavirus Pandemic

In this image, Trump and Mike Pence can be seen giving a press briefing during a Coronavirus Task Force Meeting on February 29, 2020, in the James S. Brady Press Briefing Room at the White House. Trump’s administration has provided no real confidence that this country is taking the pandemic seriously. Image provided by The White House via Flickr. (Public Domain)

So … how’s your 2020 going? Not so great, right? I honestly had no expectations for this year beyond meeting a few personal goals, but the coronavirus pandemic (this virus is called COVID-19) has already ruined this year for many. Not only are people dying, but many have either lost their jobs or have been furloughed. They will not have money to pay all their bills or buy essentials to make it past this indefinite crisis period (which could last for at least six months).

Instead of talking about statistics — at least in this post — I wanted to briefly write about what we need from our leaders to stop the spread of the virus and help people recover.

January 26, 2020: Today Was a Terrible Day

Today, I was planning on posting a Famous Sayings post, but after hearing of some sad news today, I didn’t have to heart to do much research — or much of anything, for that matter. I was kind of watching the Pro Bowl when a relative alerted me to some terrible news.

This morning, I heard that Kobe Bryant, a beloved figure in Los Angeles and the world of sports, had died in a helicopter crash. Bryant’s Sikorsky S-76 was circling for a bit in foggy conditions and it crashed in a mountainous region. The news was first reported by TMZ, but I and others waited for confirmation, which, sadly, came from other news sources.

The news about Bryant’s death was bad enough, but as the day went on, the situation was much worse than we originally thought. By mid-day, news came out that five (now the count is at nine) people had died on the helicopter and that there were no survivors. Not everyone was identified, but at one point, it was suspected the Rick Fox (a former teammate of Bryant’s on the Los Angeles Lakers) was also on the helicopter. That news was refuted, but one bit of news really saddened me.

Arguments That Give Me Pause: Making Polygamy Legal?

Image via Flickr by theslowlane. Some rights reserved.

A few years ago, I got into an online argument with a “poly,” or a person who was in a polyamorous relationship. We were responding to a thread in which another person asked whether the Supreme Court’s 2013 decision on gay marriage would open the door for making polygamy legal — which is quite different from making polyamory “legal.”

When I wrote my first response, all I did was agree with another person while adding some thoughts I had about potential legal and personal problems that might result from legally sanctioned polygamy. I didn’t think I was being judgmental of polyamorous relationships themselves, but the other poster took exception to my post. What followed was a pretty pointless argument, but it irked me for some reason.

Blaming the Complainers: Why Do We Do This?

“You need to stop complaining!” I beg to differ …

Why do we sometimes lash out at complainers?

Every now and then, I complain. Airing my grievances makes me feel a little better about certain situations because it helps me clear my head. When I know how I feel about something, why I feel that way, and I am able to express those feelings, I can then take a step back and reassess the situation. It’s certainly better than bottling up my feelings and letting the negativity fester.

I know I’m not the only person who sees it this way.

Sometimes, I have to deal with rude, judgmental people. These people pretty much act like I, or others, don’t have any right to complain about certain things. At times, these people even seek to blame the people who are complaining, even without full knowledge of the situation.

That really ticks me off, especially when I or another person who is making a complaint has a valid reason. For instance, they could be living with a messy, irresponsible roommate or they could be working for a mean, inconsiderate, slave-driving boss. Regardless of what others may think of those situations, it may be hard for the person with grievances to immediately do something about it.

But the complainer haters don’t care. They treat other people’s complaints like petty little annoyances, even when they were butting in anyway.

To be honest:

I am annoyed when people just complain but offer no solutions.

And people who complain yet expect others to fix the mess are trifling.

Then there are people who need to get some things off their chest.

When someone brushes this person off, the dismissive person is hastily handling a problem they might not have been asked to deal with in the first place.

Why It’s So Hard to Talk About Racism

Jane Elliott is a person who understands how insidious racism is. In fact, she created an exercise to help others understand, as well. (Taken from a screenshot.)

Why is it so hard to talk about racism no matter where you are? The answer is complicated, but I want to take the time to list my observations on the matter and connect older posts I made which only broached the subject.

Let me start by showing sharing a video. CalicoJack shared this on one of his posts, but I have a different angle to show you.

 

Think about this video for a moment because I will get back to the premise of that experiment later.

Originally, this post was going to be an open letter to racists. I had already put down a number of thoughts a year ago, but I couldn’t post it.

I didn’t really know how to start or finish the letter, let alone how I wanted to organize my thoughts on the matter.

Also, I know much of what I had to say would only fall on deaf ears.

Additionally, I wasn’t sure if I really wanted to make certain thoughts public.

Griffin and Maher: A Week in Comedic Infamy

The week of May 28-June 3, 2017 is one that will go down in comedic infamy thanks to Kathy Griffin and Bill Maher. Composite image of the two comedians. Left image taken in September 2011; uploaded by gdcgraphics [CC BY-SA 2.0], via Wikimedia Commons. The image on the right was taken in September 2010 and uploaded by Angela George [CC BY 3.0], via Wikimedia Commons.

Last week, two comedians came under fire for decisions they made. On one hand, we Kathy Griffin pulled a “comedic” stunt many will agree went too far. On the other hand, Bill Maher used a term many consider to be the worst in the English language.

The Inspirational Malala Yousafzai (WAW)

Note: Sorry about the lateness, but I have been feeling under the weather for a few days. I intended to make this post about Malala Yousafzai yesterday for Write Anything Wednesday, but I was out of it. (I still am, but …)

---

Introduction

In honor of Women’s History month, I wanted to look at Pakistani activist Malala Yousafzai. The 2014 Nobel Peace Prize winner first gained attention as a writer for BBC.com and gained worldwide support after being shot by the Taliban in 2012.

Throughout her life, Yousafzai has remained a steadfast women’s rights and education advocate. And she was inspired by the late Benazir Bhutto, a former Prime Minister of Pakistan (Murray).

Ruth Bader Ginsburg Turns 84 (WAW)

I have already done a couple of posts to recognize it Women’s History Month but I didn’t think I could make a post for Write Anything Wednesday. There are so many things weighing on my mind lately and it has been hard for me to express my frustration at current events and the sheer amount of ignorance that surrounds debate. However, I realized that today is Ruth Bader Ginsburg’s 84^th birthday today so I wanted to take the time to recognize it.

Ruth Bader Ginsburg is my kind of person. Although she gave her opinion of the 2016 election (a comment she later apologized for), I generally admire her opinions and agree with her views. She may be what people call an incrementalist, but at her heart she is an egalitarian who respects president and the rule of law.