Wednesday, February 27, 2013

I Don't Like, Like, Uptalkers

I've complained many times to family and friends about the way many younger people (women, in particular) talk lately.  Overuse of the word "like" in sentences is particularly annoying. "I, like, went to Macy's and, like, saw this dress that I wanted to buy and, like, it was so, like expensive."  You get the picture.  My eyes glaze over when I have to overhear this kind of conversation and I feel like I'm losing brain cells just exposing myself to this kind of ridiculousness.  Yes, I use "like" also so I'm not above the criticism, but I really try to curb my use of the word.  But, even more annoying than someone using "like" too much is someone who is an uptalker.  The uptalker phrases statements as questions.  The uptalker cannot be declarative.  The uptalker seems to be asking rather than telling.  What do I mean?  I mean someone saying something as simple as, "I went to the store" but turning this harmless statement into a question by putting a flourish on the last word of the sentence so that it comes out as, "I went to the store?"  Are you asking or telling? 

I notice many young women (usually the same ones who overuse "like") are also guilty of being uptalkers.  Where did these verbal ticks come from and when will the trend come to an end?  I know the whole valley girl thing from the 80s is at the root of the problem, but many of the young women I hear talking this way weren't even born (or were infants) in the 80s.  They didn't even grow up with the whole valley girl thing.  I guess it just comes from being a product of your environment.  You grow up around people who speak the same way and you all end up talking the same way and using the same expressions. 

My hope is that these young folks grow out of overusing "like" and uptalking.  No one wants to hear a 35 or 40-year-old talking like a suburban teenager (unless it's being done ironically).

Sunday, February 24, 2013

Out of Work???

My local laundromat has being going severely downhill lately.  I don't believe they've had hot water since before Christmas.  Every week I go there lately, there are signs posted saying that there's no hot water.  When I asked the guy behind the counter when they'd get the problem fixed, he said next week.  That was three weeks ago.  In addition to the lack of hot water, many of the washers and dryers seem to be out of service.  There was a sign posted on a dryer today that said "out of work."  I assume the employees meant to say "out of order" but English isn't their first language, so that's probably why the sign was so awkwardly phrased.  I used to enjoy going to this laundromat because it's big and has a lot of washers and dryers and seemed relatively clean, but now I think maybe it's time to take my business elsewhere.  Aside from the lack of hot water and broken washers and dryers, the place just looks dirty.  The floor is often littered with discarded dryer sheets.  Employees used to come around and sweep, but they don't now.  I long for the days when I had my own washer and dryer in my apartment in New Jersey and could wash when I felt like it.  But, those days are over and have been for some time, unfortunately.

Saturday, February 23, 2013

Publisher's Weekly

The February 2013 Publisher's Weekly self-published books supplement finally came out and I'm happy to see that the cover for Clean Hands was featured.  Yea!

Wednesday, February 20, 2013

Street Meat

I saw a story on the local Fox station the other night about the disgusting behavior of some food cart vendors around the city.  I have always made it a rule not to eat from food carts (except for the waffle truck--they get a pass from me).  All you have to do is look at some of the guys who run many of the food carts parked around the city.  Some of these fellows look like they don't bathe daily.  If you can't keep yourself clean, why would I expect you to keep your grill clean???  The local news story showed a guy blowing his nose into a rag or napkin of some kind and using that same rag or napkin to wipe down his grill.  Nasty!  Another guy dropped a pretzel on the ground, picked it up, and put it back on his food truck for sale.  Another guy was seen wiping his cooking utensils down with a dirty rag.  (The rag was black with grime!!!)  Everytime I see a food cart vendor, I wonder (1) How does this guy wash his hands?  (2) Does this guy wash his hands?  (3) Where does he go to the bathroom? (4) How is the meat he's cooking stored?  I find it better to just avoid these trucks entirely.  You're just asking for intestinal problems if you eat street meat and the news story just confirmed what I already suspected.

Friday, February 15, 2013

Postal Profiling

Back in the days when I was on Facebook, I posted a comment about a clerk at the Kensington Post Office getting angry with me because I didn't want to purchase black history stamps.  Well, this ridiculousness happened all over again today at a post office in Manhattan.  I stopped at the Bryant Post Office on 43rd Street during my lunch hour to buy stamps and the clerk seemed personally offended when I chose the flag stamps over the black history ones.  The clerks in both instances were black and I'm black, so I guess they assumed I wanted black stamps.  I am no way against black history stamps. Sometimes I buy them, sometimes I don't.  My problem is with the profiling going on with the postal employees.  If I don't want black history stamps, don't get an attitude with me.  Sell me the stamps I want and put your ugliness in check.  I suspect these clerks don't push the black stamps on non-black customers or, if they do, I highly doubt they get an attitude if a white or Asian person chooses not to purchase them.  Why am I given the stink eye when I choose non-black stamps?  The clerk I dealt with today practically shoved my change in my hand and gave me a nasty, "Have a good day" after I refused stamps with the founder of Ebony magazine on them.  Huh?  Isn't this America?  Can't I buy whatever stamps I want to buy?  No wonder the post office is going broke. 

Monday, February 11, 2013

Everything That's Wrong with Brooklyn

So I read on Gothamist that some Brooklyn hipster dads created a $14 magazine for other hipster dads.  You can read about it here:
http://gothamist.com/2013/02/11/hipster_dad_magazine_makes_using_ph.php

This magazine, the people who created it, and those who might possibly read it constitute everything that's wrong with Brooklyn right now.  This publication is another example of folks who say they love living in the city because of its culture and diversity and end up associating with people who are just like themselves in terms of race, upbringing, and life in general.  (Note: having an Asian wife or girlfriend doesn't give you an automatic diversity pass either.)  Not that there's anything wrong with wanting to be with people you feel you have a lot in common with, but don't try to bullshit folks by telling people you appreciate diversity when, truthfully, you don't (or at least the life you lead doesn't show that you do).  I do commend one of the magazine's founders for realizing that the first issue isn't racially or economically diverse and he claims he and the staff will work to rectify this situation for future editions (if there are future editions).

People (myself included) criticize Detroit for being racially segregated and it is.  However, Brooklyn isn't exactly a melting pot either.  Sure, lots of different people live in the city, but a lot of those people don't associate with folks who are different from themselves in terms of race, ethnicity, income, and education.  Yes, Brooklyn is miles ahead of Detroit in terms of racial diversity, but it is not the promised land that some folks seem to think it is either.

Sunday, February 10, 2013

Shut Up, Oprah!

I delayed my weekly trip to the laundromat today so I could stay home and watch the first part of Oprah's two-part interview with Nate Berkus.  I quickly realized that the interview wouldn't need to be in two parts if Oprah would just shut up and late Nate talk.  Every time Nate talked about some personal experience, Oprah had to jump in and insert her own personal tale of woe or put her own interpretation on it.  When did Oprah become so annoying?  She must truly believe that she's some kind of guru.   During one of the few times she let Nate get a word in edgewise, it was interesting to hear him talk about how his father thought he was going to try to kill himself once he came out as gay.  In his father's mind, being gay was the equivalent of being miserable.  Nate had to set him straight (no pun intended) on that.  I don't know if I can bear to watch the second part of the interview because I suspect Oprah will dominate it once again, but I like Nate Berkus so I probably will tune in.

Saturday, February 9, 2013

Hello! You've Got Snow!

Yes, it snowed yesterday and overnight, but you probably already knew that. The media, once again, threw itself into a frenzy of over-the-top reporting. When I saw Lonnie Quinn with his jacket off and his sleeves rolled up, I knew there was trouble ahead. Did we really need a walk and talk from the weather center to the studio, Lon? I don't think so! Since I isn't venture out today, I'm posting a picture of Prospect Park that I took a few weeks ago.

Friday, February 8, 2013

Faith for the Faithful

There's an article in today's NY Times that discusses how a Lutheran pastor was admonished by the Lutheran Church (Missouri Synod) and forced to apologize because he attended an interfaith service for Sandy Hook victims in Connecticut.  My sister sent me a link to the story that I've provided below.  My sister was angered that the Lutherans frown upon members of their flock attending interfaith religious services.  We grew up in the Missouri Synod branch of the Lutheran Church and it is a very conservative branch of Lutheranism.  I didn't realize how conservative it was until I got out of it.  What I don't understand is why the Lutherans think that if you sit and listen to a Buddist or a Hindu talk about his/her religion that you're somehow worshipping that faith.  If you are strong in your faith, it shouldn't matter if you're sitting around with a bunch of agnostics or devil worshippers.  You should be able to walk out of that the same way you walked in.  If you walked in a Christian, then you should walk out a Christian.  Attending a service with people of faiths other than your own shouldn't sway you from your faith.  I would think the Lutherans would be glad to have one of their own at the interfaith service to provide a Christian perspective and maybe even get some converts. 

http://www.nytimes.com/2013/02/08/nyregion/lutheran-pastor-explains-role-in-sandy-hook-interfaith-service.html?emc=eta1&_r=0

Wednesday, February 6, 2013

Duped!

Let me first say that I love my Kindle.  I love the fact that I can get a free sample of a book I'm thinking of purchasing before I actually purchase it.  However, lately, I've felt like I've been duped by the samples of a few books I've recently purchased.  The sample is so good that I jump to purchase the entire book only to watch it fall apart.  It's frustrating to have a book start with so much potential and then turn into page after page of ridiculousness and tomfoolery.  I feel like I've been suckered.  It's amazing how some books start so wonderfully and fall off the cliff soon after.

Friday, February 1, 2013

Good Riddance to a Bad Week

I'll just say it.  This week sucked hard and was filled primarily with problems.  Between my busted doctor's appointment (that I blogged about on Tuesday) to screw ups at work (not my own this time), the days were painfully annoying to get through.  Why don't people listen when you try to give them advice that will help them?  Why do some folks assume you're trying to undermine them or overrule them when you're simply pointing out a potential problem or providing advice on how to stop a problem from occurring?  Then, after you've been shot down or ignored and the shit hits the fan, who has to come behind and clean up the mess?  Me, that's who.  Maybe next week will be an improvement over this one.  I certainly hope that's the case.