(no subject)

[shadowkat]

This week the Artist Way tasked me with "not reading for one week" or "reading deprivation" - which is impossible. I read for a living. My job requires some level of reading.

Instead, I decided to stop watching the morning news, and avoid reading the NY Times as much as possible. I don't know if that is helping or not.

I don't about anyone else - but I feel like I'm in a world where other people's opinions are constantly being flung at me. I've decided to start setting up filters to remain sane. I was a quarter of the way through an article about a novelist whose book was selected as the 100th novel for Oprah's Book Club, when I decided, I'm better off not knowing any of this. And I was a quarter of the way through an review on the book - raving about it - in the NY Times, when I decided, eh, not for me, moving on.

The choice to stop, when something isn't to my taste or isn't working for me right now - is not a new decision. But it is a necessary one. I'm no longer a student, or in a book club, or trying to impress, it is not my job to finish something I'm ostensibly reading for pleasure. If the spirit moves me to stop. I stop. It's oddly freeing to do so. To just stop and go one to something else. I did that with White Lotus and The Last of Us, two popular television shows, that had positive audience and critical ratings and were universally adored - and been rec'd by various people. Neither were to my taste. So I just stopped watching.

Just because other people like it? Doesn't mean I will. And I guess this is me flinging my opinions out into the world for no particular reason whatsoever.

Also, for some reason or other, if a popular nation wide book club selects something - I'm unlikely to find it enjoyable. I don't know why this is? I've seldom liked Oprah's choices when she selected them. I liked Beloved, but I read it in college long before I ever heard of Oprah.

And..I may be among the few people on the planet who never felt a need to read Louisa May Alcott's Little Women.

***

I've drawn three new pictures to paint of people that I see on the subway. I should probably have chosen to do this during comic con or Halloween, when folks wear costumes on the subway.

But it would have been harder. So there's that.

***

Crazy Workplace.

So we were talking about breasts or clothes at work? No it was blouses, I remember now.

Gabe and new Gal on blouses: Oh, I got a new blouse. So soft.
ME: Yeah, I got this one a while back.
Gabe and New Gal: That looks great.
Me: I rarely buy them because they tend to gap in the front and show off my bust -
Gabe: Busty?
New Gal: Busty? You're dating yourself.
Me: Uhm, how exactly? You don't call breast busts any longer?
Gabe: We'll just call you busty now.
New Gal: Yeah that's a great idea! Busty!
Me: No, it's not a great idea. Not happening.So

Later..

New Gal: So, Busty is your new nickname.
Me: No.
New Gal: No?
Me: NO.
New Gal: You're no fun.
Me: Yeah well.
New Gal: But it's funny, Gabe came up with it.
Me: No its really not.

So, when did "busty" become dated? Some days, I think, I can't retire fast enough.


The other day, after lunch, Chidi turned and said an indecipherable phrase at me and laughed my response, which was basically WTF?

Chidi: SK, have you heard $%^&*(()!!
ME: What?
Chidi: The look on your face is hilarious.
Me: Because I have no idea what you just said. Repeat it.
Chidi: Wnthdoit!
Me: Again, no idea what you said.
Chidi:Wtdoit!
Me: Okay, it sounds like Wothedoit.
Chidi (bursts out laughing.)
Me: Be nice to know what it is.
Chidi: It's African American Slang.
Me: Yes, but what is it?
Mel: Slow it down a bit...
Chidi: Won't he do it!
Me: What in the hell? What's that mean?
Chidi: Won't he do it! It's slang - it's well, when they call off a staff meeting - we say after "Won't he do it!" Like praise the lord, Amen.
Me: Okaaay.
Chidi: You should adopt that phrase yourself
Me: Unlikely it makes no logical sense to me.

He found this to be hilarious. The man is a fan of Chris Rock and Dave Chappelle. Also Seinfeild.

Anyhow, still clueless as to what this phrase meant - I looked it up.

Apparently it's from a music video by Korn

Here's the lyrics...

Ain't nobody stoppin' my shine
They try to break me, try to take me out
But I got Jesus on my side
Felt so bad, I thought I would die
But ain't no power stronger than the one
That came and laid down his life
And I got mountains to climb
But the enemy can't stop me
'Cause there's a calling on my life
So, when I'm crying, don't last too long
'Cause he's gon' step in and make it alright
Won't He do it?
He said He would
Fight your battles for you
They gon' wonder how you sleep at night
Won't He do it?
Ah yes, He will
Anybody tell you something different
You know that's a lie

(It makes sense in the context of the lyrics, but not how Chidi said it. The boy needs to figure out how to communicate better. Actually I feel like no one is communicating well this week for some reason.)

Comments

[mtbc]

I went for too many years not realizing that, yeah, it can be a good idea to not bother reading the rest of a book. Norman Mailer's Ancient Evenings did it for me (in that it didn't).

If you do ever think about picking up The Last of Us again then you can just skip the eighth episode without losing much but, yeah, you're not missing a lot anyway by just cutting it short altogether.

[shadowkat]

I read the recap of the last episode? And it sticks really closely to the young girl/old guy dystopian world trope. Really closely. To the point where it is almost formulaic. So, I'll pass. There's nothing to pull me in.

But I do highly recommend Station 11 which kind of subverts the trope completely.

[mtbc]

Sounds about right, heh.

Thank you, Station 11's now on our to-view list for when we next feel like something more than light entertainment!

[yourlibrarian]

And..I may be among the few people on the planet who never felt a need to read Louisa May Alcott's Little Women.

I'll raise my hand and say you're not alone! I saw the TV miniseries and thought it was fine. I could understand why the book had been very popular (particularly at the time). And reading a story in an author's voice is different from watching a filmed adaptation but I didn't feel any urge to do so.

[shadowkat]

I think I've seen six different adaptations of it? Currently, my favorite is the Winona Ryder version with Christian Bale as Laurie, and Kirsten Duntz as Amy.

Although, the Television miniseries was good. I think I also saw the Greta Gerwig one? Not sure. There's been so many.

But the trope isn't one that I'm really that into? I wonder if I would be if I was raised with a sister or sisters as opposed to a brother? It's very different being raised with a brother. IDK. I like things that aren't similar to my experience, actually prefer them sometimes. So I don't think that's it.

[svgurl]

Not continuing to read/watch something you're not into is a good plan. There are better ways to spend your time.

I may be among the few people on the planet who never felt a need to read Louisa May Alcott's Little Women.
I'm sure there are plenty of people who haven't (my sister among them, even though I own a copy). Despite the many adaptations, it never felt like the book everyone has read, since it wasn't assigned in school. I've read it but I was fairly young the first time and IDK what drew me to it. I am suddenly wondering how many people read it as a kid/teen vs as an adult.

Now that you mention it, I don't hear the word busty used anymore and I'm unsure when that happened. But I'm with you on the shirts that gape - I avoid the button downs because of it.

[shadowkat]

I may spend too much time talking to my eighty year old mother - who uses the term busty a lot. OR bust. Also, I've spent seventy-percent of my working life working with and being around a lot of baby boomers and older folks. Now, I'm suddenly surrounded by people ten-fifteen years younger than me, it's very odd.

Button down's are the worst. They always gap. Finding one that doesn't is a rare find. I have one. I might have two - not sure yet.

My mother read Little Women as an adult. You're right - it wasn't assigned in school. We did Edith Wharton's Ethan From instead. Also a lot of depressing books by men - The Great Gatsby, A Separate Peace, 1984...all come to mind. (I actually was assigned 1984 in 1984.) I may have enjoyed Little Women more - who knows? Although by that time I'd seen three adaptations of it.

It and Pride and Prejudice, also Great Expectations and A Christmas Carol - have got to be the most adapted works.