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Mar. 9th, 2016 08:16 pm1.( birthday )
2. My poor mother...
Mother: Did your package arrive?
Me: No, but the packages from Amazon that you sent and the card did. Great card by the way.
Mother: But not the big one from the post office? It was supposed to arrive on Monday.
Me: Well, it's early yet...
Later...
Me: Before you ask, no the package hasn't arrived.
Mother: About that? Turns out there was a bit of a mixup. I looked up the tracking number and it was delivered...to an address in Naples, Florida.
Me: Florida???
Mother: Yes, I went to the post office and spoke to them for quite some time. I was very upset.
And they explained that while the address was put on it correctly, the number put in the computer was for Naples Florida, and that was the number put on the box -- and they go by the number not the actual address on the box. So as a result, it got misdirected.
Me: So they can send it back?
Mother: They called Naples, who said it was delivered -- but there's no address in Naples for them to deliver it to. And they called Brooklyn and got no where. He said he would call me tomorrow and let me know the status. I'm very frustrated.
Me: This is horrible. You should file a claim.
Mother: I only insured it up to $50, I probably should have gone higher..
Me: That would have cost extra. I'm thinking we've learned our lesson -- UPS from now on.
Mother: I asked for priority mail, paid extra and everything...I even have the address inside the box.
ME: Maybe it ended up with a good person who will send it back to the post office and to me?
Mother: I don't know why they'd want to keep it..it's personal items...
Suffice it to say, this does not reflect well on the US Postal Office and their employees. Note to self - send via Amazon Prime or UPS from now on. UPS has a better tracking system. And file a complaint with USPS, letting them know how incompetent they are. My mother's blood pressure sky-rocketed over this. She was very upset.
In addition to the above, her landscaper's shaved off the amaryllis bulbs, which she'd inherited from her mother (aka my beloved Granny), who died in 2009. Whenever they bloomed they reminded her of my Granny and made her happy. She's not sure they will grow back.
This goes to show you how simple mistakes on a job can harm another person. No matter what your job may be, please do it mindfully and with great care.
I don't know what to do about either. Do I file a complaint with the post office? Will the post office correct their mistake? My mother was pessimistic and feeling a sense of futility and powerlessness over the whole thing. She said that she'd complained and changed landscapers' once before -- when they killed a bunch of flowers she'd planted with insecticide. And she can't do the work they are doing herself...it's not physically possible and dangerous for her to do so.
3. Still watching The Magicians - which has been improving as we go along. So if you caught the two-hour pilot and decided it was a bore, you might want to give it a second try. There's some nice surprises here and there. The Filigree bit - is a sort of satirical take on Children's Fantasy novels - or rather, how those worlds aren't quite what we think nor for that matter are the characters that populated them. There's a heavy theme in the series about seeing the world for what it is, and making the choice to make it better -- as opposed to escaping from it into fantasy worlds and drugs. Quentin and Julia are two privileged twenty-somethings, who are depressed that the world isn't what they want it to be. And both are self-absorbed enough to think they are special or rather more special than everything one else. Julia seeks magic out from the equivalent of magic drug-dealers, and Quentin from childhood fantasy novels...where it appears he has a destiny.
Yet, it becomes increasingly clear that both are inherently dangerous and result in horrible things happening to those around them.
I've discovered, once again, watching this series...that I have a tendency to mishear things. It's
Braithbills not Braithwaits. This is why I'm not fond of radio or audio books. I don't missee things, but I do mishear. It's why I've always struggled with language. Even English is an issue -- it's genetic, my mother and brother do it too. My mother will mispronounce words. She can't say Hayden, she pronounces it Aiden. And I can't say Gibraltar. I pronounce Gib-altar. I can't for some reason or other reproduce the "bra" sound in the middle.
It's why I prefer writing -- I can edit it, and I am less likely to misread or miswrite something than I am to mishear or misspeak it. Written communication comes much more easily to me than spoken.
Just as I find it easier to watch a television show, watch a musical, watch a movie, or a theatrical performance - than to "listen" to one. And Live Music? All I hear is the noise -- it's hard for me to distinguish sounds of live band or live rock performance, I'm better with classical or with it on earphones.
This is hard to explain to people who don't have these issues. I remember years ago, my college friend, Amy, interviewing a mutual friend, Carter, regarding dyslexia. She asked her to explain what it was like. And Carter stated that it was impossible to explain it - because from her perspective that was what the world was like. I've never seen it any other way. To me, this is normal. This is what is real.
Yes, this, exactly. As a friend of mine puts it...you just see things differently than everyone else.
Your perspective is different.
In the book that I'm currently reading, The Hunter by Kerrigan Byrn, a poor, Jakob, tells the assassin who has just saved his life..."You aren't an artist. You don't think the way I do. But that's okay, we don't have to think the same way to talk to each other and become friends."
It's good to be reminded of that, I think. Particularly in cantankerous times.
4. Speaking of cantankerous times..SIL who is part Cherokee and has traced her heritage back to Pochantas, is upset about JK Rowlings new book The History of Magic - North America - Part I, where she, ahem, decides to misappropriate the Native American culture, and make the Europeans look great in the bargain..
Sigh. If Rowlings had done a bit more research -- she'd have realized that the Native American culture is a sensitive topic for Americans. And being a Brit, doesn't help her case any - evil Brits invaded the Americas and ruthlessly killed millions of Native Americans (and no, you're never going to live that down.) Buffy the Vampire Slayer actually addressed the topic rather well in the episode Pangs.
The war in the 21st century is more or less a continuation of the wars in the last one, which is largely a never-ending cultural clash. People, for some reason or other, are weirdly judgemental and unaccepting of cultural practices and views that aren't their own or outside their experience. We're so insanely tribal. Our species is over a million years old and we still haven't evolved past tribalism. Not that individualism is necessarily the answer, it's not. Ayn Rand has proven that, amongst others. But I do think we should be more inclusive and accepting of practices and views that lie outside our own. It's far from easy -- however. I know, I live amongst people whose views, practices, language, etc vary from my own on various levels. But at the same time - it can be amazing and joyous.
At any rate, it is sort of ironic in a way. Rowlings normally is the one leading the charge on these sorts of things, now she's the politically incorrect bad guy.
Rowlings? You should have stuck with what you knew, British culture, and left the Americans alone.
2. My poor mother...
Mother: Did your package arrive?
Me: No, but the packages from Amazon that you sent and the card did. Great card by the way.
Mother: But not the big one from the post office? It was supposed to arrive on Monday.
Me: Well, it's early yet...
Later...
Me: Before you ask, no the package hasn't arrived.
Mother: About that? Turns out there was a bit of a mixup. I looked up the tracking number and it was delivered...to an address in Naples, Florida.
Me: Florida???
Mother: Yes, I went to the post office and spoke to them for quite some time. I was very upset.
And they explained that while the address was put on it correctly, the number put in the computer was for Naples Florida, and that was the number put on the box -- and they go by the number not the actual address on the box. So as a result, it got misdirected.
Me: So they can send it back?
Mother: They called Naples, who said it was delivered -- but there's no address in Naples for them to deliver it to. And they called Brooklyn and got no where. He said he would call me tomorrow and let me know the status. I'm very frustrated.
Me: This is horrible. You should file a claim.
Mother: I only insured it up to $50, I probably should have gone higher..
Me: That would have cost extra. I'm thinking we've learned our lesson -- UPS from now on.
Mother: I asked for priority mail, paid extra and everything...I even have the address inside the box.
ME: Maybe it ended up with a good person who will send it back to the post office and to me?
Mother: I don't know why they'd want to keep it..it's personal items...
Suffice it to say, this does not reflect well on the US Postal Office and their employees. Note to self - send via Amazon Prime or UPS from now on. UPS has a better tracking system. And file a complaint with USPS, letting them know how incompetent they are. My mother's blood pressure sky-rocketed over this. She was very upset.
In addition to the above, her landscaper's shaved off the amaryllis bulbs, which she'd inherited from her mother (aka my beloved Granny), who died in 2009. Whenever they bloomed they reminded her of my Granny and made her happy. She's not sure they will grow back.
This goes to show you how simple mistakes on a job can harm another person. No matter what your job may be, please do it mindfully and with great care.
I don't know what to do about either. Do I file a complaint with the post office? Will the post office correct their mistake? My mother was pessimistic and feeling a sense of futility and powerlessness over the whole thing. She said that she'd complained and changed landscapers' once before -- when they killed a bunch of flowers she'd planted with insecticide. And she can't do the work they are doing herself...it's not physically possible and dangerous for her to do so.
3. Still watching The Magicians - which has been improving as we go along. So if you caught the two-hour pilot and decided it was a bore, you might want to give it a second try. There's some nice surprises here and there. The Filigree bit - is a sort of satirical take on Children's Fantasy novels - or rather, how those worlds aren't quite what we think nor for that matter are the characters that populated them. There's a heavy theme in the series about seeing the world for what it is, and making the choice to make it better -- as opposed to escaping from it into fantasy worlds and drugs. Quentin and Julia are two privileged twenty-somethings, who are depressed that the world isn't what they want it to be. And both are self-absorbed enough to think they are special or rather more special than everything one else. Julia seeks magic out from the equivalent of magic drug-dealers, and Quentin from childhood fantasy novels...where it appears he has a destiny.
Yet, it becomes increasingly clear that both are inherently dangerous and result in horrible things happening to those around them.
I've discovered, once again, watching this series...that I have a tendency to mishear things. It's
Braithbills not Braithwaits. This is why I'm not fond of radio or audio books. I don't missee things, but I do mishear. It's why I've always struggled with language. Even English is an issue -- it's genetic, my mother and brother do it too. My mother will mispronounce words. She can't say Hayden, she pronounces it Aiden. And I can't say Gibraltar. I pronounce Gib-altar. I can't for some reason or other reproduce the "bra" sound in the middle.
It's why I prefer writing -- I can edit it, and I am less likely to misread or miswrite something than I am to mishear or misspeak it. Written communication comes much more easily to me than spoken.
Just as I find it easier to watch a television show, watch a musical, watch a movie, or a theatrical performance - than to "listen" to one. And Live Music? All I hear is the noise -- it's hard for me to distinguish sounds of live band or live rock performance, I'm better with classical or with it on earphones.
This is hard to explain to people who don't have these issues. I remember years ago, my college friend, Amy, interviewing a mutual friend, Carter, regarding dyslexia. She asked her to explain what it was like. And Carter stated that it was impossible to explain it - because from her perspective that was what the world was like. I've never seen it any other way. To me, this is normal. This is what is real.
Yes, this, exactly. As a friend of mine puts it...you just see things differently than everyone else.
Your perspective is different.
In the book that I'm currently reading, The Hunter by Kerrigan Byrn, a poor, Jakob, tells the assassin who has just saved his life..."You aren't an artist. You don't think the way I do. But that's okay, we don't have to think the same way to talk to each other and become friends."
It's good to be reminded of that, I think. Particularly in cantankerous times.
4. Speaking of cantankerous times..SIL who is part Cherokee and has traced her heritage back to Pochantas, is upset about JK Rowlings new book The History of Magic - North America - Part I, where she, ahem, decides to misappropriate the Native American culture, and make the Europeans look great in the bargain..
Sigh. If Rowlings had done a bit more research -- she'd have realized that the Native American culture is a sensitive topic for Americans. And being a Brit, doesn't help her case any - evil Brits invaded the Americas and ruthlessly killed millions of Native Americans (and no, you're never going to live that down.) Buffy the Vampire Slayer actually addressed the topic rather well in the episode Pangs.
The war in the 21st century is more or less a continuation of the wars in the last one, which is largely a never-ending cultural clash. People, for some reason or other, are weirdly judgemental and unaccepting of cultural practices and views that aren't their own or outside their experience. We're so insanely tribal. Our species is over a million years old and we still haven't evolved past tribalism. Not that individualism is necessarily the answer, it's not. Ayn Rand has proven that, amongst others. But I do think we should be more inclusive and accepting of practices and views that lie outside our own. It's far from easy -- however. I know, I live amongst people whose views, practices, language, etc vary from my own on various levels. But at the same time - it can be amazing and joyous.
At any rate, it is sort of ironic in a way. Rowlings normally is the one leading the charge on these sorts of things, now she's the politically incorrect bad guy.
Rowlings? You should have stuck with what you knew, British culture, and left the Americans alone.