Unemployed

You might or might not have figured it out by now, but I am currently unemployed.

I won’t go into detail about the reason for my unemployment, but I will say that it has been quite a few years since I have been in this situation.

It’s been a short time and I have had some interviews, but not a lot. The extremely scary thing about unemployment is that it is unpredictable. I could have two or three interviews in one day and then have none for the rest of the week.

My expertise is in customer service. I have addressed issues from the most mundane (status of orders, billing questions, etc) to the very difficult and detail oriented questions that require research and sometimes going to other departments.  The issue is that I am not entry level, but I also know myself enough to know that I would not be a good fit for a manager position.

I want to work, I need to work. Not just for the paycheck, but for my mental and physical health. I get a physical rush when I am able to go to work and I feel like I am wanted. I have an exhausted high (if there is such a thing) when I come home from work, knowing that I have accomplished something during the day.

While I love to write, it is just something that I do on the side.  I hope it may be my full time profession one day, but for now, it is a hobby.

I know there are a lot of us out there, looking for work. Employers seem to be pickier than ever. Salaries and benefits are not what they were. It’s not like it was back in the day, when someone got a job straight of out college and had it until they retired 30 or 40 years later.

I know that my next job is out there. I just don’t know when I will get it.

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Beauty

Do you ever notice that women are usually judged by their looks?

An attractive woman is called something along the lines of a beauty or stunner.

An unattractive woman is called something along the lines of a dog.

Is it gratifying when someone, when a woman is told that she is attractive? Of course.

But to borrow a statement from Martin Luther King Jr., I would like to known for the “content of my character”.

I believe it was Judge Judy who said “Beauty fades, dumb is forever”.

There is much more to a person than just the external appearance.

While we as women have come incredibly far, we are still judged and valued for our external appearance.

Yes, it is hard to change 1000 years of thinking one way in only a few generations, but it’s time. If men can be judged for their intelligence and ability before their looks, then women should be judged the same way.

The Critics Were Wrong-Reign

Writing a historical drama for television is like walking a fine line. One hand, there has to be a certain level of accuracy. But on the other hand, the story should be engaging so as not to feel like a documentary.

Premiering last fall, Reign  is the story of the teenage Mary, Queen of Scots  (Adelaide Kane) who is betrothed to Francis, The Dauphin Of France (Toby Regbo). Publicly, Francis’s mother, Queen Catherine (Megan Follows) is all for the marriage, but will do anything to protect her child, including finding ways to secretly undo the betrothal. Added to the mix is Francis’s half brother, Sebastian (Torrance Combs) and Mary’s ladies in waiting, Kenna (Caitlin Stasey), Greer (Celina Sinden) and Lola (Anna Popplewell), who are dealing with their own issues.

Keep in mind that this show is on the CW. There are certain similarities to the Tudors, but given that this is a basic channel show and the aimed for audience is teenagers, there are also differences. Does that mean it is entirely historically accurate? No. But it is fun show and sometimes after a long day, I just want to watch TV and relax.

The second season premieres on October 2nd.

I recommend this show.

Breathless Review

The thin veneer of society and it’s rules seem to be an underlying thread in the early 1960’s.

The new mini series on PBS, Breathless is about this veneer.

Otto Powell (Jack Davenport) is the Don Draper of a teaching hospital in London during the early 1960’s. He has a successful medical career, a loving wife (Natasha Little), a young son and a secret. Jean (Zoe Boyle) is engaged to Richard (Oliver Chris). Jean is pregnant before the wedding, but is keeping it a secret from her fiance. Angela (Catherine Steadman) is hiding her own secret while going through a professional and moral dilemma.

Did I enjoy Breathless? The cast is very well chosen. It is a little confusing, especially if your not paying attention. This show requires multiple viewings. But it is enjoyable and I look forward to episode 2.

Too Late

Imagine if you will, that you are walking by a lake. For the hec of it, you throw a nearby stone in the lake and watch the ripples become larger and larger.

Hate and prejudice are the same way. The ripples become larger and larger and the hateful lies become truth, even when they aren’t.

Several years ago, Time Magazine reported that the IDF was using the organs of slain Palestinians. They have since retracted the story.

The problem is that some many consider it to be the truth, even when it is not the truth. The other problem is that whomever is responsible for fact checking stories before they are published did not their job properly, which adds to the lies and fuels the fire of hatred and murder.

It is too late for a retraction. The story is out there. It will only cause more bloodshed and destruction. I can only hope that the press will check the facts before deciding that piece ready to be published.