I have a cold. My head is all stuffed up and I feel froggy. I can feel my clothes on my skin and my hair is just limp. And if all of that isn't enough, my hazel eyes are bright fever green. So you'll just have to put up with my miserable achy whining for the moment. There were a number of topics I wanted to cover today, but my inability to type a single word without a typo will limit my complaining somewhat.I must be succinct..lest I fall asleep at the keyboard.
Thankfully, the Madame Bachmann crazies are fading fast. I am particularly grateful for this. And will be equally grateful when Perry's star fades into the Gulf of Mexico which it, too, seems to be doing. There needs to be an elevation of the political debate in this country and it needs to happen real soon. The Wall Street demonstrations are not too far off from Tahrir Square in vehemence. I would recommend everyone take a look at this: We Are The 99 Percent. You don't have to agree with it, you don't have to support it, but you do have to read it. Some are stories of self-defeating failure and bad choices, others are just testaments to doing everything right and still not being able to afford the basics. This is a harbinger of anger to come.
Uh oh. I fell asleep at the keyboard. Seriously. I just nodded off.
Beddy-bye time. I can finish this in the morning...when I get up for work at 4:30 a.m. Yeah. You read that right. It's a short night. Okay...enough. I feel terrible. I'm going to bed.
Where was I? Oh, yeah. Occupy Wall Street. A few days prior to the rag tag army's arrival there was a different kind of protest on Wall Street. About 700 pilots marched to Wall Street to draw attention to their labor dispute. It was orderly to a point of precision. The placards were printed and very tidy. They did what they came to do, then dispersed. This was not one of them hippy rallies; these guys had a point to make and they made it in their usual professional manner.
Not to be overreaching here, but a corollary comes to mind. After a spate of sexual assaults in Brooklyn, cops have been telling women to "cover up." Actually, there have been a number of places in recent weeks where it would seem the modesty police are out in force. One of my favorite bloggers called it Saudi Arabia, NY 11215. Now, let's just say I am definitely not the fashion police, nor do I think the cops should be commenting on that. Besides, I usually don't care enough to comment on clothing in general, but...
Uh oh. I fell asleep at the keyboard. Seriously. I just nodded off.
Beddy-bye time. I can finish this in the morning...when I get up for work at 4:30 a.m. Yeah. You read that right. It's a short night. Okay...enough. I feel terrible. I'm going to bed.
Good morning? It's 5:30. I'm showered and dressed and I still feel crummy, but not as crummy as yesterday. I'll be damned if I'm giving up 5 years of perfect attendance for a lousy cold. I'll just make sure I cough only on myself.
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Spencer Platt/Getty Images |
Not to be overreaching here, but a corollary comes to mind. After a spate of sexual assaults in Brooklyn, cops have been telling women to "cover up." Actually, there have been a number of places in recent weeks where it would seem the modesty police are out in force. One of my favorite bloggers called it Saudi Arabia, NY 11215. Now, let's just say I am definitely not the fashion police, nor do I think the cops should be commenting on that. Besides, I usually don't care enough to comment on clothing in general, but...Ah, the big butt. A while back, in my Mall of America Weeble rant, I questioned the attractiveness of wearing clothing that outlined your fat rolls. And I'll admit I'm one of those dinosaurs who believes your clothing sends a message...which is why everyone who knows me knows I must've been a flower child in my former life for my raiment still manages to convey an element of hippie-ness…or so my kids tell me.
So, the question morphs into, "are the pilots taken more seriously because they're all dressed in their little pilot suits?" And subsequently, are the Brooklyn Bridge marchers dismissed more readily because they are less formally attired?
Our world is changing. Perceptions are changing. So let me throw out the question: is the idea that clothing sends a message outmoded? Are appearances nothing more than appearances?
And if you are of a mind, please throw in a comment on this one….especially if you’re one of my foreign readers. I would love to hear what people have to say on this.
The Wifely Person's Tip o'the Week
If you don't like how you're being treated at the office,
go check the mirror first.
go check the mirror first.
If that's not at least part of the problem, go get a good lawyer
Well, you raise many issues. All this is going on in my backyard, too.
ReplyDeleteRegarding Park Slope and sexual assaults: Assaults are inexcusable, regardless of how one is dressed. However, if there is a maniac loose, one should avoid doing risky things, like being out alone, or moving out of range of the security camera, etc. A person has an amount of responsibility for her own safety.
Regarding clothing: I think someone should dress considerately for the other people around. I don't want to see people's fat rolls or butt cracks. But that is just me. I wouldn't dream of telling someone what to do, but I wouldn't keep my opinion to myself if asked. I reserve the right to mock people behind their backs (but never to their face).
Regarding demonstrations: I don't think any demonstration is taken very seriously these days. I have seen reported that the wall street demonstrations are not without anti-Semitic content: Such as "wall street = Jews" on signs. The 99% testimonies are very moving and heartwrenching.
Feeling better: Grandma would have made for you a guggle-muggle. Try salt water rinse for your nose and throat. Drink lots, rest lots. There you got sympathy!
Perdie
I literally LOVE this part the best:
ReplyDeleteUh oh. I fell asleep at the keyboard. Seriously. I just nodded off.
lol / :)
doug
Should the Police be telling women to cover up – absolutely not. However society has always passed judgments based upon personal clothing choices and that will never change. I always subscribe to the old boxing adage of “Protect yourself at all times”
ReplyDeleteWith regard to the 99% notes. There are a handful of those who I feel empathy for, including Vets, middle-aged people struggling to care for elderly parents and those with (not lifestyle-induced) disabilities. However, I struggle to muster much sympathy for able-bodied college students and people who knowingly take on large amounts of debt. Working hard to get ahead is nothing new , and some need to look at themselves rather than blaming the system. If 99% of us are so depressed about the future, then I do fear for the country. However , many in previous generations struggled to find jobs, buy houses and get an education under much tougher circumstances. They also didn’t complain about the unfairness of it all. Once you start thinking like a victim you will become a victim, and based upon the spelling and grammar in some of the notes I am not astonished that these correspondents fail to find jobs. I have always subscribed to the position that regardless of who is in power; I am responsible for my own success or failure in life. That includes matching my appearance to my expectations.
There is a old Irish proverb that says. “If I could kick the arse of the person responsible for most of my troubles, then I wouldn’t be able to sit down for a month”
You never get a second chance to make a first impression. Clothes are important to make that first impression. After someone gets to know you, you're on your own.
ReplyDeleteSince you are discussing the "cover up" topic this week, I had to ask:
ReplyDeleteYou said: "Good morning? It's 5:30. I'm showed and dressed and I still feel crummy..."
Just what is it that you showed? And to whom (at 5:30 in the morning!)?
Signed,
Just Curious
The typo is corrected and trust me, there's not much worth showing anyones these days. But I thank you for the correction.
ReplyDelete