Text 31863, 99 rader
Skriven 2012-12-18 10:04:00 av NANCY BACKUS (1:261/1381)
     Kommentar till en text av MICHAEL LOO
Ärende: Re: infuriation 688
===========================
-=> Quoting Michael Loo to Nancy Backus on 12-09-12  10:34 <=-

 NB>> got to them first, there was always a LOT of fixing to do before really
 NB>> doing any finishing... murdered most foully indeed... She'd mess up
 NB>> Sudoku, crosswords, jumbles... and apparently hadn't a clue...
 ML> 
 ML> That is pretty infuriating, but sometimes the challenge is
 ML> as good exercise for the brain as that of a fresh puzzle if
 ML> not more so: an elegant crossword is a pleasure but still
 ML> relatively straightforward, but a messed-up one is like a
 ML> detective story with lots of red herrings.

Agreed..  One has to stay alert to not be led astray by a wrong entry.
 
 NB>> It's pretty hard to convince an aging parent (or friend, sometimes)
 NB>> that one can't really handle things like they used to and want to
 NB>> keep doing. 

 ML> There are others, though, my father for instance, who just
 ML> fold up and enjoy having other people take care of them.

True.  I've encountered that as well. 

 ML> I don't really know what I'd feel like in such a situation,
 ML> but I kept thinking to myself, how can you let yourself be
 ML> this way?

Guess he got tired of making decisions...  Dunno... after years of
taking care of a number of people, there are days when I wonder whether
I'd just as soon have somebody else taking care of me for a change... ;)
Usually it depends on how mentally/emotionally tired I am...  :)

 NB>> Job security is illusory.

 ML> This is a development from during my lifetime - one of the
 ML> less attractive things that have happened in the modern era.
 ML> It's not all progress, despite what people like to say.

Agreed.  There's always been some sort of lack of security, but up to
now, there were at least some businesses that bucked that and really did
provide a secure job... now they all seem set up to encourage people to
NOT consider things secure, and will drop good people for the least of
reasons... 

 NB>> As I've been well aware for at least my whole adult life... My
 NB>> first "real world" job, on a service team for Dept of Social
 NB>> Services, included trying to help out-of-work engineers find some
 NB>> sort of employment... their utter despair has stuck in my memory. 

 ML> Understandable - someone works hard to achieve a certain
 ML> eminence that should have security attached to it if not
 ML> comfort, and circumstances blast that hope to hell. Blame
 ML> a competitive and ungiving society.

And management that is more concerned about their golden parachutes than
about the well-being of the company or the employees...

 ML> That probably was a shocking thing to witness and that
 ML> left a strong impression on you, I imagine, as I'm also
 ML> not fond of despair myself.

It was indeed.  Grown men hiding their head in their hands to hide the
tears, having looked for minimum wage jobs and being told they were way
over-qualified, with fancy houses heavily mortgaged, families to
support, and no way to do it... Back then, it was Xerox, I think...

I'm thankful that Richard and I never overextended ourselves, so that
when the bottom dropped out for us, we were in better shape than most. 
He hasn't, at least to the best of my knowledge, ever succumbed to
despair despite the job (and lack thereof) situation... we've managed,
somehow, with what we have...  :)   

 ML>> on the echo) and I went to get gros sel to cook duck in, right
 ML>> after a big snowstorm, and the supermarket had it on special
 ML>> at twice the regular price. At that time I chalked it up to
 ML>> the French being French.
 NB>> It does make one wonder what they are using the word "special" to
 NB>> mean...  ;)

 ML> Remember that the words special, specious, and specie all
 ML> have the same root!

Point.
 
 NB>> (I've heard of Ian, but yes, he was before my time.)

 ML> Interesting guy, and knew more about food than I did, which
 ML> is saying a lot (as Frank Lloyd Wright said, honest arrogance
 ML> is better than false humility).

And besides, folk around here know it's nothing but the truth... ;)

ttyl        neb

... Becoming a vegetarian is a missed steak.

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