“You’re Fired”

2 Sep

“You’re Fired.”  Besides Donald Trump and every angry boss in a movie, who really says that?  By the way, it may just be  a rumor, but I heard that The Donald tried to trademark the phrase, but that idea didn’t go over too well.  There are so many other ways to tell someone they will not be working for you anymore and most people do not actually choose “you’re fired.”  Have you ever been told that? I didn’t think so.  So, if not many people are actually saying it, why is it so commonly known, and where did it come from? I mean, what does it actually mean?

According to some random folks at WikiAnswers, “I hear”d that it originated with the old NCR company. The president (Possibly founder) was told that someone was so valuable to the company that he could never be let go.. The president put the invaluable employees desk on the front lawn and set it on fire, then let him go… Interesting, but I’ve heard that in communities in the olden days, if they wanted to get rid of somebody without harming them they would burn their houses down.”

Ok, so that’s an opinion or two, what else is there?

I read an interesting article on the associatedcontent.com page and it seems to give a little more clarity to the phrase in question.  Basically, the phrase dates back to when guns were a part of everyday life, say back in the 1800′s.  It started out as something like “fire out” and eventually became “you’re fired.”  Fire out is a reference to shooting a gun, like the way a bullet leaves the gun, so too will that “fired” employee leave his job.

Yes, I am disappointed in the origins I have found.  I don’t know for sure if any are true.  I guess I was hoping for some kind of dramatic yet understandable answer that would make me feel smarter and my mind clearer.

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Catholic Tomatoes

1 Sep

I’ve been thinking a lot about religion lately.  Having grown up in Massachusetts, most of my friends in school were “Catholic.” I give the quotations there because they said they were Catholic, but they were as Catholic as a tomato is fruity.  What I mean is, they say they’re Catholic but they don’t smell or taste like a real Catholic would.  I was always jealous of their First Communions and Confirmations.  It was like another birthday. These Catholics, and I really am trying to generalize and not stereotype here, would go to church, or mass,  on Christmas and Easter, and maybe for the occasional funeral service.  And, though I cannot judge their relationship with God or what they hold in their hearts, there was no passion there, it was just a do-good-every-once-in-a-while task.

Everybody’s heard of Catholicism, unless you are a member of an African tribe oblivious to the rest of the world and its religions, and my intro was your first look at Catholicism, I apologize.  I can remember asking, when I was a child, about Catholicism and what makes it different from our beliefs as Christians.  One thing I can remember processing was that Catholics prayed to  Mary, (“Hail Mary…”)where we saw her as a human, special, indeed because of her immaculate conception, but still human.

There is a lot of information about what Catholicism is and isn’t, what Catholics believe and don’t believe and what that all means. Unfortunately I do not have the time or space to do all that research, so I will stick to the praying to Mary thing.  Jonathan Bennett wrote an interesting article on this topic stating:

Is it ok to pray to other people? Most Christians would probably answer in the negative. The response would be: we pray to God and that’s it. However, Catholics and Orthodox operate under the more broad definition of “pray,” which means to entreat or request. Although the term is largely used of God today, we still have remnants of this usage when it was used with others, e.g. “pray tell.” So, by praying to Mary, we are simply entreating her or asking her for something. What are we asking? Two things, actually.

You can read this article in its entirety here.

I know there are a lot of other differences between these religions and others. More information than I care to wrap my lackadaisical brain around.  Maybe I will come back to more discussion on Catholicism, maybe I won’t.  In my quest to regain knowledge I can only take in small bits at a time in order to really process it.  As for “religion” as a whole, I dislike the fact that we have to categorize.  For me, it’s all about the relationship you have with your Creator.  Where do you stand?

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Dancing With The (Who is That?) Stars

31 Aug

Dancing With The Stars will see yet another season.  Aren’t we all getting a little sick of this show yet?  I have to admit I have seen episodes here and there, but have never watched a season in its entirety.  If you are having trouble counting how many seasons this makes, that’s because you have now run out of fingers. Yes, that’s right, this will make the 11th season.

Don’t worry, I won’t hold you in anticipation any longer.  Here is your cast according to this CNN blog:

Brandy – The singer and actress looks to continue her showbiz comeback, which began earlier this year with her VH1 reality show.

Jennifer Grey – She sizzled on the dance floor in “Dirty Dancing,” but that was nearly a quarter-century ago.  Her main goal?  Not being put in a corner.

Margaret Cho – The actress and comic has been seen dancing on Lifetime’s “Drop Dead Diva.”

Audrina Patridge – The “Hills” alum looks to extend her 15 minutes of fame.

Florence Henderson – The 76-year-old “Brady Bunch” mom is arguably the sentimental favorite this season.

Bristol Palin – Alaska’s most famous single mom puts on her dancing shoes.  Does Levi Johnston get custody during tapings?

Michael Bolton – The crooner may be popular with the ladies, but he’ll have to use his feet to win on this stage.

Mike “The Situation” Sorrentino – The “Jersey Shore” regular hopes to show he’s more than a reality show superstar. Instead, he hopes to be a superstar on two reality shows!

David Hasselhoff – We can only hope he realizes that people in Germany can’t vote to keep him alive on the show.

Kurt Warner – Sports stars always seem to do well on this show, and this Super Bowl-winning quarterback hopes to keep the streak alive.

Kyle Massey – According to the show, the actor starred on the Disney Channel series “That’s So Raven” and “Cory in the House.” Since I’m not 12-years-old, I have absolutely no clue who this man is.

Rick Fox – The actor and former NBA player was once married to actress Vanessa Williams.

Wow, this should be interesting. Will I watch? Occasionally, if I am flipping through the channels and nothing else is on.  Who’s my pick to win?  Well, I see some potential in everyone.  That may be potential to fail, potential to make a fool of themselves, potential to lose weight, and maybe even potential to win it all.  With that said, I am rooting for Kurt Warner. I like him as an athlete and I like him as a person (from what I have seen and read).  Do I think he has the best shot? Nope, but we all know that Margaret Cho is clearly the front-runner here…

The season starts September 20th, just in time to alleviate your Tom Bergeron withdrawals.

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Morocco

30 Aug

Morocco.  We’ve all heard of it, haven’t we?  It has one of the most diversified cuisines in the world and is  well known for its wildlife biodiversity as well.  So, where the heck is Morocco?  If I had to identify it on a map, I would have had no clue.  However, after a bit of research, I am proud to announce that it is a part of Northern Africa.  In fact, Morocco is one of the northern most points of Africa.  Like most North African countries Morocco is primarily Arabic.  There was once a large Jewish community in Morocco, before the creation of Israel, and there is still a small Jewish population there today.

Back in 2006 Morocco celebrated it’s 50th year of independence.  Independence from France, that is.  There are actually over 1 million Moroccans living in France and a smaller group in Spain as well.  Morocco spans from the Atlantic Ocean, to the mountains and to the Sahara Desert.  If you are interested in more information on the geography of Morocco, you can view that here. 

There are even a few celebrities that have roots in Morocco. Frederic Fekkai, the Frech Hairdresser, Cyril “Marseille Bad Boy” Abidi, former Muay Thai world champion and actress Juliette Binoche, to name a few.

So, are you ready to set sail and travel to Morocco? Are you wondering just what you can do once you get there?  Here are a few areas  that seem nice according to www.Wikitravel.org:

Tetouan – Nice beaches and is the gateway to the Rif Mountains.

Tangier –Tangier is the starting point for most visitors arriving by ferry from Spain. An enigmatic charm which has historically attracted numerous artists (Matisse), musicians (Hendrix), politicians (Churchill), writers (Burroughs) and others (Malcolm Forbes).

Marrakech (Marrakesh)– Marrakech is a perfect combination of old and new Morocco. Plan to spend at least a few days wandering the huge maze of souks and ruins in the medina. The great plaza of Djeema El Fna at dusk is not to be missed.

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Amoxicillin Anyone?

26 Aug

Amoxicillin. Chances are most of us have been on this drug before.  It’s commonly prescribed for ear infections, nose and throat infections, tonsil infections, laryngitis, bronchitis, pneumonia, u.t.i’s and even skin infections.   I can remember taking it as a child, and enjoying it the most then because it came in a pink, bubblegum-tasting liquid.  Like I said, we’ve all been prescribed it, but do we really know what it is?  My daughter is taking it for the second time now for an ear infection and I thought it was time to see what it’s all about.

The diseases previously mentioned are brought on by the strains of common bacterias in the body.  These superstar bacteria include, “Streptococci, E. coli, Staphylococcus, H. pylori, P. mirabilis, H. influenzae, N. gonorrhoeae, and S. pneumoniae.” (www.medicalnewstoday.com)  So, just how does amoxicillin combat these bacteria? Really, all it does is prevent them from making cell walls, which leads, ultimately, to their demise.

Like any drug, there are side effects from taking amoxicillin.  These generally include nausea, diarrhea, vomiting, etc.  Also, it can lessen the power of birth control, so be careful out there.  Also,  be careful not to overdose, as amoxicillin can lead to kidney failure if too much is taken it.  That does not sound inviting to me.

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Andy Warhol Had More Than 15 Minutes

25 Aug

Andy Warhol. Sir Excellence of Pop Art.   Warhol is most famous for his Campbell’s soup can work.  He was able to turn ordinary things into extraordinary art.  Born in 1928 in Pittsburg, PA to Slovak immigrants, Warhol furthered his art education post high school at the Carnegie Institute of Technology.  After graduation he packed up and set sail for New York, where he would soon find his success.

It was in the 1960′s when Warhol (or Warhola, his original last name) would discover his previously mentioned soup can style.  Oh, and by the way, “His first iconic image, a painting of a Campbell’s soup can…was an idea he’d bought from the gallery owner Muriel Latow for $50.” (nytimes.com)  It wasn’t even his idea? Tragic. Back to his pop art.   “The pop artist not only depicted mass products but he also wanted to mass produce his own works of pop art. Consequently he founded The Factory in 1962. It was an art studio where he employed in a rather chaotic way “art workers” to mass produce mainly prints and posters but also other items like shoes designed by the artist.” (Artelino.com)

Warhol soon was bored and decided to try his hand in the movie-making business.  He then made a movie about a man sleeping. The movie was over six hours. Hmm…

Don’t lose faith, though.  He also made a movie about the Empire State Building at night.  Really?

He actually made more films after this, more popular, but distasteful films.  Can’t say I will be watching any of them myself.

This brings us to 1968 where Warhol was shot by a crazy woman, some say a fan and others an employee.  Warhol luckily survived and lived another 20 years, but never quite recovered.  He died after a gallbladder operation.  You can read his obit here, if interested. It’s debatable to say that Warhol gained peak popularity post-death, so I wont say that. I’ll leave that up to you to decide.

Some famous Warhol quotes:

“Dying is the most embarrassing thing that can ever happen to you, because someone’s got to take care of all your details.”

“Don’t pay any attention to what they write about you. Just measure it in inches.”

“Isn’t life a series of images that change as they repeat themselves?”

“Everyone will be famous for 15 minutes.”

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August 24th

24 Aug

It’s August 24th. On this day is history, in the year 1869, Cornelius Swarthout patents the waffle iron.  According to Wikipedia.com, “A waffle iron is a cooking appliance used to make waffles. It usually consists of two hinged metal plates, molded to create the honeycomb pattern found on waffles. The iron is heated and batter is poured between the plates, which are then closed to bake the waffle.” Thanks Wiki.  Apparently waffle irons have been around since the 14th century, but were first brought to the U.S. is the 1620′s by the dutch pilgrims.  It is even said that Bill Bowerman, one of the co-founders of Nike used the waffle iron to inspire the “Waffle Trainer” shoe back in the 70′s.  This, of course brings us to the Nike’s of today.

Also, on this day in history, in the year 1949, NATO goes into effect.  NATO, the North Atlantic Treaty Organization was “Made up of nations from North America and Europe, 12 independent countries originally signed the North Atlantic Treaty. The treaty’s purpose was to commit each signatory country to the peace and security of all other members. A total of 28 countries are now members.” (www.wisegeek.com)  NATO’s headquarters are currently in Brussels, Belgium if you were interested in taking the tour.  Although, I am not sure that they will let you in.

Finally, on this day in history, in the year 1995, Windows 95 debuts.  Henry Blodgett states, “Windows 95 catapulted Microsoft into the mainstream consumer consciousness, in a way that no other Microsoft product ever had.  It capped Microsoft’s utter demolition of Apple in the first round of the companies three-decade-long war (Apple’s shaping up to win the next round).  It set up Microsoft for five years of awesome financial performance that nearly made the company the most valuable in the world.” (Read Full Article)  Bill Gates even got Jay Leno to help him display Windows 95′s simplicity.  One of the most notable features Windows 95 brought was the Start Menu.  Where would we be without it?  If you’re starting to feel a little nostalgic, keep it going by watching the 95 launch video.  Happy 15th Windows 95!

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Mike Huckabee 2012?

23 Aug

Mike Huckabee. Remember him? He was in the running for the 2008 Presidential Election as one of the top Republican contenders.  After it was evident that McCain was the top Republican choice, Huckabee bowed out.  Don’t lose hope, Huckabee Heads, rumor has it he will be running again in 2012.  So, just who is this guy anyways?

After a little digging, it seems that Huckabee is  a jack of all trades.  Besides being the 44th governor of Arkansas, Huckabee is also best-selling author, Southern Baptist Minister, political commentator for ABC Radio, tv host for Fox News, avid bass guitar player, husband, father and more.  You can read more about Mike through his website.

My favorite little known fact about Mike Huckabee is that he used to be a chubba-lub.  Here’s a portly picture of Huckabee from about 6 years ago.  He listed running as one of his hobbies. Huh…I guess he got into that hobby no more than 6 years ago.  If I were to make  a movie about Mike Huckabee I would cast Kevin Spacey.
It seems that Huckabee is quite the popular person these days.  His website boasts the Huckabee Network which includes his Twitter, Facebook and E-mail subscribers.

It looks like Mike’s numbers are more impressive than mine:
Facebook Link
415,257 Fans
Twitter Link
87,647 Followers
E-mail Updates
521,011 subscribers

So, what about 2012?  I can’t say for sure, but according to Wikipedia.com Huckabee’s got a good shot.

On December 3, 2008 local NBC news station WLWT asked Huckabee about the prospect of running, to which he said, “I’m pretty sure I’ll be out there. Whether it’s for myself or somebody else I may decide will be a better standard bearer, that remains to be seen.” [66]

A June 2009 CNN/Opinion Research Corporation national poll showed Huckabee as the 2012 presidential co-favorite of the Republican electorate along with Palin and Romney.[67] An October 2009 poll of Republicans by Rasmussen Reports put Huckabee in the lead with 29%, followed by Romney on 24% and Palin on 18%.[68]

In a November 2009 Gallup poll, Huckabee was shown as the leading Republican contender for 2012.[69]

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Book Report: The Year of Living Biblically by A.J Jacobs

20 Aug

The Year of Living Biblically. Is “Biblically” even a word?  Not according to my WordPress editor. 

In searching for the books image (by using the book’s title) for my post I noticed a few pictures of Marlon Wayans popping up along with A.J.  That struck me as odd so I clicked on one which brought me to a website with an article from 7/2009. The article states that this book is set to be made into a movie and the main character would be, yes, you guessed it, Marlon Wayans.  You can read more about that here.

I finished the book a couple of days ago.  I did not feel ready right then to give my report because I really enjoyed the book.  That doesn’t make sense? Whenever I read a really good book or see a movie I really enjoyed I can never give my opinion on what I think of it immediately after. Partially, because I did not want it to end and have to come to grips with that and partially, because I like to let it marinate for a couple of days as I form my opinion.

I don’t know if I am ready yet, but I’m going for it anyways.

I really enjoyed this book. Plain and simple.  I found A.J. to be a superb writer who was able to keep me engaged throughout the whole book.  He has a way of presenting informative pieces of knowledge in a witty style that does not take away, but adds to the meat of it.  I wanted more. I wanted to know how the next year of his life went.  A.J. you left me hanging, but that’s not your fault as the book was only about that year of your life.  I am sure that I can find more info if i do some google.com searching. I am just curious as to how he adapted back into his “old” life.  It seems to me that A.J. will no go back to the person he was before, not exactly. I think he found a new A.J. inside, a better A.J.  I am curious to see how long it took for him to get accustomed to having a naked face again, or did he grow back a beard, maybe a more modern one?  Did he stick with his prayers, maybe not as regimented as during his biblical year, but is he still giving thanks? I’d love to know how things went with the birth of his twins and how his wife is doing with all those boys around.

Yes, I would definitely recommend this book.  This was my first A.J. Jacobs read and it wont be my last.  I’ve got The Know it All in my library queue right now.  I have also added his slave, I mean interns book The Unlikely Disciple to my queue as well.

I commend A.J. for the dedication he put into writing this book and i hope it was  well worth it for him.  He opened up his mind, heart and family life to us, putting it out there for anyone to see.  I don’t know if I could have done the same.  If you  haven’t read this book, I suggest you do, whether you are a Christian, Jew, atheist or Buddhist.  Please visit A.J.’s website or Amazon.com to buy this book.

p.s. I have to admit when I first started reading the book I watched a promotional video A.J. made about it and I thought A.J.’s voice did not sound like, but reminded me of that of Mo Rocca. So, for the rest of my read, I heard the voice, not my own or A.J.’s, but the voice of Mo Rocca narrating.

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Did I Do What’s Right?

19 Aug

I was at a clothing store today. I was going about my business shopping in the clearance section and I look down. I see a wad of cash.  As I get closer to it, i see the outside bill is a $100 bill. Adrenaline starts to pump. I pick it up and look around. I see others. I quickly count the money. It’s 5 $100 bills.  enclose it in my hand and ask loudly “did anyone drop some money?” No one says yes.  One man asks if it was more than $100 and I smile and nod my head. He smiles and says something I can’t remember.  So now I put the $500 in my pocket and walk away.  I run through all kinds of things in my head but my conscience is the loudest.

What would you do? I decided to call my husband and ask him since he has worked in retail management before. He told me I need to turn it in. He said whoever dropped it could really need it, and it might even be counterfeit. I could still just walk out of the store with it. I know I couldn’t live with that though.  I went to the customer service desk and asked a lady if she was a manager and she was. I told her I found the money and she took it and went behind the desk to write it up and stick it in the safe, I assume. She came back and said thanks, that was it.

I couldn’t stop thinking about it though.  She could have just taken it for herself.  I decided to call the police station to get advice. They told me I was the rightful owner if the money goes unclaimed.  I called the store and asked for the store manager. I told him I was the one who found the money and how the police told me I was the rightful owner.  He took my name and said he thinks the policy was 30 days after the money is found.  I still don’t trust them, but what can I do?

Did I do the right thing?

What would you have done?

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