29 October 2011

When I hear...

When I hear...I think...

"You can't have your cake and eat it too" - Okay, then I don't have to have it. I'll just eat it!
"He's not the sharpest tool in the shed" - I wouldn't want a sharp rake. I get in enough trouble with them
"Between a rock and a hard place" - Oh, between two rocks, then?
"Fancy pants" - This
"Brownie points" - I have been earning those all my life and have yet to get any brownies out of it.
"Pass the buck" - Oh, I didn't know we were having venison for dinner.
"Bury the hatchet" - Then it will be rusty and give you tetnus.
"Dead ringer" - Zombie bell players?
"Fifteen minutes of fame" - Isn't about time Britney/Miley/Lindsay/etc. got off the stage, then?
"Paint the town red" - Why not purple?
"An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure." - Yes, but are 28 grams of prevention worth 0.45 kilos of cure?
"If life gives you lemons, make lemonade." - Where am I supposed to get the sugar?
"Ignorance is bliss." - Until someone sneaks up behind you.
"The proof is in the pudding" - ...what?
"A stitch in time saves nine" - I have yet to see one burst stitch that needs nine to repair it.
"Don't put all of your eggs in one basket" - What about one carton? Besides, if I have two baskets then I won't have a hand to hold on to the railing.
"Out of sight, out of mind." - What about "absence makes the heart grow fonder," then?

No wonder people have trouble learning English!
What sayings, proverbs, or idioms seem extra strange to you (or do you have trouble understanding)?
I only mentioned one set of conflicting ones. There are tons more. What ones come to mind?

26 October 2011

What Would You Do?

...if you found $150,000?

I love news stories. While I don't feel qualified to make comments on most of them (for example, I know very little about Libya other than the basics the news tells us) and others don't mean much to me (I may find them very important in spite of this) some of them really incite strong reactions in me.

This is an example of one.

I'm torn between two really conflicting feelings:  anger and hope. I had not heard about this story in the past (probably because it happened during summer, when I am on my computer the least) and so I was completely new to all of the information.

To summarize (VERY succintly):  an unemployed carpenter named Wayne Sabaj found a duffel bag with $150,000 in it. And he turned it in to the police (if he had kept it, he would have gotten some much-needed dental work done). And people criticized him for this (not just thinking he was stupid but outright criticizing). At the same time, a wonderful man named Dr. Xhelo Shuaipaj heard his story and offered to do all of his dental work for free (Mr. Sabaj is getting fitted for dentures, which he should have by November). (As a side note, the money is still not claimed and, if it remains unclaimed, Mr. Sabaj will get to keep it.)

So here we have two models for our youth. One model of two men who are doing the right things by turning in found money and helping someone in need and the other model of people encouraging deceit.

As a culture (especially those in their 20s and below) we have a distinct lack of a moral consensus, and people wonder why. There is also (as always) the fear that those in the "next generation" (it always seems to be the 'next' generation) are becoming criminals and psychopaths. When half of the models we see are of people encouraging people to lie and cheat, is it any wonder?

Now, I know that's not quite how it works. I know that we have all sorts of models other than these, I know that I'm probably overreacting (I get emotional sometimes, okay?!), and I know that there are mitigating circumstances and that these are a few, not the many. I'm just so disgusted over the actions of these few.

On the other hand, we have this model of hope. We have a man who really, really could use the money but decided to do the right thing and we have a man who decides to "pay it forward" and help someone. We don't hear about these stories enough, I think (I know they happen, we just don't hear of them). But it does give me hope to think that there are people who are willing to show kindness in spite of criticism.

What do you think?  Do you think he should have kept the money? Do you think you would have? What about Dr. Shuaipaj, did he do the right thing or should he have kept to himself?
I want to hear other opinions on this!

25 October 2011

Quirks

(This is my obligatory "About Me!" post. Cue the chirping birds and jazz hands!)

I'm fairly untidy in real life but I love putting things in piles; on my computer I'm over organized (think folders inside of folders inside of folders to a nearly infinite level). I also really like lists.
I've already taken over 10,000 pictures this year (probably a major reason why I'm over organized on my computer).
There are a few categories of things that I really like to gather and have but I rarely use. Make-up and office supplies are the two things that come to mind. Office supplies especially. I love them.
I really dislike writing with black ink. The only time I use it is if I'm out of the house and away from my bag (and thus am using someone else's pen).
I find it difficult to sit still through a movie. Really, really difficult.
I count stairs, almost compulsively. If I miscount or get interrupted I will often either go back and start again or I will stand on a landing and count visually. (As a result, I can tell you the number of stairs it takes to get to the places I often go.)
I like white walls. I'm not sure why but it may have to do with lighting.
I genuinely enjoy fiber cereal. I think it tastes delicious.
I could go on listing my quirks for ages (but I have to have some fodder for two truths and a lie and/or for other blog posts). (Yes, I'm counting that as a quirk.)

I think this tells a lot about me. I'm not sure what, exactly, but it sure tells you something!
Leave a comment if you have any ideas. I'd sure as heck like to know! ^_^

Peace and cookies,
Ally xo