« Eye Candy Weekend Edition | Main | Things that piss me off #976,542: Discontinuation of Favorite-est Product(ion). »
In which I am callous and uncaring (which should be old news to you).
Remember when I got those nasty comments telling me how my post about the cabdriver being murdered outside my apartment building showed what a shallow bitch I was because it didn't sound like I cared enough?
Gosh I hope they're still reading my meaningless narcissistic blog* as I'm about to give them an eyeful! And, yes, I will delete those comments all I want. It's MY BLOG motherfuckers. Get your own blog and bitch about me there!
(Sorry, newer readers, you may have noticed I don't keep archives on this site, posts only last a month at the most and there's just no way to obsess over me and read about the last five years of my life no matter how much I know you wish you could be wasting all your time obsessively rereading all the posts I ever wrote. Oh how tragic.)
30 people die in Virginia due to psycho killer going on rampage. Sad = Yes. Personally related to me in any way = No. Therefore, any more personally upsetting to me than ZILLIONS of equally innocent people killed in Iraq over the past weeks, months, years = No. Any more personally upsetting to me than children (and puppies!) being abused all over the world every fucking day of my life = No.
Or, hey, to put this on a very personal level, does this make me think any more sad thoughts than say, the news that one of my best friend's dads died at age 91 this week after a long, hopefully happy, life? (Yes, I'm talking about Mariko). A man who may have been cranky and sarcastic in his old age, and who made me chuckle fondly every time I saw him be so in person or heard about him being so secondhand. George cracked me up and I will be very sad next time I go to Portland and he's not around to visit with. And yes, I do find that more personally upsetting than random meaningless murder happening anywhere.
The way I see it: life fucking sucks. Bad shit happens to other people, and occasionally to you, or to ME, every single fucking day. And I really can't waste my tiny amounts of precious time on this earth getting SUPER FUCKING UPSET about every other person that dies or is murdered or whatever other horrible horrible bad thing that happens. I can only get that upset when it happens to me or my loved ones. Because otherwise I'm a fucking hypocrite and singling out certain random "global" events while blithely ignoring others. Honestly what would that say about me?
You have every right to be however upset you want to be. I do feel empathy for my friends who are honestly very upset about this. Like Sara, seriously, I do. I wish you didn't find it so upsetting, and weren't so hurt by your callous classmates. I wish I could make it NOT be that way to you. But I just don't feel that way myself.
You came to the wrong place if you're looking to find that here.
Other things you won't find here:
- Apologies for lack of posting.
- Promises to post more.
- Or notices of blog cancellation due to desire to lead a less electronic life.
- Resolutions to watch less TV.
Thus endeth another GirlReaction bitch session about many of the things I find stupid on other people's blogs.
Not that mine doesn't have its full share of stupid. I did once post a tutorial on how to eat string cheese (sorry, again, new readers, I know you're damn upset not to be able to find the archive of that post!!!!!!!!!!!!!!).
And if you find my blog stupid and annoying: seriously: Feel free. Just go away and never read it again!!!!!!!!!!!! :) Problem solved!!!
And yes, this post will be gone in a week or two just like the rest of them and you'll be able to go back to deluding yourself that I am a nice, caring person until the next time I find it necessary to disabuse you of that notion! Cheers! We all live happily everafter!
*I'm actually stone cold serious (to use a favorite stupid phrase) about that. It might be fun and all but in the long run it is nothing more than narcissistic and mostly meaningless and frankly I'm fucking fine with that (and another). Don't we all NEED some meaningless narcissism in our lives just to keep things on an even keel (and another)!! And good for fucking you (another) if you don't but that ain't how we roll 'round here (another).
Posted by Duff at April 19, 2007
I love you. I'll never promise to post more again.
Posted by: jackie at April 19, 2007 11:44 AM
I'm so glad to see this. And not just because I haven't had my daily dose of exclamation points yet.
I've been feeling the same way. It's hard for me to believe that people aren't making the connection that things that are just as awful if not moreso are happening every single day, especially when the news stories about VT run directly next to stories about the hundreds of people killed in Iraq that day.
And I'd never noticed that you don't have archives. Huh.
Posted by: Stephanie at April 19, 2007 12:01 PM
Hey, I just like bitching about my f***in' prick classmates and law school generally. Perhaps I shouldn't be exploiting this tragedy to do so, but I couldn't help but notice how indifferent and detached people are not only to what happened to at Vtech but what *is* happening *every day* in Iraq, Darfur, etc....
Really it just makes me wonder about my (soon to be) profession...I mean lawyers are supposed to help people...and I'm not naive enough to think that that means they're helping the poor all the time. No, I suspect that many of my classmates will help people dick over other people or help rich people get richer. I think that's a much bigger part of the ball game in this profession than in "making the world a better place." But I can't imagine that being a crazy self-absorbed asshole is going to make you the most perceptive person...so I can't imagine that you're really doing a service to your clients--whether they be "soulless corporation X" or "poor downtrodden person Y."
Posted by: sara at April 19, 2007 12:27 PM
That's a BRILLIANT idea not to post your archives. That way your psycho neighbor who f*ed your boyfriend won't read one of my 6 month old posts bitching about him f*ing her and then get upset about it. Hypothetically speaking, of course...
Posted by: Michelle at April 19, 2007 12:48 PM
Awesome. Well said and captures how I feel about a bunch of things. I am one of those readers who is sorry he doesn't know how to eat string cheese.
Posted by: JR at April 19, 2007 12:49 PM
jax, right back at ya.
stephanie, and you.
sara, you are too sweet. you are the kind of lawyer clients dream about but rarely get! :)
JR, perhaps one day i will remake my string cheese tutorial. then i'll PDF it and sell it on etsy but i'll send it to you for free! :)
michelle...hmmm. "hypothetically" eh? :) too funny.
Posted by: duff. at April 19, 2007 01:02 PM
I agree with you 100% about that event not being any more upsetting than other things going on around the world. And also about apologising about not posting, I feel like a dork everytime I do that and will try not to do it again!
Posted by: jen at April 19, 2007 01:14 PM
I was thinking that on the way to work this morning -- how like 175 people died in Iraq yesterday because of a car bomb, and so few people are outraged and saddened by it.
I will say that the VT thing freaks me out because I work on a college campus. Irrational, yes; but everybody around here has turned to that conversation - what would we do? have I had a student who's like that shooter? and so on.
NO RESOLUTIONS TO WATCH LESS TV! Woo-hooooooo!
Posted by: Carrie at April 19, 2007 01:55 PM
carrie, you are too damn cute. of course it raises fears and concerns. but these people who are acting like it's the worst fucking thing they've ever heard of happening... they make me sick.
Posted by: duff. at April 19, 2007 02:04 PM
I love you too.
Posted by: Cathi at April 19, 2007 02:27 PM
And did I tell you that I'm writing the next bestseller that says nothing (I'm looking at you, Tipping Point), entitled something lame like The Power of Context or The Downfall of Expectation? I wrote a comment on someone's site about this very thing (it was more like a blog entry, because it went on for fucking ever)- about the whole Iraq deaths vs. VT deaths, and how people are more sad/outraged when a woman is attacked in a park vs. date rape or frat party rape, because obviously one of those people is more deserving of being attacked. Ugh. I am sick of people. And I'm sick of my own attitude.
Posted by: Cathi at April 19, 2007 02:34 PM
oooh someone's cranky! i like it and tchin-tchin!
Posted by: kris at April 19, 2007 03:32 PM
You're so right.
I wrote a lot more but realized I was on my own personal rant and maybe I should just write it in my own damn journal.
Thanks for triggering my venting - I feel much better. Think I'll go watch some TV.:-)
Posted by: shawnty at April 19, 2007 07:32 PM
I grew up in a NYC housing project in the '80s- where people got shot **all the fucking time** and in fact, yesterday in Queens some kid shot several members of his family to death and oh yeah, Iraq.
I don't have a point. I'm just saying preach on.
Posted by: Iris at April 19, 2007 07:36 PM
I don't think that this post means you are unfeeling at all- actually, I think it means that you have a more balanced perspective. Why are the lives of those students more important than the lives of the Iraqis? They aren't.
Anyway, I hate apologies for lack of posting. I found myself writing it the other day and got so annoyed.
Posted by: frecklegirl jess at April 20, 2007 01:16 AM
You know what you can get for $0.41 and your old blog postings?
HAHAHAHAHA.
Posted by: Sashi at April 20, 2007 02:02 AM
glad i dropped in today to read this - i've been feeling, well, guilty, that i'm not more upset about the VT incident. i'm relieved to read i'm not the only one... thanks, duff.
Posted by: brenda in toronto at April 20, 2007 11:11 AM
glad i dropped in today to read this - i've been feeling, well, guilty, that i'm not more upset about the VT incident. i'm relieved to read i'm not the only one... thanks, duff.
Posted by: brenda in toronto at April 20, 2007 11:15 AM
Is that fresh air coming through my window (opened this afternoon for the first time in 2007!!)? No, it's coming from Carolyn's blog! You go, lady.
Posted by: Anonymous at April 20, 2007 03:03 PM
thanks carolyn!
Posted by: kelly at April 20, 2007 04:37 PM
omg, so sorry I haven't posted in a while. Will try to do better. And by the way, I tagged you for a meme! Do you want to join my knitalong? I really relate to everything you say and I just know we'd be best friends in the real world.
(((HUGS)))
Posted by: cari at April 20, 2007 05:42 PM
I read snippets of your blog to Bill tonight, and he wanted me to tell you that he thinks you are turning into a Republican. I have no opinion about this. This would be between you and Bill. If you wish to e-mail me about this, I will pass this onto Bill. Otherwise, how are you doing? Love, Phyl
Posted by: Phyllis McQueen at April 20, 2007 06:38 PM
Yeah, preach it. I'm with Carrie on the one hand--since I teach at a college, I get to think about things like "wow, if one of my students turns into a fucking psychotic murderer, would I throw mysel in front of a bullet to protect my other students?" (Answer: hell no.) But really, the other hand is much bigger, and it says things like "yep, that sucks, but how many people died in Iraq this week?" Fucking America.
Also, I heart string cheese.
Posted by: Ashley at April 21, 2007 09:37 AM
phew...my 17 year old cat died the day after the whole VT thing and all this time i've been feeling a little guilty for crying my eyes out for my cat and not because of the VT tragedy.
hey, he was my cat.
i have to say, i really like how honest you are. i used to be more honest, until i met too many bloggers. and now i just want them to like me and i'm pathetic.
feel free to delete this post.
Posted by: maryse at April 21, 2007 05:01 PM
Amen sister!
Now, I really want this http://www.barterbooks.co.uk/bb/barter.nsf/buybook?openagent&bookid=7CDAF562D0AAC1F6802570CF005B9B8Ct&orderer=8AE49F7A064BC1D0802572C4007EA95A
so maybe I'll order two and give you one...Gets the tone just right,no?
Posted by: Silvia at April 21, 2007 06:46 PM
Oh, I'm so sorry Mariko's dad died!
Posted by: marrije at April 22, 2007 08:05 AM