Don (![[info]](http://l-stat.livejournal.com/img/userinfo.gif){kind=small} skippers) wrote,@ 2007-06-02 12:03:00 |
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rookies and pros and everyone in-between
It's been a little while... and I've just been an eensy bit busy, one part being occupied with the practical demise of my car. It's facing the death hour: it's a '98 grand prix and we've gone the distance with eachother (in fact, cross-country and many Chicago-bound to and fro miles between), but right now it's looking grim. There's something wrong with the suspension or axel and it'll be about $900 to fix... which may not be worth it, ultimately.
It has 140k miles on it now. I bought it five years ago at a police auction of all places for a steal of $2k under the common value and it's been perfect.. but this might be the end of the line.
We'll see, but for now I'm driving a loaner Canyon, and I gotta say... I dig the truck. I always have had a thing against them because they're big and, honestly, I prefer cars.. amongst other reasons like parking and handling because of the low center of gravity (that's for no real reason except that I have a bad habit of taking turns fast when alone, though not dangerously so), but it isn't so in this case. I do not however dig gas prices.
It's enough to make me either pack up off to a big city and be a smart person who rides the bus or be someone who drives a Prius. And at a rated 60 city mpg... it closely justifies the $382/mo. payment in the longrun fuel savings.
I will never agreeably grasp Hummers or other large vehicles that're non-utility for reasons like that, especially as the emphasis on getting away from petroleum-bases is only going to increase as the years keep going by. The idea of throwing away money.. because you want something supersized to drive around in... does not blow my mind, but it does disgust me.
Then again I never will understand "status" purchases to ride around in anyway, because I don't have those same kinds of ego hang-ups to stumble around with.
One other thing:
I've been trying to lend a hand to someone lately who's having a little bit of a battle between a responsibility to somebody, then their limited time outside of school. They feel like they're being unfairly asked of in the situation... and to avoid going into specifics, basically they "technically" are dealing with someone else's problem, but it actually isn't a -huge- one to tend to. It is truly very minimal.
I don't know how to help people who are.. not a whiney person, but on certain matters they will -become one-. Against their other dispositions and responses. I don't know how to help them get from that step of: "I want to whine and sit here" to "I'm tired of whining and want to do something about it".
Ideally that second step'd be more like "...that was really ridiculous of me, I'm going to stop being that way right now", but that's not it here with this friend.
And under the surface I have this extremely negative reaction to people that are being irrational about something, and even when you're forced to tell them the fact that they are rather than stay silent, they continue to be. I understand their frustration... everybody gets frustrated, whether they handle it on their terms or they let others help them through it. I don't sympathize though with those who decide they'll actively persist in the "why me" act when someone else could use a hand from them. It is stupid, it is self-absorbed, and it is destructive... and utterly useless to boot.
It reminds me of like... it's like with younger kids, when they get upset for whatever reason and if it's for a valid one or a pretty minor one. The ones that start sobbing up a storm and wailing like the end of the world were nigh will do their thing.... but if you leave them alone and don't validate their behavior, they miraculously stop.
Miraculously? No. They just realize that there's no point and quit. That's all.
Some of them. Others continue long and the habit is highly difficult to break. I have no idea what to do for this person, but leave them alone to deal with it.. because they don't want any overtures of help, they want to complain right now. Otherwise they're a generally good person however, this fault and stumbling block of theirs aside.
It's been a little while... and I've just been an eensy bit busy, one part being occupied with the practical demise of my car. It's facing the death hour: it's a '98 grand prix and we've gone the distance with eachother (in fact, cross-country and many Chicago-bound to and fro miles between), but right now it's looking grim. There's something wrong with the suspension or axel and it'll be about $900 to fix... which may not be worth it, ultimately.
It has 140k miles on it now. I bought it five years ago at a police auction of all places for a steal of $2k under the common value and it's been perfect.. but this might be the end of the line.
We'll see, but for now I'm driving a loaner Canyon, and I gotta say... I dig the truck. I always have had a thing against them because they're big and, honestly, I prefer cars.. amongst other reasons like parking and handling because of the low center of gravity (that's for no real reason except that I have a bad habit of taking turns fast when alone, though not dangerously so), but it isn't so in this case. I do not however dig gas prices.
It's enough to make me either pack up off to a big city and be a smart person who rides the bus or be someone who drives a Prius. And at a rated 60 city mpg... it closely justifies the $382/mo. payment in the longrun fuel savings.
I will never agreeably grasp Hummers or other large vehicles that're non-utility for reasons like that, especially as the emphasis on getting away from petroleum-bases is only going to increase as the years keep going by. The idea of throwing away money.. because you want something supersized to drive around in... does not blow my mind, but it does disgust me.
Then again I never will understand "status" purchases to ride around in anyway, because I don't have those same kinds of ego hang-ups to stumble around with.
One other thing:
I've been trying to lend a hand to someone lately who's having a little bit of a battle between a responsibility to somebody, then their limited time outside of school. They feel like they're being unfairly asked of in the situation... and to avoid going into specifics, basically they "technically" are dealing with someone else's problem, but it actually isn't a -huge- one to tend to. It is truly very minimal.
I don't know how to help people who are.. not a whiney person, but on certain matters they will -become one-. Against their other dispositions and responses. I don't know how to help them get from that step of: "I want to whine and sit here" to "I'm tired of whining and want to do something about it".
Ideally that second step'd be more like "...that was really ridiculous of me, I'm going to stop being that way right now", but that's not it here with this friend.
And under the surface I have this extremely negative reaction to people that are being irrational about something, and even when you're forced to tell them the fact that they are rather than stay silent, they continue to be. I understand their frustration... everybody gets frustrated, whether they handle it on their terms or they let others help them through it. I don't sympathize though with those who decide they'll actively persist in the "why me" act when someone else could use a hand from them. It is stupid, it is self-absorbed, and it is destructive... and utterly useless to boot.
It reminds me of like... it's like with younger kids, when they get upset for whatever reason and if it's for a valid one or a pretty minor one. The ones that start sobbing up a storm and wailing like the end of the world were nigh will do their thing.... but if you leave them alone and don't validate their behavior, they miraculously stop.
Miraculously? No. They just realize that there's no point and quit. That's all.
Some of them. Others continue long and the habit is highly difficult to break. I have no idea what to do for this person, but leave them alone to deal with it.. because they don't want any overtures of help, they want to complain right now. Otherwise they're a generally good person however, this fault and stumbling block of theirs aside.
