The traffic lights here shun me.
Did I do something to offend them, perhaps? The day we met, I looked up at Traffic Light (who, coincidentally, has a twin brother who works just one block over) in eager expectation that he would provide stellar service. Maybe this was offensive, because he then decided I was unworthy of any affection from him; too lowly for a moment of his attention, even. Because of this bad first impression, I spend every commute ever-so-patiently waiting for him to bestow his gracious favor on me, which he usually submits to only because he feels sorry for the other unlucky drivers in the area.
Today, I admit to you (as long as you promise not to tell!) that I was chasing my brother down the road for the sheer joy of it. Traffic Light's twin casually gave my brother a jaunty green greeting, but at the sight of my laughing face, he scornfully turned his red back on me. I was left sitting somewhat dejectedly at his feet, watching Privileged Drivers happily make their way to unknown destinations. Okay, maybe I sulked a little, too. But this is the kind of blatant dislike I face almost every day!
I say "almost" because on a mere handful of occasions, I've caught the twins in a good mood. I'm not sure what it takes to make them so happy; it could be a matter of an exotic Black Plastic Massage or a risque Rewiring. It's hard to know because I've never had to bribe one before...
I've come to the conclusion that they must have an unjustifiable hatred for me and my people. By "my people", I mean all those who go against the norm, who aren't afraid to try something unconventional. People who don't drive down main street, but perpendicular to it.
The Traffic Light Twins are so mainstream!
Wednesday, September 30, 2009
Wednesday, September 23, 2009
Walking Ghost
I'm caught up in the story. I can't shake the “off” feeling...the feeling of not really being here at all. As I walk down the sidewalk, my brain's in another world: a world where characters from television exist, motives run deep, and every moment is fascinating and electric.
This is how I get sometimes, and it happened again yesterday for the first time in a very long while. It starts with boredom. (Doesn't every interesting, crazy thing start with boredom?) In this last case, it was my professor's lecture, which was by far not the dullest speech in history, but in my defense, I was very tired. I knew that I would never be able to concentrate on it, so I did what any self-respecting slacker college kid would do: I stopped trying to listen. Instead, I purposely started a daydream to keep myself awake.
I'll admit that I frequently borrow television characters for this purpose, as it saves time and lets me get right to the action. Fortunately, my sole daydream audience is me, and I forgive my copyright infringements.
I enjoyed my waking dream for a while. Class ended, so I got up to leave. Daydream over, right? Wrong. My brain wasn't letting me give up that easily. It kept me in a daze during the entire walk to my car (which is saying something, considering the parking conundrum at CU). Even after I got home and told my mind that we needed to work on a paper due the next day, despite my pleading, it was insistent. I was wheedled into progressing the story.
To my shame and my brain's victory, I couldn't work on my paper again until after eleven that night. Instead, I was forced to search extensively for music to match the literary mood, sit for long periods of time to simply think, and studiously type up the entire cumulative storyline. Nine hours later, and what did I have? A class paper that hadn't been touched, an entire day gone, and more than a page of, basically, fanfiction. The crazy thing? That I think it was worth it.
I guess this is why I'd love to be a writer.
_______________
Do you ever daydream obsessively? Dwell on fictional characters much more than what's healthy? Love Fringe as much as I do? Comment about it below.
This is how I get sometimes, and it happened again yesterday for the first time in a very long while. It starts with boredom. (Doesn't every interesting, crazy thing start with boredom?) In this last case, it was my professor's lecture, which was by far not the dullest speech in history, but in my defense, I was very tired. I knew that I would never be able to concentrate on it, so I did what any self-respecting slacker college kid would do: I stopped trying to listen. Instead, I purposely started a daydream to keep myself awake.
I'll admit that I frequently borrow television characters for this purpose, as it saves time and lets me get right to the action. Fortunately, my sole daydream audience is me, and I forgive my copyright infringements.
I enjoyed my waking dream for a while. Class ended, so I got up to leave. Daydream over, right? Wrong. My brain wasn't letting me give up that easily. It kept me in a daze during the entire walk to my car (which is saying something, considering the parking conundrum at CU). Even after I got home and told my mind that we needed to work on a paper due the next day, despite my pleading, it was insistent. I was wheedled into progressing the story.
To my shame and my brain's victory, I couldn't work on my paper again until after eleven that night. Instead, I was forced to search extensively for music to match the literary mood, sit for long periods of time to simply think, and studiously type up the entire cumulative storyline. Nine hours later, and what did I have? A class paper that hadn't been touched, an entire day gone, and more than a page of, basically, fanfiction. The crazy thing? That I think it was worth it.
I guess this is why I'd love to be a writer.
_______________
Do you ever daydream obsessively? Dwell on fictional characters much more than what's healthy? Love Fringe as much as I do? Comment about it below.
Friday, September 18, 2009
And Yes, You're Supposed to Just Take It
Can you believe that there's still discrimination in our commercial market? You'd think that after the social movements this country has been through, we would at least learn to keep our companies accountable when it comes to equality. It should be a basic policy to require the same payment policies of any customer.
It's gender discrimination from insurance companies to which I'm referring.
Google will tell you, one of the most basic criteria a company considers for car insurance is gender. They charge males, especially younger males, significantly higher rates than females. Their claim is that they base their policies on risk factors, and that statistically, males have more frequent motor accidents. If there's anything I learned in AP Statistics, it's that there are a million ways that statistics can be misleading, but for the sake of relevance, let's assume that this one is true. Companies are saying that statistics prove that men are more likely to have accidents, and therefore, file claims.
But as a close friend of mine says, "I am not a statistic".
The above quote is the perfect summary of equality. If you judge one person based on what people of their demographic category do, before knowing anything about the individual, you are discriminating. Period. What gives insurance companies the right to use gender bias when we don't allow businesses to discriminate?
Some people in Europe have caught on to this. One commission proposed to abolish sex discrimination by applying "gender nuetrality" to car insurance policies. (as shown here) Unfortunately, it was shot down by the British government. (as shown here) The deputy minister for women and equality said that "It actually didn't make sense to penalise safer women drivers by preventing insurance companies from differentiating on the basis of risk." I'm just a college student, but I don't understand how it's a hardship for women to pay the same insurance rates as men. I also don't think that any given female driver is safer than every male driver, so calling females "safer women drivers" isn't entirely accurate.
In one cell-phone usage study, Caucasians were shown to use cell phones less than four of the five other racial groups tested. Mind you, this is a statistic. Multiple studies have also proven that cell phone usage does not a safe driver make. So it makes sense to charge white people less for car insurance, right? Wrong! Of course no one would stand for such an injustice. We don't tolerate racism. So why are we tolerating sexism?
A friend of mine is a freshman in college. He has never had an accident or a speeding ticket. His record is completely clean. His junior cousin, however, has had a fender-bender AND at least one speeding ticket. Because she's female, she actually still pays less for car insurance than my friend.
Tell me, where is the justice in that?
(Feel free to comment.)
It's gender discrimination from insurance companies to which I'm referring.
Google will tell you, one of the most basic criteria a company considers for car insurance is gender. They charge males, especially younger males, significantly higher rates than females. Their claim is that they base their policies on risk factors, and that statistically, males have more frequent motor accidents. If there's anything I learned in AP Statistics, it's that there are a million ways that statistics can be misleading, but for the sake of relevance, let's assume that this one is true. Companies are saying that statistics prove that men are more likely to have accidents, and therefore, file claims.
But as a close friend of mine says, "I am not a statistic".
The above quote is the perfect summary of equality. If you judge one person based on what people of their demographic category do, before knowing anything about the individual, you are discriminating. Period. What gives insurance companies the right to use gender bias when we don't allow businesses to discriminate?
Some people in Europe have caught on to this. One commission proposed to abolish sex discrimination by applying "gender nuetrality" to car insurance policies. (as shown here) Unfortunately, it was shot down by the British government. (as shown here) The deputy minister for women and equality said that "It actually didn't make sense to penalise safer women drivers by preventing insurance companies from differentiating on the basis of risk." I'm just a college student, but I don't understand how it's a hardship for women to pay the same insurance rates as men. I also don't think that any given female driver is safer than every male driver, so calling females "safer women drivers" isn't entirely accurate.
In one cell-phone usage study, Caucasians were shown to use cell phones less than four of the five other racial groups tested. Mind you, this is a statistic. Multiple studies have also proven that cell phone usage does not a safe driver make. So it makes sense to charge white people less for car insurance, right? Wrong! Of course no one would stand for such an injustice. We don't tolerate racism. So why are we tolerating sexism?
A friend of mine is a freshman in college. He has never had an accident or a speeding ticket. His record is completely clean. His junior cousin, however, has had a fender-bender AND at least one speeding ticket. Because she's female, she actually still pays less for car insurance than my friend.
Tell me, where is the justice in that?
(Feel free to comment.)
Wednesday, September 2, 2009
The Birth of a Review Series
Hello, readers! Meet my blog. I'd like to introduce you two, but I think the best way for you to get to know Bloggie is to throw you kicking and screaming right in the middle of it. Before I do, two quick points to make...
1)The topics it will examine are covered in the title.
2)Some of the posts will be very serious in nature. Some will be decidedly not. As for this first entry, well, you can be the judge...
This school year, I expect to use at least every campus bathroom at least once. Those of you who have been on outings with me know why. For those who haven't...let's just say that doctors will never have to prompt me to provide a sample for testing. Due to this expectation of excessive bathroom visits, I've decided that it would be beneficial to many if I did a review for each campus bathroom. And so, a review series is born! Enjoy.
Campus Bathroom Review #1: Right of Main Entrance in Gosser
The moment I opened the door, light flooded to my freshly receptive eyes. I could almost hear the airborne choir belt out a victorious major chord! The place was spotless. It had those connected countertop sinks (you know, the ones that always have puddles of water all over them?), but these had the gleaming lights reflected off of it in a very luminous, not-wet way. I floated into the red stall (And yes, extra points are rewarded for color). No toilet paper. Anywhere. Well, except on the roll, because if there hadn't been any there, this story would have ended very badly...
When I was done with my business, which I am pleased to say ended well, I emerged to see pretty, expensive-looking mirrors over each sink. I felt like royalty, let me tell you. After washing my hands, paper towels were right by the sink. RIGHT BY THE SINK, PEOPLE! Not up on the wall, not halfway across the room, not replaced by a dang hand dryer that takes an hour to get you from sopping to slightly soggy. I didn't even drip on the counter! That, my friends, is a good day. A good day indeed.
My official recommendation is: ladies, if you gotta go, go to Gosser.
(Warning: opinion is subject to change as more bathrooms are visited.)
So, ladies and gents, there goes the first post! My intention is to encourage responses at the end of every entry. Whoever wants to say "hi, and yes, I'm reading", go for it! Those of you who go to CU, as I do, tell me what you think about the bathrooms and let me know which one to review next! I'll make a special trip if I have to. ;) For anyone who doesn't, feel free to share with me and all the readers about bathrooms on your campus (or school, or workplace)!
This is Deidra, signing out!
1)The topics it will examine are covered in the title.
2)Some of the posts will be very serious in nature. Some will be decidedly not. As for this first entry, well, you can be the judge...
This school year, I expect to use at least every campus bathroom at least once. Those of you who have been on outings with me know why. For those who haven't...let's just say that doctors will never have to prompt me to provide a sample for testing. Due to this expectation of excessive bathroom visits, I've decided that it would be beneficial to many if I did a review for each campus bathroom. And so, a review series is born! Enjoy.
Campus Bathroom Review #1: Right of Main Entrance in Gosser
The moment I opened the door, light flooded to my freshly receptive eyes. I could almost hear the airborne choir belt out a victorious major chord! The place was spotless. It had those connected countertop sinks (you know, the ones that always have puddles of water all over them?), but these had the gleaming lights reflected off of it in a very luminous, not-wet way. I floated into the red stall (And yes, extra points are rewarded for color). No toilet paper. Anywhere. Well, except on the roll, because if there hadn't been any there, this story would have ended very badly...
When I was done with my business, which I am pleased to say ended well, I emerged to see pretty, expensive-looking mirrors over each sink. I felt like royalty, let me tell you. After washing my hands, paper towels were right by the sink. RIGHT BY THE SINK, PEOPLE! Not up on the wall, not halfway across the room, not replaced by a dang hand dryer that takes an hour to get you from sopping to slightly soggy. I didn't even drip on the counter! That, my friends, is a good day. A good day indeed.
My official recommendation is: ladies, if you gotta go, go to Gosser.
(Warning: opinion is subject to change as more bathrooms are visited.)
So, ladies and gents, there goes the first post! My intention is to encourage responses at the end of every entry. Whoever wants to say "hi, and yes, I'm reading", go for it! Those of you who go to CU, as I do, tell me what you think about the bathrooms and let me know which one to review next! I'll make a special trip if I have to. ;) For anyone who doesn't, feel free to share with me and all the readers about bathrooms on your campus (or school, or workplace)!
This is Deidra, signing out!
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