h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

I just noticed something very worrying about my grandmother. It's not nice... not at all... *shudders*

& I burnt my finger this afternoon, & it still hurts.

& for some reason I agreed to look for a job tomorrow... I know I shouldn't have such a negative outlook because in all probability it decreases my chances of success manyfold, but I know I'll be unsuccessful...

*sigh*

->grandmother

are you serious about this? i think you should talk with someone in person. on the other hand: maybe this forum *is* appropriate. btw have you ever read "shockwave rider" by john brunner? there was a telephone service which would listen - just listen - to people, their problems and laments. i forgot what it was called, because i read that book in german (naturally). i think these forums (that's not the latin plural, is it?) are a little like that, although people do sometimes reply as opposed to the service in "shockwave rider", where people are assured that someone is sitting at the end of the line and listens - but he/she would never answer.

->finger

*pust, pust* (how do i write *that* in english???)
well, you sure have a talent to draw attention

->job

may be so keen to ask what kind of job you are looking for? just curious.

OK, there is a plenty of things in life about which nothing is really useful to say, save the fact that by mean of words we can give each other the feeling that we are not alone on this planet; this is the reason why I'm telling you that I really hope that all is going to be fine with your grandmother. Of course, one could achieve the same result without words, but with just sound (see Rachmaninov's "Vocalise" for a good example), but I have not my piano here, so you have just to imagine.
About the job, whatever kind of job it is, just remind you that with the economical "blurring" into which what was formerly known as "specialization" is currently melting you have become the kind of people the working world is in need of - I mean, eclectic, physics-history-music-literature aware and with a good deal of sense of humour (i.e., intelligence).
It is not easy to find people like you today, I can assure this because I'm actually giving work to people in my company;
so, just think that the result of your search will be good or bad primarily not for you, but for the guys in charge of the selection, depending on whether they are able to recognize the value of a person like you when they see one, i.e. they are able to do their own job.
I also hope that everything's OK with your finger.

Bye
Pepi

I'm just looking for a summer job. Trouble is, most none of the shops are recruiting atm, & the ones that are want 'previous sales experience essential'

But I've applied at a couple of places, so fingers crossed...

Does it count an extensive donuts selling experience?

Joanna,
Sorry to hear about your finger, I can sympathize. I was working on a miniature with an Exacto knife that I was going to paint later, when my pager went off. Seeing as it was almost midnight, that was the last thing I was expecting and the knife promptly jumped off the miniature and into my finger. There followed several minutes of scrammbling to staunch the gushing, then call the person who had beeped me at such a late hour. Turned out to be nothing of any importance.
What was the disturbing realization that you had about your Grandmother? You never did specify. Good luck on the job hunt and try not to be so down on yourself. Having been working since I was 14 (I'm now 33), I can tell you that you NEVER know when lightning will strike and you'll get hired. It's a shock to me every time it happens. I think I did REEEEEEEALLY well on an interview, that they liked me and we got along famously and then later find out from my recruiting firm that the client hated me and wouldn't touch me with a ten foot pole. Then I do another interview that I'm sure I completely and utterly bombed on and they come across with an offer later that same day and PRESTO! I've got a job.
Try not to worry so much and to take things more in stride, you'll live a lot longer and a lot happier that way. Remember, no matter how bad things look to you at the moment, I GUARANTEE you someone else has it far worse and tons rougher and can give you an absolutely real live example at any time. So...buck up, bucko and remember it takes more muscles to frown than it does to smile, but it takes even more muscles to punch that smiling doofus right in the mush for being so annoyingly perpetually happy!
~S

You'll be glad to know that my finger's now gone off the 'hurting' list and on to the 'uncomfortable but ignorable' list

The realisation about my grandma which disturbed me was that although most of the time she's completely tonguetied and cannot remember the words for anything (she's got some form of dementia) she's *never* at a loss for words if she wants to be nasty or insult someone.

& shadow, don't worry, I do try to count my blessings regularly!
This computer that I'm typing on for one!

You'll be glad to know that my finger's now gone off the 'hurting' list and on to the 'uncomfortable but ignorable' list

The realisation about my grandma which disturbed me was that although most of the time she's completely tonguetied and cannot remember the words for anything (she's got some form of dementia) she's *never* at a loss for words if she wants to be nasty or insult someone.

& shadow, don't worry, I do try to count my blessings regularly!
This computer that I'm typing on for one!

Surprisingly, I didn't mean to post that twice

Hmmm...odd I agree. It's sort of like swearing. As a kid you can and do get along just fine without it. Yet as an adult, people find it nearly impossible not to swear at some time or another. I had to seriously work on my cursing after I'd gotten out of the military. It had become a crutch for me, as it so often does for people and I was cursing in place of more descriptive non-explative words. It took me weeks of constant monitoring myself before I was able to go for most of a day without swearing in one way or another.
Still in your Grandmother's case, or more precisely in your case, I've found those that have to live through trying circumstances are always the most intelligent and thoughtful sort of people. More simply put, that which does not kill you, only makes you stronger.
~S

Mind if I put that thought on my list of random thoughts/quotes?

Not at all. When it comes to random thoughts and quotes, I'm full of it...er...them, I mean them. Here's another of my originals. Why does everyone complain about Congress in the United States? It's not like they're NOT aptly named or anything! Pro is the opposite of Con right? Therefore CONgress is the opposite of PROgress. So where's the problem?
~S

Swearing and cursing is controlled by a different area of the brain than ordinary speaking - I remember at uni talking about Broca's Aphasia (?) where the subject could not speak any word but 'three', but could swear absolutely fluently once he was riled up. Hmmmm, enough of that, I will slink off and try and finish that Photosynthesis Article I said I would do for you, ooooh about 3 months ago Until later....
BCNU - Crescent

Hmmm...that would explain why the frequency of swearing increases the more one is around people who swear.
~S