Uhhhh...

What?

http://www.pitbullarmory.com/Squirrel-armor.html

It would appear that...

I am tired of being jerked around. Dangerously tired.

Speaking of people that are spoiled...

I was reading movie reviews on blockbuster.com to see what horror movies to indulge myself in while my boyfriend is out of town. I have precious little time to watch such movies, even though I not so secretly enjoy them, because my boyfriend is movie-squeamish. I could feel him pushing back in his theatre seat when the dementors came on the screen in Harry Potter. Real life, nothing scares him, but movies he can't handle. Whatever.
Anyway. While shedding very little light on the quality of the movies themselves, the reviews shed a lot of light on the public. They're spoiled. These people are renting low-budget horror movies and expecting better than average acting, impressive plot (including twists), and a score to die for. Granted, there have been some quality horror movies in the past few years (Hostel, Hostel II, High Tension, Texas Chainsaw Massacre: The Beginning, etc.). These movies were impressive (partially because of such a low expectation going in), but they are, by and large, the exceptions and have quite possibly spoiled the audience. Most horror movies you find in a store that refuses to carry NC-17 movies are going to be cheap, quickly made, and sensationalized.
I really don't want to hear someone whine about the "B-rated music" when I'm looking at a cheap horror movie. I expect a B-rated score, if not worse. If they want to whine about B-rated music in an Oscar-nominated film, be my guest. That makes sense.
I go into a cheap horror film expecting a mediocre film. If it's better than that, I am simply happily surprised. Example, the movie Teeth. I expected it to be a less than impressive, cheap thrill, possibly less than fulfilling. I was pleasantly surprised and enjoyed the movie more for that. (Another surprisingly good one was Behind the Mask: The Rise of Leslie Vernon.)
The only helpful reviews I found were basically this: "Not as advertised! Camera cuts away right before the bloody part! Not enough gore! Boring!" To these people, I say: thank you. They are the ones who are willing to admit why they rented that movie in the first place: horror. Not a hint of horror, not an implication of horror, not alluding to horror, but actual horror.

Some people must not care about appearances, even if they happen to be part of their jobs.

So, I wrote to my congressman (yes, I am serious) because I am becoming slightly pushy in my advocacies. I wrote an email asking said congressman to please support a bill against the destruction of the Polar Bear Seas that would occur if we drilled for oil within them. I pointed out how drilling would only reduce oil prices by pennies, is a short-term solution to a long-term problem, that we should be supporting more research into finding a long-term solution, and for that little gain that would come from drilling, we would be wiping out a magnificent species. I wrote how I wanted future generations to know a life with polar bears in the wild, not just in a zoo. This is the response I got:

Dear XXXX:

Thank you for contacting me regarding your support of offshore oil drilling. It is good to hear your thoughts on this important issue, and I appreciate the opportunity to share my views with you.

Many of my colleagues and I have been pushing for solutions to the nation's energy crisis, including increasing the U.S. oil production in areas such as the Outer Continental Shelf and the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. However, Democrat leaders have consistently blamed the Administration, while ignoring the voice of the public.

Yet, with the President's decision to lift the executive ban of oil and natural gas drilling on the Outer Continental Shelf, they cannot continue that act. Now the next step is to lift the freeze that Congress enacted in 1982, in order to expand drilling. Despite support from Republicans and some moderate Democrats, the House leadership has held no hearings on the issue, and even shut down the budget process in order to deny Republicans the opportunity to force a vote on domestic drilling.

I fully support expanding offshore drilling. However, it seems the Democrat leaders are content with a continuation of purchasing America's oil from the Middle East. With the expansion of drilling, the Outer Continental Shelf could provide over 86 billion barrels of oil for our nation.

You can be assured that I am committed to alleviating consumers from the rising burden of the high costs of gasoline, and will protect the interests of the 5^th District when making decisions about energy policy in Congress.

Again, thank you for contacting me regarding this important issue. I will keep your concerns and thoughts in mind as I vote on future legislation on this matter. Please continue to keep me informed of the issues important to you and your family.

Fail. FAIL. My support of off-shore oil drilling? Really? I am still working on a reply adequate enough to fully point out the idiocy of this response. I could not have been more clear about my position in the original email. Considering this congressman's views, I would not have supported him anyway, but now I am actively against him. And I vote. And bombard him with emails.

Regarding my previous post...

please excuse it. My live-in boyfriend just quit smoking less than a week ago. His emotional rollercoaster has taken me along for the ride. Oh, and he never sleeps now, which means I sleep way less. Thanks, Marlboro. I hate your company.

As I am rarely satisfied...

I feel the need to write another post. I am unhappy and feel the need to say it. I am unhappy and cannot seem to communicate that to the one person that could do anything about it. I kept trying to tell myself it was just missing my family and friends. I kept trying to tell myself it would be better once I got used to the routine. I kept trying to tell myself anything so I would not think what I am most afraid of: that I have made a horrible mistake coming down here, that I made a big decision for someone who wasn't what he represented himself to be. I feel isolated, alone, and unloved. My job is all I have, and even then I have to deal with some frustrating people.
I never thought I would be one of those people that have nothing in life but work. I miss my old life. I do not want this, but I'm stuck.

The Real World...

has disappointed me. I thought that "professionals" would be, well, more professional than college students. Apparently not. Maybe these people are just out of practice using skills like reading comprehension or maybe they've all become careless, but for some reason, I have to keep answering the same simple question three and four times. It doesn't even matter if the answer is in print. Four times. In email. Easy to refer back to.

I just assumed that people in the "real world" would have it more together than the college party crowd.

I mean, I just got a raise and my job isn't hard, so I shouldn't complain too much, but I feel like my expectations (which are not being met) were already so low to begin with. I always felt more mature than the average student while in college, but I didn't expect to feel that way about the average coworker. I had this ideal image of honest to goodness professionals. My department is better than most, but outside that...

At least a real job affords me money to buy nice things, such as my new dress I finally got to wear today (see above right).