New beginnings
Today I did the thing that I always wanted to do but never had the gumption. This blog.
It’s always fun to start new things. I do it all the time. But there is a moment of sadness when it’s over. And then the next week comes, it’s a blur, and I think I did that thing that one time or saw the movie or read the book but completely forget how I felt other than “it was good.” Or, even more upsetting, “It was bad.”
Here’s what I learned this week.
Books I read:
Surrounded By Idiots by Thomas Erikson: It was one of those books I read and thought, “Why are we pigeonholing people into four categories? Sometimes I’m red. Sometimes I’m yellow. A lot of the time I’m blue. Green people kinda weird me out but I’m sure they’re nice enough.” I think trying to fit people into one particular box is contradictory to management. People, and their needs, are dynamic. The premise of the book was good but I can’t help but feel as though it’s a catch-all for many managers. As if someone at work was a particular butthole one day and instead of actually talking to the employee, the manager shrugged off the responsibility by saying, “It’s okay. They’re red. They’re always like this.” And? So what? That doesn’t mean they don’t need someone guiding them into a conversation of, “Yeah. Yelling and screaming is not okay.” Or saying, “Hey. You’re being stupid. Stop being stupid.”
Everything Is Tuberculous by John Green: I wish my library had more copies because this would be on my regular reading shelf. I guess I’m happy that it took forever to get my grubby hands on a copy. This book is so fascinating that I had to stop a couple times just to ponder what he said. There’s everything from historic gangs to modern day doctors in this book and that’s only scratching the surface. Everything kind of does lead back to tuberculous. It’s simply fascinating to find out why. And how. It literally shaped so much of modern-day society. And, as a Catholic who supports vaccinations, I believe this is a great book to show to people that two wrongs don’t make a right.
The Coming Wave by Mustafa Suleyman: We are so screwed. I understand you can’t put the toothpaste back into the tube. But it’s infinitely easier to do that than unleash AI on the world without knowing what the hell we’re doing. I’m really worried we have gotten ourselves into something we have no idea how to stop. Pandora’s Box has been opened. This book made my already strong feelings even stronger.
Radical Candor by Kim Scott. This is an older book from 2017 but I truly, truly enjoyed it. I’m one of those people who avoid conflict at all costs. If I even think something I say might hurt someone’s feelings, I bury that with the whole, “If you can’t say anything nice don’t say anything at all.” She actually cites this in the book and I wanted to shout, “You get it! You truly get what it’s like to be a woman working in a male-dominated industry!” The whole “Shut your mouth if you don’t have anything nice to say” is a mantra my mom would always tell me but only when I didn’t have anything nice to say. She could say whatever she wanted. Funny how that works. She also did the whole, “Act like a lady and you’ll be treated like one” thing that is so detrimental to women in business. Radical Candor is by a woman who worked in big tech. She was on the same playing field as the greats. And she learned a lot about being a good manager. One of the things she learned was radical candor and how, as a manager, you have to have this mixture of empathy and honesty that’s a hard balance. Legitimately, reading this book, I wanted to hand it to my own managers and say, “Maybe try this type of approach next time.” Which, to be honest, pretty much all of them desperately need it.
Movies I watched
Nefarious: R Rated, Released 2023, Directed by Cory Soloman and Chuck Konzelman
I found this movie from an interview that an exorcist did that said this movie was as close to demon possession he’s ever seen made. As a Catholic, I’ve always been curious about possessions. I know the devil is real and he hates me almost as much as he hates the Carpenter. So when the exorcist said it was this close to being what it’s like in the demonic mind, I was all in. Plus, YouTube has it for free, so who am I to pass up a good deal?
This movie will freak anyone out. It’s not gory. It doesn’t have a bunch of blood, or guts, or jump scares. There are a few but I think the few make them even more fearsome. It’s more psychological than anything. Some people have stated it’s a movie where 90% is just two guys having a conversation. That’s both true and false. It’s a movie where a man who doesn’t believe in heaven or hell, good or bad, and that evil is a societal determinant, faces a demon who gives him a glimpse into hell. It’s something I watched and couldn’t look away. Which is hilarious because I’m not known for being able to actually sit through an entire movie without getting sidetracked.
I have no idea what benefit Glenn Beck gave to it. I mean, he was there. He asked some questions. It was kind of a letdown to see him at the end. But I’m not a huge Glenn Beck fan so I guess? IDK. It would’ve been better without him and a random interviewer. But, he does bring in a segment of people. So it’s whatever.
Great movie, though. Especially if you’re agnostic or atheist. Maybe it won’t change your mind. But it will help you understand what others believe is happening.
New Music I listened to:
Many Men, Jazz Version, by Ben Dunnilli
Bible Verse I loved this week:
Even the soldiers jeered at him. As they approached to offer him wine they called out, “If you are King of the jews, save yourself!” Above him was an inscription that read “This is the King of the Jews.” Now one of the criminals hanging there reviled Jesus, saying, “Are you not the Messiah? Save yourself and us.” The other, however, rebuking him, said in reply, “Have you no fear of God, for you are subject to the same condemnation? And indeed, we have been condemned justly, for the sentence we received corresponds to our crimes, but this man has done nothing criminal.” Then he said, “Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.” He replied to him, “Amen, I say to you, today you will be with me in Paradise.” Luke 23: 33-43
The thief on the cross, according to Catholic theology, is Saint Dismas. I named my cat after him.
