Patriots at Wembley Today!!!

One day at work this week ...

Seriously?

Soooo many comments floating around my head, don't know where to start!

Parents in Barnsley have been criticised by police for drinking alcohol when dropping off and collecting their children from school.

Full story here.

McDonald's restaurants to open at the Louvre

Unbelievable. And France is 2nd biggest market after USA? (The last 5 paragraphs are the best)

I've got to get to the Louvre in the next month BEFORE this happens!

French class

A bit of Megativity to start your day ...

Stop telling me French is easy to learn, that I just have to immerse myself – how? When? Don’t they get it – I live here ALONE. Work is in English (except when the team talks to each other in French, which is more and more often now, but when they do so, it is to the exclusion of English speakers). My cable box for TV isn’t working so I cannot watch that. If I have the radio on at home, it is classical or jazz, not talk/words. When I go shopping (rarely), I don’t have to talk to people – everything is automated in life ; and besides, I can get through the basic pleasantries and mindless shopping banter.

If the people who make these comments to me (‘aren’t you fluent yet?’) take the time to speak to me like a 5-year-old as I do to them in English, maybe I’d be trying. Or if they’d at least speak slowly and clearly.

Meanwhile, in French lessons, do the various instructors insist on :
(1) saying things like ‘there isn’t the same expression in French, you cannot say that’ (for learning things like on/off, in/out, etc.) Duh sh!t. I know it’s a frickin’ different language, that’s why I’m trying to learn it. I’m just asking you how I would say ‘turn the lights off’ and what would I use for ‘off’ – I’m not expecting a frickin’ literal translation, and I most certainly do not need you talking down to me like I’m a 7-year-old trying to grasp multiplication tables.
(2) talking loudly (there are only 3 of us in the small room). I’m not some 3-year-old or Gen-Y’er who needs constant stimulation or excitement.
(3) interrupting me after every word I say when I’m trying to convey a thought/sentence. By the time I’m half-way through with said sentence/thought, I’ve forgotten the point because of all the interruptions. Then the instructor gets a bit put off when I cannot repeat the phrase correctly. Just let me complete the phrase first!
(4) thinking they know what I’m going to say and thus try to ‘help me’ finish my thought when in reality, they are completely off base. Let me finish my thought/idea first, then correct me. You are not clairvoyant.
(5) correcting me when I use a word incorrectly when only 10 minutes before you told me to use it that way! I know, I have it WRITTEN in my notebook, i.e. using ‘devant’ for behind (as was originally instructed) when it really means ‘in front’ (but, and get this, it only means that a person is ‘in front’ of you when the person’s back is to you, otherwise, if a person is ‘in front’ of you and facing you, it is ‘en face de’). The instructor said behind=devant but then tried to pass it off 10 minutes later as my stupid mistake / miscomprehension.
Look, I know teaching is not easy and that everyone learns differently, but when all of this happens in one class, on a Monday evening, it’s a bit much.

And, to top it off, we were in the children’s room. i.e. bright blue carpet, one bright orange wall, one bright yellow one, one lime green ; a lime green table/chair set ; my colleague wearing a bright red shirt. Cripes. No wonder I was developing a headache. Thanks much (honestly) for offering to switch to a normal room for the last 45 minute session ; but, if I say no thanks, I’ll be fine, STOP ASKING ME. You only make it worse when you continuously ask.

Briefly

London show was way better than the Paris one. Somewhat disappointing, actually, more than somewhat :(

Fins to the left !

Just a few more hours to wait until the Buffett concert at La Cigale in Paris tonight :)

We are the people our parents warned us about!

Random thoughts

Some random thoughts I've been compiling the past two weeks (my apologies if any are repeats) :

--If it is Monday and I say "next weekend I am going to Boston", what do you think? Do you think 5 days from now or 14? In France/French, they think 5 days (i.e. le week-end prochain), as in this weekend. It was confusing enough when we expats got to the Paris office, so we overcompensated by always using dates. But now, we're getting ourselves confused with using "next" - is it this or next, or next next?

--One colleague gets Le Monde every day at work. But it is in his corporate mailbox by 3 p.m for the next day - how can they write, edit, layout, print, publish and distribute the next day's paper by 3 p.m. the preceding day?

--I am always amazed by people who go on holiday and then return all gung-ho, ready to work 12 hour days and are excited about work. Sure, I return from vacation all rejuvenated, but not necessarily raring to be back at work.

--I keep trying to figure out what to do with my life when this stint is up. I thought, gee where would my current zip code put me in the US? Turns out, Denton Texas. Time to think up a new moving location strategy.

--Yes, it seems to be a universal problem....filling the copy machine with paper. I feel like I am forever putting paper into it, nevermind that I print 1% the amount that the guys down the hall print. I just went in to pick up a print job and one guy was staring at the display screen, then left. Ummm, 2 of the 3 paper try indicators were Red, showing 0 paper. And the dude just walked away. I'm going to go mental one of these days very soon.

--If you’re supposed to use hot water to wash your hands, how come most of the faucets in the women’s room are turned to cold?

--And speaking of hygiene ... the company has had all these meetings and studies relating to H1N1 and whether or not we can all work from home. But still the French insist on shaking hands every morning (or, if it is 3 p.m. and it's the first time they've seen you, then shake hands then) ; granted, it's better than the kissing. But seriously - GERMS. I know not everyone washes hands. So now, before the person even turns away I take out my hand sanitizer and use it in front of them, with a slight look of disgust on my face. One day I want to sneeze into my hand and then shake theirs. And never mind the interruption it brings to your work/concentration, to stop what you're doing to shake hands ; or that the other person will stand there in the hallway and wait with hand outstretched while you shift your papers, phone, pens from right hand to left.

--One of my neurosis is I like blue ink pens... Another one is that even if it’s a cheap, free, pen, I.want.it.back. So how did I ‘lose’ 2 pens and 1 pencil last week? I am sure when colleagues were at my desk and we were doing work, they walked off with them. And I think I know who, but how can I go take back a cheap, free, office pen? The kicker is the pens were from the London office and I like them. A lot. Ugh.

--The UK has a “Serious Fraud Office”? Seriously? That's the name, honest.

--When I read books where characters are in relationships, experience emotions, etc (i.e. all books), it makes me realise I have little of that, of close human emotion/contact and makes me feel more alone. I feel better when I read things like National Geographic (well, then I just hate humanity and weep for Mother Earth rather than myself).

--Yes, I actually feel like it is a minor victory, like I have done something to advance time when I am looking at the clock on my computer and it changes. Seriously. It was 13:52 and then it was 13:53 - all because I looked! Whew.

Thoughts

Some thoughts from church the past two weeks ...

This Sunday ... about the Pharisees (Mark 7 : 1-8, 14-15, and 21-23) and how while they were well respected, spiritual people, they focused too much on the rules and regulations, and not on the spiritual. This was also the subject of the UCC's Daily Devotional this week (Sept 2) ; as Kenneth L. Samuel wrote "The real consequence of majoring in conventions and missing the commandments is that while we uphold religious protocol, people suffer and even die through neglect of the essential commandments of God." (under the title Majoring in Minors and Missing the Majors).

So, who do you close yourself off from - people who are not clean or smell? people of a different political background? or economic strata? or zip code? or intelligence level? people who are unemployed? If you do this, but go through the motions of being religious, you're missing the point.

And I liked in the prayer today - when tired, ask for strength ; when anxious, ask for peace. And, I learned that Eucharist means "good grace" in Greek.

Last Sunday ... Ephesians 6 : 10-20. What are you battling? Battles are not 'out there' (in the world), but they are inside you. For any battle, you should wear the Armour of God : "Stand firm then, with the belt of truth...the breastplate of righteousness...the gospel of peace....the shield of faith....the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit....

And, a reminder from several Sundays ago... Life should NOT be about the pursuit of happiness, but rather finding the source of it. So .. .what did you pursue this week thinking it would bring you happiness, only to find you felt just as empty as when you started?

On a less spiritual note, but applicable nonetheless ...

--is it so wrong that immediately after the passing of the peace, before I touched anything, I got out my disinfectant gel and used it?

--why does it seem EVERYTHING in the announcements, messages in the sermons, goals, etc. are aimed toward families and children? This just alienates me as a member of the church. Yes, I recognize that younger generations are the future and that we must nuture them. However, there are many of us without children, who are not parents, and constantly hearing focused messages to those who are is annoying.

Vampires, Mummies & the Holy Ghost

Saturday I went to London for the day to do a tour of the UK Parliament building (Westminster Palace). Last summer I did a tour of Buckingham Palace, but had no idea that Parliament opened for tours during summer recess (Aug/Sept*). So I used some Eurostar points and went over.

Of course, the Tube lines and stations I wanted to use were closed for weekend maintenance, so I just took a cab from St Pancras ; and allow me to say - How Civilised! The cab drivers are nice and pleasant, they know EXACTLY where to go, they understand what you’re saying, they don’t drive like madmen, etc. Just driving along the streets in the morning was a treat.

I got to Trafalgar Square and went to the Starbucks around the corner for a chai latte - again, it felt great to be in a place where one can walk down the street with a take away coffee cup - from a major US chain - in a size larger than a thimble - and not feel like a pariah.

Blue skies, light breeze, crisp air, wispy white clouds, sun reflecting off Parliament. Perfect.

The tour itself was very good, and was detailed perfectly in my Blue Guide London book (thanks Norah!). You can do virtual tours on the Parliament’s website. (Since I haven’t spent serious amounts of time on the US government website, I don’t have a comparison ; but, I think UK’s site is really good.)

The intricacy in the details inside were great. In some ways the House of Lords is way ostentatious when compared to House of Commons (or from the opposite view, the House of Commons is pathetically drab). Either way, both have their charms. Photography inside was not allowed.

I was surprised that both Houses do NOT have enough seats for all Members. Where is the whole Representation in that?

After the tour finished, I crossed over to Westminster Abbey and took that tour. The Abbey was less impressive than I remember it being 15 years ago. It is 15 GBP to get in, and you get a headset to listen to for descriptions of everything. I found that those descriptions, and the whole headset thing, took away from the overall awe/peace that one would’ve otherwise felt. It definitely felt more like a museum / mausoleum than a place of worship. Every place on the floor and in the walls are stones either marking someone's gravesite, or an 'in honor' thing. A lot of them on the floor are nearly illegible because they have been walked on so much they have worn away. Photography inside was not allowed.

Both Parliament and the Abbey were MUCH brighter inside than I expected. Sure, I know part of it has to do with the fact it was a sunny day, but the sheer number of windows was impressive. From a distance, Parliament doesn't really look like it has a lot of windows, but from closer look it is nearly 50% windows I think.

Every time I see historical things like this, I am just amazed that none of them were bombed to ruins in wars.

After that tour, I had just enough awkward time before my train : meaning, it wasn’t really enough time to take a cab/tube to a shopping area, as the transportation aspect would’ve minimised shopping ; but, by going directly to the train station, I had a lot of time there.

Sure, St Pancras International has a lot of shopping, but the bookstore didn’t have what I was looking for and the food choices, while good, were not what I was craving. I think, too, by this point I was tired and ready to get back to Paris. So this just means more shopping when in the States in a few days, especially at Borders.

Good things about London :

--black cabs

--the parks - they are huge, and people use them, and you can sit on the grass, and they have great flowers

--less smokers in the street - you can walk behind a group of people and not be walking in a 2nd hand smoke cloud

--all the pubs - just the way they look, with beautiful overflowing baskets of flowers adorning the front

Bad things :

--air seems dirtier, even on a crisp fall day

--lack of trash bins on the streets (I know, it’s a safety thing)

--more crowded, just a lot more people

Overall, London feels like a city of purpose, energy, action. Paris is “pretty” (image focused), laid-back, and philosophical. If one were to use the historical, stereoptypical, gender descriptions - London is male and Paris is female.

I prefer London.

But, I find that weird because when I lived there, I never really feel like I fit in, or felt ‘at home’.

*So why do Americans in general complain that the French (and Spanish) take all of August off as holiday. US Congress is in recess, and UK seems to be as well. Sure ‘members work away from Westminster’ but one has to wonder...

Passing

Rest in peace Erich Kunzel.

"Erich Kunzel, the award-winning conductor who headed the Cincinnati Pops Orchestra since it was founded three decades ago and who won international fame through sales of more than 10 million recordings, has died at age 74"

Cincinnati Pops Tribute Website is very nice, too.

I've been in the wrong pew this whole time.

I went to church at the American Church in Paris this morning. I went to the 9 a.m. service instead of the 11 a.m. since I was going to brunch at Marissa's and then to the Musee d'Orsay. I discovered the 9 a.m. service to be soooo much better than the 11 a.m. - less people, no fussy children, no fidgeting people, no latecomers shoving into pews, etc.

It was communion Sunday so we all got up to walk up front and take it. As I was walking, I was looking at the small plaques on the end of each pew which indicate who it is in honor/memory of. And when I saw this one, at the same time I got a huge grin on my face and a pang of sadness in my heart. Imagine, a bit of Old South here in Paris with me! I've been going to church there for a year and never saw this! I've been sitting in a pew 'donated' by a church in Newton, Mass., for something 'close by'. Now, I guess I have to change seats - but this one is much closer to the front than I'd prefer. (which, as the saying goes - why do people fight for front row seats to a concert, but fight for the back in church?).

Lots of Random Thoughts

Lots of random thoughts, mostly observations made at work, presented in random colors.

Sometimes I wonder why I even bother coming in to the office early (7:30 or 8). I have not even 2 minutes to breathe as at least two of the people in my team are already in office (I think they get in at 7 or earlier?) ; I liked having a boss an hour time zone behind me and who came in late (although it meant I had to work many late nights to accommodate her schedule). I don’t even have time to have my computer on and log in to my email before I’m being asked a question that is also awaiting me in my email. Gggrrrr. I am awake in the morning at home, I enjoy the morning, I enjoy reading on the commute, I even enjoy the leisurely walk from the RER to the office. But as soon as I sit down, tiredness and lethargy sets in. It's as if my body suddenly thinks it's 3 a.m. and it was rudely transported from bed to desk.

I know people are allowed to have changes of opinions, and it’s actually a good thing, but seriously? I think some in my company have done full 180s in opinions this past year, some even doing 360s, and 540s. Fine to do that, but don’t then pretend like your first opinion never existed and that instead it is some error in logic on my part! (i.e. I create a presentation/analysis based upon your point-0 assumption ; you then change your mind to point-180 and tell me my numbers are all wrong. Umm, they were your idea in the first place!) It wouldn’t bother me so much if point-0 was incorrect, but 99% of the time the difference between point-0, 180, 360... is just due to a change in company politics rather than some sort of underlying fundamental business reason.

My co-workers in Portfolio tell me I have the best desk in our office ; but even though I tell them no and the reasons why, they don’t believe me. My back is to the window and I can see the door and sort of through the venetian blinds that are in-between the double windows in the hallway. Fine. But, (a) all morning I have a horrible glare on my screen, at some points so bad that the only part of the screen I can read is the part that is in the shadow of my head (b) I cannot see outside as my back is to it (c) I get to see everyone who comes in, and then see them try to mask the disappointment on their faces if I am the only one in the office. And, this also points to the fact that people will naturally goof off a bit at work – who cares who can see your computer screen if all you’re supposed to have on it is work stuff anyway?

Why do others get huffy that I have my keyboard settings set to English? Let me explain... I have a French keyboard (AZERTY, along with a lot of other changes), but in the Control Panel settings I set it so it types as if it were US. I don’t have to look at the keyboard when I type. And, there is an icon in the menu bar down by the clock that says EN, you can change it so it is FR, and voila you have a French keyboard. So if a co-worker or two on my team is at my desk and we are working and then they want to type, they get all flustered and annoyed that it is EN. I point out that I can change it with one click to FR and they decline. Well, if you decline then deal with it.

Why did the IT guy who installed my new laptop, and supposedly is the point of reference for our business unit, tell me to call the company IT hotline to have a program installed? Like I want to do that? It’s a program I had on my old laptop. It’s a program that the company created and has the license for it. Why couldn’t he call when he was here? Why couldn’t he have it pre-installed on my laptop as I had identified it as one of the programs I use. Cripes.

I have a daily French phrase calendar, by Living Language. Why must co-workers feel the need to tell me when there are errors? And not like they are errors, but more ‘this is how you should say it’ – like if an English calendar had ‘To whom did you give the book?’, and I was the smart-ass who says, while that’s grammatically correct, people actually say ‘Who did you give the book to?’ Give me a break. I feel like they are berating me and not the calendar.

Why does Windows Vista NOT have a lot of options already in Auto Correct? Older versions of MS Office did (which , it’s a frightening list – go to Tools, Auto Correct – then look at the words. Some are easy to see they are corrections for people who type too fast, i.e. adn instead of and. Others are corrections of misspellings and these are horrific!)

It looks like, more than a year after the merger (which was in discussion for 2 years), that the London offices of the two companies will combine at some point this year (or next). Our side of the group, the much much smaller side, is complaining. Oh boo hoo, you have to move across town and your commute is longer? For what, all 30 of you? Really? You’re complaining about having to transfer Tube lines? You didn’t have to move to Europe like some did. Or have to move to Houston like others from Boston did. Or get made redundant. Buy a book and enjoy the commute.

Why do my French coworkers all say Salut to each other but Bonjour to me? (Hi v/s Hello // Informal v/s Formal)

Why does everyone else think Chartres is so stunning and beautiful? It’s not the best cathedral I’ve seen.

In Excel in the new MS Vista, if you are saving it as an older version of Excel so the rest of the world can still open the document, you get the warning message of : ‘Minor loss of fidelity’. A loss of fidelity? Really?

What is the H1N1 outlook where you are? Are people all terrified? ‘50% of the US will get it’ is one thing I’m hearing here – that’s like saying 50% of marriages end in divorce. So what, that means 50% don’t. All these contingency plans for working from home – fine, sign me up, I’ll do that now. We (expats) are trying to get the French to stop all this hand shaking every morning – you know not everyone washes their hands between Metro and office.

Ok, now I know how the French stay skinny .... A co-worker had English class today, so missed lunch. I gave him the bag of almonds & cashews I have in my desk drawer. He had some and said thanks, that it was better than nothing, even if it was junk food. JUNK food? Nuts? He said, yes. There is salt. And that cashews are the fattiest nuts. Seriously? Ok, I know that, but they're not laced with chocolate and caramel in a candy bar!

And how can Le Monde, the leading French newspaper be in our mailbox in the office by 3 p.m. when it is the next day’s paper? This means it had to have been printed by noon to be delivered to the office and then distributed. It’s not even a late edition for the same day, but the NEXT DAY. I guess I do find out the news before it happens!

And, I am much sadder about Ted Kennedy's passing than I am about Michael Jackson's.

Chartres

Yesterday (Saturday) I motivated and actually did something cultural. I got up early (07:00) and went to Gare Montparnasse to get a train to the town of Chartres. Coworkers/friends had been and raved, gushed, awed about the cathedral there. I will say upfront, I was underwhelmed. I like the Cathedral and the Basilica in Reims better, and other cathedrals I've seen.

The train ride was an easy one hour, and the walk to the cathedral from the train station is simple. I got there about 11:00 and even though it was a bright, stunningly sunny and beautiful day (like today), there wasn't much light coming in through the multitude of stained glass windows - that was a surprise to me, and a disappointment. One thing I found quite strange was how my sneakers squeaked on the floor. It seemed most people's shoes squeaked. What did they use to clean the floor? Weird.

I did a walk through and then decided to walk through the town, hoping that by coming back to the cathedral in an hour or so that the windows would be more 'alive.' The town is nice, quaint, typical French. Market was open, some stores closed due to August holidays. The Swarovski store was closed which ticked me off because that would have been the one place I wanted to go!

When I meandered back to the cathedral, I decided to walk around the outside of it to the back and from there, the views of the town are great as are the views of the cathedral (photos posted on Flickr). Going back inside, only a few specks of light were evident from the sun through the windows - still not a 'wow' moment.

Other things that made it underwhelming :

--The choir area is being renovated, so when you walk in, instead of being able to see all the way down the nave, into the choir, and to the chapel at the far end, your gaze is abruptly stopped at the altar by a floor-to-ceiling cover (nicely done though). I think this prevented some of the sunlight from getting in and through the stonework.

--Chairs were set up in the entire nave, covering over the labyrinth pattern in the floor.

--The South Rose Window was covered over for renovation

--The South Portico (outside) was behind scaffolding for repair/cleaning

I was surprised to find a Zodiac stained glass. You could really spend a lot of time looking at the detail of the windows, but I think you'd need binoculars because they are so high on the walls that it is difficult to see the detail from the ground level.

I'd like to do some more research and go back when it is not being renovated and to find out what time of day to go to have the windows be at their most brilliant.

Overall though, a truly amazing structure that was started in 1195. It survived some calamities while under construction, survived many wars, the Revolution, and two World Wars (the windows were removed for both).

I Wish Lunch Could Last Forever

Some random thoughts I've been accumulating the past few days....

--Why does my refrigerator sound like it has a cricket living inside it? (And the fridge is only 4 months old.)

--Why can’t a girl just buy a pot watcher if she wants one? My mom has one and I think it’s the greatest thing ever. However, trying to find one in a store in the U.S. is impossible. Suggestions?

--Why is it when I decide to go to Starbucks after church, to pay an exorbitant 4.50 EUR (6.40 USD) for a chai latte, and to sit and read, that the are always 3-5 groups of people with young children? And these young children are ALWAYS annoying, loud, screeching, pounding on tables, etc. I ALWAYS end up storming out of the place in anger.

--Why is there always ONE person in church who cannot read the prayer in the bulletin, or recite the Lord’s Prayer, at the same cadence as everyone else? Why must said person always be a few words ahead or behind? Certainly it should be obvious that he/she is off-beat and adjust? And why must these people always be within earshot of me?

--Don't know what it was at work today, but it was first day in three weeks where I was fantasizing about the Jameson & Ginger I was going to have on the commute home. Tastes soooo goooood....

--I really really detest / despise / hate when I’m in meetings and other people are on their BlackBerrys. Not just checking the time or a quick message, but sitting there head down, frantically pounding the tiny keys into oblivion while replying. Hello, I’m talking to YOU and asking you questions. Get your head out of your a$$ and pay attention in the meeting and stop wasting my time. (This megativity also stems from the fact that a few of the people weren’t listening to me in the meeting (half of it I was leading), weren’t reading the information I sent out, and obviously hadn’t paid attention or read the information six months ago the last time we went over this strategy exercise. Oh, sorry if the forecast of the group’s operations isn’t interesting to you... whine whine whine.)

--When did work stop being fun, exciting, challenging, engaging, etc? Well, I could tell you but then it’d just be depressing that I never quit. Time to do the 4-1 countdown (1/1/11).

--I don’t know if it’s the whole company, but at least our branch is working on an H1N1 (aka hi-ni to some of us) contingency plan. Not so much what would we do if 50% of our workforce died, but rather, can they work from home if necessary. And get this, the fear isn’t for infection in the winter, but rather in September when the whole population gets sucked back into Paris on some sort of giant rubberband that let them escape on holiday for 3-6 weeks. We Americans in office are trying to stop shaking everyone’s hands each morning, but it’s so engrained into the French psyche that it’s like asking them to give up wine, bread, and cheese.

--I’ve found a good way to lose weight : be so tired when you get home from work that you have just enough energy to have a bowl of cereal for dinner.

--And seriously, why was the financial ‘crisis’ that ‘hit’ last September such a surprise to everyone? If you look at most of the economic figures (fx rates, unemployment, job creation, GDP, ISM indices, etc.), they were all going down starting since at least March-2008, if not 3-6-9 months prior.

Everybody's on the Phone

I got a new laptop at work this week as part of the company’s job to get us upgraded to Vista (from Office 2001). Of course, it is a full year project for our Branch. I was interviewed back in April regarding what software I use, programs, language preferences, etc. Four months later, voila. I guess I shouldn’t complain too much, I did get it in August, the month of nearly full-unemployment in Paris as everyone takes 2-6 weeks holiday.

I opted for a French keyboard (AZERTY, not QWERTY) because you can change the settings so it types as if it were the latter - this way if the laptop is given to a French person to use, or if I want to type in French, it’s easier.

However, I did opt for English software (Microsoft Vista). There was no way I was going to continue to suffer with keyboard shortcuts (i.e. CTRL-G for bold, while CTRL-B deletes or closes a program or something sinister like that) Nor was I going to try to learn Vista in another language.

How do I feel about Vista....? BLECH.

It seems like a 3rd grader helped develop the format/layout of all the menu bars. in Excel, Word & PowerPoint - it’s set up more to look pretty than to be functional. I hope I’m not in a hurry any time the next few weeks because there is not much logical in terms of how things are named nor arranged, nor are there many similarities with Windows XP - in my opinion.

Vista reminds me a lot of the operating interface of my MacBook, and that just makes me angry. Is Bill Gates trying to be like Steve Jobs or something? Does Microsoft think that by making its software look similar to iWork that it’ll prevent people from becoming Mac users, or convince Mac users to buy a PC?

For example : there is a tool bar on the desktop that has a calendar, clock, news fee, and options to add other things. Hmmm...it’s just the Dock in Mac, but not as good. The setup of what was Windows Explorer now looks a lot like Finder in Mac. Even things in Excel, how sheets are arranged, is more like Numbers in iWork.

What really irks me is that I liked using a PC at work and a Mac at home - the programs were different enough that my brain could differentiate. Now, my brain is just all sorts of confused.

And, I’ve only had the new PC for 6 hours at work. It’s going to be a long week this week and a more loathsome Monday than usual.

Church today - big sermon

Today, I heard the Rev Jesse Jackson, Sr. preach at the American Church in Paris. He is currently the President (and founder) of the RainbowPUSH Coalition.

The title of his sermon was ‘A Mind for Peace’, or ‘A Dream of Peace’ as he stated in the beginning. He used two applicable Bible passages, Genesis 37:5-11 (Joseph and his dream) and Matthew 5:9 (Blessed are the peacemakers).

My observations :

--He said he and his delegation were jet lagged, arriving from Chicago today (?) that’s what I thought he said, but I don’t know if that is logistically possible to then show up for an 11 a.m. service.

--I guess the jet lag explains his subdued demeanor (but I never saw him yawn), but did he have to look solemn/serious/unhappy?

--I was shocked he did not even read along when the Apostle’s Creed was said. Certainly this is something every ordained minister knows by heart and would feel compelled/moved to recite with the congregation?

--As with the Associate Pastor at ACP, the Rev Laurie Wheeler, he wasn’t as cognizant that the ACP is an International congregation, not just American, and for many English is a 2nd language : he talked too fast, dropped the end of his words/phrases, and used idoms. I found myself in serious concentration to understand him and I think my English is pretty good.

--In the theme of peace, he referred often to the Aug 6 events of 1945 and 1965. The atomic bombing of Hiroshima and the signing of the Voting Rights Act in the US.

--Evidently, this was not his first time at ACP’s pulpit, but I don’t know when before he was there.

--The Rev Dr Martin Luther King, Jr. has also preached at ACP, in 1963, a year before he won the Nobel Peace Prize

--After reading about Rev Jackson on Wikipedia (I know, not the most scholarly nor in depth source of info), I am not sure how I feel about him. Is he a great leader? A great spiritual person? A peace maker? Definitely lots of good things he’s done, but also some interesting viewpoints. ACP Senior Pastor Scott Herr introduced him, saying Rev Jackson has been called a ‘great unifier’ and ‘the conscience of the nation’ - I don’t think I’d consider him either. But, he must be one heck of a negotiator for all the work he has done having hostages freed.

Lines from his sermon that I liked

(I assume the sermon will be available to listen online on ACP’s website. If so, it would be found here) :

--‘Peace is not he absence of noise, that’s quietness ; it’s the presence of justice’

--‘Why do dreamers face rejection?’

--Dreamers are ‘all minorities with majority dreams’

--‘No nation is moral enough, trustworthy enough, to have nuclear bombs...WMDs’

--‘The war budget reflects our character.’ There are no soldiers to fight cancer, poverty, access to potable water, etc.

--‘Peace is seen as weak, naive.’

--‘We love martyrs when they’re dead, not when they’re alive.’

Overall feeling :

It felt more like a conglomeration of sound-bytes than a sermon. While I definitely liked that he related back to the Genesis Bible passage, it wasn’t enough for my tastes. He read the speech more than not, and wasn’t really engaging with the congregation ; he started off quiet and subdued, working his way into a more (to-be-expected) rah-rah tone (i.e. louder). While a good speech, it didn’t compel me to leave and find the nearest protest for peace to join, or to examine my life for the hypocrisies in it. It also made me think of the phrase I’ve heard often in church and in motivational literature : Be the change you want to see in the world.