7 Things I've changed my mind about kinda recently

Seriously, I can't get off the themes for Seven Quick Takes, it's like a tick or something. I don't think in themes, actually, the process is generally all very random, I just can't seem to not have a group of ideas that need expressing about one Friday every other month so here we are! You gotta love 7QT, and gracious hostess Jennifer at Conversion Diary, so join in, random thoughts, themes, recipes, whatever.

So, things I've rethought and changed my mind about:

1) Glenn Beck - he's too angst-y and hysterical for me now. I've got that covered on my own, thankyouverymuch. I've only every listened occasionally, but back when his show had some comedic merit, when he talked about things other than Obama, gold, and assorted boogey men, I would get tickled - he even had a decent interview with an entertainer now and then. Now it's just a string of freak outs, and like I said, I'm totally covered on that one. Buh-bye, GB, I do wish you well.

2) brown rice - a long time ago on this blog I posted my fail-proof method of preparing brown rice, and extolled it's virtues above those of it's inferior polished cousin. While I still stand by the method, I now prefer white rice. Not only do I like it better (on the rare occasions I eat it - brown or white, it's too starchy for me), it's easier to prepare, it's a highly digestible and sound starch, very inexpensive (though it's going up and up, like everything), and suitable for storing long term. *like*. Brown rice has become something of a symbol of a time in my life when I both made things harder than they had to be in order to impress people who did not care, and a kind of mistaken concept of Holy Eating. Weird, I know.

3) freshly ground black pepper - this is about laziness, and the fact that I couldn't find whole peppercorns in bulk in my entire town, and I wasn't going to pay something like $95/lb for the little glass jars with what, maybe a months worth in them? So, add cheapness to laziness. I ordered the wrong thing from Amazon, thinking it was peppercorns when it was actually already ground, and we LOVE it. It's fresh tasting, nice big (if a little too uniform) flakes that are the right amount of spicy, what's not to love? When you use black pepper like we do, this is tremendously important. I still love fresh, I'm just not the snob I thought I was.

4) women should cut their long hair when they turn 40 - who thought this up? How about this: if you want to cut your hair, cut it, if you don't, then don't. This "rule" was planted in my brain by my own mother, who was an employment counselor for years and I think very dedicated to the idea that a polished appearance was essential to the conventional workplace, and I think she was probably right. However, being a non-conventional workplace (my garage and my kitchen table) employee, I like my pony-tail, and I like the styling versatility that wouldn't be available if I cut my hair short, and (gasp!) my husband prefers it long, too. I've noticed lots of very attractive women, some older than me, who have hair that flatters their faces and looks terrific - it's a superficial thing, I guess, but it's a good reminder to avoid the hazards of adopting what amounts to the simple preferences as some sort of law.

5) I will die without bread - clearly, I haven't. And I don't even crave it, really. This is big news for me, as I could just as easily make a meal of a restaurant bread basket as order off the menu, followed by another bread basket for dessert.

6) flat screen tv's - yes, I'm that person. I thought the whole thing was a scam, really. I vowed that I would not get caught in the trap of buying electronics just because they were made available, and I've managed to avoid iEverthings and texting and talking refrigerators, etc...we had a perfectly nice, functional tube television that served us just fine, until last Christmas. My family is slightly embarrassed, I think, by my lack of style where these sorts of things are concerned, and so gifted us a flat screen. I am totally sold. We kept the old tube model for a couple of weeks, thinking we'd set it up in the guest room or our room, but it seemed to be such a beast compared to the flat, and i just didn't want to sacrifice the eight square feet it took up for one more minute. We don't watch enough t.v. to warrant having two, anyway, so out it went. I am converted.

7) college for everyone - don't misunderstand me, I think everyone should be educated, but not everyone needs to do it in an institutional setting over the course of four or fourteen years to the tune of six figures. My idolization of higher education (in the conventional sense) has been challenged, recently. I see a lot of opportunity cost and low return on investment for people who might be better served with a more creative approach to professional training and workforce alignment, oh, and little things like gifts and talents. False barriers to entry and credentialism are costing us valuable brain power - ironically, a lot of it in the area of education. Surely we can think of a better more viable system than the one we're currently feeding - it is an impossible hunger to satisfy.


Now aren't you glad you asked? Happy weekend, beloved!