My New Perfume

[megapulse]

"only people who are comfortable are in a position to say things like "money isn't worth much" whereas those who are struggling to get by are going to see money as being worth more. There really is no offense intended by this statement, it just makes sense."

i disagree. it makes sense to you.

this is what you originally said, that i took offense to: "And no offense, but the fact that you sneer upon those who want money is a dead giveaway that you yourself are well off. I mean imagine a poor person saying "oh I've never understood those who go for the money, it's really not all that great, quality of life is better being poor etc." Sorry but I'm not at that point that I can relate to that philosophy"

i was offended by your assumption that i am well off and this is how i have come to certain conclusions about financial security as if i have no experience with poverty. i was speaking about my personal experiences with poverty, not with being well off. i will further explain that the hubby and i decided to reject his becoming an officer while he was in the navy. he was offered the school and lots more money; he said no, he wouldn't feel right going from enlisted to officer because he saw the way a lot of officers treated enlisted guys, and it made him sick. most of the officers did not treat him that way because he had two college degrees, one in sociology, when he enlisted, and some of the officers were friends with him on the weekends. money and comfort have never been his issues -- he passed up opportunities to further his football career for the same reason -- it's called valuing things other than money and making decisions based upon those values. he was up to his eyeballs in college loans debt when i married him and took on that debt with him and decided not to go to graduate school to work two jobs to help pay off his debt.

mark, i was sharing my opinion based on my experience, and i am sorry if my experiences do not make sense to you.

pixie, what was the title of the essay you were telling me about a couple of weeks or months ago . . . i forget the title. . . but i think it was something like the problem of speaking for others? . . . something like that.

pixie good luck to you and j with making ends meet -- i promise if the two you set your minds to it, you absolutely can do it and good luck with your paper. it sounds like you've got lots of work to do.

[marky]

I was not assuming that you were well off. I am saying your statements make that obvious. And well off is a relative term, this is not meant as "I hate you because you must be rich Sarah". But when I say well off I do mean in the monetary sense, so please don't turn it into something else. I am aware that "well off" can be meant in other senses than financially. That's not what I'm talking about for the moment.

Here is what you said that I found offensive:

enjoy your poverty though. i know that sounds like stupid advice, but the more money the hubby and i've had the less creative we've been -- it actually hurt our marriage to make more money (my theory is that only the really stupid want more money because they are too uncreative to make do and be happy with what they have, just my two cents Smile)

Number one, I would never tell someone to "enjoy their poverty". We're simply going to have to agree to disagree on that one. Number two, "only the really stupid want more money". Even you yourself must surely admit that statement is unduly harsh. I repeat: folks who are struggling to get by, the very kinds of poor folks you say you have direct experience with, are not going to say these things! These things can only be said by someone who is financially comfortable. The person who is sick, too sick to work, who can't afford to go to the doctor is not stupid for wanting more money, and they aren't going to say others are. And I don't feel it's fair to say that I am stupid for wanting more money. How am I going to save for retirement? What will I fall back on if I lose my job? Perhaps I would even like to travel somewhere for the first time in 5 years. Am I stupid for wanting that?

[marky]

I am also aware that there are folks such as yourself who might say life was better when they had less money, and that by itself, well, I don't see anything wrong with that. My impression has been that often folks who have large sums of money (likely much more than you or I have ever seen) wish they knew what life was like without it, or like they can't fit into society properly because they can't relate to this "authentic" lifestlye that most know where they have to do things for themselves or be creative, etc.

I have a good friend who's parents have a lot of money and I know feels a big guilt trip with her friends sometimes. One cool thing she did was kept her local cell phone number when she moved away to another state so I can still call her now and talk as long as I want and not pay a dime because it's still a local phone number. She did that on purpose for her friends, and I love her for that.

But I'm getting off topic now I guess. Then again, none of this has anything to do with Pixie's new perfume! Hahaha...jeez...I wonder how much THAT cost (hates to find out, don't tell me)

[TragicPixie]

ummm $17 actually.

[marky]

Wow! That's a CD! Haha...

[TragicPixie]

haha the last CD I bought was $11 something. It was Weezer's Make Believe which I really actually like. I really love Weezer (in fact, that sounds like what should come next in my play list and usually ends any sex mix I make; I don't know why.)

Heh... the midwest is dirt fucking cheap.

[marky]

Oh I'm not saying every CD is $17! And most that cost that much I don't buy! I was rounding. It's more likely that I'll see one CD for roughtly $17 than I would to find two CD's I want for $8.50 each at the same time. That's what I was getting at. Says the accountant who spends too much money on music...

I'd be interested to know exactly what the hell Weezer sound like now.

[TragicPixie]

haha I should let you be my accountant ... I need an accountant. You'd probably threaten to kill me or cut up my debit card... I just got paid today so I might have about $200 in my account and I've already spent:
$10ish on ice cream
$20 on gas for moving

and I think I spent $10 last week off the debit card BEFORE I was paid on food.

Then there was the $40 I took out last weekend for the concert and having fun with my little brother... (Who gets a contact high REALLY easily and is kinda cute when he's semi-stoned - and I do not know if taking my brother somewhere where I'm aware there will be a lot of pot makes me awful or awesome.)

And I have no idea...

But because I was upset I also just spent $10 on cheap wine and will be spending $25 on party favors

Plus next weekend there's a local rave so that'll be $10-15 for the night .... maybe more if I get party favors but that's THIS weekend sooooooo.....

But Wonderland Massive going on in Chi-town this weekend so if I hadn't got my bag stolen then I would be grumpy ANYWAY since two of my favourite DJs are spinning plus Vinyalgroover .... aggghh... I miss hardcore parties :( I should move to Seattle where it rains and there's hardcore.

[marky]

Hmm...I'm starting to wish I had more red wine. That's bad. Because I don't.

I'm sure you will have lots of fun at the rave.

I have to go into the next room to get something. I am taking a brief break now.

[TragicPixie]

aww sorry. I have a little of that horrible vodka left. I wonder if it will go okay with raspberry vitamin water. because after this shift I want to *wasted* Yup. I want to be so drunk I am still drunk as fuck when I come down here at 8am to talk to the head of the building. I am a professional alcoholic - so it will be okay, as long as I can eat some oranges and not puke. The smell of organes covers anything.

The company that makes the cannibis perfume (see look, I am making this get back on topic) actually makes an orange perfume as well that they claim has been successfully used to cover up the smell of a fire.

So a girl smelling of vomit with her nipples popping out of her strapless top just walked in. I shouldn't have let her in the building but what do I care ... my things have already gone missing. I hope someone else's do too. hmph. Anyway she is one of the girls who made me cry for actually doing my job earlier in the semester - I am already on the verge of tears.

[marky]

Don't cry!

I know a great song that goes "Don't go/don't cry/don't cry--eye eye..."

Look the Kate Bush CD just started again and I don't want to hear this one again, I want to hear the first CD of the double CD this time, not the second one.

Okay look I'm really getting off the computer now I'm sorry. I want to walk outside to the store. I will see you in a little bit. I'm just gonna get some cheap light beer or something. I don't know. No I shouldn't do that. Maybe I'll get some red wine. They've got to have some. Maybe I'll walk to the proper grocery store which is only a few blocks more and THEN get some more red wine. Yeah. That's what I'm going to do. It won't take long. Maybe 15-20 min. I can call you after that. And you can call me back if you want. I'm getting off the internet now.

[TragicPixie]

haha okay ... I'll be up.

[megapulse]

mark, sense you are bound and determined to have your panties in a bunch over this comment, and you apparently want to offended i am going to oblige you wholeheartedly

i think you are rather stupid.

here goes just for you, dumbass if you want to be offended here -- you are, mark, are the very stupid person i am referring to you -- you are dumb!

PIXIE, WHINE GROWN AND HATE YOUR POVERTY -- DO NOT BE CREATIVE -- DO NOT ATTEMPT TO ENJOY YOUR LIFE AS IT IS.

MARK WILL TAKE OFFENSE IF I ASK YOU TO ENJOY YOUR LIFE AS IS -- SO MY VERY SMART WISE ADVISE because we all now know that i am not well off as mark first implied i was with the statement: "but the fact that you sneer upon those who want money is a dead giveaway that you yourself are well off" that he is now denying that he made -- HATE YOUR LIFE AND YOUR POVERTY -- STRUGGLE WITH THOSE DECISIONS TO BUY PERFUME AND CD's BECAUSE YOU ARE SO POOR, and for god's sake, oh wait no there is no god, DON'T FUCKING SAVE YOUR MONEY -- NOOOOOOO! WASTE IT and gas ON ROAD TRIPS, PERFUMES, and CD's SO THAT YOU CAN NOT SUPPORT YOURSELF! my wisdom, just mark.

[megapulse]

there are some serious type-o's in the above post. i am so sorry.

for the rest, i'm not:

Recommended reading for dumb ass, I mean Mark the easily offended who now I have absolutely no problem purposely and deliberately offending. You asked for it. The book is called AFFLUENZA it's been a pretty popular book in recent history among non-dumb asses, or viewers of PBS. Really, I think it's resonated with the 10 million viewers who agree that material wealth, is fairly stupid.

Based on two highly acclaimed PBS documentaries watched by 10 million viewers, Affluenza uses the whimsical metaphor of a disease to tackle a very serious subject: the damage done — to our health, our families, our communities, and our environment — by the obsessive quest for material gain. In cleverly titled chapters like "Swollen Expectations" and "A Rash of Bankruptcies," the authors examine the origins, evolution, and symptoms of the affluenza epidemic. Yet they also explore cures and suggest strategies for rebuilding families and communities and for restoring and respecting the earth. Demonstrating that now, more than ever, Americans need ways of fighting the affliction, this edition includes a new introduction and updated figures, adds information on the impacts of stress and overwork, and provides an in-depth look at various campaigns and movements offering solutions for today's problems. Engaging, fast-paced, and accessible, it reexamines a serious, far-reaching issue for a wide audience.

http://www.powells.com/cgi-bin/biblio?i ... 76753573-0

[marky]

Have it your way, Sarah. I'm through with this debate.