Movie Review -- The Circle

 The movie The Circle stars Emma Watson, Tom Hanks, Patton Oswalt and others. 

I had never heard of the movie or the book until I saw it listed in the available titles for my Amazon Prime video selection. 

It had Emma Watson, so I figured it was worth watching.  I was right.  The film did not get very many positive reviews, but I disagree.  I found it very thought provoking and indicative of where we as a society are headed if we are not careful.

Emma's character Mae lands a job at a very forward thinking company due to an acquaintance of hers that works there.  Her friend Annie tells her nothing other than how great the company is.  We find out why fairly soon.  Social networking with coworkers is required.  Extra curricular socializing with coworkers is required.  Very required.  As in if you miss a weekend activity, it is mentioned to you by HR.

When Mae gets herself into a situation that company management assists her with as a kindness, the CEO (played by Tom Hanks) then leverages that kindness to compel Mae to participate in an experiment that leads her down a path where there is almost no turning back.

In this world of "sharing" and with so much about our lives and the lives of politicians and celebrity being so public--the things that are kept private are becoming more and more dangerous and illicit.

This happens in today's world all too often.  Are sports players in Public Safety commercials because they feel strongly about that topic, or because it is a consequence of some behavior they now want to keep private such as a speeding ticket, drunk driving, etc. that the general public will never know about?  Shouldn't we know about those kinds of things?

We've all formed opinions based on what we saw or read about a person.  But in today's world, what we see is increasingly staged, rehearsed, and paid for promotions and endorsements.  It's hard to know who to look up to because everyone seems to have a motive for their actions.

So where is my guilt in this scenario?  Do I share too much?  I'm not sure.  Do I share things that are misleading and/or untrue?  Definitely not.  But is my case the exception or the rule?

 

How do you exit the freeway?

I have a commute to work of about 28 miles each way.  A portion of that is on Interstate 39 in Wisconsin. 

As I merge on to the freeway each morning, there is inevitably a back up in the right lane due to cars slowing down to get off the freeway at the next exit.  This makes it somewhat unsafe as not only am I merging, but I'm also trying to get into the left lane to get around all these yahoos who have the nerve to be getting off at the next exit.  (That's a joke--mostly  :))

This led me to call to remembrance in my learning to drive days the seriousness with which both my dad and brother admonished me to not slow down until you are ON the off ramp or in the exit lane.  If you slow down in the lane of traffic prior to the ramp, you could/would be run over or cause an accident.

However, that was back when the speed limit was 55 mph on the interstate.  The speeds are faster now, have the on and off ramp criteria changed to allow for the increased speeds of the vehicles using the entrance and exit lanes?  Do you have to slow down prior to the exit lane in order to have your vehicle stopped at the end of the exit ramp?

After doing some research and reading a few articles which I will link for your reference, the answer in a lot of cases is yes--in order to safely stop your vehicle at the bottom of the exit ramp, you must begin slowing down prior to the exit lane.

An average vehicle traveling at 60 miles per hour takes 302 feet to safely come to a stop.  Reference  

The USDOT requirement for an exit ramp distance if the posted speed is 60 miles per hour and the exit ramp is relatively straight is less than 200 feet. Off Ramp Reference

I also checked the driving rules.  Were my teachers overly cautious and/or wanting me to be overly cautious?  Nope--on a "learn to drive" website it instructs students to move into the exit lane prior to slowing down.  Student Reference 

What does all of this mean?  Obviously I need to not be in such a hurry in the mornings, but in addition to that, we need to be thinking about stopping prior to when we're barreling down the exit ramp towards a line of cars at a red light. 

When do you begin the slow down to exit the interstate?  I'd love to discuss

Why do I close my eyes when I brush my teeth?

As I was getting dressed for work one morning, I realized that I always, ALWAYS close my eyes when I brush my teeth.  The whole time.  Also when I do my mouthwash.

Is this weird?  Is it a thing?

A Google search didn't yield any actual answers, but I did find out that I am making 2 of the top 8 mistakes people make when brushing their teeth.

How many do you make?

Social Classes in America

Are there social classes in America?  There shouldn't be. 

What ideas did The Founding Fathers have about this?

As it turns out, the current idea of social equality & class is not mentioned in The Constitution or The Bill of Rights.  So if The Founding Fathers didn't arrange for it, does it matter?

Yes!  and No!

When the colonies began, there wasn't much if any social inequality.  That came later as the country grew.  I believe that social inequality and classes are inevitable in any society.  This is because people are different by design.  They have different personalities, interests, talents, etc.

My first response usually is to keep the "birds of a feather" rule and seek out those that are similar to me.  However, recently I've had a few opportunities to spend time with folks who have lives that are very different than mine--worlds different. 

And guess what?!~  I didn't fit in.  Oh, the experience was lovely, but I did not fit in with this group, nor would they be comfortable in a group of my friends. 

I realized that differences are essential.  Subtle, large, every sort of difference is absolutely essential for us to be able to live our lives, develop our characters, and discover our own souls.

Differences help us to create our happiness.

What are your thoughts?

Are we all self serving animals?

i found myself yelling at my husband today as he was leaving to walk the dog. As I realized most of my yelling landed on the closed front door rather than the intended recipient, I stopped to wonder what my actual problem was.
He had asked me to inspect something he saw on the floor which I did, but only after rolling my eyes and sighing loudly. His response was: well, I just hauled all the groceries in and now I’m walking the dog.
This response irritated me because I chose to believe he was trying to tell me he works harder than I do.
Whether or not this is true is not the point. The point is that I chose to believe that was what his thoughts were and I was offended.
I thought it was interesting that in one of my most relaxed moments, this was the behavior that came out.
I do not often yell at my husband in fact almost never. Like everyone else I have triggers because I am human and have memories, experiences, and the like.
I’m grateful that I have a safe place to be relaxed and when things like that happen, I explain to the hubs, we discuss, and it’s over. Just like that.

Different Management Styles?

This morning on the ride to work, I found myself thinking of Roseanne Barr and the recent cancellation of her T. V. Show.

I do not think it is okay to make personal attacks on anyone, especially if you’re a public figure. My question is this:  Samantha Bee made a very similar error right about the same time. Her show was not canceled. I believe it missed some episodes. Is the obvious difference in punishment due to the different network management styles or is it due to the fact that Roseanne is a Trump supporter and Samantha is not?

I will not comment on whether or not I am a Trump supporter, but will say there is an obvious double standard.

I’d love to hear your thoughts!  Share them in the comments!!

Sad World

I am very sad tonight. My husband noticed today a fledgling robin whose mommie was watching from afar as he hopped around and peeped.
Tom sent me a picture and I couldn’t wait to get home and see him for myself!
Before I arrived, the baby was run over by a car. This is nature and happens all day, every day, all across the world.
Still I am sad.

Menopause

It sucks. I thought I would be trendy and power through with no hormonal treatment.  That worked great when I didn’t have my period for a year. But now it’s time  to pay the piper and I’ve been bleeding for 5 weeks and positively flooding for the last 3 days. I’m a big weepy smelly messy mess. My head hurts, I’m nauseated, and I think I might be dying.

Bottom line—- I’m not trendy.

Are you a complainer?

We used to live in a town with a population of around 30,000.  It’s a college town and pretty nice for what it is.

When my husband retired a few years ago, he became acutely aware of the goings on of some of the neighborhood kids. He complained. As you can probably guess, the problem got worse.

Now we live in a town with a population of about 350. We love it!  But there are teens here too ( they’re everywhere!!), and every time the hubs says anything about it, I get very squirrely. I love it here more than any other place I’ve ever lived, and I don’t want there to be any trouble.

It’s attitudes like mine that get people taken advantage of and walked all over!  LOL

Where do you land on complaining?  Yes? Or no??

Snakeskin

My husband is retired, but has a decent start on a career as a fisherman. Today in his travels, he said he saw multiple snakeskins that had been shed. He’d never seen one before and neither have I. I kind of wish he had brought one home to show off.

Have you ever seen a snakeskin??

Lactose! What have you done?!

i am very lactose ‘tolerant ‘. I love dairy, can’t get enough cheese, put milk in my coffee, etc., etc., etc.

I keep ice cream in the house for obvious reasons—(it’s fantastic). As I was enjoying my Kroger deluxe peanut butter cup flavor the other day, I noticed a banner on the package that stated it was lactose free. I thought nothing of it.

Until

I had what I can only imagine is the same reaction lactose intolerant folks have.

Anybody want the rest of my lactose free peanut butter cup ice cream????

Epiphanies everywhere

Still smarting from yesterday’s insecure day, I asked a good friend to have lunch with me today so she could knock some sense into this ole melon of mine. And she did!  It is truly amazing what an outside perspective can do!

I’ve come to realize today that I’ve been wrong about something for longer than I want to admit.

Can people change?  Absolutely!  I am a much different person than I used to be.

That doesn’t always mean that they have changed. Food for thought. Your initial gut response is usually correct.

Aftershock?

Yesterday, I attended a conference in Madison, WI fir Business Analysts like myself. It was my first time going to such an event, and it was an exciting as exhausting day.
I am pretty proud of myself. I did well especially considering how this very scenario would historically make my anxiety go through the roof.
Turns out I spoke too soon. Today, was the most ‘insecure ‘ day I’ve had in a really long time.
Is that normal?  

Respect the semi truck

I have about a half hour drive to and from work each day. It’s all highway except for about the last 10 mins. On January 23rd, my family and I rear ended a stopped semi. I received a few minor injuries and now have a ‘bad’ shoulder. Understandably, I am now hyper aware of the space between the car I’m in and the car in front of me. I see other cars multiple times a day rear ending semis, cutting them off, and generally demonstrating that they do not understand that they can get hurt! Don’t be like my co commuters!!! Respect the semis!!!!

How busy am I?

I like to keep my work life extremely busy and my home life extremely opposite. That has worked out well for me for a while. But, as I begin to get more opportunities at work, there’s more and more late days leaving for home, studying for my class at home, don’t forget book club!, and all the other odds and ends that pop up. If you had asked me in the beginning if I had room for all these ‘add ons’, I would have said no. But as they are coming one at a time, with chances to reprioritize, I’m enjoying it. A nice surprise!

Have you ever vacuumed the stairs?

I've just vacuumed the stairs at our new place for the first time with the proper attachment in my upright vacuum.

It's a big pain in boo tay.

That is all.

<a href="https://www.bloglovin.com/blog/19443759/?claim=8x927d3az9n">Follow my blog with Bloglovin</a>

Thoughts

I was asked Friday morning how I felt about changing by my work assignment within my team. I jumped at the chance to do something a little different!  This is a wonderful opportunity for me and I’m thrilled to the gills!
I’m also a little nervous. There’s a meeting at 8am Monday morning to bring me up to speed. Wish me luck and success in my new venture!

Be Respectful!

I work at an insurance company. I am taking a certification class as a part of my job. The class has 2 sessions a week, and we are 4 weeks in to the 6 week curriculum. This past Tuesday was a review session. When the clock hit 2:59 for this class that ends at 3, every person in the room got up and walked out. We were mid discussion. In the middle of determining what was on the balance sheet vs the financial statement. They all just stopped and left.

I know I’ve been out of school a decade or two, but is this what we do now? I kind of wanted to hear the answer to the question.

Full Moon Nightmares!

Recently, there was a full moon.  This tends to happen every so often I've noticed, and I've also noticed that I tend to have nightmares the 3 days of the full moon. 

I've shared that I struggle with nightmares when I'm sick or stressed, but this is a new realization for me.  Besides being discombobulated when I wake up and concerned the entire day from the lingering upset of the dream, this causes me to wonder if there is another explanation besides my anxiety rearing its ugly head.

So I consulted my all knowing friend, Google, and here's what I found.  It's actually kind of interesting and worth the 5-10 minutes to read.

Does the Moon Influence Dreams?

Do you have dreams?  Nightmares?  Try an experiment and see if they're any different or more vivid at any certain time of the month.  You might be surprised.

Guilt by Association

My husband Tom and I enjoy watching True Crime type shows on T.V.  Like Forensic Files and such.  The last few weeks we've been watching a documentary about Edward Edwards, the man who some think may have been the Zodiac killer. 
There is one investigator that has been drawing some outlandish parallels and seems to be obsessed with Ed. 
He claims Ed did the child killings in Atlanta in the early 80's, the ones that Wayne Williams was arrested for.
His logic is that:  Since Ed was in Atlanta during that time, possessed a police officer's uniform (it was said the children were lured by someone they knew or someone in authority), and had a prejudice against blacks, that he killed these children. 
Also, since he owned a Santa suit and was in Colorado in 1996, he killed JonBenet Ramsey.
When it's presented in such a way, it is easy for us as viewers to see the jumps the investigator is making in accusing Ed of these crimes just because he is a killer and was known to be in the area at the time.
But I'm wondering--how often do I make similar jumps in the logic of my anxiety?  It is outlandish to think that because someone is annoyed and they are in your presence (among about 10 others) that they are annoyed because of your presence or even  your existence.  How often does my flawed thinking go to "that place".  I don't think I'm all that unique in these sorts of thoughts either.
Something to ponder.