Open Wide

Last week I had a dentist appointment, which was fine. I like my dentist. But is it just me? Or does the dentist make everyone else feel super young? I go in, and as soon as I sit in that chair, I feel like a little kid.

Also, somehow when I go to the dentist I feel like if there is anything wrong, it is my fault. I don't know why. If there are weird things when I go to the doctor, I don't think, "This must be my fault. If I did x, y, or z, then maybe this wouldn't be happening." At least, not often. But when I have a dentist appointment or if there is anything weird before I go, I always feel like it's all my fault. So, over the weekend, I had a tooth break, and I totally felt like it must be my fault.

Fortunately, my dentist and his staff are great. They always explain things with, "Oh, yeah, sometimes when a happens, b happens." They never make me feel like it's my fault, they just acknowledge that, yep, bodies are weird, including teeth, and stuff happens. So, if you ever need a good dentist, let me know, cuz I can recommend one!

Hiatus

I'm a pretty diverse reader. I don't really do one genre and only one genre. But it seems that lately, a lot of the books I've read have showcased the stupidity of the human race. The last few books I read include:

• How to be an Anti-Racist. This is a great book, a mix of sociology, current events, biography, and history. And there were multiple moments when I was furious about something that someone somewhere did that was so blatantly evil and nasty. Like the 2000 election and voter suppression. Which, first of all, how did I not know about this?!?!?!?! And, second of all, WHAT?!?!?!?!
• The Fifth Sun. This one is a history of the Aztecs that draws on more Nahuatl documents than have typically been available in the past. I've never really liked Cortez since I took a colonial lit class in college, and this really didn't help much. And just the injustice of colonialization in general is pretty maddening. Although, I will say I was less angry after reading this one and just more fascinated by all the history I didn't know. Like, the attempt by Spaniards to establish a colony in North America, and it's disastrous outcome. 
• The Berlin Wall: A World Divided, 1961-1989. Fairly obvious what this one is about. And it really does make one irritated with people. Well, not all people, but as in the other books, with people who crave power more than anything.

And now I am reading All the Shah's Men. And what is this one about? Well, in the 1950s, Britain basically owned Iran and was getting rich off of their oil fields while Iranians were, well, you can imagine what was going on with them. Not getting anything from the deal. Then they got a prime minister who tried to kick the British out, so the British convinced the US that this PM was going to lead Iran down the path to Communism (gotta love the Cold War), so the US and Britain staged a coup, kicked out the PM and empowered the Shah, and we all know how that worked out for everyone.

So, yeah. Add all of that to the shenanigans going on currently and I've realized I either have to stop reading history for a while or stop hearing the news. Because I've been getting pretty tetchy about people. 

It's not that I haven't read other stuff, too, but clearly, it's not enough. So, as soon as I finish with Iran, I will be taking a break from history for a bit. It will be my contribution to world peace. 

Phones against bombs

Yesterday, I was going through articles that I had saved* and I came across a BBC article I'd bookmarked titled "What Tech Giants Really Do with Your Data". Of course, there were all the usual things--share it with others, use it for mischevious purposes, blah blah. But, it wrapped up with the best thing ever:

So there you have it, friends. Don't use your phones to make nuclear weapons. 

*Why do I even save articles? I forget what they are and honestly, if I was going to find stuff on the topic, I'd most likely search google, not go through a bunch of clippings I've evernoted. For realsies. 

Click reply?

Today I was chatting with a friend (she knows who she is) that I hadn't talked to in a while. Usually I email her every few weeks, or we talk, or text or something, but it's been a few months*. So, first, it was fantastic to chat with her. But during our conversation we were talking about how long it had been and my friend said how much she appreciated my patience with her because she's not such an emailer**. Quite frankly? That's fine with me.

I love getting emails from friends, but I don't necessarily want them to email me right back. When I email them after 3 months and the next day they have responded, 1) I don't have anything new to tell them and 2) I haven't cycled through all my email peeps, and since I just wrote to them, they are now at the end of the list***. All of you who have apologized so profusely and sincerely that it has taken so long for you to write back to me? Gold star. Thank you for delaying long enough that I don't feel super overwhelmed and mentally buried beneath an email mountain. You're great.

This problem is not so bad with friends. I mean, if they do write back the next day, and they are my friend, I know they aren't going to hate me forever for not writing the next day. But at work, an immediate response is the worst. I respond to emails because I want the problem or the question or the whatever to be dealt with and off my plate. So, when someone replies back within 24 hours, I'm not thrilled. I just want to be done!!! Sigh. Work email. What sadist came up with it?!***

Anyway, to all my friends who are waiting around for me to write them, I promise: I haven't forgotten you, I still love you, and I'm going to write you. I'm just doing you a favor and giving you some time before you have to write back to me so that you don't have to be stressed. Cuz I'm cool like that.

Yeah.*****

*Look, I changed jobs at work, it was the holidays, yeah, yeah, no excuses, I know.
**In fairness, I have ulterior motives. My emails to her are basically my journal, so if I didn't write them, I would have no history.  
***Theoretically. It's not a real list. That's waaay too organized.
****I'm not the only one thinking this. There are articles in credible publications about this problem. 
*****But please do write whenever you want! Even if it's the next day. Really! I don't mind!