I try and take the view that the best vengance I could ever take is to be happy, and to not let them change my life. The best revenge is living well. And possibly gloating about that (in an restrained and ladylike manner) when or if I run into any of them.

This is me. I firmly believe in karma and what Those Horrible People put out, they will get back. I try to shrug it off (easier said than done in many cases) and just live my life and live it well.

I firmly believe in karma and what Those Horrible People put out, they will get back.

I don't. Often times the good suffer and the wicked prosper... and that's that.

I used to want vengeance on my ex-step-monster, but I've mostly gotten to the place that her being her is the worst vengeance I could imagine. Most often, when dealing with mean or craxy folk, I remind myself that dealing with someone like that for a short period of time isn't that bad, that they have to deal with someone like that all the time.

I'm responding to a brief from the state of Alaska that claims it shouldn't have to litigate anywhere but in Alaska.

But we're special here!

Huh.

PEOPLE who smile a lot and say "have a nice day" are headed to an early grave while the grumpy stay fit.

Researchers at a German university - a land where surliness is an Olympic discipline -say enforced jolliness on the job is much more likely to make people fall ill.

They cite flight attendants, sales personnel, call centre operators, waiters and others in contact with the public for extended periods of time as being at risk of seriously harming their health.

Psychologists at Frankfurt University said the fake friendliness led to depression, stress and a lowering of the immune system itself, which in turn can trigger more serious ailments.

"Every time a person is forced to repress his true feelings there are negative consequences for his health," said Professor Dieter Zapf, a researcher into human emotions.

...

"These people need space away from the passengers where they can be on their own and let their feelings run free. We have to get away from the 'customer is king' attitude and show more respect to those working in the service industries," Professor Zapf said.

Here, here! I'm so tired of "the customer is always right" being used to justify all sorts of abusive behavior by customers....

[link]

PEOPLE who smile a lot and say "have a nice day" are headed to an early grave while the grumpy stay fit.

I am FINALLY vindicated!!!!

A recent University of Minnesota survey has found that atheists, which only number slightly more than 3% of the population, are more distrusted than any other ethnic or religious group.

From a telephone sampling of more than 2,000 households, university researchers found that Americans rate atheists below Muslims, recent immigrants, gays and lesbians and other minority groups in “sharing their vision of American society.” Atheists are also the minority group most Americans are least willing to allow their children to marry.

Even though atheists are few in number, not formally organized and relatively hard to publicly identify, they are seen as a threat to the American way of life by a large portion of the American public. “Atheists, who account for about 3 percent of the U.S. population, offer a glaring exception to the rule of increasing social tolerance over the last 30 years,” says Penny Edgell, associate sociology professor and the study’s lead researcher.

[link]

Bah. More reason for me to be surly...

PEOPLE who smile a lot and say "have a nice day" are headed to an early grave while the grumpy stay fit.

I'm gonna live FOREVER!

I'm gonna live FOREVER!

And I'm gonna live even longer.

Vengeance moment. At work one summer morning in mid-July. Division is getting ready for staff meeting to start. Conversation turns to antics of children. I decide to tell about my great-nephew's adventures with a super-soaker.

Me: I was at a Fourth of July picnic, and this three-year-old --
Division Director: Fred, I don't want to hear about your dates.

In front of the Entire. Fucking. Division.

One of the biggest regrets of my life is leaving the division quietly (for that and other reasons), and not filing a complaint against that director.

People suck.

Or at least that seems to be the theme of the last couple of hours of Natter....

I seek no vengance at this time, but I reserve the right to call on vengance at a later date if needed.

Two of the faculty where I went to grad school had an ongoing feud. At one point a severed hog's head was placed on the hood of one party's car and then hosed down in sub-freezing weather.

The lengths some people will go to just to annoy another person amaze me.