Thursday, January 12, 2017

Ten bits and a jar


[Zippy, January 12, 2017.]

Fresca linked to something helpful: John Scalzi’s ten bits of advice for getting work done in these times. Though the advice is meant for “creatives” (Scalzi’s word), it’s good advice for all.

Something Elaine suggested: every day we’re each writing down one good thing from the day on a slip of paper. The slips go into a jar. We decided that we’ll keep going no matter what happens this year. (Like the comics, I suppose.) For us, the jar is not an exercise in “gratitude”; it’s to remind us that life doesn’t suck. I know that what we’re doing involves an element of privilege: we don’t have to fear deportation, say, or the loss of health insurance, though we do have more to fear than fear itself. But see especially Scalzi’s nos. 5 and 8.

Related reading
All OCA Zippy posts (Pinboard)

[Elaine saw the jar idea somewhere on Facebook.That’s a straw in Zippy’s hand — the last straw?]

comments: 6

Unknown said...

I believe that actors on the stage are fine. It's when they come down into real life that they screw things up.
I once read in Dear Abby that 90% of what goes on in television or the movies has no relation to real life. I believe it.
I no longer watch the local news, and barely force myself to watch network news. I feel frustrated and angry.
If I may be permitted a BIG peeve, it seems the evening news is prime marketing time for drug companies to sell their newest rat poison. The most aggressive drug dealers aren't on the street corners. They're on your tv screen pushing their pills.
Thank you for the opportunity to vent.

Michael Leddy said...

Since Election Day, I’ve gotten all my news from legitimate online sources and NPR. No more cable news for me; no more network news either. I can’t remember the last time I saw a Restasis or Xarelto commercial. I’m sure I’ll go back to PBS, but not yet.

Slywy said...

When was the last time you saw a TV show or a movie that was set (recognizably) in Tennessee? Iowa? Mississippi? Vermont? A TV show or movie with four seasons? A TV show or movie set in a real, distinctive small town?

Michael Leddy said...

I can think of a few small towns, but they’re fairly mythical (Andy Griffith, Gilmore Girls).

Fresca said...

I love the jar idea!

I hesitated about posting that link because Scalzi emphasizes "creatives," but I figured we're all creatives in some ways, even if all we create is a Facebook post--those totally matter!

(I missed this: what's the connection between the post and the comments about actors and places & real life?)

Michael Leddy said...

It think it developed from the comment about television and its relation to real life.

I balked at the idea of a jar (it made me think of the “job jar” in Hi and Lois), but it’s too practical to refuse. I thought of a pocket notebook, but then we’d see things day by day. Our idea is to leave the slips in the jar until the year’s end.