Bloody Well Done

I saw Sinners yesterday with a friend and former colleague. It was really only at his encouragement that I was there at all; in general, I'm not a big fan of horror movies. 

"The vampires are metaphorical," my friend promised. "It's really a movie about racism and the blues. Even though he is considerably younger than I am, we have developed a strong rapport over the last seven years, and we often talk about movies and politics, so I was in.

This particular film has also received quite a bit of good press and even some early Oscar buzz. Directed by Ryan Coogler, who also made Fruitvale Station, Creed, and both Black Panther movies, it has been both a box office success and hailed as one of the best films of the year. 

Despite the vampires and their gore, I really enjoyed the movie. The violence was Tarantino-esque, which is somehow more palatable to me. Michael B. Johnson's performances as both main characters were impressive, and the rest of the cast was great. I loved the musical production, and the set design and costumes were also awesome. 

The movie was quite sexually explicit, though, and seeing it with me may have made my friend a bit uncomfortable. "This is a very adult movie," he whispered a little apologetically during one racy scene.

"Fortunately, we're both adults," I whispered back.

Dismissed

I was waiting for my friend outside the movie theater at Courthouse Plaza when a guy walked by, talking loudly on his phone. "I was so close!" he said. "I actually made it into the room."

I idly wondered what he was talking about. Was it a raise?  A promotion? A job interview? None of those scenarios really fit, but then he was out of earshot, so I stopped thinking about it. 

A minute later, he paced by in the opposite direction, obviously still on the call. "I answered all the questions," he lamented. "I know I had the right attitude."

I still couldn't imagine what he was so worked up about.

"I would have made such a great juror!" he added.

Bingo! 

Practical Application

"Ugh! Why is it raining?" one student said to another today.

"We're literally studying weather!" his friend replied. "Figure it out!"

It Wasn't Horseshoes

"Who's that on your wallpaper?" I asked a student this morning.

"It's just a K-pop singer," she shrugged.

"Is it Rosé?" I said.

"You know her?" she replied in surprise.

"Oh sure," I waved my hand. "Toxic 'til the End, APT, and she's in Blackpink with Jennie and Lisa, right?"

"And who else?" she asked suspiciously.

"Um... I don't know," I admitted. "Who?"

"Jisoo!" she sighed, then shook her head in mild disgust and went back to work.

64,000 Dollar Question

"Your teacher will be back on Thursday!" I reminded the science classes today. "I know she will be super glad to see you again."

"Are you going to be here, too?" asked a student.

"No!" I laughed. "I think your teacher can handle the job without me."

"But you'll be at the school, right?" he said.

"No," I told him. "I'm retired, remember?"

He looked stunned. "Then what are you going to do all day?"

Duh!

I was standing outside, getting eaten by bugs, and trying to think of what plant I had forgotten to buy this weekend to put on the deck and the stoop. There were marigolds, portulaca, zinnias, petunias, sweet potato vine, begonias, lavender, thyme, basil, cilantro, lemongrass, calibrachoa, lantana, and scaviola. 

I slapped a mosquito and then slapped my forehead.

Um, it was citronella.

Tall Order

I get daily email notifications from a jobs website for open positions that some bot has determined might be a good match for my listed skills, experience, and credentials. Occasionally, there are some interesting opportunities, but I'm still waiting for something to really click when I check it out. 

Today, one of the jobs was for a full-time virtual English language teacher. The pay rate was pitiful, especially compared to what I was making before I retired, but worse than that was the job description. Take a look at the top two duties:

Job Duties

• Serve all stakeholders with integrity, humility, and joy while consistently modeling the importance of both task competency and relationships.
• Participate in Company events, activities, and meetings with a smile and an infectious, great attitude.

Am I out of line for being offended on behalf of my profession?