Got a tip for us?
Let us know
Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.
What’s on your mind?
- Thread starter Gutwrench
- Start date
- Sort by reaction score
A few days ago someone mentioned how he will miss having his Thanksgiving/Christmas dinner with his friends and relatives.
I thought about that post for a while; I just hope that Covid will teach the importance of rituals, be them formal and structured as in a Catholic religious ritual, or unstructured and informal as a Thanksgiving dinner. I think that people in the West forgot, or at least took for granted, the importance of rituality, symbolism, and routine in general.
This is not to say that rituals, symbolism, and routines are intrinsically good, but hopefully we'll stop throwing the baby away with the bathwater.
I thought about that post for a while; I just hope that Covid will teach the importance of rituals, be them formal and structured as in a Catholic religious ritual, or unstructured and informal as a Thanksgiving dinner. I think that people in the West forgot, or at least took for granted, the importance of rituality, symbolism, and routine in general.
This is not to say that rituals, symbolism, and routines are intrinsically good, but hopefully we'll stop throwing the baby away with the bathwater.
Just let the current job know I am not applying for the open job, wanted to give my coworkers a better shot at getting rehired.
Mom is having a tough time, grateful she is sleeping.
I am considering returning to school to chip away at this Bachelors Degree, and hope to apply to Apple again next week.
Decisions, decisions.
Hope everyone is okay.
Mom is having a tough time, grateful she is sleeping.
I am considering returning to school to chip away at this Bachelors Degree, and hope to apply to Apple again next week.
Decisions, decisions.
Hope everyone is okay.
I’m in the minority I’m sure. My plans for December 25th are no different this year than any other.
Kazmac, that was very thoughtful of you to let the people at the current job know that you're not applying for the open position. As for going back to school, that sounds as though that would be a very good thing to do, maybe go part-time and pick up a couple of courses, moving you closer to the bachelor's degree. Although a college degree is not absolutely essential, it is helpful in today's overall work environment. Aside from that, it is a way of learning new things and thinking about things in different ways which can be so beneficial to an individual.
Yaxomoxay, that is a very pertinent point about rituals and traditions having at times been casually dismissed or set by the wayside! I hadn't thought about that but it is true that in today's society there do seem to be a lot of people who casually ignore the whole thing or brush off the significance and importance of rituals and traditions, when in fact, yes, they ARE important and we humans seem to thrive on them. Even when for one reason or another someone cannot participate in familiar traditions or rituals, they often reflect on them and look back on them as fond, valued memories.....
I think that indeed there are those who ARE distressed this year at the pandemic interfering with their own or their family's particular cherished traditions -- hence the sadness, voiced complaints and even in some situations outright defiance in reaction to recommendations that families not gather for the huge usual Thanksgiving or Christmas celebration, the usual road trip or airplane flight to be with distant relatives. The pandemic has indeed shone a new light on these traditions and reminded us of them and the sense of loss that not being able to participate in them will bring.
Yaxomoxay, that is a very pertinent point about rituals and traditions having at times been casually dismissed or set by the wayside! I hadn't thought about that but it is true that in today's society there do seem to be a lot of people who casually ignore the whole thing or brush off the significance and importance of rituals and traditions, when in fact, yes, they ARE important and we humans seem to thrive on them. Even when for one reason or another someone cannot participate in familiar traditions or rituals, they often reflect on them and look back on them as fond, valued memories.....
I think that indeed there are those who ARE distressed this year at the pandemic interfering with their own or their family's particular cherished traditions -- hence the sadness, voiced complaints and even in some situations outright defiance in reaction to recommendations that families not gather for the huge usual Thanksgiving or Christmas celebration, the usual road trip or airplane flight to be with distant relatives. The pandemic has indeed shone a new light on these traditions and reminded us of them and the sense of loss that not being able to participate in them will bring.
Sympathies on the situation re your mother; from experience, I know how tough that can be.
I'm not clear re the job; are you planning to return to your former position where you were happy, and
leaving your current position?
Re the degree, a qualification such as a BA never hurts, and can only help, and it doesn't matter how long it takes you to obtain it.
Best of luck, anyway.
Excellent post and some very well made (and necessary) and thought-provoking points; agree with @Clix Pix's observations.
No chance of snow here but we did have the worst Typhoon since 2014. My wife went out to get some vegetables and was walking knee deep in dirty water. not really affecting us too much as we live on 22nd floor in a Condo but been working hard to support the families displaced by the floods and damage.
Took the girls out for the first time in 8 months today (age 10 and 6). Local shopping mall allows entry for eating only in the old hall no visiting shops. They wanted to go Toys R Us for Christmas gift ideas but that wasn't allowed so just KFC and Dunkin Doughnuts! You can go inside the toy store if you are above 16 years old...........which means you wouldn't want to go there anyway!!
Still we saw the Christmas decorations in the mall and they were spectacular as always.
Still we saw the Christmas decorations in the mall and they were spectacular as always.
Last edited by a moderator:
@SteveManila1960 hope you are okay there. I really like the SE 2020 (and soon it will be my phone again so yay). Yes, I'd like a better modem (Intel modems are not good in the densely populated US cities) and camera, but overall, not missing the notch life. 😋
@Clix Pix - Yes. I wanted to let the current job know I wasn't applying and that I am in first in line to go back to my previous jobs with the outsourcing company (so none of them apply for that job which is still up on the outsourcing company's site). University, physically I can handle 2 classes a semester.
@Scepticalscribe Thank you. I know you know about care taking mom and her physical challenges are tricky. Hope you are doing well.
@Apple fanboy Thanks. Hope all is well.
I applied for Financial Aid today, reached out to the college admissions and scholarship departments and practiced a little bit with iOS 14. So just trying to hang in for the last 2 hours of work.
Hope everyone is doing okay. 🤗
@Clix Pix - Yes. I wanted to let the current job know I wasn't applying and that I am in first in line to go back to my previous jobs with the outsourcing company (so none of them apply for that job which is still up on the outsourcing company's site). University, physically I can handle 2 classes a semester.
@Scepticalscribe Thank you. I know you know about care taking mom and her physical challenges are tricky. Hope you are doing well.
@Apple fanboy Thanks. Hope all is well.
I applied for Financial Aid today, reached out to the college admissions and scholarship departments and practiced a little bit with iOS 14. So just trying to hang in for the last 2 hours of work.
Hope everyone is doing okay. 🤗
Well we’ve finished work for the weekend over here, so yes all good thanks. Hope you have a good weekend.
Good luck - the best of luck - with the college admissions process, (and with the applications for scholarships), and good luck returning to a position with your previous employers, where I know you were a lot happier.
Re university, as @Clix Pix - quoted below - has already pertinently observed:
The value of a BA is rarely in the specific subject studied, rather, it is in acquiring the skills of critical, and analytical thinking, and that means learning how to research a subject, and identify and locate relevant material, use and weigh and interrogate the value of competing sources, and make a case using (or rejecting - or, better still - blending) this data, or source material.
There is no serious job where assessing data, sources, and material, and using it to make a case, is not a useful skill to have learned.
No history essay I ever graded, or marked (let alone those I wrote as a student) ever asked, - to take a few examples - "tell me everything you know about Donald Trump, or the American Civil War, or the second world war, or the 1918 pandemic."
Rather, they - these essays or set questions in exam papers - asked a question, or made a statement, and the student was examined on how they dealt with this, and how much they understood the question (and material) by using - and showing, demonstrating, that they were familiar with - prescribed texts, source material - text books, articles, biographies, articles - etc - as they made a case, using argument - intelligent, thoughtful, critically analytical and reasoned argument - when answering the set questions.
What many students never realised was that you could disagree with the stated assertion (or apparent assumption behind the set question), as long as you could support your case with sources and and/or arguments.
Anyway, the very best of luck with it.
Re your mother, just try to do the best you can, and remember also to be kind to yourself and cognisant of your own needs; while difficult - and, sometimes, very trying, testing and profoundly challenging - when you are living with it and through it, you can look back much later, and take considerable solace from the fact that you did your very best; this is because, when you have done your best, while you will feel sorrow, you won't be beset by regrets, there will be grief, but no guilt.
Last edited:
Thanks for the thorough and thoughtful answer @Scepticalscribe 🤗
I do have to refresh my college essay skills. And with mom, well, I know you know. I will skip going into details as I wish to avoid verbalizing any negativity regarding her situation.
Anyway, well, it looks like I have to fully reapply with an application to my college.
So I'll go do that now.
I do have to refresh my college essay skills. And with mom, well, I know you know. I will skip going into details as I wish to avoid verbalizing any negativity regarding her situation.
Anyway, well, it looks like I have to fully reapply with an application to my college.
So I'll go do that now.Got a COVID-19 test, it's negative. However, I do have food poisoning. The side effects of food poisoning after a hysterectomy are a nightmare. I haven't had pain like this in a very long time. The fever led them to want to test for COVID-19 but I'll have to wait for the results on the culture to find out what caused the poisoning.
At least the CV-19 test was quick. They called this afternoon, so a few hours over 24 hours. I'm miserable. Only ice chips, I'm starving!
At least the CV-19 test was quick. They called this afternoon, so a few hours over 24 hours. I'm miserable. Only ice chips, I'm starving!
Thanks for the thorough and thoughtful answer @Scepticalscribe 🤗
I do have to refresh my college essay skills. And with mom, well, I know you know. I will skip going into details as I wish to avoid verbalizing any negativity regarding her situation.
Anyway, well, it looks like I have to fully reapply with an application to my college.
The best of luck with it.
Re essays, and acquiring skills of critical analysis, I'll give a further example - one which impressed me enormously at the time, and one which occurred in my first year of teaching, a few decades ago.
The students - first years - had been set an essay on social class, an essay where they they were required to use one specific set source, (although they were free to use others, as well).
Among other things, that specific source had described how one defined the various social classes, and proceeded to break them down by percentage, or discuss social class in percentage terms - "the upper middle class comprises ten percent, agriculture comprises five percent...etc." that sort of thing.
Most of the student essays I received were completely competent, entirely accurate, and perfectly faithful (if predictable) accounts of what was in this paper.
However, the essay that blew me away took the same source material they had all been asked to use, and proceeded to interrogate it and subject it to a degree of thoughtful critical analysis.
That essay trotted out the material - as asked - (which clearly demonstrated to the person grading the essay that the set material had been read, understood, and could be applied - as requested - to the question asked) and then, having done that, proceeded to take matters a few steps farther: The student added up all of the percentages set out in the source material, and arrived at a total of around 90-91%. That was startling enough (and very impressive) but what blew me away was where the student went next with this.
Having arrived at an answer of 90-91%, the student asked where were - or who was, who comprised - the remaining 10%? This led to speculation, but speculation of the sort that I regarded as thoughtful and intelligent and original thinking, - thinking about the material and what it could mean, rather than rote answers, evidence of an inquiring mind - for the student speculated that - or, rather, asked whether they might be - this missing, or absent, 10% were comprised of those who had fallen between the cracks of society, and therefore are not measured - and identified - by society, a section of the population that possibly included those in prison, the mentally ill, the homeless, and so on.
I gave that paper first class honours, but I also learned subsequently that the student in question was not 17 or 18, but was an adult, availing of the opportunity - "second chance" education, to attend university in his mid 30s.
Re material, you quote it in essays to show that 1) you have read it, 2) understood it, and 3) can apply it where it is relevant.
In other words, you are learning how to make (and present, in writing) arguments (and citing supporting - or opposing - facts, sources, material) to make, or present, a case.
Again, I do not know of a senior role anywhere, where this is not a valuable skill.
Celebrating a pay rise and my £7k bonus this evening after a year where I’ve probably worked the hardest in my career. Enjoying a beer or two 
Sounds good. Plans for that bonus?Celebrating a pay rise and my £7k bonus this evening after a year where I’ve probably worked the hardest in my career. Enjoying a beer or two
Celebrating a pay rise and my £7k bonus this evening after a year where I’ve probably worked the hardest in my career. Enjoying a beer or two
Congrats on the pay rise and bonus, and do enjoy your beers.
Celebrating a pay rise and my £7k bonus this evening after a year where I’ve probably worked the hardest in my career. Enjoying a beer or two
Congrats!
Hey, "What's on your mind" users, dinner is on @The-Real-Deal82 tonight!!
I’ll have the lobster.