It’s Not Just Today It’s Through Random Occurrences Everyday 

Darryl Philbin

Darryl’s Best Moment: Season Four, Episode Four: Money

When Kelly tells him “you’re going to have to make a choice. It’s either your daughter or me”

And without looking back at her, taking a moment, or even consider anything, just says “my daughter”.

Darryl’s Worst Moment: Season Nine, Episode Twenty-Two: A.A.R.M.

When he sneaks out of Dunder Mifflin, and doesn’t say goodbye to anyone.

Darryl’s Best line: Season Seven, Episode Thirteen: Ultimatum

“I’m telling you, don’t do it. I got nothing against strip clubs; but I do have something against them at noon, on a Monday. The day shift, at a strip club? You can’t unsee that”.

Darry’s Most Memorable Moment: Season Eight, Episode Three: Lotto

When he decided “My future isn’t going to be determined by seven little white lotto balls, it’s gonna be determined by two big black balls”.

I still read

but I definitely read for different reasons now as there is less companionship that I need to fill in books or stories from far away

Relatable

Forgotten, Flexible and Free

There has been a pretty one-sided debate about libraries and overdue fines with a majority of speakers stating that they go against the purpose of libraries and aren’t productive in getting books returned, and pretty much no speakers on the other side of the debate. Over the past few years various communities across the US have worked or looked into removing the fines and research has shown that 1) the fines are more time and sometimes monetarily more costly to the library, 2) you end up lessening your patronage as community members don’t want to deal with the hassle or cannot afford the fines, 3) those who have racked up the fines are majorly those who need the library resources the most: children and those without disposable income.

Recent removable of library late fees or fines by the Chicago Public Library system and San Francisco Public Library system will increase access for low-income families and children, who in Chicago make up 20% of cardholders who have had access removed because of late books fees, and will bring the library back to its true calling: where book lovers and the local community can come together

(1)    https://princh.com/4-reasons-why-removing-fines-could-be-the-next-breakthrough-for-your-library/#.XZeSQkZKgdU

(2)    https://www.citylab.com/equity/2019/10/public-library-late-fees-chicago-san-francisco-equity-access/599194/

5 Flights Up

I saw this movie at home, privately probably within a year after it came out. I loved it instantly for all three stories that it told. The first story, about the older couple (played by Morgan Freeman and Diane Keaton) showed an accurate couple that I enjoyed. As a couple, they were overall happy and healthy and dealing with walking up a few flights as you get older in New York is a pretty realistic problem that people often don’t think about. Also, they individually and not just as a couple were likeable people. Second, is the issue with their dog (Dorothy) who they will need to pay $10,000 for a surgery for her that *may* work. Ugh, is that not something that happens all the time, especially at that cost. A famous story of my youth is when we paid close to two hundred dollars (at a major discount) to go to an emergency clinic for my hamster/guinea pig where the veterinarian didn’t even notice one eye was reed and close to 3x the size of the other.

While both of these stories were accurate, the one that really blew this out of the water for my family was the third, albeit random, story about the truck driver and its accuracy in our world. It starts just with a truck abandoned (in grid-lock traffic at first) on a bridge. They discover that it was driven by someone who is not a white guy and reports come out before anything actually happens that they think there is a bomb (even thou rush hour has passed and there has been no explosion) and his name and face are all over the news, followed I believe by his home being investigated by the police (who the fuck signed that warrant).

As this story progress I watch, with complete real-world experience, my guess is that he might have just ran out of gas and gone to get some—because they were stuck on a bridge for hours. But then why didn’t he come back…I don’t know, maybe because within a short time he was plastered all over the news as a terrorist (white upbringing v. non-white upbringing) he’s petrified now with no ACTUAL reason or understanding he’s been labelled a terrorist and NYCs #1 to look out for. In the end, I don’t think we get the story of what actually happened from reports, but come to know that he wasn’t a terrorist—typical.

Now all of these things are random, but they are also realistic to happen in a random weekend, look at the news today, so much happens before 6am let alone over a weekend and that’s what this is, just a snapshot of their lives over a few days. Maybe more dramatic than their average weekend, but not completely out of bounds and in contrast to stories that cover years or longer events, that are also good, a story that just covers a couple of days and isn’t focused on the “big events” of getting married, or losing someone— I really loved it.

March for your life

Yesterday I spoke with someone about making sure to take care of themselves, advice later that night I realized again I wasn't taking. It's hard, for us to not feel disappointed in ourselves when we don't meet our own unrealistic expectations and it's even more difficult for us to remember that it's okay to prioritize our own health and well-being

Last year, over 800 Marches for gun reform and gun violence were orchestrated by minors. It was not the beginning of activism for many of those minors, but it did bring them to the centerstage and give them a global community full of love and support. Today's anniversary speaks not only for the issues effecting the younger generation, their fight, their endurance or their intelligence, but also for their support of each other and a reminder for them to take care of themselves as they work to make the world a better place for everyone

The Prince of Egypt

I love a good “Fuck you” in a film, and for children—this one delivers.

This story of Moses was my first musical and had a soundtrack I was obsessed with and portrayed the important teachings of the story without the harshness and lack of forgiveness I expect from the Catholic Church. Along with the soundtrack, I remember the story to be about freedom, peace and the complications of doing the right thing

Living a couple blocks away from a church is the closest I am to religious, and I haven’t been in a religious building in years, but I remember the story to be about freedom, peace and the complications of doing the right thing and how opinions of what is right, can differ. Two brothers, one who didn’t know he was adopted, would still be expected have the same understanding in life but as seen more common in today’s world—family doesn’t always think or believe the same thing. Separating the aspect of power and God, a majority of the conflict is still an ability of Moses and Rameses to speak to each other and creating an understanding with each other. 

For me the “Fuck you” of the film, as with many stories of racism and elitist beginnings, is how Moses comes to his success out of opposition to the actions of those in power both with how his birth mother sent him down the river and he became part of the King’s family, and in why he flees and returns to Egypt—trying to live a righteous life and have all people be equal.

This story is also a great portrayal of a mother’s love both with the mother who has to give their child up and with the mother who adopts another’s child as their own, both sacrificed so much for their son. Along with the soundtrack, also a shout out to the art department, I too remember the beauty of this whale shot.

Books, Books, Book

All-in-all, reading has a lot of benefits and by limiting the diversity of books, you are taking away some of these benefits and taking them entirely from someone who might have started reading if they had just read *that book*. Earlier today the Washington Post listed other reasons to not fall into the paranoia of banning or challenging books from the superficial: a lot of classic books were at one time banned; many books are based on issues with unique diversity and representation that are unique in a society becoming more accepting (in most places), and when you find a book has been banned or challenged, that may start a conversation.  

it’s all I ever wanted to be

Mother: Maybe if you went out of the house more you'd have more friends

Ravenclaw: I already have two. What more do you want?

Karen Filippelli

Karen’s Best Moment: Season Three, Episode Six: Diwali

When she fakes taking the shots all night with Jim and Andy.

Karen’s Worst Moment: Season Four, Episode One: Fun Run

When we see in the flashback she screamed at Jim in the office kitchen in regards to their breakup.

Karen’s Best Line: Season Three, Episode Ten: A Benihana Christmas

“Are we taking this too far? You know what? I don’t think we’re taking this far enough”.

Most Memorable: Season Three, Episode Three: The Coup

When finding Jim struggling in Call of Duty first whispers to the camera crew 

“Look how cute he is. And he’s trying to shoot with a smoke grenade”.

And then when Jim hears her a bit tells him “Nothing, you just concentrate on turning around” instructs him how to turn around, and then asks him 

“Any last words? No?” before killing him.