I’ve worked with kids, primarily in people’s homes, since I was just barely old enough to babysit — so when I saw the book The Nanny Diaries on the shelf at Barnes and Noble shortly after it came out, I just had to get it.

I think of this book as one of the earliest generations of chick lit, right up there with The Devil Wears Prada — and man, was this one good!  I haven’t seen the movie yet, but I can already see several ways in which they changed the book, which is kind of disappointed.

What is interesting about The Nanny Diaries is that you don’t ever really know her name — everyone calls her Nan and Nanny.  I think it was such a clever technique because it kind of hints at how she isn’t really viewed as having an identity beyond what she does — work as a nanny.

It seems from the trailers that the mother is a little more involved in Nanny’s life than in the book.  Nanny didn’t live there, for one thing, and I don’t remember the mother being so interested in her love life.

The parts in the trailer about the nanny cams is correct, though.  Nanny overhears a conversation in the public restroom between the mothers, and that’s how she finds out her employer has a hidden camera in the bear.  However, it looks like they’ve changed it just a bit.  In the book, the conversation she had with the pinhole camera in the bear was the very last scene in the book, after she’d left their employment because they’d finally gone too far.  She started to tell them off, but ended up taping over that message and saying something complete different.  If the movie doesn’t end that way, I wonder how it will end?

I guess as much as I liked the book I’ll have to see the movie soon, even if it does take some liberties.  I really like Scarlett Johansson, so it’ll be interesting to see how she portrays Nanny-renamed-Annie!

Technorati Tags: The Nanny Diaries, nanny cams, hidden camera, pinhole camera, Scarlett Johansson

This is something I’ve noticed recently that some real estate agents do: They browse the MLS listings, find some nice houses that aren’t necessarily theirs but that they think people will ike, and then post an ad on Craigslist in the housing category as if THEY are the ones listing the property.

The ad has a link back to the real estate agent’s site, of course.  The entire thing is a ploy to get people to click over to their site from Craigslist, where you get sucked into using their site’s real estate search – which of course only lists that particular agent’s properties!  You can’t search all of, say, Jacksonville homes for sale or Orlando Florida real estate.

I find this entire bait-and-switch dishonest and infinitely annoying.  There is an office here in Denver that does it all the time; back when I was looking for Denver horse property I’d see their ads on Craigslist all the time.  In fact, I wasted an hour searching their website for the properties I liked before realizing that none of the properties were listed on that agent’s site!

So, real estate, agents, please don’t do dishonest little things like this — at the very least, don’t make us believe that the property is yours.  It is just going to frustrate us when we can’t find the property, and instead of making us sign with you, it will make us HATE you!

Technorati Tags: real estate agents, MLS listings, real estate search, Jacksonville homes for sale, Orlando Florida real estate

I’m a total gadget queen.  I love finding the weird, off the beaten path things online.  I love watching those infomercials on TV where they hawk weird stuff; I buy it and typically it’s junk but I can’t help it, I love it.  So when one of my friends said she did some research online and found a great website for magnet therapy products I just figured she was being a goofball like me, buying worthless stuff.  But then she tells me they WORK.  Seriously, they WORK for her.  She’s a runner and always has bad pain in her knees, constantly looking for knee pain relief. Now she says she found it.  Being the pessimist I am, I was skeptical, but then again, I’ve bought stuff online that worked, so I gave it a try.  What could it hurt since I’m always looking for new alternative back pain treatments myself, being the mother of two toddlers.  So I went online, checked out the website and bought my stuff, fully expecting to be disappointed.  Well, it turns out I was wrong because darned if those magnets didn’t help  me within a few weeks.  Wow!  I actually feel better! Seriously, the cool stuff you can find online these days!

Technorati Tags: new alternative back pain treatments, knee pain relief, magnet therapy products

I am one of those people that read those magazines about movie stars and all their trials and tribulations.  I know, it’s lame, but every once in awhile I do actually gleen some good information, though for the most part, I end up being more disgusted than anything.  The newest trend is rehab. I am a strong believer in these kinds of treatments, but from the media lately, every star around goes to rehab in CA and treats it like vacation.  If they truly wanted help, they should go to a Florida drug rehab center and get better, not use it as a media for their career. 

In Florida drug treatment is a serious issue, not to be taken lightly.  Why in the world do these stars and the media disrespect it like they do?  Florida drug treatment centers address the problem and work on the individual, not glamorize the process to heighten someone’s career.  I just hope those people who really do need help will seek facilities outside the limelight to truly get the help they need, not fodder for the tabloids. They deserve better, as do their loyal fans.

Technorati Tags: Florida drug treatment centers, Florida drug treatment, Florida drug rehab center

As a PhD student with a part time job, you can’t honestly expect me to care all that much.  Yes, my life sort of depends on this job, but it’s pretty explicit that my job in fast food is not where my heart or mind lies.  I have bigger things to think about and frankly, better things to do, at least after I make rent money.  So obviously, no, I’m not going to try that hard.  I’m not going to put my all into it, because I would rather be thinking about the chemical reactions that I set up in the lab.  My friend, on the other hand, is working in a bank of telesales consultants and really loves it, though she really doesn’t consider it brain surgery.  In addition, yes, the world of outsource inside sales is shockingly fascinating considering all they can do for companies that don’t want to handle sales internally.  So really, should I be upset when my manager brings me up short?  No.  Definitely not.  I still think I should quit and be one of those call center consultants!  It sounds like fun and is definitely better than what I’m doing now and who I’m working for.

Technorati Tags: phd, doctorate, telesales consultants, outsource inside sales, call center consultants