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Cry If You Want To

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There’s no formula for becoming an internet video sensation. If it were simple, everyone would do it, and if everyone could do it, online celebrity-hood would become meaningless. We’d all be enthralled with each other, equally.

Hmmm. That’s not a bad goal. But it’s almost impossible to plan to get there.

One thing that greatly boosts the popularity of an online video is its genuine-ness. Fakes don’t fare well. And if your message also EXACTLY echoes the feelings of millions, well … as I said there’s no formula, but these are mighty good qualities.

Witness this brief clip of four year old Abigael Evans.

Abigael’s distress is so real, NPR was moved to issue a formal apology on its website. Publicity-wise, this was a smart move. I am surprised Obama and Romney weren’t close behind with sympathetic words, treats and maybe some fun music to listen to in the car instead of radio news. Romney especially. Since he can’t do much to soothe the suffering in New Jersey, you think he’d jump at the chance to publicly wipe away a little girl’s sorrow.

The power of politics is awesome, and it is amplified a million times over by the internet. A star is born. Abigael will receive commercial and product endorsement offers. She may be invited to some election night parties, if she isn’t already booked to do analysis on CBS.

Five days to go.

What does it take to bring you to Tears of Frustration?

102 thoughts on “Cry If You Want To”

  1. My three best friends frustrate em
    They do to that degree.
    That I I have wet a tear so wee:
    Insomnia, allodynia, and ataxia.

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      1. Well, my constant companions especially in the middle of the night.
        As you know, the ataxia/typing thing and my mental errors in writing really frustrate me. But I have started on an overhaul of my novel based on input I got here and elsewhere, plus what I know is wrong. So that will increase my frustration.

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        1. i thought your novel was perfect. be careful. i am trying to remember who the artist was who got into trouble for coming into the lourve and putting finishing touches on his pieces hanging on the walls.

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        2. Thanks. Going for shorter, better flow, better ending, less on the technical explanations, dropping the quotes at the end of the chapters.

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        3. tim, I love how you’re so passionate about everything. I’m sure you’d frustrate the heck out of me as a mate, but as a friend, I think you rock.

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        4. i frustrate the heck out of every mate ive ever had. isnt that part of the deal? it would be nice to have a friend for a mate. i will try that one of these wives.

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        5. The question is, I think, do you treat friends differently than you do mates? If you show more consideration for friends than your mate, things will go haywire.

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      2. glad i have the original. too bad for thiose that follow. i love the technical explainations . it is contact with the past and a disappearing touch with the past form someone who was there . i was fascinated but your wonderful detailed explainations of stuff i didnt realize i didnt know anything aout until after i read your description and realizedthat now i got it.
        quotes at the ned of the chapters. less is not more. at all. those are wonderful well thought out totally appropriate quotes and whoever says otherwise is talking fighting words.
        better ending is relative. its your story. e careful…

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  2. There used to be a bumper sticker to the effect that: “To err is human, but if you really want to f**k up, you can’t beat a computer.” In my life I have experienced many travails, and I generally try to laugh at them, but if you want to see the ugly side of my nature send me a little computer frustration. My heart rate goes up, my eyes bug, my language goes in the toilet and I begin to whimper or weep. If misbehavior by the computer is compounded by some stupid failure on my part, I become apoplectic.

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    1. We just got a new computer, and I have been so agitated and anxious getting the darn thing all set up. I got as far as I could go on my own setting it up, and then I phoned a local business machines store and this nice young man came andin 30 minutes installed and set up everything that I was too afraid to start or too ignorant to do myself. Computer frustration is horrible.

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        1. Getting any thing to work properly that has failed you can be very frustrating. After many attempts to get my toilet to flush properly I finally got it to work. Unfortunately the toilet is still in need of more repair. The bolts that hold it to the floor are coming loose. There just is no end to working on this toilet. A lot of my attempts at home repair have not gone well or have tested my patience and have been very frustrating.

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        2. We got our computer from a company that lets you custom build it with components that are not inextricably linked and are therefore replacable with only the software you want and no bloatware. It is less expensive than a name brand computer.Our son helped us order it, and I guess that the company thinks that if you have enough computer knowledge to order such a computer, there is no need for instructions how to set it up and get it running. I am a trial and error problem solver, and there was a lot of trial and error going on here on Halloween.

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        3. I’ve ordered myself a new Macbook and it’s supposed to arrive today. My nephew, a certifiable ‘mac head’ says with the right cable and a built in program called ‘Migrate’ it’s easy to move files from the old mac to the new mac. I’ll tell you Monday if that’s true or not…

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        4. i am about ready to make the switch to mac. now all i need is the wherewithall
          hope the migration goes well. do they have an apple store down your way? there it all happens fast motion

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        5. Toilets would be high on my list.
          My son who works in the computer industry assembles his own computers to have what he wants and behave how he wants. He builds in backup storage as well as storing on a cloud. Renee, while you are at it, you may want to look at using a cloud, if you don’t now. I use a free one which every day backs up everything but my pictures and music.

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        7. tim: Mozy Cloud. 2G Free. 2G is a lot of text. Not much media.
          Just put mozy in the URL and it will be there.
          I think Dropbox will give you 2G free as well.

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        1. Good idea, Edith. I think all I would is a shovel to clean it out and a nose plug to wear when I do the cleaning. I could put in a two holer to cut down on the waiting time for using the toilet.

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        2. If you have screened windows for ventilation, that can help with the smell. Also, I think you can put in something – lime, maybe? – that helps with the odor.

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        5. That is not the two holer arrangement that I had in mind. I think the lower compartment might not get much use.

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  3. Good morning. The frustrating thing about the long campaigns of the Barack and Mit, for me, is not their length, it is their failure to really reach out to the public. They act as if they have our best interests at heart, but I don’t think they do. Why can’t they admit that there really are a lot of things that are not going well and need to change. We get half way solutions or none at all. Climate warming is a big topic they don’t even want to touch. A big change is needed in our prison system and they both seem to think our policy of using bombs instead diplomacy in our approach to foreign affairs is okay. It is also frustrating that the public doesn’t demand more from the candidates and we don’t hear much in depth coverage of the issues that should be in the campaigns by the press.

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  4. I’ve been thinking I don’t want to be all alone Tuesday night. But I’ve had a second thought. Could we maybe all get together but do it electronically? Everyone could blog to this site as new information comes or new thoughts occur. The best results often come late at night. If we stay home but gather “here” we could drink wine in good company and not be driving late at night. Just a thought.

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    1. Good idea Steve.
      I’m working as an election judge in our township. If I have the energy after I get home I’ll post our results from this area. Probably with a glass of ‘Baileys’ in hand.

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      1. Linda is doing the same for her polling place, so her evening of watching results will start quite late. Maybe getting together on this site is the safest and sanest way to share thoughts about how things go.

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  5. You’ll see this grown woman cry with frustration intermingled with fear if this election doesn’t go right (or should I say left?). Unlike some who don’t seem to think there’s a distinction between Obama and Romney, I think there’s a world of difference. Neither candidate is perfect, but the reality is that none of the other candidates are viable choices. I remain cautiously optimistic and hopeful, but am very, very nervous about the outcome of this election.

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      2. I certainly would be upset if Romney wins. There is a big difference between Romney and Obama, but it is unfortunate that neither of them support the kind of policies that we really need.

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    2. i think if mitt gets elected we will see an example of how not to do it like we have never seen before. i think obama downside is that he gets frustrated with the beaurocracy of it all and it is a helpless feeling to be stymied by the toadies on the discuss it commitee and then go to the real powers and ask gorver and the tea party if its ok only to discover the negotiations you just labored over are for naught. boehner is a weak fool and the perfect leader for the times. he ad mitt couls ask grover and the tea party what they should do to fool the massses and cut the 1% loose of all tax obligations and make their business hum for the next 20 or 30 years if the world can last that long.
      if obama gets in it is more stalemating and dont let him score a winning move it sounds the death knell for the gop
      it is a little frustrating.
      i get very frustrated with the bone heads who say obama is a socialist and we need mitt. i have friends (?) from the past that could be described as barely middle class who rant about no welfare and we are not better off and are so blind to the reality of the situation that they cant recall that their family would have been sunk without the socialist programs they call for an end to. the taxes they will save are a joke. the foreigners kept out will not have the same opportunities that their grandfathers did. the
      sorry shape of the prospects for hte next 4 years is very frustrating. if mitt wins we lose if obama wins and the gop stonewalls him we lose. there is no win with the power being put in the hands of the guys with the ball who go home if they dont get their way, rotten kids in charge of the world resolutions.

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      1. At least Obama could have appointed some better people to his cabinet. I think Obama is really a very middle of the road person, certainly not socialist and not even very liberal. He has made some small attempts at improving things, but I don’t think he would even support the kind of policies we need if he could get them passed without them being blocked by the Republicans.

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        1. Well, Jim, it’s isn’t as if Obama didn’t accomplish anything, let’s not forget that. Frankly, considering the challenges that faced him when he took office, I for one, think he did very well. It was not an easy gig, and he didn’t have a lot of wiggle room to make too many mistakes. He has my full support.

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        2. he is trying to offer compromise. now he understand if he moves to the middle without getting them to do it we start from there. he gets no recognition for being reasonable..

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        3. The people who have closely examined the failings of the Obama administration get very little coverage in the press. One of them concluded that the difference between Obama and Romney is that Obama would slow down the march toward destruction that we are on but both Obama and Romney are pointing us in that direction with Romney having the potential to speed up the march.

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        4. With all due respect, Jim, that’s a bunch of hogwash. I know it’s not the kind of thing we say to each other on the trail, but seriously, I don’t believe that to be true. When the Republicans’ main objective during Obama’s presidency has been to defeat any initiative that would have addressed problems we’re all facing, we’re all screwed. We cannot hope that any government, and I don’t give a hoot who’s in office, will solve all of our problems, but it’s absolutely essential that to begin to address all of the problems that are looming, and there are many, that we do it together. I recognize that some of the concerns that are on the top of your list haven’t been adequately address by this administration, and there’s a clear reason for it. We simply can’t fix everything at once, especially in the current economic climate. Tough, very tough, choices have to be made, and when the fallout from making those choices is that you won’t be reelected, that makes it extra hard. I’m confident we’ll see a different Obama in his second term when that isn’t a looming threat to his presidency.

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        5. I agree that Obama’s administration has been very centrist, but I don’t think they’ve really had much choice. I also don’t think things will change all that much in his second term. if Obama has any leftist tendencies he sure isn’t going to admit it in this political climate. Might as well pin a “Kick Me” sign on his back.

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  6. OT – I’m missing Jacque’s cheerful “Rise and shine, baboons.” Are you so swamped with work, Jacque, that you’ve abandoned us? Hope to see you back soon.

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      1. Yes – I was thinking about that. I will miss someone, but to name a few: there were a couple of Connies, another Barb in Starbuck, Barb in Blackhoof (no doubt she’ll come back when she has time), Alanna, Cynthia (more than one?), Occasional Caroline, Aaron, mig…

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  7. OT Holly and Lisa said they were interested in the comic on music theory, Super Tonic Man. This comic will probably be available soon. It is ready, but the final version has not been print. Part of it can be viewed at http://www.supertonicman.com. My son-in-law, Zack Kline, will probably put information on how you can buy this comic when it is ready on the web site for Super Tonic Man

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  8. OT- On a happier note, we’re now the proud caretakers of Daisy, an 11 year old, 80 lb., very active yellow lab. Her folks are moving to Australia next month, and we’ve had her these last few days on a trial run for adopting her when they leave. What a sweet, sweet dog she is; smart too, but she needs to learn to walk on a leash without pulling. She’s much too strong for me to walk otherwise. She’s getting used to our cat, and I’m sure it won’t be long before they’ll snuggle up together. But my house is getting furrier by the minute. Sigh!

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    2. the main trick to teaching to walk at your pace is to get a choke chain and pull real hard to establish alpha status for the walks. its not your nature but you really need to do it. it should not be open for discussion between you and the dog as to waht pace she will go at. the choke chain triples the input of your suggestions

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      1. tim, I agree, a choke chain is a must. I’ve obedience trained any number of dogs, so I’m very familiar with choke chains. My concern is that for eleven years Daisy has been straining on her leash so it may not be easy to change that behavior, but I’m sure going to work on it. She is smart, so hopefully it won’t take long.

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        2. if its too much for your old bones the shock collar is an attention getter. i was at a cousins house sitting at the kitchen table with a garage door opener looking thing which i started playing with wondering why no matter which combination of button i hit the garage door went unmoved. my cousin came down and saw what i was doing and had such a pained expression on his fae as he explained the yelping dog sound i had been oblivious to were tied into the equation.
          i think i set back his training program a it

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        3. tim, I’m not doing the shock collar thing. I bought one once because Charlie, our Portuguese Waterdog, had some issues that I didn’t seem to make any progress with. I never had the heart to use it, and eventually the issue resolved itself. At this point, I don’t even remember what it was. Oh, I remember! We couldn’t keep him off the radiator covers under our large windows in the living and dining room. He wanted to see what was going on outside. We never did break him of it, just grew to accept that was part of the price we paid for having him, another very sweet dog.

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        4. You surely must be familiar with the “Gentle Leader” type harnesses. They are, in my opinion, more humane than a choke chain and just as effective.

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        5. Bill, she has a “Gentle Leader” and it doesn’t work with her at all. The choke chain really isn’t a problem if used correctly. I’m hoping she’ll get the message after just a couple of jerks. I really, really don’t want to hurt her, but if I can’t walk her, she won’t get out much at all, especially now that the slippery season is approaching.

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        6. Bill . . . the choke collar must be used only as a training tool, not as a normal collar. If used correctly with short jerks (not sustained pulling) the choke collar delivers a message in a humane way.

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  9. The most frustrating thing for me is being misunderstood and not having the opportunity to explain or discuss an issue. Some people seem very concrete to me, with no opportunity for alternatives. I have a tendency to think about alternatives and possibilities, and either/or situations are frustrating for me.

    I have not been able to listen to MPR, news casts, debates or political ads since before the last debate. I just can’t stand it anymore and I feel that little girl’s pain.

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    1. someone pointed out that the number of people whos minds get changed by having a political discussion can be counted on the head of a pin. everyone expects everyone else to come around. what a world what a world…

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  15. Greetings! I’ve cried in frustration when I’m lost while driving, not enough money for bills or if my special needs son is having issues with anything. Those are my biggest hot buttons, but they’re all resolving. Got a GPS, Lucas is always improving and I’m starting a different temp job Monday back at Xcel. I liked the job I was at, but working at Xcel pays $2.50/hr more and is 28 miles closer to home. A no-brainer, but it was still hard to leave CH Robinson. Sure miss you all on the trail.

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  16. Well, here’s some good news for those on death’s doorstep in ND. ND is the only state in the union in which you can vote absentee and if you die before election day, your vote still counts.

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      1. I think the ballots have to be printed up first. Nice idea, though. Just think of all the county auditors (who I think have the responsibility) in all the other 49 states and territories scouring the obits to see if any of the early voters have gone to meet their maker. At least in ND you can die before an election knowing you have done your civic duty to the bitter end.

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  17. A few years back I cried in frustration because I was caught in what I’m sure is one of the rings of hell: password updates. I had to update my system password for work, but then it didn’t seem like all of the various pieces and parts that use that password were updating, and somewhere in there I entered what it thought was the wrong one too many times so I was then locked out and couldn’t even get into the system to correct that from someone else’s computer – the help desk was not helpful – I believe I even banged on my keyboard a few times – and this was on a day that had already been frustrating. I went for a walk through the 1/4 mile that is the thoroughfare between buildings at work, bought myself some chocolate and waited a bit. After 30 minutes or so, the system resets itself, I was able to calmly (mostly) go in and reset my password yet one more time. Wait patiently (I did have chocolate to nibble on by now). Wait a bit more. And then try the other systems again. Oy. My now-old-supervisor still talks about The Day Anna Got Mad At Her Computer…and has learned that making me cranky is not a good thing. Ever. (Set construction has also gotten me that mad and frustrated a few times, too – though only once or twice so mad and frustrated that I have thrown things…and I didn’t throw my keyboard at work, even though I really really wanted to.)

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      2. My favorite “throwing things” story (forgive me if I’ve already shared this once or twice): in my college days, after a set strike we had left a table on stage to be torn apart at a later time. It was pretty rickety and not worth saving, but needed to be broken down before going into the dumpster as some of its parts might still be useful. We left it for when one of us on the scene shop crew needed a bit of stress relief and wanted to bang on something. I hit that day first and wondered to myself what would happen if I tossed it across the stage (which was empty) before taking a hammer to it…would it shatter? Yep, yep it did. There was a witness to this – a man who, up until then, had not really understood that “no” now still meant “no” tomorrow and the next day, too. After he saw me heft the table and shatter it (its parts slid nicely too – it came apart real pretty), he slithered away and never bothered me again. I haven’t thrown a table since, but it was sooo worth it, just that once.

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        1. Wow. I had a guy like that once. Sure wish I would have had a table and a hammer. It would have solved things a lot faster.

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        2. Great story, Anna. We should all have a table like that stashed away somewhere for that special moment when we can’t take it anymore.

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    2. I’ll cry before I get frustrated enough to throw anything of value. But if you get me pissed off enough, watch out!

      Probably my most memorable fit ever was with wasband. We had been married a little over one year, and as his first birthday together approached, I was knitting him a sweater. I didn’t have enough money to buy all the yarn at once, but had put it on lay-away at a local store in Cheyenne. As the birthday approached, it became clear that I wouldn’t have enough money to redeem the yarn for the last sleeve prior to the birthday. So as not to disappoint him with his birthday present being a little late, I told him ahead of time. He proceeded to have a fit, whined and complained that I didn’t love him. Big mistake!. At this point in our marriage, he had already demonstrated his Italian temper any number of times by slamming doors, yelling, and breaking dishes. I was determined not to have that kind of marriage, so I ignored it and didn’t respond. When he began his whining and complaining about me not loving him because the sweater wasn’t going to be ready for his birthday, I lost it. I knew myself well enough to know that no matter what I said in a fit of rage, I’d finish that damn sweater, but I was determined that I wouldn’t. I took a pair of scissors and cut it into shreds so that no matter how much I regretted it, I wouldn’t be able to finish it. For good measure, I also took a big ugly ceramic ashtray that he had made, and shattered it into smithereens by flinging it to the floor. My display made enough of an impression that we never had another fight like that, and I also never knitted him another sweater. Nine years later, our marriage was history.

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        1. Actually, not, Linda. We had a lot of really wonderful times together before it all disintegrated into a heap of rubble.

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  18. The thing that frustrates me the most is not being able to find things. Watch, checkbook, keys, glasses, sunglasses, remotes, credit cards, all manner of small but important things seem to be determined to hide from me, especially when there is someplace I need to be at a particular time, or a deadline I have to meet on some piece of paperwork. The worst of it is that I can’t blame it on anyone but myself.

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        1. Well, I’m sure glad you’re not on the panel that has to assess me! Linda, you’re such a breath of fresh air. Love your contributions to this trail.

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