I wouldn’t say that we’re over-the-top, dedicated health enthusiasts at Bourke Accounting, but we try to stay active and eat sensibly. In the break room, bottled water and granola bars share space with cookies and chips; we follow the old “everything in moderation” credo. During our staff lunch meetings, no one gorges themselves and no one talks around mouthfuls of food. We are civilized.
It is perhaps because of this that I’ve been sheltered from some of the scarier aspects of society. I am not naïve and I know that there are some questionable trends available on the internet, but I just found out about something that leaves me perplexed (well, perplexed and a little ill):
Mukbang is a social media genre that originated in South Korea. The word itself is a combination of two Korean words: “mukja,” meaning “let’s eat” and “bang song,” meaning “broadcast” (Menshealth.com). People film themselves eating food. That’s it. Sometimes they interact with the audience, sometimes, they just eat quietly. It is believed that this movement has become so popular because, in Korea, it’s not common for people to go to restaurants by themselves, as “dining is a social activity” (Menshealth.com). When forced to eat at home alone, people were lonely. With mukbang, the audience can kind of pretend that they’re sharing a meal with another person.
Like with most things, Americans have put their own spin on this practice. While Korean mukbangers eat large quantities of food, the Americans bring it to an entirely new level. Take, for example, Youtuber Erik Lamkin. A few years ago, Mr. Lamkin engaged in “The 100,000 Calorie Challenge.” In a span of 100 hours, Lamkin consumed, as the title suggests, 100,000 calories (Insider.com). Keep in mind that an average 24-year old should be eating about 2,800 calories per day. And, of course, American mukbangers seem to seek out the unhealthiest, greasiest food imaginable.
I took one for the team recently and watched a few American mukbangers in action. These are not well-mannered and dignified eaters. Food flies out of mouths, there’s slurping, there’s the licking of fingers…there is also non-stop commentaries on just how good the food is. Oddly, what makes the above my nightmare, is one of the biggest reasons people love these videos. Many audience members report that they find the loud smacking, chewing, crunching (arrgh! You get it) very relaxing (Mashed.com).
And does being a mukbanger pay? You betcha – popular mukbangers “can earn nearly $100,000 a year” (Insider.com). 100K to slather the pinnacle of artery clogging food across your face on a daily basis? Right. Everything’s totally clear now. That money will come in handy: side effects of mukbanging include “weight gain, heart disease and diabetes” (Mashed.com).
In a hungry world, it’s distasteful that people force-feed themselves huge quantities for the amusement of the masses. Also, a moment of fame isn’t worth destroying the body or promoting seriously bad eating habits to impressionable audiences. What happened to good old-fashioned movie stars?
If you walk in with a big bag of mukbanger money, your Bourke Accounting tax preparers and bookkeepers can assist you. Bourke Accounting experts, while maybe not witnessing your craft, still know how to keep you on the good side of the IRS. In addition, and if you should ever want to try a different line of work, your Bourke Accounting pro can offer advice concerning your future endeavors.
Come see us any time. Our number is 502-451-8773 and don’t forget to visit our website at www.bourkeaccounting.com. See you soon!
Written by Sue H.
A while ago, in a Bourke Accounting blog, I mentioned that I am a big fan of old radio dramas. One of my favorites is called The Black Museum, hosted by Orson Welles. On this program, Welles describes a mundane object, like a coat button, and proceeds to illustrate how everyday items have been integral in providing evidence against murderers.
Welles is supposed to be speaking from the “repository of death” (Oldradioworld.com) that is Scotland Yard’s “Black Museum.” On the show, The Black Museum is a collection of catalogued items “all touched by murder” (Oldradioworld.com) that have provided invaluable proof of guilt to London’s police. Naturally, I started wondering if such a warehouse of the macabre actually exists underneath Scotland Yard. I should have known better than to doubt Orson.
The Black Museum was “established in the mid-1870s” (Wemakemoneynotart.com) as a storage space for the belongings of arrested individuals. When these belongings went unclaimed, generally because the owners had been convicted, the police started to display the objects as “a teaching tool for newly trained officers” (Wemakemoneynotart.com). It was given its ominous moniker in 1877, when a reporter from The Observer was denied entry (En.Wikipedia.org), as the general public was (and is still) not authorized to visit.
The Black Museum (now, sadly, renamed “The Crime Museum”) houses and preserves over 500 various objects (Atlasobscura.com). Included are letters allegedly from Jack the Ripper, reconstructions of IRA bombs and run-of-the-mill weaponry such as guns and knives. Perhaps one of the most grotesque exhibits is a small pile of gallstones, which effectively put the noose around Acid Bath Murderer, John George Haigh’s, neck in 1949. Haigh dissolved the bodies of a least six people in vats of sulfuric acid. When it was discovered that Haigh was the last person to see victim Olive Durand-Deacon, the police searched his residence. At the bottom of one of the vats, undissolved, police found a partial set of dentures and, yeah, Ms. Durand-Deacon’s gallstones (Theguardian.com).
Remember that example of a button I mentioned earlier? The Black Museum aired an episode in 1951 (“The Brass Button”) that was based on true events. In 1919, David Greenwood was convicted of the rape and murder of Nellie Trew after a very unusual button was found next to the body. When the police published a picture of the button in the newspaper, Greenwood was arrested for the crime (Blackkalendar.nl). A button. Something as simple as a snazzy button was responsible for taking a violent killer out of the game.
Perhaps it’s the shear ordinariness of the objects in The Black Museum that make them so frightening. Behind glass, there is a pair of binoculars from 1945 – seemingly interesting only as an antique. However, when one tries to adjust them, spring loaded spikes shoot out from the eyepieces. These were given as a gift from a man to the woman who left him (wemakemoneynotart.com). They look innocent enough.
Bourke Accounting bookkeepers and tax preparers know that the big picture is important. However, Bourke Accounting experts also know that the tiniest of mistakes can lead to trouble down the road. Because of this Bourke Accounting pros meticulously verify that every document you receive is 100% accurate. Hey, the devil is in the details.
Come see us any time. Our number is 502-451-8773 and don’t forget to visit our website at www.bourkeaccounting.com. See you soon!
Written by Sue H.
At Bourke Accounting, we have a few transplants from the North: I’m from NYC, Bill is from NYC, Phil is from Jersey. I thought we were the upmost in hardcore. And then, this weekend, I watched the television show Outsiders on the WGN channel. It must be said – New Yawk ain’t got nuthin’ on Kentucky in terms of toughness. If you don’t know, this is a 2016 show about a clan of outlaws living in the mountain wilds of Kentucky (even though it’s filmed in Pennsylvania), distilling moonshine and, basically living on the fringes of the world by a well-established code of their own.
It is violent, it is interesting, it is rather sexy and I am hooked. The pal who hipped me to this program mentioned that it’s based on real events and that I shouldn’t walk around the Daniel Boone Forest. Huh? I’ve been to this national preserve and it is beautiful. Whaddya mean I shouldn’t walk around there?
Booby traps and psycho mountain folk, my friend informed me. Wait, what? Yeah, well, you know I had to look it up.
In November of 2009, Bill Sparkman, a census taker was “found bound and gagged and hanging from a tree… “Fed” scrawled across his chest” (ABCnews.go.com). My God! That’s horrible! You can’t trust these weirdo mountain Kentuckians! They’re wild, they’re terrible and, and, and…annnd, it was all BS. The deceased was in debt, he was depressed, he was ill, he disrobed himself, he wrote on himself and the only DNA found on the accoutrements of his demise was his own. He even told a friend the rudiments of his plan (who didn’t take him seriously) (Kentucky.com). So, Clay County, KY witnessed as a bunch of cops and agents descended upon their land, looking for some Deliverance-type extras.
However, the fact that Mr. Sparkman thought that this was a believable plan, with ready-made suspects standing by, makes one wonder about the reputation of the area. As it turns out, yes, there very well might be some hard customers in the forests of good ol’ KY.
Take, for example, the Cornbread Mafia. This is a group of folks who grew marijuana in some pretty rural places of Kentucky, after they discovered that weed generated a lot more revenue than ‘shine. It turns out, to protect their crops, they did in fact use booby traps: “including fishhooks hung at eye level, trip wires tied to dynamite and live rattlesnakes tied to poles” (Courier-Journal.com). However, Johnny Boone (the “leader” of the group) was sort of a homegrown hero, as he donated money to the desperately poor people in the community. Deputy marshals, trying to find Boone and his cohorts, were met with resistance from the townsfolks. Often the agents of order were told that they wouldn’t be told where anyone was, even if the townsfolk knew, which, of course, they did not. (Courier-Journal.com).
I am in no way trying to defend the lawless. However, it seems to me that we must look into the reasons why some go outside the law in order to feed their families and communities. Lawlessness is a mark of desperation and, while no one should get off scot-free, mitigating circumstances should be introduced and examined.
Most Bourke Accounting bookkeepers and tax preparers won’t set up booby traps around your house. However, if you have an issue with a government agency, I urge you to contact your Bourke Accounting expert before doing anything rash. Your Bourke Accounting pro can defend you and protect you better than rattlesnakes ever could (and you won’t have angry, bitten agents breaking down your door).
Come see us any time. Our number is 502-451-8773 and don’t forget to visit our website at www.bourkeaccounting.com. See you soon!
Written by Sue H.
Bourke Accounting likes women. Not in a creepy, hidden cameras in the bathroom kind of way. At Bourke Accounting, there are more female employees than male, but everyone is treated identically. If one of us messes up – no matter what gender – Boss Bill will call us to the carpet in the exact same fashion.
Bill doesn’t come down harder on us because we are women and he sure isn’t easier on us because we’re the gentler sex. Nope. He holds everyone to his same, exacting standard.
I like this. As a kid, I hated playing games with boys who “went easy” on me because I happened to be a girl. I also hated the boys who told me I couldn’t be on the team because, as a girl, I would only drag their side down. Since playing “Kill the Man” was a lot more fun than making squishy, light-bulb heated brownies with the Easy Bake Oven, I was often disappointed.
Long gone are the times when women couldn’t own property, vote or even serve on juries. While women might not enjoy 100% equality, we’re getting there. What I really think is interesting is that, throughout history, the simplest things lead to the biggest consequences.
Take, for example, Susanna M. Salter.
Susanna Salter was a very vocal member of the Women’s Christian Temperance Union in Kansas. When women were granted the right to vote and run in local elections in 1887, the WCTU decided to endorse male candidates who shared their hatred of alcohol. As a leader of the WCTU, Susanna Salter, “presided at [the] caucus” (Timeline.com) in which candidates were selected, including the position of mayor. Some of the men present were “offended by female presumption to endorse candidates” (Timeline.com) and thought they had come up with the perfect plan to humiliate these uppity, loud women.
Without her being aware of it, this group of men substituted Salter’s name on the ballot as their candidate for mayor. These guys “assumed that no man would vote for a woman mayor” (Timeline.com) and Salter’s loss would put her and her group back in their proper place. These sad little men hadn’t really thought this through, however – women had just won the right to vote and run in local elections, remember?
While doing laundry, Salter was made aware that her name was on the ballot and asked if she would serve if elected. A little confused, she said, “sure.” The members of the WCTU turned out to vote for their girl, while some men found the whole thing funny and voted for her, too (Timeline.com). So, because of a mean-spirited joke, Susanna M. Salter became the first female mayor in America.
While Salter chose not to run for a second term, her point was made. In addition, her contribution inspired other women. For example, in 1888, Mary Lowman ran in Oskaloosa, KS and “served with the nation’s first all-woman city council” (Timeline.com).
Equality for everyone is important. It might be slow going at times, but I think we’re becoming more enlightened every day.
Bourke Accounting bookkeepers and tax preparers are good with businesses. Bourke Accounting experts are good with tax returns. However, Bourke Accounting specialists aren’t good with discrimination. Your Bourke Accounting rep will provide the same wonderful guidance and service no matter what your gender might be. It’s too exhausting to be any other way.
Come see us any time. Our number is 502-451-8773 and don’t forget to visit our website at www.bourkeaccounting.com. See you soon!
Written by Sue H.
I like words. Sometimes, at Bourke Accounting, I think I drive Bill a bit mental. It’s too simple to say, “Man, that guy’s a jerk.” Instead, I must label said jerk as an “invertebrate reprobate” or something else with too many syllables and a high chance of mispronunciation (I speak quickly so most people don’t notice). Bill will shake his head, ask why I have to make things difficult and walk away, sometimes muttering about crazy receptionists.
Because I like words, and because I like to make easy things difficult, I’m always interested to learn the backstory of well-known, everyday phrases. I get a charge when discovering that familiar idioms originally meant something completely different or have very dark true meanings. Hey, some people like to gamble, dance all night or play chess. I get off on this.
So, here are a few of my favorite phrase origin stories:
1) Cat Got Your Tongue. There are a couple of different versions of the truth with this one. For example, one explanation suggests that the phrase came from the English Navy’s use of the Cat-o’-nine-tails whip. When the whipping of some poor punished sailor was finished, the victim was left speechless (Boredpanda.com) – hence, cat got your tongue. Another concept is that, in ancient Egypt, liars would have their tongues cut out and fed to lions (Grammarist.com). Also, there’s the theory that the phrase originated from the Middle Ages, regarding witches: if you happened upon a witch doing witch things, a black cat (her/his familiar) stole your tongue so you couldn’t speak about what you saw (Bloomsbury-international.com). Finally, Grammarist.com is just a party pooper by saying that the phrase is nothing more “than odd, childish imagery.” Whippings and witches are more interesting.
2) Blood is Thicker than Water. While the origin of this phrase is debated, the meaning is not. Researchers seem to agree that the line actually reads: The blood of the covenant is thicker than the water of the womb. Learningenglish.voanews.com posits that this means “bloodshed on the battlefield creates stronger ties than the water of the womb does.” Basically, the people you choose to risk your life with are closer to you than the people of your family, whom you had no say in choosing. Although we use the phrase to signify that family is more important than friends, the original wording suggests that the intent was just the opposite.
3) Don’t Cut Off Your Nose to Spite Your Face. As far as backstories go, this one is brutal. So, around the year 867, Vikings attacked Coldingham monastery in Scotland. The Nun in Charge, St. Aebbe the Younger, decided that it would be better if the nuns disfigured themselves rather than lose their honor to crazed Vikings. She managed to cut off her nose, her upper lip and scared holy bejeezus out of the Vikings. The nuns were left with their honor intact (the Vikings, did, however, burn down the monastery with all of the nuns inside) (Didyouknowfacts.com).
At the next dinner party, sit me next to the etymologist. Rock stars and FBI agents might have interesting stories, but I don’t think they come close to a person who knows the history of our weird phrases. Our commonly used idioms say a lot about us as a species, after all.
Bourke Accounting bookkeepers and tax preparers know a lot. Do they know the origins of your favorite phrases? Maybe, maybe not. However, Bourke Accounting pros do know all of the rules to keep you on the right side of the IRS. Your Bourke Accounting expert is always fascinated with learning new things, so if you know the history of a common expression, your Bourke Accounting specialist is more than happy to hear it.
Come see us any time. Our number is 502-451-8773 and don’t forget to visit our website at www.bourkeaccounting.com. See You Soon!
Written by Sue H.
Life has gotten very odd. At Bourke Accounting, people can’t stop to chat when dropping off their paperwork. Smiles are hidden behind masks and there are no more handshakes; everyone seems to be sizing each other up as potential harbingers of plague. However, there is a certain – albeit physically distant – solidarity because we have no choice but to walk the same road together.
The Cooties have changed human life, that much is obviously evident. Besides some of us not being able to work and all of us not being able to enjoy a nice rum and Coke at the bar, there are other changes that I hadn’t even thought about. Also, I wonder what sort of lasting effects we will experience as a result.
So, I present to you a few alterations to our world:
1) Our rats are losing their rat minds. Because most cities have implemented some sort of lockdown procedure, there is not as much sweet, sweet garbage in the streets. When I lived in Brooklyn, the sidewalks looked as though a midnight food fight had occurred; people walking by donated their half-eaten hot dogs and bagels to the concrete. Now that so many businesses have been shuttered and people are staying indoors, the rats are starving. These rats are now fighting, to the death, amongst themselves and eating their young (NYPost.com). Mayor LaToya Cantrell of New Orleans warned that this puts her city’s homeless population at an even greater risk (NYPost.com). Um. Anyone remember the movie Willard?
2) Greetings and Goodbyes. I have a friend who wonders if Corona is going to lead to the death of the handshake. Personally, I’m all right with this – there is nothing worse than receiving the squishy, dead fish handshake of a person you’re only required to spend five minutes with. However, my common sense is at war with my early training – not shaking hands is going against my father’s teachings! I refuse to attempt the elbow bump, as I have terrible depth perception and would either miss completely or elbow an elderly man in the face. And our “goodbyes” have become even worse. Instead of saying, “Have a good day,” it’s become “Stay Safe.” I know the Danse Macabre unites us all, but can we please at least go back to “Take care”?
3) Our environment. It’s probably not surprising that, with everyone staying put, there are already “huge reductions in air pollution” (Newsweek.com). In China alone, since lockdown, there has been a “drop in carbon emissions of an estimated 25 percent” (NYTimes.com). While I realize that our air is going to return to its dismal state once we get back to our abnormal normal, I think this is a learning lesson. Perhaps we ought to really re-think what our routine actions do to the Earth and figure out sustainable ways in which to protect our Home Planet.
We are in the midst of a strange trip. It’s awful and tragic. However, I think this is also a time to put our priorities in order and figure out how we can better ourselves, our wildlife and our world. I believe we are learning what really matters right now.
Is filing your tax return with a Bourke Accounting tax preparer a priority right now? You have until July to file your returns and your Bourke Accounting pro is patient, so maybe not. However, are you trying to save your business and workers with the Paycheck Protection Program? Did you know that your Bourke Accounting expert is willing to guide you through the steps for free? I’ve found that putting food on the table is always a priority.
Come see us any time. Our number is 502-451-8773 and don’t forget to visit our website at www.bourkeaccounting.com. HAVE A GOOD DAY!
Written by Sue H.
Sociopaths know the difference between right and wrong; they just don’t care – My Psychology 101 Professor
I don’t lose sleep over what I have done or have nightmares about it – Dennis Nilsen, Serial Killer
We are not sociopaths at Bourke Accounting. In fact, we’re pretty sympathetic towards one another. For example, when an employee’s birthday rolls around, Bill throws a little party and Phil bakes a cake. We treat each other with respect, we help each other out and it’s all very nice and it’s all very civilized.
We spend a lot of time concerned about feelings and the well-being of each other. And sometimes I wonder: wouldn’t everything be simpler if we all just decided to be sociopaths?
The term “sociopath” is actually an outdated moniker that mental health professions shy away from these days. The preferred classification, as outlined in the newest edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (every shrink’s travel guide), is Antisocial Personality Disorder (Webmd.com). However, “sociopath” sounds cooler and I’ll be using it for the duration of this writing.
With movies like Joker and The Silence of the Lambs, we tend to think of every sociopath as a clever and stylish killer. But, as with a lot of things, reality is more mundane than fantasy. So, what is a sociopath, really? According to the Mayo Clinic, a sociopath suffers from a “mental disorder in which [the] person…shows no regard for right and wrong and ignores the rights and feelings of others.” With this definition, it’s easy to understand how serial killers are often diagnosed as sociopaths; they clearly have no respect for the boundaries of others.
However, the majority of sociopaths don’t hit the infamous depths of someone like Ted Bundy. In fact, Health.com cited a study that “estimated that as many as 3.8% of Americans” could be defined as sociopathic. So, if you’re at a party and can’t guess who the sociopath is, well, it might just be you. If you’re not quite sure, Psycom.net has a handy little “Are You a Sociopath” quiz (when I took it, my score said that I had “little to no indication of antisocial personality disorder.” I know, I was surprised, too).
Now, for someone like me, who is still feeling guilty for accidentally killing a spider when I was ten, being a sociopath seems pretty attractive. For example, sociopaths generally don’t feel remorse. Also, they don’t have any sense of responsibility, never hold themselves accountable for anything and basically do what they want when they want (Healthline.com). I’m not saying we should be sociopaths all the time, but we should each get, say, a half an hour a day to be a sociopath (with no casualties, obviously).
As it turns out, I can never be a sociopath. Whereas some mental troubles are organic in nature – you’re either born that way or you’re not – sociopathic people are created. There is no ingrained brain malfunction, sociopaths are simply brought up in really bad households (Psychcentral.com) and the behavior manifests in adult behavior.
Maybe I don’t really want to be a sociopath. Being free from guilt and responsibility sounds awesome, but I’m too used to guilt and feeling that pesky sense of responsibility to change now. Also, I would look terrible in a prison uniform.
We aren’t sociopaths at Bourke Accounting, but it’s okay if you are. Just as we don’t discriminate against tattoos, your Bourke Accounting bookkeeper or tax preparer will still give you the best in financial advice and services – even if you are a gentler Hannibal Lecter. Since the world is mad anyway, Bourke Accounting welcomes all with open arms.
Come see us any time. Our number is 502-451-8773 and don’t forget to visit our website at www.bourkeaccounting.com. See you soon!
Written by Sue H.
I love putting spices in things. For example, when I make spaghetti sauce, I cackle, spin around and add dashes of oregano, basil (fresh), garlic (both powdered and fresh) and my super-secret ingredient (maybe, someday, I’ll tell you the super-secret – no, it’s not Soylent Green). Then, when it’s simmering good and proper, I repeatedly scream-sing, “Fire burn and caldron bubble!”
Cooking is loud in my house because, yes, I like to pretend that I’m a witch. It’s perfectly normal, nothing wrong with that and, I betcha, a lot of people do the same.
Because I enjoy doing this, I am always interested in new spices. My mother has a lot of free time on her hands these days and she has inspired me to test one I’ve never heard of: Turmeric. If you’re like me, we are now sailing unchartered seas together.
What is turmeric? According to Healthprep.com, it’s a “flowering plant that belongs to the ginger family.” I like ginger, so we’re off to a good start. Turmeric, native to Southeast Asia and India “has been used for centuries in Ayurvedic medicine” (Healthprep.com). Ayurvedic medicine (I didn’t know what that meant either) is one of the oldest holistic healing systems and it’s focused on protecting the body, spirit and mind (Webmd.com). The theory is that if you take care of yourself preemptively, you’ll have no need to fight disease because, well, you won’t have disease to fight in the first place.
From what I’ve read, turmeric tastes pretty good, too: it is aromatic with scents of orange or ginger and has a pungent flavor (Spiceadvice.com). And the amount of things you can cook with it? Boy howdy! There’s one easy recipe for something called “Golden Milk” that is on the top of my list to experiment with: simmer milk, turmeric, black pepper and cinnamon for ten minutes (Downshiftology.com) and it’s supposed to relax the bejeezus out of you. I’m thinking a bit of rum would make it complete, but that’s just me.
Besides tasting good, there’s a few other reasons turmeric has been used for thousands of years. Studies done have shown that it’s an effective pain reliever, an anti-inflammatory and it can actually improve liver function (Medicalnewstoday.com). Have you found yourself overindulging during your quarantine? Turmeric is thought to be able to “stop your liver from being damaged by toxins” (Medicalnewstoday.com). Sometimes, the old ways are the best ways.
Because I’m randomly a Negative Nancy, I felt that I should investigate the side effects of turmeric. There aren’t many and most of the side effects come about because people have taken too much (it’s also available in capsule form). For example, while turmeric is a good digestive aid, it causes the stomach to produce more gastric acid than some people can handle and can lead to discomfort (Medicalnewstoday.com). In addition, it acts as a blood thinner, so it’s recommended that people taking blood-thinning medications avoid using large quantities (Medicalnewstoday.com).
I have taken the plunge and am now awaiting the arrival of my organic turmeric. I need Golden Milk in my life! I’ll let you know how it turns out, but I’m guessing I will fall in love.
You know, Bourke Accounting is sort of like turmeric. Besides aiding in a better night’s sleep, your Bourke Accounting bookkeeper or tax preparer can preventively head off any problems on your horizon. Since you won’t have to stress about your financial future, your Bourke Accounting expert can also help you to avoid ulcers. See? Bourke Accounting might be a better digestive aid than even turmeric itself!
Come see us any time. Our number is 502-451-8773 and don’t forget to visit our website at www.bourkeaccounting.com. See you soon (I’ll have Golden Milk waiting)!
Written by Sue H.
Yes, I was a wild one in my ill-spent youth. With my blue mohawk and nose rings, my Bourke Accounting co-workers and employers would not have recognized me. And I had a lot of friends. I had pals to go drinking with, I had buddies to go to punk rock shows with, I even had a few friends who were ready to go to brunch on a Sunday morning.
Sure, I had a lot of friends to go do fun things with. However, after a death in the family, I realized that I didn’t have many friends who were willing to do the not so fun things with me. I looked around and realized that most of my pals could be equated to “Party People in a Can” – if the music was blaring and the drinks were flowing, all was well. If I needed help moving, however, my pals were mysteriously MIA.
When we’re young, a lot of us put quantity over quality when considering friendship. Basically, as long as there’s 40 people at our birthday party, it doesn’t matter that we don’t know the last names of more than half of the participants. As we get older, however, that quality concept becomes a lot more important.
When thinking of friendship, obviously the most important question is one of comfort. Can you be yourself around your friend or are you always self-censoring? Perhaps this is not surprising, but I like a dirty joke or two; one of my friends orders strictly off the Jeff Foxworthy menu of humor and I do find myself avoiding certain jokes for fear of causing offense. In addition, when this particular pal gives a symposium on the virtues of three different kinds of mops, I find my mind wandering. Is she a good person? For sure! Do I feel very comfortable around her? Yeah, not so much.
Another thing to contemplate is if a specific friend is good for you. For example, there was a 2007 study that showed “an increase of nearly 60 percent in the risk for obesity among people whose friends gained weight” (NYTimes.com). We’re all warned about peer pressure when we’re kids, but the subject doesn’t come up often as we mature. If your friend is forcing you to hike on a beautiful Saturday morning, that’s generally a good thing. However, if your friend is begging you to blow off a job interview so you can get drunk at 11 AM, you might want to think about your friend’s priorities, for her and for yourself.
Which brings us to the question of your friend’s intentions. I once had a friend who tried to convince me that drawing cat whiskers on my face with a Sharpie before a formal dance was a good idea. I said, “You first.” Neither of us sported whiskers that night. Sometimes, as much as a friend might love us, our success might be an underlying thorn in their side. This is dark, but make sure the advice a friend gives you is from a place of love and respect, not some hinterland of passive aggression.
Friends are important; Harvard researchers even reported that “strong social ties could promote brain health” (NYTimes.com). Friends are great at centering us, they’re good at keeping the cold darkness of loneliness away and, sometimes, they’ll even help us move. I don’t have a lot of friends these days, but the ones I do have are worth having.
You needn’t worry about your Bourke Accounting bookkeeper or tax preparer’s intentions. A Bourke Accounting pro’s first goal is to provide you with the most efficient and accurate service possible. Bourke Accounting experts are well known for loyalty and standing strong by the little guy in the face of anything that can be thrown at them. Hey, Bourke Accounting reps love a challenge, so whatcha you got?
Come see us any time. Our number is 502-451-8773 and don’t forget to visit our website at www.bourkeaccounting.com. See you soon!
Written by Sue H.
If you haven’t realized by now, the world is a very strange place and not everything is as it appears. I mean, there are cute, little caterpillars in North America right now that can kill you! Also, this mask thing is making me nervous – every time someone walks into Bourke Accounting with their face covered, my first thought is: Why would anyone want to rob an accounting firm? It always takes me a moment to remember that, right, the world is a very strange place and not everything is as it appears.
Take, for example, popular songs. As a kid, I thought that “Every Breath You Take” by The Police was a sweet and romantic little ditty. When I grew up and realized that it was really about a psycho stalker, I was surprised. So, here are three other songs that weren’t exactly what they appeared to be:
1) Van Morrison – “Brown Eyed Girl.” Released in 1967, this song was originally titled “Brown Skinned Girl” and it was about interracial love. After being told that it wouldn’t be “appropriate” (and, more importantly, would probably be banned from radio) Morrison changed the title (Songfacts.com). Later, Morrison said that he “forgot” that he had changed the words during one recording and that he had intended on keeping the original (Wikipedia.org). As it turned out, he was banned from a lot of stations anyway because of the line, “making love in the green grass.”
2) The Monkees – “Last Train to Clarksville.” I thought this song was about a guy, leaving his small town for fame and fortune, saying goodbye to the woman who wouldn’t go with him. Not exactly. Written by Tommy Boyce and Bobby Hart and released in 1966, this was a Vietnam protest song (Little Steven’s Underground Garage Radio Show). As Hart explained later, “we couldn’t be too direct with The Monkees…we kind of snuck it in” (Songfacts.com). The Monkees TV show had just started and it wouldn’t work to associate these nice, harmless troubadours with hippie ideology. In the anti-war context, the line “and I don’t know if I’m ever coming home” makes the song a lot darker.
3) Blue Oyster Cult – “Don’t Fear the Reaper.” A lot of us think that this song is about teenagers in love and a suicide pact. The line, “Romeo and Juliet / Are together in eternity,” lends itself to that interpretation. However, Buck Dharma, writer/singer of the song said that it is “a love song where the love transcends the actual physical existence of the partners” (Songfacts.com). Because Dharma had health problems, he often wondered if he’d be reunited with loved ones after his death. I have my own theory. I think it’s a song about Death falling in love and trying to convince a woman to travel the world with him. “Baby take my hand, don’t fear the reaper” and “I’m your man” are only two (of many) lines that make me think this is Death’s romantic, pick-up song.
Yes, the world is strange and filled with interesting things. Learning these things probably isn’t going to change your life in a substantial way, but you never know. There is no such thing as a useless fact.
If you’re looking for mystery and hidden meanings, a Bourke Accounting bookkeeper or tax preparer isn’t for you. With Bourke Accounting, what you see is what you get – Bourke Accounting experts don’t practice ambiguity. Bourke Accounting pros will explain where you stand in a concrete and easily understandable way. Watch out if Taylor Swift comes on over the office radio, though, Bill will probably also explain the secret messages in her songs.
Come see us any time. Our number is 502-451-8773 and don’t forget to visit our website at www.bourkeaccounting.com. See you soon!
Written by Sue H.