My dear husband does not understand the absolute hilarity I find in the show "The Big Bang Theory." Just thinking about Sheldon and his BAZINGA makes me giggle. Yet, I sit here in da hood and it goes to waste but for the random times when I use my "useless random trivia" that I fork out at people from time to time.
Yes, an education that costs me more than my house that I will certainly pay for until retirement. What a waste it is. Now that I think about it, that is really brilliant, huh? Pay thousands and thousands of dollars for an education that has to yet rival that of Chinese children and then spend the rest of our lives paying for it. Where is the aptitude in that? Further, some of us even get an education that has oh......about 3 jobs in the outlook because we are told to go after what interests us in college. There is no future in that is there? No, we have to aspire to be the 16 year old kid that got lucky enough to create an app that sells for millions of dollars because of popularity.
There it is folks..........popularity. That is what life boils down to, isn't it? All through school, you are not accepted unless you are the poplular one. Those geeks of us who are lucky enough to get into good colleges outside of the sports realm are still NOT popular. Then, upon entering college, it is all about the soror houses and you have to show that you CAN be popular to get into those. Well, unless of course it is the "Geek" house. Then, you are a member of the elite outcasts. Once again, it lends itself to popularity. Also, I found that if you are not of the athletic persuasion, you get no favors when it comes to grades but those that choose to be lazy (academically) get their grades handed to them with a silver plater. Thus, the popularity symplex. Finally, when you get into the real world, you find that it is not all about your skills or your great resume that you worked tirelessly at no-pay internships where you learned all the valuable real world skills that you need in your new career, no, folks it is about who you know and what good people you are in cahoots with. Popularity.
I have found that, even in the digital world, it is popularity that takes precedence. Ever been jealous upon joining a new social network of someone that has 6,000 friends to your measly 347? Popular much? What about this whole virtual "networking" thing? Ever peered at a LinkedIn profile and been pissed off because someone has been endorsed time and again for things that they NEVER do? Ayup.
The only thing that makes the exception to my theory of the popularity complex is LUCK. Yes, that kid was lucky that he was POPULAR and created something cool that he and all his friends were hip to and then happened to be contacted by Google to buy his popularity. Now he can not worry, so long as he plays his cards right.
Where is my luck in all of this? Where is my popularity? Sure, I have a few social networks in my pocket. Sure, I rant on FB (Ima Rant--you should check it out. Search mmiles@coastal.edu) I even have a blog and a LinkedIn profile. I also have a HUGE student loan debt that I will never pay off and a three digit IQ. Boy, I could blow the top off Harlem with the information I knew and the fact that I surely know where to take that info and cause a stir. However, that is a digression I will not take. I choose to let people lead their popular lives and make popular (and unpopular) decisions on their own. Karma gets them there. That is where the rest of us unpopular folk sit back in our swivel chairs, fold our hands behind our head, and go ahhhh. Stupidity is not my forte.
Yes, I have a three digit IQ but you would never know it. I have book smarts and if I were to ever acquire a three digit streetQ and even a two digit one in popularityQ I would be Dangerous in da hood. (Even more so than I already am.)
My name is Michele....and I am NOT popular.
Reader suggested posts. Other blogs I write and prompts from my readers.
Sunday, March 31, 2013
Friday, March 29, 2013
The Pebbles Ripples.
My philosophy friends believe that good cannot exist without evil and vice versa. There is this whole philosophical argument around it. The argument is almost as popular as the "is there really a God" argument. Well, I happen to think that while evil is necessary, the world can do with a little less of it.
Especially true when the evil is fruitless and with no just cause. It is like an invalid argument. C does not result from A or B if they are not doing something that makes C true, therefore, why should C exist at all when D can do the job just as well...or some such nonsense.
I bear witness to this absent C evil a lot. All I can do is shake my head at it because it makes good people look bad and it drags innocent people into a situation that they have no business even knowing anything about in the first place. What snake will go to an orange tree and pluck an orange just to eat when snakes are predators in the first place? That makes no sense at all.
My point is that evil should not exist in abundance when there is not enough good to offset it. That makes no sense either. Remember the lady with the scales you see in a courtroom? It has to balance and without that balance, things begin to happen. Therefore, apparently, bad things are happening and maybe it is the second coming of Christ that everyone has been talking about or the end of the world.
So if all of this is blatantly evident, then why is there not anything done about it? I will explain. There is enough not caring and enough belief that one little act of kindness does not matter. The evil in all of us has beaten out any good there is left. Sure, we do kind deeds everyday but it is so far below the radar of being noticed that it is almost irrelevant that we even do such a thing.
Listen, folks, when someone tells you that one little pebble makes a big difference. If you dont believe me toss one into a still pond. That one little pebble has a ripple effect that eventually touches every square inch of that waters surface. Further, the "plop" sound reverberates through the air to our ears affecting the senses that we heard and seen the pebble hit the water. Underneath the surface, fish scatter and it hits the bottom eventually changing the landscape of the bottom to accomodate the fact that it fell there in the first place. To get even more depth out of the example, gravity is now pulling on that rock to keep it in place and every time a bottom feeder passes, a fish swims quickly nearby, or a plant grows near enough to push it aside, that pebble still has an impact. Also, the place where the pebble was before has left a pebble size space for something else to come along and occupy where it was.
Point being, while there are snakes in all of us, even the good that comes out of us, no matter how small or insignificant can have a positive impact in everything. If everyone were to cast a pebble in some form or fashion and good becomes of it, it grows from there because there is, essentially, more good in the world.
Those of us with children can do the same. So often we go through life too busy to see what is going on through the eyes of our children. STOP take a moment and revel in the wonder that they see the world in. Remember what it was like to stand in awe and truly experience the first sunset you REALLY noticed. I remember mine. I remember that, sometimes, being five is such a small place to be in such a big world and that mommy can make it better. I also try to remember that even though you are 13 or 14, you still need mom from time to time even if it is to talk about absolutely nothing or act silly in public just because. When my children get older (and for the step kids as well) I will try to remember that at 21, the world is not what it was made out to be and that I still need to be there for my kids no matter how awful they are. That, just to sit down, without a phone, television or other distraction and talk about how a lightbulb works will make the difference in their day and that is something that they will remember.
Toss that pebble, make life better, if even for a split second. The reverberations of that pebble last longer than you think. Holding the door for a perfect stranger to pass because they are using a walking stick makes a difference because, while you may not remember, they will.
I once had a lady sit in the booth next to mine in iHop. I was 16. I was miserable and thougth that life was truly the suckiest place to be. She chatted with me about absolutely nothing. The gloss on the menu, why people drive nice cars, and our coffee. She also told me to cast a pebble. She then proceeded to tell me that I will remember her. I may not remember her name and maybe not even what she looks like but I will remember the conversation. Guess what? I dont know her name, I remember brown hair and glasses and that she used her hands alot when she talked but I DID remember the conversation. She cast her pebble in my pond and the fish swim by every now and then and it moves. That is what I remember. Do you have pebbles in your pond? Why not cast some of your own?
Especially true when the evil is fruitless and with no just cause. It is like an invalid argument. C does not result from A or B if they are not doing something that makes C true, therefore, why should C exist at all when D can do the job just as well...or some such nonsense.
I bear witness to this absent C evil a lot. All I can do is shake my head at it because it makes good people look bad and it drags innocent people into a situation that they have no business even knowing anything about in the first place. What snake will go to an orange tree and pluck an orange just to eat when snakes are predators in the first place? That makes no sense at all.
My point is that evil should not exist in abundance when there is not enough good to offset it. That makes no sense either. Remember the lady with the scales you see in a courtroom? It has to balance and without that balance, things begin to happen. Therefore, apparently, bad things are happening and maybe it is the second coming of Christ that everyone has been talking about or the end of the world.
So if all of this is blatantly evident, then why is there not anything done about it? I will explain. There is enough not caring and enough belief that one little act of kindness does not matter. The evil in all of us has beaten out any good there is left. Sure, we do kind deeds everyday but it is so far below the radar of being noticed that it is almost irrelevant that we even do such a thing.
Listen, folks, when someone tells you that one little pebble makes a big difference. If you dont believe me toss one into a still pond. That one little pebble has a ripple effect that eventually touches every square inch of that waters surface. Further, the "plop" sound reverberates through the air to our ears affecting the senses that we heard and seen the pebble hit the water. Underneath the surface, fish scatter and it hits the bottom eventually changing the landscape of the bottom to accomodate the fact that it fell there in the first place. To get even more depth out of the example, gravity is now pulling on that rock to keep it in place and every time a bottom feeder passes, a fish swims quickly nearby, or a plant grows near enough to push it aside, that pebble still has an impact. Also, the place where the pebble was before has left a pebble size space for something else to come along and occupy where it was.
Point being, while there are snakes in all of us, even the good that comes out of us, no matter how small or insignificant can have a positive impact in everything. If everyone were to cast a pebble in some form or fashion and good becomes of it, it grows from there because there is, essentially, more good in the world.
Those of us with children can do the same. So often we go through life too busy to see what is going on through the eyes of our children. STOP take a moment and revel in the wonder that they see the world in. Remember what it was like to stand in awe and truly experience the first sunset you REALLY noticed. I remember mine. I remember that, sometimes, being five is such a small place to be in such a big world and that mommy can make it better. I also try to remember that even though you are 13 or 14, you still need mom from time to time even if it is to talk about absolutely nothing or act silly in public just because. When my children get older (and for the step kids as well) I will try to remember that at 21, the world is not what it was made out to be and that I still need to be there for my kids no matter how awful they are. That, just to sit down, without a phone, television or other distraction and talk about how a lightbulb works will make the difference in their day and that is something that they will remember.
Toss that pebble, make life better, if even for a split second. The reverberations of that pebble last longer than you think. Holding the door for a perfect stranger to pass because they are using a walking stick makes a difference because, while you may not remember, they will.
I once had a lady sit in the booth next to mine in iHop. I was 16. I was miserable and thougth that life was truly the suckiest place to be. She chatted with me about absolutely nothing. The gloss on the menu, why people drive nice cars, and our coffee. She also told me to cast a pebble. She then proceeded to tell me that I will remember her. I may not remember her name and maybe not even what she looks like but I will remember the conversation. Guess what? I dont know her name, I remember brown hair and glasses and that she used her hands alot when she talked but I DID remember the conversation. She cast her pebble in my pond and the fish swim by every now and then and it moves. That is what I remember. Do you have pebbles in your pond? Why not cast some of your own?
Please bring my neighbor their paper! I stole it! (whisperingly)
As many of you are aware, I used to do customer service for a local newspaper. For those of us in customer service, we all have our "favorite" customers and our doosie stories. One of my favorite stories came from speaking to a lady about her neighbors paper.
Yes, I said the neighbors' paper. This particular lady (I call her this because I believe her to be one of our great elderly wisers) had occasion to call because her own paper had been missed or stolen and she wanted her paper with her morning coffee as per her custom. However, she was full on aware that her neighbors were late risers and she took it upon herself to take their paper. She called quite early, around 7ish I suppose and it was hilarious because she was whispering into the phone.
Now, imagine some little old lady about four foot nothin' standing on her porch whispering into her cordless phone with her little hand cupped over the speaker on the phone. Imagine it quite early and in the summer so she is in her nightie and slippers and she is looking over to the neighbors yard. Below was our conversation:
(Remember, she is whispering the ENTIRE time!)
Me: Thank you for calling the News! My name is Michele, how may I help you?
Lady: I am calling about my neighbors paper.
Me: Ok, what is going on with your neighbors paper?
Lady: Well, I need you to bring one out in a hurry so they don't miss it. You see, I didn't get mine today for some reason and I know they sleep late over there. Can you bring them one so they don't see that it is gone? I took their paper and I don't want to get in trouble with the neighbors for taking their paper!
Me: So, you missed your paper and you took theirs? O.o
Lady: Yes, I know they never get up before 9:30 every day. If you hurry, you can get one out here before they wake up and nobody will know! Can you do that for me? I really wanted to read my Sunday paper and it was just laying there. Please bring one out so nobody knows what happened. You can do that right? This will be a secret between you and me.
Me: Aw, certainly Ms. Lady. I can do that for you. Oh, and don't worry, it will be our little secret, ok?
Lady: OK, thank you! I am going now because I don't want them to see or hear me lest they find out what happened!
Me: Ok, is there anything else I can help you with today Ms. Lady?
Lady: No, you just have a good day and thank you for getting me out of trouble! :)
I hung up the phone and had a little chuckle about that. I don't know if she was in her nightie and slippers or not. I do know that she was outside because I heard traffic but it made me smile to know that our elderly population gets up to rambunctious goings on early in the morning!
Thought I would share this little smile for today. Though I am certain that if she knew, she would be quite upset that I shared her secret! :) Na, it will be alright.....
Yes, I said the neighbors' paper. This particular lady (I call her this because I believe her to be one of our great elderly wisers) had occasion to call because her own paper had been missed or stolen and she wanted her paper with her morning coffee as per her custom. However, she was full on aware that her neighbors were late risers and she took it upon herself to take their paper. She called quite early, around 7ish I suppose and it was hilarious because she was whispering into the phone.
Now, imagine some little old lady about four foot nothin' standing on her porch whispering into her cordless phone with her little hand cupped over the speaker on the phone. Imagine it quite early and in the summer so she is in her nightie and slippers and she is looking over to the neighbors yard. Below was our conversation:
(Remember, she is whispering the ENTIRE time!)
Me: Thank you for calling the News! My name is Michele, how may I help you?
Lady: I am calling about my neighbors paper.
Me: Ok, what is going on with your neighbors paper?
Lady: Well, I need you to bring one out in a hurry so they don't miss it. You see, I didn't get mine today for some reason and I know they sleep late over there. Can you bring them one so they don't see that it is gone? I took their paper and I don't want to get in trouble with the neighbors for taking their paper!
Me: So, you missed your paper and you took theirs? O.o
Lady: Yes, I know they never get up before 9:30 every day. If you hurry, you can get one out here before they wake up and nobody will know! Can you do that for me? I really wanted to read my Sunday paper and it was just laying there. Please bring one out so nobody knows what happened. You can do that right? This will be a secret between you and me.
Me: Aw, certainly Ms. Lady. I can do that for you. Oh, and don't worry, it will be our little secret, ok?
Lady: OK, thank you! I am going now because I don't want them to see or hear me lest they find out what happened!
Me: Ok, is there anything else I can help you with today Ms. Lady?
Lady: No, you just have a good day and thank you for getting me out of trouble! :)
I hung up the phone and had a little chuckle about that. I don't know if she was in her nightie and slippers or not. I do know that she was outside because I heard traffic but it made me smile to know that our elderly population gets up to rambunctious goings on early in the morning!
Thought I would share this little smile for today. Though I am certain that if she knew, she would be quite upset that I shared her secret! :) Na, it will be alright.....
Aw, you done went and cursed that child. What did you do that for?
When I became pregnant with our middle son, we happily announced that we were going to name him after my father. Dad was always pretty funny when he was proud of something. He calmly remained seated in his recliner and stated: "Aw, you done went and cursed that child. What did you do that for?" He didn't even blink but continued to watch the car race on the television.
We did not realize how much truth that statement held but it becomes more and more apparent every day.
What made me really take this to heart was that, when dad passed, my mother gave me his year books and other stuff from his childhood. I knew that dad played basketball (DW loves basketball) and ran track (DW runs like he stole something!) What I did not expect is to open the senior year book and look at a basketball picture that was a dead ringer for my son. O.O What in the world! I kid you not. That faded, black and white picture was our DW from head to toe!
As he gets older, I also see similarities in the things that makes our baby tick that are strikingly so "Dad." It is really scary to watch this (Amazing child) strong young man turn into my father. Let's just hope that the bad habits of smoking 4 packs a day and an affinity for burbon are not on the agenda later on in life...
However, that is not all of the story. DW's middle name is Waddell. While I did not know Calvin's brother much, we named the middle name of our son after him. Well, from what I gather, that was a curse as well because the stories. Calvin has told me snippets of when they were growing up together, being besties and all. WOW. is all I can say because the behaviours there are just as striking as the similarities to my dad.
What have we done? We have created this AMAZING child that is going to be an AMAZING adult if we can get him on the right path right now. Yes, dear readers, my mother once told me that I will grow up and have children that are just as rotten as I was to her. While I do not believe our son is of the rotten sort, he is amazing.
You should see him dissect a video game. Yes, DISSECT! DW is not your average gamer. He is definitely a core gamer but of a different sort. He picks it apart pixel by pixel and takes days to get every square inch of the game figured out and taken care of. A little OCD? Maybe. A friend of mine once marveled at our DW when he was but a toddler and said "Watch him look at the TV! He looks at EVERYTHING on the screen. Not just the action! Wow!" Of course, you know I just thought he was watching TV but it totally engrossed him. His whole face is involved. I see that same look when he is playing Left for Dead or Gears of War or some other game that he has ruthlessly talked me into letting him play.
Yea, maybe it was a curse. However, his namesakes were amazing people too! I prefer to look at it as a gift from them to Calvin and me....by way of my mother's (curse) of course! :)
We did not realize how much truth that statement held but it becomes more and more apparent every day.
What made me really take this to heart was that, when dad passed, my mother gave me his year books and other stuff from his childhood. I knew that dad played basketball (DW loves basketball) and ran track (DW runs like he stole something!) What I did not expect is to open the senior year book and look at a basketball picture that was a dead ringer for my son. O.O What in the world! I kid you not. That faded, black and white picture was our DW from head to toe!
As he gets older, I also see similarities in the things that makes our baby tick that are strikingly so "Dad." It is really scary to watch this (Amazing child) strong young man turn into my father. Let's just hope that the bad habits of smoking 4 packs a day and an affinity for burbon are not on the agenda later on in life...
However, that is not all of the story. DW's middle name is Waddell. While I did not know Calvin's brother much, we named the middle name of our son after him. Well, from what I gather, that was a curse as well because the stories. Calvin has told me snippets of when they were growing up together, being besties and all. WOW. is all I can say because the behaviours there are just as striking as the similarities to my dad.
What have we done? We have created this AMAZING child that is going to be an AMAZING adult if we can get him on the right path right now. Yes, dear readers, my mother once told me that I will grow up and have children that are just as rotten as I was to her. While I do not believe our son is of the rotten sort, he is amazing.
You should see him dissect a video game. Yes, DISSECT! DW is not your average gamer. He is definitely a core gamer but of a different sort. He picks it apart pixel by pixel and takes days to get every square inch of the game figured out and taken care of. A little OCD? Maybe. A friend of mine once marveled at our DW when he was but a toddler and said "Watch him look at the TV! He looks at EVERYTHING on the screen. Not just the action! Wow!" Of course, you know I just thought he was watching TV but it totally engrossed him. His whole face is involved. I see that same look when he is playing Left for Dead or Gears of War or some other game that he has ruthlessly talked me into letting him play.
Yea, maybe it was a curse. However, his namesakes were amazing people too! I prefer to look at it as a gift from them to Calvin and me....by way of my mother's (curse) of course! :)
Saturday, March 23, 2013
I didn't plan on seeing the crack of Don!
Took our numba 14 with me to run errands (Running errands with my mom!) this morning and while she was sitting in the car waiting, she happened to look up at a group of homeless people gathering their things at the corner of the conveinence store building. Upon getting back into the car next to her, she was not too happy.
"Well my gawd! That is NOT something I wanted to see first thing in the morning."
I followed her gaze and seen the last of the homeless gathering up his bags getting ready to follow the convoy of them out of the parking lot. (There were about 8 of them total.) He was rail thin, had more baggage than what he weighed and had on a pair of sweatpants. They were obvoiusly too big on him and when the poor guy raised his arms over his head, you did not see what one expected....
I asked my dear child what happened and she said:
"I seen his but crack! I did not expect to see the crack of Don when I woke up today! I more expected to fight with my brothers!"
So, at this I calmly said, well...."Wouldn't that be sad if his name was really DON?!?!" Of course we got a good laugh out of that. However, it got me to thinking. There are ALOT of homeless in the city of Myrtle Beach. While most of them simply wander around from day to day and get arressted every now and then, they don't cause too much trouble. Don't get me wrong, I DO NOT go near them nor do I choose to speak but there are many of them. We see them every time we go somewhere. They have camps in the wooded areas in the city and frequent WalMart and other convenience stores whent hey have money to spare. Sometimes you will even see newbies panhandling money at the entrance to the Walmart parking lot. (No wonder I make it a habit of coming in the side enterance to the parkinglot.
Honestly, it has become so commonplace for them to be seen around, that I don't pay much attention to them. I only notice their presence when I go out of town with my family and note that there are not as many visible homeless people around or that I can successfully go into a store or the mall and not see one on the way there or while looking for a parking spot.
Truth be told, since the city has tried to curb a lot of the bigger events around here, you see them more and more. The city and county have even tried to run them out of the camps in the wooded areas. All these people did was move their things from one place to another. Clearing out the woods they live in does not do a good job either because then there is the mess they leave behind. While I understand they are just trying to survive and I even get that there are those there that CHOOSE that lifestyle, they are truly their own community in this dying city.
Sad. That is for lack of a better description. I remember coming to visit here and seen the homeless but there was not so many of them. They are everywhere! They walk through my neighborhood and they make the news quite often. Normally for a body being found or that some "famous" homeless person in the city has died or some other non extravagant story but what is the city doing about it? Nothing. There is a homeless shelter that was built right next to a neighborhood a couple of years ago. There is also Helping Hand that feeds them in their soup kitchen. However, what else do they have? What services are being provided to enable them to get up out of the woods and live a life that the rest of the world knows and (most likely) takes for granted?
Seems a little backward to me. Decay....This is the very foundation of it in this societly. Outright decay. We have come so far and so snooty in our ways (even those of us who feel they are entitled to welfare "benefits" when they have no business being lazy simply because they can get away with it) that we simply turn away from the part of society that is crumbling the foundation of the very SNOT that we thrive upon every single day. The lost. The forgotten. The ignored.
Next time you come to Myrtle Beach, please do not forget to gawk at our homeless of which our leaders are so proud to shuffle from one area to the next. Also, please don't forget to go by the old fruit stand on Mr. Joe White Avenue and see how it has been repainted all pretty simply for the homeless population to accumulate their wares and hang out under the shade trees. Your city leaders are so proud of what they have done to the lower class. The poorest lost everything and the rest of us are getting poorer by the minute because the jobs are still being handed out to foreigners and not given to those of us who live here and keep this rotten city going.
I may be going on and on about this because I am angry when it comes to my pocket but what do you expect? A maypole dance and glitter? Go visit GrumpyCat for that one.
But I digress........
"Well my gawd! That is NOT something I wanted to see first thing in the morning."
I followed her gaze and seen the last of the homeless gathering up his bags getting ready to follow the convoy of them out of the parking lot. (There were about 8 of them total.) He was rail thin, had more baggage than what he weighed and had on a pair of sweatpants. They were obvoiusly too big on him and when the poor guy raised his arms over his head, you did not see what one expected....
I asked my dear child what happened and she said:
"I seen his but crack! I did not expect to see the crack of Don when I woke up today! I more expected to fight with my brothers!"
So, at this I calmly said, well...."Wouldn't that be sad if his name was really DON?!?!" Of course we got a good laugh out of that. However, it got me to thinking. There are ALOT of homeless in the city of Myrtle Beach. While most of them simply wander around from day to day and get arressted every now and then, they don't cause too much trouble. Don't get me wrong, I DO NOT go near them nor do I choose to speak but there are many of them. We see them every time we go somewhere. They have camps in the wooded areas in the city and frequent WalMart and other convenience stores whent hey have money to spare. Sometimes you will even see newbies panhandling money at the entrance to the Walmart parking lot. (No wonder I make it a habit of coming in the side enterance to the parkinglot.
Honestly, it has become so commonplace for them to be seen around, that I don't pay much attention to them. I only notice their presence when I go out of town with my family and note that there are not as many visible homeless people around or that I can successfully go into a store or the mall and not see one on the way there or while looking for a parking spot.
Truth be told, since the city has tried to curb a lot of the bigger events around here, you see them more and more. The city and county have even tried to run them out of the camps in the wooded areas. All these people did was move their things from one place to another. Clearing out the woods they live in does not do a good job either because then there is the mess they leave behind. While I understand they are just trying to survive and I even get that there are those there that CHOOSE that lifestyle, they are truly their own community in this dying city.
Sad. That is for lack of a better description. I remember coming to visit here and seen the homeless but there was not so many of them. They are everywhere! They walk through my neighborhood and they make the news quite often. Normally for a body being found or that some "famous" homeless person in the city has died or some other non extravagant story but what is the city doing about it? Nothing. There is a homeless shelter that was built right next to a neighborhood a couple of years ago. There is also Helping Hand that feeds them in their soup kitchen. However, what else do they have? What services are being provided to enable them to get up out of the woods and live a life that the rest of the world knows and (most likely) takes for granted?
Seems a little backward to me. Decay....This is the very foundation of it in this societly. Outright decay. We have come so far and so snooty in our ways (even those of us who feel they are entitled to welfare "benefits" when they have no business being lazy simply because they can get away with it) that we simply turn away from the part of society that is crumbling the foundation of the very SNOT that we thrive upon every single day. The lost. The forgotten. The ignored.
Next time you come to Myrtle Beach, please do not forget to gawk at our homeless of which our leaders are so proud to shuffle from one area to the next. Also, please don't forget to go by the old fruit stand on Mr. Joe White Avenue and see how it has been repainted all pretty simply for the homeless population to accumulate their wares and hang out under the shade trees. Your city leaders are so proud of what they have done to the lower class. The poorest lost everything and the rest of us are getting poorer by the minute because the jobs are still being handed out to foreigners and not given to those of us who live here and keep this rotten city going.
I may be going on and on about this because I am angry when it comes to my pocket but what do you expect? A maypole dance and glitter? Go visit GrumpyCat for that one.
But I digress........
Wednesday, March 20, 2013
To breathe or not to breathe, that is the question.
I dont get it. How in the world to people of the large persuasion do it! I am (on paper) considerably overweight. While I do not look very large, I am a little thick. I just don't understand how people who are like DAYUM! (Yea, according to the comedian Fluffy, big like that.) breathe, move, and even just stay healthy.
Here I am in a situation where I feel just as crappy as I did when I was smoking only five (yes 1/4 of a pack for you mathematicians) cigarettes a day. When I breathe, it seems that my nose will randomly shut off for a moment and I have to sputter or skip a breath just to get back right. I can hear myself breathe and it is embarassing to know that I can take a 99 cent muffin mix, mix it up, bake it in the bowl I mix it in and eat the ENTIRE THING! That cannot be healthy.
I also have found that it is easier to plan to do something then to get up off my lazy rumpus and do it. BAD BAD Cheley. Lets not get into that habit. When I finally do get up to do something, I feel good about it and think to myself, well, I should do this more often because it makes me feel better.
However, I believe that the one thing that I need to do is to actually FORCE myself to eat right. If I can do that, then that is the step in the right direction. I do note that there are so many factors that make me just want to eat whatever makes me feel good at the moment. There are drawbacks here to cuz, it may feel good when I eat it but boy do I sure feel like crapola when I am done. The guilt, the should haves, the regret. Ugh.
Don't get me wrong, I am not looking to get the fabulous body I had at 18 that I hated anyway. I just want to get rid of about 60 pounds ideally. Then I would be about a buck thirty and I would probably feel a whole lot better! Even if I could get 20 I think I would feel better. I am so tired of waking in the middle of the night to turn over or to "wake up" an appendage that fell asleep. Nobody is supposed to have tingly limbs all the damn time! That happens when you are chillen on the couch while your leg is curled under you. NOT because you happen to be sitting there minding your own damn business. Lets get real. Being of the larger persuasion is no fun!
I am not knocking those that choose to live this way or have found themselves the victim of a doctor with a sense of humor. (You know those medications with steroids in them that blow you up like a ballon.) No, if you so chose to be large and in charge, then that is your business and I am not forcing my opinion on you. I am talking about myself. I want to be comfortable in my own skin. I was almost there about nine or ten years ago when number nine was a baby.
Not anymore and I want out of this place! Yea, my soul has a lot more room to bounce around in this body because of the size pants I wear but I am miserable!
I wrote this because I took a walk today and have decided that because my hours have been slated back due to the slow season, I may try to go back to walking to see if it will help me lose at least the first 20 that I am so desperately trying to shed. I will be able to run with my boys more, and do more in general.
What do you think? Are you with me? Any suggestions?
Here I am in a situation where I feel just as crappy as I did when I was smoking only five (yes 1/4 of a pack for you mathematicians) cigarettes a day. When I breathe, it seems that my nose will randomly shut off for a moment and I have to sputter or skip a breath just to get back right. I can hear myself breathe and it is embarassing to know that I can take a 99 cent muffin mix, mix it up, bake it in the bowl I mix it in and eat the ENTIRE THING! That cannot be healthy.
I also have found that it is easier to plan to do something then to get up off my lazy rumpus and do it. BAD BAD Cheley. Lets not get into that habit. When I finally do get up to do something, I feel good about it and think to myself, well, I should do this more often because it makes me feel better.
However, I believe that the one thing that I need to do is to actually FORCE myself to eat right. If I can do that, then that is the step in the right direction. I do note that there are so many factors that make me just want to eat whatever makes me feel good at the moment. There are drawbacks here to cuz, it may feel good when I eat it but boy do I sure feel like crapola when I am done. The guilt, the should haves, the regret. Ugh.
Don't get me wrong, I am not looking to get the fabulous body I had at 18 that I hated anyway. I just want to get rid of about 60 pounds ideally. Then I would be about a buck thirty and I would probably feel a whole lot better! Even if I could get 20 I think I would feel better. I am so tired of waking in the middle of the night to turn over or to "wake up" an appendage that fell asleep. Nobody is supposed to have tingly limbs all the damn time! That happens when you are chillen on the couch while your leg is curled under you. NOT because you happen to be sitting there minding your own damn business. Lets get real. Being of the larger persuasion is no fun!
I am not knocking those that choose to live this way or have found themselves the victim of a doctor with a sense of humor. (You know those medications with steroids in them that blow you up like a ballon.) No, if you so chose to be large and in charge, then that is your business and I am not forcing my opinion on you. I am talking about myself. I want to be comfortable in my own skin. I was almost there about nine or ten years ago when number nine was a baby.
Not anymore and I want out of this place! Yea, my soul has a lot more room to bounce around in this body because of the size pants I wear but I am miserable!
I wrote this because I took a walk today and have decided that because my hours have been slated back due to the slow season, I may try to go back to walking to see if it will help me lose at least the first 20 that I am so desperately trying to shed. I will be able to run with my boys more, and do more in general.
What do you think? Are you with me? Any suggestions?
Somewhere there is a tree working tirelessly....
I was watching House, MD the other day and heard one of his brilliant witicisms (such a word?) and thought I would share. (While it may not be verbatim, you get the point:)
"Somewhere there is a tree, working tirelessly so that you can breathe. You owe that tree an apology."
BRILLIANT! I love the humor that comes from that sarcastic, pill junkie of a doctor. Even if he is only real in TV Land. I know many people who owe trees an apology simply for existing. I wonder how the world would be if we had to each take our own tree through life every day. Much like a shadow, it would be a permenant appendage to our being. What would people do if they knew that if they mistreat the priviledge, their tree would wither and die.
With that, I am sure we would be able to see what kind of people we would be dealing with in advance of actually meeting them, eh? Yea, lets skip the fact that humans are humans and some will have miracle grow or some such crap in their pockets to make their tree look better than what it really is. No, I mean that it is a true measure of the nature of the human that has to maintain it. I know many of you could even look out your front door and count how many would have a pitiful thing for a tree. What makes this proposal more intriguing is that, the worse you are as a person, the harder it will be for you to breathe. Therefore, you must treat people nice and respectfully or you will die with said tree.
Does this lead to less crime, betrayal, and quite possibly a utopian society? Not so sure because as mentioned earlier, miracle grow or similar will play a role as humans are highly intelligent individuals and will find some way to cheat that which is natural. I mean, we have already cloned ourselves, right?
All aside, just remember, trees are bringers of life and death. (Do you ever see something grow in the constant shadow of a tree? ONLY if there is one ray of sunshine there.) They do not discriminate nor do they wage war upon one another. They plant roots and have a constant presence and do not bounce around from place to place. They have communities and take care of this planet. They are not harbringers of destruction, chaos, and violence like it is in the nature of human.
Remember, the next time you choose to bring evil to someone by your actions or words. Make sure that there are no trees out there that you owe an apology to. Right now we are so busy apologizing to these trees for the acts of others we forget the one that our own shadow needs to get a break from the blazing sun sometimes. Don't let yours wither. Give it life and let it grow....
"Somewhere there is a tree, working tirelessly so that you can breathe. You owe that tree an apology."
BRILLIANT! I love the humor that comes from that sarcastic, pill junkie of a doctor. Even if he is only real in TV Land. I know many people who owe trees an apology simply for existing. I wonder how the world would be if we had to each take our own tree through life every day. Much like a shadow, it would be a permenant appendage to our being. What would people do if they knew that if they mistreat the priviledge, their tree would wither and die.
With that, I am sure we would be able to see what kind of people we would be dealing with in advance of actually meeting them, eh? Yea, lets skip the fact that humans are humans and some will have miracle grow or some such crap in their pockets to make their tree look better than what it really is. No, I mean that it is a true measure of the nature of the human that has to maintain it. I know many of you could even look out your front door and count how many would have a pitiful thing for a tree. What makes this proposal more intriguing is that, the worse you are as a person, the harder it will be for you to breathe. Therefore, you must treat people nice and respectfully or you will die with said tree.
Does this lead to less crime, betrayal, and quite possibly a utopian society? Not so sure because as mentioned earlier, miracle grow or similar will play a role as humans are highly intelligent individuals and will find some way to cheat that which is natural. I mean, we have already cloned ourselves, right?
All aside, just remember, trees are bringers of life and death. (Do you ever see something grow in the constant shadow of a tree? ONLY if there is one ray of sunshine there.) They do not discriminate nor do they wage war upon one another. They plant roots and have a constant presence and do not bounce around from place to place. They have communities and take care of this planet. They are not harbringers of destruction, chaos, and violence like it is in the nature of human.
Remember, the next time you choose to bring evil to someone by your actions or words. Make sure that there are no trees out there that you owe an apology to. Right now we are so busy apologizing to these trees for the acts of others we forget the one that our own shadow needs to get a break from the blazing sun sometimes. Don't let yours wither. Give it life and let it grow....
Road Rage: Better off in my own mind....
I try not to let stupid drivers get to me. I have plenty of other stuff to rage about or scream about without having to yell at some stranger for cutting me off. However, there is a time and a place for dicussions such as this and here is my forum.
One of the things that make me madder than hill is the fact that someone can run up on you super fast, cut you off, and then...........yep you guessed it............slow to a crawl right in front of you. What does this accomplish? Did you decide the moment that you got back in my lane, in front of ME, that you were no longer in a hurry to get where you were going? Truth be told, I will probably get to my destination before you and I was going the posted speed limit the entire trip!
Let me guess, you were on the phone and failed to realize that the more engaged you were in your chatter, the heavier your foot got. I call that the heavy talk syndrome. I am guilty as charged there. This is yet one of the many reasons why I do not talk on the phone and drive. It is against the law in most places these days. WAIT! Maybe you decided that you wanted to be Mr. Nugget McAssshole this morning because you woke up on the bottom side of the bed. Yeah! That is it. Well, sir, I am not the source of your frustration and taking it out on me silently by impeding my progress is something that simply should not be done. However, you chose me this morning so I am now faced with a dilemma.
Do I beat the crap out of my steering wheel (not its fault) and roll down the window to scream obsenities at you while my family slowly slides down in their seats from embarassment? What, pray tell, would that accomplish?? Nothing but another pissed off driver. Better off keeping that reaction to myself. Ok, another option would be to do the same thing. No, that will never work. Then you will beat on your innocent steering wheel and that is not called for either. Final, and certainly most difficult option? The best one, with practice, I say. You simply keep the rage in your mind and pull out your mental movie projector and play Death Race Michele in your mind and imagine how it would be to go into the next lane, push my kill button and out come the nails and just RATATATATATATATATATATATATA all over that bitchards wheels and shiny car so that they simply STOP in their progress and are successfully late for where ever they were in such a big rush to get to in the first place.
Muahahahaha. That would be great in MY perfect world. On the up side to that, remaining safe, and ignoring stupidity and getting out of the way of it is great! It also makes a lot less stress on my health and lets me remain alert for the next idiot that is surely going to do something just as stupid. Further, it is such a YES! moment when you are pulling out of Tim Horton's Coffee shop and you see that same fool, pulled over by a cop getting a ticket. Talk about stress for him.....I feel for that poor steering wheel.
One of the things that make me madder than hill is the fact that someone can run up on you super fast, cut you off, and then...........yep you guessed it............slow to a crawl right in front of you. What does this accomplish? Did you decide the moment that you got back in my lane, in front of ME, that you were no longer in a hurry to get where you were going? Truth be told, I will probably get to my destination before you and I was going the posted speed limit the entire trip!
Let me guess, you were on the phone and failed to realize that the more engaged you were in your chatter, the heavier your foot got. I call that the heavy talk syndrome. I am guilty as charged there. This is yet one of the many reasons why I do not talk on the phone and drive. It is against the law in most places these days. WAIT! Maybe you decided that you wanted to be Mr. Nugget McAssshole this morning because you woke up on the bottom side of the bed. Yeah! That is it. Well, sir, I am not the source of your frustration and taking it out on me silently by impeding my progress is something that simply should not be done. However, you chose me this morning so I am now faced with a dilemma.
Do I beat the crap out of my steering wheel (not its fault) and roll down the window to scream obsenities at you while my family slowly slides down in their seats from embarassment? What, pray tell, would that accomplish?? Nothing but another pissed off driver. Better off keeping that reaction to myself. Ok, another option would be to do the same thing. No, that will never work. Then you will beat on your innocent steering wheel and that is not called for either. Final, and certainly most difficult option? The best one, with practice, I say. You simply keep the rage in your mind and pull out your mental movie projector and play Death Race Michele in your mind and imagine how it would be to go into the next lane, push my kill button and out come the nails and just RATATATATATATATATATATATATA all over that bitchards wheels and shiny car so that they simply STOP in their progress and are successfully late for where ever they were in such a big rush to get to in the first place.
Muahahahaha. That would be great in MY perfect world. On the up side to that, remaining safe, and ignoring stupidity and getting out of the way of it is great! It also makes a lot less stress on my health and lets me remain alert for the next idiot that is surely going to do something just as stupid. Further, it is such a YES! moment when you are pulling out of Tim Horton's Coffee shop and you see that same fool, pulled over by a cop getting a ticket. Talk about stress for him.....I feel for that poor steering wheel.
Friday, March 15, 2013
An Amazing child
I wonder sometimes. Folks, lets get real. We are raising a generation of AMAZING children. If you do not know the proper definition of that, then you can inbox me or Julie F. We will be more than happy to enlighten. At any rate, children these days get away with so much more than we did and even our parents for that matter.
We spare the rod and spoil the child. No, I do not mean abuse them but if they smart off to you, then they need some consequences. I never thought to yell at my mother (as a child) or hit her or threaten to call the cops on her because she took my phone from me. As far as the phone goes, I had a 50 foot cord that went from the wall to the phone and that thing could follow me out to the sidewalk. However, should I decide to get in trouble or inadvertantly utter a curse word, my lovelt tail had no phone attached to it or she took the whole thing. There were no cell phones and my pc (which I got in the 6th grade) was this mideval dos thing that had one color.....green.
Further, people these days believe they can suck off their parents until they die and get all uppity and ticked off if you believe they have to earn their keep. Peeps, my mother was more than happy to see me go to work and buy my own things. I was more than happy to go. It was the start of me "being grown." I am not entitled to anything in her home and I am a guest there at that point. Sure, I was one of the lucky ones and I did not have to pay anything to the house if I didnt want to but if I wanted something she normally did not buy or wanted to go to a football game or something THAT came out of my pocket and I walked nearly everywhere I had to go. I also stayed in school and graduated and, for the most part, stayed out of trouble.
That is another thing. I see so many people (and the age range is getting younger and younger) getting in trouble these days and doing SERIOUS things! Assault with a deadly weapon, robbery while armed with a weapon...Nothing like the petty "underaged drinking or driving without a licence or trespassing" that we got growing up. No sir, these kids are doing serious crimes. Further, the justice system is doing quirky things to slap them on the wrist. (Topic for another day.)
Honestly, if I was over age 21 and my mother bailed me out of jail and paid my attorney fees and bills for nearly 2 years, don't you think she has the right to ask me to pay some of that back if she gets in a bind. Yes, every mother and father would love to pay for their children like that and not expect to get paid back.......in a vaccuum. However, things are tough and it is not as easy as your parents make it. They keep the fact that bills run about 3000 going out and there is only 2500 coming in EACH MONTH BEFORE GAS AND GROCERIES. (Hypothetical, 4 person family middle income.) At any rate, they make it work and this is where the communication fails. No, I am not saying that you should tell your children ALL your business but you should teach them to be self sufficient and that it is ok to ask mom and dad for help but make sure you return the nicety at some point in the future. They are just as human as you are.
Also, we were taught all about litterbugs and taking care of the planet (and table manners) growing up; do they not teach that anymore in modern homes and preschools? We take care of the planet by recycling and other things of a noble stature, however, I still see children who leave a trail behind them like the only preschool lesson their ever learned was hansel and gretel. Folks, that was breadcrumbs and not trash! Take pride in your own home, your own neighborhood and your planet. It is the only one we have!
We spare the rod and spoil the child. No, I do not mean abuse them but if they smart off to you, then they need some consequences. I never thought to yell at my mother (as a child) or hit her or threaten to call the cops on her because she took my phone from me. As far as the phone goes, I had a 50 foot cord that went from the wall to the phone and that thing could follow me out to the sidewalk. However, should I decide to get in trouble or inadvertantly utter a curse word, my lovelt tail had no phone attached to it or she took the whole thing. There were no cell phones and my pc (which I got in the 6th grade) was this mideval dos thing that had one color.....green.
Further, people these days believe they can suck off their parents until they die and get all uppity and ticked off if you believe they have to earn their keep. Peeps, my mother was more than happy to see me go to work and buy my own things. I was more than happy to go. It was the start of me "being grown." I am not entitled to anything in her home and I am a guest there at that point. Sure, I was one of the lucky ones and I did not have to pay anything to the house if I didnt want to but if I wanted something she normally did not buy or wanted to go to a football game or something THAT came out of my pocket and I walked nearly everywhere I had to go. I also stayed in school and graduated and, for the most part, stayed out of trouble.
That is another thing. I see so many people (and the age range is getting younger and younger) getting in trouble these days and doing SERIOUS things! Assault with a deadly weapon, robbery while armed with a weapon...Nothing like the petty "underaged drinking or driving without a licence or trespassing" that we got growing up. No sir, these kids are doing serious crimes. Further, the justice system is doing quirky things to slap them on the wrist. (Topic for another day.)
Honestly, if I was over age 21 and my mother bailed me out of jail and paid my attorney fees and bills for nearly 2 years, don't you think she has the right to ask me to pay some of that back if she gets in a bind. Yes, every mother and father would love to pay for their children like that and not expect to get paid back.......in a vaccuum. However, things are tough and it is not as easy as your parents make it. They keep the fact that bills run about 3000 going out and there is only 2500 coming in EACH MONTH BEFORE GAS AND GROCERIES. (Hypothetical, 4 person family middle income.) At any rate, they make it work and this is where the communication fails. No, I am not saying that you should tell your children ALL your business but you should teach them to be self sufficient and that it is ok to ask mom and dad for help but make sure you return the nicety at some point in the future. They are just as human as you are.
Also, we were taught all about litterbugs and taking care of the planet (and table manners) growing up; do they not teach that anymore in modern homes and preschools? We take care of the planet by recycling and other things of a noble stature, however, I still see children who leave a trail behind them like the only preschool lesson their ever learned was hansel and gretel. Folks, that was breadcrumbs and not trash! Take pride in your own home, your own neighborhood and your planet. It is the only one we have!
Never underestimate the power of the handicapped....parking spot!
Ok, I know I am going to get some flack here. Especially from my friend J. It was suggested to write about the abuse of the handicap parking spots.
To begin with, I do believe that you MUST have a handicap sticker/plate/placard in order to park in designated parking spots. It is the law and you must abide by such. Period. No questions asked. It is that black and white folks. Should you be arrogant enough to park in said spot then, yes, you deserve what you get. I am not going to argue with that. I will also not argue with the fact that there are genuine needs for such a spot and there are people who legitimately get these permits to park in the handicap parking spots. Now, mind you, simply because you have a permit, does not mean that the handicapped parking spots are closest to the door. I do often hear those with such a priviledge complain that they have to park at the end of the sidewalk, 2 doors down from their destination simply to use the priviledge they have. WELLLLLLLLLLLLL it is because, those types of spots were not only meant for the person hobbling on a cane because they still have minimal use of their knees and choose to walk. No Sir. They were initially meant for those of us who are in wheelchairs and choose to be self sufficient and drive. THAT IS WHY THEY SYMBOL IS A WHEELCHAIR FOLKS!
At any rate, I believe the suggestion excludes those wheelchair folks. No discrimination against a protected class of folks in this rant. Actually, it is protecting them....to a point. What I am getting at is that if you have a permit to park there, and you are walking just fine, some people may take that offensive. You have a permit and you "look" fine. Well, therein lies a dilemma. When you see someone with a permit, they may look fine but they still may have a true need for such a permit. For example, my mother has a permenant need for one. She has a bad back and is not able to walk long distances. Some days are better than others and she may walk upright and normal looking. This does not mean that she does not have a certified need. Excuse her for not fitting your stereotypical image of what you have in mind for someone that has a qualified need for a handicapped sticker.
Now, there are times when there is an opportunity for someone to use a legitimate permit even though they have no medical necessity for one. Here is my confession and I have witness that I have done such a thing. I am sad to say that I have, on occasion, used my mother's handicapped placard when she has not been with me. One such trip, she had left it in my car and I had just had our Alyssa. Yes, I was fresh out of the hospital and no, I had no need for one because I could have just as easily found a close spot and walked in to the store. However, the permit was there and there were more than one handicapped spot open. Had there been only one open, I would not have considered it because I DO have at least 2 scrupels in my back pocket. (Now what happens AFTER I go into the store, there is no control over and I cannot help it if there are none when I return to my car.)
Also (here is where J will get me...) I have had my mother come to the beach for a visit and leaver her permit here. While I do offer to mail it back to her, she is my mother and she always has a back up. (At least then she did cuz Dad had one too.) She said to hold on to it until she returns on another visit. WELL....it IS there and it is a shame not to use it because she DOES pay extra to have one. Why not get her money's worth? Yes, I make sure there is more than one handicapped parking spot open when I have used it and I did not use it exclusively in her absence. I do like to walk and I only did it when I was feeling ill or in a hurry and could not find another one.
That is a true abuse of it and I admit that I am not perfect. Remember, I said I only had 2 scrupels in my pocket. :)
However, there are people who simply do not care and will park in such a spot simply because they can. Um, Karma will get you if there is not a cop on a tenspeed writing you a ticket as you abuse the many handicapped parkingspots that are available for those with a true need for it. Remember, it is a priviledge and you should treat it as such.
Alas, I have confessed to a discretion that I should not have done and believe that, because my secret is now public, the only time I will use my mother's permit is if she is around. Next time, I will also mail it to her immediately to prevent the fact that my scrupels allow for me to do such a dastardly deed. Thank you, Kat, for setting me on the right path and assisting me in correcting my evil ways.
Certainly when you have 2 people (Julie, I am talking about you AND Kat) give you chit about something that you do only about 5(ish) times in your life that you should not do because it is affecting a protected class of people (and it makes you a hippocrite) you should change.
On this bright, sunshiny morning...I HAVE changed. :) (Er....uh...*swipes at sand with big toe while hands folded behind back* for now....insert big grin here.)
To begin with, I do believe that you MUST have a handicap sticker/plate/placard in order to park in designated parking spots. It is the law and you must abide by such. Period. No questions asked. It is that black and white folks. Should you be arrogant enough to park in said spot then, yes, you deserve what you get. I am not going to argue with that. I will also not argue with the fact that there are genuine needs for such a spot and there are people who legitimately get these permits to park in the handicap parking spots. Now, mind you, simply because you have a permit, does not mean that the handicapped parking spots are closest to the door. I do often hear those with such a priviledge complain that they have to park at the end of the sidewalk, 2 doors down from their destination simply to use the priviledge they have. WELLLLLLLLLLLLL it is because, those types of spots were not only meant for the person hobbling on a cane because they still have minimal use of their knees and choose to walk. No Sir. They were initially meant for those of us who are in wheelchairs and choose to be self sufficient and drive. THAT IS WHY THEY SYMBOL IS A WHEELCHAIR FOLKS!
At any rate, I believe the suggestion excludes those wheelchair folks. No discrimination against a protected class of folks in this rant. Actually, it is protecting them....to a point. What I am getting at is that if you have a permit to park there, and you are walking just fine, some people may take that offensive. You have a permit and you "look" fine. Well, therein lies a dilemma. When you see someone with a permit, they may look fine but they still may have a true need for such a permit. For example, my mother has a permenant need for one. She has a bad back and is not able to walk long distances. Some days are better than others and she may walk upright and normal looking. This does not mean that she does not have a certified need. Excuse her for not fitting your stereotypical image of what you have in mind for someone that has a qualified need for a handicapped sticker.
Now, there are times when there is an opportunity for someone to use a legitimate permit even though they have no medical necessity for one. Here is my confession and I have witness that I have done such a thing. I am sad to say that I have, on occasion, used my mother's handicapped placard when she has not been with me. One such trip, she had left it in my car and I had just had our Alyssa. Yes, I was fresh out of the hospital and no, I had no need for one because I could have just as easily found a close spot and walked in to the store. However, the permit was there and there were more than one handicapped spot open. Had there been only one open, I would not have considered it because I DO have at least 2 scrupels in my back pocket. (Now what happens AFTER I go into the store, there is no control over and I cannot help it if there are none when I return to my car.)
Also (here is where J will get me...) I have had my mother come to the beach for a visit and leaver her permit here. While I do offer to mail it back to her, she is my mother and she always has a back up. (At least then she did cuz Dad had one too.) She said to hold on to it until she returns on another visit. WELL....it IS there and it is a shame not to use it because she DOES pay extra to have one. Why not get her money's worth? Yes, I make sure there is more than one handicapped parking spot open when I have used it and I did not use it exclusively in her absence. I do like to walk and I only did it when I was feeling ill or in a hurry and could not find another one.
That is a true abuse of it and I admit that I am not perfect. Remember, I said I only had 2 scrupels in my pocket. :)
However, there are people who simply do not care and will park in such a spot simply because they can. Um, Karma will get you if there is not a cop on a tenspeed writing you a ticket as you abuse the many handicapped parkingspots that are available for those with a true need for it. Remember, it is a priviledge and you should treat it as such.
Alas, I have confessed to a discretion that I should not have done and believe that, because my secret is now public, the only time I will use my mother's permit is if she is around. Next time, I will also mail it to her immediately to prevent the fact that my scrupels allow for me to do such a dastardly deed. Thank you, Kat, for setting me on the right path and assisting me in correcting my evil ways.
Certainly when you have 2 people (Julie, I am talking about you AND Kat) give you chit about something that you do only about 5(ish) times in your life that you should not do because it is affecting a protected class of people (and it makes you a hippocrite) you should change.
On this bright, sunshiny morning...I HAVE changed. :) (Er....uh...*swipes at sand with big toe while hands folded behind back* for now....insert big grin here.)
Monday, March 11, 2013
Does Utilitarianism require that your units of happiness are fulfilled?
Utilitarianism in its most basic form is the greatest amount of happines for the greater good. Defined in units of happiness, basically: the more the merrier. It is based solely on actions and their outcomes. What happens if there is no happiness and no matter the act, no utility becomes of it. What then?
Does that mean that, we are utility empty? I will admit I did take a few philosophy classes and while the concepts still seem abstract, I did catch the basics (or so I thought I did.) Ok. Lets take an example:
One of the problems I remember in the discussion of utility was the subject of capital punishment. While taking the life of someone as punishment is a bit harsh, it does take from the total utility of the world, does it not? Well, you are reducing the units of happiness from the person in the electric chair because the KNOW they are going to die a horrible death. No utility in his corner at all. You are also taking from the utility of the family of the convicted. They are heartbroken by losing their son, brother, cousin, uncle, parent, whatever. While this convict may not be the best person in the world (innocence project aside, lets say he did it, end of story) he was still someone's family member, no matter what. Lost utility for many years to come. Everytime a family member or close friend thinks back upon this person, lost utility units right there. Further, the people who have to do this deed are supposed to be good people, after all, we do not hire convicts and killers and psychopaths to run prisons and be baliffs, guards, etc. They have GOT to lose some of their utility in participating in the act of the capital punishment. Bottome line, lots of lost utility. No doubt.
Conversely.......
The streets are rid of a (possibly) career criminal, the jails are not supporting this convict and the families this person has affected in a bad way (good vs evil argument here?) are happy that he is getting his just desserts. So, where do the scales balance? Well, we have to sacrifice the one for the greater good of the group. Therefore, the sacrifice of the one makes the utility of the whole group better....so the argument goes.
Now, lets think about a totally different scenario but the same basic concept. You have a group of people on an island. In order for the most people to survive and be comfortable, one of them has to be pushed into the pirahna infested waters that surround the island. Due to the ritual involved, it has to be done in such a way that the person pushed into the waters shall perish lest the pirhana god come and devour them all. (Island religion, go figure.) They use the concept of utility to choose the member to be "discarded." While all of them are equal otherwise, how is that you would choose one when all are equal contributing members to the society? Should it be the weakest? The oldest? The youngest? What would you do in this situation?
Were it your family, what choice would that be? Difficult? Yes. For me, I would not want that burden. However, a choice has to be made or everyone will be reduced to zero units of happiness due to the peril of the whole group. While I am very thankful that choices like that are not made in my little corner of the universe, there have been societies that have had to make life or death choices for survival and if you look at the very core of what those choices were, I am certain you can find utility played a part in them.
Off my soapbox now, what are your opinions on utility and what do you attribute to the greatest happiness for the greatest good?
(Sorry folks, random tags so I can generate some discussion here.)
Does that mean that, we are utility empty? I will admit I did take a few philosophy classes and while the concepts still seem abstract, I did catch the basics (or so I thought I did.) Ok. Lets take an example:
One of the problems I remember in the discussion of utility was the subject of capital punishment. While taking the life of someone as punishment is a bit harsh, it does take from the total utility of the world, does it not? Well, you are reducing the units of happiness from the person in the electric chair because the KNOW they are going to die a horrible death. No utility in his corner at all. You are also taking from the utility of the family of the convicted. They are heartbroken by losing their son, brother, cousin, uncle, parent, whatever. While this convict may not be the best person in the world (innocence project aside, lets say he did it, end of story) he was still someone's family member, no matter what. Lost utility for many years to come. Everytime a family member or close friend thinks back upon this person, lost utility units right there. Further, the people who have to do this deed are supposed to be good people, after all, we do not hire convicts and killers and psychopaths to run prisons and be baliffs, guards, etc. They have GOT to lose some of their utility in participating in the act of the capital punishment. Bottome line, lots of lost utility. No doubt.
Conversely.......
The streets are rid of a (possibly) career criminal, the jails are not supporting this convict and the families this person has affected in a bad way (good vs evil argument here?) are happy that he is getting his just desserts. So, where do the scales balance? Well, we have to sacrifice the one for the greater good of the group. Therefore, the sacrifice of the one makes the utility of the whole group better....so the argument goes.
Now, lets think about a totally different scenario but the same basic concept. You have a group of people on an island. In order for the most people to survive and be comfortable, one of them has to be pushed into the pirahna infested waters that surround the island. Due to the ritual involved, it has to be done in such a way that the person pushed into the waters shall perish lest the pirhana god come and devour them all. (Island religion, go figure.) They use the concept of utility to choose the member to be "discarded." While all of them are equal otherwise, how is that you would choose one when all are equal contributing members to the society? Should it be the weakest? The oldest? The youngest? What would you do in this situation?
Were it your family, what choice would that be? Difficult? Yes. For me, I would not want that burden. However, a choice has to be made or everyone will be reduced to zero units of happiness due to the peril of the whole group. While I am very thankful that choices like that are not made in my little corner of the universe, there have been societies that have had to make life or death choices for survival and if you look at the very core of what those choices were, I am certain you can find utility played a part in them.
Off my soapbox now, what are your opinions on utility and what do you attribute to the greatest happiness for the greatest good?
(Sorry folks, random tags so I can generate some discussion here.)
Friday, March 8, 2013
Coffee Apocalypse
Ever wonder what the world would be like if there were suddenly no coffee anywhere? I shudder.....
Personally, I would go through withdrawal. Likely near what you see in the movies when the junkie goes into rehab. I used to do that to myself (Why?) before we bought our home and I have no explanation for my behaviour.
Lets talk about what I went through. Some background before I begin. I would only do it when we would move to a new rental place. Things like that happen when you seem to choose every landlord that wants to jack up the rent to an unreasonable fee after living there for a year and you are good tenants. At any rate, I would even go so far as to personally pack the coffee maker in my car and it is the last thing out and the first thing set up. I would still torture myself by going a week without the liquid gold of a hot caffinated beverage every morning for that week. I never plan it that way, it just happened. I guess I was too busy with the move to make coffee or notice I was not drinking it. Toward the end of the week, I would become grumpy and have a blistering headache. (Yea, headaches don't blister, that is just the best explanation of how it felt.)
Had I went further than that, I likely would have had the shakes and everything else that came with not quenching my mind with the one thing that makes me enjoy mornings more than I normally do. But let me tell you, that FIRST cup after an incarceration in reality is like unicorns, rainbows, and glitter, all while winning the superbowl for the first time.
It was the best cup of coffee ever! Well, at least for the moment then I would pick back up with my wonderful vice like I never missed it.
Ok, back to the rant. No coffee, disappeared, poof, gone. Know what? I am certain that if there were a Zombie apocalypse at the same time, they would NOT have a chance. You just send the caffiene deprived hot beverage drinkers out (without weapons even!) and they would tear the heads off them blitches in no time flat! Hehehe.
I am certain there would be anarchy and chaos and there will be a lot of people in the hospital believing they are afflicted with some sort of illness due to the fact that they had to give it up cold turkey and South America would be invaded with millions of people looking for the last coffee bean so they can be the hero like in the book the Lorax.
Surely society would fall and there would be a loss of power and people would instill their own martial law and there would be no need for politicians to discuss gun control because they would all be hunkered down under their desks with their own AK 47's and AR 15's ready to shoot at the first noise they hear. Nervous? You have never seen nervous like someone WITHOUT their caffiene. I am positive that it will also be a time where things such as speed and other amphetemines (sp?) consumption would skyrocket for those lucky enough to get hold of some to quell their inner coffee drinker. People would truly be different folks.
Crime would go up, murders, gun violence, assault, battery, and there would be quite a bit more conspiracy theorists. Why did I add that last one? Well, those of us who are seasoned enough coffee drinkers do not think clearly about things before caffiene. They think about noises, and absently hear the news and it gets us to thinking things that may or may not be true. Heard the news this morning about the Batman bringing in the bankrobber? Yea, Batman is real, therefore it must be true, how nice of him to pay our neighborhood a visit. Had the coffee drinker had their coffee, they would look at the TV with their jaw agape and go "How STUPID is that! Trying to do that for attention is all." Yes, folks, CLARITY.
What are your thoughts on the Coffee apocalypse? (Also, open to suggestions for more rants, fill up the page please!)
Personally, I would go through withdrawal. Likely near what you see in the movies when the junkie goes into rehab. I used to do that to myself (Why?) before we bought our home and I have no explanation for my behaviour.
Lets talk about what I went through. Some background before I begin. I would only do it when we would move to a new rental place. Things like that happen when you seem to choose every landlord that wants to jack up the rent to an unreasonable fee after living there for a year and you are good tenants. At any rate, I would even go so far as to personally pack the coffee maker in my car and it is the last thing out and the first thing set up. I would still torture myself by going a week without the liquid gold of a hot caffinated beverage every morning for that week. I never plan it that way, it just happened. I guess I was too busy with the move to make coffee or notice I was not drinking it. Toward the end of the week, I would become grumpy and have a blistering headache. (Yea, headaches don't blister, that is just the best explanation of how it felt.)
Had I went further than that, I likely would have had the shakes and everything else that came with not quenching my mind with the one thing that makes me enjoy mornings more than I normally do. But let me tell you, that FIRST cup after an incarceration in reality is like unicorns, rainbows, and glitter, all while winning the superbowl for the first time.
It was the best cup of coffee ever! Well, at least for the moment then I would pick back up with my wonderful vice like I never missed it.
Ok, back to the rant. No coffee, disappeared, poof, gone. Know what? I am certain that if there were a Zombie apocalypse at the same time, they would NOT have a chance. You just send the caffiene deprived hot beverage drinkers out (without weapons even!) and they would tear the heads off them blitches in no time flat! Hehehe.
I am certain there would be anarchy and chaos and there will be a lot of people in the hospital believing they are afflicted with some sort of illness due to the fact that they had to give it up cold turkey and South America would be invaded with millions of people looking for the last coffee bean so they can be the hero like in the book the Lorax.
Surely society would fall and there would be a loss of power and people would instill their own martial law and there would be no need for politicians to discuss gun control because they would all be hunkered down under their desks with their own AK 47's and AR 15's ready to shoot at the first noise they hear. Nervous? You have never seen nervous like someone WITHOUT their caffiene. I am positive that it will also be a time where things such as speed and other amphetemines (sp?) consumption would skyrocket for those lucky enough to get hold of some to quell their inner coffee drinker. People would truly be different folks.
Crime would go up, murders, gun violence, assault, battery, and there would be quite a bit more conspiracy theorists. Why did I add that last one? Well, those of us who are seasoned enough coffee drinkers do not think clearly about things before caffiene. They think about noises, and absently hear the news and it gets us to thinking things that may or may not be true. Heard the news this morning about the Batman bringing in the bankrobber? Yea, Batman is real, therefore it must be true, how nice of him to pay our neighborhood a visit. Had the coffee drinker had their coffee, they would look at the TV with their jaw agape and go "How STUPID is that! Trying to do that for attention is all." Yes, folks, CLARITY.
What are your thoughts on the Coffee apocalypse? (Also, open to suggestions for more rants, fill up the page please!)
Chicken on a skateboard
Look at the title for a moment. Kind of an abstract concept, isn't it? Now consider whether or not it is possible. Is it?
Of course it is. Our life is filled with rediculous possiblities every day. Some for better, some for worse. It all depends on what is going on in your life right this second. If it is a possibility, is it a feasible one at this stage in your life? Why would you try to achieve this "rediculous imposibility?"
Dreams, folks. We all have them. Why else would parents ask their children: "What do you want to be when you grow up?" What happens after that question is what makes or breaks the vision that comes from that statement. You can either foster that response and believe in it so that it is no longer rediculous but POSSIBLE. Every poor child can grow to be someone important. They can leave the oppressed life that they live. They need a good support system. Even those children with one parent or parents that seemingly do not care, if they have a support system of another family member, a friend, or even the willpower to do it on their own, it is possible.
Take our daughter for example. Now, we are not downtrodden poor. On paper, we are in the lowest end of middle class (so I would like to think.) But my husband and I asked her what she wanted to be when she grew up. Her answer?
An artist.
Well. Nice enough. Broad enough to encompas many things. How many we did not know. She was about to show us what a bohemian artist she will become. That theme has not changed in her fifteen years on this planet and, at this point, I do not believe it ever will change. Oh sure, the basis has changed....painter, drawer, sculptor, brass musician, costume designer, music producer......dancer. It has all come and gone and she has shown great potential in every bit of it. A dancer since seven, draws on almost a daily basis, plays in the band but has self taught many instruments including the piano and violin, she paints everything and (most recently) has been designing clothes unlike anything I have ever seen but they are classy.
What will she be? Well, I am certain that her talents will get her through college with little or no cost. That is a great thing. Therefore, the sky is the limit! We have never crushed that spirit in her and if you see my family and I out and about, the tall girl tapping in her tennis shoes, that is our bohemian artist. I love her. Yea, she is a GREAT football player too. Like I always say, more talent in one fingernail than most in their whole bodies. Ok, so I am bragging. But who wouldn't.
The point is, if you see that something puts that spark in your child's eye, no matter how nerve wracking (tap, tap, tappity tap, get the milk, tap) it is, encourage it. It is only in those circumstances that your child will bloom and grow and have that great life that you envisioned for them. Yes, tough love, and discipline still. Make sure the grades are good. Take away the phone for misbehaviour, but let the spark continue. Many great people were made from one spark.
Let yours explode and make you proud. Then, when they get on TV or are interviewed, they can look at the camera and go..............................HI MOM! :)
Of course it is. Our life is filled with rediculous possiblities every day. Some for better, some for worse. It all depends on what is going on in your life right this second. If it is a possibility, is it a feasible one at this stage in your life? Why would you try to achieve this "rediculous imposibility?"
Dreams, folks. We all have them. Why else would parents ask their children: "What do you want to be when you grow up?" What happens after that question is what makes or breaks the vision that comes from that statement. You can either foster that response and believe in it so that it is no longer rediculous but POSSIBLE. Every poor child can grow to be someone important. They can leave the oppressed life that they live. They need a good support system. Even those children with one parent or parents that seemingly do not care, if they have a support system of another family member, a friend, or even the willpower to do it on their own, it is possible.
Take our daughter for example. Now, we are not downtrodden poor. On paper, we are in the lowest end of middle class (so I would like to think.) But my husband and I asked her what she wanted to be when she grew up. Her answer?
An artist.
Well. Nice enough. Broad enough to encompas many things. How many we did not know. She was about to show us what a bohemian artist she will become. That theme has not changed in her fifteen years on this planet and, at this point, I do not believe it ever will change. Oh sure, the basis has changed....painter, drawer, sculptor, brass musician, costume designer, music producer......dancer. It has all come and gone and she has shown great potential in every bit of it. A dancer since seven, draws on almost a daily basis, plays in the band but has self taught many instruments including the piano and violin, she paints everything and (most recently) has been designing clothes unlike anything I have ever seen but they are classy.
What will she be? Well, I am certain that her talents will get her through college with little or no cost. That is a great thing. Therefore, the sky is the limit! We have never crushed that spirit in her and if you see my family and I out and about, the tall girl tapping in her tennis shoes, that is our bohemian artist. I love her. Yea, she is a GREAT football player too. Like I always say, more talent in one fingernail than most in their whole bodies. Ok, so I am bragging. But who wouldn't.
The point is, if you see that something puts that spark in your child's eye, no matter how nerve wracking (tap, tap, tappity tap, get the milk, tap) it is, encourage it. It is only in those circumstances that your child will bloom and grow and have that great life that you envisioned for them. Yes, tough love, and discipline still. Make sure the grades are good. Take away the phone for misbehaviour, but let the spark continue. Many great people were made from one spark.
Let yours explode and make you proud. Then, when they get on TV or are interviewed, they can look at the camera and go..............................HI MOM! :)
Thursday, March 7, 2013
Reading. Its fundamental
Anyone who knows me knows that I love to read. I have had the bittersweet priviledge of finishing the beloved Dark Tower series. I started reading this monster in high school. Well, if it gives you any inclination as to how long it has taken me, I graduated nearly 20 years ago and I was in early highschool when I started The Gunslinger.
I am so amazed at the story that I want to go back and start over! I have also found that, along the years, our clever author Stephen King, has intertwined other stories and related them all to the Dark Tower series. One such stark reminder is The Stand. One of the main characters there is Randall Flagg. For those loyal readers of his, you know this to be the Dark Tower main character as well. However, it is like a Yin/Yang thing.
Ah, stories, they take us places. Who remembers the Reading Rainbow series.
Butterfly in the sky,
I can go twice as high,
Take a look,
Its in a book,
Reading Rainbow!
Good times. Gooooood times! Now, I have found myself in a digital age and you can read books on your computer (done it,) on your phone (doing it,) and on this nifty digital device called a kindle (have one.) But it feels so empty reading a book in digital format. I rememember when I would find audio books in the library. I told myself I would NEVER deface a true book by "listening to it." That was only for people who loved a good story and were no longer able to see to read or who were not with the abililty to access full version braille books because they were physically blind. Not for people like me who enjoyed the feeeling of finishing a great book.
Also, when you are reading a true book. Nothing feels like turning the page or flipping a corner down to mark your spot when you go to make coffee. Even better, the images a great story will invoke in your mind as you are reading about the plight of the main character. To the dismay of movie makers, each person who reads the book first, has a different opinion of what the scene is and the main character looks like. I believe that those who are gifted with the skill of great comprehension while reading are able to create such an image in their mind and fully enjoy reading for what it is. Best yet, the feeling of finishing a novel or long book when you turn that last page and take a moment to reflect upon the story as a whole. Ah, better than a runner's high.
I wonder these days if there will be a time when there will not be any people who can do such a thing or that they will achieve the abovementioned feelings when they finish their digital copy of a great book. With the advent of the digital format, I have (however) found it easier to obtain and read classic. Currently I am in the middle of Bram Stoker's Dracula. I love it and it is easy to get on my kindle as most of the classics are free and you do not have to pay for them. Another reason I love my digital formats is because they take up a great deal less space in my suitecase when we travel.
What is your feelings about reading a real book versus a digital format of any kind?
I am so amazed at the story that I want to go back and start over! I have also found that, along the years, our clever author Stephen King, has intertwined other stories and related them all to the Dark Tower series. One such stark reminder is The Stand. One of the main characters there is Randall Flagg. For those loyal readers of his, you know this to be the Dark Tower main character as well. However, it is like a Yin/Yang thing.
Ah, stories, they take us places. Who remembers the Reading Rainbow series.
Butterfly in the sky,
I can go twice as high,
Take a look,
Its in a book,
Reading Rainbow!
Good times. Gooooood times! Now, I have found myself in a digital age and you can read books on your computer (done it,) on your phone (doing it,) and on this nifty digital device called a kindle (have one.) But it feels so empty reading a book in digital format. I rememember when I would find audio books in the library. I told myself I would NEVER deface a true book by "listening to it." That was only for people who loved a good story and were no longer able to see to read or who were not with the abililty to access full version braille books because they were physically blind. Not for people like me who enjoyed the feeeling of finishing a great book.
Also, when you are reading a true book. Nothing feels like turning the page or flipping a corner down to mark your spot when you go to make coffee. Even better, the images a great story will invoke in your mind as you are reading about the plight of the main character. To the dismay of movie makers, each person who reads the book first, has a different opinion of what the scene is and the main character looks like. I believe that those who are gifted with the skill of great comprehension while reading are able to create such an image in their mind and fully enjoy reading for what it is. Best yet, the feeling of finishing a novel or long book when you turn that last page and take a moment to reflect upon the story as a whole. Ah, better than a runner's high.
I wonder these days if there will be a time when there will not be any people who can do such a thing or that they will achieve the abovementioned feelings when they finish their digital copy of a great book. With the advent of the digital format, I have (however) found it easier to obtain and read classic. Currently I am in the middle of Bram Stoker's Dracula. I love it and it is easy to get on my kindle as most of the classics are free and you do not have to pay for them. Another reason I love my digital formats is because they take up a great deal less space in my suitecase when we travel.
What is your feelings about reading a real book versus a digital format of any kind?
Please suggest topics for me to rant about here.
I have tried to do some daily nonsense here or there and my failed attempt at word of the day has led me to try something different.
While I still anticipate continuing the word of the day, I want to add something more. I like to compose. While I prefer putting pen to paper, it is much faster to put finger to key.
This one is short and sweet and I want suggestions on topics from all of you. Please comment below and suggest things for me to post a rant about and that I will do. If I do not get many rant suggestions, I will have to come up with some rants of my own. However, I prefer to be creative and involve the faithful fellow facebookers in my quest to "publish" something in a public quorum.
Cheers! **Holds up long stem crystal with self draining ice and the finest soda in the nation....COFFEE!" (Did you expect any less?)
While I still anticipate continuing the word of the day, I want to add something more. I like to compose. While I prefer putting pen to paper, it is much faster to put finger to key.
This one is short and sweet and I want suggestions on topics from all of you. Please comment below and suggest things for me to post a rant about and that I will do. If I do not get many rant suggestions, I will have to come up with some rants of my own. However, I prefer to be creative and involve the faithful fellow facebookers in my quest to "publish" something in a public quorum.
Wednesday, March 6, 2013
Im Baaaack
I honestly forgot that I had this blog. I am going to start posting here again. For those of you that follow my rants of Facebook, you will note that I will post those here too but I am also going to be placing original content here as well. Thanks for remaining constant readers and I hope to get more followers soon.
Netflix, old school love...If you know what you are looking for...
Ah yes, Netflix. Love it or hate it, it is going to be here for a while. People are paying 8 bucks a month to watch movies and tv episodes at their leisure, on their pc's, phones, and game consoles. (Some require an additional subscription of sorts.) Gotta love it. I am certain that it took a big chunk out of the pay per view market when it finally caught footing in the market.
I had the priviledge of a free trial of netflix and yes, we watched the Ong Bak Trilogy that night and it was all well and good but you would not believe the trouble we had to go to simply to find something that we wanted to watch. All the commercials make you think that their database of available titles are up to date and such but NOOOOOO you have to go back over 15 months to find something that is not ancient (in movie/tv terms.) We were amazed at how "dated" the titles were and there were a great deal of titles that we were like "HUH? o.o What is that?" It is not what it is cracked up to be for peeps like me (or dear hubby for that matter.)
While we did finally find something and were able to watch a few things, this whole netflix thing is not for us. We can take our eight bucks a month and find something else or find a great dvd at the store. I am sure there is a perfect fit as a Netflix customer out there. Why else would they be advertising IN YOUR FACE at every damn turn! Well, sorry marketing execs at Netflix, you have failed to impress this customer. You obviously have failed to impress others or it would not be a topic suggested to rant about, huh?
I am not knocking Netflix nor am I giving it a bad rep or review, it is just something that is not for me. You know, like tampons are not for the male population of the world. Well, at least most of it. (We are not including those that go out at 2 am and purchase said product for their significant other. I will say, that is love folks. Plain and simple. That is all I have to say about that.) Some products are a good fit for certain consumers and some are not.
I wonder what it would be like to own the super product. The one product that is in demand for every single person on this planet and there is no competition. Wow, every green thing growing on this planet has that and they do not even charge for it! That just occurred to me. Oxygen. Wow. These things work tirelessly everyday to produce the one thing that every human on this planet needs. Huh. Nice digression there (and a reflection to a previous rant. Just for one moment. BlInK!)
Yes, the Netflix commercials should have a disclaimer at the end or the bottom of the screen noting that "Netflix is not for everyone, should you experience boredom, loss of thought, contemplations of suicide or sleepiness, we suggest you stop using it right away and consult your TV Guide." or some such nonsense.
Thanks to Kat Neal for suggesting this one and for it to be in "the list" at the perfect time for me to rant about it.
I had the priviledge of a free trial of netflix and yes, we watched the Ong Bak Trilogy that night and it was all well and good but you would not believe the trouble we had to go to simply to find something that we wanted to watch. All the commercials make you think that their database of available titles are up to date and such but NOOOOOO you have to go back over 15 months to find something that is not ancient (in movie/tv terms.) We were amazed at how "dated" the titles were and there were a great deal of titles that we were like "HUH? o.o What is that?" It is not what it is cracked up to be for peeps like me (or dear hubby for that matter.)
While we did finally find something and were able to watch a few things, this whole netflix thing is not for us. We can take our eight bucks a month and find something else or find a great dvd at the store. I am sure there is a perfect fit as a Netflix customer out there. Why else would they be advertising IN YOUR FACE at every damn turn! Well, sorry marketing execs at Netflix, you have failed to impress this customer. You obviously have failed to impress others or it would not be a topic suggested to rant about, huh?
I am not knocking Netflix nor am I giving it a bad rep or review, it is just something that is not for me. You know, like tampons are not for the male population of the world. Well, at least most of it. (We are not including those that go out at 2 am and purchase said product for their significant other. I will say, that is love folks. Plain and simple. That is all I have to say about that.) Some products are a good fit for certain consumers and some are not.
I wonder what it would be like to own the super product. The one product that is in demand for every single person on this planet and there is no competition. Wow, every green thing growing on this planet has that and they do not even charge for it! That just occurred to me. Oxygen. Wow. These things work tirelessly everyday to produce the one thing that every human on this planet needs. Huh. Nice digression there (and a reflection to a previous rant. Just for one moment. BlInK!)
Yes, the Netflix commercials should have a disclaimer at the end or the bottom of the screen noting that "Netflix is not for everyone, should you experience boredom, loss of thought, contemplations of suicide or sleepiness, we suggest you stop using it right away and consult your TV Guide." or some such nonsense.
Thanks to Kat Neal for suggesting this one and for it to be in "the list" at the perfect time for me to rant about it.
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