Journal Em Emalb's Journal: Write this down 18
Day time tv is making us dumber. I see a steady trickle of people glued to the tv in the break area every lunch at work. Soaps and People's court style tv is making them dumber. Ever notice how people who aren't very bright seem to have their mouth open a lot? What are they doing? Trying to catch flies?
We, as a country, expect (depending on who you ask) too much from our government or not enough. There's a middle ground to be met, and we ain't there yet. I owe you nothing but common courtesy and respect. You owe me nothing but the same.
I stopped donating to charities when I looked at how much money was spent on overhead and professional donation soliciting contractors. Are you kidding me?
I like the so-called crappy watered down version of beer. Michelob Ultra is a damned good beer. Apparently, millions and millions of other people feel the same way, even though they all claim to drink Guiness or Harp. I don't like the taste of either. Get over it.
I want to get a punching bag and put it in my houses' basement. (When I get a house I mean) I love the freedom of being able to kick the living crap out of an inanimate object. Feels good to have knuckle abrasions from getting out anger. Safer than beating the hell out of a random person on the street.
Yes, I know the majority of SUV owners never take their SUVs off-road or tow anything. Well, I do. So, in the future, please suck happily on my fumes as I drive my V-8, all-wheel drive, fully loaded, 10MPG-getting Exploder past you in the slow lane because you refuse to get your piece of crap "environmentally safe" 4-cylinder flintstones car in the slow lane where it belongs. In other words, piss off.
Nothing I say here will affect or effect any changes in anyone or anything, so I am just wasting my time. But, it makes me feel better, and by God, I am entitled to do so. If you don't like it, you have the right to say so. If you do, great. I don't care.
about SUVs and 4-bangers (Score:2)
The little rice-burners that can't even get their own 500 lbs body to 55 in twenty seconds aren't my idea of a good thing--they're death traps, plan and simple and clearer than the old broken-axle LeBaron I used to drive.
daytime tv (Score:1)
It's not just daytime tv, it's prime time, too. "Survivor" -- watch a random assortment of people starve on camera so they can get their 15 minutes of fame and maybe the $1m jackpot. "The Bachelor" -- watch 20-some odd 20-somethings compete for the 'love' of a rich guy.
I don't watch reality television. I get enough of reality by living my own life, thanks. I don't want to watch Judge Judy, or People's Court, or Jerry Springer, or Dr. Phil, or even Oprah. I don't care to watch real-life dumbasses make a fool of themselves on national television. If I do, I just watch The Man Show. I can solve my own problems, and other people should be able to do the same.
When I watch TV, I look for escape. I watch sci-fi shows like "Hercules in Space" --er, "Andromeda". I watch cartoons sometimes. I watch Law & Order (both the original L&O and L&O criminal intent) because they're good stories. Not because they're "insights into the criminal justice system". I watch NOVA when I remember it's on, and I've been known to watch The History Channel. I find "Modern Masters" on HGTV fascinating. I like "Good Eats" on the Food Network.
Re:daytime tv (Score:1)
They are:
Alias--mainly cause the SO loves the show. James Bond with Boobs is what I call it.
Friends: Mainly cause SO likes it and I've been watching the show since it started. Usually record it and if I feel like sitting through it with Jen, I will.
CSI: Great show. Some of the stuff they do, no Criminalist would ever consider doing, but hey, it's an interesting show.
CSI:Miami. Gonna give this one up soon. Kinda gorier version of CSI, with an actor with a major attitude.
Third Watch: Good show, not much press. A&E does reruns of the first season, highly watchable if you like the Law and Order type-series.
I will occasionally watch something else, for example, Robbery Homicide and Hack are good ways to spend a friday night when you don't feel like going out. I'm not that much into sci-fi though, so YMMV.
Damn, I must say, it felt really good to get that rant out there. I felt pretty angry at the world today. Apparently, so did a few other people
Re:daytime tv (Score:2)
I'll go even further and say it's not even just television. It's the entire media spectrum. Film, TV, radio, newspapers, magazines. Yes, there are pockets of intelligence to be found in every medium. But that's not what matters. The parts that are aimed at the mainstream are being dumbed down (and are in turn dumbing down their target audience). Take a particular gripe of mine, for example. The first Harry Potter book was called "Harry Potter and the philosopher's stone". Yet some random publishing executive decided that the word "philosopher" was too taxing for the American market, so they changed it to "sorceror". Let's assume for a second that they were right. Would it really have been so bad to leave it as it was, and risk actually educating a few people? Hmmm. Soapbox off.
Anyway, as for TV, I have 5 of them dotted around the house. But these days, I hardly watch any of them (apart from when I'm watching DVDs). There's just nothing on worth watching. The few exceptions are a couple of sci fi shows, a couple of comedies (none of which have made it to the US yet). Oh, and "University challenge", which for some reason has taken on a new lease of life in my eyes. Perhaps just because it's one of those rare pockets of intelligence...
Honda is the schizzz-nizz. (Score:3, Interesting)
I will not drive a truck. Unless its a uhaul and I am moving. Or unless I take over UPS. Then its brown trucks for everyone.
TV makes us more of what we really are. Suck on that. Watching a show during lunch break?! "Gee, whats a great way of making my hour long lunch break feel like its over in 15 minutes? AH! I'll watch the people's court!"
J. Crew has online/mail order retail down to a science, a wonderful, sparkling science.
Charities: I used to do the DC area United Way contribution campaign. They used to tout just how low their overhead. I'm happy to say that my company now "gets its charity on" elsewhere.
I drink guiness. But I also drink saranac. Gottdamn- great stuff and under $6 a 6 pack. I also drink coffee that is probably artificially flavored. I know beer coinisseurs look down on saranac. Fuck off. Those coffee drinkers who drink that malaysian coffee that first gets eaten by lemurs and shit out, and THEN ground and brewed are looking down at me. Uhm, excuse me? You drink monkey shit! Can we talk about that?!
Punching bags suck. Get a drum set. IT feels so good to beat some shit out.
Score 3?! Journal moderation: Why? (Score:2)
thank you.
Re:Honda is the schizzz-nizz. (Score:2)
Actually, its a cat (some type of panther) and its made in south america somewhere (brazil?). And yes, I am a coffee/espresso coinisseur, and no, I won't try catshit coffee.
espresso coinissuer, eh? (Score:2)
I'm using one of them Italian-sounding cans-o-preground. It just tastes strong until I throw some frangelico in there for flava. Am I just using too much coffee? or is the canned stuff the problem?
What do you do/use?
and, Yes I have a coffee grinder ( but for various reasons too trivial to list here we use pre-ground gevalia (Gev. coffee is easy on my wife's stomach))
Re:espresso coinissuer, eh? (Score:1)
Re:espresso coinissuer, eh? (Score:2)
Being a gourmond, its just nice to check in with people who have the palate.
I'm trying to develope a taste for "fine wine" and of course I rely on my own mouth first, but being able to calibrate the things that my mouth likes to the way that others describe it will go a long way to finding other stuff I like.
P.S.- I think thats the can I have.
coffee coinisseur, eh? (Score:2)
So Kona coffee- discuss.
It seems very delicate and the flavor is tempramental- it doesn't like it when you eat sweets with it.
Is that a good thing?!
I'm with you. (Score:2)
As a practicing alcoholic I drink pretty much anything. However I can only drink stouts or dark beers for some reason these days. the rest all tear my stomach to shit.
I don't have an SUV, I have a minivan and a truck. But if you like SUV's that great, hell buy 2 if you want. I just don't have a use for one in the present life. Unless i break down and get a Suburban, which in reality shouldn't ever be classified as an SUV. theres nothing "Sport" about it.
You wont get knuckle abrasions on the Punching bag if you use light gloves and you might save yourself a sprain or break.
I as well will not donate to charities until 95% of the money starts reaching the intended. If even 50% of the money that has been spent in the "war on poverty" had reached the so called poor there would be no poor in the US and most of the free world.(ignoring the fact that some poor people given enough money would OD in a matter of weeks with all the money.)
The cure for the poor in this country is to get off thier collective asses. the cure for the poor in most 3rd world countries is the same, only they need to get off thier asses and fight the power.
Can I get a "Hell Ya!" from anyone?
Re:I'm with you. (Score:1)
I wanted to post something about the get off your ass and make something of yourself, but I figured that was kinda a given. Of course, having just said it, it feels good. Complain about food stamps, the man keeping you down, how spending $300 a week on your beat up pickup truck is cramping your style, how the "gubermint" is screwing you, how this company is screwing you, well...get off your ass and fix it. Find a new job. Suck it up, work hard, advance. Yes, I know I am bitching at the choir, but damnit, I gotta bitch at someone.
Man, ever have one of those days were you just hope someone will look at you wrong so you can kick the living crap out of them?
I am dangerously close to being like this. I better stay home tonight.
Oh, about the punching bag...yeah...I know. I had an old sea bag I stuffed with pillows and duct-taped real tight. Worked out well...after my sprained wrists and scrapes healed. Now I am a little more sophisticated in my wanting to release some steam, and figure the real deal can help.
Re:I'm with you. (Score:1)
I try to give to animal charities. At least animals have an excuse for not having any money. :P
No, no, I'm kidding on that one. I've become disillusioned since I've gotten on everyone's "Call me, I'm a sucker" list. I'm sorry, but I work very hard and pay my creditors. I have a large family, and it's getting to Christmas. Even making gifts is expensive, because they have to get across country somehow... I don't like giving to people because they have their hand out. I like choosing the charity to give to based on my own criteria. Overhead being one of them.
Of course, adopting this kitten from the humane society might have to count as my good-will towards animals this year.
My views (Score:2)
Vehicles: I don't think I'm in much of a position to criticize. I have 4 Ford Capris and a Chevrolet Camaro. I sometimes think maybe I'm doing my best to bring American white trash culture to the UK :-)
Clowns to the left of me... (Score:1)
We donate occasionally to public radio and public television. But, given that PBS (and/or CTW) get plenty of money for all of this Elmo crap I have in my house, I may give that up. We also give to the animal shelter. I've been there. I know what kind of budget they have to work with. And finally, we give to special olympics. Because my wife used to love that kind of stuff, and those kinds of kids. She really doesn't give a shit where it goes, as long as at least a little gets to the kids. Oh, and I usually pay $5/box for girl scout cookies. I make sure that the extra $2/box goes to the troop, and not the local or national council.
I like the so-called crappy watered down version of beer.
It has its place, I suppose. It's certainly less demanding to drink than a decent beer. And for thirst quenching, I'd say it's better. Wanna know something funny? I don't care for most micro brews. The answer to every brewing problem is not 'add more hops'. It's called balance.
Yes, I know the majority of SUV owners never take their SUVs off-road or tow anything. Well, I do. So, in the future, please suck happily on my fumes as I drive my V-8, all-wheel drive, fully loaded, 10MPG-getting Exploder past you in the slow lane because you refuse to get your piece of crap "environmentally safe" 4-cylinder flintstones car in the slow lane where it belongs. In other words, piss off.
I've owned a Mercury Tracer, Mazda Miata, and Jeep CJ-5. I've put thousands of miles on trucks and SUV's of various sizes. If you are outrunning folks on the highway in the SUV, something is wrong with the other folks. Having just returned from OH in an Explorer (with the 302 V-8 and full time all-wheel drive) I can assure you that I prefer the trip in my car. However, the best of all was a Lincoln Town Car that my father used to have. The size/safety/bulk of the SUV, with the acceleration and road manners of my car. (mostly:) I'm sure that the big BMW's, Mercedes, Caddies, etc. are even better. And given what an SUV costs these days, that's what I'd pick. But then again, I don't offroad, and I can borrow dad's or brother-in-law's truck if I need to. (and if I had $50k for vehicles, I'd wind up with either another CJ or perhaps an FJ-40 for offroading). My concern isn't the person who can drive one. My concern is the stupid fucking soccer mom who took up four parking spaces because she's too retarded to be able to park properly. Yes, it may take you a few more seconds, but suck it up.
Don't get me started on SUVs... (Score:2)
If you actually use your SUV for what it was intended, then fantastic! What irks me is the people that own them just because they feel the need to have a big vehicle. If you don't mind paying $30 every few days to fill up your tank, that's your business, but when Joe or Jane Suburbia, who have probably never seen a dirt road in their life is driving their Suburban Ussault Vehicle in front of me, completely blocking my view, and I can't get past because they're going below the speed limit in the passing lane, oblivious to the rest of the world, chatting on their cell phone, and then when I finally am able to get around them, they decide to speed up, 20 miles faster than everyone else and take years of people's lives darting from lane to lane... well, I'm annoyed at that.
Someone proposed something once in Wisconsin about treating SUVs as trucks, and requiring the owners to pay the same registration and force the same restrictions as trucks (i.e. obeying signs stating "no trucks in left lane"). I wonder what ever happened to that?
I love the Guiness in the rocket bottles, but nothing beats a Miller Lite. I've got to try that new Michelob sometime, though. It's just that in WI, I grew up on Miller products, so I'm not sure if I can drink an AB beer. Although since Miller is an import now (owned by a South African company) maybe I wouldn't feel too bad about it...
I hardly watch TV at all anymore. I'm mostly stuck watching VeggieTales and the Wiggles with my daughter. I never miss Good Eats, though. That and football on Sundays, with my NFC North division champs!
I think there needs to be a threshold level set of what percentage of donations can be used to cover operating expenses for a charity. If they can't meet that level, then you wouldn't be allowed to deduct your donation. That would make people a lot more selective of who they donate to and would put the pressure in the charities to cut their costs.
Never tried a punching bag. When I get annoyed and want to be away from other people, I go geocaching.
Re:Don't get me started on SUVs... (Score:1)
Those no trucks in left lane signs refer to heavy OTR trucks (Eighteen-Wheelers for those of you who have never worked logistics). I don't know about WI but here in KY truck tags are much cheaper than car tags and farm tags are even cheaper than that.
I really wish that the hippies, dirty hippies would leave the auto industry alone. There have been small, efficent gasoline powered cars for many years (VW beetle, early asian imports, Peugot's) and historically they tank, badly, even in the gas crises that have crept in over the years. GM made an all electric saturn that no one leased in the peoples republic of SoCal, honda has an all electric as well that is not selling well either. The hybrids and the VW high effiency deisels are making some headway, but not everyone can get by with what is called a mid-size or compact car.
I'm a big guy, I like not being crunched up in some shitbox that only gets 10-15 MPG better than my truck (01' GMC Sonoma Ext cab, 4.3 V6/Auto, 20-22MPG on a 40 Mile oneway commute every day). If the SUV becomes restricted people will move to the 4 door full-size trucks, that can not be regulated like a car, no matter what interpretation of the current rules people pull. I agree that the mini-suvs and mini-vans, based on car platforms need to be car regulated, as they are an attempt to skirt the CAFE rules, but if it has a real frame, a V8 option, and a 6000GVWR, it is and will always be a truck, so leave it the hell alone.
That being said, Ford was working on a few Explorer variants that could become the new standard for fuel economy. There were LPG, LPG/Hybrid, Gas/Hybrid, and 5 cycle gas and gas/hybrid (I looked at it once, it looked like a variable valve timing trick to economize the intake stroke.) they were pulling 40+ mpg from the LPG/Hybrid, but I don't know where the projects stand now.