The parade last night we attended in conjunction with Jane's birthday party, with Jane and her friends, was nice. It is the biggest Mardi Gras parade of the season in my suburban parish (county) of Jefferson (which has huge number of parades and Mardi Gras activities). We are located about 10 minutes form New Orleans and have always considered this suburb as part of the city itself. The past few years on the first big weekend of the Mardi Gras season we have had an event in my parish called 'Family Gras'. But the kids didn't want to go to Family Gras, preferring to watch the parade at our usual spot near the beginning of it.
Family Gras is an event where Louisiana bands and feature artists from outside the area; perform at a stage and pedestrian are located on the parade route at mid point in the parade route, on Friday, Saturday and Sunday of that weekend up until; and after the parade passes. Each of the three days at Family Gras has its own fun costume theme. Halloween costumes, for example, were Friday nights wear this year. People are encouraged to dress intheir best costume and compete for prizes as to which is best. While live bands play music for free, people in attendance can purchase some of the most unique food the world at the food booths staffed by some of the areas best restaurants that are on the grounds of Family Gras. So it is a part food fest, part costume fest and part parade site.
This weekend's artist included some oldie greats from the 1960’s and 70's, Herman’s Hermits , The Bangles, and Kansas, as well as Taylor Swift,;Elliott Yamin,; Billy Ray Cyrus and many local musicians. I would have preferred to see the parade Saturday there to watch Herman's Hermits,a band I like very much and that I saw live a few years ago here in New Orleans. That band almost re creates the 60's when performing. One time in the 60's Herman's Hermits were the number one band (sold the most records) in the world, with the Beatles in second place. But I assume you don'tknow them.
I like Family Gras because it promotes the suburban family Mardi Gras crowd in our suburban area. I doubt we take too many tourists away from the Mardi Gras in New Orleans itself, but is a clean, less raunchy alternative in Mardi Gras celebrations for we who live here, a small number of tourists, and many people in adjacent parishes..Anyway, back to the Caesar parade the kids saw last night. It was little cold but the parade was beautiful. This one had 29 huge double decker floats, many marching bands and other marching units of different sort.And the riders threw a huge amount; of goodies to the crowd. Among the throws we caught last night was a Mardi Gras next scarf; a pair of Mardi Gras panties (No, I am not wearing them!), candy and bags of chips, beads that included the old glass beads that have been re-introduced in recent years, trinkets of; many varieties, stuffed animals, lighted necklaces and; lighted beads, and assorted others I can not recall at the moment. The best part of our parades is competing to catch the throws. Only the hard of heart could not have a total addition to doing it.
What was also nice to see is how well behaved Jane's friends are. We parents of students in her class constantly say how lucky we are that the kids are all so wonderful to each other and everyone else they come in contact with every day of the year. The crowd of so many thousands of people interacting so well, having fun constructively and enthusiastically made for a nice activity for Jane's birthday party. Why it almost made me feel I was 14 years old again.
Monday, June 29, 2009
Indonesia
Now That former Indonesian President/Dictator Suharto has died I think it might be of some small interest to you if I write a little about my impressions of Indonesia, many of them formed while twice visiting Indonesia in 1998 and 2000, when Suharto ruled with unquestioned power. Few who lived there during the long Suharto years would disagree that he led one of the 20th century's harshest and most corrupt dictatorships. Anyone in the country then for more than a few hours could see it in person. I did.
Suharto was finally toppled by mass street protests in 1998, several months after that first visit I made during the same year. Though he withdrew from public life, rarely venturing from his Jakarta villa, thereafter he was still greatly influencing things behind the scenes in 2000 when I returned to the country. Funny though, his successors all grabbed power on the promise to end the corruption of his regime, yet their own administrations have been as bad or worse as was his.
Suharto ruled with a totalitarian dominance that saw soldiers stationed in every village. His power rested in his control of the police, military and the wealthy. In 1998 I arrived just a month or so after the infamous riots in Jakarta that were directed against ethnic Chinese Indonesians there. I drove with an Chinese/Indonesian friend through the bombed and burned areas of Chinatown and saw the destruction, heard stories of rape and murder of children and women during those riot days (actually, just attacks on anything Chinese) and the fears of the Chinese Indonesians who live there that more such episodes would happen.
I remember my friend Calina's mom calling Calina's cell phone with rumors of the "next riot" and with warnings to stay our of certain areas of the city. All such rumors proved to be false but pointed to the general fear in Jakarta at the time. Suharto portrayed the Chinese as his "Jews", just as Hilter had made the successful Jewish population the enemy in the pre W.W.II era in Germany. The Chinese Indonesians have been the best educated, hardest working and most successful of all Indonesians. Given they are often affluent, Suharto made them an enemyfor the masses of poor Muslims to target and blame for their own lack of success in Indonesia. In Suhato's view it was a far, far better thing to blame the Chinese for the poverty, than to blame him.
Wherever Calina and I went in Jakarta we got stares, because she was Chinese and I was Caucasian, at the time, both enemies of the poorMuslim who lived there. But there were never an overt threats against us. The poverty that Indonesia had, both before and during Suharto's reign, was abysmal. Muslim women would often approach Calina's car and offer to sell their sexual favors to me for less than a dollar. (Haha I DID decline..I swear) Everywhere the chief occupation seemed to be that of begging in the street. The "rent a child' begging routine used by filthy looking women was an art from in Indonesia, any tactic tired to engender sympathy and a donation from a westerner.
We spent quite a few days going into all areas of the city, Muslim and non Muslim, and seeing the country bare. I must say I liked Jakarta very much. The people, food, culture were all pleasing to see despite the problems I am mentioning today. There was a certain resignation among everyone in Jakarta to the filth and corruption, so the assets of the city (there were many, but I will save that for another day) were magnified and irresistible.
In 2000 I went back, this time to Jakarta again and to Bali and to a Muslim city called Surabaya. I had friends in all three who offered to show me around. After becoming a fan of Jakarta the first trip I had closely followed the Indonesian news it became the favored place of mine in Indonesia. My return to Jakarta in 2000 showed me an improved, less tense city. Two of my friends three Indonesian friends there were Chinese Indonesians and they echoed all of the things I had heard the first time in Jakarta two years earlier. We moved about the city and I did not feel the same tensions as in 1998. There were plenty of Muslimsprotests and police were everywhere. One thing I discovered on both trips is that the Indonesian police are just as corrupt as everyone elsein Indonesia, but that they have un paralleled power over the residents.
Every Indonesian fears them, few have any respect for them, and they rule the day to day activities in Indonesia. The best way to coexists with the police there is through generous use of the bribe. Bribes aren't appreciated, they are expected.he third Jakarta friend I was with that trip, Dini, was a very nice lady from a wealthy Muslim family. She arranged for her chauffeur to drive her, myself and two others to Tangkulban mountain, about two hours away. (It's an active volcano site and an absolutely beautiful view to and from the mountain itself). Interestingly, when I asked one of my Chinese Indonesian friends to go with us she declined, saying she would be uncomfortable with a limo filled with Muslims.
Hmmmmmmmmm All of the people I rode with that day were especially nice and well educated. They were not representative of the endless numbers of poor Muslims in Jakarta. Instead, they were western in attitude and education and looked on the poor more with scorn than sympathy. We talked and joked more like westerners than the poor rabble that we saw on the side of the road as we drive to the mountains.
Begging seems to also be the biggest occupation of Muslims in the rural areas outside of Jakarta's. Poor Muslims would sit beside the highway with long nets, imploring any auto to slow down or stop in order to "donate money to the mosque". There was never enough work for the poor, so begging in the name of religion had become a full time substitute employment. One time Dina stopped the car and asked me if I wanted to take a picture of the begging. I suggested it might not be safe, but she laughed and said as long as I dropped money into the net it was fine. Haha I got my picture of me as "the rich Americans exploiter" donating money to the local mosque (minus a percentage for the begger, of course).
All of the Muslims I was with that day agreed with what the Chinese friends said earlier, that the situation in Jakarta that explained the millions of poor Muslim Indonesians conditions there was one of corruption and exploitation. I went on to Surabaya and was with a Muslim friend the two days there, seeing the Muslims areas of the city and being an object of curiosity among the residents, who see few westerners in that hotbed of Muslim culture. There were almost no ChineseIndonesians living in Surabaya at the time, so blaming the Chinese for the poverty there was impossible, instead, the people vented against the rich Muslims residents who lived in and controlled Surabaya. One thing for sure..I wouldn't go back to Surabaya in these post 911 days.
My next stop in Bali was a completely different experience. Bali was always run efficiently and as a safe house for then endless number tourists who go there. There was little evidence of poverty, political activity, any of the problems found in the rest of Indonesia. In essence, Suharto had made an agreement with the fanatical wings of Islam to leave Bali alone. And they did. Going to Bali is not going to Indonesia. Bali is Disneyland in look in feel. Indonesia itself is farmore troubled and more interesting because of it.
I thought things were better on that second trip to Indonesia, but because of the poverty it was dangerous city (I was robbed in Jakarta on the street that time, proof that I was right). I saw as many more homeless the second time, all of them illiterate Muslims. Surely, Suharto was a major fault of the mess that had been created for many there. But I am still waiting for one of his successors to do better.
Suharto was finally toppled by mass street protests in 1998, several months after that first visit I made during the same year. Though he withdrew from public life, rarely venturing from his Jakarta villa, thereafter he was still greatly influencing things behind the scenes in 2000 when I returned to the country. Funny though, his successors all grabbed power on the promise to end the corruption of his regime, yet their own administrations have been as bad or worse as was his.
Suharto ruled with a totalitarian dominance that saw soldiers stationed in every village. His power rested in his control of the police, military and the wealthy. In 1998 I arrived just a month or so after the infamous riots in Jakarta that were directed against ethnic Chinese Indonesians there. I drove with an Chinese/Indonesian friend through the bombed and burned areas of Chinatown and saw the destruction, heard stories of rape and murder of children and women during those riot days (actually, just attacks on anything Chinese) and the fears of the Chinese Indonesians who live there that more such episodes would happen.
I remember my friend Calina's mom calling Calina's cell phone with rumors of the "next riot" and with warnings to stay our of certain areas of the city. All such rumors proved to be false but pointed to the general fear in Jakarta at the time. Suharto portrayed the Chinese as his "Jews", just as Hilter had made the successful Jewish population the enemy in the pre W.W.II era in Germany. The Chinese Indonesians have been the best educated, hardest working and most successful of all Indonesians. Given they are often affluent, Suharto made them an enemyfor the masses of poor Muslims to target and blame for their own lack of success in Indonesia. In Suhato's view it was a far, far better thing to blame the Chinese for the poverty, than to blame him.
Wherever Calina and I went in Jakarta we got stares, because she was Chinese and I was Caucasian, at the time, both enemies of the poorMuslim who lived there. But there were never an overt threats against us. The poverty that Indonesia had, both before and during Suharto's reign, was abysmal. Muslim women would often approach Calina's car and offer to sell their sexual favors to me for less than a dollar. (Haha I DID decline..I swear) Everywhere the chief occupation seemed to be that of begging in the street. The "rent a child' begging routine used by filthy looking women was an art from in Indonesia, any tactic tired to engender sympathy and a donation from a westerner.
We spent quite a few days going into all areas of the city, Muslim and non Muslim, and seeing the country bare. I must say I liked Jakarta very much. The people, food, culture were all pleasing to see despite the problems I am mentioning today. There was a certain resignation among everyone in Jakarta to the filth and corruption, so the assets of the city (there were many, but I will save that for another day) were magnified and irresistible.
In 2000 I went back, this time to Jakarta again and to Bali and to a Muslim city called Surabaya. I had friends in all three who offered to show me around. After becoming a fan of Jakarta the first trip I had closely followed the Indonesian news it became the favored place of mine in Indonesia. My return to Jakarta in 2000 showed me an improved, less tense city. Two of my friends three Indonesian friends there were Chinese Indonesians and they echoed all of the things I had heard the first time in Jakarta two years earlier. We moved about the city and I did not feel the same tensions as in 1998. There were plenty of Muslimsprotests and police were everywhere. One thing I discovered on both trips is that the Indonesian police are just as corrupt as everyone elsein Indonesia, but that they have un paralleled power over the residents.
Every Indonesian fears them, few have any respect for them, and they rule the day to day activities in Indonesia. The best way to coexists with the police there is through generous use of the bribe. Bribes aren't appreciated, they are expected.he third Jakarta friend I was with that trip, Dini, was a very nice lady from a wealthy Muslim family. She arranged for her chauffeur to drive her, myself and two others to Tangkulban mountain, about two hours away. (It's an active volcano site and an absolutely beautiful view to and from the mountain itself). Interestingly, when I asked one of my Chinese Indonesian friends to go with us she declined, saying she would be uncomfortable with a limo filled with Muslims.
Hmmmmmmmmm All of the people I rode with that day were especially nice and well educated. They were not representative of the endless numbers of poor Muslims in Jakarta. Instead, they were western in attitude and education and looked on the poor more with scorn than sympathy. We talked and joked more like westerners than the poor rabble that we saw on the side of the road as we drive to the mountains.
Begging seems to also be the biggest occupation of Muslims in the rural areas outside of Jakarta's. Poor Muslims would sit beside the highway with long nets, imploring any auto to slow down or stop in order to "donate money to the mosque". There was never enough work for the poor, so begging in the name of religion had become a full time substitute employment. One time Dina stopped the car and asked me if I wanted to take a picture of the begging. I suggested it might not be safe, but she laughed and said as long as I dropped money into the net it was fine. Haha I got my picture of me as "the rich Americans exploiter" donating money to the local mosque (minus a percentage for the begger, of course).
All of the Muslims I was with that day agreed with what the Chinese friends said earlier, that the situation in Jakarta that explained the millions of poor Muslim Indonesians conditions there was one of corruption and exploitation. I went on to Surabaya and was with a Muslim friend the two days there, seeing the Muslims areas of the city and being an object of curiosity among the residents, who see few westerners in that hotbed of Muslim culture. There were almost no ChineseIndonesians living in Surabaya at the time, so blaming the Chinese for the poverty there was impossible, instead, the people vented against the rich Muslims residents who lived in and controlled Surabaya. One thing for sure..I wouldn't go back to Surabaya in these post 911 days.
My next stop in Bali was a completely different experience. Bali was always run efficiently and as a safe house for then endless number tourists who go there. There was little evidence of poverty, political activity, any of the problems found in the rest of Indonesia. In essence, Suharto had made an agreement with the fanatical wings of Islam to leave Bali alone. And they did. Going to Bali is not going to Indonesia. Bali is Disneyland in look in feel. Indonesia itself is farmore troubled and more interesting because of it.
I thought things were better on that second trip to Indonesia, but because of the poverty it was dangerous city (I was robbed in Jakarta on the street that time, proof that I was right). I saw as many more homeless the second time, all of them illiterate Muslims. Surely, Suharto was a major fault of the mess that had been created for many there. But I am still waiting for one of his successors to do better.
Mardi Gras Royalty
Mardi Gras organizations form "krewes" or clubs that sponsor parades for the public and balls and other social events exclusively for krewe members and their guests. In other words, the basic structure of Mardi Gras is that it is paid for and put on by private individuals who organize in groups...no sponsors or commercial activity is allowed. Today anyone can join the krewes. they are democratic and free, but each still has a great deal of tradition woven into it's organization. For example, take the idea of royalty in the Mardi Gras krewe.
A krewe often names their parade after a particular mythological hero such as Cleopatra or Caesar, Roman, Norse or Greek god, an area of New Orleans in which most of the krewe members reside, And the ranking structure of each of those Mardi Gras Krewes is a parody of royalty: King, Queen, Dukes, Knights and Captains...or some variation on that theme. It's rather amusing seeing a middle aged man and women dressed as splendorous as imaginable in the garb of a famous King or Queen of the past. They sit on top of the "King" or "Queen float", royal scepter in hand and gold chalice filled with some libation that will be used to toast politicians or other privileged folks in reviewing stands along the parade route.
Where did the royal concept originate? Well, it is based on a real incident in New Orleans more almost 150 years ago. In 1872 the Russian Grand Duke Alexis Romanoff visited New Orleans at Mardi Gras. A group of businessmen organized the "Krewe of Rex" to host a parade for the occasion, and appointed a "king for the day" so that the grand duke could have a royal reception. It's also noteworthy from that Russian Duke's visit came the official song of Mardi Gras, If Ever I Cease To Love, which was played for the Duke when here and which is an utterly nonsensical, but pretty, tune that fits the nonsense of Mardi Gras. If you want to hear a tiny piece of it go to the link below that has small segments of Mardi Gras tuneshttp://www.nola.com/mardigras/about/index.ssf?/mardigras/about/content/stories/sounds.htmland click on the song title there. What other song has a lover who claims that "may sheep grow on apple trees if ever I cease to love" or "may the fish get legs and the cows lay eggs if ever I cease to love"?
I have the entire song and can send it by E mail if you like. It is quite amusing, pretty and endearingly describes the citizens of the Mardi Gras city, New Orleans. The music of Mardi Gras reflects this culture so very much, but that's a story for another E mail, another time.
As to the royalty in New Orleans Mardi Gras, after that appearance by duke Alexis in 1872, every parade started to name it's own royalty, so that naming kings and queens at Mardi Gras balls and parading with them has been a tradition of the krewes ever since. Another tradition began with that royal visit: the Romanoff house colors- purple for justice, green for faith, and gold for power-became the official colors of Mardi Gras.
I remember as a small boy driving in the city and seeing a beautiful flag and banners in Mardi Gras colors with a king crown displayed on them draped on the balconies of one of the mansions of New Orleans. I asked my dad what it was and he said it was the "flag of the king " of a particular krewe. A krewe announces it's royalty by hoisting the flags of the krewe in front of the monarch's home at the start of the carnival season (January 6th). Each krewe, like each nation on earth, has it's own flag with its own symbols representing what the krewe is about. From that day on during carnival season whenever I see one, I always take a peek at the 60 or so flagged draped homes of the year's Mardi Gras krewes. It's a nice tradition that has managed to live on for so many years.
Uh....after today... if you think it fits...you can just start calling me 'King James The Magnificent'.
A krewe often names their parade after a particular mythological hero such as Cleopatra or Caesar, Roman, Norse or Greek god, an area of New Orleans in which most of the krewe members reside, And the ranking structure of each of those Mardi Gras Krewes is a parody of royalty: King, Queen, Dukes, Knights and Captains...or some variation on that theme. It's rather amusing seeing a middle aged man and women dressed as splendorous as imaginable in the garb of a famous King or Queen of the past. They sit on top of the "King" or "Queen float", royal scepter in hand and gold chalice filled with some libation that will be used to toast politicians or other privileged folks in reviewing stands along the parade route.
Where did the royal concept originate? Well, it is based on a real incident in New Orleans more almost 150 years ago. In 1872 the Russian Grand Duke Alexis Romanoff visited New Orleans at Mardi Gras. A group of businessmen organized the "Krewe of Rex" to host a parade for the occasion, and appointed a "king for the day" so that the grand duke could have a royal reception. It's also noteworthy from that Russian Duke's visit came the official song of Mardi Gras, If Ever I Cease To Love, which was played for the Duke when here and which is an utterly nonsensical, but pretty, tune that fits the nonsense of Mardi Gras. If you want to hear a tiny piece of it go to the link below that has small segments of Mardi Gras tuneshttp://www.nola.com/mardigras/about/index.ssf?/mardigras/about/content/stories/sounds.htmland click on the song title there. What other song has a lover who claims that "may sheep grow on apple trees if ever I cease to love" or "may the fish get legs and the cows lay eggs if ever I cease to love"?
I have the entire song and can send it by E mail if you like. It is quite amusing, pretty and endearingly describes the citizens of the Mardi Gras city, New Orleans. The music of Mardi Gras reflects this culture so very much, but that's a story for another E mail, another time.
As to the royalty in New Orleans Mardi Gras, after that appearance by duke Alexis in 1872, every parade started to name it's own royalty, so that naming kings and queens at Mardi Gras balls and parading with them has been a tradition of the krewes ever since. Another tradition began with that royal visit: the Romanoff house colors- purple for justice, green for faith, and gold for power-became the official colors of Mardi Gras.
I remember as a small boy driving in the city and seeing a beautiful flag and banners in Mardi Gras colors with a king crown displayed on them draped on the balconies of one of the mansions of New Orleans. I asked my dad what it was and he said it was the "flag of the king " of a particular krewe. A krewe announces it's royalty by hoisting the flags of the krewe in front of the monarch's home at the start of the carnival season (January 6th). Each krewe, like each nation on earth, has it's own flag with its own symbols representing what the krewe is about. From that day on during carnival season whenever I see one, I always take a peek at the 60 or so flagged draped homes of the year's Mardi Gras krewes. It's a nice tradition that has managed to live on for so many years.
Uh....after today... if you think it fits...you can just start calling me 'King James The Magnificent'.
One Minute Generation
For years I have been trying to figure out the fascination people have with their cell phones, the constant dialing and radiating, and why it matters so much to them. But lately I have been observing more and thinking less, and I have concluded that cell phones are just one of the tools that reflect the bigger answer to the question. Because they are used so publicly and so rudely they irritate me more than the other of what I call the "one minute generation's" tools of life (Ok, the 'one minute' thing is corny, but you give me a better name for this generation).
I think the cell addicts are one segment of that generation, the generation of people who do everything in small doses as quickly as possible. Think about it. Instead of reading books the one minute generation skims or reads excerpts from the web. They don't watch all of a film. Instead, they turn their electronic media on from time to time to watch favored parts of it. Cooking is out for them. Better to grab a quick bite out or bring take home food to the house. The one minuters don't write cogent letters, they text. They don't discuss in depth, they chat on IM.
Do you see a pattern here? It's the electronic connection. Electronic technologies is transforming the world into a live by the minute one. And this means one which has less depth of character and intellect and fewer moments of reflection or thought. No wonder those blubbering cell phone addicts don't realize how rude and annoying they are. The technology now forms the personality or perhaps we have become formed in the image of the technology that has become the real us.
What is interesting about this new generation of one minute players is how much they have transformed society. I think humans have always had short attention spans for the trivial- in sports, art, literature, celebrity worship etc. But now the short attention is more personal. The one minute generation has a short attention span about everything in their personal lives. Get them some Ritalin or disconnect their electronics! They are missing the simple pleasures of life and don't even know it. Always connected, always moving, always acting as if suffering from Attention Deficit Disorder, the one minute onlygeneration is in conflict with what has come before.
We of the pre one minute generation are not interested in their joys and they not interested in ours. But what shall we do? I can't ignore the banalities of the one minute generation and I don't want to ignore the joys it gives as well (Yes, I also find many attractive things about it...the free spiritedness, the inventiveness etc.). I am already "disconnected" from that world of electronic dependence and addiction, save for my love of the computer. So I suppose I should turn my head more often when I see the one minuters acting out.
Haha No way. I have too much fun criticizing their addictions, cell and more, to ever do that.
I think the cell addicts are one segment of that generation, the generation of people who do everything in small doses as quickly as possible. Think about it. Instead of reading books the one minute generation skims or reads excerpts from the web. They don't watch all of a film. Instead, they turn their electronic media on from time to time to watch favored parts of it. Cooking is out for them. Better to grab a quick bite out or bring take home food to the house. The one minuters don't write cogent letters, they text. They don't discuss in depth, they chat on IM.
Do you see a pattern here? It's the electronic connection. Electronic technologies is transforming the world into a live by the minute one. And this means one which has less depth of character and intellect and fewer moments of reflection or thought. No wonder those blubbering cell phone addicts don't realize how rude and annoying they are. The technology now forms the personality or perhaps we have become formed in the image of the technology that has become the real us.
What is interesting about this new generation of one minute players is how much they have transformed society. I think humans have always had short attention spans for the trivial- in sports, art, literature, celebrity worship etc. But now the short attention is more personal. The one minute generation has a short attention span about everything in their personal lives. Get them some Ritalin or disconnect their electronics! They are missing the simple pleasures of life and don't even know it. Always connected, always moving, always acting as if suffering from Attention Deficit Disorder, the one minute onlygeneration is in conflict with what has come before.
We of the pre one minute generation are not interested in their joys and they not interested in ours. But what shall we do? I can't ignore the banalities of the one minute generation and I don't want to ignore the joys it gives as well (Yes, I also find many attractive things about it...the free spiritedness, the inventiveness etc.). I am already "disconnected" from that world of electronic dependence and addiction, save for my love of the computer. So I suppose I should turn my head more often when I see the one minuters acting out.
Haha No way. I have too much fun criticizing their addictions, cell and more, to ever do that.
Ignoring Ilegality
I was in a Wal mart grocery store yesterday and was stunned by the amount of Spanish I heard among the shoppers. It seemedthat everyone who spoke used Spanish, a reflection of the invasion of Illegal immigrants in the new Orleans area since Hurricane Katrina hit. Another grocery store that is a favorite of the illegals even has free Spanish language editions of New Orleans information newspapers at the entrance and exit of the store. Many of the store shelves have Hispanic foods and even the prepared deli sections are offering the same for them.
This is understandable, given the stores want to make a profit and need to appeal to whomever shops. Too, being illegal and in the U.S. is not a problem for the Hispanics who are undocumented and here. No one, police included, challenges their status or requires identification. Even our school systems are not allowed (by federal law) to require a parents to prove legal status before enrolling his or her child in a public school. I think our area of the country is representative of the illegal immigrant invasion here, though surely we do not have the masses that some states to the southwest of us have.
I mention all of this because I think it reflects the fact that the issue of stopping illegal immigration an/or search for and deporting them is over. I find it ironic that the Bush crowd, seemingly so worried about "terrorists" have for the past 7 years, not only opened the southern border (and increasingly the Canadian one) to anyone who walks across but fails to realize the number of criminals who take advantage to come to the U.S. and plunder it and we citizens.
Not a single presidential candidate left has any inclination to stop the open borders. The subject itself is almost unmentionable among those in political position to create and enfiorce a real immigration system here, for fear of offending the 40 million Hispanic voters who can defeat any candidate that makes a plea for the rule of law in immigration matters. The U.S. Congress is unable to manage the situation and the American people seem too lethargic to demand changesin immigration enforcement. In my view, illegal immigration has done far more damage to this nation than have Bush's "terrorists".
In fact, while Bush and company is worrying about mythical terrorists attacks from Muslims, the real "invaders" pour in from Mexico bringing both good and bad to the U.S., but putting enormous strain on the resources of the U.S. at a time of crisis brought upon by the awful Bush years through which we have suffered.
This is understandable, given the stores want to make a profit and need to appeal to whomever shops. Too, being illegal and in the U.S. is not a problem for the Hispanics who are undocumented and here. No one, police included, challenges their status or requires identification. Even our school systems are not allowed (by federal law) to require a parents to prove legal status before enrolling his or her child in a public school. I think our area of the country is representative of the illegal immigrant invasion here, though surely we do not have the masses that some states to the southwest of us have.
I mention all of this because I think it reflects the fact that the issue of stopping illegal immigration an/or search for and deporting them is over. I find it ironic that the Bush crowd, seemingly so worried about "terrorists" have for the past 7 years, not only opened the southern border (and increasingly the Canadian one) to anyone who walks across but fails to realize the number of criminals who take advantage to come to the U.S. and plunder it and we citizens.
Not a single presidential candidate left has any inclination to stop the open borders. The subject itself is almost unmentionable among those in political position to create and enfiorce a real immigration system here, for fear of offending the 40 million Hispanic voters who can defeat any candidate that makes a plea for the rule of law in immigration matters. The U.S. Congress is unable to manage the situation and the American people seem too lethargic to demand changesin immigration enforcement. In my view, illegal immigration has done far more damage to this nation than have Bush's "terrorists".
In fact, while Bush and company is worrying about mythical terrorists attacks from Muslims, the real "invaders" pour in from Mexico bringing both good and bad to the U.S., but putting enormous strain on the resources of the U.S. at a time of crisis brought upon by the awful Bush years through which we have suffered.
The Jerk With The Cell Phone
A couple of years ago Sprint, one of the demons that make cell phones available to all those cell jerks out there, called for Cell Phone Courtesy Month in July. Of course they wanted to make their connections to cell abusers less tied ("I just sell the phone, not abuse their use...blame the cell jerks, not me"). But did anything change? Are things getting better for those of us who hate or just don't like cell rudeness? Nope.
Unfortunately, a Cell Phone Courtesy Month doesn't work if cell phone users aren't aware that they are not being courteous in the first place. And most of those dolts don't realize they are either infatuated ( the cell abuse will eventual go away when they realize their overuse of their phones) or addicted (sickos! They won't shut up because they are in love with their phones and see no possibility of being quiet). The failure of even such a small token of civilized behavior as a cell courtesy month shows I will probably be forever infuriated by the 20th century's worst invention- the cell phone.
But the other day while in Barne's and Noble bookstore I found some salve for my wounded psyche. It's a book I purchased by etiquette (You know that don't you? It's when society was polite, as in pre cell phone eras) expert Barbara Pachter, who authored the book “The Jerk With The Cell Phone: A Survival Guide for the Rest of Us” suggests some remedy's for handling the cell addicts. Most are to "politely ask" them to shut up when in public and inflicting their loud conversations about their hemorrhoids or whatever they babble about. I doubt it will work.
Politely asking Attilla the Hun not to invade didn't work w either. But Pachter even includes CPEG cards that are to be given to cell phone jerks when they are particularly obnoxious with their phones. No way will I give any of those to cell jerks! If I did, I have the feeling a cell addict might also be a gun addict and instead, silence me, not his or her phone.
The problem is that most people are clue less about what their phone use says about their personalities. They don't known their cell addiction shows undesirable traits about themselves. A survey by Sprint found that most people agree that cell phone owners are getting ruder. But most people said it was the other guy causing the problem, not them. Haha maybe you are the other guy...Face it, from the insipid and too loud child-like ring tones to blabbering too loudly about personal information you and I don't want or need to hear. They aren't going to stop screaming in their cell phones.
I know it doesn't drive you batty as it does to me, but the Prachter book is a kind of catharsis for me. It talks about some of those believable yet unbelievable cell phone horror stories, tells some delicious tales of revenge people have taken against cell abusers, gives strategies to surviving cell rudeness (I know, my personal best one is to rant about them once in awhile because it just feels good to talk it out), and has those cell etiquette cards to give to the worst of thecell abusers.
With disturbing frequency, cell phone users shatter the peace on trains, buses, in movie theaters, restaurants and grocery stores, among other public areas they have taken over since those worst of all adult toys were invented. They have also hit the road and endangered some of the motorists forced to share it with them. I guess besides making phone of cell idiots, the author is calling for etiquette in use of them. Even I know that cell phones won't ever go away. But I do wish they would walk about with a lighter foot when in my presence.
So if you see the book give it a look. It's funny and soothing to the cell abused's soul. Or better yet! If when you pick it up an hear a cell addict screaming into a cell phone...just throw the book at the cell addict as hard as you can.
Unfortunately, a Cell Phone Courtesy Month doesn't work if cell phone users aren't aware that they are not being courteous in the first place. And most of those dolts don't realize they are either infatuated ( the cell abuse will eventual go away when they realize their overuse of their phones) or addicted (sickos! They won't shut up because they are in love with their phones and see no possibility of being quiet). The failure of even such a small token of civilized behavior as a cell courtesy month shows I will probably be forever infuriated by the 20th century's worst invention- the cell phone.
But the other day while in Barne's and Noble bookstore I found some salve for my wounded psyche. It's a book I purchased by etiquette (You know that don't you? It's when society was polite, as in pre cell phone eras) expert Barbara Pachter, who authored the book “The Jerk With The Cell Phone: A Survival Guide for the Rest of Us” suggests some remedy's for handling the cell addicts. Most are to "politely ask" them to shut up when in public and inflicting their loud conversations about their hemorrhoids or whatever they babble about. I doubt it will work.
Politely asking Attilla the Hun not to invade didn't work w either. But Pachter even includes CPEG cards that are to be given to cell phone jerks when they are particularly obnoxious with their phones. No way will I give any of those to cell jerks! If I did, I have the feeling a cell addict might also be a gun addict and instead, silence me, not his or her phone.
The problem is that most people are clue less about what their phone use says about their personalities. They don't known their cell addiction shows undesirable traits about themselves. A survey by Sprint found that most people agree that cell phone owners are getting ruder. But most people said it was the other guy causing the problem, not them. Haha maybe you are the other guy...Face it, from the insipid and too loud child-like ring tones to blabbering too loudly about personal information you and I don't want or need to hear. They aren't going to stop screaming in their cell phones.
I know it doesn't drive you batty as it does to me, but the Prachter book is a kind of catharsis for me. It talks about some of those believable yet unbelievable cell phone horror stories, tells some delicious tales of revenge people have taken against cell abusers, gives strategies to surviving cell rudeness (I know, my personal best one is to rant about them once in awhile because it just feels good to talk it out), and has those cell etiquette cards to give to the worst of thecell abusers.
With disturbing frequency, cell phone users shatter the peace on trains, buses, in movie theaters, restaurants and grocery stores, among other public areas they have taken over since those worst of all adult toys were invented. They have also hit the road and endangered some of the motorists forced to share it with them. I guess besides making phone of cell idiots, the author is calling for etiquette in use of them. Even I know that cell phones won't ever go away. But I do wish they would walk about with a lighter foot when in my presence.
So if you see the book give it a look. It's funny and soothing to the cell abused's soul. Or better yet! If when you pick it up an hear a cell addict screaming into a cell phone...just throw the book at the cell addict as hard as you can.
We Are Open Books
Do you ever feel as if the government , business, just about anything institutional wants too much information about you? Here the social security number is the key to open he door to droves of stored information, bank accounts, just about anything ever written down about a person. When we apply for anything now, it seems there is always a trove of questions about our personal preferences and our past. Is this rally necessary and /or good?
I think not. We have become a society in quest of knowing "everything" about each other, and this is not good. Humans were meant to have an out-of-bounds space, a place where they may live in private and their behaviors and thoughts be unrecognized. But in life today there seems to be a screening test for everything. Interview for a job and there are character and intelligence tests, a prison background check, fingerprinting is likely, even crazy "genetic analysis" test that supposedly predict future behavior or medical conditions.
I wonder if humans are so programmable and whether these kinds of measurements are needed or just an invasion of privacy. I think not. All one need to do is look at how the media spies on celebrities, even digs in their trash cans to find out anything that might interest the a star enamored fan. Maybe the media is becoming the "Big Brother" George Orwell wrote about in his novel "1984".Yet, most people don't seem to object to the loss of privacy and self this brings about. But why do others have the right to know everything about us? We all have both sunny and dark sides, and part of being human is the intellect we have to choose which to reveal. When we are profiled and our private moments revealed it is a kind of psychological rape because most such profiling serves no purpose other than to bring voyeuristic pleasure to those who read or hear about others in order to gain false sense of self esteem.
Do we really need to know about Britney Spear's latest personal meltdown in order to feel better about ourselves? Does your employer have the right to DNA test you to see if alcoholism or drug addiction is a genetic possibility? Can the life insurance company you approach about buying a policy order you to have genetic testing done to determine the "possibility" of cancer before selling you that policy you want?
I don't blame some of the testers and snoopers for being weak and givingin to wanting to know all of it. It benefits them or their business to do so. Yet the higher good, the right of we individuals, is compromised in the process. Are we all open books? I hope not. The mystery and wonder of humanity is the fact that some of our chapters are only half open and the remainder to be revealed by us when and if we want.
Isn't our DNA, our privacy our own? Sigh..it seems increasingly not to be the case in our world of triviality and self gratification.
I think not. We have become a society in quest of knowing "everything" about each other, and this is not good. Humans were meant to have an out-of-bounds space, a place where they may live in private and their behaviors and thoughts be unrecognized. But in life today there seems to be a screening test for everything. Interview for a job and there are character and intelligence tests, a prison background check, fingerprinting is likely, even crazy "genetic analysis" test that supposedly predict future behavior or medical conditions.
I wonder if humans are so programmable and whether these kinds of measurements are needed or just an invasion of privacy. I think not. All one need to do is look at how the media spies on celebrities, even digs in their trash cans to find out anything that might interest the a star enamored fan. Maybe the media is becoming the "Big Brother" George Orwell wrote about in his novel "1984".Yet, most people don't seem to object to the loss of privacy and self this brings about. But why do others have the right to know everything about us? We all have both sunny and dark sides, and part of being human is the intellect we have to choose which to reveal. When we are profiled and our private moments revealed it is a kind of psychological rape because most such profiling serves no purpose other than to bring voyeuristic pleasure to those who read or hear about others in order to gain false sense of self esteem.
Do we really need to know about Britney Spear's latest personal meltdown in order to feel better about ourselves? Does your employer have the right to DNA test you to see if alcoholism or drug addiction is a genetic possibility? Can the life insurance company you approach about buying a policy order you to have genetic testing done to determine the "possibility" of cancer before selling you that policy you want?
I don't blame some of the testers and snoopers for being weak and givingin to wanting to know all of it. It benefits them or their business to do so. Yet the higher good, the right of we individuals, is compromised in the process. Are we all open books? I hope not. The mystery and wonder of humanity is the fact that some of our chapters are only half open and the remainder to be revealed by us when and if we want.
Isn't our DNA, our privacy our own? Sigh..it seems increasingly not to be the case in our world of triviality and self gratification.
Castro Exits
Fidel Castro finally officially announced he will step aside as Cuba's dictator, ending nearly a half century of rule that saw him become an arch-enemy of 10 U.S. presidents as head of one of the world's last communist nations. Ha! It means something for you and me, our age group and the Cuban exiles who want to see their country free one day. But the striking thing about Castro finally exiting (I always suspected he would die in office first, but he outlived it) is how little it means to most of the world.
Castro was a dinosaur practicing the prehistoric form of dictatorship, communism. His resignation is only symbolic, and only for we who lived during the era of titanic struggles between communism versus democracy. The vast majority of people today have no clue what Castro's influence was in the 60's and 70's, so it is likely his resignation will go un noticed by most of the earth's people.
But for me he was a symbol of repression and lies. I well remember the Cuban Missile Crisis of 1962, when the entire world was threatened with nuclear war due to three very unstable players in the confrontation- U.S. President John Kennedy, Soviet Premier Nikita Khruschev and Castro. Kennedy blockaded the Cuban coast because the Soviet Union had supplied Castro with missiles that were said to be "aimed at the U.S state of Florida" (That's as far as they could be shot in those days). After Kennedy demanded the missiles be removed or Cuba would be blockaded by U.S,. ships, he carried through the threat and on a winter day in 1962 Soviet war ships headed directly to the blockade to fire the first shot of W.W.III, until they backed down (the Soviet military was inferior atthe time) and war was averted.
But for we U.S citizens it was an exciting and mystifying time. I was just 12 years old but well remember the craziness during that period when the Soviets and U.S. almost fought over those missiles. In the weeks leading up to the confrontation of ships off Cuba's coast in Oct.of 1962 we were bombarded with both propaganda about the "evil Castro' and silly "war preparations' in case the ships from each country went to battle that day instead of staying peaceful.
Like everyone else in the neighborhood my family build makeshift "bomb shelter" in the house. Haha It was hilarious even to a 12 years old andI asked my mom repeatedly how putting plywood on windows and filling the hall in the main are of the house would save us from nuclear holocaust. She was not amused and probably would have sent me to Cuba if she could. My father just smiled and said, "Let her do what she wants, she'll do it anyway" (His lifelong motto in handling my mom's persistence). My mom was trying to reassure we kids that we were safe, as a mom is often to do any time there is a crisis.
Even 12 year olds like me knew that plywood was no defense against a nuclear weapon. But my fiends and I in the neighborhood loved the dangerof the time. I am certain that all kids alive then in New Orleans (we were just out of the missile range, but vulnerable to nuclear contamination in case of a firing) will clearly remember those Cuban missile crisis days.
In fact that is what I first thought when reading of Castro stepping down.Fidel's brother Raul Castro, 76, has run Cuba on a day-to-day basis since Fidel became sick, an arrangement that is likely to continue, followed by more dictators of equal or worse merit. Totalitarianism live son in Cuba even after Fidel. There is a second and third generation of hard-liners in the Cuban government that won't easily wither away. But his formal departure will deprive the Cuban regime of its most charismatic leader and could spark new calls for democracy from Washington and from Cuban Americans living in Miami and elsewhere.
As far as communism itself goes, this may be the real end of it. The last great communist has fallen, and the new dictators will have more motivation to practice "evil" capitalism as have regimes in Vietnam , China and the Soviet Union. It's a matter of survival today, for Communism is an empty economic model in the interconnected world in which we live.
Castro was a dinosaur practicing the prehistoric form of dictatorship, communism. His resignation is only symbolic, and only for we who lived during the era of titanic struggles between communism versus democracy. The vast majority of people today have no clue what Castro's influence was in the 60's and 70's, so it is likely his resignation will go un noticed by most of the earth's people.
But for me he was a symbol of repression and lies. I well remember the Cuban Missile Crisis of 1962, when the entire world was threatened with nuclear war due to three very unstable players in the confrontation- U.S. President John Kennedy, Soviet Premier Nikita Khruschev and Castro. Kennedy blockaded the Cuban coast because the Soviet Union had supplied Castro with missiles that were said to be "aimed at the U.S state of Florida" (That's as far as they could be shot in those days). After Kennedy demanded the missiles be removed or Cuba would be blockaded by U.S,. ships, he carried through the threat and on a winter day in 1962 Soviet war ships headed directly to the blockade to fire the first shot of W.W.III, until they backed down (the Soviet military was inferior atthe time) and war was averted.
But for we U.S citizens it was an exciting and mystifying time. I was just 12 years old but well remember the craziness during that period when the Soviets and U.S. almost fought over those missiles. In the weeks leading up to the confrontation of ships off Cuba's coast in Oct.of 1962 we were bombarded with both propaganda about the "evil Castro' and silly "war preparations' in case the ships from each country went to battle that day instead of staying peaceful.
Like everyone else in the neighborhood my family build makeshift "bomb shelter" in the house. Haha It was hilarious even to a 12 years old andI asked my mom repeatedly how putting plywood on windows and filling the hall in the main are of the house would save us from nuclear holocaust. She was not amused and probably would have sent me to Cuba if she could. My father just smiled and said, "Let her do what she wants, she'll do it anyway" (His lifelong motto in handling my mom's persistence). My mom was trying to reassure we kids that we were safe, as a mom is often to do any time there is a crisis.
Even 12 year olds like me knew that plywood was no defense against a nuclear weapon. But my fiends and I in the neighborhood loved the dangerof the time. I am certain that all kids alive then in New Orleans (we were just out of the missile range, but vulnerable to nuclear contamination in case of a firing) will clearly remember those Cuban missile crisis days.
In fact that is what I first thought when reading of Castro stepping down.Fidel's brother Raul Castro, 76, has run Cuba on a day-to-day basis since Fidel became sick, an arrangement that is likely to continue, followed by more dictators of equal or worse merit. Totalitarianism live son in Cuba even after Fidel. There is a second and third generation of hard-liners in the Cuban government that won't easily wither away. But his formal departure will deprive the Cuban regime of its most charismatic leader and could spark new calls for democracy from Washington and from Cuban Americans living in Miami and elsewhere.
As far as communism itself goes, this may be the real end of it. The last great communist has fallen, and the new dictators will have more motivation to practice "evil" capitalism as have regimes in Vietnam , China and the Soviet Union. It's a matter of survival today, for Communism is an empty economic model in the interconnected world in which we live.
Paper Or Plastic
The latest wacky environmentalist cause now is the great "paper or plastic" grocery bag debate. In some countries (Ireland is one of those) plastic bags have been banned for consumer use, in others moderated (In Australia one pays for each plastic bag used if not selecting the paper bag or own bag option) or still others substituted (The store sells a permanent burlap bag or asks the customer to bring his or her own) with a third option.
It seems to me like great ado about an innocuous (bag) issue. But in this age of global warming fears that the mass media has created in many people, it is just another reflection of how the trendy overrules the logical. The bag ban movement comes as cities, states and countries are trying to eliminate non biodegradable plastic bags from cityscapes, waterways and landfills. San Francisco banned them. Oakland is considering a ban. New York and New Jersey require retailers to recycle them. China announced a ban this month. But all I want to do is put a plastic bag over Al Gore's head... and a tight fit!
Plastic bags take a reputed 1000 years to disintegrate when put in landfills, though they can are are recycled by some stores. Most paper bags degrade in about 6 months (but sometimes much longer), but the release of those "green gases" the global warming nuts fear so much are much greater when paper bags are manufactured. Plastic grocery bags can be recycled into other products with less environmental impact than recycling paper. Additionally, because a paper bag weighs much more and requires more space, the costs and environmental impact of transporting them to and from grocery stores are much higher than for plastic bags.
Is this comparison and the whole subject of banning grocery bags a little silly? YES. I doubt the planet will be destroyed if we use either kind of bag. It's just another "I am superior to you because I am saving the planet inanity". The truth is that what bags we use will have a tiny effect on the environment and that the subject is way down the list of environmental needs. But then, it is trendy to flash a permanent burlap bag at the stores, to make the statement that " I am smarter, and better than you because you use paper or plastic. I am saving the planet with my burlap".
Why do people so often mindlessly support bogus environmental theories like "global warming" and the "paper/plastic" issue? Well, I think it is merely a reflection of the non thinking age in which we live. Sad to say, most people today react rather than think about and through an issue. The herd mentality is much more present today as media outlets, who want controversy and fear to up their ratings, promote causes that lack substance but can quickly become trendy.
Having been a teacher for many years I can testify that the greatest weaknesses in modern schools all over the world is the emphasis on regurgitating facts rather than thinking and using them. Too bad schools don't throw out standardized tests scores (which measure only how much crap a kid can memorize for a test) and replace them with some courses in logic and debate. Haha Maybe they would if they thought that would "save the planet".
I think the electronic revolution is also making humans think less deeply today. Those devices are wonderful, but so many have come so quickly that we don't know how to discriminate in using them. Maybe humans are so overwhelmed with information (and a great deal propaganda) in the mediums that they just don't have time to think whether what they see or read is true or not. Ergo, "Global warming" becomes an "accepted fact" even though there is no evidence to substantiate it.
When I see the growing hysteria about paper/plastic bag use I wonder if the apocalypse is here, if civilization died (of course, if so, with hands clutching those cell phones it loves to death) or whether we are just drowsy from all the stimulus thrown at us each day.
One thing for sure! I am going to use whatever kind of grocery bag is most convenient for me when I go to the grocery today
It seems to me like great ado about an innocuous (bag) issue. But in this age of global warming fears that the mass media has created in many people, it is just another reflection of how the trendy overrules the logical. The bag ban movement comes as cities, states and countries are trying to eliminate non biodegradable plastic bags from cityscapes, waterways and landfills. San Francisco banned them. Oakland is considering a ban. New York and New Jersey require retailers to recycle them. China announced a ban this month. But all I want to do is put a plastic bag over Al Gore's head... and a tight fit!
Plastic bags take a reputed 1000 years to disintegrate when put in landfills, though they can are are recycled by some stores. Most paper bags degrade in about 6 months (but sometimes much longer), but the release of those "green gases" the global warming nuts fear so much are much greater when paper bags are manufactured. Plastic grocery bags can be recycled into other products with less environmental impact than recycling paper. Additionally, because a paper bag weighs much more and requires more space, the costs and environmental impact of transporting them to and from grocery stores are much higher than for plastic bags.
Is this comparison and the whole subject of banning grocery bags a little silly? YES. I doubt the planet will be destroyed if we use either kind of bag. It's just another "I am superior to you because I am saving the planet inanity". The truth is that what bags we use will have a tiny effect on the environment and that the subject is way down the list of environmental needs. But then, it is trendy to flash a permanent burlap bag at the stores, to make the statement that " I am smarter, and better than you because you use paper or plastic. I am saving the planet with my burlap".
Why do people so often mindlessly support bogus environmental theories like "global warming" and the "paper/plastic" issue? Well, I think it is merely a reflection of the non thinking age in which we live. Sad to say, most people today react rather than think about and through an issue. The herd mentality is much more present today as media outlets, who want controversy and fear to up their ratings, promote causes that lack substance but can quickly become trendy.
Having been a teacher for many years I can testify that the greatest weaknesses in modern schools all over the world is the emphasis on regurgitating facts rather than thinking and using them. Too bad schools don't throw out standardized tests scores (which measure only how much crap a kid can memorize for a test) and replace them with some courses in logic and debate. Haha Maybe they would if they thought that would "save the planet".
I think the electronic revolution is also making humans think less deeply today. Those devices are wonderful, but so many have come so quickly that we don't know how to discriminate in using them. Maybe humans are so overwhelmed with information (and a great deal propaganda) in the mediums that they just don't have time to think whether what they see or read is true or not. Ergo, "Global warming" becomes an "accepted fact" even though there is no evidence to substantiate it.
When I see the growing hysteria about paper/plastic bag use I wonder if the apocalypse is here, if civilization died (of course, if so, with hands clutching those cell phones it loves to death) or whether we are just drowsy from all the stimulus thrown at us each day.
One thing for sure! I am going to use whatever kind of grocery bag is most convenient for me when I go to the grocery today
Evolution
Science says that humans are in a constant evolution process. I think so. But it may be more than a physical evolution that is in greatest motion today. After due consideration of the plight of we humans I have concluded that in the past 25 years or so we have started to evolve in another way. We are becoming human hard drives.Think about it. We have become so connected electronically to so many devices, that occupy so much of our time that, in essence, the human him or herself is now a hard drive receptacle for the information the "connected" devices give us. I read recently that kids today rarely sleep through the night. It's because they have their cell phones "on" so their friends can message them anytime of the night. And they do! Jane once said that at a sleep over she attended some of the kids chatted on their phones with friends at 2, 3, even 4 am., and that wasit a typical behavior for kids her age.
Too, we know that many kids now sleep with their computer or TV on, the light from which does not allow normal sleep. Yep! Kids today are trading their sleep for their electronic connections. This is where the evolution to a hard drive begins, when they human first is addicted to connections.
But this over-connectivity problem is true of all ages. If you are preoccupied by more than a couple of electronic connection for more than, let's say... eight hours a day, you are probably evolving into hard drive too. That includes the cell phone being on and you waiting for the next call. Ha! I am amazed at how many people today can not do as simple an act as shopping for groceries without chattering on the phone the whole while, even ignoring the supermarket clerk by continuing their inconsequential calls and tossing the money AT the clerk instead of acknowledging the presence of a live human by getting off the phone and engaging the clerk. It is pathetic.
Or take the computer as an example. How many people communicate in the language of the society in which the live, as opposed to slang, grammatical mush, street talk, " lol's " and their like, and just plain incoherence we read when communicating on line. Surely, computer E mail and chatting has made society lose some of it's language skills. I am appalled at how so many otherwise well educated people can not communicate in writing anymore. Blame it on the connectivity problem.
The connected generation sees themselves as hard drives for information, not creators of it. An addiction is a habit that takes hold of our imaginations and refuses to allow us a focus on reality. Is this kind of evolution a good one? Addictions also seduce us, heighten our senses and distort our inner yearnings. When we play into our addictions, we become hard drives waiting to accept whatever is stored in us.
We think less and live life as a spectator rather than a participant. Instead.....computers, cell phones, web cams, Blackberries, PDAs, E mail, instant messaging, blogging, electronic bulletin boards, ipods, navigating systems, satellite radio, wii...and many other devices I do not even know the name of are now in control of the humans who "use them", human hard drives in the making.
Think about it....but not while on your cell phone!
Too, we know that many kids now sleep with their computer or TV on, the light from which does not allow normal sleep. Yep! Kids today are trading their sleep for their electronic connections. This is where the evolution to a hard drive begins, when they human first is addicted to connections.
But this over-connectivity problem is true of all ages. If you are preoccupied by more than a couple of electronic connection for more than, let's say... eight hours a day, you are probably evolving into hard drive too. That includes the cell phone being on and you waiting for the next call. Ha! I am amazed at how many people today can not do as simple an act as shopping for groceries without chattering on the phone the whole while, even ignoring the supermarket clerk by continuing their inconsequential calls and tossing the money AT the clerk instead of acknowledging the presence of a live human by getting off the phone and engaging the clerk. It is pathetic.
Or take the computer as an example. How many people communicate in the language of the society in which the live, as opposed to slang, grammatical mush, street talk, " lol's " and their like, and just plain incoherence we read when communicating on line. Surely, computer E mail and chatting has made society lose some of it's language skills. I am appalled at how so many otherwise well educated people can not communicate in writing anymore. Blame it on the connectivity problem.
The connected generation sees themselves as hard drives for information, not creators of it. An addiction is a habit that takes hold of our imaginations and refuses to allow us a focus on reality. Is this kind of evolution a good one? Addictions also seduce us, heighten our senses and distort our inner yearnings. When we play into our addictions, we become hard drives waiting to accept whatever is stored in us.
We think less and live life as a spectator rather than a participant. Instead.....computers, cell phones, web cams, Blackberries, PDAs, E mail, instant messaging, blogging, electronic bulletin boards, ipods, navigating systems, satellite radio, wii...and many other devices I do not even know the name of are now in control of the humans who "use them", human hard drives in the making.
Think about it....but not while on your cell phone!
Concession Blues
There are quite a few movies out this holiday season. And the prices to see them have been stable for many years. But not all movie items are as cheap as the entrance fees to see them. I have made mention many times that I am not fond of most of what Hollywood produces. Those movies are for the most part, dull, child-like and unintelligent. I could go on about this, but you would delete me if I did. So let me mention something that is happening to inflict greater damage on Hollywood than do my scathing remarks.
It's the decline in movie snack profits. Yep, those overpriced bags of popcorn, and giant (I mean the price as much as the size) cokes and candy bars. You se, fewer people are buying that stuff when they see their favorite movies at theaters. Of curse this parallels the decline in movie audiences. Sales have gone down in line with attendance. Movie goers in the U.S. say they are losing interest in movies because the quality of films made is so bad, the prices to get in too high and because paying for concessions is so outrageously expensive.
I read recently that the markup by concession stands is so high that just $30 of raw popcorn can translate into as much a s$3000 in sales at a movie concession counter. Ouch! (the hot popcorn didn't burn me.
It was those high prices charged for a bag of it). Even too fat Americans won't throw away money with that kind of mark-up. What should movie houses do to up their concession sales. I think the best thing that they might do is to insist that Hollywood make more thoughtful and interesting films. If theater chains would refuse more of the films Hollywood sells, and perhaps buy more foreign films or independent (from the large studios) producers, there might be a larger audience to which to sell those concessions. Do you buy concessions at the theater? Do you think they are they over-priced? Dare I ask your opinion abut the quality of movies? (I promise not to rant about mine, if you give me your view).
Maybe Bush's affinity to start wars has created a shortage in the U.S. Marine Corps personnel pool. But the latest attempt by the marines to recruit one Saugus, California prospect may have gone over the line. Sonia Goldstine says she was flattered to receive a nice recruiting letter asking her to become one of the "few, the proud", but at age 78 she believes she may be a tad too old to enlist and head to combat. That's right. The marines sent a recruiting letter to a 78 year old woman. "I couldn't believe it. We laughed so hard.. There I am with a walker. I can't maneuver from here to there without it, " said Recruit Sonia. "I'll do whatever I could for this wonderful country we live in, but you know, this is kind of stretching it a bit."
The letter said it could use Sonia's unique language skills, but also warned her that as a marine her physical strength and mental skills would be tested. Haha It was enough of a test for Sonia to fond the strength to open the letter.
It's the decline in movie snack profits. Yep, those overpriced bags of popcorn, and giant (I mean the price as much as the size) cokes and candy bars. You se, fewer people are buying that stuff when they see their favorite movies at theaters. Of curse this parallels the decline in movie audiences. Sales have gone down in line with attendance. Movie goers in the U.S. say they are losing interest in movies because the quality of films made is so bad, the prices to get in too high and because paying for concessions is so outrageously expensive.
I read recently that the markup by concession stands is so high that just $30 of raw popcorn can translate into as much a s$3000 in sales at a movie concession counter. Ouch! (the hot popcorn didn't burn me.
It was those high prices charged for a bag of it). Even too fat Americans won't throw away money with that kind of mark-up. What should movie houses do to up their concession sales. I think the best thing that they might do is to insist that Hollywood make more thoughtful and interesting films. If theater chains would refuse more of the films Hollywood sells, and perhaps buy more foreign films or independent (from the large studios) producers, there might be a larger audience to which to sell those concessions. Do you buy concessions at the theater? Do you think they are they over-priced? Dare I ask your opinion abut the quality of movies? (I promise not to rant about mine, if you give me your view).
Maybe Bush's affinity to start wars has created a shortage in the U.S. Marine Corps personnel pool. But the latest attempt by the marines to recruit one Saugus, California prospect may have gone over the line. Sonia Goldstine says she was flattered to receive a nice recruiting letter asking her to become one of the "few, the proud", but at age 78 she believes she may be a tad too old to enlist and head to combat. That's right. The marines sent a recruiting letter to a 78 year old woman. "I couldn't believe it. We laughed so hard.. There I am with a walker. I can't maneuver from here to there without it, " said Recruit Sonia. "I'll do whatever I could for this wonderful country we live in, but you know, this is kind of stretching it a bit."
The letter said it could use Sonia's unique language skills, but also warned her that as a marine her physical strength and mental skills would be tested. Haha It was enough of a test for Sonia to fond the strength to open the letter.
Regift This E mail
The subject of Christmas regifting is back again in the media. So you are getting either an E mail about regifting or a regifted E mail. Anyway, I read an article today about the growing practice of taking a gift that has been received and giving it to somebody else. Several rules of etiquette are proposed in the media regarding regifting. They include rewrapping the gift, not using the gift before regifting it and not giving the gift back to the original gift-giver. But most of the time people just want to get rid of a hideous gift someone else gave them. (I know My E mail is hideous, so you may regift it to those you hate)
But the article I read said that a consumer survey indicated that the majority of people regift because they perceive the gift will be appreciated by the receiver, and they do not find regifting rude. A second reason they say they regift is to save money. It sounds fair to me if it is done properly. In fact, there is even a regifting web site for you to go to in order to do it properly. It's at www.regiftable.com
If you go there you can read of hints for regifting as well as see a forum for reading, posting and rating regifting horror stories. I guess I should now ask you if you have ever regifted. Consider it done. What have you regifted and to whom....family, friends or acquaintances?
I don't think I ever have, but think that if it is done correctly it may even be a good thing, a sort of recycling. In this age of environmental fanaticism some people even say we have an ethical obligation not to be wasteful. (Hmmmmmmm But then why don't those people just donate to a charity the bad gift they received and buy new gifts for their recipients?)
There is general agreement that some things should never be regifted: outdated appliances, obscure books, CDs and DVDs, fruitcake. (Poor fruitcake. It is slandered too much. I like it so give me your used one if you wish). It's an interesting topic. In a recent survey of Americas by Discover Card, 57% say they were "horrified" by the idea of giving someone else a gift that they previously received. Even more hard to believe is that almost half of Americans say they never return a gift, and a mere 3 percent claim they return "most" gifts. The survey also suggests that those who do return gifts spend about one to three hours doing so.
Ok, have I confused you enough about regifting? Tell me your opinion of the practice and if you ever caught someone regifting a gift to you that you originally gave them. If so, how did you feel... amused, offended, perplexed?????????
But the article I read said that a consumer survey indicated that the majority of people regift because they perceive the gift will be appreciated by the receiver, and they do not find regifting rude. A second reason they say they regift is to save money. It sounds fair to me if it is done properly. In fact, there is even a regifting web site for you to go to in order to do it properly. It's at www.regiftable.com
If you go there you can read of hints for regifting as well as see a forum for reading, posting and rating regifting horror stories. I guess I should now ask you if you have ever regifted. Consider it done. What have you regifted and to whom....family, friends or acquaintances?
I don't think I ever have, but think that if it is done correctly it may even be a good thing, a sort of recycling. In this age of environmental fanaticism some people even say we have an ethical obligation not to be wasteful. (Hmmmmmmm But then why don't those people just donate to a charity the bad gift they received and buy new gifts for their recipients?)
There is general agreement that some things should never be regifted: outdated appliances, obscure books, CDs and DVDs, fruitcake. (Poor fruitcake. It is slandered too much. I like it so give me your used one if you wish). It's an interesting topic. In a recent survey of Americas by Discover Card, 57% say they were "horrified" by the idea of giving someone else a gift that they previously received. Even more hard to believe is that almost half of Americans say they never return a gift, and a mere 3 percent claim they return "most" gifts. The survey also suggests that those who do return gifts spend about one to three hours doing so.
Ok, have I confused you enough about regifting? Tell me your opinion of the practice and if you ever caught someone regifting a gift to you that you originally gave them. If so, how did you feel... amused, offended, perplexed?????????
The Dying Art Of Conversation
Thanksgiving is a holiday in the U.S. that few people get excited about. Well, maybe the cook of the meal has anxiety and exhaustion to deal with, but overall it is simply an excuse to gather family for a private gorging on turkey and other goodies and to talk about what has happened in our lives since we all last met the previous Thanksgiving.
Given that I have no family alive now it is mostly a minor holiday for me. The past few years I ate Thanksgiving turkey with a friend and some other friends and acquaintances. He was the organizer of Thanksgiving dinner for a few of the bachelor's, single ladies and some married couples who had no other family members living in this area. But he died two years ago, ending what was becoming a tradition. I am sure the turkey is glad we have stopped that, a reprieve for one once doomed bird. Last year I ate the Thanksgiving meal with my ex wife, her husband and family. I will probably do that again this year.
But why I mention all this is because Thanksgiving Day is one day with a kind of technological ban. Only the most dense or crude guest would use a cell phone at a Thanksgiving gathering. Yep! No cell phones or ipods at the dinner table or in the room where chat is supposed to flow from the mouth, not an electronic device. It is good.
But what do the people talk about when separated from their electronic technology? That is the question I have asked myself the past few years as I notice some people have lost the art of conversation. They have surrendered their identity to their cell phones or whatever device is now their addiction. I guess a decade ago it might have been hard for family members to stay in close touch with each other before they met again for Thanksgiving dinner. But now they stay "in touch" using cell phones, E mail, digital photos or whatever else electronically is out there. I wonder if with those devices we have gotten better or worse in the art of face to face conversation. You can guess my conclusion- we are worse at it in this cell phone age. We are poor communicators face to face.
I think there is a decline in face to face talk because of the ease of connectivity now. We are losing the edge of eye contact, gestures, etc. that we had in the pre electronic eras. People seem to be out of practice in the give and take of conversation. Haha Maybe we might do better conversing with the turkey than with the re acquainted family present Thanksgiving Day, since we are such poor listeners and instead are skilled at talking (to the phone) for talking sake. It's about the noise now, not the depth of conversation. Could it be that eventually we will be so connected to our phones and other devices humans may wind up like the mute monks in a monastery?
I can see it now. Instead of asking aunt Martha to pass the turkey, we will call her on our cell and have the "pass the food" alert sent to her.....I think I will talk to the turkey if that happens.
Given that I have no family alive now it is mostly a minor holiday for me. The past few years I ate Thanksgiving turkey with a friend and some other friends and acquaintances. He was the organizer of Thanksgiving dinner for a few of the bachelor's, single ladies and some married couples who had no other family members living in this area. But he died two years ago, ending what was becoming a tradition. I am sure the turkey is glad we have stopped that, a reprieve for one once doomed bird. Last year I ate the Thanksgiving meal with my ex wife, her husband and family. I will probably do that again this year.
But why I mention all this is because Thanksgiving Day is one day with a kind of technological ban. Only the most dense or crude guest would use a cell phone at a Thanksgiving gathering. Yep! No cell phones or ipods at the dinner table or in the room where chat is supposed to flow from the mouth, not an electronic device. It is good.
But what do the people talk about when separated from their electronic technology? That is the question I have asked myself the past few years as I notice some people have lost the art of conversation. They have surrendered their identity to their cell phones or whatever device is now their addiction. I guess a decade ago it might have been hard for family members to stay in close touch with each other before they met again for Thanksgiving dinner. But now they stay "in touch" using cell phones, E mail, digital photos or whatever else electronically is out there. I wonder if with those devices we have gotten better or worse in the art of face to face conversation. You can guess my conclusion- we are worse at it in this cell phone age. We are poor communicators face to face.
I think there is a decline in face to face talk because of the ease of connectivity now. We are losing the edge of eye contact, gestures, etc. that we had in the pre electronic eras. People seem to be out of practice in the give and take of conversation. Haha Maybe we might do better conversing with the turkey than with the re acquainted family present Thanksgiving Day, since we are such poor listeners and instead are skilled at talking (to the phone) for talking sake. It's about the noise now, not the depth of conversation. Could it be that eventually we will be so connected to our phones and other devices humans may wind up like the mute monks in a monastery?
I can see it now. Instead of asking aunt Martha to pass the turkey, we will call her on our cell and have the "pass the food" alert sent to her.....I think I will talk to the turkey if that happens.
What A Gift!
Did you ever get presents from students, maybe at holiday time? I have gotten a few over the years and most are something typical and appropriate for a teacher like a coffee mug, item to wear, personal gift made by the student, etc. I got cookies and sweets and always enjoyed eating them.
I think most kids like to give their teachers expressions of thanks for all they do to help students. But some kids are not so charitable. And in one case in Maine, a parent joined in on pilling on the teacher with a..uh...not so nice present. It happened last year at Christmas in Skowhegan, when a parent, Julie Hunt, decided her daughter's teacher "had to go"....so to speak. You see, Julie was convicted last Xmas with helping her daughter and two other teenagers bake Christmas cookies laced with laxative that sent one teacher "leaping" with something other than joy. (No cookies in my mail, relax).
The cookies were baked with Ex-Lax an left on the teacher's desk at Carrabec Community School with a note saying, "we made these cookies just for you, hope you enjoy them", after Mom Julie showed her daughter and her two friends, all 13 and 14 years old, how to crush the Ex-Lax and mix them with cookie batter. The kids used an entire bottle of the laxative in the batter!
Fortunately, the girls not only have bad baking habits, but also can't keep a secret. When one of them giggled about what they were doing to that teacher, some of the other students reported the plot to the school principal, who alerted the teacher and called police. After intercepting the plot, the school suspended the three kids and police arrested the mom on a misdemeanor assault charge. The judge should have included in the punishment for mom, an extra jolt to Hunt when sentencing, by ordering her to eat a few of those cookies and locking the bathroom for a few hours. Now that would really be an instructive lesson for mom.
The abomination of the year award has to go to the inept and seemingly always unreliable United Nations. In the latest implausible U.N. move it elected several very inhumane nations to the Human Right Council. The Council is set up within the U.N. as a forum for discussion and cooperation on bringing forth human rights in nations. It attempts to push members to respect human rights and assist other countries in establishing basic freedoms for their citizens. But one would think to be a member a nation should at least exhibit some philosophy of respecting the rights of their citizens.
Given that, why did the U.N. Human Rights Council just select Cuba, China, Russia, Pakistan, Azerbaijan and Saudi Arabia as new members? Isn't the record and policy of those nation's governments to deny basic human rights to their people? Wouldn't it be better for them to at least show otherwise before being admitted?
Well, now they take a seat with 41 other nations to set the agenda on human rights world-wide. I don't know about you, but I hardly want Cuba or Saudi Arabia helping setting that standard. What do you think? Should nations who make human rights a cause also be guarantee it in their own countries?
I think most kids like to give their teachers expressions of thanks for all they do to help students. But some kids are not so charitable. And in one case in Maine, a parent joined in on pilling on the teacher with a..uh...not so nice present. It happened last year at Christmas in Skowhegan, when a parent, Julie Hunt, decided her daughter's teacher "had to go"....so to speak. You see, Julie was convicted last Xmas with helping her daughter and two other teenagers bake Christmas cookies laced with laxative that sent one teacher "leaping" with something other than joy. (No cookies in my mail, relax).
The cookies were baked with Ex-Lax an left on the teacher's desk at Carrabec Community School with a note saying, "we made these cookies just for you, hope you enjoy them", after Mom Julie showed her daughter and her two friends, all 13 and 14 years old, how to crush the Ex-Lax and mix them with cookie batter. The kids used an entire bottle of the laxative in the batter!
Fortunately, the girls not only have bad baking habits, but also can't keep a secret. When one of them giggled about what they were doing to that teacher, some of the other students reported the plot to the school principal, who alerted the teacher and called police. After intercepting the plot, the school suspended the three kids and police arrested the mom on a misdemeanor assault charge. The judge should have included in the punishment for mom, an extra jolt to Hunt when sentencing, by ordering her to eat a few of those cookies and locking the bathroom for a few hours. Now that would really be an instructive lesson for mom.
The abomination of the year award has to go to the inept and seemingly always unreliable United Nations. In the latest implausible U.N. move it elected several very inhumane nations to the Human Right Council. The Council is set up within the U.N. as a forum for discussion and cooperation on bringing forth human rights in nations. It attempts to push members to respect human rights and assist other countries in establishing basic freedoms for their citizens. But one would think to be a member a nation should at least exhibit some philosophy of respecting the rights of their citizens.
Given that, why did the U.N. Human Rights Council just select Cuba, China, Russia, Pakistan, Azerbaijan and Saudi Arabia as new members? Isn't the record and policy of those nation's governments to deny basic human rights to their people? Wouldn't it be better for them to at least show otherwise before being admitted?
Well, now they take a seat with 41 other nations to set the agenda on human rights world-wide. I don't know about you, but I hardly want Cuba or Saudi Arabia helping setting that standard. What do you think? Should nations who make human rights a cause also be guarantee it in their own countries?
It's Already Sounding Christmasy
One of my favorite Christmas tunes is "It's beginning to look allot like Christmas", a bouncy fun tune made famous by the master of Christmas singers, Johnny Mathis. Well, around here as early as mid November it was already "beginning to SOUND like Christmas", if one turned on the radio. Yep! The music stations began playing Christmas music as early as the beginning of November. As much as I love Christmas songs, that may be a little early for me. According to tradition the first Christmas music is supposed to be played on the day after Thanksgiving, several weeks after they new starting time.
Hmmmmmmmm I wonder if merchants are sponsoring this early surge. It is a good and subtle way to motivate shoppers to buy their gifts earlier. But I suppose a radio station would not play the tunes that early if there were not ears to willingly listen. But then, Macy's Big Thanksgiving Day parade in New York City is supposed to be the start of the Christmas season. I wonder if Christmas is now going to begin earlier than before, that the radio stations early start of Christmas music reflects that. Since I love Christmas, it is ok with me.
Anyway, what started my early Xmas rumination today was the note I read in my newspaper about the earlier start of Christmas music on the radio. It said that 92 stations in the U.S. had already switched to an all Christmas music format on or after November 1st. One in Indianapolis, Indian, a typical American city, was first. I have heard Christmas music since early November on my car radio from a station about 50 kilometers outside of New Orleans. That one plays it all weekend, and says it's new format is "weekend Christmas music before Thanksgiving, and all Christmas music after". Yes, I did listen to some of that Christmas music because I am a fan of it whenever it is played. Mediagate, the radio play monitoring group that gave me the information about the early Christmas music said the four most played Christmas songs by those 92 stations were: "Sleigh Ride", "Winter Wonderland", "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas" and "Jingle Bell Rock". I like them all (an many more) and recommend you change from Scrooge and tune into a Christmas elf by listening to them today. I am sure they can all be found on line. I have them all on my computer, so if you want any or all of them I can send them to you. Just ask me and I'll send them.
And the movie theaters seem early too. There are four Christmas theme films out awash in yuletide trappings that have come out in early November. Christmas in Wonderland, This Christmas, Fred Claus, and Enchanted (A Disney film, non animated, rated four stars that even pokes fun at its own past animated classics via a film more for adults than kids).
I think I like this early Christmas trend, but I refuse to ever say "Ho Ho Ho" until at least the end of Halloween. Merry Holiday Music to you!
Hmmmmmmmm I wonder if merchants are sponsoring this early surge. It is a good and subtle way to motivate shoppers to buy their gifts earlier. But I suppose a radio station would not play the tunes that early if there were not ears to willingly listen. But then, Macy's Big Thanksgiving Day parade in New York City is supposed to be the start of the Christmas season. I wonder if Christmas is now going to begin earlier than before, that the radio stations early start of Christmas music reflects that. Since I love Christmas, it is ok with me.
Anyway, what started my early Xmas rumination today was the note I read in my newspaper about the earlier start of Christmas music on the radio. It said that 92 stations in the U.S. had already switched to an all Christmas music format on or after November 1st. One in Indianapolis, Indian, a typical American city, was first. I have heard Christmas music since early November on my car radio from a station about 50 kilometers outside of New Orleans. That one plays it all weekend, and says it's new format is "weekend Christmas music before Thanksgiving, and all Christmas music after". Yes, I did listen to some of that Christmas music because I am a fan of it whenever it is played. Mediagate, the radio play monitoring group that gave me the information about the early Christmas music said the four most played Christmas songs by those 92 stations were: "Sleigh Ride", "Winter Wonderland", "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas" and "Jingle Bell Rock". I like them all (an many more) and recommend you change from Scrooge and tune into a Christmas elf by listening to them today. I am sure they can all be found on line. I have them all on my computer, so if you want any or all of them I can send them to you. Just ask me and I'll send them.
And the movie theaters seem early too. There are four Christmas theme films out awash in yuletide trappings that have come out in early November. Christmas in Wonderland, This Christmas, Fred Claus, and Enchanted (A Disney film, non animated, rated four stars that even pokes fun at its own past animated classics via a film more for adults than kids).
I think I like this early Christmas trend, but I refuse to ever say "Ho Ho Ho" until at least the end of Halloween. Merry Holiday Music to you!
Recalling For Safety
I smoked a turkey today and think I smell more appetizing than the bird. That is my big complaint with using a charcoal pit. The food tastes much better than what is barbecued on a gas pit, but it is a mess. I sometimes shower after I finish the smoking because it is too odorous for me.
I am being bombarded with news of product recalls these days. You know, a government ordered or a voluntary manufacture's recall of a product because it may be "unsafe". The United States may be "the land of free and home of the brave", but it also the main place for stupid product recalls. Both manufacturers and the government say those allegedly dangerous products must be recalled for "public safety" reasons, but the real reason for most of them is to prevent the other American passion- the frivolous lawsuit.
A company knows that if one accident happens that involves one of their products a lot of people will use the same reason to claim the product did expensive damage to them as well. Let's say little Johnny falls of his bike and breaks a leg. Even if he fell because he is clumsy, the parents may claim it was because the bike isn't sturdy enough to prevent such accidents. The parents will sue for an enormous amount of money, and two things will happen as a result.
The first is that the company will pay off the parents with a handsome settlement in return for their promise to keep quiet and forget the whole matter. The second action the company will take depends on whether media has broadcast the little Johnny accident episode enough to make other parents encourage their own little Johnny's to break their legs too (I think some parents actually shove Johnny off the bike if he won't go down himself).
If the word is out that the bike is "unsafe", the bike company will recall all the bikes in stores and stop making that edition of bike. A new (almost identical one) will replace it so no one can sue as the first parent has done. However, if no one else sues or complains about the bike that little Johnny rode when having his accident, the company will put out an idiot disclaimer on every one of the model of bikes Johnny rode...something like "Careful, it is possible your child may fall while riding"
It is a product warning for morons because it is so common sense everyone must already know it. Wrong! Juries want a warning statement before they side with a company being sued by a "grieving parent". This may indeed protect the company from future lawsuits by a parents who sue because their kids fell of the bike, After all, they are "warned" about it happening when they buy, assemble the bike and read the warning message. That's why consumer products have so many silly warnings. they all help when the company is sued by a user of a product it makes.
We now have product recalls for everything : toys (I remember Jane's 'Barbie Car' was recalled for safety reasons- the battery caught fire in 3 of them...but I never returned the car), food (it is dirty, has allergens, sulfites...and a million more reasons), drugs is a health risk, has undetermined substances within, may cause cancer or lead contamination etc..), cars (you name it and it has been a reason for a recall)....A list of all the products recalled would include every type conceivable.
In the case of 99% of the recalls there is no real danger, making them unnecessary. Let's face it. There are billions of people in the world, and almost all of them are much more likely to suffer injury from something that is NOT recalled. Anyone can hurt him or herself getting out of bed (maybe all the beds should be recalled?) in the morning. To be completely safe in life we would have to recall everything we use or come in contact with (my mail may be infected with my stupidity but if you recall it I am not taking it back). Most recalls are for idiots and that is the problem. You see, the idiots are the ones inconveniencing us, making us subject to recalls and product withdrawals that are not necessary.
Are the recalls worth the inconvenience to us? Most of the time, NO. I prefer to take my chances in the Barbie Car (well, I can't now because I gave it to charity years ago when Jane outgrew it) than to be subjected to crazy recalls. The fact is we can't make the lives of people foolproof, and there is a limit to how far we should go to try. Most product recalls go wayyyyyyyyy past that limit.
Oh....I almost forgot to wrote this before ending my mail.......... " Please be advised. Due to the idiotic and irrational content contained, reading Jim's E mail exposes one's brain to inherent risks that may cause damages. Said composer of this E mails disavows himself any legal liability due to anything he has written herein."
I am being bombarded with news of product recalls these days. You know, a government ordered or a voluntary manufacture's recall of a product because it may be "unsafe". The United States may be "the land of free and home of the brave", but it also the main place for stupid product recalls. Both manufacturers and the government say those allegedly dangerous products must be recalled for "public safety" reasons, but the real reason for most of them is to prevent the other American passion- the frivolous lawsuit.
A company knows that if one accident happens that involves one of their products a lot of people will use the same reason to claim the product did expensive damage to them as well. Let's say little Johnny falls of his bike and breaks a leg. Even if he fell because he is clumsy, the parents may claim it was because the bike isn't sturdy enough to prevent such accidents. The parents will sue for an enormous amount of money, and two things will happen as a result.
The first is that the company will pay off the parents with a handsome settlement in return for their promise to keep quiet and forget the whole matter. The second action the company will take depends on whether media has broadcast the little Johnny accident episode enough to make other parents encourage their own little Johnny's to break their legs too (I think some parents actually shove Johnny off the bike if he won't go down himself).
If the word is out that the bike is "unsafe", the bike company will recall all the bikes in stores and stop making that edition of bike. A new (almost identical one) will replace it so no one can sue as the first parent has done. However, if no one else sues or complains about the bike that little Johnny rode when having his accident, the company will put out an idiot disclaimer on every one of the model of bikes Johnny rode...something like "Careful, it is possible your child may fall while riding"
It is a product warning for morons because it is so common sense everyone must already know it. Wrong! Juries want a warning statement before they side with a company being sued by a "grieving parent". This may indeed protect the company from future lawsuits by a parents who sue because their kids fell of the bike, After all, they are "warned" about it happening when they buy, assemble the bike and read the warning message. That's why consumer products have so many silly warnings. they all help when the company is sued by a user of a product it makes.
We now have product recalls for everything : toys (I remember Jane's 'Barbie Car' was recalled for safety reasons- the battery caught fire in 3 of them...but I never returned the car), food (it is dirty, has allergens, sulfites...and a million more reasons), drugs is a health risk, has undetermined substances within, may cause cancer or lead contamination etc..), cars (you name it and it has been a reason for a recall)....A list of all the products recalled would include every type conceivable.
In the case of 99% of the recalls there is no real danger, making them unnecessary. Let's face it. There are billions of people in the world, and almost all of them are much more likely to suffer injury from something that is NOT recalled. Anyone can hurt him or herself getting out of bed (maybe all the beds should be recalled?) in the morning. To be completely safe in life we would have to recall everything we use or come in contact with (my mail may be infected with my stupidity but if you recall it I am not taking it back). Most recalls are for idiots and that is the problem. You see, the idiots are the ones inconveniencing us, making us subject to recalls and product withdrawals that are not necessary.
Are the recalls worth the inconvenience to us? Most of the time, NO. I prefer to take my chances in the Barbie Car (well, I can't now because I gave it to charity years ago when Jane outgrew it) than to be subjected to crazy recalls. The fact is we can't make the lives of people foolproof, and there is a limit to how far we should go to try. Most product recalls go wayyyyyyyyy past that limit.
Oh....I almost forgot to wrote this before ending my mail.......... " Please be advised. Due to the idiotic and irrational content contained, reading Jim's E mail exposes one's brain to inherent risks that may cause damages. Said composer of this E mails disavows himself any legal liability due to anything he has written herein."
Teen Networking
I was thinking about the differences between today's kids and those of earlier generations/ You know what may be the most telling change? It's their connection to the Internet social network sites. Yes, I know kids (and adults) are "connected too much- with their ipods, cell phones and other electronic mediums that allow them to escape from parents and other "enemies" to bind with peers. But the My Space and Facebook sites are the new meeting places for kids.
It used to be teens would meet face to face at an athletic field, the mall, the movies, a club etc. But know they go to their favorite social networking sites. From their postings there, If you can get to their profiles, you begin to get insight into their teen reasoning: "This kind of person is liked. The jocks are gods or outcasts. Pretty girls ignore smart guys and look for "older men"." And they gravitate to where they're accepted. not where they want to go.
On those social networking pages, kids can block parents or others from viewing their sites without their permission. So, I am not sure exactly e what goes on. As far as I know Jane doesn't have a profile, but she accesses MySpace and others, and knows more about social network sites than I do.
When today's we were kids, our social was about 50 people. But today's kids who go online it can range from a hundred to thousands. Some of those are fellow teenagers , some are not (No doubt a few sexual predators are in the mix as well) And the networks are not just of neighborhood or school friends, but of people from all over the world. They mirror adult preferences to explore everything. Problems begin when the network little Jimmy belongs to influences him badly. A bad network is similar to the old days when little Jimmy played with "the wrong crowd of trouble makers. But today, the parents are much less likely to know what little Jimmy is doing at the sites he belongs to (We don't even know if or what sites they are). Maybe the kids or other on line friends influence little Jimmy positively or maybe not. With millions of people to whom little Jimmy can connect there is greater opportunity for both fair and fowl associations. The kids think we are overly concerned or freaked out about this because they are too young and immature to understand that there are unseen risks the kids may not be able to handle.
I suppose this is the new reality for teens and that there is little parents can do about it. (Forget banning the sites. They will find them outside the home if you do). On the other hand, maybe there is as much good about them having a secret world of their own at these social networking sites, as the potential problems associated with them. In daily life, teenagers seem non talkative. But online, they'll reveal their souls, their vulnerabilities. With a click, they also look into other people's innermost thoughts. Kids say things online they might never say face to face. It gives then a forum to experiment and take risks.
One thing for sure, it is a reflection of just how hard it is to be a teenager, so much harder for them than the teens of previous generations. So I guess they are getting an earlier tryout in the ways of the world that the social networking sites provide for them. Any thoughts about this?
It used to be teens would meet face to face at an athletic field, the mall, the movies, a club etc. But know they go to their favorite social networking sites. From their postings there, If you can get to their profiles, you begin to get insight into their teen reasoning: "This kind of person is liked. The jocks are gods or outcasts. Pretty girls ignore smart guys and look for "older men"." And they gravitate to where they're accepted. not where they want to go.
On those social networking pages, kids can block parents or others from viewing their sites without their permission. So, I am not sure exactly e what goes on. As far as I know Jane doesn't have a profile, but she accesses MySpace and others, and knows more about social network sites than I do.
When today's we were kids, our social was about 50 people. But today's kids who go online it can range from a hundred to thousands. Some of those are fellow teenagers , some are not (No doubt a few sexual predators are in the mix as well) And the networks are not just of neighborhood or school friends, but of people from all over the world. They mirror adult preferences to explore everything. Problems begin when the network little Jimmy belongs to influences him badly. A bad network is similar to the old days when little Jimmy played with "the wrong crowd of trouble makers. But today, the parents are much less likely to know what little Jimmy is doing at the sites he belongs to (We don't even know if or what sites they are). Maybe the kids or other on line friends influence little Jimmy positively or maybe not. With millions of people to whom little Jimmy can connect there is greater opportunity for both fair and fowl associations. The kids think we are overly concerned or freaked out about this because they are too young and immature to understand that there are unseen risks the kids may not be able to handle.
I suppose this is the new reality for teens and that there is little parents can do about it. (Forget banning the sites. They will find them outside the home if you do). On the other hand, maybe there is as much good about them having a secret world of their own at these social networking sites, as the potential problems associated with them. In daily life, teenagers seem non talkative. But online, they'll reveal their souls, their vulnerabilities. With a click, they also look into other people's innermost thoughts. Kids say things online they might never say face to face. It gives then a forum to experiment and take risks.
One thing for sure, it is a reflection of just how hard it is to be a teenager, so much harder for them than the teens of previous generations. So I guess they are getting an earlier tryout in the ways of the world that the social networking sites provide for them. Any thoughts about this?
Talking Turkey
Hey! It's Thanksgiving time so I decided not "to be a turkey", an "Old Turkey" or even do the "Turkey Trot" by showing I am a "pea turkey" when it comes to cell phones and other technology that make me "talk turkey" about my hated for them. So today I am going "cold turkey" and not going to make cell phones a "turkey shoot" in this E mail.
Ok, maybe you need a translation of my first paragraph. But it's Thanksgiving time and those phrases are all real ones in English. Some are used commonly and some not, but they are but one contribution the noble turkey has give to the English language. Here is a quick translation for any "turkeys" who don't know turkey vernacular:
"He's a turkey"- means the person is a loser, hapless
"Old Turkey"- It means someone old who is weak and helpless.
"Never said pea turkey"- or you don't know the first thing about something
"Talking turkey"- to talk honestly or frankly....to get down to business
"Cold Turkey"- meaning to stop an addiction suddenly and completely
"That's a turkey shoot"- something easy to do
"Turkey trot"- a dance named for the jerky steps a turkey makes when it walks
So now you can tell what I wrote and ...err....why I am a turkey sometimes.
One woman in New York is giving thanks this Thanksgiving to the church. Not because it did anything to save her soul, but rather because it may save her financial worries for a longggg time into the future. You see, the unidentified estranged wife of a pastor claims her husband blended his professional and personal finances so thoroughly that his church should be counted as an asset in their divorce.
Yep! She wants the church to pay her money for getting a divorce. And making her request even more unbelievable is the fact that the judge in the divorce case agreed to hear arguments on the claim, and he ordered a financial appraisal of the church. Lawyers said it could represent the first time anyone in New York state has tried to treat a religious institution as a marital asset. Nothing is more greedy than a scorned spouse who sees the money. I think that lady would sue God if he/she ever physically revealed him/herself.
The wife argues that her husband of 31 years used his Brooklyn church as a "personal piggy bank," setting his own income, spending the congregation's tithes as he pleased and running a catering business from the building. Further, she claims that $50,000 of the couple's money went into starting the church, and that the church property is partly hers. "That church is no different than any other business he might have opened," said the wife's lawyer in her defense. The pastor maintains he is simply a church employee, and the institution's funds should not be considered his. "My client can't own the church," said the minister's lawyer. I think both of them will probably rot in both earth and Hell.
Ok, maybe you need a translation of my first paragraph. But it's Thanksgiving time and those phrases are all real ones in English. Some are used commonly and some not, but they are but one contribution the noble turkey has give to the English language. Here is a quick translation for any "turkeys" who don't know turkey vernacular:
"He's a turkey"- means the person is a loser, hapless
"Old Turkey"- It means someone old who is weak and helpless.
"Never said pea turkey"- or you don't know the first thing about something
"Talking turkey"- to talk honestly or frankly....to get down to business
"Cold Turkey"- meaning to stop an addiction suddenly and completely
"That's a turkey shoot"- something easy to do
"Turkey trot"- a dance named for the jerky steps a turkey makes when it walks
So now you can tell what I wrote and ...err....why I am a turkey sometimes.
One woman in New York is giving thanks this Thanksgiving to the church. Not because it did anything to save her soul, but rather because it may save her financial worries for a longggg time into the future. You see, the unidentified estranged wife of a pastor claims her husband blended his professional and personal finances so thoroughly that his church should be counted as an asset in their divorce.
Yep! She wants the church to pay her money for getting a divorce. And making her request even more unbelievable is the fact that the judge in the divorce case agreed to hear arguments on the claim, and he ordered a financial appraisal of the church. Lawyers said it could represent the first time anyone in New York state has tried to treat a religious institution as a marital asset. Nothing is more greedy than a scorned spouse who sees the money. I think that lady would sue God if he/she ever physically revealed him/herself.
The wife argues that her husband of 31 years used his Brooklyn church as a "personal piggy bank," setting his own income, spending the congregation's tithes as he pleased and running a catering business from the building. Further, she claims that $50,000 of the couple's money went into starting the church, and that the church property is partly hers. "That church is no different than any other business he might have opened," said the wife's lawyer in her defense. The pastor maintains he is simply a church employee, and the institution's funds should not be considered his. "My client can't own the church," said the minister's lawyer. I think both of them will probably rot in both earth and Hell.
Thanksgiving Menu Today And Then
Another Thanksgiving has come. This is a most unusual holiday, artificial than real. It is supposed to celebrate the survival of the original European settlers to America hundreds of years ago by re-enacting a dinner that they had with some Native Americans (or Indians) who foolishly saved them from the elements and hardships long enough for the settlers to eventually take their land and systematically exterminated them. Hmmmmmmmm I guess the American Indians don't eat Thanksgiving dinner today.
On Thanksgiving Day people gather at the unlucky relative's house (the one who is responsible for preparing most of the food and hosting) to over-eat and banter with relatives they either don't ever see during the year or just don't like at all. So the crazy uncle who chats about his abduction on a UFO, or senile Grandam Bertha who flashes the men and thinks she is still 18, will entertain the crowd. If the over-eating doesn't give the guest indigestion, the company will. At Thanksgiving most of the guests probably give thanks that they only have to see each other once a year.
But, forget that. I come today to mention the food served. You know the traditional American Thanksgiving foods. The media always fixates on them, particularly the movies where every Thanksgiving dinner has a huge turkey as a centerpiece. Well, that's accurate to the extent that more people serve turkey for Thanksgiving than other meat or seafood courses. Besides the turkey, ham or seafood (in my area of the country we often have a seafood based soup or side with the meal) there are standards as to what is served among the variations as to region. There is cranberry sauce or turkey gravy for the turkey, yams, mashed potatoes, dressing of different sorts (cornbread dressing is a favorite), squash, green beans or some other veggie, pumpkin or apple pie for dessert etc...There is more, but that is a basis of the meal. It's high caloric and NOT what those settlers ate with the Indians on that first Thanksgiving meal 300 years ago.
While historians aren't sure what the Pilgrims ate at the very first Thanksgiving back in 1621, they do know that they weren't sitting down to a meal of cranberry sauce, mashed potatoes or pumpkin pie. Many of the foods that we eat are reminiscent of those indigenous at the time, but not the actual dishes served. Case in point: Cranberries were available, but since sugar had not yet traveled to the New World, no doubt cranberry sauce didn't make an appearance until years later.
Still, the Thanksgiving meal is symbolic, providing a wonderful occasion for sharing the American story of determination, survival, freedom and celebration. So, what could have been on that 17th-century menu? While wild turkey may have been the main course, it was probably accompanied by venison and fish such as herring, shad, cod, sea bass and eel. And those turkeys were tough tasting and not appealing then. I doubt many of the guests at that dinner ate turkey. A ham wouldn't have made an appearance, however, because the settlers (Pilgrims) most likely had no pigs back then. And there were no potatoes, yams and sweet potatoes because they were unknown in America at that time.
So what are some of the things they would have eaten? Native to America, corn — or maize — came in wide variety, including red, yellow, white, blue and yellow. It was a new addition to the Pilgrim diet, and these early settlers might not have survived the long winter without it. Another side dish may have included peas, squashes and beans. So squash and beans are authentic Thanksgiving dishes today. Pumpkins, easy to grow and able to last in the cellar during the long winter, was a favorite of the early settlers. Forget about baking it in a pie with whipped cream! The all-American apple pie wouldn't have been served up for dessert, either. Apples aren't indigenous to the United States, first coming to this country years later. But nuts — such as walnuts, chestnuts, acorns and hickory nuts — may have been the dessert, along with fruits such as raspberries, strawberries, grapes, plums cherries and blueberries (although these would have been dried, as none would have been in season).
Regardless of early dishes, today's turkey day is creating a tradition all its own. The turkey is still the culinary symbol of the November feast. Stats I found say that 91 percent of Americans eat the turkey on Thanksgiving. (But Israel is the country with the highest per capita consumption of turkey) Of the 300 million turkeys raised annually, 45 million are consumed at Thanksgiving. That's probably because whole turkeys are bothersome to cook and are dry if not cooked properly.
Another thing that is different about Thanksgiving food then and now is that the Pilgrims dined with spoons, knives and their fingers (The crazy Uncle and senile Granny will probably eat with their fingers too) — but no forks. Also interestingly, at that time, social status helped determine what would be on an individual's menu. Since diners tended to eat what was placed in front of them, the choicest foods were placed in front of the most important people. It's kind of like fighting over the turkey drumstick today. Whoever gets that is the King or Queen of the day. Anyway, meal or not, I am thankful to be with you another year, Happy Thanksgiving.
On Thanksgiving Day people gather at the unlucky relative's house (the one who is responsible for preparing most of the food and hosting) to over-eat and banter with relatives they either don't ever see during the year or just don't like at all. So the crazy uncle who chats about his abduction on a UFO, or senile Grandam Bertha who flashes the men and thinks she is still 18, will entertain the crowd. If the over-eating doesn't give the guest indigestion, the company will. At Thanksgiving most of the guests probably give thanks that they only have to see each other once a year.
But, forget that. I come today to mention the food served. You know the traditional American Thanksgiving foods. The media always fixates on them, particularly the movies where every Thanksgiving dinner has a huge turkey as a centerpiece. Well, that's accurate to the extent that more people serve turkey for Thanksgiving than other meat or seafood courses. Besides the turkey, ham or seafood (in my area of the country we often have a seafood based soup or side with the meal) there are standards as to what is served among the variations as to region. There is cranberry sauce or turkey gravy for the turkey, yams, mashed potatoes, dressing of different sorts (cornbread dressing is a favorite), squash, green beans or some other veggie, pumpkin or apple pie for dessert etc...There is more, but that is a basis of the meal. It's high caloric and NOT what those settlers ate with the Indians on that first Thanksgiving meal 300 years ago.
While historians aren't sure what the Pilgrims ate at the very first Thanksgiving back in 1621, they do know that they weren't sitting down to a meal of cranberry sauce, mashed potatoes or pumpkin pie. Many of the foods that we eat are reminiscent of those indigenous at the time, but not the actual dishes served. Case in point: Cranberries were available, but since sugar had not yet traveled to the New World, no doubt cranberry sauce didn't make an appearance until years later.
Still, the Thanksgiving meal is symbolic, providing a wonderful occasion for sharing the American story of determination, survival, freedom and celebration. So, what could have been on that 17th-century menu? While wild turkey may have been the main course, it was probably accompanied by venison and fish such as herring, shad, cod, sea bass and eel. And those turkeys were tough tasting and not appealing then. I doubt many of the guests at that dinner ate turkey. A ham wouldn't have made an appearance, however, because the settlers (Pilgrims) most likely had no pigs back then. And there were no potatoes, yams and sweet potatoes because they were unknown in America at that time.
So what are some of the things they would have eaten? Native to America, corn — or maize — came in wide variety, including red, yellow, white, blue and yellow. It was a new addition to the Pilgrim diet, and these early settlers might not have survived the long winter without it. Another side dish may have included peas, squashes and beans. So squash and beans are authentic Thanksgiving dishes today. Pumpkins, easy to grow and able to last in the cellar during the long winter, was a favorite of the early settlers. Forget about baking it in a pie with whipped cream! The all-American apple pie wouldn't have been served up for dessert, either. Apples aren't indigenous to the United States, first coming to this country years later. But nuts — such as walnuts, chestnuts, acorns and hickory nuts — may have been the dessert, along with fruits such as raspberries, strawberries, grapes, plums cherries and blueberries (although these would have been dried, as none would have been in season).
Regardless of early dishes, today's turkey day is creating a tradition all its own. The turkey is still the culinary symbol of the November feast. Stats I found say that 91 percent of Americans eat the turkey on Thanksgiving. (But Israel is the country with the highest per capita consumption of turkey) Of the 300 million turkeys raised annually, 45 million are consumed at Thanksgiving. That's probably because whole turkeys are bothersome to cook and are dry if not cooked properly.
Another thing that is different about Thanksgiving food then and now is that the Pilgrims dined with spoons, knives and their fingers (The crazy Uncle and senile Granny will probably eat with their fingers too) — but no forks. Also interestingly, at that time, social status helped determine what would be on an individual's menu. Since diners tended to eat what was placed in front of them, the choicest foods were placed in front of the most important people. It's kind of like fighting over the turkey drumstick today. Whoever gets that is the King or Queen of the day. Anyway, meal or not, I am thankful to be with you another year, Happy Thanksgiving.
Deathly Statistics
I know you are afraid to evens peak of death but..... I saw an interesting statistic today. It said that there are more people alive at this second than have died in the entire history of human kind. That's amazing. The 6 billion or so humans today are more than all the humans who ever lived before. It helps explain the exponential improvements in science, technology and other areas of human productivity.
But I was wondering where they will bury all of we 6 billion when we die. Is their room for us somewhere in the ground or should we be cremated as many religions prescribe for their members? If given a preference I prefer to be buried in the family crypt with my parents and brother. There is supposed to be space in the tomb for two more bodies and it seems appealing while I am alive to rejoin to them in that symbolic way. But in truth, it matters not is done with my lowly carcass when I pass on. Maybe Al Gore and some of the global warming conspiracy nuts will decree that no one be buried anymore, that our dead bodies cause more of that imaginary "global warming" they have propagandized people to believe in.
Well, if that is the case and I can heat up the Al Gores of the world I want to be buried in the most ostentatious and environmentally unsound way.....just to show them I protest their phony environmental theories. Hmmmmmmmmm Maybe I should just protest environmentalist extremism by not dying and instead using more of those resources they claim I am hogging. It would give me great satisfaction if they thought I was using more of my resources than I should, and that I single handily helped create more of their "global warming". but then, if I refused to die of natural causes, some environmentalist or Global Warmer (Maybe even Al Gore himself) would kill me. They would claim it was an "environmentally sound a policy" to kill me since I was over the limit on resources I use. I know I am not worth much and the earth won't miss me. I think many people would approve of my elimination...the same people who spend their misguided lives worrying about "saving the planet" or drive those hybrid cars that save on fossil fuels. If you want to understand the number of deaths happening in the world today look at that World Health site that shows how many people die each second, and how they expires. It actually keeps a running total. Go to this site and it will start a tally by second so you can see what is killing humans (It's not global warming) http://www.hammeruncut.com/realtime-death-toll-counter/
I let the clock run at that site for just 10 minutes to see how humans die and found that the five biggest causes of death were as follows.
Number one- Cardiovascular diseases (394)
Number two- Infectious diseases (258)
Number three- Schematic heart disease (182)
Number four - Cancers (172)
Number five- Cerebrovascular disease (153)
The kinds of death we would think would rank high were at the bottom of the long list. For example, during that 10 minute period only 5 people died world-wide due to war, 13 because of violence against them, 10 because of falls, 11 drowned, 36 in traffic accidents, and 8 in fires. So the more preventable things like heart disease and cancers took the most lives.
However, as stupid as this E mail was today, you probably will have me killed for writing it, and cancer and heart disease will not add me to their totals.
But I was wondering where they will bury all of we 6 billion when we die. Is their room for us somewhere in the ground or should we be cremated as many religions prescribe for their members? If given a preference I prefer to be buried in the family crypt with my parents and brother. There is supposed to be space in the tomb for two more bodies and it seems appealing while I am alive to rejoin to them in that symbolic way. But in truth, it matters not is done with my lowly carcass when I pass on. Maybe Al Gore and some of the global warming conspiracy nuts will decree that no one be buried anymore, that our dead bodies cause more of that imaginary "global warming" they have propagandized people to believe in.
Well, if that is the case and I can heat up the Al Gores of the world I want to be buried in the most ostentatious and environmentally unsound way.....just to show them I protest their phony environmental theories. Hmmmmmmmmm Maybe I should just protest environmentalist extremism by not dying and instead using more of those resources they claim I am hogging. It would give me great satisfaction if they thought I was using more of my resources than I should, and that I single handily helped create more of their "global warming". but then, if I refused to die of natural causes, some environmentalist or Global Warmer (Maybe even Al Gore himself) would kill me. They would claim it was an "environmentally sound a policy" to kill me since I was over the limit on resources I use. I know I am not worth much and the earth won't miss me. I think many people would approve of my elimination...the same people who spend their misguided lives worrying about "saving the planet" or drive those hybrid cars that save on fossil fuels. If you want to understand the number of deaths happening in the world today look at that World Health site that shows how many people die each second, and how they expires. It actually keeps a running total. Go to this site and it will start a tally by second so you can see what is killing humans (It's not global warming) http://www.hammeruncut.com/realtime-death-toll-counter/
I let the clock run at that site for just 10 minutes to see how humans die and found that the five biggest causes of death were as follows.
Number one- Cardiovascular diseases (394)
Number two- Infectious diseases (258)
Number three- Schematic heart disease (182)
Number four - Cancers (172)
Number five- Cerebrovascular disease (153)
The kinds of death we would think would rank high were at the bottom of the long list. For example, during that 10 minute period only 5 people died world-wide due to war, 13 because of violence against them, 10 because of falls, 11 drowned, 36 in traffic accidents, and 8 in fires. So the more preventable things like heart disease and cancers took the most lives.
However, as stupid as this E mail was today, you probably will have me killed for writing it, and cancer and heart disease will not add me to their totals.
Auto Navigational Systems
As you know from my "I hate cell phone" rants I do not easily embrace high technology. It often seems to be worse than existing practice. Take for example credit cards at grocery and other stores. Is it really faster and easier than paying with cash? I think not. And often credit cards have incorrect charges, can be stolen and used by others, etc. Money payments are direct and quick. That's why I rarely use a credit card for purchases. (My nightmare- buying a cell phone with a credit card).
Every time I buy groceries I must wait for the person in line ahead of me to swipe the card nd wait for approval, and sign the credit card receipt for the clerk. So it isn't faster than handing cash. Too, when the buyer receives his or her credit card bill there are interest charges and the problem of reconciling the charges, some of which may not be accurate.
Where am I going with this....Well, to another new technology that is the rage now- automobile navigation systems. You know them. All of the more expensive cars have them installed for the buyer and they can be purchased and installed later by drivers who feel they can't find their own way when driving. In theory such a directional system is good,. But in practice, the technology is too primitive now to be worthwhile.
The navigational systems sold now ( at between $1000 and $2000 after installation) pinpoint a car's location, courtesy of military-installed global positioning system satellites across the country, combining it with mapping software to supposedly tell the driver exactly where to turn and when in order to reach his or her pre determined destination. If you make a wrong turn the system guides you back on target.
But! Some of those systems are not working as prescribed, and I have a good example of one case in Germany that shows it. A 46-year-old German motorist driving along a busy road suddenly veered to the left and ended up stuck on a railway track -- because his satellite navigation system told him to.
Yep! The motorist was heading into the north German city of Bremen "when the friendly voice from his satnav told him to turn left," a police spokesman said. "He did what he was ordered to do and turned his Audi left up over the curb and onto the track of a local streetcar line. He tried to back up off the track but got completely stuck." The police spokesman said about a dozen trams were held up until a tow lorry arrived to clear the car off the track. Several German motorists have crashed their cars in recent months, later telling police they were only obeying orders from their satnavs.
Haha Maybe the driver was dumb and would have driven on the tracks without the direction of his navigational system. But this technology is presenting a safety hazard to both the driver operating it and other drivers. I can just see my nightmare scenario...a driver talking on a cell phone as his navigational system tells him to crash into me............
Every time I buy groceries I must wait for the person in line ahead of me to swipe the card nd wait for approval, and sign the credit card receipt for the clerk. So it isn't faster than handing cash. Too, when the buyer receives his or her credit card bill there are interest charges and the problem of reconciling the charges, some of which may not be accurate.
Where am I going with this....Well, to another new technology that is the rage now- automobile navigation systems. You know them. All of the more expensive cars have them installed for the buyer and they can be purchased and installed later by drivers who feel they can't find their own way when driving. In theory such a directional system is good,. But in practice, the technology is too primitive now to be worthwhile.
The navigational systems sold now ( at between $1000 and $2000 after installation) pinpoint a car's location, courtesy of military-installed global positioning system satellites across the country, combining it with mapping software to supposedly tell the driver exactly where to turn and when in order to reach his or her pre determined destination. If you make a wrong turn the system guides you back on target.
But! Some of those systems are not working as prescribed, and I have a good example of one case in Germany that shows it. A 46-year-old German motorist driving along a busy road suddenly veered to the left and ended up stuck on a railway track -- because his satellite navigation system told him to.
Yep! The motorist was heading into the north German city of Bremen "when the friendly voice from his satnav told him to turn left," a police spokesman said. "He did what he was ordered to do and turned his Audi left up over the curb and onto the track of a local streetcar line. He tried to back up off the track but got completely stuck." The police spokesman said about a dozen trams were held up until a tow lorry arrived to clear the car off the track. Several German motorists have crashed their cars in recent months, later telling police they were only obeying orders from their satnavs.
Haha Maybe the driver was dumb and would have driven on the tracks without the direction of his navigational system. But this technology is presenting a safety hazard to both the driver operating it and other drivers. I can just see my nightmare scenario...a driver talking on a cell phone as his navigational system tells him to crash into me............
Leading Producers
I was thinking today about American influence in the world, about what we export that is so popular to the rest of the world. Well, it used to be machines, tools software, etc....but no more. All of those things are now manufactured in other places. yet, why does American have so much influence on the lives of people everywhere? (Even for those crazy fundamentalists.. Isn't the Muslim religious fanaticism really a repudiation of American and Western ideas, an admission that we are to much in their world?). It's because we Americas export entertainment. As a nation we live to be entertained, and in the process we have ended up entertaining the world. You doubt me? Just look at the cultures of anyplace anywhere and see the American influence- in books, films, music, TV, dress, the fast foods just about everywhere is some form of imitation of the U.S. culture. Every time I travel I am amazed at how much the rest of the world is like us. "Translation" is the word now, as everything in the American culture is translated into English or copied to fit the style of the other country.
I guess this is because transportation and communication make for faster adaptation today. But my point is that the U.S.leads the world in cultural transfer, not in products. We are now a service rather than good producer. And what about other countries. What is the area in which they are leading the world. Hmmmmm I have a few ideas. Tell me if you agree or not. I think the following countries lead in the following ways today:
* Japan- Has to be in electronic innovation and design. In the 50's Japan made those cheap am transistor radios....and everyone laughed. But ask anyone now who makes the best and most innovative electronics and they will surely say "Japan". Is there any other God of electronics than Sony?
* Korea- Cell phones. It pains me to write that and I should hate Korea for conspiring to make my life miserable with cell annoyances. But Korea is the place for cell phone innovation and design.
* France- Arrogance and insufferability. Haha I just threw that one in to see if you are paying attention, and because France hasn't contributed anything new to the world in 100 years.
* Italy- Fashion Italy has been and still is the world fashion capital. The best designers are Italian and the best design houses are Italian as well.
* China- Mass production of consumer goods. China now produces just about everything the industrial world used to make, before it became a more service oriented economic engine. That's just five areas.
Of course I can think of more, but it is enough to show how the world is dependent on all its parts to function at its best. This may be a good thing, for when all nations are needed there are fewer reasons for any to balk at the others. Too, the idea that one nation can dominate the others is fading because of this new arrangement. So much for my thought for today........
A Chinese thief has returned a mobile phone and thousands of yuan he stole from a woman after she sent him 21 touching text messages, Xinhua news agency said on Monday. Pan Aiying, a teacher in the eastern province of Shandong, had her bag containing her mobile phone, bank cards and 4,900 yuan ($630) snatched by a man riding a motorcycle as she cycled home on Friday, Xinhua said, citing the Qilu Evening News. Pan first thought of calling the police but she decided to try to persuade the young man to return her bag. She called her lost phone with her colleague's cell phone but was disconnected. Then she began sending text messages. "I'm Pan Aiying, a teacher from Wutou Middle School. You must be going through a difficult time. If so, I will not blame you," wrote Pan in her first text message which did not get a response. "Keep the 4,900 yuan if you really need it, but please return the other things to me. You are still young. To err is human. Correcting your mistakes is more important than anything," Pan wrote. She gave up hope of seeing her possessions again after sending 21 text messages without a reply. But on her way out on Sunday morning, she stumbled over a package that had been left in her courtyard only to discover it was her stolen bag. Nothing had been taken. "Dear Pan: I'm sorry. I made a mistake. Please forgive me, " a letter inside said. "You are so tolerant even though I stole from you. I'll correct my ways and be an upright person."
Wow....what a nice ending that is.
I guess this is because transportation and communication make for faster adaptation today. But my point is that the U.S.leads the world in cultural transfer, not in products. We are now a service rather than good producer. And what about other countries. What is the area in which they are leading the world. Hmmmmm I have a few ideas. Tell me if you agree or not. I think the following countries lead in the following ways today:
* Japan- Has to be in electronic innovation and design. In the 50's Japan made those cheap am transistor radios....and everyone laughed. But ask anyone now who makes the best and most innovative electronics and they will surely say "Japan". Is there any other God of electronics than Sony?
* Korea- Cell phones. It pains me to write that and I should hate Korea for conspiring to make my life miserable with cell annoyances. But Korea is the place for cell phone innovation and design.
* France- Arrogance and insufferability. Haha I just threw that one in to see if you are paying attention, and because France hasn't contributed anything new to the world in 100 years.
* Italy- Fashion Italy has been and still is the world fashion capital. The best designers are Italian and the best design houses are Italian as well.
* China- Mass production of consumer goods. China now produces just about everything the industrial world used to make, before it became a more service oriented economic engine. That's just five areas.
Of course I can think of more, but it is enough to show how the world is dependent on all its parts to function at its best. This may be a good thing, for when all nations are needed there are fewer reasons for any to balk at the others. Too, the idea that one nation can dominate the others is fading because of this new arrangement. So much for my thought for today........
A Chinese thief has returned a mobile phone and thousands of yuan he stole from a woman after she sent him 21 touching text messages, Xinhua news agency said on Monday. Pan Aiying, a teacher in the eastern province of Shandong, had her bag containing her mobile phone, bank cards and 4,900 yuan ($630) snatched by a man riding a motorcycle as she cycled home on Friday, Xinhua said, citing the Qilu Evening News. Pan first thought of calling the police but she decided to try to persuade the young man to return her bag. She called her lost phone with her colleague's cell phone but was disconnected. Then she began sending text messages. "I'm Pan Aiying, a teacher from Wutou Middle School. You must be going through a difficult time. If so, I will not blame you," wrote Pan in her first text message which did not get a response. "Keep the 4,900 yuan if you really need it, but please return the other things to me. You are still young. To err is human. Correcting your mistakes is more important than anything," Pan wrote. She gave up hope of seeing her possessions again after sending 21 text messages without a reply. But on her way out on Sunday morning, she stumbled over a package that had been left in her courtyard only to discover it was her stolen bag. Nothing had been taken. "Dear Pan: I'm sorry. I made a mistake. Please forgive me, " a letter inside said. "You are so tolerant even though I stole from you. I'll correct my ways and be an upright person."
Wow....what a nice ending that is.
Shopping Need
I think I finally understand the rationale for the shopping compulsion of women. You know, the reason men hate to shop and women must shop. It's because we men just don't have much to wear, no make-up to put on, no one to impress with our clothes. While women are expected (by other women who make them) to buy, own and wear an endless list of garments.
Unlike men, women are expected to wear, panties, bras and nursing bras, stockings, slips and half slips, anklets, nightgowns, negligees, body stockings (imagine me in one of those..ugh), blouses, halter tops, in skirts, pant suits, culottes, capris, hot pants, evening gowns, high heels, sun dresses, brooches, necklaces, lockets, bracelets, ankle bracelets.....it goes on.... but being a man I am not even aware of the endless list of must wear items women have, but we men don't. Though women are smarter, prettier, wiser, kinder, just better than men, I am glad to be a man because I don't have to shop or wear all of that mess. Women sacrifice themselves for men and we don't even offer our credit cards for them to shop so they can be uncomfortable in their fashion while we sit around with pot bellies hanging over our dirty shorts, scratching our private parts in full view (of course I never scratch. You believe that?).
I think the female obsession with clothing and other wear items stems from two motivations. Please correct me if I am wrong, as being a man I am not as smart as the superior female and need direction. But isn't it true that women do all of this shopping and wearing to impress other women and because wearing those things often leads to romance, love and marriage to one of we inferior male creatures.
I often wonder why women don't just marry other women and forget men. Are we worth the torture you go through to capture one of us? Maybe all women should be lesbians. They would be happier and men would be forced to reevaluate themselves and do a make-over. Why we men might even start to like to shop and start looking attractive too. It's a thought, but then I doubt I could stand the shopping time at the malls....
From the Weird Crime Story department comes news of the case of the clean house. I'm not kidding. Debbie Phillips of Charleston, West Virginia reported that her house had been broken into and cleaned by someone. She swore to police and community leaders, anyone who would listen, that her home wasn't the same when she came home and saw it shinning clean. But police didn't take her seriously.
She tried to report the crime to police but Debbie said the officer she spoke with just laughed at her. When Dirty Debbie went to the president of the County School Board and told them also they just looked at her and nodded patronizingly. Debbie said everyone from her husband to her neighbors denied cleaning the place. She didn't think anything had been stolen but she wasn't quite sure of anything except the house was too clean for her liking.
But the case of the mystery cleaner was eventually solved. It seems that Debbie's neighbor across the street had hired a cleaning service to clean her house. Since the neighbor and Dirty Debbie have similar house numbers and nearly the same spot to hide the house key for service callers the cleaners just came to the wrong address to clean.
Rumors have it Dirty Debbie is frantically restoring her home to the mess she loves.
Unlike men, women are expected to wear, panties, bras and nursing bras, stockings, slips and half slips, anklets, nightgowns, negligees, body stockings (imagine me in one of those..ugh), blouses, halter tops, in skirts, pant suits, culottes, capris, hot pants, evening gowns, high heels, sun dresses, brooches, necklaces, lockets, bracelets, ankle bracelets.....it goes on.... but being a man I am not even aware of the endless list of must wear items women have, but we men don't. Though women are smarter, prettier, wiser, kinder, just better than men, I am glad to be a man because I don't have to shop or wear all of that mess. Women sacrifice themselves for men and we don't even offer our credit cards for them to shop so they can be uncomfortable in their fashion while we sit around with pot bellies hanging over our dirty shorts, scratching our private parts in full view (of course I never scratch. You believe that?).
I think the female obsession with clothing and other wear items stems from two motivations. Please correct me if I am wrong, as being a man I am not as smart as the superior female and need direction. But isn't it true that women do all of this shopping and wearing to impress other women and because wearing those things often leads to romance, love and marriage to one of we inferior male creatures.
I often wonder why women don't just marry other women and forget men. Are we worth the torture you go through to capture one of us? Maybe all women should be lesbians. They would be happier and men would be forced to reevaluate themselves and do a make-over. Why we men might even start to like to shop and start looking attractive too. It's a thought, but then I doubt I could stand the shopping time at the malls....
From the Weird Crime Story department comes news of the case of the clean house. I'm not kidding. Debbie Phillips of Charleston, West Virginia reported that her house had been broken into and cleaned by someone. She swore to police and community leaders, anyone who would listen, that her home wasn't the same when she came home and saw it shinning clean. But police didn't take her seriously.
She tried to report the crime to police but Debbie said the officer she spoke with just laughed at her. When Dirty Debbie went to the president of the County School Board and told them also they just looked at her and nodded patronizingly. Debbie said everyone from her husband to her neighbors denied cleaning the place. She didn't think anything had been stolen but she wasn't quite sure of anything except the house was too clean for her liking.
But the case of the mystery cleaner was eventually solved. It seems that Debbie's neighbor across the street had hired a cleaning service to clean her house. Since the neighbor and Dirty Debbie have similar house numbers and nearly the same spot to hide the house key for service callers the cleaners just came to the wrong address to clean.
Rumors have it Dirty Debbie is frantically restoring her home to the mess she loves.
Cell Jammers
There is hope for civilization after all!!! Cell phone jammers are becoming a popular weapon against those boorish, annoying, inane cell addicts who can't shut up in public by shutting off their phones. Jammers are those little gadgets one can carry and use against a cell abuser to render a cell phone useless. Just a press of a button a radio signal is emitted that is so powerful that phones are shut down and unable to communicate with cell towers. All cell phone within a range of about 25 meters are jammed. No calls can be made or continued, no annoying chatter, civility reigns. Given that the jammers are not especially expensive they are a tempting way of shutting done dell addicts who abuse public peace and serenity.
But as much as I hate cell phones, I am not an advocate and would never use a jammer on anyone. Not only is it illegal to block the protected radio frequencies that cell use the jammer clocks all calls in it's range. And cell phone providers are businesses that pay billions of dollars to lease frequencies for their customers (both good and bad behaving ones) So they idiot who blabs loudly about what bread to buy at the grocery is put in the same class as the mom using her cell for an emergency medical call in seeking assistance for her ill child. The jammer does not discriminate between the useful public cell call and the 99% of other publicly made cell phone calls which are just plan disgustingly annoying.
Ha! It is the ultimate irony of today. In this age of selfishness, when cell addicts make our lives less pleasant with their endless stupid calls, the cell jammer behaves just as badly. The cell abuser thinks his or her rights exceed those of people around him or her and the jammer thinks his right to block the worst cell offenders are more important than the right to use a cell phone by all others.
So if someone who hates cell phones as much as I isn't using a jammer, who is? Apparently, sales are booming everywhere in the world and the most frequent buyers are not individuals who have just had be enough and cant take anymore of those rude calls, but business owners who can't stop their employees from chatting while on the job or who want to provide their customers a business area free of cell yaking. The sellers also say that many professional types use jammers, even doctors and other medical personnel whose clients seem not to be able to read the signs that tell them to TURN OFF CELL PHONES WHILE IN OFFICE.
One bus driver in New York was caught jamming the phones of the students he transports to school each day because he said the kids "never shut up when on their phones and were driving me crazy". Hmmmmmmmmm Maybe a cell jammer should be passed out to every teacher in a school to enforce the no cell phone rule on campus.
I don't endorse using jammers, but the fact that they are now hot items for sale (instead of cell phones, some people are even buying jammers as Christmas gifts for cell haters like me) and are a first attack against the public rudeness that we all endure when the cell nuts chatter away at length in public about nothing, tells me that there is hope for civilization after all. Many people have had enough and are now demanding that when in public the cell user simply turn it off and use it out of sight and ear range.
But as much as I hate cell phones, I am not an advocate and would never use a jammer on anyone. Not only is it illegal to block the protected radio frequencies that cell use the jammer clocks all calls in it's range. And cell phone providers are businesses that pay billions of dollars to lease frequencies for their customers (both good and bad behaving ones) So they idiot who blabs loudly about what bread to buy at the grocery is put in the same class as the mom using her cell for an emergency medical call in seeking assistance for her ill child. The jammer does not discriminate between the useful public cell call and the 99% of other publicly made cell phone calls which are just plan disgustingly annoying.
Ha! It is the ultimate irony of today. In this age of selfishness, when cell addicts make our lives less pleasant with their endless stupid calls, the cell jammer behaves just as badly. The cell abuser thinks his or her rights exceed those of people around him or her and the jammer thinks his right to block the worst cell offenders are more important than the right to use a cell phone by all others.
So if someone who hates cell phones as much as I isn't using a jammer, who is? Apparently, sales are booming everywhere in the world and the most frequent buyers are not individuals who have just had be enough and cant take anymore of those rude calls, but business owners who can't stop their employees from chatting while on the job or who want to provide their customers a business area free of cell yaking. The sellers also say that many professional types use jammers, even doctors and other medical personnel whose clients seem not to be able to read the signs that tell them to TURN OFF CELL PHONES WHILE IN OFFICE.
One bus driver in New York was caught jamming the phones of the students he transports to school each day because he said the kids "never shut up when on their phones and were driving me crazy". Hmmmmmmmmm Maybe a cell jammer should be passed out to every teacher in a school to enforce the no cell phone rule on campus.
I don't endorse using jammers, but the fact that they are now hot items for sale (instead of cell phones, some people are even buying jammers as Christmas gifts for cell haters like me) and are a first attack against the public rudeness that we all endure when the cell nuts chatter away at length in public about nothing, tells me that there is hope for civilization after all. Many people have had enough and are now demanding that when in public the cell user simply turn it off and use it out of sight and ear range.
Two Sites
I have a report on two interesting web sites I found the other day. One is worthwhile for a look , the other just plain strange, morbid in a way. The first one is www.Nayio.com This is the standard music seller site at which a person can download a song. But what distinguishes it from the others is a new tool that is unique to the Internet, the "humming search" engine.
If you have a tune in your head but cant remember the words or the name and want to know what it is, the humming search may help. If you can hum 15 seconds of the song you can search for it there, and be given the name of it and directed to Napster for a free (but illegal) download or to a direct 99 cent download elsewhere.
I checked the humming search myself with two songs, one more obscure and the next a familiar one. There is a big icon on the home page of Nayio that is clicked to take you to the free humming search. All you need to do is hum 15 seconds worth of the song into your computer microphone. The site then compares your hummed notes with a group of 5000 songs it of far has in it's data base, and then posts potential matches.
I first tried a less popular oldie tune, Photographs and Memories, by Jim Croce. The humming search did not find what I hummed. My second hum search attempt was the Beatle classic, When I'm 64. It found that one and gave me the tittle and how to copy it from the free Napster or pay site referral.
The disadvantage is that it is a new technology that only has 5000 songs decoded for use at this time (though more are to come). The tunes are a mix of oldies and newer songs. So far the success rate for finding a song is about 30%, but that will increase dramatically as more songs are added to the humming data base. It's surely a good and commercial idea that someone will perfect soon.
Now for the weird site, www.blasphemychallenge.com/....but only if you are an atheist who likes to deny God publicly. You see, at blasphemey.challenge.com/ the intent is for non believers to stake your soul against the existence of God.
The person using the site (I did not try that and would never do it since I am not an atheist and think it is a bit sick to make such statements publicly at a web site) records his or her statement disavowing the existence of God. Who says you can't find every persuasion in the Internet! When I logged onto the site home page a message said I could have a copy of the God Denying popular video documentary DVD, 'The God Who Wasn't There'. But "there's only one catch: we want your soul," says the site. In exchange for a short message damming yourself to Hell, you get the DVD.
The intent is for atheists to come foreword and put their souls on line, showing others to not be afraid to say there is no God. In Christian theology the only sin that God can never forgive is blasphemy against him (or her), denying the existence of God. I clicked on the video replay section to hear some of the blasphemous remarks and was a taken to Yu Tube where the videos are replayed. What an eclectic mix of atheists were there. I saw about 10 of the videos. All most all were young, below 25 and their statements ranged from serious to amusing. Some people were nervous and I could see they were worried about making such a statement in camera. Many were philosophical and others just denied God because they "didn't think God existed." One woman said she believed Mary and Joseph had sex. Haha I hope that one doesn't send me E mail. There were the usual kid pranksters and people who just wanted the attention they would get by being different.
I wonder why people would go to so much effort to say they don't believe in something others hold dear. Two of the ten I witnessed were said to be formerly very religious. One guy did a guitar solo song denying God. There were several hundred blasphemers with videos when I logged on there. The best video for me was, naturally, the funny one. A clever fellow who wanted the free video but did not want to renounce God. His solution, put his dog on camera mouth a renunciation in the name of Fido. Hehe At the end of Fido's denunciation of the existence of God made he said, "Now send me the God-damned Video" No that's a practical athiest....selling his doggie soul for a video. One guy had his monkey sit in for him while he spoke for both of them. Beneath the videos are comments of the believers refuting the blasphemy statements. Some of those were cute too. One said "You need braces' to a blasphemer he witnessed on the site, another "She's Hot" about another...(Hmmmmm The Hit atheist can E mail me any time., I have no objection to her).any of the responders were angry that the videos were shown and at the facts stated by the non believers. Some comments supported the blasphemers but most were rather unkind and seemed to take the non believers statements too personally.
Anyway.....I tried to find the link for God to see what he had to say abut those people, but apparently, God is unavailable for comment.
If you have a tune in your head but cant remember the words or the name and want to know what it is, the humming search may help. If you can hum 15 seconds of the song you can search for it there, and be given the name of it and directed to Napster for a free (but illegal) download or to a direct 99 cent download elsewhere.
I checked the humming search myself with two songs, one more obscure and the next a familiar one. There is a big icon on the home page of Nayio that is clicked to take you to the free humming search. All you need to do is hum 15 seconds worth of the song into your computer microphone. The site then compares your hummed notes with a group of 5000 songs it of far has in it's data base, and then posts potential matches.
I first tried a less popular oldie tune, Photographs and Memories, by Jim Croce. The humming search did not find what I hummed. My second hum search attempt was the Beatle classic, When I'm 64. It found that one and gave me the tittle and how to copy it from the free Napster or pay site referral.
The disadvantage is that it is a new technology that only has 5000 songs decoded for use at this time (though more are to come). The tunes are a mix of oldies and newer songs. So far the success rate for finding a song is about 30%, but that will increase dramatically as more songs are added to the humming data base. It's surely a good and commercial idea that someone will perfect soon.
Now for the weird site, www.blasphemychallenge.com/....but only if you are an atheist who likes to deny God publicly. You see, at blasphemey.challenge.com/ the intent is for non believers to stake your soul against the existence of God.
The person using the site (I did not try that and would never do it since I am not an atheist and think it is a bit sick to make such statements publicly at a web site) records his or her statement disavowing the existence of God. Who says you can't find every persuasion in the Internet! When I logged onto the site home page a message said I could have a copy of the God Denying popular video documentary DVD, 'The God Who Wasn't There'. But "there's only one catch: we want your soul," says the site. In exchange for a short message damming yourself to Hell, you get the DVD.
The intent is for atheists to come foreword and put their souls on line, showing others to not be afraid to say there is no God. In Christian theology the only sin that God can never forgive is blasphemy against him (or her), denying the existence of God. I clicked on the video replay section to hear some of the blasphemous remarks and was a taken to Yu Tube where the videos are replayed. What an eclectic mix of atheists were there. I saw about 10 of the videos. All most all were young, below 25 and their statements ranged from serious to amusing. Some people were nervous and I could see they were worried about making such a statement in camera. Many were philosophical and others just denied God because they "didn't think God existed." One woman said she believed Mary and Joseph had sex. Haha I hope that one doesn't send me E mail. There were the usual kid pranksters and people who just wanted the attention they would get by being different.
I wonder why people would go to so much effort to say they don't believe in something others hold dear. Two of the ten I witnessed were said to be formerly very religious. One guy did a guitar solo song denying God. There were several hundred blasphemers with videos when I logged on there. The best video for me was, naturally, the funny one. A clever fellow who wanted the free video but did not want to renounce God. His solution, put his dog on camera mouth a renunciation in the name of Fido. Hehe At the end of Fido's denunciation of the existence of God made he said, "Now send me the God-damned Video" No that's a practical athiest....selling his doggie soul for a video. One guy had his monkey sit in for him while he spoke for both of them. Beneath the videos are comments of the believers refuting the blasphemy statements. Some of those were cute too. One said "You need braces' to a blasphemer he witnessed on the site, another "She's Hot" about another...(Hmmmmm The Hit atheist can E mail me any time., I have no objection to her).any of the responders were angry that the videos were shown and at the facts stated by the non believers. Some comments supported the blasphemers but most were rather unkind and seemed to take the non believers statements too personally.
Anyway.....I tried to find the link for God to see what he had to say abut those people, but apparently, God is unavailable for comment.
Plastic Surgery Pitfalls
There was a segment on the TV news broadcast I saw yesterday that got me thinking about appearance, our physical appearance. It seems a lady shown in the broadcast had plastic surgery on her nose, and that resulted in more, and still more surgeries. Suddenly, after more than 20 surgeries her nose was almost gone. It had to be rebuilt again and doesn't look natural. The lady now swears plastic surgery is not a good thing. That's my idea today, that cosmetic plastic surgery usually isn't a good idea for people. I am not referring to plastic surgery that is necessary because of a disfigurement, just the "I want to look younger/better" type of cosmetic surgery.
The odd thing about cosmetic plastic surgery is that the people who most often have it, need it the least. They are already pretty, even beautiful, but so vain they want to look more gorgeous. People like me who could probably use major plastic surgery just to look respectable (I need not tell you I never had it. You can tell by looking at my pictures or staring at me face to face) rarely get it. But I don't want it.
Facial plastic surgery is the worst kind to have because even if the person's face looks less wrinkled, tighter or whatever the patient wants, it never looks the same as before. And that is eerie. Just look at Michael Jackson as an example,. Michael thinks he looks better, but we all know he looks like a freak. The truth is that other than make-up and grooming a person always looks better than if he or she tries to "improve" their looks surgically. Isn't it true that any person you know who has had plastic surgery looks different, but not better. There is something about our natural look that fits the personality. When we change the look and don't change the personality, the look does not fit us anymore.
And plastic surgery is an addiction with some, especially with women. Society pressures women to look young and sexy and that, not a sense of any vanity, is what makes ladies have those boob jobs (there is a law of nature that Sir Issac Newton must have postulated. It says says once lifted surgically, all boobs will eventually fall). Some women can't stop their desire for the surgeries, and they actually remake themselves over physically to the extent that they look too different to Any longer fit their personalities. Strangely, in their own eyes the surgery looks better, but not to others who look at them. Maybe they just feel more self confident because of the surgery. One good thing for me and the other people who will never have plastic surgery.
We may look terrible, but at least it's all natural terribleness.
The odd thing about cosmetic plastic surgery is that the people who most often have it, need it the least. They are already pretty, even beautiful, but so vain they want to look more gorgeous. People like me who could probably use major plastic surgery just to look respectable (I need not tell you I never had it. You can tell by looking at my pictures or staring at me face to face) rarely get it. But I don't want it.
Facial plastic surgery is the worst kind to have because even if the person's face looks less wrinkled, tighter or whatever the patient wants, it never looks the same as before. And that is eerie. Just look at Michael Jackson as an example,. Michael thinks he looks better, but we all know he looks like a freak. The truth is that other than make-up and grooming a person always looks better than if he or she tries to "improve" their looks surgically. Isn't it true that any person you know who has had plastic surgery looks different, but not better. There is something about our natural look that fits the personality. When we change the look and don't change the personality, the look does not fit us anymore.
And plastic surgery is an addiction with some, especially with women. Society pressures women to look young and sexy and that, not a sense of any vanity, is what makes ladies have those boob jobs (there is a law of nature that Sir Issac Newton must have postulated. It says says once lifted surgically, all boobs will eventually fall). Some women can't stop their desire for the surgeries, and they actually remake themselves over physically to the extent that they look too different to Any longer fit their personalities. Strangely, in their own eyes the surgery looks better, but not to others who look at them. Maybe they just feel more self confident because of the surgery. One good thing for me and the other people who will never have plastic surgery.
We may look terrible, but at least it's all natural terribleness.
Welcome To Academia Report
As to the film on which I just completed work, 'Welcome To Academia', here is a final look at it and some of the actors and actresses. It is a comedy that will be released sometime in 2008, when and where I do not know yet. The official plot s description is: "A young graduate student is made to jump through hoops during her dissertation process at the fictional liberal arts school of Victoria University. Meanwhile, teachers and administrators engage in debating tenure issues, fight over deanship positions, and jockey for power - activities that often take precedent over the daily operations of the school."
Most of the scenes I shot were reception and event scenes that required lots of faces (the extras). They were all G rated, but I have heard the film has brief nudity and vulgar language in it, making a PG or R rating likely. The writers are the director, Kirk Davis, and Elizabuita Szoka, a Polish born American lady I happened to have bumped into one day in the holding area after lunch.
I heard her speaking (sigh..on that ---- cell phone!) what I thought was Russian, but turned out to be Polish. When I asked her what language it was she told me and we chatted about the film and her stay in New Orleans. Most times writers are not wanted on the set (they complain and interfere with the production), but because the director and she wrote the script together she visited it for a few days while shooting. In one scene, a costume party, we shot she removed the two balloons one male extra had as part of his costume (a dress) because she said it was "offensive to women". I found that strange, given the nudity and vulgarity that is in the script. But she is more the producer of the film as opposed to the creative part. Davis did most of the writing.
The director and co writer, Kirk Davis is allegedly the unseen star of the film. He is said to be a young prodigy as a director. I found him to be very smart patient, and congenial on the set. Davis won an International Film Fest "Best Fiction Feature Film" Award for his writing and direction in a film entitled 'Screen Door Jesus'.
Most of the actors and actresses in Welcome To Academia' are TV performers, with long resume's of various TV shows during the past 40 years. They are not "name" performers, and since I do not watch TV much I am unfamiliar with their work. Some of he players I worked with in my segments include: Matt Servitto ( He was featured as the Head of FBI in the number one TV series in the U.S, in the early 200's, "The Sopranos"), Calle Thorne (appears from time to time in two TV shows called 'Prison Break' and 'Rescue Me', James Legros (The only ego maniac on the set. This guy seems to love himself too much. His most prominent TV series were 'Ally McBeal' and 'Sleeper Cells'. Again, since I don't watch TV much I don't know those or any of the series I am listing now.) and Laila Robins. (She has appeared more in movies, often as an intense and polished career woman. I got to talk with er at length because I sat nest to her for a couple of scenes. In between breaks we chatted about the fact that her sister, like me, is and English teacher and about the restaurants of New Orleans. She mentioned she adores the food, it is making her fat and that because she finishes work in a few days will not be able to taste more of it. This lady was polite and considerate of everyone, as were several others in the cast I chatted with).
So that is my summery of the time spent on the set. It was a fun 10 days of "work" for me.
Most of the scenes I shot were reception and event scenes that required lots of faces (the extras). They were all G rated, but I have heard the film has brief nudity and vulgar language in it, making a PG or R rating likely. The writers are the director, Kirk Davis, and Elizabuita Szoka, a Polish born American lady I happened to have bumped into one day in the holding area after lunch.
I heard her speaking (sigh..on that ---- cell phone!) what I thought was Russian, but turned out to be Polish. When I asked her what language it was she told me and we chatted about the film and her stay in New Orleans. Most times writers are not wanted on the set (they complain and interfere with the production), but because the director and she wrote the script together she visited it for a few days while shooting. In one scene, a costume party, we shot she removed the two balloons one male extra had as part of his costume (a dress) because she said it was "offensive to women". I found that strange, given the nudity and vulgarity that is in the script. But she is more the producer of the film as opposed to the creative part. Davis did most of the writing.
The director and co writer, Kirk Davis is allegedly the unseen star of the film. He is said to be a young prodigy as a director. I found him to be very smart patient, and congenial on the set. Davis won an International Film Fest "Best Fiction Feature Film" Award for his writing and direction in a film entitled 'Screen Door Jesus'.
Most of the actors and actresses in Welcome To Academia' are TV performers, with long resume's of various TV shows during the past 40 years. They are not "name" performers, and since I do not watch TV much I am unfamiliar with their work. Some of he players I worked with in my segments include: Matt Servitto ( He was featured as the Head of FBI in the number one TV series in the U.S, in the early 200's, "The Sopranos"), Calle Thorne (appears from time to time in two TV shows called 'Prison Break' and 'Rescue Me', James Legros (The only ego maniac on the set. This guy seems to love himself too much. His most prominent TV series were 'Ally McBeal' and 'Sleeper Cells'. Again, since I don't watch TV much I don't know those or any of the series I am listing now.) and Laila Robins. (She has appeared more in movies, often as an intense and polished career woman. I got to talk with er at length because I sat nest to her for a couple of scenes. In between breaks we chatted about the fact that her sister, like me, is and English teacher and about the restaurants of New Orleans. She mentioned she adores the food, it is making her fat and that because she finishes work in a few days will not be able to taste more of it. This lady was polite and considerate of everyone, as were several others in the cast I chatted with).
So that is my summery of the time spent on the set. It was a fun 10 days of "work" for me.
Fast Food
One of my favorite sights in my travels in Asia is the street food vendor. I have concluded that in most cases the simple street foods are superior in taste to the Asian restaurants that offer a wider variety and more expensive food faire. So I like to buy whatever looks appealing (even at the risk of it being not as sanitary), and as of yet have never gotten as much as a tummy ache from eating it. Maybe it's because the food seems exotic to me or just because it is different from the standard (and very good) food I have in New Orleans. I have often read that New Orleans has food on an equal to most places in the world, and the size of my tummy is a confirmation of that. But we have no street food. There are no vendors pushing carts of oily goodies cooked to perfection from daily practice and time honored techniques. There are no street stalls or street food markets here either. It is a pity that our street food isn't really that at all. It's "fast food" (or more grammatically stated - food that is served and prepared quickly, given that the food itself isn't running or even "fast").
This American fast food is bland and homogenized, which is why I partake in it only selectively. Even the restaurants are bland looking, all the same in appearance as to the street vendors own personal wagons and decor. Give me a run-down street cart with fragrant smells and greasy treats any day. You can have the Golden Arches or whatever fast food emblem sits atop the Americans fast food chains. I think our restaurant food is very good, in my view more often better than what I have eaten abroad. But those Asian street vendors are the best for their version of fast food. I'll walk a kilometer for crispy and greasy fried chicken tinted with a slight pepper edge. And a satay is to die for when eaten with that sticky and sweet rice those vendors sell.
I have too many street favorites to list them, and will slight one or two I probably can't recall at the moment, so here are just a few.
- In Beijing, at a night street market that was a Chinese ethnic lesson in regional Chinese foods,. I had lamb from a Mongolian region that attacked me from the grill as the aroma of it hypnotized me both as I bought and consumed that spicy, juice char of meat and long sense in my memory of just how good it tasted. The restaurant food in China was disappointing, but forget the Great Wall! That was the Great Lamb.
- I remember in Jakarta a friend from there advised me that eating at a particular food market was a risk. I quickly announced I would die for good food and we had a bowl of stew that was perfect. As I remember the cost of the stew was less than a dollar. But the same meal would cost 20 times in any Jakarta restaurant and probably have half the taste of that one.
- In Bangkok there is street food everywhere, and what I liked was a stall that sold noodles. I am not sure what those noodles were, but the were the best I ever ate, and I am not a fan of noodles very often. I chose that vendor because I noticed the hundreds of well dressed men and women who ate there at lunch time, a testimony that the locals who could afford a fancier place eschewed those for the superior taste of the Asian food stall.
- In my much hated Singapore I did have one good experience. It was my first and best tasting mango shakes from a Singapore food market there. Creamy and deep in mango taste, I think that shake may give me hope that Singapore may one day be worthy of another visit...well....on second thought...
Anyway, what are some of your favorite street foods or street food experiences? Do you prefer street food to restaurant foods? In Corpus Christi, Texas the other day a woman received a special postal gift form a long lost love- his severed human finger along with a threatening letter from him that said, "This is my last chance to touch you," Corpus Christi Police reported. Police weren't sure which finger was removed or how, but that it appeared to have been washed before it was mailed Friday. "It was a clean cut, and it wasn't mangled." How considerate of him.
The 32- year-old lucky recipient woman filed for an emergency protective order from her boyfriend last week. Police didn't release the name of the 34-year-old ex-boyfriend, who has not been located. He has moved to nearby Spring, Texas, but police there could not confirm the status of the search for him.
Corpus Christi police said a previous incident of family violence was reported between the couple this month. The man faces misdemeanor charges for literally "giving her the finger" and additional charges because of the threatening nature of the letter. The woman reportedly has vowed to never again eat "finger food' of any type.
This American fast food is bland and homogenized, which is why I partake in it only selectively. Even the restaurants are bland looking, all the same in appearance as to the street vendors own personal wagons and decor. Give me a run-down street cart with fragrant smells and greasy treats any day. You can have the Golden Arches or whatever fast food emblem sits atop the Americans fast food chains. I think our restaurant food is very good, in my view more often better than what I have eaten abroad. But those Asian street vendors are the best for their version of fast food. I'll walk a kilometer for crispy and greasy fried chicken tinted with a slight pepper edge. And a satay is to die for when eaten with that sticky and sweet rice those vendors sell.
I have too many street favorites to list them, and will slight one or two I probably can't recall at the moment, so here are just a few.
- In Beijing, at a night street market that was a Chinese ethnic lesson in regional Chinese foods,. I had lamb from a Mongolian region that attacked me from the grill as the aroma of it hypnotized me both as I bought and consumed that spicy, juice char of meat and long sense in my memory of just how good it tasted. The restaurant food in China was disappointing, but forget the Great Wall! That was the Great Lamb.
- I remember in Jakarta a friend from there advised me that eating at a particular food market was a risk. I quickly announced I would die for good food and we had a bowl of stew that was perfect. As I remember the cost of the stew was less than a dollar. But the same meal would cost 20 times in any Jakarta restaurant and probably have half the taste of that one.
- In Bangkok there is street food everywhere, and what I liked was a stall that sold noodles. I am not sure what those noodles were, but the were the best I ever ate, and I am not a fan of noodles very often. I chose that vendor because I noticed the hundreds of well dressed men and women who ate there at lunch time, a testimony that the locals who could afford a fancier place eschewed those for the superior taste of the Asian food stall.
- In my much hated Singapore I did have one good experience. It was my first and best tasting mango shakes from a Singapore food market there. Creamy and deep in mango taste, I think that shake may give me hope that Singapore may one day be worthy of another visit...well....on second thought...
Anyway, what are some of your favorite street foods or street food experiences? Do you prefer street food to restaurant foods? In Corpus Christi, Texas the other day a woman received a special postal gift form a long lost love- his severed human finger along with a threatening letter from him that said, "This is my last chance to touch you," Corpus Christi Police reported. Police weren't sure which finger was removed or how, but that it appeared to have been washed before it was mailed Friday. "It was a clean cut, and it wasn't mangled." How considerate of him.
The 32- year-old lucky recipient woman filed for an emergency protective order from her boyfriend last week. Police didn't release the name of the 34-year-old ex-boyfriend, who has not been located. He has moved to nearby Spring, Texas, but police there could not confirm the status of the search for him.
Corpus Christi police said a previous incident of family violence was reported between the couple this month. The man faces misdemeanor charges for literally "giving her the finger" and additional charges because of the threatening nature of the letter. The woman reportedly has vowed to never again eat "finger food' of any type.
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