Common Sense Idiots!
You've seen them. They're clueless. They don't think. They just do. They're Idiots without Common Sense! Don't Be An Idiot!
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Common Sense Idiots!
These Are The Times That Try Our Souls
It makes you wonder if we're all on one gigantic hamster wheel going around and around and around like George Jetson, stuck on the moving treadmill with Astro watching from a safe distance, getting sucked back through. That's got to be painful. But probably not as painful as the repeated history we're going through with continued badgering and bullying with North Korea, the continued strife in Pakistan and Afghanistan, the ongoing warring in the Middle East and now issues in Jamaica and the US Southern border. On top of that is bizarre weather, baseball hailstones in Denver, flooding in the central East, and the black tidal wave of ooze sucking at the Gulf Coast. If a creature emerges from the black lagoon, it's probably just an aid worker trying to help.
The world has gone mad, plain and simple, it's insanity all over. No wonder we'd rather glue our ...<< MORE >>
The world has gone mad, plain and simple, it's insanity all over. No wonder we'd rather glue our ...<< MORE >>
"Do, or do not. There is no 'try.'"
The Copenhagen climate summit has become a sandbox brawl of whiny toddlers complaining over their share of the snacks not realizing that the rain is starting already and their sandbox is about to become a sinkhole and the snacks will be inedible anyway and all will go hungry! It’s time to act now for the future if there’s going to be a future. This planet will end up unpopulated shorter than we think if we don’t work together and stop polluting it now!
There is no maybe. "Do, or do not. There is no 'try.'" as Jedi Master Yoda quipped. China is the biggest problem because the rest of the world continues to buy cheap products produced in ...<< MORE >>
Black Friday
By now the shoppers have returned with their treasures and sore, tired feet to find hiding places for the gifts to be given with pride in four weeks and feeling they got the best deal ever. Just wait until they see their credit card bills... Did they realize how much that bag full of miscellaneous gift items that don't have an intended recipient yet but seemed like such a good deal they just couldn't pass it up will really cost? Probably not. Do they think about the opportunity cost of their time and energy and other things they could have been doing instead of waiting outside in the cold so they could be one of the first to walk through the door and get one of that store's "door buster" deals? Perhaps they're not aware that many of those so called "deals" are last year's merchandise or second ...<< MORE >>
Screw it!
Have you ever had trouble trying to screw on a ...<< MORE >>
History Repeats Itself
Another global idiot in the works! Does Ahmadinejad really believe he can get away with acting like a dictator in this age of instant Tweets and global photo ops? Apparently he learned nothing from the 1979 "revolution" with the Shah where protesters were beaten in the streets. If you haven't seen the photos from the last couple of days, just Google "iran protests" and look at the news items. It's obvious that the supporters of Mir Hossein Mousavi are getting the attention they require to make the world aware of the situation.
Ahmadinejad is an idiot if he believes the people won't require an accurate count of the votes from the election. Just as George W. Bush finally agreed to a recount in the election in Florida against Al Gore, Ahmadinejad needs to offer a recount to Mousavi and stand by the result. If there's nothing ...<< MORE >>
Ahmadinejad is an idiot if he believes the people won't require an accurate count of the votes from the election. Just as George W. Bush finally agreed to a recount in the election in Florida against Al Gore, Ahmadinejad needs to offer a recount to Mousavi and stand by the result. If there's nothing ...<< MORE >>
Here's Looking At You Kid!
The wave of online social networking has brought to light a new type of idiocy, the person who doesn’t understand the difference between public and private behavior. If you post something on your blog, Facebook, MySpace, LinkedIn or Twitter page, your information is public which means that anyone, including your boss, can view it.
So if you’re griping about how you hate your work and can’t stand your boss, you might want to clean out your desk now because chances are your boss may be Googling you and reading that information while you’re tweeting your latest update about calling in sick because you just couldn’t stand to sit through another day on the job.
A recent example of this stupidity occurred when a couple of Domino’s Pizza guys decided it would be funny to post videos of themselves on YouTube doing disgusting ...<< MORE >>
Papal Penile Posture Preposterous
It was with great difficulty that I didn't kick something through a stained glass window when I read about the pope's (yes, the supposedly "infallible" one) still unwavering stance on condemning condom use even in places like Africa with its outrageous outbreaks of HIV infections and other STDs. So it's ok to beat a woman and force her to give birth to 5-8 kids but god forbid you want to prevent another pregnancy for an overpopulated planet by using a safe method that might also prevent nasty diseases - no, the Catholic Church believes god wants everyone to suffer. What a global idiot! This one is out of the park. They're still preaching using abstinence alone! J.C.! That's totally irresponsible. Hello? Isn't anyone paying attention in the Vatican or are they too busy polishing the relics from the past?
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Spastic Spamming Spoils Spontaneity & Slows Socializing
I've noticed an alarming trend lately with my computer use. I'm spending an increasing amount of time deleting spam and trying to make my real message interaction more appropriate so I can move on to more relevant activities in my life like exercising and spending time with the family. You may have realized this same problem with your technology use: the more you use technology, the more "junk mail" you get and the more social interactions you have, the more people want to grab your attention to their agenda which is usually to sell you something.
I am, by nature, a social person. However, I want to choose my interaction time with others and not be avalanched by requests for my time and resources. I'm already spending way too much time attached to a keyboard and sitting in a chair for so long isn't healthy ...<< MORE >>
Eight is more than enough!
It's been a boom year for idiots so far. So many idiots, so few moments to write them all in a blog. But this one takes the cake so far, the octuplet* mom, or rather, what do you call the mother of 14 kids? A world class idiot! Not only is she an idiot for having used fertility drugs to conceive the first six kids, but the 2nd set of 8 at once is just unbelievable! The fact that those people around her who supposedly care for her well being must have all been seriously off their rockers to allow this woman to go through with this incredibly stupid plan is at the very least, negligent.
We have a population problem on this earth already. I know the religious zealots and large family kooks out there will argue that statistics show we are barely ...<< MORE >>
Travel Tolerance
It's barely a new year and already I'm disgusted by my fellow humans. My hopes for sanity remain a distant mirage. The news item of the Irfan Family kicked off AirTran Airways was appalling. Yes, I can understand how it happened based on the current idiotic fervor that's happening across America since 9/11, especially since our current government encourages this kind of turn in your neighbor mentality. However, what doesn't make sense is that we seem to have forgotten our history in favor of current trends.
Why is it that one of the smaller minority of racial groups, European Americans, feels it's ok to torment other Americans because of their appearance? Remember Timothy McVeigh and the profiling that happened to innocent people who happened to look like the American stereotypical "terrorist" from the Middle East? The evil doer there was as apple pie looking as ...<< MORE >>
Insanity in Mumbai
The situation in Mumbai is horrific. Young boys (younger than 30 is a boy in my book, especially those who play with guns!) killing innocents, men, women and children and singling out those of American and British nationality is like something out of a weird Steven King sci-fi, badly scripted late night movie. What do they think they will accomplish by these acts of unforgivable violence? I'm not from India, have never been there and only have acquaintances who have, but I feel a kinship with the people I see on the news reports both TV and online and it makes me sick to see what they have to endure. Apparently they passed over anyone who appeared or claimed to be Muslim. Why does it matter? Since the 9/11 attacks on the US, I've been educating myself on other cultures and religions, especially Muslim/Islam, in an effort to ...<< MORE >>
Fashion Faux Pas
Congratulations to Barack Obama and Joe Biden on their history-making sweep of the presidential race. We watched the edge-of-your-seat election coverage flipping between about 9 networks across the DirecTV satellite spectrum so we wouldn't miss anything. The concession speech of McCain's was pitch perfect and the best lesson in good sportsmanship my kids could have. The acceptance speech of Obama was spot on for its relevance and intensity. Now, let's talk about the glaring situation that couldn't be ignored. What were the women thinking? All through this election for the past couple of years we could count on the women to be the epitome of style and class and possess that je ne sais quoi quality of panache that set them apart from the other women around them. WHAT HAPPENED LAST NIGHT? Did they all give their stylists the day off? Did they go into their closets with ...<< MORE >>
Make 'Em Laugh!
I finally figured out why Sarah Palin was asked to be McCain's running mate. The talk show hosts and other comedians got together and decided it would be better for their collective careers if they had someone to provide content for their jokes for the next four years than it would be to have a better economy or to end the war. So they must have rallied together and approached McCain and his people and asked them to come up with someone who would give them job security. Palin is their ticket to continued success in comedy. If McCain isn't elected, she can just hike back up to the north pole with her shotgun and continue on with her local political career, maybe run for Senate, and someday write a memoir about how she almost made history. What the comedians didn't really count on though is that the ...<< MORE >>
Mute the Music!
I was googling articles on Sarah Palin's hair clip to share with my husband because the comments about it are more brutal than Carrie's from Sex in the City when she criticized the scrunchie wearing woman with her then boyfriend. Anyway, I find a site that has good comments and as I'm adding more tabs from my search results, I hear this music blasted in my ears! Since I do a lot of my internet activity late at night, I wear ear phones so I don't wake up the household. I finally realize the music is coming from the blog site I'd just clicked and have to scroll all the way down the site to find the controls to turn it off. That is the same as noise pollution in my book! If you really want people to read your blog and share your ideas with the world, ...<< MORE >>
Sale Price May Not Register
I was buying something at the hardware store the other day and after making my purchases and heading out to the car it occurred to me that the total might have been a bit higher than I had expected. So after perusing the receipt and discovering that the one impulse item I had added at the last minute was rung up as regular price instead of the orange clearance price which got my attention in the first place and the only reason I picked it up anyway, I headed back into the store. Of course, by now there was a small line and I had to wait my turn while the person in front of me tried to figure out how to provide the correct amount for their purchase. By the time I got to the front of the line, I was thoroughly entertained by the bevy of ...<< MORE >>
8 Items or Less
Ever browse through a clothing store, meticulously choosing no more than 8 items to try on at one time in the fitting room, knowing it will be a pain to re-dress and wait for another open stall only to discover that the rooms are locked and there's no attendant in sight? Then you have to make a decision: Is it worth it to me to try on the dress that will probably make me look like I'm trying to look younger or the jeans that I know won't fit over my hips or do I forget the whole thing and go somewhere else just to start the whole process over again? If it's worth it to go ahead and track down someone (usually someone who moves a lot slower than you would like) to unlock the door so you can start your self evaluation in the ...<< MORE >>
Don't Squeeze the Charmin
Why is it that people will spend lots of money on hair products, body products, designer clothes, exotic home decorations and yet they still buy the cheapest 1-ply toilet paper to wipe their butts with? Or, you spend beaucoup bucks for a fancy hotel experience and once you get in the room that's not that spectacular but the view and location are great just to find out they stocked the bathroom with the thinnest TP on the planet. What gives? Do they think they're saving money? They're not. You have to use twice to three times as much of the 1-ply cheap stuff as you would the 2-ply soft stuff in order to get yourself clean. It's not a saving for the environment.
Do yourself and ...<< MORE >>
Do yourself and ...<< MORE >>
It's Over When the Fat Lady Sings!
Well, the election is over and this time the fat lady sang but she didn't win. I'm sure Hillary will figure out some way to keep herself in the limelight, after all, Bill needs to keep busy. And for those of you who were Friends of Bill or Hillary or anyone else running for office and advertised your choice of candidate on your front lawn or along the local route to the liquor store, it's now time to take the signs down and recycle them or put them on your living room wall, whatever. Just take them down. If you read the entry about yard sale signs hanging around way past the sale date, it applies to this as well. We don't care anymore about who is running for superintendent or about the local bill that didn't pass, remove the evidence and let ...<< MORE >>
Riding Shotgun
I pulled up to a stoplight yesterday and looked to my right to see a small furry face looking back. Apparently the driver of the (no idea what kind because I was too busy staring at the dog face) car next to me had his/her (again, too busy staring at the dog face to notice) small dog perched on their shoulder as they were driving so the doggy could see out of the window? What an idiot!
It's bad enough that we have to deal with those of you out there who apparently haven't heard of headsets and still hold onto your cell phone in one hand while eating your drive through "meal" in the other and steering with your knees. Now we have to be wary of you because some of you think it's ok to have Fido or Fifi ...<< MORE >>
It's bad enough that we have to deal with those of you out there who apparently haven't heard of headsets and still hold onto your cell phone in one hand while eating your drive through "meal" in the other and steering with your knees. Now we have to be wary of you because some of you think it's ok to have Fido or Fifi ...<< MORE >>
Check Your Work
If you're going to advertise for your business to draw in more customers, do yourself a favor and spell check your message first. A local florist, in keeping with the upcoming Mother's Day event, posted on their sign board the invitation to "Suprise her with flowers!" Although most schools these days do teach reading phonetically; at some point they usually catch up with the correct spelling and require it by the time the student graduates from high school. I don't know about your habits, but I am typically reluctant to do business with people who don't seem to have their act together. This includes being able to intelligently market their products.
Yes, the public judges you by your outward appearance and that includes the signage outside your business. First impressions are next to ...<< MORE >>
Yes, the public judges you by your outward appearance and that includes the signage outside your business. First impressions are next to ...<< MORE >>
TMI (Too Much Information)!
Ever have a complete stranger give you their life story with all the gory details? Why do people feel compelled to tell someone they don't know the most intimate details of their life? And why am I one of those people who seems to be approachable to do this to? I really don't need to know that your husband once cheated on you or that your son is on his way to a life of petty crime or that your aunt has some weird unpronounceable disease. I don't know you and you're not part of my regular circle of friends and family so why do you feel it necessary to share? Please don't. It's embarrassing, uncomfortable and inappropriate. Share with your own circle of friends and family and if you don't have one, maybe you should look at why and change your behaviour so you ...<< MORE >>
Deep Fried Twinkies
We have an amusement park not far from home with rides and all the great kinds of junk food you would expect. However, there's one "treat" that I will probably never try: Deep Fried Twinkies! Yep, just when you thought they couldn't come up with something worse than Elvis' favorite deep-fried sandwich idea, they take one of the most toxic snack foods ever created and make it even more lethal. Where does it go from here? Deep fried Peeps? They'd probably melt. Or maybe not. The marshmallow plastic type stuff they're made from might not be too far from the Twinkie artificial cake like substance that seems to turn into bricklayer building material when left to dry over a year or so.
I'm certain these snack "foods" will still be around when the cockroaches have ...<< MORE >>
I'm certain these snack "foods" will still be around when the cockroaches have ...<< MORE >>
See The Light
Whenever I need to make a major purchase for the house, it seems like there's never a sale on the items needed. It seems that I'm at the mercy of a savvy salesperson if I want to get things like window coverings, new flooring or light fixtures. We recently did a major remodel and I was overwhelmed by the level of detail that needed to go into every decision. Because we chose to do most of the work ourselves and schedule the labor separately instead of hiring a contractor to oversee the work, it became a several month long education in the construction industry. Whew! It's amazing what you learn by doing when you have to figure it out yourself.
One thing that required extensive research was the type of lighting fixtures to use. It ...<< MORE >>
One thing that required extensive research was the type of lighting fixtures to use. It ...<< MORE >>
Lane Crossers
Why can't people plan ahead? I was driving on the freeway today in the second lane from the right (supposedly the "safest" lane and least likely to get pulled over from) when this idiot in the lane to my left suddenly remembers he has to exit right now. He swerves right across my lane, zooms over the exit lane and barely makes it on the exit before hitting the sign; totally oblivious that he almost caused at least two accidents from those of us trying to avoid hitting him. Is this just panic mode caused by waking suddenly from the tedium stupor induced by miles and miles of the same scenery or did he just decide he had to pee and needed the first opportunity? Whatever. It doesn't give him the right to put anyone else's life in danger by reacting like a ...<< MORE >>
Water, Please
Ate out at a restaurant for dinner today and had what seems to be a typical experience. The food was decent although nothing spectacular. The service was fine except for one thing. We had requested glasses of water for everyone and it took until halfway through the meal to get them. I understand about water rationing and the now normal drought conditions here in California but water is a pretty basic item for human survival. Surely that could be the first item on the delivery list when someone actually requests it. The other issue is that they automatically assume you want ice in your water. I don't. I'm one of those people with sensitive teeth and ice water makes my teeth hurt. I prefer room temperature water. I guess I'll have to specify that if I want to order water in a restaurant. ...<< MORE >>
Turn Out The Light!
Most people are so wrapped up in their own world that they don't stop to think how their actions might affect others. The latest example of this reared its head while we were camping recently. We found a reasonable site at a state park and had just settled down in front of the campfire to chat quietly when the neighbors in the next site returned from sightseeing and decided to leave their high beams on so they could get ready for bed themselves. How annoying can you be? It's in the middle of the woods. We're listening to the sounds of nature and looking at the stars and suddenly it feels like high noon. Have some courtesy when you're situated next to others. Use a flashlight and shine the beam only on your area. ...<< MORE >>
Chocolate Bunny
Why is it that here in the U.S. Easter has become almost as commercialized as Christmas? It used to be that you'd dye some eggs different colors; the parents would hide them in the yard and you'd get a chocolate bunny in a basket with plastic grass but you couldn't eat anything until after church. These days they market huge baskets (still with plastic grass) with a slew of toys made in China and candy that the kids don't seem to like. Have you ever seen anyone actually eat one of those gummy hamburger candies? Blech! Luckily my daughter grew out of her fondness for Peeps marshmallow candies. Almost as disgusting as the Twinkie. But I digress.
Fortunately Easter is the last candy holiday of the season which begins with Halloween and carries through Christmas, ...<< MORE >>
Fortunately Easter is the last candy holiday of the season which begins with Halloween and carries through Christmas, ...<< MORE >>
Wait Your Turn
Ever have someone pull out right in front of you only to meet up with them at a stoplight or pull into a driveway just down the road? Obviously they must be in some huge hurry. But why on earth, if they're going just down the road, do they have to pull out in front of me? Why can't they wait that infinitesimal moment until after I've passed and then pull out in a frenzy to get to their girlfriend's house that's three blocks away?
The worst drivers are those that pull out of their driveways or side streets into traffic without actually looking to see what's about to plow into them. Unfortunately, it's often me in my car. There's a reason why they give the right of way to the traffic that's going ...<< MORE >>
The worst drivers are those that pull out of their driveways or side streets into traffic without actually looking to see what's about to plow into them. Unfortunately, it's often me in my car. There's a reason why they give the right of way to the traffic that's going ...<< MORE >>
Here's Your Sign
It's spring and with this season we start to see something that only comes out when the weather is nice but seems to stay for a long time. That's right, I'm talking about the yard sale signs. It never fails. You see them plastered on street signs around town and telephone poles; but does anyone ever take them down? Not very often.
Part of the problem seems to lie in the fact that many of the signs are difficult to read anyway so very few people pay attention to them. Who thought it was a good idea to write your information in light pink on tan cardboard? The message doesn't get through very well if you can't see it. But that's for another time. You'd think that those who put up the signs would want ...<< MORE >>
Part of the problem seems to lie in the fact that many of the signs are difficult to read anyway so very few people pay attention to them. Who thought it was a good idea to write your information in light pink on tan cardboard? The message doesn't get through very well if you can't see it. But that's for another time. You'd think that those who put up the signs would want ...<< MORE >>
Jaywalking
I don't mind it when people cross the street in the middle of the block because it's usually a hassle to walk all the way to the next crosswalk. I do mind when they do it right in front of where I'm trying to drive. What are they thinking? That I'll have to stop because they're a pedestrian and they can sue me if I don't? That they can play a little chicken with the cars because they think they can run faster? Why do they have to choose that precise moment when my car is passing to go across? They were just standing there a moment ago and they couldn't wait another two seconds until I'm past to cross then?
This reminds me of driving down our rural street this time of ...<< MORE >>
This reminds me of driving down our rural street this time of ...<< MORE >>
Don't Beat Around the Bush
Why can't people talk straight? When they want to get something from you, why can't they just ask instead of beating around the bush until they finally get around to the real request? It's so annoying to start a conversation with someone thinking that they're interested in the topic just to find out they're humoring you until they can get their own agenda met. Be honest with your listener. If you don't care about listening to them go on about their pet but want to ask if you can borrow their chainsaw, ask about the chainsaw. Especially if you're one of those people who will be blabbing to someone else that you had to endure a ten minute treatise on Fluffy's latest mishap before you felt able to ask if you could borrow the saw. If they find out you were just biding ...<< MORE >>
Texting While Driving
Alright you know you've seen it all when you watch somebody texting on their cell phone while driving down the street at 40 mph. Did they forget they're driving a car? Is it so important they can't just call the person, pop on a headset and talk while they're driving (which would be distracting enough). No, they have to multitask and divide their attention between finding the right letters on the tiny buttons while trying to steer with their knees because for some reason they have to hold the phone with one hand and text with the other. Did I mention this person looked about 15? I want to know when these people are driving around so I can decide to stay home. So now in addition to the drivers driving drunk and eating and drinking coffee and smoking while behind the wheel, ...<< MORE >>
Harry Puffer
So Harry Potter has become Harry Puffer! Daniel Radcliffe apparently has a smoking addiction. Can't he read or are those glasses he wears for his role causing him to go blind? I don't know about the packaging of cigarettes in Britain but here in the States they all have the warning on them that smoking causes cancer. He's not the only one. I see kids as young as 11 or 12 lighting up. Do they think they look cool? They can't possible like the taste of the stuff - it's horrid. There are a number of much better kicks you can get that taste better and won't eventually kill you unless you overdo it. Everything in moderation. ...<< MORE >>
Lift Off!
Why do some parents let their kids drink caffeine? I see little kids, around six or seven, drinking colas at birthday parties along with the mile high sugar on the cake. That's a recipe for dynamite. I guarantee that after about 27 minutes, give or take 5 minutes depending on their tolerance level, that kid is going to be ready for lift off. What are they thinking? Or are they just not thinking about the fact that most colas have caffeine?
Since most of these parties are in the afternoon, I can just imagine how those kids are at bedtime. Must make for interesting evenings. ...<< MORE >>
Since most of these parties are in the afternoon, I can just imagine how those kids are at bedtime. Must make for interesting evenings. ...<< MORE >>
Painting Yourself Into a Corner
Why haven't they figured out a better way to get paint out of a paint can without making a huge mess? Someone came up with a clever little gadget that fits on a standard size gallon paint can and helps the paint make it over the lip so it doesn't drip down over the directions, but it only fits the gallon size. What about the smaller size cans? I'm doing a painting project that requires the use of several small paint cans and the process of pouring out the paint into a usable container is making a mess. Luckily I planned ahead and put down a tarp but it's still frustrating. I spend almost as much time cleaning up as I do painting!
There's got to be some clever way to create a paint ...<< MORE >>
There's got to be some clever way to create a paint ...<< MORE >>
Who's On First?
There are some basic pieces of information that are essential when you are announcing an event or trying to drum up business. They are the same no matter what type of event: school related, extra curricular activities, small business, big business, birthday parties, etc. Your audience needs to know the basics: What, When, Where, Who and Why.
Now most people can handle the What and the Why and get most of the When, but when it comes to Where and Who they stumble. For example, I've seen a number of birthday party invites for my kids that don't mention if siblings are included or excluded. This is an essential piece of information for those parents who have more than one child and need to figure out what to do with the others during the event. ...<< MORE >>
Now most people can handle the What and the Why and get most of the When, but when it comes to Where and Who they stumble. For example, I've seen a number of birthday party invites for my kids that don't mention if siblings are included or excluded. This is an essential piece of information for those parents who have more than one child and need to figure out what to do with the others during the event. ...<< MORE >>
Stop Thief!
Why is it that no matter how carefully the clothing store clerk checks your items, invariably one of them still has the theft protection device and the alarm goes off as you're casually trying to exit the store with your purchase? I hate that. It happens about one in every five shopping trips and usually because the tag was put in a weird place.
The worst location was right under the armpit of a dress which made it almost impossible to try on the dress because the tag was pinching the fabric together and my arm wouldn't fit through. Whoever attaches those stupid things must be an idiot. Almost as much an idiot as the person who designed them in the first place! They're only slightly more effective than a car alarm which isn't much. ...<< MORE >>
The worst location was right under the armpit of a dress which made it almost impossible to try on the dress because the tag was pinching the fabric together and my arm wouldn't fit through. Whoever attaches those stupid things must be an idiot. Almost as much an idiot as the person who designed them in the first place! They're only slightly more effective than a car alarm which isn't much. ...<< MORE >>
Telemarketers
What's with the telemarketers that call at 8:30 at night? I'm trying to get my kids to sleep and the phone rings with someone wanting to add to my Directv service. I tell them that they need to call back during the day hours. So, the following night what happens? They call again at the same time. I tell them again, they need to call during daytime hours and we'll talk to them but we can't speak with them now. Next night.... they call again. This time I give my husband's favorite line, "Look, do you mind not calling right now, I'm having sex with my wife..." Works every time. They haven't called back. ...<< MORE >>
No, After You
Ok so you get to the door at the exact same time as someone else, what do you do? Do you speed up and barge through to be the first one? Do you hold back and wait for the other person to go ahead? Do you speed up to open the door and hold it for the other person? If you're a man, would your behaviour be different if the other person were a woman instead of a man? Likewise, if you're a woman, would your behaviour towards a man be different than it would be towards a woman in this situation?
Does it matter how old or young you are or does it come down to what your mother taught you? We all go through doors daily. Most of us are in the company ...<< MORE >>
Does it matter how old or young you are or does it come down to what your mother taught you? We all go through doors daily. Most of us are in the company ...<< MORE >>
In the Clouds
Why is it that fragrance is so popular in this culture? Every where you go you're bombarded by some kind of scent, whether it's a coworker at your office, the person in front of you at the grocery checkout or the rolling clouds that flow out of places like Crabtree & Evelyn at the mall. Candles with fragrance are extremely popular and home parties to sell them are a common social networking event. Products like Febreze make it so we never need to smell foul odors again. Just spray on the sofa and the dog smell goes away. The TV commercials for this product show people obsessed with sniffing the fragrance from the product and ignoring their normal life situations.
Are we suddenly afraid to smell ourselves and our environment? Are we all suffering from ...<< MORE >>
Are we suddenly afraid to smell ourselves and our environment? Are we all suffering from ...<< MORE >>
Freedom of Religion
Most people think that the First Amendment to the Constitution of the United States provides for freedom of religion in this country. That's not exactly true. The amendment actually reads, "Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances." In other words, the government can't set up its own religion (like they did way back in Europe) and can't prevent citizens from practicing their chosen religion. But most people would tell you that it gives us the right to choose which religion we want to follow. However, they would probably not think about the concept that it also allows one to ...<< MORE >>
Line Up!
Why is it that lines never form in an orderly fashion or move quickly when you need to get into one? Most grocery stores and discount department stores like Target, Kmart, Wal-Mart, Toys 'R Us, etc. have it figured out and have separate lines set up behind each cash register and sometimes have the registers staggered so the lines won't cross each other. However, the smaller institutions either haven't figured it out yet or just want to be different and sometimes cause themselves problems because of this.
Trader Joes is a good example of this. In a democratic society where everyone works together and no one has a hidden agenda their queuing process might work. However, we're not really a democratic society when it comes to grocery shopping. If you're in a hurry or you have ...<< MORE >>
Trader Joes is a good example of this. In a democratic society where everyone works together and no one has a hidden agenda their queuing process might work. However, we're not really a democratic society when it comes to grocery shopping. If you're in a hurry or you have ...<< MORE >>
Slow Children Playing
What's the deal with speed bumps? Yes I understand they're supposed to slow you down while driving by schools and quiet neighborhoods; but they only work when the person driving over them is paying attention. If you're driving down a residential street and you don't see the speed bump but notice it as you thunk over it, it only slightly slows down the vehicle but it causes the vehicle to go wild momentarily. That's not safe at all. If the vehicle is now suddenly flying out of control towards the sidewalk, it completely defeats the purpose of the speed bump to slow people down and make the streets safe for pedestrians. Wouldn't it be better to put some of those hockey puck little bumps scattered there and there so you don't actually lose control but you get an almost constant reminder if you're ...<< MORE >>
Clifford Doesn't Live Here
Which came first, the small apartment or the big dog? I think it's cruel for people who live in small apartments, condos, cottages or mobile homes to have really big dogs. I've seen these people walking their Great Dane down the streets of San Francisco knowing that the only housing for miles around consists of small flats with no real yard and lots of pavement. These folks seem to be ok with the idea that they are forced to carry a bag with them into which they will be scooping the excrement from their beloved pooch and finding appropriate disposal for it. Why don't they just teach the dog to go on the toilet and save everyone some trouble. I know they've been able to teach cats to do this, why not dogs?
If ...<< MORE >>
If ...<< MORE >>
Gesundheit!
Why have we not come up with a better way to rid ourselves of nose gunk (mucus) than by blowing it into a piece of paper and wiping our nose until it's raw because of the volume? Since we can't cure the common cold, surely we can figure out something for the symptoms better than this? Even the softer hankerchief doesn't work if you're blowing buckets of phlegm unless you happen to have a wardrobe of them to match every outfit and a good laundry service. It's still not a very hygienic solution to a universal problem. How about disposable tampons for noses? Mini ones that are made of a gentler (recycled, of course) kind of paper or fabric that won't clog landfills but biodegrade quickly. Designer fashion nose plugs that soak up all the snot. I can just see it at the ...<< MORE >>
Picking Up Paperclips
Why is it that we don't value education at all in this country? We continually gripe about how poorly our students seem to be educated when they graduate from high school yet we aren't willing to do anything about improving the quality of that education by hiring good teachers and by maintaining the teachers we already have. Here in California we are continually bombarded by budget crisis issues and the first thing that seems to get cut every time is education and support for the schools. That's idiotic! Our entire future hangs in the balance of kids getting a decent education so they can continue to grow this society and we want to short change them.
The teachers in our district are facing a salary cut once again. Right now they have to pony up ...<< MORE >>
The teachers in our district are facing a salary cut once again. Right now they have to pony up ...<< MORE >>
Blood is Thicker...
A friend of mine recently got in trouble because of something his brother's friend did. His brother lives in my friend's house and the brother had a friend visiting. This friend of the brother was into some very illegal activities and by association, when the cops came to check out the activities of the friend (probation, suspicious, etc.) they arrested everyone, including my friend because he happened to have a collection of guns. Now even though the 2nd Amendment to the Constitution allows us the right to bear arms, we still have difficulty pulling this one off. I don't know about you but I am in greater fear every day of my own government rising up against me for no particular reason. It's not paranoia, it's plain fact based on the continued anti-Constitutional activities of our current president. The Revolutionists had the same ...<< MORE >>
Move It On Over
It's that time of year again when the fruit trees are in bloom as well as the daffodils and narcissus and the bicyclists think they own the road. Why is it that people who like to ride bikes a lot never seem to understand that they need to share the road with the cars that weigh so much more than they do? I see them pumping their way down the rural road, three abreast, deep in conversation, lollygagging about the scenery while I'm trying to get past them to get my kids to school on time. But I'm not the only one who wishes they would move over and let us pass. The other drivers who are racing their way to work, travel mug of coffee in hand, fiddling with their phone in the other, switching radio stations trying to find the traffic ...<< MORE >>
Barbarians at the Gate
There's a gate in the neighborhood that's supposed to deter the riff raff apparently from the rural estates. However, the gate keeps breaking from the constant usage. There are about a hundred people who drive through it every day and they're surprised when it can't handle that volume. So they keep convincing each other that they have to keep fixing the gate because they just can't stand the idea that someone might actually decide to drive through, park somewhere and look at their view. If that were the case then I'd be more concerned about litter and erosion than roaming gangs of teenage thugs aimed at destruction. It would be pretty easy to spot someone leaving the scene if they have to drive down a windy mountain road past the usual day walkers and dog herders to get away.
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Virtual Virus
Don't use technology if you don't understand it. Plain and simple. Example: If you're going to email a document to people, please change it to Adobe PDF (portable document format) format so you're not spreading viruses with MS Word docs! Microsoft products, especially Microsoft Office (Word, Excel, Outlook and Powerpoint) are the most targeted software on the planet for viruses and worms. Why tempt fate by emailing documents using these formats when a much safer version is possible! Do you want to be responsible for frying your friend's hard drive?
The worst example of the Word doc emailer I've ever seen was someone who worked for a non-profit organization and sent out an enormous newsletter monthly as a Word doc. The thing was so huge it took a long time to load as a Word doc ...<< MORE >>
The worst example of the Word doc emailer I've ever seen was someone who worked for a non-profit organization and sent out an enormous newsletter monthly as a Word doc. The thing was so huge it took a long time to load as a Word doc ...<< MORE >>
Retail Redux
This is not my week for retail therapy. Blunders at the cash register are starting to drive me crazy. I've started double-checking my receipts on every purchase. The weirdest one was at Toys 'R Us where I went to pick up a couple of things with the kids the other day. We purchased a birthday present which had two parts to it and a Little League bat. When I open the bag at home later I find a $4.99 birthday card that seems to have made its way into the bag and onto the receipt. There's no envelope. Apparently the clerk wasn't thinking when they rung up the sale and just tossed it in with everything else. Now wouldn't you ask if you thought someone was trying to buy a birthday card without an envelope? Yeah, I would too, but apparently this person just ...<< MORE >>
"King of the Demo"
All right. I've had it with clever marketing campaigns disguised as reality. The stunt Fred Simmons pulled on Conan's late night talk show last night was in very poor taste. It was a train wreck to watch. I was feeling sorry for the poor kids who had to endure their supposed Tae Kwon Doe teacher bullying them and cursing expletives on national television, all to promote a supposed upcoming movie. I am apparently not the audience for this type of locker room humor. If companies and individuals want to promote a movie, just tell us it's a pitch and let us decide if we want to watch it. I actually appreciated it during the writers' strike when Jay Leno had talented people on the show showcasing their various and sometimes bizarre talents. It reminded me of Lawrence Welk, the Sonny and Cher show, ...<< MORE >>
Bump and Grind
As I was waiting in the car line to pick up the kids from school today, I noticed a rather large SUV with its lights on looking like it was about to back out of the premium parking space. Thinking it was my lucky day, I backed up a little so the person could feel comfortable maneuvering their vehicle into the line of traffic snaking through the parking lot. I waited and waited and just as I was pulling out of range to be able to pull into the space after they vacated it and the vehicles behind me were getting antsy, (there was a rather long line of SUVs that were larger than my little 4-door normal size car and the drivers had already been to Starbucks so they were amped!) the large SUV pulls forward over the cement divider with a ...<< MORE >>
"Who are you wearing?"
I like watching spectacles like the Oscars where celebrities dress to the nines and parade down a red carpet. I don't like the follow up shows with a fashion focus which always have fashion "experts" commenting on the outfits of the other celebrities. What occurs to me about this strange concept of criticizing others in one's own industry is that the "experts" are often wearing outfits that appear to me to be major fashion faux pas. Who made these people "experts" in the first place and second, why do they get to criticize others for their clothing decisions and get paid to harp about why they agree or not with the celebrity choices?
Unfortunately a huge industry has built up around the idea that the average person sitting at home watching the awards shows and ...<< MORE >>
Unfortunately a huge industry has built up around the idea that the average person sitting at home watching the awards shows and ...<< MORE >>
Not Wash & Wear
I have long had the suspicion that there's a conspiracy between the clothing manufacturers and the dry cleaning industry. It makes sense if you look at all of the clothing labels that claim the garment is "dry clean only." What kind of arrangement could they have made? The dry cleaners, of course, get extra business this way and are able to charge whatever they like to dry clean that sweater that looks a lot like another sweater in your closet with a tag that explains how to "machine wash in cold and lay flat to dry." However, what do the clothing manufacturers get from this deal? Perhaps there's some kind of obsolescence built into the fabrics that makes them fall apart quicker if they're exposed to dry cleaning chemicals? Makes sense.
I'm a ...<< MORE >>
I'm a ...<< MORE >>
Tight Squeeze
What's the deal with water bottles that don't fit in the cup holders in cars? What's the point? Seriously. The cup holders are designed to hold water bottles, especially the back seat. You don't see too many back seat riders drinking coffee, do you? Precisely. Which is why it puzzles me that it's so hard to find a refillable water bottle that will actually fit in the cup holders of most vehicles. You'd think this would be a no brainer, but it seems to be quite a challenge. A huge market was made with the plastic not-really-meant-to-be-refilled bottles like Crystal Geyser, Aquafina, Arrowhead, etc. but now that we know they're not environmentally friendly and we want to do our part to help Mother Earth, we find a bottleneck in the process because the right sized bottle is so hard to find. << MORE >>
"If you'd like to make a call, please hang up and dial the number again."
It's appalling that the typical lifespan of a standard piece of technology these days is getting shorter and shorter. Take the cell phone, it used to be that you could hang onto your phone for at least three years with all the parts still functioning fairly well. That isn't the case any longer. The last phone I had started to fall apart in about 9 months! The buttons were cracking and the screen had a permanent indentation from the little nub that's on the "5" button to help you find your place while you're texting while driving (Aaugh! That's a later blog!).
And to put the icing on the cake, you can't just swap out parts. The connectors don't always fit with different models of phones so the headsets ...<< MORE >>
And to put the icing on the cake, you can't just swap out parts. The connectors don't always fit with different models of phones so the headsets ...<< MORE >>
Holy Socks!
Why can't I find a pair of comfortable socks that won't wear out on the first wearing? It seems that our trade buddies in China win another one because most of the socks I find in the stores are made there and made very cheaply. My big toes poke holes in them after wearing them only a few hours. It doesn't help that they seem to make them smaller as well.
The same problem exists for kids' socks. It's extremely difficult to find socks for my son that will fit in his shoes comfortably. Who came up with the idea that all boys socks have to be tube socks? My kid hates tube socks and won't wear them because they bunch up in the shoes and make them very uncomfortable. But that's the only kind that's ...<< MORE >>
The same problem exists for kids' socks. It's extremely difficult to find socks for my son that will fit in his shoes comfortably. Who came up with the idea that all boys socks have to be tube socks? My kid hates tube socks and won't wear them because they bunch up in the shoes and make them very uncomfortable. But that's the only kind that's ...<< MORE >>
Tag, You're It!
Why is it that in this day and age it still itches to put on clothes? Many of the clothing manufacturers have adopted the idea of printing or stamping the tag information on the fabric where the tag would normally go. Brilliant! Why didn't they think of it earlier? Now, if only they could do that with all clothes and shoes as well. The tags on shoes often cut into your feet even with socks.
The problem with the old fashioned tags is if it's not easy to detach the tag and you're forced to cut it, then you're left with just as sharp edges of whatever bizarre scratchy fabric they've chosen to promote their brand on. Why not attach a tag inside a pocket and add the laundry and care instructions to it ...<< MORE >>
The problem with the old fashioned tags is if it's not easy to detach the tag and you're forced to cut it, then you're left with just as sharp edges of whatever bizarre scratchy fabric they've chosen to promote their brand on. Why not attach a tag inside a pocket and add the laundry and care instructions to it ...<< MORE >>
Don't Elect More Idiots!
Election years are very scary. The back and forth between the candidates, the hours upon hours of unending conjecture daily on who will actually win the election. The ads run by each campaign that somehow don't make their candidate look any better than the competition. And the fact that this country seems to forget that we have more than just two political parties. There's more to life than being a Democrat or a Republican. I'm usually a registered Libertarian. I re-registered as a Democrat just so I could vote for Hillary Clinton because I believe it's time we had a woman in the white house. I think Barack can do a decent job, I just believe he's still a little young and inexperienced. Give him four more years (or eight perhaps, who knows?) and he will make an excellent president next time around. However, ...<< MORE >>
Don't Be Roadkill!
Ever go driving down a seemingly quiet mountain road twisting and turning in and out of the dappled shadows of the trees overhead, listening to your favorite tune on the car stereo, enjoying your mastery of the curves, when suddenly you have to swerve into the other lane to avoid a jogger that you couldn't see because they're wearing the same color as the scenery? That's another idiot.
So you thought you'd take a jog, get some exercise and fresh air; maybe take the dog along (again that's a whole other blog for another day). So you lace up your running shoes and head out the door throwing on whatever pullover is handy, not thinking that maybe there needs to be more preparation before you become the next victim of the text-messaging, coffee-guzzling, tune-changing, map-reading road ...<< MORE >>
So you thought you'd take a jog, get some exercise and fresh air; maybe take the dog along (again that's a whole other blog for another day). So you lace up your running shoes and head out the door throwing on whatever pullover is handy, not thinking that maybe there needs to be more preparation before you become the next victim of the text-messaging, coffee-guzzling, tune-changing, map-reading road ...<< MORE >>
Reverse Engineering?
It's amazing what people think they can do. Whether it's a super-inflated ego or just ignorance about their own abilities, some people just will not give in. For example, why do people believe that real, life-size cars and trucks and trailers can be maneuvered in the same way as the toy versions? Today I watched while a pickup towing a medium sized trailer stopped in the middle of the street in front of one of the pizza places in town and then tried to back into the parking lot with the trailer first. It ended up blocking several other cars from getting out for quite a while. I watched for at least ten minutes before my business was completed and it lost my interest. Nope, this one wasn't thinking. I also have to mention that one of his headlights was out (that's a blog ...<< MORE >>
Nice Doggy
Why is it that people who have dogs just don't seem to understand that the rest of the world doesn't love their dog and that their dog doesn't necessarily love them? You can take the most down-to-earth, pragmatic, realistic, centered, normal person and put them with their beloved pet bulldog, "Spike", and they will insist up one side and down another that their dog couldn't possibly bite anyone because he's just too sweet. What, are you kidding me? Now, both my kids are afraid of dogs. We've never had a dog. We had a cat for several years until she died a couple of years ago. We're the only ones around our neighborhood (loosely speaking if you can call a rural mountain community a "neighborhood") that doesn't have a dog though. Our one neighbor who lives up the hill and comes down ...<< MORE >>
Eggzactly!
Ever go grocery shopping and spend extra time picking out just the right loaf of bread that doesn't seem to have been squeezed by too many hands just to have it end up at the bottom of a bag beneath the apples and oranges and squished anyway? That just PMO! Or opened all the cartons of eggs and jiggled each one in the tray to make sure there were no cracks or breaks unseen before carefully laying them away from everything else in the cart just to have them dumped unceremoniously into the bag with the ice cream planted firmly on top? Come on - it wasn't the bagger's first day but they probably weren't really paying attention. I think I'd like to be able to veto the choice of bagger or just do it myself at the grocery stores. If I look at ...<< MORE >>
Anticipation Part 2
Happy Valentine's Day! If you have a headache today, beware, the medicine you so desperately need may be beyond your reach even though you hold the container in your hand. The manufacturers of medicine containers must have some sort of consortium to which all belong because they all use the same stupid bottles where you have to line up the arrows in order to pry open the plastic top. They call these "Child-proof" or "Kid-safe". I call them ridiculous. I've worn down the pads on my fingers and thumbs trying to wrench open a bottle of ibuprofen so I could take some and relieve my pounding head. My kids have figured out how to get the drug containers open but I can't seem to get it open when I need to because it either requires more effort than I'm willing to expend or there's ...<< MORE >>
Anticipation
Do you remember the Heinz ketchup commercials from several years ago with Carole King singing her song, "Anticipation " while you watched the kid on TV trying to get the ketchup out of the bottle? That's what it was like watching my husband at dinner last night trying to get the relish out of a jar that had the wrong size opening for the relish to come out. It has a pop top with a small hole that's just not big enough for the relish pieces to come out so the only thing that comes out when you squeeze it is the juice. Not very good when you've got a hankering for relish on your hot dog. There are so many packages where the opening is just not the right size for the product to be dispensed. I was treating the kids with ice ...<< MORE >>
Don't Click!
I'm amazed and appalled at the volume of spam I get every day on my various email accounts. My penis (if I had one) should be about as big as the Empire State Building by now and I should have a warehouse full of Viagra and Cialis and whatever other drugs they want to sell me. Come on, do they think we're that stupid that we're going to let their emails get through our spam filters, open them and click on their links to see what they have to offer? And then maybe buy something from them? Yes, they do. Because some of us idiots out here actually do exactly that. WAKE UP PEOPLE!!! Nothing can change the size of your penis. Your breasts cannot be enlarged by creams. You can't lose weight by breathing air and you can probably get a better deal ...<< MORE >>
Le Bon Mot ou Le Mot Juste?
Language is important. Using the appropriate word or phrase to accentuate your conversation can help your listener's comprehension tremendously. Likewise, if you use the correct words, you're more likely to be understood. However, if you use inappropriate words or phrases, you risk alienating your listener or at the very least causing them a fit of the giggles. Also, if you don't know what the word means, don't use it. This is especially true for words or phrases in other languages. If you are not a native speaker of that language or have received excellent tutoring in the correct use of a particular word or phrase, be careful how you use it or don't bother using it at all. You risk embarrassment for your listener and yourself. Our school has a newsletter that gets sent home or emailed monthly. The ...<< MORE >>
Don't Fence Me In
One of my neighbors is landscaping and putting in a swimming pool. Good for them, they'll need it when it gets hot this summer. Anyway, the pool is built right off their patio but their house is built on the top of a hill. In order to have the pool located near the house they had to create a mini hill and dig a hole in the middle for the water. So, technically I guess you could say it's a sunken swimming pool that's also above the ground. Anyway, that's the not the idiotic item. They need to build a fence around the pool, of course, to keep anyone from straying accidentally into the pool and they're building the standard 6 - 8' high fence all around the perimeter. But it's at the bottom of the mini hill. Which means that you can see ...<< MORE >>
Stuck in the Middle With You
I was driving through town today and pulled up to a stop light to wait. Suddenly sirens wailed from off to the left and two Sheriff's vehicles sped by in front of me with their backseats full headed for the local jail. Ok. Since I was half a block from the courthouse, that's not surprising. Just as I was pulling into the intersection to make my turn, I hear more sirens, but this time from a couple of highway patrol cars trying to make their way through the traffic at the intersection. Now, a little forethought could have saved them a lot of trouble and all of those poor schleps around them a bit of trauma. So, it's your typical city street with two full lanes for traffic going in each direction (total of four lanes) with the center turn lane and a separate right ...<< MORE >>
Patches
Well, it's cold and flu season and at least half my family is suffering through the fevers, stuffy noses and coughs that herald this time of year. My youngest, who is almost 7, seems to have it the worst this time. He wheezes when he sleeps. Now a year ago, I would have had a good therapy for this: vapor patches. I don't know about you, but when I was a kid and had a cold, my mom would slather Vick's Vapor Rub all over my chest and neck and under my nose and it worked like a miracle to keep my nose clear through the night. Well, sometimes the ointment could burn a little from the camphor so instead of using this approach with my kids, I decided to try something a little different and was ecstatic to find a product that worked just as well ...<< MORE >>
Gung Hay Fat Choy?
Happy Chinese New Year. And Happy Mardi Gras from Tuesday - got a little distracted from the election to mention it, but these two are interrelated: Mardi Gras and the Chinese. It seems that the only place they really celebrate Mardi Gras is in New Orleans and surrounding areas. If you've never been to Mardi Gras in New Orleans, you're in for a unique experience. It's basically one huge town party where it's expected that you'll get drunk, watch parades, and trade beads. That's the basics. But until you go there yourself and witness the enormity of the whole thing, you really can't understand how huge this event really is. It's enormous and the trash left afterward is indicative of the scale of it. A large part of that trash is plastic beaded necklaces, discarded and left for the sweepers. Those plastic beaded ...<< MORE >>
Spud for President?
The Super Bowl was such a disappointment this year because there really were no spectacular ads that jumped out of the wash and screamed, "Hey, look at me!" No 1984 weird extravaganza that left your jaw on the floor. No funky frogs that made you laugh. No clever, but annoying Bud Bowl to bet on. It was just plain vanilla. The game itself was absolutely amazing, but I was only paying partial attention to that while waiting for the commercial breaks. What a waste. Actually at half time I drove to the market and gave up on the whole thing. I got back just in time for the last 4 minutes so I didn't really miss much. Those advertisers missed the mark though. Idiots!
Now we're suffering through miserable ...<< MORE >>
Now we're suffering through miserable ...<< MORE >>
Passing Fancies
Why is it that when people drive on narrow roadways and a car approaches from the opposite direction, they can't seem to figure out what to do? For some reason, I seem to always come across the ones who aren't paying attention and pull over at the narrowest place on the road and wait for me to pass thinking they're doing me a favor. Or the ones who just push their way through regardless of the space available and avoid all eye contact claiming the road as their own. Then there are the ones who obviously weren't paying attention and were caught off guard when you suddenly show up in their windshield and they seem to freak out and either jerk to a stop where they are (even if it's right next to the huge tree that's sticking out into the roadway making it ...<< MORE >>
Friend of Bill?
It's interesting to me how emotional people get when they talk about the upcoming election and the choices for president. The reasons people are voting for one over the other: Senator McCain was a POW and therefore deserves to be president; Hillary Clinton is a bitch and should have been able to keep Bill from dropping trou in the oval office; Barack Obama is a good speaker and reminds everyone of JFK. Let's hope not too closely. Get real! You don't really know these people. Unless you're related to them, a neighbor, colleague, friend of the family, fellow churchgoer, whatever, you really have no idea what they are really like. All of them grew up in upper middle class households and do not represent the majority of the population of this nation. Unfortunately that's how it is with pretty much all of ...<< MORE >>
Pick on Someone Your Own Age!
What makes people think that they can bully others? My mother (currently approaching 80 years young) had an absolute you-know-what for a landlord. This guy accused her of basically trashing this dumpy little duplex and wanted to collect hundreds of dollars in addition to the $Grand he already had for her security deposit. He didn't bother to follow California state law and provide receipts for work completed. He also didn't listen to her when she explained that the stove hadn't worked since the previous landlord remodeled the kitchen and hadn't hooked it up again!
I've got to believe this guy must be short. He also must be balding and have a paunch. Why else would he be acting like a megalomaniac and harassing little old ladies unless it made him feel like a bigger man. He has ...<< MORE >>
Web Shopping Mystery
The company sent me a paper catalog announcing a reasonable sale of winter merchandise. I actually found a few things I couldn't live without and, after spending several days in contemplation to final my decision and be ok with spending my bucks on items that may or may not enhance my existence, I finally found time to navigate to their website to make a purchase. I've bought from them before and been relatively satisfied so I wasn't worried about that. However, I was in for a surprise. I managed to find the place to enter an item number from the catalog and copied the number from the first item into the box and clicked Enter and waited while it refreshed the screen. Well, instead of confirming the item and allowing me to select a quantity, I received an ...<< MORE >>
We Can't See You!
It's been raining on and off for weeks now and every time I drive somewhere, it bugs me to watch the other drivers. It could be pouring down "cats and dogs" and at least 1 in every 8 or so cars doesn't have their headlights on. What idiots! Don't they realize that it's not so they can see where they're going; (although from the looks of some of them, they don't seem to have a clue about that either) the headlights are so we can see them and not run into them. Duh!
There's a saying, and I think it's even a law here in California, that when the wipers are on the headlights should ...<< MORE >>
What is a "Common Sense Idiot?"
You know who they are. Those people who do stupid things right in front of you and you just can't believe they would do something that idiotic. That's a Common Sense Idiot. Or someone who just doesn't get it. Their behavior is so illogical that you have to scratch your head and ask yourself, "What are they thinking?" That's the point, they're not thinking. Obviously. Because if they were; if they used their not-so-common sense, they would not have done or said what they did, or would they? This idea applies not just to individuals but groups, organizations, companies, institutions, governments, etc. Anyone can be a Common Sense Idiot! Try to show some common sense, please, so we're not writing about you next time! ...<< MORE >>