===SPOILER ALERT===
Apr 072011
Soap Box
Feb 282011
My car is full of trash now. I just don’t have the opportunity to empty it out anymore. I used to take the minutes I used to spend standing at the gas pump and take out the trash as it was the only time my car was actually parked next to a trash can. But now I can’t unless I keep the other cars behind mine waiting. This is due to the fact that there are no longer pump nozzle latches installed anywhere I go to pump gas thanks to the California Fire Marshall.
Gas stations fuming about order to remove nozzle latches
So, if you haven’t noticed, there are no more hold-down latches on your gas pumps in California. At first, I thought it was just a problem with one station but I eventually experienced the same thing no matter where I drove. I eventually saw this label on the ATM station at my local AM/PM…
You see, there were a couple of incidents (13 to be precise) “to date” where out-of-warranty pump nozzles latches malfunctioned after being used in the field well beyond their designed lifespan and locked open. On top of that, the boot that normally ensures that there is a positive connection between the nozzle and your gas tank ALSO malfunctioned and managed to spray gasoline on the customer. Frankly, out of the massive amount of gas pumpers in the state, this has got to be nothing more than bad luck if you ask me.
With 34 million people in state, and most of them (let’s say 50%) own cars… Let’s say the average car owner pumps gas every week and a half…. That’s 589 million gas pumping operations a year. To say that “to date” there have been just over a dozen of these incidents (approx. 0.0000002% if my math is right). I hardly think this is a reasonable action to warrant such a burden on the people of California –especially since the gas stations were employing what the nozzle manufacturers would deem “faulty” equipment.
Still the California State Fire Marshal has decided to impose the burden of rectifying this questionable “problem” on us all. So now, weather its raining, bone-chillingly cold, you have arthritis, or simply want to wash your windows while at the pump, you’ll have to do it with the pump off and people waiting for your spot. Nice going Fire Marshal Tonya Hoover. You are officially an idiot and a burden on us all in my book. Yesterday night the outside temperature was well below freezing and I had to stand there in the 20 mph wind and hold the latch on the pump so you can feel like you did something good while at your post. Needless to say, I had some malicious thoughts going your way. You are a typical example of government worker being in a position of authority without consequences. I have little to no recourse against your actions, and even if I did, it still has no affect on you personally. I could sue the state and win and it would probably have no affect on your career or position. Not cool Fire Marshal Hoover.
The fact is that this “problem” is actually a result of mechanical failures and not that there was a hold-open latch on the nozzle. Nothing mechanical lasts forever (or at least we aren’t willing to pay for something that is). The incidents where these failures occurred involved pump nozzles that should have been replaced as they were simply worn out. The fact that TWO different safety features failed on the nozzle is indication enough for me. Both the hold-down latch failed to release after pumping was completed (probably a worn out spring), AND the “insertion interlock mechanism” failed to pop the hold-down latch when there is no contact and positive pressure between the gas tank face plate and the boot of the nozzle. Two mechanical failures that are both due to normal wear and tear. These nozzles simply should have been replaced on a regular schedule to prevent this sort of thing –the manufacturer has already attested to the fact that these incidents were all involving nozzles that were outside of their warranty period! So, instead of imposing the burden on the pump stations to ensure their equipment is in proper working order, the burden is on the millions of customers that must now stand in front of the nozzle, breathe the fumes, and hold the pump themselves. Shame on you Fire Marshal Hoover.
May 252010
I’m not trying to rain on someone’s parade but I’m getting fairly sick of The Biggest Loser and the message it sends. I’m overweight –by about 100 lbs. I know I have a problem with the way I live. I also know that I have an addiction to food. That’s the truth of the matter. I’ve been watching The Biggest Loser for several years now. I have to admit that I’m usually “forced” to watch as I just can’t stand how they draw out the show with unnecessary drama that I suppose is to keep the female viewers watching. Still, the more I listen to what some of these contestants say, the more I’m seeing that this is just a joke. Let me get this straight, you get to take several months off, full-time medical staffing, meals prepared for you, and a trainer that rides your tail all day. You don’t have to worry about work, family, or anything else but weight loss… And then they say crap like “If I can do it, anyone can!” I have to say that’s a load of fecal matter originating from a male bovine. Hell, I could do that too! But the fact of the matter is that they didn’t do it –at least not on their own. Their trainers did it, their doctors did it, and yes even their cooks did it. Take away all the worries of this world and it’s got to be pretty amazing what someone can accomplish. But the fact of the matter is that this show is nothing more than a fantasy. Give me a show where ordinary people have to lose weight on their own with no help other than an internet connection and the promise of financial gain… Now that would be an interesting show… Now I know that some of you will defend this as being inspiration to the overweight multitudes in the US –and maybe it is. But it’s a false hope. Many will try thinking that they can do the same thing while still working a full-time job and raising a family only to find out that they can’t. On top of all of that, I really get a kick out of watching physical trainers attempting to become therapists to the mind as well. Sadly, they are not qualified nor trained to do it. I’m sure saying over and over again that “you are worth it” may help but many of these people have serious personality issues that need professional help –that they’re not getting. At least when I watch 24 or CSI I know I’m watching fantasy…
Jan 212010
Jul 172009
I’m not one to normally post links like this but I feel it’s worth it…
I found this brief pictorial commentary to be quite thought provoking…
You can read the entire comic here –well worth the 2 minuets!!
Dec 092006
So I’m watching the KTLA Channel 5 news here in LA, minding my own business, when I saw something I’ve seen on the news for years and I guess it pissed me off enough to say something here (where I suppose a total of 5 people may read this). It’s the infamous “man on the street” portion of the news. Why would I care what the man on the street thinks? I’m AM the man on the street dammit! I remember during the gas price increases (more on that story in a later entry) all the news shows were running down to their local gas stations asking the drivers “how do you feel about the gas prices going up?” Well I would imagine most all of their viewers drive cars too. What sort of information are these interviews going to shed light on? Now KRLA does online polls that are about as useful as two dead flies to me. Why would I care what the unwashed masses think about today’s news? I listen to the news to hear what “experts” have to say. What’s sad is that hundreds of people actually take out the time to surf to this website and render their opinions on this pointless drivel. I would love to be in the board room when this idea was purposed. Are they running out of news to report to where they have to take up some of the time with this crap? I now have a perfectly clear way of telling a REAL news program from the garbage ones. Do they have a poll on their program? There you have it!
Mar 312005
I don’t mean to sound harsh or anything but I’m actually encouraged that the “feeding tube to the news media” has finally been pulled by her passing (or so I hope). I had to drive in this morning listening to nothing but commentary about the whole thing -no matter which talk radio station I went to -and from completely different sides of opinion. Frankly, at this point, I’m sick of the whole thing. I mean, I gave up even caring after the Supreme Court knocked down a measure made by the US Senate over their emergency session. I felt that after that there’s no use trying anything. If a US judge can flip off the US Senate, what else can be done (within reason)? Frankly, I don’t know WHO to believe anymore anyways. I’ve been flooded with so much contrary information that I don’t what is truth and what is not. I boiled it down to some very basic facts:
– The husband isn’t in it for the money since he’s already turned down $6 million for her custody. That means that his interest in her death is either out of his desire to carry out her claimed wishes made to him in the past. The only other reasonable explanation for his actions would be to conceal some mis-deeds that may be revealed if she somehow recovers (which is a stretch in my opinion).
Beyond that, all I’ve heard can be contradicted by someone else so I give up and frankly I’m a little tired of it all. One station spent the entire morning taking calls from people just to express their feelings. What?! I don’t make the effort to listen to talk radio for common people’s opinions. I want to hear from the experts, the informed, the distinguished. If I wanted “the man on the street” opinion, I’d GO to the street (or watch my local news stations -they’re always full of useless opinions like that). Is our country going to hell in a hand basket? Sure it is. But Terri’s story isn’t even close to the core -nor will it edify anything anymore. The arguments are pointless and the opinions make no difference. Please stop talking about it. I want to hear about something else now.
Mar 182005
Well I feel compelled to comment here on the song “Left Right” on the latest Chemical Brothers album. It was a collaboration with rapper, and Mos Def’s little brother, Anwar Superstar. Some have already commented online about how this full-on rap track is somewhat “off kilter” from the rest of the album. I don’t think so as the musical variety is what this album is all about. What IS worthy of note are the lyrics for this rap. Now I’m sure there are PLENTY of anti-Bush songs out there but this one just happens to be in front of me at the moment…(hold on to your hats, this is a long one)
Continue reading »
Mar 012005
I find it very interesting that a tiger had to be put down this past week -considering I just had to put down two of my beloved cats this past weekend. Am I sad about it? You bet. I hurt terribly. But then I hear about this shameful “vigil” conducted in the name of the tiger?! Here are some of the news stories and their headline titles:
Continue reading »
Feb 242005
I was shocked and greatly disturbed this morning listening to my local AM talk radio station Continue reading »
Jan 252005
According to this BBC article, Monday, January 24th, is expected to be the most miserable day of the year. It seems that some professor at Cardiff University has managed to calculate down to the exact day the most miserable day of the entire year. Factors like the cold weather, realizations about holiday spending debt, and already failed New Year’s resolutions are a big contributor but the real bonus this year is the fact that the day falls on a Monday! I overheard the story on the radio while driving home this past Monday and had to laugh because although I have no debt from the holidays, the weather is just awesome, and my New Year’s resolutions are still going strong, I DID feel miserable!!!
Jan 032005
I was listening to an AM radio talk show (like I normally do during the drive to and from work) and wound up listening to Udo Erasmus, the author of the book “Fats That Heal, Fats That Kill” and was totally frustrated with the discussion. Udo went on and on for about an hour talking all about the concept of his book and how our current dietary system and food system is rather unhealthy and we should change but I got absolutely NO useful (read: practical) information from him at all other than the fact that I should be chugging flax seed oil on a daily basis. Why is it that people with such a higher education constantly act this way? I was listening intently hoping to glean some useful tips on improving my current eating habits and got nothing! Have people like this lost all common sense? I don’t care about how the molecular structure and atomic particles react to stuff or the history behind something if you can’t just tell me what I should do about it!
In related news, I also listened to a physician talk about how most common Americans are walking around with 8-10 lbs. of undigested fecal matter in our bowls! He was suggesting some special “cleanse” process that probably involves drinking some awful stuff, shoving a garden hose up my bum, and fasting for a week. Still, I’m planning on doing some research on my own into this. My first reaction was, “Hey! This could be a great way to kick-start my weight loss goals.” But now I’m wondering if doing any sort of cleans like this is truly healthy at all. I mean, for most people, just cleaning out the mucus in our nostrils isn’t necessarily a good thing as the stuff is there for a purpose (not that I can imagine what a bunch of fecal matter would help with or anything). Still, I’ve got some reading ahead of me with this stuff!
Dec 162004
I hear about it almost every day in some form or another…
“He got off because he was rich and could afford a better lawyer”
“The rich get better medial care than the rest of us. That isn’t right!”
“The rich get richer and the poor get poorer”
“There’s an increasing gap between the have and have-not’s”
On the surface, this does appeal to your mind as correct thinking. We should have equal rights and entitlements. We should get the same legal and medial care, ect. But the reality is that the solution to this condition is communisim or socialism (which is mearly a big steap towards communisim). Removing the gap between the rich and the poor means employing phrases like “redistribution of wealth”. It means punishing those of us who are successful and fruitful in our economy. It means there would not longer be a benefit for becoming wealthy or successful.
I think many people in America today don’t quite reaize what they have here. We have a society where your class is almost singularly determined by your wealth -not by birth, race, or anything else. This is a very unique situation in our world that most don’t realize. That’s where the appeal is for so many foreigners to want to come here -because almost anyone can make it here and move up in social standing (unlike most other countries). Will the rich get richer and the poor get poorer? Of course they will! That’s what makes them rich and poor. The wealthy understand how to manage their money and make it grow (no matter where you are starting out from). The poor simply squander their money and don’t understand how to excel in finances and business -and there will always be a need for both kinds of people.
I also believe that it’s a cycle. I have read much about the lifestyles and habbits of America’s wealthy. Most bear children that simply become “professionals” and never achieve the wealth potential that their parents did. The reason for this is because most wealthy had to make sacrifices and take risks to get where they are now -and don’t want their children to go through the same trials and chances. I believe through the generations, the children lose their appreciation for achieving wealth and are doomed to become America’s poor and lower-class citizens. Yet I am also aware of many that view their poor conditions as a motivator to become wealthy -and many do in this country. And, thus, the cycle continues.
So, in summary, there is nothing wrong with an inequality between the rich and the poor. The alternative is communisim and that has been proven to be a failing form of government. Without capitalism, we would not have the gains in technology, equal-rights, and a variety of other benefits we all enjoy today.
Dec 102004
Taken from Snopes.com
This poem has been circulating the web for a few years now and has been attributed to several false authors. In reality, it was written by James M. Schmidt, who was a Lance Corporal stationed in Washington, D.C. in 1986. This poem reached quite a large amount of praise on it’s own merit before hitting the web and has managed to touch my own heart as well. So without further delay…
Merry Christmas, My Friend
Twas the night before Christmas, he lived all alone,
In a one bedroom house made of plaster & stone.
I had come down the chimney, with presents to give
and to see just who in this home did live
As I looked all about, a strange sight I did see,
no tinsel, no presents, not even a tree.
No stocking by the fire, just boots filled with sand.
On the wall hung pictures of a far distant land.
With medals and badges, awards of all kind,
a sobering thought soon came to my mind.
For this house was different, unlike any I’d seen.
This was the home of a U.S. Marine.
I’d heard stories about them, I had to see more,
so I walked down the hall and pushed open the door.
And there he lay sleeping, silent, alone,
Curled up on the floor in his one-bedroom home.
He seemed so gentle, his face so serene,
Not how I pictured a U.S. Marine.
Was this the hero, of whom I’d just read?
Curled up in his poncho, a floor for his bed?
His head was clean-shaven, his weathered face tan.
I soon understood, this was more than a man.
For I realized the families that I saw that night,
owed their lives to these men, who were willing to fight.
Soon around the Nation, the children would play,
And grown-ups would celebrate on a bright Christmas day.
They all enjoyed freedom, each month and all year,
because of Marines like this one lying here.
I couldn’t help wonder how many lay alone,
on a cold Christmas Eve, in a land far from home.
Just the very thought brought a tear to my eye.
I dropped to my knees and I started to cry.
He must have awoken, for I heard a rough voice,
“Santa, don’t cry, this life is my choice
I fight for freedom, I don’t ask for more.
My life is my God, my country, my Corps.”
With that he rolled over, drifted off into sleep,
I couldn’t control it, I continued to weep.
I watched him for hours, so silent and still.
I noticed he shivered from the cold night’s chill.
So I took off my jacket, the one made of red,
and covered this Marine from his toes to his head.
Then I put on his T-shirt of scarlet and gold,
with an eagle, globe and anchor emblazoned so bold.
And although it barely fit me, I began to swell with pride,
and for one shining moment, I was Marine Corps deep inside.
I didn’t want to leave him so quiet in the night,
this guardian of honor so willing to fight.
But half asleep he rolled over, and in a voice clean and pure,
said “Carry on, Santa, it’s Christmas Day, all secure.”
One look at my watch and I knew he was right,
Merry Christmas my friend, Semper Fi and goodnight.
Dec 022004
I soo wish it was Friday. I’m tired like it was Friday, why can’t it be Friday!? Candi is going to be gone all Saturday and I was looking forward to an entire day of vegging and now it looks like it’s going to be jam-packed with work. Isn’t this December? I’ve got a meeting in the morning, a side job in the afternoon, and work to do at Mom’s house in the evening. Amidst all of that, I’m hoping to get 2-3 computers repaired. When will I sleep? Oh well, at least we’re getting some $$ for the work.
I finally completed my short dissertation on career choices and you can view it below if you dare. It’s about a page and a half to read (sorry if it get’s a bit long):
Nov 292004
So I’m driving to church on a Sunday night around 4pm and I manage to get stuck in the flow of people coming back to LA from their Thanksgiving weekend vacations. It was a looooong row of SUV’s as far as the eye could see! An occasional RV was in the mix as well but the VAST majority of vehicles on the road were SUV’s. It’s not that uncommon to see here in LA. There everywhere. Any family that can afford one (and many that can’t) will jump at the opportunity to own some big steel people mover. No matter of the price of gas, or the negative press the SUV get’s, people just WANT them! It’s yet another sign of our prosperity here in America.
America is full of prosperity. Our poor here struggle with being overweight! How does that happen?! Most families CAN afford an SUV. The most popular selling SUV is the Hummer! Not only are we the most powerful military in the world, we’re the only one that can afford to have one! Why is it we don’t hear about immigration problems with other countries? Because most people want to come HERE! Here is where your status in society is based on wealth alone. You can be white, black, Asian, male, female, gay, straight, good, evil… It doesn’t matter. Wealth is what makes you important here. Wealth is what get’s you better homes, health care, lawyers, schools, etc. -and that’s the way it is. If you don’t like it, go to Europe. If you want a better experience here in America, make more money! The amazing thing is that just about anyone with determination can make it here. You don’t even need to speak English that well (just ask our current Governor). Where else will you have an environment of opportunity like this? It’s hard not to see all the prosperity around me as I go about my daily life. Even the average house price in the state of California is around $400,000. That’s the AVERAGE people! But even in states such as Alabama, average houses are still approaching $200,000. There are few houses in metro areas around the country that are under $100,000. That means that if you want to live in one of these places, you’d best get a decent job and make some money. What would your incentive be if housing was cheaper? I know my incentive wouldn’t be there if I wasn’t living in LA. I hardly think I’d be planning to start my own business if my house was still only worth the $65,000 we first paid for it…
I guess I’m just fed up with people poo pooing this country and it’s incredible amount of success. There is nothing wrong with being successful or prosperous. Big companies are big because they are successful, not evil. Wealthy people usually get there by hard work and clevar ingenuity (aside from those few who just inherit wealth). Just think, banks now offer free checking accounts. There was a time when that would have been a hilarious thought. But once one company started offering it, all the others had to try and keep up -that’s how cool capitalism can be sometimes. Now most all banks have to learn how to make a living without charging for a simple checking account service.
Ok, I’m rambling now. Maybe someday I’ll learn how to put all these thoughts to a coherent dissertation. In the mean time, if you’ve managed to read this far, I apologize for my unorganized thinking!
Nov 182004
Richard Clarke: Straight talking on terror
I found this to be a fairly interesting and funny article. Here’s the best part:
Q: Are governments looking at using cyberwarfare on other countries?
A: Oh yes. One thing I know that the United States did before the war was to use the Internet to communicate directly with Iraqi soldiers and to send personalized messages saying, ‘We’re about to invade. We’re going to overwhelm you and if you resist us we’re going to kill you. But we don’t want to do that. So really the best thing for you to do when we invade is to go home’. Each senior officer of the Iraqi army got that message and most of them went home.
Now that’s funny! How would you like to get an email telling you that you’re about to be invaded? How far have we come that we can do this?! Email our enemies?!?! ha haaaaaa!!!!!
Nov 172004
Boy Scouts can’t have military support
“The Pentagon has agreed to warn military bases worldwide that they should not directly sponsor Boy Scout troops, partially resolving claims that the government has improperly supported a group that requires members to believe in God.”
What a joke! The Pentagon didn’t even put up a fight on this one. As I have learned in the past few years, Republicans aren’t fighters at all. It’s “Rule by layer” now. How is it that the ACLU has become such a powerful entity that no one even questions them? Just what has the country won in this election? Where is the “cashing in” that Bush claimed he’d do? Just as I’ve felt for a long time, I sure don’t like the Democrats of today but it’s getting harder and harder to tell the difference anymore.
What get’s me is that most Marine basic training programs that I am aware of involve loyalty to God, Corps, and Country. Has the first one been removed now? And another thing: THE PEOPLE HAVE SPOKEN!! America stated in this election what they want for this country. I’m getting tired of hearing people argue that a majority of America also voted to maintain slavery at one time. What does that mean then?! That the people aren’t capable of voting for anything anymore? That was then, this is now. Holding to that argument means that you don’t think that the general public is able to make a decision on their own… Sounds a lot like some pretty bad dictatorships I’ve seen in the past (and some still today).
Nov 122004
Electronic Arts Facing Possible Class Action Lawsuit
Looks like another company is lying and exploiting their employees. What’s new here? Nothing. As stated in my first law of physics: “The stupidity of a company is directly proportional to it’s size”. What EA Games is doing is fairly stupid (and will probably end them up in court from what I can see) but people putting up with it is what I can’t get. Now I know that some people just don’t have a choice when it comes to whom they work for -and what conditions they have to endure. But the vast majority of us DO have a choice. Now I chose to work 65 miles from home but I don’t have to. It’s my choice. And if the work conditions become unreasonable, I can always leave. If I can’t leave, I’ll start planning a way TO get out. In fact, even though I have a half-decent job now, I still continue looking for more work. In an average week, I probably send out around 3-5 resumes! I guess I no longer feel that it is the responsibility of a company to take care of it’s employees -it’s the responsibility of the employee to take care of themselves! The responsibility of the company is to make money. If they think they will do a good job by exploiting their workers, fine. Soon another company will come along that is smaller and smarter and will make the work environment a joy. They will CRUSH that old company by putting out a better product at the same price. That’s how it works here in America. Why anyone is angry with EA is beyond me. People should be angry with the workers that tolerate it.
Take McDonnalds for example. They treat their employees worse than the crappy food they dish out. The turnover rate there is huge. They will hire just about anyone -and fire you just as quickly. There is always an abundance of young kids willing to endure the work so they don’t care. The fact of the matter is, even though their food has got to be some of the worst in the industry, making a visit there for young kids is like a religious experience! So it shows that even if the food is terrible, the workers are unskilled and unhappy, and the efficiency of the organization is pretty poor, IT DOESN’T MATTER!!! They’ll still make boatloads of money so why try and improve it? Large companies (now remember my 1st law of physics) aren’t smart enough to think there an advantage to improving REAL things -only adding salads! In the mean time, In-And-Out Burger and other places, are slowly kicking real fast-food butt by offering quality food and quality people serving it. Capitalism at it’s finest!
In fact, I’m thankful that we have terrible employers like McDonnalds and EA Games. Without places to work like that, no one would ever think to better themselves or try for something better. I’m thankful for the crappy jobs I had growing up: mowing lawns, working as a dishwasher in an Italian restaurant, etc. It was working for those places that inspired me to get a REAL job -one behind a desk with AC running in the background. That’s what motivated me to work hard to get a good education and a degree. In fact, EA Games should be REWARDED for their efforts in helping our workforce aspire to better their situation!!!