It is official. I hate TV. What a waste of life. I admit I still watch a good sports event or old movie with regularity. And, I do attempt to stay informed (whatever!) via watching various news programs. But, as my darling sister Deb (you might know her as the best Blog designer East of the Mississippi) knows too well, it's the ubiquitous commercial interruptions that are at the heart of my disdain!!! (ask her about Big Daddy and the remote)
http://fitzhugh-life.blogspot.com/
I have narrowed my issue down to two root causes. First and foremost is the computer. Technology and our control of it have made us all very impatient to the extent that we are conditioned to "minimize" or "x-out" of anything we don't like or that is not moving fast enough for us. Check out this link for an interesting read when you have some time to kill. (www.marcprensky.com/writing )
Click on the link for Digital Natives, Digital Immigrants.
Commercial interruptions disrupt the flow of the entertainment and by virtue of the aforementioned impatience I must get rid off them. And besides, none of the advertisements do anything to influence how I live, what I buy, where I go, or who I am. Which brings me to the second source of my pain. The commercials themselves.
It is painfully obvious that the advertising world has been taken over by women who are trying to get subtle points across by the manner in which men are portrayed. This is especially true in any commercial that depicts men and women in a family setting. The woman is usually attractive, well spoken, confident, and running the show (so to speak). By contrast the man is usually the stereotype of what women don't want (or maybe what they do want so their imperfections are overshadowed); overweight, balding, not too bright, submissive, weak, whiny, etc. The typical loser-dumb-jock-idiot seems to be the baseline standard.
I will refrain from giving any examples. I just want to plant the seed so as you are spending quality time watching this mind-numbing mess, you might have an "aha moment" when you see for yourself how true this is. And don't forget the Sitcoms. There have been many a hottie married to the dumb fat guy or total boob but you will never see a hunk-of-burning-man married to a chunky-butt stupid female. That just doesn't happen but if it does please let me know so I can watch that show!
Now, before anyone gets their unmentionables in a wad, relax. I hate double standards of any sort. In any context whether it be race, gender, orientation, etc. it matters not to me what your deal is. Just don't scream "EQUALITY" and then unbalance the scale by your actions. Hypocrisy beams like a beacon in the night. I'm overweight and balding by the way.
Friday, January 16, 2009
Sunday, January 11, 2009
Dishwashers
I couldn't sleep this morning so I was up very early. I happened upon a great story on TV about our current struggles against Osama Bin Laden and his cohorts who are hell-bent on our destruction. After that show I watched the tail-end of a program on how Parris Island makes Marines. They interviewed many of the recruits undergoing training and asked what drove them to serve.
One particular recruit put it all in perspective. He said, "you don't get invited to someone's house for dinner and not offer to help out with the dishes". This Marine gets it. He understands that when you benefit from the goodness of others, there exists an inherent obligation to pitch in and offer to help.
How long have we been feasting at the table of freedom offered by the sacrifices of some of our countrymen? Why is it that only few Americans feel compelled to lend a hand cleaning up our problems? I have no expectation that everyone hop the next plane to Parris Island, but I do think that more of us could and should actively seek out ways to help fight our way through this madness.
If nothing else, more should be done to educate ourselves as to what exactly we are up against. Our children should be introduced to the concept of patriotism. They need to understand the realities of the country in which they live and that real people have died preserving their way of life. Reach out to someone who has been in the fight, lost a loved one, or endured a long separation from their family. Don't assume you understand until you have made a real effort to. Ignore your preconceived notions of why we are at war and who's to blame. Focus on the reality that we are and it won't end anytime soon.
We are a nation of 300 million Americans. Our sink is full; certainly more of us could help wash the dishes.
One particular recruit put it all in perspective. He said, "you don't get invited to someone's house for dinner and not offer to help out with the dishes". This Marine gets it. He understands that when you benefit from the goodness of others, there exists an inherent obligation to pitch in and offer to help.
How long have we been feasting at the table of freedom offered by the sacrifices of some of our countrymen? Why is it that only few Americans feel compelled to lend a hand cleaning up our problems? I have no expectation that everyone hop the next plane to Parris Island, but I do think that more of us could and should actively seek out ways to help fight our way through this madness.
If nothing else, more should be done to educate ourselves as to what exactly we are up against. Our children should be introduced to the concept of patriotism. They need to understand the realities of the country in which they live and that real people have died preserving their way of life. Reach out to someone who has been in the fight, lost a loved one, or endured a long separation from their family. Don't assume you understand until you have made a real effort to. Ignore your preconceived notions of why we are at war and who's to blame. Focus on the reality that we are and it won't end anytime soon.
We are a nation of 300 million Americans. Our sink is full; certainly more of us could help wash the dishes.
Tuesday, January 6, 2009
"Driving" me crazy....
A few weeks ago I was in Denver with some time to kill so I went to the house I lived in for a few years as a child. I walked up to the door, rang the doorbell and asked the nice woman who answered if she had any objection to me taking a picture of the house. She asked me to clarify my name again and when I did she got all excited and invited me in. Apparently she and her husband bought the house from my parents 35 years ago and they have been living there ever since. The house looked great by the way and it was a treat to step back in time and see the old fireplace where my siblings and I posed for pictures in our PJs.
As I was talking to these fine people the subject of how much they paid for the house came up. It was somewhere in the neighborhood of 33K back in ’73 let’s say. WOW!! Kind of makes me want to hurl considering what I paid for my current house three years ago!
Now my point……
Listening to the news in the last 24 hours you might have heard all the hue and cry regarding the auto industry and their sad sales numbers for December. I am about sick of hearing how terrible this is and how my money should be used to help this bunch of ungrateful nuts salvage their livelihoods. You see, over the last many years the auto industry and everyone associated with it has done very well. The 33K used in 1973 to purchase a modest single-family home is now the price tag for a vehicle with some degree of quality.
I do not feel much sympathy for an industry that has been living the good life for a long time raping the public with over-priced, poorly built, machines of convenience that will never last as long as that house I lived in. Think of the cheesy approach of the salesman as you pull into the parking lot of a dealership just to have a look. The frothing at the mouth as they start working numbers in their minds based on what you look like, what you drove up in, and how well you know their products. Then fast-forward to the game that is played with the sales manager as you “negotiate” the actual out-the-door price and each time you give him/her your number they tell you how it “should” be no problem. Don’t even get me started on the whole financing game where the vultures prey on the weak and target those who really can’t afford a car but can easily get talked into signing on the dotted line.
Before we even get to this point, thousands of people are all working together to build these overpriced hunks of junk in factories all over the country. They have union contracts and make good money doing mind-numbing work so this whole game can continue. Have you ever bought a “Monday” car? How about a “Friday” car? I have this theory that on certain days the workers aren’t worth a crap and consequently the cars coming off the line those days are the lemons we all get to purchase.
I am being way too hard on these people I know. I really don’t know much about the industry but as a customer I have some experience. I have nothing against people making a living in their chosen vocation. I do however take issue with the whining and need for a handout to aid those who are victims of their own avarice. I say let the companies fall on their faces. In a capitalist society this happens. It is okay and yes there will be fallout but I am not signing up to fix their problems with my money. If these people associated with this industry are having a tough time then they should do as others have done and make a change.
Our economy is in the shitter right now regardless. Maybe the best way for all of us to get a grip is to feel some of the sting of the past many years-of-plenty. Fat years and lean years are not a new concept. History shows that when life is good we fail to acknowledge it sufficiently with gratitude and temperance and we fail to prepare for the eventual downturns that are sure to follow. It is interesting how we ourselves seem to be in full control of all of this. So why are we complaining now?
As I was talking to these fine people the subject of how much they paid for the house came up. It was somewhere in the neighborhood of 33K back in ’73 let’s say. WOW!! Kind of makes me want to hurl considering what I paid for my current house three years ago!
Now my point……
Listening to the news in the last 24 hours you might have heard all the hue and cry regarding the auto industry and their sad sales numbers for December. I am about sick of hearing how terrible this is and how my money should be used to help this bunch of ungrateful nuts salvage their livelihoods. You see, over the last many years the auto industry and everyone associated with it has done very well. The 33K used in 1973 to purchase a modest single-family home is now the price tag for a vehicle with some degree of quality.
I do not feel much sympathy for an industry that has been living the good life for a long time raping the public with over-priced, poorly built, machines of convenience that will never last as long as that house I lived in. Think of the cheesy approach of the salesman as you pull into the parking lot of a dealership just to have a look. The frothing at the mouth as they start working numbers in their minds based on what you look like, what you drove up in, and how well you know their products. Then fast-forward to the game that is played with the sales manager as you “negotiate” the actual out-the-door price and each time you give him/her your number they tell you how it “should” be no problem. Don’t even get me started on the whole financing game where the vultures prey on the weak and target those who really can’t afford a car but can easily get talked into signing on the dotted line.
Before we even get to this point, thousands of people are all working together to build these overpriced hunks of junk in factories all over the country. They have union contracts and make good money doing mind-numbing work so this whole game can continue. Have you ever bought a “Monday” car? How about a “Friday” car? I have this theory that on certain days the workers aren’t worth a crap and consequently the cars coming off the line those days are the lemons we all get to purchase.
I am being way too hard on these people I know. I really don’t know much about the industry but as a customer I have some experience. I have nothing against people making a living in their chosen vocation. I do however take issue with the whining and need for a handout to aid those who are victims of their own avarice. I say let the companies fall on their faces. In a capitalist society this happens. It is okay and yes there will be fallout but I am not signing up to fix their problems with my money. If these people associated with this industry are having a tough time then they should do as others have done and make a change.
Our economy is in the shitter right now regardless. Maybe the best way for all of us to get a grip is to feel some of the sting of the past many years-of-plenty. Fat years and lean years are not a new concept. History shows that when life is good we fail to acknowledge it sufficiently with gratitude and temperance and we fail to prepare for the eventual downturns that are sure to follow. It is interesting how we ourselves seem to be in full control of all of this. So why are we complaining now?
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