It's Been a Very Long Time

I'm not really back in the literal sense, it's been a very long time since I felt any urge to add to these pages and made them private long ago. Now, they're not all public, a few being returned to drafts. I'm sure why I did this, honestly I can't recall the context, since it was done years ago.  

Recently, I have been musing more than I used to, or rather, the musings are staying with me longer than they used to. Most of my musings are fleeting, without any real purpose. Passing thoughts like ships in the night. They come and go, and few stick with me for days. I have come to a strange conclusion and it's not just America's problem, it is seemingly everywhere, every corner of the world. We have become addicted to drama. 

Social Media (Facebook, Twitter, or even Blogger) didn't invent outrage or tribalism. Yet it thrives on those services. People will post how much they appreciate "being kind" post also about things that infuriate them. They shut down any possible discussion about what they post (which might be true or false) by posting that when they see something they disagree with, they just keep scrolling. This obviously makes them feel better about their shit post moments earlier they might have posted where they took a distinct political stance. It also tells me, they don't honest discussion, they just want likes and comments that back up whatever they believe to true. 

I noticed several years ago, Facebook friends who I had known elsewhere for years before had slowly changed. Everything was fine when we complained about our families, shared silly stuff our kids said, and fostered relationships based on those things. These women had my home address and phone number. We exchanged gifts at holidays, we would call each other for advice or help during difficult times. A few years into Facebook, I began noticing changes in most of them. Things I never realized before, like how religious they were or what political flavor they were. Even the ones who claim to proudly not engage in "political drama" I would see they liked, gave a heart or laughing emoji, to a mutual friend who did post something that was political. I could deduce where they stood by those likes and laughs. They began to speak openly about the "War on Christmas" even though as an atheist I knew there wasn't such a thing. If I dared to point it out, my comment was lost in a sea of "amens" with replies of heart emojis. My comment would simply be passed over at best, or removed entirely by them out of fear it would upset another friend of theirs (who I can only assume was more important than me). 

Yet, I scrolled past every bible verse they posted without so much as a comment. I flew past when they updated their cover or profile image, to reflect the "real reason for the season" or whatever holiday motif they believed. I didn't do that because I am a better person, but I remained respectful of their religious belief. When I dared to post something that might have upset their deep religious belief on my own wall (not directed at them) one responded with "sad" emoji.  They have never liked or remarked on anything I've ever posted since. I was sent to the facebook version of the cornfield, muted by them.  Sure they'd pop over, if I bought something they were selling, but quickly forgot about me when I didn't continue to buy from them -- how many sets of earrings, mops, makeup did I need? Especially when I didn't care for the product and found it overpriced and lacked value?

It might seem that I've digressed greatly from the topic of this post, but not really, the tribalism that I've seen grow on social media is part of the problem as is the addiction we have to drama. We thrive on drama. Especially the drama that causes us to feel outraged about anything. Each "Karen" or "Todd" video would lead to hours of scrolling to see the post that said the person was fired from their job or some other outcome and gleefully retweeted or shared for further likes. We are fast to boycott a business that outrages us, but do they really outrage us? Or are we just told that someone else is outraged by what they did, therefore I should also be outraged? A whole 99% of businesses I'm supposed to be boycotting are mostly things I don't buy anyway. 

If we're not in a constant state of turmoil are we not living? Everything is geared to whip us up into a frenzy that honestly if our lives were less dull we probably wouldn't even notice. We have filled our lives with stuff that increases our need for that jolt of drama.  It really started with reality TV, which we know that isn't real at all and I think we're all clued into that. Networks however, jumped on that bandwagon with both feet, because who needs writers, real actors, who needs anything, save for some camera and sound people? It's cheap and give a good hook people will watch. The Network TLC used to be about learning. In fact it was known as the "Learning Channel" they would show cooking, travel and home improvement shows, some decorating stuff too. They learned quickly that could make more money by producing crap about buying a wedding dress or emergency make overs, or Little People, then enter every freak family that has now become famous because they have 20 kids, which was originally part of an one off show about super sized families that was spun off into a million different shows. 

Those shows are all geared toward some sort of drama, usually manufactured that they would drag out for weeks and weeks to keep people watching. I could go on and on. I stopped watching all television years ago for this reason. I gave up on even local news because I could see how false it was, not driven by actually reporting but cherry picking what the "news of the day" was based solely on political agendas. A classic example of this was my local news stations (all of them) reporting daily on the meth problem in Portland Oregon a decade ago, until law passed taking Sudafed off the shelves (it requires a script and doctor's visit) then suddenly while the meth problem continued to rage (and eventually bled into the prescription drug problem and heroin addiction problem), was absent from the daily news. To the media was "problem solved" now we get people outraged about new stuff...

Which brings us back to social media and how everyone is right and has the right to their own set of facts, how we become a society of virtual avatars, publicly voicing our collective outrage about whatever I'm supposed to be outraged about. 

It begs to ask, how are we supposed to ever compromise when everyone believes they're right? How will ever be one country when we are divide into factions? When will we understand that we created the division? 

Bailing Out The Big Three

$2 5, 0 0 0, 0 0 0, 0 0 0.00

That's really a lot of lettuce and that's what the big three are asking for, of course they showed up for their second senate hearing day in separate private jets. I know it seems picky but the senators asked them point blank, if they were willing to give up their jets to help save the companies. None of them said yes. They released a statement saying that the CEO's travel by private plane for "security reasons." I'm surprised they're allowed to sit next to each other during the senate hearings. Perhaps the cited "security reasons," have nothing to do with each other, but instead have to do with other competitors. Of course everyone knows that first class on commercial airlines is just a breeding ground for espionage; is there a fear of them being kidnapped and tortured until they give up secrets for failing? Is someone that works for Toyota or Honda, going to beat the crap out of one them, asking repeatedly, "I want your secret for making cars that don't sell!"

Maybe not.

Here I go Again

I'm getting all nostalgic and reminiscent with not so warm and fuzzy memories of the 1970's, specifically the gas shortage. Some of you might remember only being able to buy gas on certain days based on your license plate, even or odd numbers indicated the days you could buy gas, if there was any to buy. You might recall long lines while waiting to buy gas. People screamed for more fuel efficient cars then, which is why Toyota saw America ripe for the picking. Of course Ford answered the call by giving us the Pinto, which had this nasty tendency to explode when rear-ended. Then people screamed they wanted economical and safe cars to drive however by the time that happened, the gas crisis was over and Americans being a fickle bunch forgot. I still recall hearing Walter Cronkite saying that by the early 1980's American made cars will be getting 20 miles to the gallon. He was being clearly optimistic because not only did that not happen, we're still struggling with it today. The average car (I won't use the term American made), built by the big three gets around 13 MPG and there it stayed until 2004, when the average started to rise to around 20 MPG. However during that same time foreign companies (Toyota, Honda, etc) were getting on average 18 MPG, and now hover somewhere around 25 for their larger cars and trucks. Smaller cars do better.

The Big Three want people to believe that the credit crisis has brought them down but it's not the only reason. The main reason is their resistance to change, they believed if they could make a big SUV and sell it for less (a few thousand) than say Honda, Joe consumer would just buy theirs because it was cheaper. But somewhere along the way, Joe consumer got smarter and realized that he would spend a little more on buying a competitor and save money at the pump, maintenance and everything else that goes along with car ownership. Joe the consumer could also keep the vehicle longer. Joe consumer demanded that cars be reliable, economical, and safe. The Big Three answered with cars that were cheaper than their foreign competitors but also lagged behind in safety, and mileage. They continued with brands that wouldn't sell, like the Impala, hoping their SUV sales would make up the difference. It worked for a while. During the mid part of this decade, when everyone wanted an SUV to feel important--okay that's not exactly true...

The SUV Boom

For a while it seemed dealers couldn't keep SUV's in stock and it didn't matter who was making them, it was about a self serving self importance that drove the sales, I also believe it was the fact people were tired little cars with nothing around them but other cars on the road. Now in some mountainous regions an SUV or other four wheel drive vehicle makes sense. But lets also admit for a moment they looked darn nice parked in front of the new house. It seemed to go along with the new lifestyle people were being told they had. The Big Three will tell you that people can afford their cars because repossessions aren't climbing to the levels that the banks are seeing with homes. Home foreclosures are HUGE in most areas around the country but lets be honest, most people realize that if they can't afford to make their mortgage payment to the tune of $5000 a month, not making their car $400 payment isn't going to help. Generally car payments are MUCH smaller, therefore people are more likely to continue making those payments because they NEED a car, they didn't need that 6 bedroom 6 bath house, with the gourmet kitchen and media room in the suburbs. People wrongly blamed the SUV drivers in the increase in gas consumption, but that's just not the whole story, blame also falls on the Big Three for not making those SUVs more fuel officiant when they had the chance.

The REAL IMPORTANT PART

When Clinton was president the Japanese Government gave their auto makers money to develop what we would call now hybrids. Our government answered in 1993 with the Partnership for a New Generation of Vehicles or PNGV for short, the government gave the Big Three somewhere around 1.5 billion dollars to invest and develop hybrid technology. Each of them actually produced a hybrid car but did little else. In 2001 the Big Three appeared before the republican congress asking them to repeal the act because it was too difficult. Naturally with an Oil president, vice president, and congress deep in the pockets of the oil industry it easily passed. A huge opportunity was missed, and the Japanese got more than a decade head start on hybrid technology and making it useful.

Too Big To Fail or Just Too Big?

I know, but what about the jobs? I don't want to see anyone lose their job. Especially in this economy. But that said something needs to be done. Maybe it's time for the Big Three to merge, and restructure, to rebuild themselves and remake their reputation. Its hard to let that dream die, especially since we're the ones that invented the auto. However we have to be pragmatic, today cars are lasting longer, people when times are good are more likely to replace their car because they've grown tired of seeing it, than to replace it because it stopped running. The Big Three cannot continue the way they have, jobs will be lost, dealerships will close or merge with others, things MUST change. I doubt 25 Billion will be enough. If the money is given, more money will likely follow and I seriously doubt it will change the outcome.

© 2008 Whimsical Ranter
All Rights Reserved

Sound of Silence

Free Falling

It's scary out there, the Dow has dropped a couple thousand points in the last few days, the Government just gave AIG even more money despite reports they took their executives to a spa. I guess they needed massages after all that work they did screwing up the company. I'm sorry, they said that company was too big to fail? They couldn't let it happen, yet they let Lehman Brothers down without a second glance. What the hell is Paulson doing anyway, the government approved the "bail out" but as of yesterday he has yet to spend any of it.

I don't care how bad things get, I will NOT shop at Wallmart.

Now that I got that off my chest, I can go back, remember that boring post a few weeks ago about the subprime mortgages. Well, during the debate on Tuesday, McCain said something that interested me, he mentioned that the government should buy people's mortgages, and sell them back to homeowner at what their house is currently worth. Sounds like a plan doesn't it? The question is, is it a good plan, and let me say, some will benefit from this but I'm afraid that it just won't work for most.

Remember that senerio involving the person making 60K qualifying for a loan amount of around 450K to buy a drastically overpriced house? Okay let's revisit it, and lets say for the sake of argument, he recieves a call from McCain, since McCain considers everyone his friend McCain tells him, "My friend, I'll buy your house, and sell it back to you at it's currant value." Houses in his area are now selling for around 350K, naturally he has no money to put down, so he'd be financing the whole amount, which puts his payment around 2100 a month. Just his payment, even if they waive the PMI, and insurance...and remember he makes $4600 a month before taxes. Based on that information he might make it if he foregoes doing anything else. This person will be existing to pay their mortgage which will still be over half of his take home salary.

So what would it take to make this work? That's even more scary.

To make this work, an appraiser would need to appraise his house and all the houses in the neighborhood at far less and how is that fair to everyone else that played by the rules and bought a house they could afford. To work for this individual the appraised amount would have to come in at around $275K...that's down from the orginal price of 480K or a $205K drop in value! Let's not forget he owes a bank far more than that because he's paid only the interest for several years.

Is it fair that my property values should drop because some asshole felt entited to buy a house he couldn't afford in the first place and now can't afford?

Short answer no. Long answer is...longer. Four years ago, we paid a good price for our house, actually an excellent price, just as the market here started going up. Today houses in our neighborhood are worth roughly $200K more and that's in a slow market. In order for some of these people to stay in their homes their values would have to be reduced to a price less than what we paid for our house, effectively wiping out my equity. Now we're lucky that we haven't taken out a home equity loan. But what if we had? Our kitchen and bathrooms do need some attention, so say we had taken out a home equity loan for 50K, since we're handy we did the work ourselves.

Under the adjusted amounts so that asshole could keep his home, we would then owe more than our house is worth, which does figure into your FICO score and our credit would take a serious hit for that. Our interest rates would go up, we'd pay more for insurance, and we couldn't qualify for another loan if we needed it.

Wall Street Blues

Let's face it, i'ts a mess out there but have we hit bottom; I'm thinking we're close but not yet. One would think it's a great time to buy, but the problem is there isn't enough buyers and that drives stock prices down further. Coupled with the S&P downgrading companies left and right, which I think just further complicates the healing process. I mean would invest in a company that's just been downgraded? Probably not, and if a company you invested were downgraded you'd think of selling. It's a natural response. Today the market went down to below 8000 but now is back up to around 8500. It hasn't closed yet so we don't know what will happen. Overnight the Japanese stock market tanked, as did the Ausrailian.

Banking Woes

Banks around the world are in trouble, lets face it, Americans are to blame for it, we can't lend money to other banks overseas, in return they won't lend to us, or anyone else, out of fear. This leads to a shutdown of the global banking markets. Our government's idea is to privatize banks, taking their cues from Europe, now some think this is unheard of but it's happened before in the 1930's during the great depression.

What about Gas Prices?

Oil is like anything else, people will pay only what they will pay. Its true with anything, you're not going to pay six dollars for one piece of fruit, if you can get the same peice of fruit somewhere else for six cents. It's not about bargains, it's about common sense. Housing is another example, someone attaches personal memories to the price of their house, under the idea they will 'not give it away,' and the problem is the same, the house will not be sold.

Compettive pricing is essential, oil prices have dropped because the oil buying counties like this one are going through hard times. Things aren't that rosie in India and China, the two other huge oil consumers, as well as Canada, Europe, South America, Japan, Austrailia are all having financial problems. Once the markets and banks start improving in these countries, oil prices will again go up. Stockpiling oil isn't the answer because right now few companies can get the credit to do it.

It's all about banking.

A friend has said to me that if the United States Sneezes the world gets a cold. Well the US has a bronchitis and the world has gotten pnuemonia.

© 2008 Whimsical Ranter
All Rights Reserved

It's Still Hot But Again...

Summer Is Holding On By Her Fingertips

At least around here we were slammed with temperatures past the century mark, and it's followed up by what? Rain. Heavy rain & gale force winds. Surprised? Anyone familiar with the pacific northwest might say no, but to those that live here, the answer is a resounding yes. Of course we're used to summer rains, but it's normally light, and billowy and doesn't keep you from enjoying the outdoors. Not to mention few and far between.

This is different though, as people are desperate to try to enjoy the remaining weeks of August we go from hot to cold back to hot again. If that doesn't screw with your mind, body and don't forget sinuses, nothing will.

Actually this summer hasn't been too bad, but it's inevitable end has the kids climbing the walls with the kind of anticipation of rather Olympic proportions.

Speaking of the Olympics

I don't know if it's because it's been on so late at night or what, but I've been glued to the TV in renewed interest. Surprisingly so, but it could be also because there is NOTHING on TV anyway. I'm kinda enjoying the fact that all the kids can watch this with me, if they choose to, with or without video games of the hand held variety.

Could it Be?

I'm actually sad to see the summer end and school begin. Well, don't tell the kids but yeah I am. I hate the idea of getting up in the morning to get the little one on the bus, arguing with the teen about homework and everything in between. I'm dreading IEP meetings, and hearing the little one complain about how much he hates school and how they want him to learn stuff. Imagine going to school to learn stuff? I've just enjoyed not having to worry about that crap and I hate idea of it all starting again.

Contributing to the Delinquency of a Minor?

I've been buying lottery tickets and sharing them with my teen son. We use the winnings (if any) to buy more tickets...I know, I'm horrible. So far we're won 23 dollars! Not bad for a 2 dollar ticket. He's also becoming a wine aficionado.

How To Get Something Done

My wonderful husband built his own bar area in the basement room we have, it's freaking beautiful and I've commented that he could build furniture. He's afraid that I would make him build me furniture. He's always said that he can't. Whatever. Today, I'm down in the basement, and he comments that he needs a table to go beside the futon we acquired from a friend of ours. I told him to build one, but he said no he couldn't. I told him to just make a box...he got all pissy about it and now is out to prove to me that he build something better than "just a box." He never saw it coming.

Shout Out to AbbyNormal

I was driving down the road today and I saw a car and license plate read:

Aabynrml

Somehow it just made me think of you.

Welcome to Blogger!

© 2008 Whimsical Ranter
All Rights Reserved

Blogger's Block

As The Seasons Change

I think with every change of the season, I go through a period where I just can't seem to blog about anything. My life feels not really dull or sucky but unbelievably normal. Do you actually want to read about how my older son and I played the Wii all night one evening? Okay, we did, and I wrote it, but was interesting? Probably not. Husband took a trip without me to Vegas to visit a friend of his. He had fun, we actually had fun without him around, but it was a different kind of fun. It was more a stay at home fun, play games, and relax kind of fun. Husband is more of a lets go out and do something fun kind of guy, which is great but sometimes the kids (and me) would rather stay home and frankly do nothing. He'd rather eat nails than stay home. Thankfully there are a lot of Haunted House functions to keep him busy through the end of this month. Then we'll be into November, and making preps for Turkey day! I'll be shampooing carpets, I know, I know, boring stuff.

Is This What Happens To Blogs Before They Die?

My life lately is mired in the same old, same old and I'm starting to sound like a bored housewife, which there is nothing wrong with that but it’s not very interesting. I've seen this happen before and I'm not ready to give up on this blog.

Oh Crap Just Give the Dog Back Already

The Iggy saga continues, and the woman that owns that so-called shelter is just another freaking LA, LA land loony. Okay, yes Ellen Degeneres did make a mistake by adopting Iggy from the Mutts and Moms shelter and not reading the fine print on her contract. However this shelter has a policy of not placing dogs in homes with children under the age of 14. What the hell is that about? Aren't shelters in the business of finding good homes for dogs? Or is this woman using the shelter as a guise to satisfy her dog hoarding need? Now this isn't so far fetched as some might think. There has been several cases when these rescue shelters, have pushed out even SPCA out of communities, their rules are so strict that few actually qualify to adopt an animal. One shelter actually required copies of the person's W2's and asked for information regarding how much they spend on utilities and food under the guise of making certain the people adopting could afford the animal. Few qualified, and the shelter was later seen on Animal Cops being effectively raided. What kind of shelter has a policy that only homes with children 14 and older are suitable for dogs? Furthermore, the stylist's children are a 11 and 12…since when is that too young? If anything younger children benefit more from having a pet around than do older ones, so I have a hard time wrapping my head around that concept. I really don't understand it and feel it's rather unreasonable. What if someone without children, adopts a dog, then has a baby? Do they take that dog away?

I believe, this shelter owner, hoping to ride the current wave of celebrity backlash, and now has created quite a name for herself unfortunately I'm sure she'll discover that the kooks that agree that she was right will be lining up to adopt dogs from her, and I'm sure none will be psychopaths like her. Yeah right. Unfortunately this woman picked the wrong celebrity, Ellen is actually liked, though I find her a tad annoying.

In any event, while Ellen did violate the contract on I guess more than one level, I'm sure she didn't mean to do it otherwise she would have lied about not having the dog anymore. I really can't help as a dog owner and lover to feel bad for her since she truly felt she was doing the right thing. Regardless Ellen did spend roughly 3000 on training and having the dog neutered and even paid extra to have the dog stay the night with doctor, instead of having him stay alone at the hospital. This is not someone that recklessly disregarded the animal. This shelter owner, who was a former employee of Pasadena Humane Society also has thrusted her shelter in a very unfavorable light by taking this hard unbendable line and I hope the Pasadena Humane Society reevaluates their relationship with this so-called shelter.

I just looked and the Mutts and Moms webpage has been removed, but we'll see how long that lasts.

© 2007 Whimsical Ranter
All Rights Reserved


Editors Note: Unfortunately blogger isn't cooperating and not allowing me to upload images or links...I'll try to come back and fix this later

Summertime

I'm Just Never Happy

Today, the temps ran into the 90's and just last week our high was 60-something and I complained about that and now I'm complaining again. After months of rain and cold, we got some sun and I suddenly remembered that I hate hot weather. My feelings regarding hot weather is clear, when its cold you can always add more layers but there is only so naked you can get, especially with children. Right now, I wish I could run around like my husband and sons, they're in their underwear sitting under the return for the Air Conditioning. I'm fully dressed and sweating like Kirstie Ally running after an ice cream truck.

Now I could wear shorts but I'm also vain, plus I don't like being asked why can I see your veins mom? Or have the kids play roadmap on them, so I keep them covered. My girls, formally known as Wilma and Betty but know known as Lucy and Ethyl, are safely tucked behind an extra large tee shirt that actually belongs to my husband Rainbird. I feel like a fat slob munching on a bag of white cheddar cheese popcorn and sipping iced tea, while staring at a pile of Popsicle sticks I ate for dinner.

There is a Place in Hell

For people that do unspeakable evil. I'm speaking of the rat fucks (sorry no other word to describe them) that desecrated a veterans cemetery in Washington State over the Memorial day weekend. They first just removed flags and burned them, but then when the flags were replaced the following day, they were again removed and replaced with hand-made Swastikas. What kind of degenerate misinformed mind is at work who believes its okay to do that? On our local news they actually showed some college, organic latte drinking, bike riding, vegan eating, Mom and Dad don't get me types that agreed with it. I'm sick of this tripe! I was born in the late 60's and I understand the ideals they stood for but this is ridiculous and incredulous to wrap my head around.

I Wonder If Rosie Smiled When She Heard About It?

No, I'm not going to talk about what happened last week on that stupid show The View. Everyone's covered it to death. I'm also not going to talk about the little girl missing in Portugal since I'm sure the parents are feeling guilty enough. Okay one small comment; while Rosie is clearly a fool, starved for attention and wrong, Elizabeth Hasselbeck is not the sharpest tool in the shed either. But then again, considering the brainpower on the whole show…what can we expect? And those parents, who are offering a 5 million dollar reward and met the Pope, while I'm sorry for their pain and the suffering they must be going through…Why oh why, with all their money, wouldn’t they hire a baby sitter or nanny or something to sit with the kids instead of leaving a 4 year old in charge of the younger twins? Okay, the 4-year-old girl wasn't exactly in charge, and everyone was supposed to be asleep, but she was the oldest one there. If one of her siblings had woken what would she have done? She's four! To me, it's as bad as the poor trash parents that leave their kid in a double-parked car, strapped in the car seat, with the engine running while they run into the Dunkin Donuts. And then wonder why the car is gone when they come out.

© 2007 Whimsical Ranter
All Rights Reserved

I Know It's Not Monday, but Oh Well…I’m Blogging Today

Did You Know?

It took me all day to write up that post because of all the interruptions? Anyway on today's tidbits the first going out to Comcast who is now charging so much a month extra to improve your broadband connection. So, for say 3 dollars extra (I don't know the actual amount) you can have faster Internet access. What a crock of shit that is. People are already paying for their super fast connection, why should they have to pay more to make it faster?

You can at enter to win a bucket of Tee Shirts from cotton people. Not bad considering summer is supposed to be coming. I really think spring is becoming obsolete in our new world order and fall seems to be getting shorter. They say it's time to plant perennials now but I know some of my friends on the Eastern part of the country haven't dug out thoroughly from the last snow.

American Idol?

Everywhere I go and on the news everyone is talking about that fool with hair that still hasn't been voted off the show. I won't even say his name here because I find his over-developed sense of importance annoying. Now his family and friends are riding on his coattails. The today show has had his mother, his minister and probably the person that currently washes his ass for him, since he's now so important and doesn't have time to worry about anything other than his hair. I just wonder how far he'll go and how devastated he'll be when it's over.

Disbar Him Danno

Why should it take so long for the apparently wrongly accused guys involved in the Duke rape scandal to have the charges dropped? Way back in December they dropped the rape charges? How long were those guys supposed to wait and why was it, it took the state attorney general to finally say enough was enough. The prosecutor has the power to drop the case whenever he chose…why did he wait. Well apparently he was hoping everyone would forget about it after his re-election.

What a dick. Again I don't say this often but I hope he's disbarred then lift his immunity and sue his ass for wrongful prosecution.

How Did This Happen?

It's 6:38 PM PDT, and kids are quiet, the house is cleaned, and dinner is started. We're just doing omelets tonight so it's all prep. I keep thinking…Did I forget something? Anything? Dog fed? Yup. This is so unusual and I don't know what to think about. Could I finally be getting organized or is just planetary influences?

Imus You're [Really] Fired

CBS did the deed and fired him. I can't believe every cable news channel is talking endlessly about this, It's even overtaken Ana Nicole baby daddy drama (try saying that 6 times real fast). Every news channel today was speculating will CBS fire him, will they keep him on, will he bend over and take it in the ass? Okay the last one was a bit sarcastic but you get the idea. Half the people are saying he shouldn't be fired because of freedom of speech. Others are saying that he should because he's racist and has dared to spout his racist views. So why this time?

Maybe it's Like the Oscars

When someone that deserves the Oscar after a long career, like Al Pacino for example, are they just winning for the part they played in the currant movie or are they winning more for the sum total of their work? Who couldn't think that Pacino didn't deserve the Oscar for the GodFather 1 or 2? Yet he didn't win for those, nominated, yes but won no, he won for Scent of a Woman, another good movie, but I didn't think it was that spectacular.

Maybe Imus wasn't really fired for this comment but for the sum total of other comments he's made over the years.

Bear With Me Folks; We're Going on a Ride

Remember way back when searching the web before Google? I do recall using 5 or 6 different search engines starting with Yahoo that normally had nothing but porn listed, going then to Alta Vista and so on and so forth. Then there was Google, a one-stop shop for everything searchable. Google has made its way into the American lexicon the same way Kleenex, or Band Aid brand, or Xerox did in their respective venues. To this day I don't ask for a facial tissue, I ask for a Kleenex, it can be said for an adhesive strip, or photocopy. I no longer search the web, I google it.

Technology has changed, and the world is getting information in real time rather than waiting for it to be on the news at 11. Now the next generation is YouTube and who didn't see the Michael Richards debacle on that—oh like a million times? I don't have to watch The View to hear the latest crap, I can just YouTube it and raise my blood pressure that way. Imus' comments also have been blasted recently around the globe, and it's my opinion that because of that American's notoriously short memory is lengthened. I disagree that this is really a first amendment issue, since to me it seems more capitalistic than anything else. Had sponsors kept their ads on his show, nothing would have came of it—just like when he made the comments about those tennis playing sisters. If someone can provide hard evidence that Al Sharp ton forced in anyway Proctor and Gamble to pull their ads I will gladly alter my opinion but I see no evidence as such.

Another Thing That Really Pisses Me Off

I just read that that propagandist nitwit jackass Michael Moore brought a lot of Ground Zero workers to Cuba to illustrate how much better their communist medical system is. The people were thrilled and got wonderful treatment. Yeah, if things were so fucking great there, why the hell are so many so willing to risk their lives to escape to Florida? Furthermore, with the cameras present, how can one be certain that everyone receives the same treatment? I've watched Rachael Ray's show 40 dollars a day and have eaten at some of the places she lavishly recommended, and found the food not so special. I've also seen her get specials that weren't offered to the general public on that show. It's hardly a valid example of how to save money while traveling and dining out. I suspect the medical treatment a few Americans might have received in a Communist country with a heavy agenda might be the same.

Fidel Castro has always gone out of his way to show how wonderful Cuba is, and probably jumped at the chance to entertain Michael Moore. I've got an idea, since Cuba has such great medical and the overweight Moore probably will have health issues at some point in his life, why doesn't he move there and live. I'm sure Fidel will give him a deal and I for one, will be glad to see him go.

Am I Missing Something

Another thing about the whole Michael Moore thing that pisses me off is where are the stories about American's sneaking across the board by the thousands to get into say Canada or Mexico? I don't hear a lot about American citizens sneaking into other countries and overstaying their visas. There are millions of people that come into our country illegally; do American's do this also in other countries? According to our census I would say no, everyone is pretty much accounted for…even the homeless aren't trying to sneak across into Canada. Again if a place like Cuba is such a great place to live, why do people want to leave it so badly they're willing to risk their lives for it? I must be missing something.

© 2007 Whimsical Ranter
All Rights Reserved

Enough Already

Clip Me Baby One More Time (Also From the Big Fucking Deal File)

The princess of pop (read crap) has shaved her head, apparently to coordinate with her twat, got tattooed, and nearly missed her plane. She whined to the ticket counter that she had to see her boys. As if she gives a shit about her fucking boys because if she did, she would be there taking care of them not fucking partying around the fucking country with that equally dumb bitch Paris Hilton. She's out of control, the headlines read. Who cares? She's a fucking dumbshit! I can't believe that her equally dumb so to be ex husband was really the smart one in that couple. He's handed her the rope, and she's hung herself with it. And all the crocodile tears won't change it.

The Lead Story

Every fucking channel's lead story still is the fucking Anna Nicole crap that seems as endless as the men stepping claiming to be the baby's father. I'm still thinking her lawyer/boyfriend/toady whatever he was, has some serious questions to answer like why her will still had her son on it. And don't give me that, she was too distraught bullshit either. All she had to do was sign her name on a fucking cocktail napkin. If she was well enough to hold that fake wedding and swim, she was certainly well enough to do that.

That said, Howie just as executor does stand to get some money out of the deal, regardless of who gets the real assets. I'm sure he's sleeping well. Two down; just one to go.

News From Here

Which is not nearly as exciting as what CNN turned tabloid TV would report. My kitchen is sty, and any minute I'm expecting the health department to show up and put up yellow tape around it. We spent the whole weekend doing stuff. Stuff that obviously kept me from cleaning the kitchen like getting thoroughly loaded on Friday night, which was fun, and the ever popular getting up hideously early in the morning (read 9:30 AM) to go shopping with mom in law.

Rainbird was stuck taking the boys to the custom car show. I'm not sure who got the better end, but at least I was home by noon after a marathon-shopping trip. I even ran through Target and didn't spend any time looking at anything other than what my throbbing head would allow. I spent a lot of time on the pain reliever aisle; I also spent a lot of time remembering how to spell the word "aisle" I kept coming up with isle. I'm amazed at how many people confuse the two just look at google and you'll see hits like "Isles and Isles of RV's". I don't think that's what they meant to say but maybe they do mean small islands or peninsulas.

I've now digressed so far off topic I can't even recall where I was going with this. Lets change topics.

Moving Right Along

I just visited Abby Normal's blog and got a huge laugh regarding her manboob post…I won't spoil it for you but you can read it for yourself here.

A friend wrote me an email saying her daughter watches Full House. I must confess Fredo watches that show on nick at night when he doesn't have school the next day. I think he likes Michelle on the show. Pissboy will even watch it sometimes; he commented that he thought that Fredo thought Michelle was hot. I, in turn, showed him a picture of the Olson twins now.

He couldn't watch the show anymore, found it too disturbing. Uh huh, now who thinks Michelle is hot?

Jamie Sommers (aka the Bionic Woman) has taken on not only a Bionic Baby but also now she's taken on the Bionic Bison, a currently 30 lb, English Mastiff puppy.

Y2K.2?

My computer is informing me that it's updating the new Daylight Savings Time, which is just another thing to thank Congress and our fearless leader for. What exactly is the point to changing the time change anyway? I would much rather they just left the time alone, one or the other thank you and stop this silly switching back and forth all together. How much in resources and manpower is being spent on fixing this problem that the Fed for whatever their meager reasons felt it necessary to annoy the public in an unfair way.

Must they always pass laws or edicts that have serious impact with our day-to-day lives without so much as asking about the impact of their actions?

I wonder if Pat Robertson is touting that people buy generators for this debacle?

© 2007 Whimsical Ranter
All Rights Reserved

Finally Something Truly Blogworthy

Was it Fate?

My life has been pretty dull lately, not a lot of blog worthy activities. It's not that I'm bored with it; it's just that nothing exciting is going on. Day to day life gets dull; well it was dull until I wrote out a whole blog about how ridiculous the far right has been over the whole Nancy Pelosi plane thing. She can ask for the moon, I wrote in the previous post, prepared to spend the day watching the news picking up blog bites, but it doesn't mean she'll get it. Get over it. Anyway that's the thrust. Then around 12:30 PST, the news broke about Ana Nicole Smith being rushed to the hospital unconscious.

My first thought was big fucking deal. Later, they said she had a cardiac episode, possibly intubated and someone was seen performing CPR on her. They also noted a news conference was scheduled about an hour from then. I thought then, she's dead.

She was. The former fast food worker, turned Playboy bunny, turned pole dancer, turned married to 80-something billionaire, turned grieving widow, turned…

Oh you get it.

But There Must Be a Conspiracy

Everything today must have a conspiracy theory…so here is mine. The lawyer who was present in the hospital when her son died, actually murdered him, and later killed her for her money. There I said it. He didn't anticipate the paternity thing so if I were the guy claiming to be the baby's daddy, I'd be kinda scared that the lawyer of death doesn't pay me any visits.

What Is Actually Plausible

A drug overdose is too simple, however likely but since we're still speculating, then lets really do some reaching. Let's say Nicole was worried about losing custody of her infant daughter because…well…. she's a train-wreck. The man claiming to be the baby's father (where the hell is Maury and his damn Who's Your Daddy, DNA guy when we really need him) said that Ms Smith had methadone in her body when she delivered said baby. Naturally, the baby was born with it in her system too. Now, it should be said that there is no proof of this, but it's not too hard to believe given everything we do know about her. Baby daddy number 2 claims that Ms Smith is unfit, excuse me a moment while I control my laughter, and want to prove he is the father and wants custody. She would be required to appear in court at some point, and considering her wonderful interview skills, my next theory becomes more even more plausible.

I remember watching the footage of her interviews after testifying before the Supreme Court during her, give me my 18 months worth of blood money for sleeping with that cold handed old coot, she seemed more normal than usual, and dare I say together. Despite the fact of all the crocodile tears she shed. Someone grumbled then to me that she went through detox before that appearance to gain certain lucidity. Watching it on TV, and then seeing her again on TV a few days after that it was like the mirror had two faces. One lucid, and the other under the influence of something likely illegal and that was the image that stuck with me, when watching the "Big News" unfold today.

I think she traveled with the nurse (incidentally according to police the nurse didn't perform CPR on Ms Smith, but the bodyguard did, interesting huh?) to do some kind of funky rapid detox on her in that hotel room. Cardiac arrest is actually a side effect of that type of detox, and it's normally not very successful outside of formal clinical settings since it deals only with the physical aspects of the addiction but none of the mental. I think the nurse panicked called screamed that Smith was unconscious; the bodyguard rushed in and started CPR (which is done alone now according to the new rules), probably shouted for the nurse to call 911. All the while, the lawyer boyfriend/husband sitting on the edge of the bed hiding the hypodermic needles and planning how he would inform the media of her quick demise, while maybe text messaging the Bahamas to tell the nanny not allow anyone to see the baby, if contacted.

Okay that last line I have no clue about, but the rest could have happened that way. I don't know, something inside just feels it’s a little weird that he was there when Smith's son died, and he was there supposedly when she died. Maybe he's just very unlucky?

In any event what really cracks me up are the comparisons to people like Marilyn Monroe and the discussion of how tragic it all is. I'm sorry but tragic was 9-11, the war in Iraq, Nancy Pelosi squeezing her fat ass into a small plane, not Anna Nicole Smith. I'm sorry to say but I doubt it will take a year for her memory to be erased from the media entirely. No one will be lighting candles or migrating to the hotel where she died. Her DVDs of her reality show will go unsold because, lets be honest, when she was alive it was a good joke but no one wants to watch drug induced train wreck going on about how she's not fat when she clearly is after they've died. It's just not that funny anymore.

But lets face it she wasn't that funny when she was alive.

But What of Her Daughter?

It may sound cruel, but considering Ms Smith's life, her son's life, etc., I'd say she's better off without her mother; maybe not a whole lot, but honestly better off. That is the real tragedy of Anna Nicole Smith.

© 2007 Whimsical Ranter
All Rights Reserved

Broken Promises and 2006 Round-up

Sorry

I promised a rant on the Kim family but there's nothing really to rant about now, I still hope the wife sues the state and wins big time. Oregon really fucked up, the road that was supposed to be closed wasn't, and wasn't thoroughly searched from the beginning and no one has a good reason for why. In any event people that don't actually reside in Oregon need to understand something, this state has the most piss-poor signage of any state I've ever visited. Unless you know exactly where you're going chances are you'll end up lost. Freeway signs are posted in obscure locations, but offer no further direction. Many roads are completely unmarked, or have obscure numbers that don't match in anyway to maps. Freeway markers and most exits are posted right BEFORE one must exit. I'm sorry but I don't give a shit about seeing the name of the exit I just missed, but it would be helpful to tell me what is coming.

This is the first problem, the second problem is that most people don't understand the elevation of the mountain passes here, and that even going to the coast, you're likely to see snow anytime during the months between October and April. The Kim family was smart enough to burn tires, and breast-feed the baby and older daughter until help could arrive. It's a shame the husband left the car to do "the guy thing" and try to save his family. Many here blamed him! It's true. How can you blame him? A man died on that same road, years before the Kim tragedy during a freak winter storm, shouldn't someone have known and thought enough to search it thoroughly?

Maybe it's because they were from California but I'm sorry if you have to hire your own rescue crew that's pretty fucking miserable. Don't forget, it was private helicopters that found the wife. Alive. It was also private helicopters that located the body of her husband. Dead.

News Since Then

Oregon did try to redeem themselves by attempting to rescue the hikers lost on Mount Hood. Most people here, despite hearing the optimist story of the teens lost on the mountain for a week, figured it was a lost cause from the beginning. Still, we all sat glued to our televisions when word came that they found one of the hikers. Unfortunately he was likely dead for days before he was found. Of course this also renews for Nanny state-like calls to protect people from being stupid. I'm tired of people whining about this kind of shit, if you go up there you need to protect YOURSELF. Period. If it means paying the fifteen dollars for a locator device and you decide you don't want that well then too fucking bad.

Now, it's likely we'll never know what happened to those three men but what we do know is despite what their families said about them being well prepared the truth was they weren't. Again that was unfortunate. Winter can come very quickly to places like the Cascades and Sierras and most people don't understand that despite how many times they are told the story of the Donner party. Obviously it can still happen today.

2006 went out like a lion; well at least it seemed as much on December 15, when we were slammed with hurricane force winds. Yes, hurricane force winds. Two trees behind our house were completely uprooted, another shattered like glass, and the forth and fifth were felled due to the high 70 mph gusts. Did I mention all the trees were 120 foot Northwest Red Cedars? Oh, I must have left that part out. Needless to say after a sleepless night, the boys were rewarded with a day off and early start to their winter break from school. Courtesy of mom, not the local school district who apparently didn't care that no one was able to sleep or half the staff at my children's school didn't come to work…don't get me started.

Despite the early exit from school the children had fun and I was fairly relaxed since I had finished everything before the kids were off. All the cards were mailed, the packages sent, presents wrapped and house decorated. Christmas came and went without a single picture being taken…god we suck.

By New Years all the decorations were down, except for the ones in front of our house but that's Rainbird's job and he shrugged it off.

Two Double O Seven

We rang in the New Year with a party and I won't go into all the details but lets just say I hate the witch down the street with a passion, especially when I caught her in my bathroom admiring (cough, bullshit, cough) my bathroom curtains. We have two other bathrooms that were empty so there was no logical reason for the witch to be in my bedroom to use the bathroom there. I think she wanted to steal my Battery Operated Boyfriend or "BOB" for short. Next year maybe I'll leave some really strange BDSM type stuff around there.

God On Speed-Dial

Good old Pat Robertson is at it again, he must be having ratings issues or watching too much Jericho because he's made another prediction. Something about major US cities being leveled by a nuclear blast. Anyone else think that he smoked too much peyote? I think someone he knows must have a deal on some bomb shelters or something, it just smacks of the Y2K thing when he was hawking generators and spreading fear that the whole country to grind to a halt, computers would crash, those fancy doors on the Enterprise wouldn't swish, and planes would drop from the skies.

How much of that happened? Um, none. Did his god warn him about 9-11? Um nope. Last year he predicted a tsunami would strike the US coasts, but later back peddled to say it was flooding. I guess when September comes and goes without us getting blown up, he'll say it was because of the brilliant leadership of Dubya.

Can't We All Just Get Along?

I'm sure that's what Dubya thinking now that congress has been handed over to the democrats. Maybe now that his side isn't in control he'll care more about "healing" the country.

© 2007 Whimsical Ranter
All Rights Reserved