Tuesday, July 28, 2009

Booze For Thought

One of my favorite shows is "Intervention" on A&E. The show follows along an addict down a road of destruction fueled by their own addictions, be it alcohol, drugs, obsessive compulsiveness. The show has the intended consequence of making me feel better about myself while at the same time making me yearn for a drink. I'm pretty sure that's not the purpose the producers had in mind.

Anyway, last night's show focused of a woman whose life was ruled by vodka. Her marriage, her kids, her career- all lost because of her inability to quit drinking. I was not bothered by this. I felt no sympathy. What irritated me the most was the way that she drank. She would go to the liquor store and pick up several little bottles (the ones flight attendants dole out) of vodka, bring them home, then chill 'em and swill 'em. My anger stemmed from the fact that she could've saved more money by buying a huge jug of the stuff over individual sized bottles. I wasn't worried about her liver- but her wasteful spending. Ah, but she's a woman, so...

Come to think of it, I've never seen an "Intervention" episode about wasteful spending. I'm guessing that would air on Lifetime: Television for Women

Sunday, July 26, 2009

Don't Blame Me

I haven't posted very much lately. I've got things to say, but seeing as part of my job entails pounding away at a keyboard and constantly clicking a mouse, my home computer hasn't been a regular stop during non-work hours. Still, as I sat watching the Padres/Nationals game and realized there has to be a better way to spend my time. So...

I read an article this morning about the whole Erin Andrews affair. Ya know, the looker from ESPN who was videotaped while primping, nude, in her hotel room. It's in all the papers. Anyway, that's the problem. The whole tone of the article was what a voyeuristic society we've become and how "all of us" are to blame for the Andrews fiasco. Yep. You and me. We're at fault. I haven't seen the video and really don't want to. I'm a 43 year old man who's seen naked ladies in all shapes, sizes and colors. Seeing another set isn't going to turn into Bud Bundy. It's just not a big deal. I feel bad for Ms. Andrews and hope the punk that taped her gets his just desserts.

What bothers me the most is the media moralizing over how "we're all to blame". I first heard about the story while watching Channel 13's late morning news. They were appropriately horrified that one of their own had been exploited in such a way. I'm guessing their righteous indignation lasted close to three minutes. Then I saw stills from the video on the NY Post website. Every day, print, electronic, and viral media were all over it, and they were all uniform in their disgust. 

I'm still trying to figure out how the blame somehow lies at my feet. My exposure (for lack of a better term) to it came from the same media now lecturing me for my voyeuristic nature. I would not have known about the video's existence without them. They provide the sweets, then scold me for eating them. Nice.

I'm guessing a Doris Burke video wouldn't get nearly the same coverage.

Thursday, July 16, 2009

Yes You Did

I didn't sleep very well. The dog got me up in the middle of the night, after after he was done with his business I just laid in bed and thought of how things have changed in the past 8 months. A "stimulus package" passed, voted on by people who didn't read it. We're on the way to passing clean energy and health care overhauls. Not reforms. Complete overhauls. Huge stories with ramifications for generations to come, if we even get that far. The international situation is as tense as ever. We may get nuked, but at least I'll die recycling.

It doesn't seem like many people know what's going on. None of the "Most Read" stories on foxnews.com have to do with stimulus, cap and trade, health care, Sotomayor, or international tensions. The most popular story is about the murder of a Florida couple that had 18 kids. There are a couple of Michael Jackson items as well. Interesting stories if only for their macabre value. The show hosts I listen to atwork constantly pontificate about how the people have to do something to stop what's happening before it becomes law. I think lawmakers know that the people aren't going to do that, or they would've become lawmakers in the first place. People only care about their own little kingdom, and I get that, but I'm scared about how our indifference is going to finally come back to bite us.

In times of recession, people are always given advice to cut back on what they spend. Instead of having a couple of months reserve cash on hand, try to have as much as a year's worth. Save. Yet, our government continues to throw money around like they're Rip Taylor tossing confetti on the old "Gong Show". The deficit has tripled (or has it quadrupled?) since BHO took office. Imagine more massive spending on the health care overhaul. Industries will have to spend more to work "cleaner" and who do you think the costs will be passed to (BHO's comments that energy prices would "necessarily skyrocket" somehow got past everyone) ? Farmers will have to charge more for the goods they produce, and who's going to have to bite down on that nut? Me. And I've asked for none of this.

The whole concept of letting "the rich" pay for everything is a topic for another time (maybe). Lying in bed last night, not only was I worried, but angry as well. Not at BHO and his cronies. They're only doing what they said they would do. I'm angry at the voter who put him in office, who fell for the rhetoric, who decided that BHO should be President because "It's time" a minority took office. The Presidency has become yet another Affirmative Action job, with predictably disastrous results coming down the road. 

Tuesday, July 14, 2009

Hot and Bothered

It's been almost two weeks since my last posting. I used to do this 3-5 times a week. Now, I barely have the energy for two middling entries per month. It's not that I don't have things to say. It's that everything lately just seems so uninteresting. I'm stuck in the cycle of the endless re-run, where nothing is fresh anymore.

Major celebrity dies a drug- related death and the fight begins for his estate? Seen it. A public figure who's heavy into family values admits to a nine-month affair? Seen it. Bickering politicians, cheating athletes, teachers laying the wood (or rolling out the carpet) to their students, senseless shootings, dumb car wrecks that leave innocents paralyzed, dying too young, living too long, and the Brewers folding like a tent. All have the distinct smell of a basketball locker room after a triple-overtime game. Nothing arouses much passion in me lately. Not sports. Not world affairs. Nothing. Maybe I can only have passion for those things I can directly control (my marriage, my health, my cooking). Otherwise, it seems like a waste of a good emotion.

Don't get me wrong, I'm a happy guy. Solid relationship, a "normal" family, a strong core of pals, and a job I don't hate. I'm just seeing a little more clearly why people don't get involved. Being appreciated amongst the small circle of people that are involved in your daily life is hard enough. Making a difference? Changing the world? Not for this cat. I've seen many a saintly do-gooder fall by the wayside after giving it a go for awhile. I'll take care of myself, thanks. Some may call that selfish, but by not depending on others. I call it my little way of giving back.

Meanwhile, on Fox- Supreme Court confirmation hearings. Democrats love her. Republicans don't. Seen it. Sigh

Thursday, July 2, 2009

I Love Kids. Really. I Do

Pumpkin said something interesting the other day. She said that for her next job, she's going to say we have kids. Kids are a great excuse not to work a full day. Rare is the day where she comes home and doesn't say that so and so had to take Caleb/Jenny/Loqueesha to the doctor, or pick them up from detention, or just do something kid-related that allowed them to get out of work a couple of hours early. And who has to pick up the slack? Pumpkin. She's tired of it, and I don't blame her.

If you think about it, the perfect employee is a non-smoker who doesn't have or doesn't want kids. They're generally healthier, more productive, and don't have other obligations that will pull them away from their hired task. If I were in a position to hire, that's what I'd look for. In this day and age, though, I'd be taken to court faster than Maverick wolfs down a Milk Bone. Today, offices are more "communities" than workplaces, with day care for the little ones, and contests for the most nicely decorated cubicle. The proliferation of PDAs means more and more of a blurring of the lines between home life and work life, which leads to lesser creativity and productivity. 

Pumpkin and I text each other several times a day, but that's it. I have a job to do and so does she. Nothing gets in the way of that. As a result- in Pumpkin's case at least-  this means shouldering the extra load of those (women) who have allowed their home life into their work space. Once again, responsibility is punished.

I'd go on, but my chest hurts and I'm sweating. That's not good. Still, I won't call off work.