Things You Just Don't Talk About

Most everybody enjoys a good conversation. The topic really isn't important. It could be sports, the weather, the last movie you saw or what you did on vacation. Good conversation can stimulate the mind like nothing else. And if everyone involved is fairly educated on the topic, it makes it even better. I love to talk...just ask anyone. But over the years, I have learned one very important rule regarding conversation. There are three things you never talk about: Politics, abortion, and religion. There may be some le-way if it is just you and a spouse, or good friend. But if you are at a party, and don't really know the people you are talking to all that well....please avoid these topics. Everyone has a strong opinion when it comes to these topics, and odds are you are not going to change their mind on how they feel. If anything, it will usually end up in anger. A Democrat will never sway a Republican. A pro-life believer will never sway someone who is pro-choice. And a Catholic will never convince a Baptist to cross over to the dark side. It just doesn't happen.

So whats my point?

The other day I read a letter written by a gentlemen in Cincinnati. The letter was printed in the local paper, and basically he told black people to quit holding slavery against white people. That slavery was a long time ago, and nobody alive today had anything to do with it. "Get over it" seemed to be his message. Now do I really need to say that this should be classified in the "things you don't talk about" category? I am not even going to express my thoughts on the topic. They are neither here nor there. I am not educated enough about slavery to offer an opinion. I am however, educated enough to know that there is not an African-American out there who is going to see your point and just "get over it".

We live in such a tense racial world as it is. One thing we all agree on is that slavery was bad. No human, regardless of color, deserved to be treated like that. What I don't understand is why this individual felt inclined to even bring it up and write in about it. What was he thinking he was going to accomplish? His beliefs and opinions are his, and that is fine. But this is one topic you just don't talk about in that manner. If he wanted to have a discussion about it with some African-Americans, and find out why he "thinks" they are still angry, then he should have done just that. Maybe he could have expressed his confusion as to why he thinks he is being held responsible for slavery existing in America. Maybe someone could have explained to him that it was the root of racial divide as we know it. Maybe he could have presented his thoughts in an intelligent way, as opposed to just saying "I didn't do it". Odds are, someone in his family tree was somehow, someway, involved in slavery. Iell...they may have even been a slave. Remember, there were white slaves and black slave owners as well....just something to think about.

So next time you are at a party, or hanging out with friends, and you decide to have a discussion, just be mindful of what you are really talking about. Different things affect everyone in a different way. if you say that you think the Cincinnati Red's stink, you are not going to offend someones personal beliefs. If you say that the Jews all deserved to die, you might catch an ass whooping. There are just some things you don't talk about.

Am I Just a Bitter Person?

The more I come up with things to write about, the more I find myself asking...."Am I just an angry, bitter person, or is everyone else just crazy?" Let me explain. 95% of my topics come from things I see, hear, or read about....and usually that day. When I read something idiotic, hear something idiotic, or see just plain idiots, my inspiration flourishes. But as the day goes on and I process my thoughts, I often wonder if I just let things bother me too much, or if I have a legitimate reason for bitching. I like to believe other people feel the same way as I do, but they chose to just let it go. I on the other hand like to exploit it. Without that I would be writing about puppies and dandelions. And if I wrote about puppies and dandelions, I would only have 1/3 of the amount of traffic I get on my site......or 1 person instead of 3....counting myself. The only thing I know about puppies is they like to attack my cat to the brink of death, and I don't know squat about dandelions. Aren't they a weed? Anyway, we have strayed way off track here. Back to my point.

It all started when I got off work and decided to hit the local Kroger to pick up something for dinner. I was in the mood for something nice. So I went for the boneless chicken TV dinner instead of the bone in chicken. Wait...I'm getting ahead of myself here.

So I pull into the Kroger parking lot, and you would have thought we were expecting 1/2 inch of snow. That is how crazy crowded it was. Good thing I didn't need milk or bread. As I'm looking for a parking spot, the idiots start to come out. I mean they are everywhere. It starts with this lady...maybe 30 something. Now let me set this up. When someone comes out of the store, 10 out of 10 times I will stop and wave them across. But what I was noticing was that this lady just darts across the road without looking or even making an attempt to stop. Like she was the only person that mattered. We should all look out for her. That really didn't fire me up. I just called her a jackass and prepared to move on. But then another woman, with 3 young children does the same thing. Followed by an elderly man, and so on. I sat still for a few minutes if for nothing else than to keep from killing one of them. Are people this clueless, or have we reached the era of "it's all about me? They don't even bother to make an attempt at stopping to look. it is basically "screw you people, I will do what I want". Now the actual act of this asinine behavior doesn't really bother me. It is the thought process that enables the behavior. People just don't give a crap about anyone but themselves anymore. Keep in mind here that I am using my Kroger trip merely as an example. if this was the only time it happened, I would laugh it off. But it exists on a daily basis in a variety of situations.

So once I am able to move, I take a right and proceed to look for a parking spot. I make my way down one of the rows, and idiot number 2 makes his appearance. The lady with 2 kids who is parked near the front of the store gets to her car and starts to load her groceries and get her children in the car. The idiot is the guy in the car ahead of me. He is stopped in the middle of the aisle with his blinker on...letting us all know that is his spot. He is in the middle so he can make the turn, and he is about 5 feet from her car. Nobody is stealing his spot. Here in lies my rage. A) I can't get around the guy. B) The lady just started unloading her cart, so she will be a while. C) there was a parking spot open about 3 spots back. And D)..this is the kicker. He is stopped so damn close to her car that she can't even get out. He ends up having to back up, which means myself, and the guy behind me have to back up as well. Did I do that scenario justice? Do you all know what I am talking about? God I can't stand that guy. Another case of "screw everyone else. I will do what I want so I don't have to walk my fat ass another 10 feet".

So idiot number 2 gets his prized parking spot and I am prepared to make a left to check the next aisle for a parking spot. As I reach the store exit, I notice an elderly lady that actually stopped for traffic. I wave for her to cross. As I am doing this, the hag behind me with a Pall Mall hanging from her lips and yapping into her cell phone is honking at me and throwing up her arms at me. Basically telling me to move, she is in a hurry, and the 5 seconds I am taking to let the sweet old lady cross the street is unacceptable. This one pissed me off. I decided to let a hand full of other citizens cross before I moved. This resulted in some more honking and not so nice hand gestures.
So up the next aisle I go, and there she she is. The biggest offender of the Kroger parking lot idiot club. I am referring to the lady who walks down the middle of the aisle with her cart on her way to her car. You all know who she is. I mean come on. If ever there was an example of "screw everyone else, it is all about me"...it is with this lady.

So my point is this. Are people just inconsiderate idiots? Are they just clueless? Or am I just a bitter person who lets the small stuff get to me? I suppose it could be a little bit of all 3. I really don't sit around wondering what I can complain about next. Do these people, and not just at Kroger, bother you too....or is it just me?

Bring Back the Chastity Belt!

Among the many things I am not a fan of, the phrase "when I was a kid" ranks near the top. We all know things were different when we were kids then they are now. It is a matter of fact. Things and people change with time. So for the next few minutes, I am NOTgoing to practice what I preach, and I plan on using the phrase "back when I was a teenager" at least once.

Needless to say, I was shocked when I heard on the news today that one in four teenage girls in the United States has a sexually transmitted disease. Let me repeat that....ONE IN FOUR GIRLS IN THE U.S. HAS A SEXUALLY TRANSMITTED DISEASE. If you are a teenage girl who is sexually active, you have the same odds of getting an STD as you do guessing a correct answer on a 10th grade multiple choice question.

Half of the girls who participated in the Federal study, denied ever having sex, yet had an STD. The most common explanation was only intercourse is sex, and that is the only way you can catch an STD. Really? So where did it come from? The disease fairy? The toilet seat in the mall's public restroom. Yes, it's true. People change over time. Apparently they become more clueless by the day. The most astonishing numbers were among the girls who admitted to being sexually active. Among the honest...40 percent had an STD. 40 PERCENT! The first question that comes to mind when reading these numbers is "shouldn't 40 percent of teenage boys have an STD as well?" Or are all the girls just sleeping with the same hand full of guys?

OK...here it comes..."When I was a teenager"...these numbers did not exist anywhere near the numbers they are today. Here is how it worked back then. Only a handful of girls were having sex...at least early on in High School. Everyone knew who those girls were. They had a name. They were the sluts. They hung out with the grits. I know...sounds harsh, but that is how it was "when I was a kid". I am by no means naive, but in today's day and age of teen pregnancy's and sexually transmitted diseases, how can so many young girls not only be having sex...but unprotected sex at that? Am I the only one bothered by this? Am I just a fuddy duddy? Are boys these days that much better at smooth talking the girls? Do kids think they are untouchable and can do whatever they want? So if my teenage daughter, and 3 of her friends are hanging out at my house...the odds are good that one of them personally knows what chlamydia, herpes, or the clap is? Is it my daughter? Sure as hell better not be. As parents we can only do our best when it comes to talking about the ramifications of sex with our children. We don't threaten them. Maybe scare them a little...but mostly we talk to them with love when it comes to such a touchy topic. After that, it is up to them on what they will do with the information. Like I mentioned in one of my posts last month.....if my daughter ends up pregnant at age 16, at no time during our conversation will I blame Britney Spears sister, music, or TV. I will blame my daughter. Why shouldn't I? I didn't make her have unprotected sex. I tried to prevent it by arming her with life scenarios of what the aftermath might be. Do I really sound like the kind of guy who wants to raise another kid? Because you know that is what ends up happening.

Like I said in the beginning. I get that kids nowadays are basically what we called sluts "when I was a kid". But one in four catch an STD? Mind boggling. The funny thing is, one thing remains the same over time. "When I was in High School" the percentage of girls who did not have sex and took school serious, went on to have much more successful lives than those who were mattress dancing and partying. Hell...I'm an example of that. (The second part). That remains true today. If only there was a way to get kids today to see that when they get older, they are going to look back at their teenage years and be like "why the hell did I do that. Was it really worth it?" All I can do is pray that my children stay among the 3 out of 4 who do not experience a burning sensation when they pee!

Idiot of the Week

Since my last post, I have been struggling a little bit on what I should write about next. You have to love it when it just falls in your lap. On Mondays I volunteer at our neighborhoods Senior Center, taking a group of elderly ladies to the local grocery store so they can do their shopping. They are unable to drive, so I do it for them. Sometimes they like me to come inside and help them, and other times they like to do it on their own. Today they wanted to do it themselves, so I waited in the van while they shopped. To pass the time I grabbed a copy of the Cincinnati Enquirer and a Diet Coke. As I started reading the "letters to the Editor", the semi-lit lightbulb in my head went off when I got to a letter from Jude Camberos of Reading, Ohio. "Thank you Jude" I said. "Thank you for curing my writers block by being....in my opinion.....such an idiot". Let me post his letter first, then if it is even neccesary, we can disect it like a 10th grader disects a frog in Biology class....quick and brutal:

DUIS SHOULDN'T RESULT IN PRISON TIME

Stephen Wolf has just been sentenced to eight years in prison for his multiple DUI convictions ("Facing the DUI music," Feb. 18). This is ridiculous. Punishment in this depth should not be sentenced for driving under the influence charges. Unless the man has injured or killed others, this is not necessary. This man obviously knew what he could do without endangering others.

If anything, Wolf's prison-bound charges should be for his hit-and-run incident last summer. Eight years of this man's life will now be ruined. His abstinence of alcohol may be present in prison, but now his life and those of others are hurt.

DUIs should not be charged with prison time but have more convictions toward community service or fines. Also, more strict penalties on revoked licenses could be enforced. This man will lose eight years of his life for mistakes he made while intoxicated. Intoxication does alter decisions, and Wolf obviously made bad choices.

Jude Camberos, Reading

Has anyone else had to make a trip to the medicine cabinet for 2 Advil and a bandaid for your scalp from scratching it so hard it started to bleed? When I started reading his letter, I thought maybe he was going to suggest that getting repeat DUI offenders help was a better alternative than prison. Maybe putting them in rehab, or alcohol awareness classes could be usefull. I'm not saying I agree with that. Everyone makes mistakes. Trust me...I understand that better than anyone. But what our gum ball machine legal expert failed to mention was that this was Mr. Wolf's 19th DUI. Yes....you deserve to go to jail for having 19 DUI's, if not for less than that. Good ole' Jude thought community service would make a 19 time DUI offender see the light. That would be about as effective as using gasoline to put out a fire. This man obviously had no intention on ever giving up drinking, or driving when he had been drinking. Forget that he did not have a license and was still driving. How many laws does one have to break before jail is considered a "reasonble" form of punishment? Can you fill me in on that Jude?

The last time I had a look of disbelief on my face so big that you could see it a mile away, was when President Bush gave his State of the Union Adress. Our esteemed author actually says (with a straight face I'm guessing): "Unless the man has injured or killed others, this is not necessary. This man obviously knew what he could do without endangering others.". He obviously knew what he could do without endangering others? Wow! Jude....you were aware that people were actually going to read this, right? That has got to be the most idiotic, asinine, half-witted, moronic, unintelligent thing I have ever heard. I am going to go out on a limb and guess that Jude has recieved a "few" DUI's himself. Of course that is purley speculation. I'm not saying he has. I could be wrong.

Jude feels all sad inside that this individual is going to lose 8 years of his life for "getting caught" driving drunk 19 times. Who knows how many times he didn't get caught. What happens the next time he operates his vehicle with yellow tags while inebriated? What if he kills someone the 20th time? Does he deserve jail then? By putting this individual behind bars now, not only are we all a little more safe, but others will see what happens when you REPEATEDLY tell the law to go screw itself. And Maybe, just maybe.....someone, somewhere, will choose to hand over the keys next time they have had to much to drink. Even if only one person see's the light from all of this, that is one less drunk driver on the road. Everyone has heard the old saying "If you don't have anything nice to say, don't say anything at all". Jude...for you I say: "If you don't have anything that makes even an ounce of sense, don't say anything at all".