necessity is the mother of invention, but poverty is the father
New favorite quote of the week. Attributable to my father-in-law, just in case no one else has it tagged by them.
Having recently moved I found his incite particularly accurate and worth sharing. Enjoy.
Something I’ve Observed: Dislike of the “really busy” people at work
Maybe this should not annoy me as much as it does, but everytime I hear it, I want to scream, belt the person, or look at them and say “who cares?”
You have two populations of people at work, those who work and those who are always announcing to everyone else that they are working.
You know who I am talking about? It’s that person who is just completely “overextended”, hasn’t any more capacity for additional work, and seem to be yapping on the phone more than anyone else in the room.
It’s also not surprising that these same people never get anything done, it’s because they are so “damn busy” they just don’t have time for anything else on their plate. Did these people go to some special university that specializes in daily self affirmation of their success over very little achieved?
In this economy, how are these people keeping their jobs? There is a trick to looking busy, is it the mass of printed paper scattered over a desktop, or having your head buried in a phone all day? I know, it’s that very fast paced walking down the hall with glasses low on the nose holding something that looks official…that must be the trick to the disguise.
I don’t take too well to these people…
I find myself gravitating towards those people who never spout off about how busy they are. Yet, they have a high stress position and have major accountability to get things completed, and they usually do.
The workers who typically keep to themselves, don’t mingle in the cool crowd, and have a very clean work space, these are the folks who normally are on the ball. They are organized and are able to successfully use the electronic media within the PC to save documents rather than post art all over their walls as to appear as if they have unreal job responsibilities.
Save the artwork for the fridge…
Rant over and off my chest…thank you.
Does Kanye West hate Midwestern white farmers?
Remember the HUGE fundraising event that was carried by all of the major networks after Hurrican Katrina? Remember all the big name celebrities who gave their time and energy to raise money for those affected? Remember Kanye West’s infamous deduction the George Bush hates black people because his government didn’t have the response to the catastrophe that Mr. West would have expected?
No, this is not Wizard of Oz
Where was Kanye and his elite club of superstars last year when the entire eastern border of Iowa was nearly washed away? In fact, where was the telethon on ANY channel? Where was the DC finger pointing when these midwestern farming families had to swim down their driveway to get to safety? Were there busses driving those folks from Cedar Rapids, Iowa City, Burlington and Weaver to St. Louis, Chicago or Minneapolis?
Last summer, damages were estimated at over $1Billion, but have we heard anything about it since? Remember Anderson Cooper doing a broadcast from New Orleans once a week until the government got its act together? From what I remember, CNN and all the other national news elements pulled out as soon as the flood water level had “leveled” off. No more immediate threat to its reporters? Move on! Nobody is interested in middle America’s problems.
Well you should be.
Please do not read this as me saying you should think about Iowa and NOT New Orleans, but I don’t think it should be the other way around. Yes Katrina was awful…devastating even. But so was the flood in Iowa last year.
But the questions need to be asked:
- Where are the FEMA trailers?
- Where are the debit cards for them to spend at the strip clubs and gun shops like they did in New Orleans?
- Where the specialty brew beers whose proceeds go to relief efforts?
- Why does FEMA have a whole section set up for Katrina News on their web site, which scrolls and scrolls with information and for the Iowa flood, they have a few news releases telling Iowans they had until Aug 12 to sign up for relief and links to other news?
- The biggest news release? “Iowa Flood Relief More than $2Million.”
- Federal allocations in response to hurricanes Katrina, Rita, and Wilma now total over $88 billion.
- W hat!?
Whats the Matter? Not enough crime associated with the Iowa Flood?
Not enough homes eradicated?
Not enough damage to the crops?
Not enough damage to agriculture?
Not enough people exposed to toxic water?
Not even swift water crashing through the area?
I lived in Iowa for ten years. I was not there for last year’s flood, but I lived there in 1993 and help sandbag down at the Mississippi River as well as other rivers in the area. The thing that everyone needs to realize is that farming truly is many families’ livelihood. When crops are wiped out from raging flood waters, when cows and pigs drown on water that quickly creeps up on them, its not a funny photo to be passed around – it is less food and shelter that family can pay for that month.
It saddens me that the people of this region have not been treated with the same ongoing services that are still being given to those in New Orleans. Please, again, I am not saying that New Orleans residents do not deserve aid (but don’t get me started on rebuidling in known flood zones) – my point is that there are people in the Midwest who lost EVERYTHING as well.
CEO greed at its worse…a disgusting examination of who we really work for
The news is ghastly and literally makes you sick to your stomach. Once again, a large corporate CEO has been exposed and details are coming forward concerning John Thain. Thain is the recently ousted chief exec at Merrill Lynch after news of his extravagant spending has come to light. We need people to lead and companies need quality CEOs to guide the culture and direction of its employees, but this is grounds for a free range turkey shoot.
I don’t know how to react to this but I’m almost forced to pull at heart strings because I don’t know how our system will change. If you analyze what this man did and what potential repercussions it has on other people, it is completely and utterly criminal. I mean in the same category as a masked gunman robbing a bank, robbing an elderly couple on the street, or simply robbing hard working human beings of their dignity.
He’s not the only one who has plundered corporate finances on meaningless and material objects. Dennis Kozlowski, former CEO of Tyco, was jailed for his elaborate spending. He once arranged a birthday party for his wife in a tropical location, hired Jimmy Buffet to perform, had a fountain with flowing vodka, waiters dressed in togas, and had a life size cake of his wife made with exploding candy breasts, no kidding. He used company money. At times, the stories are humorous but only so if the economy is good and people have jobs.
Considering the economic struggles of Americans right now – this hits home with me. It hits home with me because my family has been impacted by the economy and we’ve been impacted by health issues. This is not a sob story or an attempt to make someone feel sorry for another person, but rather a look at how this man’s actions actually have a trickle down effect to others – as if he actually pulled out the financial rug himself.
Here is a lay out of what he did and theoretically how it impacts the rest of us paupers:
Hires White House decorator guru Michael Smith to decorate his corporate office at $800,000, which is about the same as sixteen Merrill Lynch analysts making $50,000 who were laid off when ML announced a 10% workforce reduction in 2008.
Area rugs valued at $131,000, which is roughly the value of a first time home for a young family which are now left with a mortgage payment and no income.
Guests chairs valued at $87,000, which equates to the salary of a highly skilled network administrator losing his IT job.
Wall sconces at $2700, which equates to about six months of the average COBRA payments for a laid off worker who has no other health coverage.
A credenza valued at $68,000 – another salaried employee – gone.
A $1400 trash can – again another mortgage payment- gone.
Do not forgot the $4 billion in executive bonuses which he paid out as Merrill Lynch was being purchased by Bank of America. This was billions (billions!) of dollars handed out to individuals who didn’t even have the leadership capability to keep ML afloat. BofA has just recently received $25 billion in bailout funds just prior to the take over of Merrill Lynch. Thank god our government stepped in and helped with the financial burden caused by that huge ass $13,000 chandelier hanging in Thain’s office !
This rant could go on and on. The damage has been done and it is most likely Thain will get a nice pension payout from BofA execs under the table unless it becomes public news – which if he does – it will. If he does- it may be time for me to run naked down the street because apparently you can get away with anything in this country. Hopefully, it does not happen and the man slithers back into his life outside of his corporate crime spree. It’s nothing more than a crime spree considering Merrill Lynch was a sinking ship and pink slips were being handed out.
A CEO is hired based on his or her credentials and seemingly a perfect fit for the organization – so they are compensated nicely. The problem is that the methodology of “salary” is relative to all employees within the company. The assembly line worker making $40,000 still wants to be paid if the company does not do well. The same goes for the CEO as they don’t want their value depreciated by a falling stock price just as much as the worker in the office. Hell, if you had $40 or $50 billion in stock value – you’d probably not even wink at someone walking in with a chair valued at more than a car. Board of Directors are creating invincible, highly compensated money churning robots with no regard for those people who hold very fragile roles within the framework of a corporation. It’s a reality, we work in an At Will employment environment which is dictated by the behavior of the market. Good market= jobs, bad market= layoffs. But, can the spending be justified when employees are being escorted out the door, salaries are lost, and families forced to suffer a little bit until something better comes along? Many people never get that second chance to recover, but this slimy pig will.
This irresponsible corporate spending is virtually untouched by any current laws governing corporate responsibility. How does this type of criminal “free” spending not fall under any Sarbanes Oxley guidelines? There is no accounting oversight even though , based on the books, this spending looks certified. The legislation apparently only concerns itself with whether or not the spending is reported as “complete” and “accurate”. I do not understand how the SEC can’t hold the power to freeze the payment for outlandish office decor – is this not considered a “large” or “unusual” payment?
A road warrior consultant can’t spend over $30 on an out of town dinner, but John Thain can do this.
How much did you pay for that scope, Ed?
I come from a very small town in a very big state. Those little towns vastly outnumber the big cities, and usually you never ever hear your your little town mentioned outside of the county border. Thats why I always get a kick out of seeing my hometown in the national news. There have been many movies filmed there and many celebs have chosen that area as their private retreat, but I am entertained by how often the little town is mentioned.
Today’s mention of my hometown in the news comes thanks to a New York hunter who accidently shot a LLAMA because he thought it was an elk. I’ve never had llama jerky, but I guess I can kind of see how he wasn’t sure – but if you’re not sure, isn’t it safer for you NOT to shoot? Is that not Hunting 101? He even gutted it like he would an elk.
This is a female llama (I think)
I did find the following blurb from the article amusing, yet oh so appropriate:
This is a female elk
Montana’s hunter safety education program emphasizes that hunters should always identify their target before pulling the trigger.
Whew.
Well the guy turned himself in and all is well. I’m sure the Park County game officials got a HUGE chuckle out of it though.
Why I love Ann Coulter
Yep, I enjoy her existence. I don’t particularly care for her persona, her constant desire to be in the limelight or the depths to which she will stoop to be the center of attention, and I certainly don’t agree with a thing she says. So why do I love her?
She’s a constant reminder of why I love my country.
I’m not sure that Ann Coulter has even made a point without bending and stretching the truth as if facts were one of those stress relieving items that just have no purpose in life unless they are twisted and crunched into an unrecognizable mess, but my point is that she can. Her credibility seems to be directly related to the size of her big brass balls. She’s like a bull in the china-shop of truth who after her Tasmanian-devil style rant, comes out with perfectly coiffed hair – no worse for the wear.
She has an audience, her books sell. I’m not sure if anyone actually believes the crap she spews out, but thanks to good ol’ American capitalism, she’s a success.
Not surprising, she has a new book out and she she’s on a press tour for it. Sometimes I think she churns out the books not so much to educate anyone on a particular subject, but merely for the fact of having something to talk about so can go on these press tours. She revels in the arguments she gets into with the liberal media and she tosses her blond tresses in a manner that shows she’s not really listening to the interviewer but knows that her points are crap so she expects the questions and has canned answers ready when she hears key words from the host. But again, she has an audience. Those who love her for her big cojones , and those who hate her existence. She thrives off both.
Truth be told, I can’t watch an interview with her without yelling at the TV. But I watch anyway for a few reasons:
1. Makes me appreciate the fact I’m not in a political group for whom she is a talking head. I couldn’t fathom being a part of an organization or movement that relied on her to get any message across. Her fact-tangling approach to most issues removes any credibility she may have on any relevant agenda item.
2. Gives me things to think about when I’m in a political discussion. Her mannerisms and approach are so polarizing that it’s almost like a “what not to do when trying to make a point and be taken seriously’ seminar.
3. Her confidence. We can learn from her ability to look you straight in the eyes and tell you the sun is bitterly cold and scoff at you when you point out scientific proof that it is, in fact hot, you liberal idiot.
4. I’m rubber and you’re glue whatever you say bounces off me and sticks to you, you liberal idiot.
5. She is taking full advantage of her American rights and I hope she truly appreciates it. Nevermind the fact that she’s the two steps back for each step forward good, smart female political pundits have made (on both sides, thank you) I really hope that she appreciates and thanks whatever god her close-minded little heart worships that someone decided to give Republican Barbie a microphone and there are people who believe her outrageousness, just because it sounds so far out there, it must be true.
A few of her wonderfully classy quotes:
“I was going to have a few comments about John Edwards but you have to go into rehab if you use the word faggot.” –at the annual Conservative Political Action Conference
“These broads are millionaires, lionized on TV and in articles about them, reveling in their status as celebrities and stalked by griefparrazies. I have never seen people enjoying their husband’s deaths so much.” -on 9/11 widows who have been critical of the Bush administration (note: nobody, except of course her, who is cashing in on slamming them)
“We need to execute people like (John Walker Lindh) in order to physically intimidate liberals.” (note: she calls Obama ‘B. Hussein Obama’ because of the fear that name instills but you notice she’ll use Walker Lindh and not refer to Bush as ‘G. Walker Bush’”)
“We should invade their countries, kill their leaders, and convert them to Christianity.” – Days after September 11 attacks
“Whether they are defending the Soviet Union or bleating for Saddam Hussein, liberals are always against America. They are either traitors or idiots.”
“Press passes can’t be that hard to come by if the White House allows that old Arab Helen Thomas to sit within yards of the President.” (note: I find this particularly nasty, its because of women like Ms. Thomas who helped pave the way for women in political reporting)
Seriously Ann, stay classy. And thanks for reminding me how free this country still is.
Hernes, Booney and Durke, Luis Vitton – these are priorities?
No purses were harmed in this photoshoot
It’s been well established that although I have the female chromosome and the right parts, I’m not ‘girly’. Admittedly, my favorite brand of clothing is “clearance” and I would rather spend my day staring at the engine of a car than venturing into a mall.
The other day as I’m going through the motions of putting on makeup before work (hey, I do make SOME effort) the Today Show was doing a special about brand name purses vs. knock offs. Honestly, I wasn’t paying attention to the message of the entire piece since I look at my purse like a fanny pack – utilitarian, purposeful, but weighty and annoying. (Ladies: how many times has your husband/boyfriend handed you something to put in your purse to hold so he didn’t have to put in his pocket? Do they believe that there is a zero-gravity unit under that clasp that makes things less heavy for YOU to carry than it did for him??)
The Today Show was revealing secret ways to spot a fake or why you should never carry a fake or some similarly deep purse topic, and then I heard something that made my put down the mineral powder and look out the bathroom door. I’m paraphrasing here but the thoughts are the same, “so, if you want to make sure you get a real brand name purse, which can be really expensive, ask all of your friends and family to get you gift certificates that way you can pick out the purse you want [read: a real name brand, not the knock off your Aunt Linda got you from her church trip to New York]“.
So I immediately ran down the hall and called everyone I knew and left the following message on their voice mails:
“Hello, although I really appreciated the scarf and mittens you gave me this year and every year in the past, and its actually pretty practical I have a request from now on: will you please go out of your way to find a Louis Vuitton store and buy me a gift card of at least $50 or more? I’m going to try to amass all of my friends’ and family’s wealth to actually get something worthy of my greatness. I mean seriously, can you believe that I’ve been using this same Coach purse since July!?”
Ok, not really. But that’s the message that the segment was giving. Not once did anyone on the show go, “Ok, haha gotcha! Instead of being such a stuck up snob and actually looking down on the Kate Spode you got from Aunt Linda, why don’t you get your head out of your ass and write Aunt Linda a thank you note.”?
Seriously, there are people (mostly women) who carry around purses that cost more than my car. Notice the “S” on the end, they have more than one! I don’t know these women. I know a few that carry Coach, Dooney and Burke, Kate Spades and maybe a Fendi. But even those might be fake, I really can’t tell you because I’ve never asked and I wasn’t paying attention when the gals on the Today Show were reviewing that part.
So when you go to buy one of these purses sorry – handbags, do you live in it? I guess I’m baffled by the fact that somewhere there are women who place that high of a value on having something hang off their arm that has the bacteria from the bathroom floor on it.
So I guess I will go appoint my sister as project lead for the next gift giving event, tell her that she’ll need to either gather the cash/checks from all of my known gift-giving acquaintances and get one big gift card or just have her let them know where they can go online to purchase me a gift card. By the time I have my car paid off, I might have enough gift cards accumulated to buy that purse. Or do they finance those? (oh my, do you think THAT is the real reason for the credit crisis, too many people defaulted on their purse loans. How ironic)
Thank you Aunt Linda, for my new Goach wallet.
This week’s use of the Flux Capacitor
This week’s use of the Flux Capacitor comes to us via YouTube again in the form of : 80’s Music Video.
The video this week is full of Awesome and I really can’t believe I don’t remember it. I absolutely love the song and I crank the volume way up when they actually play it on XM’s 80’s on 8. In fact, I think it would be in the Top 20 80’s songs for me.
The song:”The Promise”
The artist: When in Rome
Here are a few notes to make sure to catch while you’re watching:
The 80’s hair is in full force – we have two versions being thrown down. There is the totally bald guy saying “screw the trends, my big bald head stands me out from the crowd and that’s how you’ll remember me. I’m British, I’m different”. And then there is his counter-part rocking the dark brown Fabio locks saying “Lookat me, I haven’t had a haircut since I was 9 and you really need to feel how soft it is, but I won’t let you touch me. I’m British, I’m different,” - which he tosses around and runs his hands through at least four times:
1 – :30
2 – 1:35
3 – 1:56
4 – 3:14
Yes, I counted.
We also have the girl who needs more conditioner and probably some conditioning serum in her hair , and we know this because they lighted her from behind with very bright sunlight. The poor girl also didn’t realize that she purchased the pantyhose/stockings with the seamed toe, which is not the best for when they do a closeup of her legs and feet.
The band member sporting the long locks also rocks the mom jeans and the pianist’s khaki pants look like they’ve been pulled up within inches of his neck.
In other words, its full of 80’s Awesome Gold.
(Another) Holiday Gift Guide for Mom – Gifts that will actually be used
With the cold weather, long lines at the malls, Black Friday sales, and more sugar than a human should ever consume, so come the holiday gift guides. With all respect to Oprah and her Favorite Things, I’ve compiled a list of the Top Ten Things a frazzled mother might wants/need for the Holidays.
None of these ideas cost an arm and a leg and none are found in specialty shops. In fact, I’m pretty sure you could get the entire list at Target/WalMart/whatever if you wanted. This list is for a working mom – a woman whose day has several of the following tasks: making breakfast for more than just herself, making a to-go lunch for someone other than herself, finding clothes for more than just herself, making sure someone other than herself is where they need to be before 8:00am, getting herself put together and off to work/school, having a full set of responsibilities during the day that have nothing to do with home life, planning dinner for someone other than herself, making sure all entities are home from their respective daily locations, finding the lost football, buying more dog food, and ensuring bodies other than her own are clean and laying in bed at a decent time.
For that mom:
10. The Official Mom Uniform – Varsity version
This is the uniform of all moms, regardless of their level of materialism, corporate positioning or daily schedule. It’s what our husbands would call our sweatsuit. A must-have for all moms. A coordinating (Dads read: matching – aka read same color, material, etc) pants, t-shirt (long sleeve and short sleeve, depending on weather conditions) and hoodie (dads read: sweatshirt). A cotton fabric with spandex (dads read: spandex is not just what we wore under our ripped jeans in the 80’s, its a fiber that holds the shape of clothes and allows it stretch). The ONLY colors this uniform should ever come in are: black or dark navy blue. MAYBE a t-shirt of another color to go with the ensemble, but don’t deviate from any color she already has. Stick with what she wears (dad reads: that’s she likes).
This uniform is good for almost every activity: going to the gym, going into the school to drop something off in the office, meeting friends at the mall for some shopping, running errands or just hanging around the house. Bottom line: its comfy, its put together, its nice to wear anywhere.
9. The Offiical Mom Uniform – Junior varsity
Hopefully she already has a varsity version in rotation that she just demote to the JV team if needed. The JV unnie for mom might be the velour ‘track suit’ thats still kind of holding it shape. (Dads read: fat pants). It could be the dark green velour pants on the bottom drawer with matching zipper sweatshirt that hangs on the back of that chair. When she wakes up late and has to pull back the hair without a shower, this is her standby outift. If she doesn’t have time to take a shower, she doesn’t want to put her Varsity on. This uniform is good for when she only has to drop the kids off at the circle drive but not go into school, driving through to get fast food coffee, running into Walmart for tampons or going to the doctor’s office when she’s really sick. I include the JV uniform because if she doesn’t already have one, you should get her both.
8. A baseball cap
Find something relevent to her
Hats are a must have – when we wake up too late to take a shower or do our hair, when we need to make a run out in short notice, or just to keep the sun off our face. If the mom for whom you’re shopping doesn’t already have a hat, don’t just grab the first one you see. You can truly put some thought into this and make it a great gift. If she doesn’t follow a favorite sports team – find one that is related to something special about her. Before I was married, my initials were MB, someone gave me the new Milwaukee Brewers hat when it first came out, it was really cool. Does she come from a small town? Is there a minor league team (baseball, football, hockey, etc) in that town? Sometimes the more obscure, the cooler. No sports teams? No problem – go for brands, colors, or even the type of cap. Trucker, military, baseball, etc – all have their own personalities that can be reflected into your gift.
7. A good (small) notebook for her purse
If she carries a purse, she most likely needs to jot down notes. Truly – take a minute and think of how many times she’s said, oh hey, don’t let me forget. A nice pen with a nice notebook is a great small thoughtful gift. I’m not talking a spriral Mead notepad either. They make small 2″ x 4″ or whatever with pretty, colorful, plain or vivid designs. Maybe just a stocking stuffer. Get her a nice pen to go with it and you have yourself a package.
6. All-natural scented soaps.
Remember, she's not a French hooker
Seriously, most frazzled moms feel really awkward at the day spa. Sure it feels good for the moment, but 80% of the time they’re thinking of the list of things they still need to get done that they’re not getting to because they laying at a spa. Its nice, don’t get me wrong, but there is an alternative. A lot of stores (even Target, Wal-Mart, Walgreens) have natural milled soaps that are highly fragranced (dad read: not like a French whore). Get a nice lavender for her to use in the evening to really relax and an all natural mint to energize her in the morning. Bubble bath is OK, but seriously water only stays warm for a certain amount of time and bubble bath just makes the bath slippery. (dads read: she’ll have to clean it) One more thing for mom to worry about.
5. Good comfy shoes
I’m not talking sensible shoes are to be worn with the sensible pant suit like our 8th grade math teacher wore every day. No, if she wears the Manolo Blahnik knock-offs or the Payless BoGo special, she needs a good pair of cross trainers. (see Varsity Uniform) These will help her knees and feet recover from her grueling daily regiment. Know her size and at least try to find some that fit. Consider her favorite colors, they come in every color. Hints: Nike runs a little narrow, Reebok and New Balance a littler wider. Asics are great for running too.
4. MP3 Player
It doesn’t need to be an iPod, in fact I like my off-brand because I have a FM radio tuner too. But don’t just get her the player, load it with music you know she’ll like. Break it into folders- relaxing music (Enigma, monk chants, etc), heart pumping for activities, don’t forget to throw a few of her old favorites from her teen years when music was an important part of our day. (Special note: if you don’t know what kind of music the mom you’re buying for likes, then perhaps the better gift here is to ask her and get to know her a little better. Showing real interest in her likes/dislikes is a great gift on its own)
3. Family pitch in
She probably has a TON to do. But, she probably has done them all at one point or another, and that indicates she probably has a routine. And as a mom, I can say, “DON’T mess with the routine!”. But you can enhance it. If she does all the laundry, DO NOT volunteer to take over the laundry yourself. She will only spend the time that you’re giving her worrying that you’re doing it wrong (dads read: if you don’t do it the same way she’s done it for the past x years, you’re doing it wrong. Even if the outcome is the same. Don’t argue – its wrong). But rather, enhance the process. You and kid/s can help by gathering the clothes (dads read: make sure you learn her sorting system and help sort) to help her get them ready to be cleaned. Save her a little effort by having that part already done. Same with the dishes. So its not a gift you can put under the tree, buts its a gift of recognizing her daily efforts, appreciating her routine and cutting down on the time that it takes her. (remember, this is not only for clothes – it can be for anything)
2. A kinder, gentler alarm clock
I found this alarm in a gift catalog and I think its awesome. How long do you think it would be until mom starts trying to rationalize with the voice on this clock?
1. Photos
In my opinion, the un-posed, caught-in-the-moment photos show the true soul inside. Find some photos of your entire family (don’t forget to look on the digital camera for the ones she hasn’t had a chance to download yet) and pick some out and make a photo book, collage (dad read: a random collection of photos arranged in non-specific layout), blow them up and put in multiple frames, etc. They don’t have to be photos will all family members in each. Key: find your favorite of her and make sure there is one in there of her too. So many times moms put the kids’ photos all over the wall, but when she sees that you find beauty in her as well, it will be a great gift. You can even upload to Walgreens, or other photo site like Snapfish and others that have creative templates to help you come up with unique ways to arrange the photos.
Remember, the gift is in the details. Mom probably doesn’t want to make a grocery list of things and have you get them one-by-one. The spirit of holiday gifts is to show someone that you love them enough to take the time to do something special. Most women are capable of purchasing ’stuff’. A true gift is the attention to details, and the truly the thought behind it.
None of the gifts above cost a lot of money, and ALL can be found in Target, Wal-Mart or your other favorite store/mall. You can get expensive versions of each of the above if yu want to go to specialty stores, but all of the above take the current financial situation into consideration and NONE will break the bank.
Yes…those are called lights and you turn them on so I can see you!!
Amazing what these things can do
Let me add to the earlier posting about the inherit misuse of the all mighty turn signal. What I find even more ludacris is the absence of people’s headlights! I mean – how in the world is this physically possible in the driver’s seat of a vehicle? (besides the obvious which is simply not turning them on)
When I climb into a vehicle under the cover of darkness or really bad weather, I often find it very handy to SEE MY DASHBOARD. It’s also a plus if you can see the ROAD IN FRONT OF YOU!.
It’s also a double plus if every other putz out there can see you coming DOWN THE ROAD!
Let it serve as a friendly reminder that my 2000 lb SUV might enjoy eating your VW bug for lunch, simply because you neglected one simple thing when you started your car.
Maybe I need those infrared glasses you’re wearing but since I don’t own a pair and probably won’t for many years to come - turn your LIGHTS ON! (Do cops write a ticket for being a complete moron?)
Alright, I’m done.
Heard It In A Bar RSS Feed- Brittany Murphy’s death is troubling March 12, 2010Not that it’s another tragic celebrity death, not that it’s another young life taken so early…these are all troubling and sad in their own right. It’s another tragic case of someone getting caught up in the web of drugs…the legal type! It truly saddens me that so many of these stars seek out more and more prescription [...] […]kansasview
- Internet fun for the weekend… March 12, 2010By far one of my favorite websites of late is called GraphJam.com. Essentially, the website attempts to break down the world and how we interact with it in a series of graphs. It is hilarious when you see how the world around us can be so easily summed up in a pie or bar chart. [...] […]kansasview
- So why are more companies not yet hiring? March 12, 2010U.S. Workers are still filing a large amount of unemployment claims and this is after five weeks of declines in this area. Where are the culprits and which industries are still hurting? It’s apparent as we have seen over the last year is that a gradual stabilization of the economy does not naturally translate to a increase [...] […]kansasview
- Facebook is down…Facebook is down…5:42 (cst) March 12, 2010This website is not a help desk for Facebook but it’s a civic duty to keep the American public aware of all possible natural disasters!! Facebook is down! Facebook is down! Don’t toss your Iphone in the river or hurl it at your wife and complain that it doesn’t work worth a s***. Here is the current [...] […]kansasview
- Hot new golfer to challenge Tiger’s limelight March 12, 2010It’s tough not to hear Tiger Woods’ name in the media of late with all this marital infedelity hoopla and now text messages coming out from his brood of women across the country. Frankly, it’s getting old and let’s focus our attention on those athletes who don’t get all the attention. Especially those golfers who shy away [... […]kansasview
- Eight years of success turns into one year of demise for Kansas coach Mark Mangino March 12, 2010The story and the jokes can finally come to an end. Sports fans throughout the midwest have been following the fate of KU head football coach Mark Mangino and allegations that he verbally and physically abused his players. Well fans, now that he has resigned and the weeks of rumors and headlines about his coaching future [...] […]kansasview
- Tiger’s “cat” is almost out of the bag March 12, 2010Of course we couldn’t wait too long before throwing in our own two cents about the Woods story, it wouldn’t be American! I’m getting to the point where I’m getting angry because this is now a public issue. It’s private until Tiger hopped behind the wheel and crashed his vehicle. It’s private until the police are called a […]kansasview
- Come on ABC…Lambert only kissed another guy, big deal March 12, 2010What’s wrong ABC? You can’t allow a very flamboyant and talented singer on GMA? However, you have prime time shows that openly display homosexual men/women and sometimes they kiss! Brothers and Sisters, Modern Family, Grey’s Anatomy, they all have gay characters who quite frequently engaged in PDA. Granted, these are actors but there is […]kansasview
- Wow! Those facebook pics sure got some attention! March 12, 2010Interesting story out of Quebec, if you haven’t read the article, do so. Once again, a story comes along that just sends my editorial neurons out of whack. So, you go to the doctor and are diagnosed with severe depression…so severe that she is forced to go on short term disability for a year from her [...] […]kansasview
- Palin…go away! March 12, 2010Seriously, I don’t care that you have a new book….I don’t care that you have a tattered relationship with your daughter’s “baby daddy“…and I find absolutely nothing of this fascinating in the least. It’s all over TV, she’s been on every talk show on earth….all for what? To increase exposure for a […]kansasview
- Brittany Murphy’s death is troubling March 12, 2010
