Why do people assume the friendship of others?
This isn't a rhetorical question. I really cannot comprehend why, after merely being acquaintances with someone, so many people count themselves as "friends".
Maybe I'm the strange one.
Maybe I don't "get it".
Maybe having hundreds if not thousands of "friends" is a good thing.
Then again, maybe in today's world, the true meaning of friendship has been lost upon people.
It has dawned on me, that today, most people will chat away mindlessly about the "friend" they met online in a chat room or public forum, and they will simply marvel at how the world is shrinking and making all of the people in it "friends" when in reality, they do not know the slightest thing about the other person that they have not been expressly informed of by that person.
Yet, amazingly, they will consider this person a "friend" and often chat about them endlessly as if they are a next door neighbor who they have personally known for 30 years.
Personally, that frightens me.
And no, not because I don't want to have "friends", or because I hate it that "you have more 'friends' than I do", but rather because it leads me to believe that people are either more gullible, more trusting, than they ever should be, or that we have, indeed, seen the inevitable decline of intelligence in modern society, that philosophers have warned us of, for the last 100 years.
I personally, can count the number of "friends" that I have, on two hands.
Yes, that's correct; there are 10 or less of them.
But does that mean I am bereft of the ability to make "friends"?
Am I a social pariah?
Do I lack the ability to adequately interact with the norm of society?
Or rather, does it mean that conversely, I have the more than adequate ability to interact with people in the world, regardless of my feelings toward them, and would rather have a few close and true "friends" than to have hundreds if not thousands of acquaintances who I know next to nothing about except that they have the ability to convince me that I should know them to improve my social standing?
It baffles the mind.......
Or does it.
What is a "friend"?
How do you define one?
Is it merely someone with which, you have communicated with on some certain level, long enough to mark into the memory bank and remember?
Or is it more?
Is it instead, someone who you know on a personal level, and have shared knowledge of social situations by perhaps partaking in the same social situations and having an enjoyable time. Perhaps something along the lines of a shared outing to a local watering hole or sporting event?
Or is it more?
Is it instead, someone with whom you've spent time discussing subjects more elaborate than "what are you wearing tonight", or "Where do you want to go out"? Is it someone with whom you've had meaningful discussions about life, love, happiness, sadness, and all the other maladies and joys within the world?
Or is it more?
Is it instead someone with whom you've shared intimate thoughts and desires for not only your life enjoyment, but also theirs and the rest of society's in a way that stripped away the mocking carefulness associated with being "politically correct" or with trying to avoid "hurting someone's feelings" or even possibly making comments that might be taken to be hurtful, if not truthful, and yet at the same time could be said to also be helpful?
Or is it more........
Much more........
Is it instead, quite simple, and yet, at the same time, the single most complex situation you could ever put yourself into.
Is the true measure of "friendship" described in a way that would, at once, make perfect sense, yet at the same time, make absolutely no sense at all?
Is that possible?
Can true "friendship" be described in a sentence so simple that it mocks the very thought, yet, at the same time, so complex that it baffles and boggles the mind with the ramifications and undertones which it carries?
Is that really possible?
I guess for some it is.
And I count myself among those "simple" people.
What is this definition that can possibly cause such a paradox of emotions, and yet, at the same time, create a calmness of soul?
It's very simple.
To me, a friend is someone, for whom, without thought, reservation, or concern, I would sacrifice my own life, for.
Are you my friend?
People are stupid.
Yes, that's right, I said people are stupid.
And amazingly, it's getting worse and worse.
Today I received, in the mail, my monthly edition of National Geographic Magazine, which I have subscribed to for nearly 25 years.
One of the most interesting parts of the magazine to me is the reader's reactions to articles and how they voice their opinion. Most times, I find that the comments, while sometimes wistful and full of "green" wishes, to be a true representation of what people wish could happen when responding to environmental articles. However, I have now come to the conclusion that "left coast" people are too stupid to know what is really going on in the Country, let alone in the World.
I cite the following response to an article about energy use and future sources as a prime example of the stupidity that abounds in people today. Especially those that do not live in the part commonly referred to as "fly-over country" or "Middle-America".
"Jacques Chiron says, 'You don't have to drive a freaky car to use biodiesel.' That's quite true. Yet inevitably, when the media write about alternative fuels, they illustrate their articles with photos of freaky-looking cars. Middle America shakes its (sic) head, mutters about weirdo hippies, and turns the page. Like it or not, alternative fuel vehicles will never be mainstream until they are presented with ordinary vehicles used by ordinary people."
Shari Prange
Felton, California
Well excuse this Middle-American for noticing something that you apparently are to stupid to comprehend.
Biodiesel is a product of what part of the country?
It was invented where?
It's used by FARMERS in their EQUIPMENT where?
Oh, wait, let me see.......
I'm going to go out on a limb and say......
MIDDLE FUCKING AMERICA YOU stupid ASS!!!!!!!!!
Did you know that every single GM truck sold in 2005 and shipped to "Middle-America" was E85 configured?
Do you even know what E85 is?
Just to give your addled and mostly vacuous brain something to occupy it for a moment, I'll clue you in.
It's fuel, for a standard internal combustion engine, that is made of a minimum of 85% ethanol. That's right, a true renewable energy source.
You can make it from corn. You can make it from soybeans. And amazingly, you can make it from switchgrass, meaning that when you want to rotate your crops and let the field "rest" for a year, you can still actually grow something with value and convert it into something that everybody in the United States uses every single day of their life.
I'll not bore you with all the details, and spare me any comments about not being able to grow enough corn or whatever to produce enough to be meaningful versus daily consumption by citing 20 year old studies that said average corn per acre yields were 65 bushels (it's routinely twice and even three or four times that), and understand that "Middle-America" has not only been aware of non "freaky-looking" vehicles powered by "alternative energy sources" but have also, unlike many of the so called "green" people, actually been using them on a daily basis.
Did you know that all state cars in Iowa run on 100% ethanol? And have for many years?
I didn't think so.
And why didn't you know this if you are one of these wonderful people who think that they can tell "Middle-America" what we should be doing to save the world?
Because the mouthpieces to the "green" organizations you belong to and want to mimic every time you open your mouth, don't care. They just want you to keep sending them money and spewing out their false and putridly obscene rhetoric so they can feel important.
Face it Shari Prange, you have no more "knowledge" of what you are trying to comment upon than the average kindergarten student. There is a difference though. The kindergarten student still understands the use of a simple three word phrase.
"I don't know"
I love to listen to people who cite the wonderful improvements that hybrid cars can make in the world.
Really?
Excuse me.
Here in the back.
I have a logic test for you.
Where does the electricity to charge the batteries to power these cars come from?
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Yeah, that's my question?
Where does it come from?
In case you're willing to admit a little ignorance on the subject, "Let me 'splain it to you from one of them there middle-mericans"
With the help of the DOE website and that famous thing called Google, I found the following information:
2005 US Electricity production(est) by type
1. Fossil Fuels - 617,762 MW (68.571%)
2. Nuclear - 192,688 MW (21.388%)
3. Hydro-Electric - 74,016 MW (8.216%)
4. ALL OTHERS - 16,455 MW (1.825%)
So it shouldn't take a rocket scientist to understand that they very vehicle you want everyone to drive is a primary cause of pollution in the country, and since "green" people are always bitching about Power Grid interconnects, and the harmful effects of electro-magnetic radiation from high power transmission lines, I guess the people who really have no knowledge of the real issue is.........
YOU.
As I said at the beginning.....
People are stupid, and a simple use of logic and a few minutes of thinking would have lead to the conclusion, that Shari Prange, should do us all a favor, and simply lock herself in a room and for Humanity's sake, not procreate at all.
So I'm driving down the road today in my amazingly
wasteful motorized vehicle, listening to the radio somewhat mindlessly, and thinking about mundane items that I have need to procure for my domicile, when something catches my attention....
No, it wasn't a group of nuns, beating the Holy Hell out of some Priest who had just caused the local parish to go bankrupt due to his ever increasing need to spread "The Word of God" among little boys.......
It was in fact something on the local radio broadcast.
But then, I couldn't have just heard what I thought I did, could I?
Yes, in fact I did.
An advertisement on the radio for "The amazing Cortisol", just caused my brain to lurch so suddenly, that I fear I entered another dimension of time for a moment, and caused all logic and reasoning circuits within my mind, to fire at exactly the same time, causing so much information overload, that I actually believe my body gave the outward appearance of electrical energy flowing from my ears in arcs to the closest metal object. Much like ball lightning would do.
Now, before I go any further, a word on Cortisol for the uninitiated among you.
Cortisol is the latest, greatest, most amazing , wonder drug for fat people. Yes, I said FAT people. Not slightly chubby, nor pleasantly plump, nor even wonderfully big-boned. I'm talking about FAT people. And I, as a
member in good standing of the club, feel it is my right, nay, my duty, to proclaim this amazingly obvious, but very astute, observation to the world.
So what was so amazing about this advertisement that it caused such a reaction in the synapses of my grey matter?
Why it was an endorsement of Cortisol, the amazing weight loss drug, by the Miss Fitness America Pageant.
Yes, you read correctly. The Miss Fitness America Pageant.
Excuse me while I allow you time to pick your lower mandible up from the floor and replace it in it's proper position...................
So basically, this product is being endorsed by a group of people, whose only purpose in life is to be so perfectly shaped, and in such an amazing state of fitness, that they appear to be smiling and enjoying themselves to the point of
giddiness, while they run, jump, and perform other feats of impossible human dexterity on stage. And they gave their personal endorsement to Cortisol?
Excuse me. Over here in the back. I have a question.....
WHO AMONG THESE VICARIOUS VIXENS OF VIRILITY WAS EXACTLY USING THE PRODUCT?
But I digress.
So basically I, as a member in good standing of the Fat People Club, am supposed to be impressed that a bunch of amazingly fit individuals, who have between the entire group of them maybe 7% body fat, have given their personal endorsement to a miracle weight loss drug?
Am I the only person in the world who sees the irony (read stupidity) of this?
So basically, a bunch of people who have absolutely no need of this product, have never used the product, and most likely have never had more than an extra 3 or 4 pounds on their frame in their entire life, have told me that this is the most amazing product ever, and I should, with all haste, call this number right now, and purchase this product.
Ummm, color me stupid, but I'm thinking that maybe the marketing genius that thought this campaign up, needs to go back to working on the "Hitler was a good guy" campaign instead,
because he or she certainly missed the target audience on this one.
Me personally, I'm gonna keep following that Jared guy's advice. At least he has the common sense to point out the idiocy of other marketing
campaigns, and then basically say in a nice way. "you're fat. Eat less and exercise more like I
did, and you'll lose weight"
But then again, maybe I'm missing something here.................
Like a partial lobotomy.
So I'm watching the Superbowl this past weekend, and I notice something that makes me simply stare at the television is abject amazement.
No, the cheerleaders weren't naked.
It was the halftime "show".
Now don't get me wrong, I'm not sitting here and bashing Sir Paul McCartney. In fact,
I enjoy much of his music, and tolerate him fairly well as a person.
What I observed , that evidently few others did, based upon questioning of friends and co-workers, was that the only "fans" who were screaming and shouting, were the ones directly around the stage.
So what you say?
So maybe something isn't quite right in the fairly tale world.....
Here are my observations , follow me on this, and you just might learn something......
Paul McCartney is on stage performing some of his bigger hits. FACT.
The hits being performed are all at least 20 years old (Most over 30). FACT.
The "fans" surrounding the stage are all screaming and jumping around excitedly while cheering. FACT.
Now here's where careful observation takes over...
The "fans" around the stage are, by all appearances, in their late teens to early twenties, meaning they weren't even alive at the time of Sir Paul's hit-making years.
These "fans" are not singing along with Sir Paul, they are merely screaming and blindly cheering.
The spectators in the stands, are merely standing and watching, not singing along, not clapping, not cheering. Nothing.
If you don't believe me, you should have been more observant when the long camera shot was on Sir Paul's friendly visage, and observed that the spectators in the stands across the way, were doing nothing more than standing and trying to figure out if anything was going on.
In fact, one gentleman in a white T-shirt, got bored enough, he simply sat down and pulled his hat down.....
Now, walk carefully among the glass shards of the producers shattered dream with me, and discover the amazing truth about the "fans" that surrounded the stage that night.
They weren't fans.
In fact, other than some stories related to them by their parents about the "greatness" of "THE BEATLES", and the fact that
today's youth are merely ambivalent at best about most things, it's quite easy to observe the hidden truth in the woods without trees.
The "fans" surrounding the stage were merely extras who were paid to be there and scream their heads off at carefully choreographed moments.
Don't believe me? Then observe this wonderful fact.
If you have the slightest bit of observational talent, then you'll have noticed, that not only did every one of them have in their
possession, an electric candle for use during the heartwarming rendition of "Hey Jude", but they all managed to have them in hand, and at the ready, so they could turn them on just as the song started, and make it seem so much more cozy than it really was.........
Isn't marketing great....................
I've come to a decision.
People are growing more and more stupid by the day.
I base this on observations I've been making over the last few months.
Now, I'm not saying individuals are stupid, I'm saying that as a whole, people in general are showing less
intelligence than ever before.
Some of this can be attributed to just plain laziness, but more and more, I'm beginning to think that it all comes down to the fact that we are, as a society, expecting less and less out of people, and more and more out of
technology.
I submit the following example for your consideration......
Computer viruses.
Yep, those pesky little bits of malicious code that "hackers" love to send out into the wide world to reek havoc upon the world.
I don't know about you, but all the "scary" stories, and "intimidating" commercials on television, have
definitely pushed me to the point where I'm just gonna go curl up in a ball and avoid ever turning my computer on again........
Right.
Yep, that's gonna happen.
I submit to you, that the only people who have problems with computer viruses, are the people who are, in essence, to stupid to be using a computer in the first place.
Now I understand that there are the occasional exploits of Uncle Bill's products, and occasionally even of Cousin Linus', however, I will also submit, that the VAST majority of all the problems associated with computer viruses, can be traced back to idiot savants sitting behind a keyboard and blindly accepting the fact that somebody would gladly send them all these helpful files for their computer.
Now I know, there are those of you who have contracted one of these nasty little surprises, and you're probably saying, "Hey, I'm not an idiot savant, and
I got one!".
Look, if the shoe fits, wear it.
I can't tell you the number of people I've had to help over the phone, and in person, who've somehow "mysteriously" contracted one of these ailments. All without the knowledge of how it could possibly have happened.
Let's see, the typical excuses sound like this...
"I got an e-mail from my bank, and they needed me to download and install this program to protect my password...."
idiot.
"Well this email came, with something weird in the subject line, but it came from one of my business contacts, so I opened the file he/she sent me because
I thought it was important..."
Super idiot.
"Well the e-mail said it was from my ISP, and that the attached zip file was important, and that
I should use the included password to open it and look at the message..."
idiot beyond words. Ever think that if they were sending you an e-mail, they would just include the message in the e-mail?
"I got this message, and it said I should open it to confirm the meeting we had
scheduled, but I didn't recognize the name, so I opened it in case I had forgotten about the meeting..."
You deserve anything that ever happens to you for being this stupid. In fact why don't you come talk to me about this great opportunity for selling pre-paid legal services......
Which leads me directly into my next point.
Not only are people getting dumber by the minute, but they have actually reached the point where they will fall for exactly the same schemes that people fell for in days past.
Case in point. Ponzi Schemes.
Believe it or not, this is without a doubt the fastest growing marketing segment in the world.
Now, the owners of these wonderful "businesses" are definitely smarter than before, however, boil it all down and you've still got one of the most obvious ideas in
existence.
From Pre-paid Legal Services, to online mail-order marketing, to Financial consultant businesses, it's simply amazing to me that these "corporations" can exist in the modern age.
Now I know, many people say these "businesses" can exist, because they do work, at least for a certain percentage of people.
Well, you're correct, and that certain percentage of people are the same ones who make computer viruses, and the ones who fall victim to these "businesses", are the same people who get computer viruses.
The stupid ones.
Every time I think of the stupidity in the world, I'm reminded of a simple phrase....
"stupid is, as stupid does"
Maybe Forrest wasn't as stupid as so many people think.........
Is the evening news irrelevant?
The reason I ask, is that I found myself reflecting a little today as I read the story of Dan Rather deciding to step down as the anchorperson for the CBS Nightly News.
As I was reading, I suddenly stopped and thought, "When was the last time you watched the news?" And I found that I couldn't remember.......
Does this mean that I'm one of the many who just don't care?
I don't think so.
I just started analyzing how I get my daily dose of the state of the world, and
I discovered to my surprise/horror/revulsion that I, like many others in this wonderful (?) information age, get my news in drips and drabs from a
veritable cornucopia of places.
I sat..... I thought..... I made mental notes.....
There is the morning radio DJ, who probably is about as educated as the shoe
I am installing on my foot while listening to him.
There is the ESPN Sportscenter anchor, who I mindlessly listen too while ladling some sort of
sustenance into my food-hole before heading off to the daily grind.
There is the talk radio "personality" on the local AM radio station, that I listen too for the entire 5-15 minutes on my way to that which provides monetary
remuneration.
There is the internet news sites I occasionally frequent during a lull in the "action" throughout the day.
There are the various internet forums, and chat rooms I find myself visiting while relaxing at home after another bought of mental exertion which some call work and
I call.......well.......... work.
Then there are the various people that I deal with either in person or through various electronic means
throughout the waking hours of my existence.
All of this lead me to the conclusion, that unlike my parents, and certainly my grandparents, the nightly news broadcast to me is simply a waste of time and usually does nothing more than re-hash what I have been exposed too, whether I wished too or not, throughout the previous hours of that's days existence.
Does this mean that Dan Rather is irrelevant? Does this mean that he is merely fading the final step from peoples consciousness?
Or rather (no pun intended) does it mean that he has seen the writing on the wall, and decided that the time was right, to simply finalize the shift to darkness that has been slowly creeping up on him over the last decade or so?
Whether you watch the news or not, consider this.
When was the last time you felt irrelevant?
And what did you do when you discovered it?
Me, I simply told the world to kiss my ass, and simply kept on living.
Well, well, well......
It seems that my little discussion of irony and a certain NBA athlete has become even more timely and somewhat prophetic.
For those that live in a cave and haven't heard the news, Mr. Ron Artest was, among others on his and also another team, involved in a small dust-up on the court on Friday night. Most interestingly, this small on-the-court altercation, spilled over into the crowd, and ended up involving players, fans, police, and security personnel.
You see, it seems that Mr. Artest, who was by the way entirely not at fault for the start of the altercation, decided that because he was pelted by a cup of water, that he was entirely justified in jumping up, going into the crowd, and violently attacking a fan, who was by the way NOT the one who threw the water at him.
Yep, that seems like a great decision........
Once again, the irony of this situation, is that Mr. Artest, who was probably not going to have any disciplinary action taken against him, has now forced the commissioner of the league to take action against him.
And what exactly was that action?
Well, lets just say that he is going to have plenty of time to rest and recover from his grueling schedule as a record producer. You see, he has been suspended for the rest of the season, and can now embark upon all of the ancillary careers that he may so desire.
A little more irony added to the situation, is that because he was suspended by the commissioner, he is also now somewhat under funded.
You see, his little vacation is without pay, and will ironically mean that if he wishes to make any more money this year, and part of next, that he will be doing so in one of these ancillary careers.
And we all know that professional athletes are so good at investing and saving all those hard earned funds, don't we.
irony. Isn't it great?
With all of the fervor and hoopla surrounding professional athletes here in the good ole USA, it's interesting to see what these athletes really think.
Take Ron Artest for example. Here is a wickedly talented athlete, who is heralded by the media as one of the premier players in the NBA.
Evidently, Mr. Artest has decided that he wants to also be a music producer in concurrence with his basketball career.
Huh?
You mean making millions to play a game and the time necessary to practice said game doesn't take up enough of your time?
Oh wait....
Evidently he isn't capable of doing both. Hence his request for some time off from the Indiana Pacers team.
Personally, it doesn't bother me what he does as I have long ago stopped watching the sideshow called NBA basketball. However I would like to applaud the reaction to his request by his coach. Mr. Carlisle decided that Mr. Artest could indeed have some time off, but only from playing. He suspended Mr. Artest for two games, but made him sit on the bench in uniform for both of the games.
Good.
The only thing better would have been to also not pay him for both of the games missed.
So where does the irony come in you ask?
Simple. I was watching the news tonight on my Direct TV, and on came an advertisement for the "NBA League Pass". A special package that allows you to watch just about every NBA basketball game during the season, and guess who was prominently featured in the advertisement? That's correct, the very same Mr. Artest, who apparently would rather be doing something else than playing basketball.
Good call on that one Mr. NBA representative.
But wait, it gets better.
During the ad, Mr. Artest is asked to answer a simple question, he turns to the speaker, because apparently he was not paying attention, and then stares blankly at the speaker, searching not for the answer to the question, but more likely the question itself. irony is so much fun!
But wait, it gets even better!
When it becomes apparent that he can't answer the question, the speaker answers the question for him, and Mr. Artest drops his head to the table and slowly repeats, "Stupid, Stupid, Stupid" over and over.....irony is great isn't it.
Maybe it's time for people to realize that professional athletes are not the smartest people in the world, and probably should be treated as nothing more than petulant children when they "act up".
Why does it seem that there is a simple lack of
logic in the world today?
Is it because people don't understand the term? Or is it because
Logic, is something that
is learned from others, and those teaching it have failed to learn it from their teachers?
Was it a gradual loss? Or have we as a society, simple "dropped over the edge" in the last few decades?
Who do we blame for this? Should we even try to blame anyone? Or should we as intelligent,
rational people, stand up and take the blame ourselves?
The reason I wonder, is the recent election that happened here in the United States. I, like many of my fellow
countrymen, set out on that day to make a difference with my meager vote. While standing in a short queue of
fellow voters, I noticed that none of them were being made to show identification before receiving their ballot.
Surely this couldn't be true, could it? Not after the debacle that took place in the year 2000 election?
But sadly it was. I'll admit to not knowing many of the members of my neighborhood. I am by nature a bit reclusive.
So when I stepped forward to receive my golden ticket, I did so with ID firmly grasped in hand and available for inspection,
but slightly hidden, so that the "Precinct Volunteer" would need to ask before it was presented.
Alas, it was not to be. I was merely asked to fill out a small card with my name, address, and phone number. Upon
completing this task, I was directed to the "Precinct Volunteer" who had in front of her, a
roll of eligible voters for
the precinct. I handed over my dutifully chicken-scratched card, and after she checked the roll, was given a ballot in a
privacy folder, and directed to a booth, at which I was allowed to do my civic duty.
Now why, you ask, does this deserve my thoughts and recollections? It is simple. I live in a very politically split city,
in a very politically split state, which both Presidential candidates deemed worthy of visits right up to the very day of
the election. Considering that, and the length to which some have been shown in either political party to try and gain an
advantage, does it not seem strange that anybody who could spend five minutes on this wonderful bit of technology we call
"The Internet", could have gone in and voted for somebody? I'm not saying it happened, but then
again, I'm not saying it
didn't either. I'm merely asking, if the United States wishes to continue to show the world that it is the model to strive
for in democracy, should it not exercise a small bit of
logic, in the
most very basic of activities that make a democracy?