Tiger Tiger Woods Ya’ll

Well Tiger, you went and did it, didn’t you.  You left your house at 2:30 AM and crashed your car.  Somehow, this has brought out that you committed “transgressions” that you have apologized for.

Now, I’m really mad at you Tiger.

I want to give you the smack down.

Strangely enough, it’s not for the “transgressions” you committed.  Whatever “transgressions” means, since that was your word.

No, the reason I want to give the smack down on you is because now, I can’t read the news without hearing nothing but…… TIGER TIGER TIGER.

Now Tiger, I’m sure you’re a nice guy and all, except for those “transgression” you mentioned.  But like you even said, you aren’t perfect.  Who is?  I’m certainly not.  But if you have cheated on your wife, shame on you.

Just because you have as much money as God more money than almost anyone does not give you the right to fall into that rich man’s trap.  You know, the one where weird women will sleep with you, just because you have money.  Come on Tiger.  If that’s the only reason they slept with you, because you’re rich and famous, then admit it.  They are tramps.  So, stay away from the tramps, and keep your pants zipped, unless your wife lets you unzip them in the bedroom, that is if she ever lets you in your bedroom again.

But I digress.

It’s irritating Tiger, irritating as all get out that you had the unmitigated gall to leave your house at that ungodly hour and wreck your SUV, thus causing a snowball effect which took over all the news.  There IS other things going on in the world right now you know.  Like the economy (something you won’t have to worry about… ever), kidnapped kids, abused wives or husbands or children, people losing their homes, the wars in the middle east, just to name a few.

Why do you have to be such a media hog?  Do you really think that is fair to the rest of the world?

So you wrecked your car.  There was going to be “an investigation” for some reason.  Anyone else would have just been slapped with a reckless driving ticked, like you eventually got.  But oh no, because it’s YOU, I had to listen to newscasters speculate on what the “investigation” was about.  I suppose they were hoping that it would lead to the discovery that you had not only cheated on your wife, but abused your children, caused global warming, and had dead rabbits hidden in your freezer.

And now?  NOW?  Now I’m, at this very moment, having to listen to the speculation about your prenup agreement with your wife and “oh my God, what should she do, should she stay or go”.

No one else gets this treatment.

What about other peoples lives that are destroyed by this kinda thing?  We don’t hear about it 24/7.  But oh no, you’re such a media hog, you’re taking over the airwaves.

Tiger, do me a favor and give it a rest will ya?

Ok, sarcasm aside, I really don’t get why this is all such a big deal.  You media people need a life.  One that doesn’t revolve around celebrities.  And you people who are obsessed with such a thing?  YOU need to get a life.

Know why?

I want to know what is really going on with the world.  You know, important things.

~ Kev

Today’s Youth = Tomorrow’s Leaders (Ahem)

Where did we go wrong?  Ok, maybe that is really just a rhetorical question.  However, somewhere, my generation took a sharp left turn in raising our kids who are now teens.

Oh I know what you’re thinking.  You’re thinking I’m going to rant about the foibles of today’s something or other generation (is it x? y? z? aa? I can never keep up).  Well, you would be right.

I mean come on, have you looked at bozo the clown looking teens of today?

Never mind the tattoos and piercings.  Never mind the weird hair colors, never mind the pants that are about to fall off.  No, wait.  Let’s mind it.  A lot.

Hey, I was a teenager once.  We had our own fads.  In my town, in my day, it was cowboy hats with roach clips hanging off the back (purely for aesthetics, honest mom, I never did drugs.  That’s my story and I’m sticking to it).  But I look at today’s kids and I have to wonder.  I mean really really wonder.  How do some of these kids expect to get a job?

Whatever happened to the phrase, everything in moderation?  Apparently, we somehow missed the opportunity to pass that vital information on to our kids.  I can see my way past a little bit of “personalization”.  My own daughter has a piercing in her nose.  But I look around at some of these kids at the mall, even ones who are working and I think to myself – something just ain’t right yo.

Blue hair, red hair, white hair, green hair, practically every weird color you can imagine under the rainbow.  Facial tattoos.  More metal in their face than iron man, ripped clothing (if you can even classify some of it as clothing because it covers less than a bikini), thongs hanging out of the back of pants.  It just goes on.

If they aren’t trying to pass off as “Gangsta Paradise” (don’t judge, I roll old school Coolio ya know), their trying to look like something from the circus.

I expect a little rebellious behavior in teens.  I was one once, despite what my 17 year old daughter thinks.  But I look at these kids and I have to wonder, especially in talking to them, have they no idea what they are doing to their future?  The answer is a big fat no.  Why?  Because they don’t think what they are doing to themselves with their various circus colors and metal faces will make a difference.

Ahem

They obviously don’t understand corporate America.

Or they plan on working at fast food restaurants all their lives (no offense, but come on, how many more fast food places to we really need in this country?).

I’ve seen people who have just made it out of their teens, trying to make a living with battle scars from their piercings.  That’s right, they couldn’t keep them.  Once you get those holes in you, and let them close, they leave behind scars.

Then there is their clothing.  I’ve seen young adults, just out of their teens, still wearing their pants around their knees and wonder why they can’t get a decent paying job.

So where, exactly, did we take a left turn?  Did we get to busy, trying to keep our own heads above water trying to survive that we didn’t notice?  Or did we just get to the point where we made the mistake of not realizing the appropriate time to say no, and stick to it?

I don’t know, I just don’t understand it.  I’ve only let my daughter get one piercing and it’s in a place that won’t leave a visible scar and I have talked earnestly with her about the fact when she finishes college, she is gonna have to lose that nose piercing.  Which she doesn’t get.  Maybe I shouldn’t have allowed it in the first place.

Who knows what the future will bring.  We can hope that our youth start waking up and realize that youthful things must be left behind when they grow up.  It’s either that, or our next president may have facial piercings, and wear his pants around his knees.  What a horrible image.

~ Kev

Coffee vs. Coffee

Ok, this is a sensitive topic that I have done my best to stay away from.  No, really.  I’ve always felt like if I wrote about this subject, hordes of people would start hunting me like one of those scenes from Frankenstein, including pitch forks, axes, and torches.

However, I just can’t take it anymore.  And for those of you who dislike this blog post to the point of wanting to hunt me down, this is a guest writer.  Honest.

It all started years ago, and quickly became something horrid amazing in it’s own right.  A specialty store that serves coffee and coffee related drinks at a premium price.

You know, stores like Starbucks and Coffee Beanery.

Small privately owned mom and pop stores quickly jumped on the bandwagon of supplying premium priced coffee to the masses.

Premium priced coffee stores are everywhere now, especially Starbucks.  In some cities, you can’t walk a block without running into one of their stores.  What I don’t understand is, why are they always so busy?

Coffee is pretty basic.  You take the beans, you roast them, you grind them, and then you brew it.  Sure, beans from different places offers a slightly different taste, I understand that.  You can even mix the beans from different areas to make combinations that offer even more differences in tastes.

On the surface, this doesn’t amaze me.  Coffee has been around for a very long time.  What does amaze me, however, is the willingness of people to pay so much for a cup of coffee that comes from a particular store.

I mean, have you people seen the prices Starbucks and some of these other stores are charging?  It’s insane!

And by insane, I mean needing to be in a padded cell insane.

Take today for example.  I was at the mall.  I wanted coffee.  I often do.  Now, I could have walked down to the Coffee Beanery and got a large coffee and paid over two bucks for it, or I could have gone to this little shop that offers coffee and paid one dollar.

Would would I have gotten for the extra money?  Well, it wouldn’t have mattered if it was Coffee Beanery, Starbucks, or any other specialty coffee store.  I would have gotten a cup of coffee that was way to strong, bitter, and frankly, not that great.  What did I get for my dollar coffee?  A great tasting cup of coffee, that tasted like… well… coffee.

Don’t get me wrong.  I’ve had these specialty coffees.  I’ve even purposely purchased from these stores on one of the days when I didn’t get much sleep the night before and had a lot of hours of driving ahead of me.  But it’s very rare, because those bitter, over strong cups of coffee taunt and talk to me like some kind of satanic cheerleader while I’m driving.  Or maybe that’s just the hallucinations from the massive amounts of caffeine from what should be a mild pick me up.

Don’t make fun of me.  It gets lonely driving all those miles by myself.

I have friends who can’t even drive past a Starbucks without stopping and purchasing a cup of the over priced Joe.  Then they drink half of it, (I mean come on, who could blame someone for not wanting to overdose on caffeine), smile like a loon and say “I love Starbucks!” like some kind of poor brainwashed, battle scared veteran.  And And And, these people are more than willing to pay all this extra money with their hard earned cash without blinking an eye for a cup of coffee that most times, they don’t even finish!

How do you DO it.  Honestly!  I wish someone would tell me.

What happened to just plain ole regular coffee?  You know, the kind you get at 7-11, or a diner?  What makes people want to spend this kind of cash on overpriced coffee that gives you indigestion, nightmares and has the ability to keep you awake for three straight days?

Insanity I tell ya.  Next thing you know, someone is going to come up with an idea to sell specialty water for a premium price.  Oh wait…… Nevermind.

~ Kev

Entertainment: Pushing the Envelope?

I feel like I need to rant.  I’m probably going to upset some people, but if I do, I will take the kicking.  If I can dish it out, I can take it in return.

What is it about entertainers who feel the need to “push the envelope”?  Especially when historically, pushing the envelope seems to be all about sex?

Is this about Adam Lambert?  Only in part.  Is it about Adam Lambert being gay?  Not at all.  What is it about?  I guess, in a nut shell, it’s about sexually charged “entertainment” on television.

Adam wasn’t the first entertainer to cause controversy.  Remember Janet Jackson’s wardrobe malfunction?  How about Madonna sharing an open mouthed kiss with Christian Aguilera and Britney Spears?  Then there was Sinead O’Connor and her attack against the Catholic Church (ok, this one was sexual, but political).  How many people remember the controversy that Jim Morrison of the Doors caused when he not so mistakenly sang the original lyrics to “Light My Fire” after agreeing not to? (which ok, wasn’t sex related but drug related, but maybe still sex related because the line in the song referred to a girl).

Maybe you will see me as an old fogey or something, or simply to conservative, but over the top sex, drugs and political messages do not belong on National Television where the younger citizens can see it, and perhaps be influenced by it.

I have to agree with TV Critic Jack Gould, back in 1965 when he commented about Elvis Presley’s gyrating.  “It isn’t about censorship, which solves nothing.  It’s about common sense.”

Really, I couldn’t agree more.

I didn’t watch the AMA award show.  Why?  Frankly because, although I love music, I have become increasingly tired of watching senseless over-indulgence in the name of entertainment.

I’m not a big fan of Adam Lambert, I don’t like his style of music.  But if I were, and I went to one of his concerts, I might have been shocked by a similar act, but ok, I paid for a ticked so I get what I pay for.  But to know that so many younger children saw that performance on television frankly makes me ill.

The other people I mentioned?  I feel the same way, except for maybe the one about The Doors, but maybe back then I would have felt the same.

The problem is this.  I have enough trouble trying to teach my child that sexually based entertainment isn’t an accurate portrayal of sex as it is.  I don’t need some entertainer, citing free speech, showing their breast, gyrating like a loon, endorsing drugs, or depicting sexual material, especially when it’s so “alternative lifestyle” like bondage fueled performances.  Frankly, I would hate the dreaded question from my pre-teen (which I no longer have by the way, she is grown) of, daddy why is that woman kissing that woman, or that man kissing that man, or even why is that guy leading that guy around on a leash like a dog?

These types of things are inappropriate to the general public.  You want to do it in one of your concerts, fine.  Go right ahead.  At least then I have a choice of paying to see it.  When I’m watching a live performance on television, I don’t have a choice of seeing it and if you’re an entertainer, pay attention.  I don’t want to see crap like that.  Many people don’t.  Many people do, but it shouldn’t be forced on me, or my chosen lifestyle.  If I can’t force you to stop participating in drug fueled sexual parties, then I shouldn’t be forced to participate in them.  Get it?

Come on people.  Try waking up a little.  How far are we going to go with this?  Are we going to keep pushing the envelope so much that sex becomes nothing but a thoughtless act?  Or drugs to become acceptable?  Or political gestures of any kind common place?

That’s not entertainment, it’s destruction.  Destruction of common sense, morality, decency, and general entertainment.

Maybe it’s time there was a little censorship.  I don’t normally agree with censorship, but I think if people can’t have the decency to act appropriate in situations like this, something must be done.

And you know what really ticks me off?  If I was an entertainer, and I stood up after my performance on National Television, and started preaching about Christ, and Sin, I would have been run out of town.  But it’s ok to act like a deranged sexual deviant, or attack religion, or endorse things that are illegal.

Does that make sense?  Not to me.

So I guess I will close with this.  If you are an entertainer, keep your kinks to the appropriate venue and to the society in general, wake up and stop supporting those who refuse.

~ Kev

Take that Conspiracy Buffs

I have a secret guilty pleasure.  I can admit it.  Own up to it.  I can even open up about it.  I’m not embarrassed about it or anything and no, it’s not internet porn.

I like to follow some of the sites that post stories about conspiracy theories.  There, I said it.  I’ve owned up to it.

It’s a growing trend, it seems to me.  Sorta like that Chia pet craze that took everyone by storm.  Or the pet rock weirdness.  I am happy to report, however, that I have never owned a Chia pet, or had a pet rock.  The conspiracy theories though, well, they are worth a lot in entertainment value.  At least some of them.  One of the ones that I have been a faithful follower of is the people who hold on to the belief that we never set foot on the moon.  That the whole moon landing was a hoax, was shot in a studio, and have listed a bunch of reasons to “prove” their case.

Sorry, but for all of you that believe this, I’m laughing at you, and have been for years.  Sound harsh?  Maybe it is, but how anyone can take the actual evidence of the United States landing on the MOON, and dismiss it, is like denying that George Washington was the first President.

What is it about people who refuse to believe is so much, that it gets to the ridiculous stage, and try to explain everything away to support their strange ideas?  Well, I don’t know really.

Let’s look at it for a moment.

Men from the United States landed on the moon.  They were the first to ever do so.  For it to have been a hoax, NASA would have been required to come up with a way to convince:

400,000 workers

The Russians

Radio Telescope Operators around the world

Universities who have used the laser reflecting panels left on the moon

Now if you can believe that, well, I don’t know what to tell you.  Maybe you should go hide in your closet and wait for the Galactic Overlord Klandathu to come and go.

Seriously, it’s just a bit ridiculous.  Even Whoopi Goldberg got into the act today on The View, asking the same questions that the people who “do not believe” have been asking for so long.

Questions like, where are the stars in the photo’s, why is the flag waving, why is there no craters from the rockets on the lander.  Stuff like that.  All very good questions, but questions that have been scientifically answered for years.  That is, if you care to actually LOOK.  But of course, it’s easier to just sit back on your none believing throne than look for answers.

But maybe, just maybe, all that will change now.  NASA has finally provided PHOTOGRAPHIC EVIDENCE of the moon landings.  Here are just two of the pictures.

I wish I could say with confidence that the matter has now been put to rest.  But just wait, I bet they will think of something else now.

~ Kev

You actually PAY for that?!?

This post is likely to be just a tad racy for some, so if you aren’t 18, come back another day.  Don’t worry, I understand that by saying this, and if you’re under 18, your curiosity is piqued, but really?  You’re not going to find anything in this post you will like.  There won’t be naked women, and their won’t be tales of graphic sex.  So just move on and come back another day.  Yeah yeah, I bet now you’re even more interested because your abnormally high hormone teenage brain is curious so obviously interested in what an adult has to say on certain things, amiright?  Well, get over it, because you aren’t going to enjoy the post.  Just take my word for it ok?

Now, back to the adults.

I remember when there was no internet.  Instead, people got on-line by visiting bulletin boards.  For those of you under 30, a bulletin board was a computer that had a bank of modems (remember those?) that you could dial into.  You could download shareware programs and chat with other people on-line.  However, bulletin board is to the internet as is house tabby is to lion.  There just isn’t really a way to compare the two, except on a very basic level.  I fondly remember the days of downloading a 1M file (which was considered big back then) and it took a whole hour with a 36K modem.  Now, I can download 1 M in less than a minute.  That’s quite the jump, considering the time difference.  I’m talking just 18 years here.  I still remember us talking about this weird new thing called “e-mail”, where someone could send a letter to someone else anywhere in the world and we would all stand around starry eyed in wonder.  I bet most people don’t even remember, if they ever knew, how the internet got started, but trust me when I say Al Gore had nothing to do with it.  It’s so amazing to me when I think about it now. Internet e-mail was where it all started.  You could do it if you belonged to a bulletin board that provided that option.  The bulletin board would call out (or be called) every 12 hours and receive a “packet”.  That “packet” was then uncompressed and “tossed” to the various users on the bulletin board who had an e-mail.  That’s right, it was almost instantaneous like it is now.

Anyway, it’s time for me to stop revealing in my geeky past reminiscing and get tot he point.

Since the personal computer became affordable, and bulletin boards started popping up all over, one of the things that they offered is the same thing you can get today.  Porn.  The other thing was the ability to act wild and crazy and do things you probably shouldn’t be doing in the first place.  Such as heavy flirting with people you don’t know.  I guess it was inevitable that someone was going to find a way to combine both and watch the money roll in.

I’m talking about these on-line dating and “cheating” sights, of course.  Sites such as ashleymadison.com,  ADatefinder.com (“Meet Hot Married Women Now”), LonelyCheatingWives.com (“Date Lonely Housewives in Your Area”), and MarriedDateClub.com (“Meet the Hottest Married Ladies Now”) and of course, AdultFriendFinder.com.  In some way or another, all of these sites promote either promiscuous sex, or actual adultery.

Don’t get me wrong, people have been doing the same thing without the internet for ages.  There are bars, concerts, and I guess even a communal barn fire before civilization.  The fact that some of these sties actually make money amazes me, though I guess it shouldn’t.  I suppose some of the people who pay for this are just as interested in looking at the women who gladly take pictures of themselves naked, which come on, thats nothing but porn.

I’m not going into the whole porn issue, I just want to concentrate on these specific sites.  I guess, from a psychological point of view, it’s almost understandable.  Testing the boundaries on-line can be liberating I guess.  You don’t have to worry about actually meeting someone face to face.  but the fact remains, I just don’t understand it.

I mean, if you feel so strongly about cheating on your spouse, that you would actually pay for a membership and spend hours trolling through profiles of other members, then something is wrong.  Seriously.  Something is wrong in your life, and in your marriage.

Although cheating on your spouse doesn’t carry the social stigma that it once did, people still look down on it, even if they don’t remark on it quite like they once did.

People, doing this is filled with nothing but FAIL.  If you’re actively seeking someone to cheat on your spouse with, how about doing the right thing instead of spending your money signing up for ridiculous sites.  What is that right thing?

How about opening a line of communication with your spouse?

Why would people rather ignore the issue and just do something so wrong, and hurtful, that neither of you will ever totally recover from?  Sure, those “talks” can be painful, and even hurtful, but the fact remains, for better of worse, this is your spouse we’re talking about.  You know, the person you stood up with in front of witnesses and promised to love, honor and forsake all others for the rest of your life?  Does your word before God mean so little?

I’m certainly one to stand up for free speech, which somehow, internet porn and sites such as these falls under.  But in my opinion?  These types of sites should be illegal.  All they do is promote laziness so that people don’t actually address the issues in their marriage.  Look at this way.  The majority of Americans seem to be against gay marriage but sites that promote promiscuous sex and adultery is acceptable?  That just doesn’t make any sense to me.

So, for once, try to do the right thing.  If you’re a member of one of these sites, and you’re married, quit your membership and start talking to your spouse.  Resolve the real issue in your marriage.  Ask God for help.  Pray together, seek the counsel of your Pastor or someone other qualified counselor.

Although I don’t promote divorce, if you try that route and it doesn’t work out, then at least you can say you did your best, not only for your spouse, but for God as well.

~ Kevin

My BF Threatened To Kill Me

I’m just a little confused.  Make that baffled.  Make that horrified.  No, maybe not horrified.  Certainly surprised.

Rihanna and Chris Brown are back together?

Wait.  Did I read that right?

Yes.  Yes I did.

Rihanna and Chris Brown are back together.  Ooookay then.  Is anyone else scratching their heads and saying “what the heck?”

On February 8, 2009, reports are that Mr. Brown violently put the smack down on Rihanna.  According to all the gossip and hype, the attack was extremely vicious and even included a death threat while Chris was choking her.  The report continued to say that Chris choked her until she lost consciousness. Then, days later, a supposed picture of a beat up Rihanna showed up on TMZ.com.  The young singer definitely looked battered and bruised.

I will admit right off that I was very shocked when this story hit the news.  It is difficult to imagine the sweet baby faced Brown, doing something like this.  When I think about Chris Brown putting the smack down on, it’s in his dance moves.  The boy can dance and in my own opinion makes Michael Jackson look like William Hung dancing to his audition on American Idol singing “She Bangs”.  No offense William.  But hearing the news report, I differently did a double take.

Then came the public anger.  I guess it’s only understandable.  So many people, like myself, think beating up a woman is not only wrong, but makes you come out looking like a pansy loser of epic proportions.  I understand the anger.

But you know, something to me sounded off about this from the start.  Ok, calm down.  I’m not suggesting it didn’t happen.  I’m not belittling the fact that a woman got her face bashed in.  So don’t even go there.  Maybe, just maybe, I felt something was off from the beginning because it was just so hard to reconcile in my mind that the sweet natured Chris Brown would do such a horrible thing.

I think violence against women is wrong and not only a sickening problem, but a growing one in this country.  I don’t understand men who thinks it’s acceptable to smash their fists into a woman, especially when their excuse was they lost control.  Hitting a woman isn’t losing control, it’s about taking control.  In a violent manner.

The story had enough juice to it that the news agencies were all over it.  Commentaries were flying across the internet like gangbusters.  There were suggestions of Brown going to jail for years and even that his career was over.

Back up a second.  Remember my take on beating up women?  Well, what makes that any worse than what some of these other stars do.  R. Kelly has been accused of having sex with a minor.  Is that less worse than beating up a woman?  Ummm, no.  I don’t care that Kelly was never convicted, his reputation is that he liked underage girls.  That hasn’t seemed to hurt his career, despite rumors of marrying a 15 year old, and also of getting another 15 year old pregnant and forcing her to have an abortion.  But I guess you can expect nothing else from our American Media.  Thy really love to speculate on the worse case scenario.  Whatever.

But what really gets me, I mean really really gets me, is that after hearing all of this about Chris Brown and Rhianna, they are now back together.

Yes, I know that battered women often stick with their ignorant stupid significant others after getting the crap beat out of them.  But usually that is not when the publicity of what has happened has been spread all over the world.

So.  My take is now that, not everything is as it seems.

Judging from Chris’s released statement, something certainly happened, and I have no doubt that he did indeed attack Rhianna.  But I’m beginning to suspect that it wasn’t quite as bad as it’s been made to seem.  Sure, I could be wrong.  It could be just as bad as it’s been made out, but if that is the case, just how stupid is Rhianna?

According to reports, she told the police that not only did he beat her up, but he choked her while screaming he was going to kill her.  Then she lost consciousness.

If this is true, just how stupid can you be?  What person, in their right mind, would ever get back together with someone when the whole world has heard that their boyfriend choked the living crap out of you and lost consciousness, and even the DA is considering attempted murder charges?  Well, pardon me for saying it, but I don’t think anyone in their right mind would.  Sure, she may love they guy, but either things aren’t quite what they seem, or she is going to have to go down as one of the dumbest women of recent history.

I don’t mean to come off as insensitive here, but if it had been me (which is hard to accept and reconcile since I am a man), and my BF beat the crap out of me, chocked me until I passed out while saying he was going to kill me and then drove off and left me?  Well, let’s just say that no matter how much I loved the guy, not only would it be over, it would be WAY over.  I’m talking filing for restraint orders over.  Then, because I am music star, and the public already loved me and was behind me, I would let them see my fragile self and let their anger and feelings for me sell more records.  I know the last part is underhanded, but come on, get with the Hollywood mind set and you will see I’m right.  That “poor pitiful me” act has worked in a lot of star’s favor.

Rhianna?  If the reports are true I have two words for you getting back with him.  EPIC FAIL.

So, either she has the brain of a squirrel on crack isn’t very smart, or maybe, just maybe, things aren’t quite the way they seem.

I guess only time will tell.

Until next time, I remain, cynical of star’s motivations and actions,

~ Kevin

Facebook and the 7 Lies

So I stumbled across a rather amusing commentary by Raina Kelley on Newsweek on-line.  Her commentary is titled “Facebook Made Me Do It – Seven lies we tell ourselves about social networking”.  Read her article here:

Facebook Made Me Do It – Seven lies we tell ourselves about social networking

I refuse to copy and paste her work here, except for the “title” of each one of her seven lies.  After reading it, I just couldn’t hold myself back from responding.  Maybe you will read her commentary and say, ok, this is true.  But I have my own take on her seven lies.

1. I only friend people I really know

I’m not interested in having a zillion friends.  I only have one person friended who I don’t know, or didn’t know as the case may be.  That’s an author.  Everyone else on my friend list is people I either work with, went to high school with, or knew some other way.  I may not really know most of these people on my list anymore, because hey, 20 years are bound to change people.  But I have no interest in adding people I don’t know.  Whats the point?  I have the people on my list who I know and remember (except for the author).  As to how many of my friends would I invite to my house?  Well all of them.  Even the author.

2. Facebook made me do it

I can certainly agree with what she says about facebook not making you write some foolish things.  Like having VD or asking people what their slave name is.  But she wrote she once changed her status to “Raina is feeling like the cat’s meow” and hated facebook for days afterwards.  Ummm.  Ok then.  I don’t see any problems with writing a status message like that.  It wasn’t a flirty directed at anyone kind of thing so whats the deal?  And she hated facebook for days afterwards?  How about you try growing up a little?

3. Wall-to-wall flirting isn’t cheating

Ok, now this one I agree with.  But I don’t do this, and I have no idea if anyone on my friends list does it.  I don’t care if they do, but I don’t understand why people would act so promiscuously, like the example she cites (if it’s real, which I doubt of course, it’s an example).  I’m aware that people act like this, even when they are in a committed relationship or married.  It’s stupid and wrong, but hey, people make this same mistake standing in line at the grocery store.  Maybe the internet makes it easier.. ok, no the internet DOES make it easier, but people do it.  Girls go out with their girlfriends on Saturday night to a bar, have a few drinks and do the same every weekend, and so do guys.  I’ll give this one the thumbs up.  But the stalking thing?  Do a lot of people really do that?  That’s just weird.  Why on earth would you stalk someone’s facebook that you once liked in the 7th grade.  Are you still stuck at that age or something?  Get a life.

4. I use facebook to stay in touch with people

Ok, I use facebook to stay in touch with people that I haven’t seen or talked to in a long time.  I also use it to joke around with current friends who I might see on a weekly basis.  I don’t get some thrill about looking at people I went to high school with and being nosy.  I don’t go to my friends pages and read though every scrap of information looking for material.  If you do this, you’re creepy.  I don’t consider facebook my own reality show with my friends as the stars.  I don’t like anyone’s misfortune or lack of hair, or get excited about learning an ex is living in a trailer.  Pardon me, but I’m just not that shallow.

5. I’m sooo over facebook

I got on facebook for writing blogs.  I did it on myspace for a long time, and a friend who likes facebook over myspace asked me to make one so I could post my blogs in the form of notes so he could read them.  Then we both kinda started blogging on WordPress.  Since I’m sooo NOT over facebook, and talking to people I know, I’m staying there for now.  Sure, I chuckle at what some people write in their status messages, but not to get some fun out of someone’s drunken behavior.  Or snicker, as she so puts it.  Maybe it’s because I’m 42 years old, and I’m a little to mature for that.

6. And I’m sooo not competitive

People actually take those games and stuff seriously?  You’re kidding me right?  Are you really in some need to beat out people so you can gloat?  On the internet?  Maybe you need a real hobby.

7. Facebook is my friend

Ok, I can agree with what she wrote about this, but I don’t even know why she put it on the list.  First of all, facebook isn’t a person so it can’t be your friend anyway.  I know, I’m being picky.  But it jus seems like a weird addition to the list.

Ok, so thats the list and a few goofy comments of my own about it.  Seems to me that someone just wanted to write something for an article. Either that, or perhaps she has some issues she needs to resolve in her life because I came away feeling really bad for her and just a little creeped out.  If you feel like what she wrote is 100% on the mark, then how about turning off your computer and go play in the real world for awhile because you seriously need to.  Also, I have to deal with enough creepy people on a day to day basis in person, so feel free to delete me from your friends list.  But only if you’re creepy.  Oh and Raina?  No worries, I don’t really care about your high score on scrabble, so you’re safe from me friending you.

Feeling humorous and in an odd frame of mind,

~ Kevin

Healthcare Trifecta – School Days (3 Stories in 1)

Apparently, it has been a very busy day.  For those who have been keeping up with my posts on American Health Care, I have an update.  For those of you who remember my post on crazy actions in our schools, I have an update and to top it off, I read an article on a college issue.  So, instead of writing 3 separate blogs, I’m taking a shortcut and combining them all into one.

American Healthcare – The Trifecta

So, you know my wife is sick and what she has been going through in the attempt to get well so she can get back to work.  My last post explained what had happened when she went to her General Practitioner’s office and saw a Physician’s Assistant.  You also know that she has been waiting since Friday to hear what she was supposed to do next.

Well, prompted by me, she called her GP and made an appointment to see HIM.  Her regular Doctor.  She had become so frustrated, and so had I, that we both felt she really needed to do something.  So she made the appointment.  Of course, wouldn’t you know, she finally got a call back from the nurse who helps the PA yesterday morning.  My wife promptly, but nicely, told the nurse to forget it, that she had made an appointment to see her regular Doctor, even though he, and the PA were in the same office.

So she went to see her doctor this morning.  The most immediate concern, after learning that the whole hub-bub over her lungs was nothing, was the weirdness over the EKG.  Well, I guess of equal importance is the fact she is still suffering from her Kidney Infection (yes, we are not back to Kidney Infection from Urinary Tract Infection.  Turns out she really DOES have a Kidney Infection and that is slightly different from a UTI, even though they usually lump them all together….. huh?)

So, the first thing he said was that he had looked at the EKG and although he didn’t see anything that raised any major alarms, with her other symptoms, he wants her to have stress test, just to be on the safe side, but stressed (haha – pardon the pun), that he really didn’t think there was anything to worry about.  Whew!

Ok, on to the Kidney infection.  He talked about her going to see a Urologist and a Kidney specialist (sorry, I am not about to try and spell that specialty).  She told him about seeing one years ago, and what all happened with that, being in the hospital etc.  She told him that she really didn’t know if she wanted to go thought that again, and guess what?  He agreed.  He said, unless you start having a lot of infections back to back again, to leave well enough alone for now.  He told her since she was on bactrim, (the second antibiotic she has been on since this all began) that he was confident that it would finish clearing up the infection.  He also put her on prednisone, a powerful steroid.  Not sure why, but after looking, it is used to help liquid retention due to Kidney issues.  I guess he is doing what he can to help.

This is why it is so important to find a Doctor that is right for you.  Some people can easily get by with any Doctor.  I’m like that for the most part.  But some people, who have recurring issues, such as my wife, that just won’t do.  This Doctor has the philosophy that “you know your body better than I do” and he listens to what you say.  He has the knowledge, but he listens to what you say and I must admit, he has been pretty successful over the past few year in treating my wife.  The funny thing is, he is very persuasive.  I mean, if this Doctor was a telemarketer, he could probably sell you beach front property in West Virginia.  So, if what you tell him doesn’t make sense, he talks you into what he thinks is the right course of treatment and what might be wrong with you.  I really like this Doctor and see him myself.  I think all of this could have been avoided if she had actually gotten in to see him from the start of this whole mess.  So, make sure you have a Doctor that is right for you ok?

School Days in America

On February 17th, a Wisconsin girl was arrested in school.  The charge?  Disorderly Conduct.  What was her disorderly conduct?  WARNING – YOU BETTER SIT DOWN!

Texting in Math class.

That’s right, texting in math class.  This girl, who is 14 by the way, was actually arrested by the police and now has to appear before a judge on the misdemeanor charge of disorderly conduct.

I don’t know about you, but I don’t know whether to laugh or cry.  This has to be the most ridiculous thing I have ever heard (other than the other hijinks listed in my previous post).

So, the story is, this girl was texting in class and the teacher told her to stop.  When she didn’t listen, she called the school security guard, who searched her, found the phone, and she was arrested.

Now, I’m all for rules.  My own daughter attends school in a county who has a strict cell phone policy.  If you are caught using your phone during school, it gets confiscated and you don’t get it back until the end of the year.  Now, like any responsible parent, I told my daughter if her phone got confiscated, she would lose her phone, period.  I would have her phone turned off, forever.  Since she has had a cell phone on her at all times and has yet to have confiscated, I figure not only is she trying to follow the rules, but my threat carried some weight.

But I have a question.  Why was this girl arrested?  First of all, I fail to see how she was causing any disorderly conduct by texting.  She was breaking school rules, but texting isn’t disorderly.  What was disorderly was her teacher going into full on freakout mode.  THAT was disorderly to the class.  This was handled wrong.  End of story.  What should have happened is the girl should have been escorted to the School Office, had her cell phone confiscated and then suspended.  Not only that, her parents should have been called in, on the spot, since she refused to stop.  If her parents reacted negatively to having the 14 year old’s cell phone confiscated and a suspension, then maybe it would have been time to call in the police.

Simply arresting her right off the bat is a total waste of tax payer’s money.

In my day (that makes me sound… and feel… old), if we didn’t follow school rules, we got suspension.  When we got home, we then had to face our parents wrath, which could be a frightening thing to say the least.  The police were never called in over frivolous incidents, such as this.  Yeah, I said it, frivolous.  So a school doesn’t have a problem with suspending a kid over wearing the wrong t-shirt, but they think the police are needed for one unruly, 14 year old princess who refuses to follow the rules?  Give me a break.  I’ve got one word to sum up this entire incident.  FAIL.

You can catch the whole thing on The Smoking Gun: Wisconsin Girl Arrested for Texting

School Days In American – Meanwhile, in other news…..

One of the things I have frowned upon over recent years is our Nation’s Colleges Liberalism.  I don’t have a problem if you are a liberal.  Hey, we can’t all be the same right?  But I do have a problem when a college, a place on instruction, forces said liberalism on it’s students.  I remember some of the classes that were listed at Virginia Tech, in Blacksburg Virginia, after the student went on a shooting rampage.  I was shocked to discover some of the courses they were teaching there.  I refuse to revisit it, but the fact remains that some of those classes had no business being taught in a college.  Now most people would classify College Professors as being all Liberal.  I don’t think that is true, but there are quite a number of them.  It seems that one of those liberal Professors got a little upset recently.

Jonathan Lopez, a student at Los Angeles City College is suing.  His claim?  His professor allowed Jonathan to give a speech during a public speaking class.  It just so happens that Mr. Lopez is against gay marriage.  According to the student, his Professor called him a “Fascist Bastard” and then refused to let him finish his speech.

First of all, the name calling, if it happened, was way off base.  Second of all, if you are having a Public Speech class, you can’t be picking and choosing like that.  I bet you that if one of those students gave a speech on support of gay marriage, the Professor would have let that stand.  I would even bet money on it.  That, my friends, is Liberalism in the wrong.  Of course, we see it everywhere.  People are allowed to go on and on about the virtues of allowing gay marriage, but if someone stands up and disagreed, they are vilified.  That is just wrong.

Student Suing over Prof calling him a Fascist Bastard

Until next time, I remain, Healthcare angry, School Discipline Irritated, and Liberally Frustrated.

~ Kevin

Note: I’m updating this post.  A good frind of mine, who happens to work in the Healthcare industry, gave me a spanking for the way I worded the Healthcare post.  He was right to do so.  Not everyone sees a Doctor, as some people see NPs, PAs, NMWs, etc.  So, in his words, find the right Healthcare Provider!  Thanks Dwight!

American Health Care – Continued

I thought you all might like to have a little update on my previous rant about my wife’s latest experiences with her health and the medical professionals who she is dealing with.

If you read my last post, you had to wade through my rant on why I dislike doctors, giving examples from my wife’s medical history (at least some of it).  I also recommended if you wanted to know what the latest thing that happened was, to go read her blog.  I’ll summarize and then give you and update.

After a trip to the ER to receive IV antibiotics to treat what she was told was a Urinary Track Infection, she was told to follow up with her General Practitioner (GP).  She made the quickest appointment she could, because.. well, she is sick.  Her Doctor was not available and the only person she could see was the Physician’s Assistant (PA).  Should have been ok for a follow up right?  Haha.  Joke’s on her I guess.

So, when my wife got into see the PA, she told her what had happened, and what was done, and what was still going on with her, etc etc.  Tried to give her all the information, including some information about chest pains she had been having ever since she had gotten sick.  Including some muscle weirdness in her leg.

Immediately, the PA decided she needed to see a Urologist.  I guess that’s ok, except, well, getting in to see a specialist doesn’t happen that quickly and hello?  My wife was still sick.  While the PA was merrily writing stuff in her chart about a urologist, my wife was trying to explain that she was still sick and what else she was experiencing.  For some reason, the news of the chest pains and leg muscle problem really irritated the PA.  She stopped writing and said “You didn’t say anything about that”.  Well, yes she had, she had told her first thing, and then repeated it all while she was writing.  The PA got irritated about the muscled weirdness but when she felt the muscle in my wife’s leg, she said, oh thats not supposed to be like that.  My wife tried to explain the pain in her chest, and although I’m not a heart doctor, or even a doctor, it was kinda clear it wasn’t like a heart problem.  It’s to low in her chest.  Well, better safe than sorry right?  Ok, I can get on board with that.  So the PA actually got.. pissy.  Pissy enough to stomp out of the room and come back with an EKG machine.  My wife got hooked up and….. suddenly the PA is upset and nervous.  She THEN and ONLY then took her stethoscope and listened to my wife’s chest and heart.  Her next comment was just as bad if not worse.  It appeared that suddenly the PA was hearing something in my wife’s chest that was SO BAD, that she needed an IMMEDIATE x-ray.  Something serious was afoot!

So, confused, and still sick, and not even having her infection problem addressed, she was practically thrown out the door to go have an x-ray with the instructions similar to “Go x-ray place. No pass go. no collect 200 Dollars.  DO THIS NOW NOW NOW.  Very important and S.E.R.I.O.U.S.”

My wife was standing there going.. well what about….

“NO YOU GO NOW NOW NOW”

So away she went.  She had been told that she would go have the x-ray and the Doctor would call her that afternoon.

So she goes to get it done.  Then comes home so the Doctor can call that afternoon.

Two days later, and after leaving two voice mails at the Doctor’s office, no call.

Well, I will be the first to say that my wife was freaked out.  Wouldn’t you be?  If you had gone in and told you had an abnormal EKG and something S.E.R.I.O.U.S going on in your lungs that you had to address that before ANYTHING ELSE?

Yeah, she was scared.

Well, I’m ashamed to admit, that after two days of waiting, and her two voice mails (you know you can’t talk to a live person except to make an appointment right?) I lost it.  I lost it big time (turns red in embarrassment).

I got on the phone and I called and got the appointment desk.  I then proceeded to give the poor girl the what for.  Not her fault I know, but I was angry and scared and irritated and frustrated and a bunch of other stuff.  I even chewed on some nails before calling to put me in the mood.  Ok, that part is not true, but man.

I told this poor woman what was going on, what had happened, what was supposed to happen and what had failed to happen.  After telling her that IT JUST WASN’T RIGHT TO SCARE PEOPLE THAT WAY AND NOT EVEN BOTHER TO RETURN A CALL, she promised to go speak to my wife’s doctor herself.  Her GP, not the PA.

This happened about 2 minutes before 5 PM.  Guess what happens the next morning?  At 8:30 AM?  Yup, she finally gets a call.  The first one basically was apologizing for not calling back, and then blaming it all on my wife because she had left a message after hours.  -cough- excuse me? What difference does that make?!?!?! IT WAS VOICE MAIL –growls-

Anyway.  30 minutes later, the PA calls back and says, oh I just got your x-ray and everything is fine!

-headdesk-

So my wife goes, oookkkaaayyyy…. what now?

The response?  Oh, I’ll call you back shortly to tell you what to do next.

That was yesterday morning.

We’re still waiting.

Meanwhile, my wife is running a fever again, and her skin in starting to hurt again and and and…..

-headdesk-

Did I mention I dislike Doctors?

-deskkick-

Quackingly yours,

~ Kevin