There is a fantastic line, in a fantastic song, "Omissions of the Omen" by Matthew Good Band, that goes like this: "Somewhere around the world, someone would love to have my first world prolems." Stop and think about that for a second. We are a society of have everythings, and yet we act like a bunch of have nots. Everyone has problems in life. Your house needs a new roof, your job sucks, your car broke down, etc,etc. But how many people on this planet have no roof, no job, no car?
For those of you that don't know me, I am very well off. A lot would say rich, or wealthy. I have a house that is warm, safe and dry. I have so much food, some of it gets thrown away. I can turn on one of many taps in my house and have drinkable water. As a matter of fact, I have so much clean, drinkable water, I water my grass with it. I have an education I didn't pay for. If I get hurt, a vehicle will come pick me up in minutes and take me to a hospital, where I can stay until I'm better, for free by the way. I have a group of family and friends around me that would go to the ends of the earth for me because they love me and care about me, and they know I would go to the ends of the earth for them. I have a carring and extremely thoughtful wife.
Yes, I am rich, very.
Living in North America, a very large percentage of the population has most or all of the things I just listed. Things that people in third world countries don't have.
While we go to the store to replace our cell phone, because it's "old", other people die of malaria because they can't afford bed nets, or simple medicine. As we fill the gas tanks in our SUVs, people walk miles, just to find drinkable water. We ronovate our houses, while people pray they get enough rice to feed their family.
My point here isn't to make you feel guilty, or give to charity (but if you feel the urge, please do). My point is, we are never happy with what we have. I think there are a few reasons for this. One can be traced back to caveman days. Cavemen knew to take as much as they can, because the opportunity might not come again. Eat as much as you can, because who knows when the next meal will be. Hoard as much as you can, it might be a long winter. Find the biggest, warmest and driest place to live, because the elements can be harsh. Because of this caveman thinking, we are trained to have the newest, best, biggest and most of everything. A second reason for us wanting more, is because of society. The TV and radio tell us, the old phone, car, house, clothes, etc we have is trash. We need the new better product. It turns into a status thing. The best caveman must drive the biggest SUV, have the newest house, and wear designer clothes.
I have good news though. I know a secret, that the corporations, government and stores don't want you to know. You don't need stuff to be happy. Money doesn't make you a better person. It doesn't make pepole like you. (not decent people anyhow) I can prove it too. Think of the happiest times in you life. Maybe a great day of snowboarding. Maybe the day you met your future wife/husband. Maybe a gathering with friends. Maybe a milestone in your childs life, when they learned to walk, or talk. Maybe a holiday. Now look back at those times. Why were you happy? What were you enjoying? Did it matter what brand of clothes you were wearing? Did it matter how new you phone was? Did it matter what model year your car was? No. It mattered who you were with. People seem to have the urge to fill a void with new toys and gadgets, cars and houses. They go into debt, and work long hours to buy these things, most of which are in the garbage can a month later. And these things never seem to make them happy. They are happy for 3 seconds until they find out, there is a newer better model available. Then they are depressed until they can afford the new thing.
It's time to wake up from this nightmare of never ending stuff, and realize they key to happyness is in the people around you, or maybe even in a hobby on your own. The two happiest families I know have very little. They share a car. Rent part of a house, or own a small outdated rancher. They don't have the newest toys and gadgets. They spend there spare time doing things as a family. Cheap things. Going to the park. Going on a hike. Going for a drive. Visiting friends. Finding time to do those simple things together makes them very happy people. They love life. We see people that are wearing designer sunglasses, brand name shoes, talking on the newest of phones, getting into a Escalade and we are envious. Why? We assume by having those things he must have money, (which might not be true at all) and by having money he must have a more fulfilling life. But he might work 50 hours a week, and have a broken home, with a wife sleeping with the pool boy, and children that have gone astray due to their parents never being involved in their lives. Maybe the guy driving the Escalade is looking at a happy family, piled in their 1993 Dodge Caravan, laughing all the way to the park for a picnic. Maybe the guy in the Escalade would trade his Blackberry, 4000 sqft house and Gucci shoes, for a weekend with family and friends that cared about him, kids that respected him, and a wife that loved him for something other than his money.
Suround yourself with good people and you will be happy. Don't buy something because it's trendy. Buy it because it will provide hours of fun. Don't eat somewhere because it's expencive. Eat somewhere because you like the food. Don't buy a car to impress your neighbor. Buy a car that you think is the most economical and best fit for you. Don't listen to music people expect you to listen to. Listen to music you like. But most of all, when you see douchetard in his Navgator, BMW or Hummer, don't be jelous of him. Feel sorry for him. He is just trying to buy the happyness you have found for free.
Please listen to Omissions of the Omen http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yiwrQZ4mVys
Also please watch the Story of Stuff http://www.storyofstuff.com/
Wednesday, December 15, 2010
Wednesday, December 8, 2010
Dig up stupid.
You know what really grinds my gears? People that don't understand money. Or maybe they do understand it, but figure if they ignore their common sense, they can buy more stuff. I've heard that candians, on average, spend anywhere from 114%-146% of their income. Is it just me that sees a serious problem developing? So if someone makes $40,000 a year, they are spending at least $45,000. How is that possible? Easy, they are digging a hole, from which I am affraid, a huge percentage of them will never escape.
I know of a person, who had a small, cheap pickup truck. It was paid for in full. The owner rented a basement suite, but wanted badly to buy a condo. She decieded on a plan to get a down payment for the condo. She would trade her small, economical, paid for truck in on a brand new Ford F150. After the five years of payments were done on the F150, she would sell it, and have money for a down payment on a condo. So going that route, she would buy a $30,000 truck, spend another 3 or 4 thousand on interest, and sell the truck in 5 years for probably $15,000.
Or lets say she drove her current truck for the next 5 years, and put the same payments she would be making on her new F150, into the bank. After 5 years, she would have $30,000, plus a grand or two in interest. What is a better down payment $15,000, or $32,000? Oh and lets not forget, after she sells her new F150, she has no vehicle, so where does she get a new one? Not to mention the $32,000 down payment will mean she will owe less money on her condo to start with, saving her thousands more on interest, throughout the life of her mortgage.
My question is, is she really that dumb, or is she doing whatever she can to justify buying a new truck? If it's the latter of the two, who is she fooling? She is screwing herself out of thousands of dollars.
The other one that gets me is the car dealers that will consolidate your debt into a new car. "Bring in your creditcard debt, student loans, line of credit, debt owning on a current vehicle, and we will put you in a new car, and you'll have smaller payments!" Yippie! A free car! If you have a bunch of debt, do you really think buying a new car will solve your problems? Not only is all of your old debt still there, but now you owe for a new car. Not to mention the fact that now all of the creditcard debt and line of credit debt has been transfered, so you will probably rack those back up again.
People today seem totally content on spending every penny they can make, plus whatever the bank will lend them. People are addicted to spending. Most of the spending, is on stuff they don't need. Stuff that will be collecting dust on a shelf in three months, but they still have 9 months of payments left on. People keep borrowing against their mortgages to buy cars, and toys, and stuff. Every time they build another few thousand dollars in equity in their house, they pull it out and go on a holiday, or buy a bigger TV. How do you expect to pay off your mortgage, when you owe the same amount you did ten years ago?
It all starts early. If kids today make the wrong choice early on, it will haunt them for the rest of their life. A co-worker, who is just out of high school, and working full time wants to buy a Dodge Ram. Not a new one, an older one for $15,000. Again, he drives a small economical truck now and has no use for a larger truck, aside from the fact that he "likes" them. Right now, he lives at home, and pays very little rent. He doesn't make a lot of money, but because he lives at home, he has almost no overhead, leaving him with a fairly good amount of disposable income. So his plan is to take out a three year loan and buy himself a Ram. Within those three years, he plans to move away from home, to a basement suite. The major problem I see here is, in three years, when he is living on his own, he will have major overhead. Rent, cable, phone, internet, food, etc. Bills he doesn't have now. In three years he will have little, to no disposable income. How will he find the extra money to save for a down payment on a condo, or house? So he has a choice. He can spend the next three years paying for a truck he doesn't need, or he can spend the next three years, putting those, would be truck payments into the bank, so he has a down payment. If he buys the truck, I doubt he will ever be able to save a down payment due to the cost of living on his own. The long and short of it. Buy a $15,000 truck now, and he will never own property. It's harsh, but true. Of course he doesn't want to hear that, because he is trying to justify buying a truck. One purchase, early in life might screw you over for the rest of your life.
Where does this leave us? I see a serious problem forming. People are digging, deeper, and faster into debt than ever before. It can't sustain itself. We have already seen a small recession. People losing their houses and belongings because they were stretched to far finacialy. The banks couldn't collect their money, as people walked away from their SUVs and 4000 square foot houses. The government had to bail the banks out. People are going so far into debt, they will not ever get out. So what happens? Instead of handing money down to their children, they hand down debt. I don't know who is to blame. The banks for lending the money they know can't be paid back, the corporations for brain washing the public to buy stuff they don't need and can't afford, the salesmen, for telling people "it's not $30,000. It's only dollars a day!" or maybe it's the general publics fault for buying things, they know they have no right buying. No matter who is to blame, the road, the spendaholics are going down, is not sustainable.
I have one more point to make about consumerism. I've covered the fact that people are dumb enough to go deep into debt for brand names, useless electronics, gadgets, cars and other things to try to impress the neighbors, but I need to make a point, and I hope it will put a very positive spin on this sad situation.
Til next time...
I know of a person, who had a small, cheap pickup truck. It was paid for in full. The owner rented a basement suite, but wanted badly to buy a condo. She decieded on a plan to get a down payment for the condo. She would trade her small, economical, paid for truck in on a brand new Ford F150. After the five years of payments were done on the F150, she would sell it, and have money for a down payment on a condo. So going that route, she would buy a $30,000 truck, spend another 3 or 4 thousand on interest, and sell the truck in 5 years for probably $15,000.
Or lets say she drove her current truck for the next 5 years, and put the same payments she would be making on her new F150, into the bank. After 5 years, she would have $30,000, plus a grand or two in interest. What is a better down payment $15,000, or $32,000? Oh and lets not forget, after she sells her new F150, she has no vehicle, so where does she get a new one? Not to mention the $32,000 down payment will mean she will owe less money on her condo to start with, saving her thousands more on interest, throughout the life of her mortgage.
My question is, is she really that dumb, or is she doing whatever she can to justify buying a new truck? If it's the latter of the two, who is she fooling? She is screwing herself out of thousands of dollars.
The other one that gets me is the car dealers that will consolidate your debt into a new car. "Bring in your creditcard debt, student loans, line of credit, debt owning on a current vehicle, and we will put you in a new car, and you'll have smaller payments!" Yippie! A free car! If you have a bunch of debt, do you really think buying a new car will solve your problems? Not only is all of your old debt still there, but now you owe for a new car. Not to mention the fact that now all of the creditcard debt and line of credit debt has been transfered, so you will probably rack those back up again.
People today seem totally content on spending every penny they can make, plus whatever the bank will lend them. People are addicted to spending. Most of the spending, is on stuff they don't need. Stuff that will be collecting dust on a shelf in three months, but they still have 9 months of payments left on. People keep borrowing against their mortgages to buy cars, and toys, and stuff. Every time they build another few thousand dollars in equity in their house, they pull it out and go on a holiday, or buy a bigger TV. How do you expect to pay off your mortgage, when you owe the same amount you did ten years ago?
It all starts early. If kids today make the wrong choice early on, it will haunt them for the rest of their life. A co-worker, who is just out of high school, and working full time wants to buy a Dodge Ram. Not a new one, an older one for $15,000. Again, he drives a small economical truck now and has no use for a larger truck, aside from the fact that he "likes" them. Right now, he lives at home, and pays very little rent. He doesn't make a lot of money, but because he lives at home, he has almost no overhead, leaving him with a fairly good amount of disposable income. So his plan is to take out a three year loan and buy himself a Ram. Within those three years, he plans to move away from home, to a basement suite. The major problem I see here is, in three years, when he is living on his own, he will have major overhead. Rent, cable, phone, internet, food, etc. Bills he doesn't have now. In three years he will have little, to no disposable income. How will he find the extra money to save for a down payment on a condo, or house? So he has a choice. He can spend the next three years paying for a truck he doesn't need, or he can spend the next three years, putting those, would be truck payments into the bank, so he has a down payment. If he buys the truck, I doubt he will ever be able to save a down payment due to the cost of living on his own. The long and short of it. Buy a $15,000 truck now, and he will never own property. It's harsh, but true. Of course he doesn't want to hear that, because he is trying to justify buying a truck. One purchase, early in life might screw you over for the rest of your life.
Where does this leave us? I see a serious problem forming. People are digging, deeper, and faster into debt than ever before. It can't sustain itself. We have already seen a small recession. People losing their houses and belongings because they were stretched to far finacialy. The banks couldn't collect their money, as people walked away from their SUVs and 4000 square foot houses. The government had to bail the banks out. People are going so far into debt, they will not ever get out. So what happens? Instead of handing money down to their children, they hand down debt. I don't know who is to blame. The banks for lending the money they know can't be paid back, the corporations for brain washing the public to buy stuff they don't need and can't afford, the salesmen, for telling people "it's not $30,000. It's only dollars a day!" or maybe it's the general publics fault for buying things, they know they have no right buying. No matter who is to blame, the road, the spendaholics are going down, is not sustainable.
I have one more point to make about consumerism. I've covered the fact that people are dumb enough to go deep into debt for brand names, useless electronics, gadgets, cars and other things to try to impress the neighbors, but I need to make a point, and I hope it will put a very positive spin on this sad situation.
Til next time...
Friday, December 3, 2010
You Get What You Pay For...Kind Of...Not Really
So this rant kind of ties into the last rant, which will also tie into the following rant. As I've just mentioned, people like to buy stuff, a lot of which they have no use for. One of the reasons for this is popularity. Keeping up with the Smiths. A great way to do this is to buy whatever is cool at the time, regardless of quality, or price. I'm talking of course about brand name whores. Now there is a fine line between that, and spending more money to get a better product. "You get what you pay for". I agree with that phrase, sometimes.
Say there is a new pair of shoes coming out. They are made by a high end designer. You can only buy them in fancy stores downtown. They cost $600. Everybody is going to want them. Why? Because they can't afford them. It's a fantacy. If you find some extra money, or get a bonus on your pay cheque, or have room on your charge card, you just might be able to afford them, but not really. Anyone wearing them, clearly has more money than you, therefore is higher up the ladder of life, and must be a better person than you, right? So you have to have those shoes! Think of all the people who will envy you, and want to be you. You've made it in life if you can just buy those $600 shoes!
Now lets say Walmart gets the contract to sell these shoes. They are selling them for $34.99. It's the exact same pair of shoes, but you've lost the urge to buy them. Why? Simple. Now every redneck, trailer park trash, welfare, deadbeat can afford them. The shoes aren't a status symbol anymore. Do you want to be seen wearing Walmart shoes? Only people at the bottom of the social latter wear Walmart shoes, and you my friend, are much better than them.
So you see my point here? People are willing to spend $600 on a pair of shoes if they are trendy, but not $35 on the same pair if they are not.
I feel sorry for these people. They must have no self esteem. They are convinced people wont like who they are as a person, and feel the need to make up for it with designer clothes. A co-worker of mine, who is younger and likes going to night clubs, explained that it is important to him to wear expencive clothes when he goes out, because it makes him feel more confident in the clubs. If you can enter a club wearing a $100 Ed Hardy T-shirt, $120 jeans, and $200 shoes, it makes you feel like you are as good, or better than other people in the club, because you have money, or at least look like you do. But the problem is, what type of people are you going to attract? If you are looking to attract a member of the opposite sex, what type of person would it be? Someone that sees you wearing expencive clothing and thinks "clearly this person has a high paying job and money in the bank". So right off the bat, this person is interested in you for money. Not a good start. Not to mention, when the person finds out all you clothes are on your charge card, and you don't have a penny to your name, the gig is up. If you are not capable of going out and meeting people, and making friends doing so, you probably do need to change something, but it's not your clothes.
But every day we see it. People with $150 sunglasses, $500 purses, $100 T-shirts, and yes, $600 shoes. Now people will argue that you are getting a better product if you spend more money. To an extent, yes, but not like they think. Is the quality of a $5 pair of sunglasses different from a $30 pair? Probably. You will probably get a lens that is more clear and a frame that is a bit stronger. Is a $150 pair better than a $30? Probably not. Just like a $1.99 T-shirt probably will fall apart after a couple of washes, but a $10 one should last a long time, but $100 T-shirt is not going to last 10 times as long as a $10 one.
If your arguement is that you don't care about the brand name, you just want the better quality, how do you explain knock-offs? If people only cared about the quality of their $100 T-shirt or $5000 Rolex, and not the name on it, why would people make cheap knock-offs? Oviously people don't care about the quality, they want the logo on the front, and if they can get that logo for cheaper, even if it means it's lower quality, they will. You can buy knock-off Oakleys, Rolex's and Affliction T-shirts at a fraction the price, and lots of people buy them. They want to look like they are rich and important, even though they aren't.
It's up to you to decied whether the items you buy, you are paying more for, because they are better quality, or because it's got a brand logo on it. If there is a lot of knock-offs sold of that brand, you are probably buying it for the logo. Would you spend $500 on a Prada purse, if you were the only person that would ever know it was Prada? Probably not.
Some of the best shoes I ever owned were Adidas. They lasted forever and were very comfortable. I buy that brand of shoes regularly. They are about $60. Some of the worst shoes I have ever owned were Nikes, at $100 a pair.
You do need to spend a bit more money to get quality, but just because you are spending more money doesn't mean you aren't just paying for a logo and nothing else.
So let this me a message to all the single people. Next time you are out at a bar, or club, skip the losers wearing the Ed Hardy, Abercrombie and Fitch, Prada and Lulu Lemon. They have no money, or personality. Look for the well dresses people, without the brand name logos on everything.
Better yet, try meeting people not in a club.
Say there is a new pair of shoes coming out. They are made by a high end designer. You can only buy them in fancy stores downtown. They cost $600. Everybody is going to want them. Why? Because they can't afford them. It's a fantacy. If you find some extra money, or get a bonus on your pay cheque, or have room on your charge card, you just might be able to afford them, but not really. Anyone wearing them, clearly has more money than you, therefore is higher up the ladder of life, and must be a better person than you, right? So you have to have those shoes! Think of all the people who will envy you, and want to be you. You've made it in life if you can just buy those $600 shoes!
Now lets say Walmart gets the contract to sell these shoes. They are selling them for $34.99. It's the exact same pair of shoes, but you've lost the urge to buy them. Why? Simple. Now every redneck, trailer park trash, welfare, deadbeat can afford them. The shoes aren't a status symbol anymore. Do you want to be seen wearing Walmart shoes? Only people at the bottom of the social latter wear Walmart shoes, and you my friend, are much better than them.
So you see my point here? People are willing to spend $600 on a pair of shoes if they are trendy, but not $35 on the same pair if they are not.
I feel sorry for these people. They must have no self esteem. They are convinced people wont like who they are as a person, and feel the need to make up for it with designer clothes. A co-worker of mine, who is younger and likes going to night clubs, explained that it is important to him to wear expencive clothes when he goes out, because it makes him feel more confident in the clubs. If you can enter a club wearing a $100 Ed Hardy T-shirt, $120 jeans, and $200 shoes, it makes you feel like you are as good, or better than other people in the club, because you have money, or at least look like you do. But the problem is, what type of people are you going to attract? If you are looking to attract a member of the opposite sex, what type of person would it be? Someone that sees you wearing expencive clothing and thinks "clearly this person has a high paying job and money in the bank". So right off the bat, this person is interested in you for money. Not a good start. Not to mention, when the person finds out all you clothes are on your charge card, and you don't have a penny to your name, the gig is up. If you are not capable of going out and meeting people, and making friends doing so, you probably do need to change something, but it's not your clothes.
But every day we see it. People with $150 sunglasses, $500 purses, $100 T-shirts, and yes, $600 shoes. Now people will argue that you are getting a better product if you spend more money. To an extent, yes, but not like they think. Is the quality of a $5 pair of sunglasses different from a $30 pair? Probably. You will probably get a lens that is more clear and a frame that is a bit stronger. Is a $150 pair better than a $30? Probably not. Just like a $1.99 T-shirt probably will fall apart after a couple of washes, but a $10 one should last a long time, but $100 T-shirt is not going to last 10 times as long as a $10 one.
If your arguement is that you don't care about the brand name, you just want the better quality, how do you explain knock-offs? If people only cared about the quality of their $100 T-shirt or $5000 Rolex, and not the name on it, why would people make cheap knock-offs? Oviously people don't care about the quality, they want the logo on the front, and if they can get that logo for cheaper, even if it means it's lower quality, they will. You can buy knock-off Oakleys, Rolex's and Affliction T-shirts at a fraction the price, and lots of people buy them. They want to look like they are rich and important, even though they aren't.
It's up to you to decied whether the items you buy, you are paying more for, because they are better quality, or because it's got a brand logo on it. If there is a lot of knock-offs sold of that brand, you are probably buying it for the logo. Would you spend $500 on a Prada purse, if you were the only person that would ever know it was Prada? Probably not.
Some of the best shoes I ever owned were Adidas. They lasted forever and were very comfortable. I buy that brand of shoes regularly. They are about $60. Some of the worst shoes I have ever owned were Nikes, at $100 a pair.
You do need to spend a bit more money to get quality, but just because you are spending more money doesn't mean you aren't just paying for a logo and nothing else.
So let this me a message to all the single people. Next time you are out at a bar, or club, skip the losers wearing the Ed Hardy, Abercrombie and Fitch, Prada and Lulu Lemon. They have no money, or personality. Look for the well dresses people, without the brand name logos on everything.
Better yet, try meeting people not in a club.
Sunday, November 28, 2010
One Step Forward or Two Steps Sideways?
You know what grinds my gears? People that need to have the latest gadgets.
Is the technology in consumer electronics still moving forward, or is it just moving sideways? In the past we've been given computers, which are capable of almost anything, from looking up information, to running machinery, to simulating natural disasters for research, to designing buildings. We've been given cell phones, allowing us to call people from anywhere, which has saved many lives, and made getting in touch with anyone at anytime, possible. We've been given GPS. How many hours of driving has that saved you? Not to mention not hitting the car in front of you while you unfold a map. We've been given MP3 players. How much nicer is it running without a diskman skipping every three seconds? The things that have come on the market in the last 20 years, are tools that make life easier, safer, and more fun. But what are we getting now? In the consumer electronics department, in the last five or so years, what have we got? Don't get me wrong, we've got, Itouchs, Ipads, phones that go on the internet, picture frames you can email pictures to, handheld devices you can read books on etc, etc, but anything you can't live without?
The contract I have with my cell phone provider expired many months ago. I'm offered a new phone for free, if I sign another contract. I have no plans to switch providers, so why not sign another contract and get a brand new phone for free? I looked at my options for a new phone, and I'm not interested in anything being offered. None of the features on the new phones appeal to me.
But the new ones play video games! I have a PS3 and a nice TV. Why would I want to play a low quality game on a 4 inch screen, when I can play a good game on a nice TV?
But the new phones take pictures! I have a very nice digital SLR. If I'm going to take a picture, it's going to be a good picture. When is the last time you saw a professional sports photographer, or wedding photographer pull out there Blackberry to take their pictures.
But the new phones can go on the internet! 95% of the time I'm at home, at work, or at someones house. There is a computer in all of those places that can also get on the internet, and again, I don't have to stare at a 4 inch screen. And for the 5% of the time I'm not near a computer, I'm probably doing something more interesting than playing on the internet.
But the new phones play MP3s! My current phone plays MP3s...in my pocket...out loud...when I don't want it to. If I'm going for a run, my MP3 player fits in my hand much better than my phone, and is easier to use.
Todays gadgets are just toys. They don't do anything of importance. Why do you need to email a picture, to your picture frame, from your phone? Has that saved a lot of lives? Do you really need to be able to print, on your home printer, from your phone? You have to go home to retrieve what you printed, so you saved yourself the 30 seconds of print time I guess. You can now read a book on a handheld device. What was wrong with reading a paper book again? Oh yeah, the books battery always went dead! And don't give me the "it saves paper" BS. You are using electricity to use your handheld book, not to mention the polution it took to produce your electonic device.
Some of the new products on the market, do serve a purpose. People that are on the road all the time for their jobs, might find that a Blackberry is esencial. But lets face it, most of the features on todays toys don't serve any sort of IMPORTANT purpose. They do things that are neat, or cool, but nothing you can't live without. Most of the things that these products do, are things that other products already do. You have replaced a computer, a camera, a video game console, a photo album, a way to watch movies, a GPS unit, and a MP3 player with one small, palm sized unit. The problem is, it doesn't do ANY of those jobs very well. Sorry, but a 4 inch screen can't compete with a nice tv with a blue-ray player and suround sound. And even with a full keyboard on your phone, I can type faster on my real keyboard. And I'd love to see you take a picture of a motorcycle traveling at 150 MPH with you phone and have it come out not blurry.
People are lining up to buy anything current on the consumer electronics market. They want it because it's smaller, faster, or has one more built in feature. Companies have run out of ideas for things to sell us, and yet people keep lining up to buy things they'll never use, because it's, neat, or trendy, or they want to be the envy of their friends. How many Itouches, Ipads, palm pilots, and Kindles are collecting dust on shelves? Hundreds of dollars spent, only to realize, "WTF do I need this for?"
I want something to do my laundry, drive my car, cook me dinner, put a new roof on my house, and go to work and do my job for me.
Is there an app for that?
Is the technology in consumer electronics still moving forward, or is it just moving sideways? In the past we've been given computers, which are capable of almost anything, from looking up information, to running machinery, to simulating natural disasters for research, to designing buildings. We've been given cell phones, allowing us to call people from anywhere, which has saved many lives, and made getting in touch with anyone at anytime, possible. We've been given GPS. How many hours of driving has that saved you? Not to mention not hitting the car in front of you while you unfold a map. We've been given MP3 players. How much nicer is it running without a diskman skipping every three seconds? The things that have come on the market in the last 20 years, are tools that make life easier, safer, and more fun. But what are we getting now? In the consumer electronics department, in the last five or so years, what have we got? Don't get me wrong, we've got, Itouchs, Ipads, phones that go on the internet, picture frames you can email pictures to, handheld devices you can read books on etc, etc, but anything you can't live without?
The contract I have with my cell phone provider expired many months ago. I'm offered a new phone for free, if I sign another contract. I have no plans to switch providers, so why not sign another contract and get a brand new phone for free? I looked at my options for a new phone, and I'm not interested in anything being offered. None of the features on the new phones appeal to me.
But the new ones play video games! I have a PS3 and a nice TV. Why would I want to play a low quality game on a 4 inch screen, when I can play a good game on a nice TV?
But the new phones take pictures! I have a very nice digital SLR. If I'm going to take a picture, it's going to be a good picture. When is the last time you saw a professional sports photographer, or wedding photographer pull out there Blackberry to take their pictures.
But the new phones can go on the internet! 95% of the time I'm at home, at work, or at someones house. There is a computer in all of those places that can also get on the internet, and again, I don't have to stare at a 4 inch screen. And for the 5% of the time I'm not near a computer, I'm probably doing something more interesting than playing on the internet.
But the new phones play MP3s! My current phone plays MP3s...in my pocket...out loud...when I don't want it to. If I'm going for a run, my MP3 player fits in my hand much better than my phone, and is easier to use.
Todays gadgets are just toys. They don't do anything of importance. Why do you need to email a picture, to your picture frame, from your phone? Has that saved a lot of lives? Do you really need to be able to print, on your home printer, from your phone? You have to go home to retrieve what you printed, so you saved yourself the 30 seconds of print time I guess. You can now read a book on a handheld device. What was wrong with reading a paper book again? Oh yeah, the books battery always went dead! And don't give me the "it saves paper" BS. You are using electricity to use your handheld book, not to mention the polution it took to produce your electonic device.
Some of the new products on the market, do serve a purpose. People that are on the road all the time for their jobs, might find that a Blackberry is esencial. But lets face it, most of the features on todays toys don't serve any sort of IMPORTANT purpose. They do things that are neat, or cool, but nothing you can't live without. Most of the things that these products do, are things that other products already do. You have replaced a computer, a camera, a video game console, a photo album, a way to watch movies, a GPS unit, and a MP3 player with one small, palm sized unit. The problem is, it doesn't do ANY of those jobs very well. Sorry, but a 4 inch screen can't compete with a nice tv with a blue-ray player and suround sound. And even with a full keyboard on your phone, I can type faster on my real keyboard. And I'd love to see you take a picture of a motorcycle traveling at 150 MPH with you phone and have it come out not blurry.
People are lining up to buy anything current on the consumer electronics market. They want it because it's smaller, faster, or has one more built in feature. Companies have run out of ideas for things to sell us, and yet people keep lining up to buy things they'll never use, because it's, neat, or trendy, or they want to be the envy of their friends. How many Itouches, Ipads, palm pilots, and Kindles are collecting dust on shelves? Hundreds of dollars spent, only to realize, "WTF do I need this for?"
I want something to do my laundry, drive my car, cook me dinner, put a new roof on my house, and go to work and do my job for me.
Is there an app for that?
Monday, November 22, 2010
The Grand Stage.
You know what really grinds my gears? People that believe that everything celebrities do is real. There are two ways for celebrities to make money. Have talent, or shock people. If you have no talent, your only option is to do something that people will want to talk about. Seeing as how people only have time to talk about trama and drama, this leaves talentless celebs to either make a scene, or hurt themselves, or sometimes both. A classic case is good old Britney Spears. Falling into the talentless catigory, she was slipping off the radar. Time for Drama. I'll give a brief timeline (for full timeline http://www.usatoday.com/life/people/2008-01-04-spears-trouble-timeline_N.htm)
Nov 2006, files for divorce and goes partying with Paris Hilton
Dec 2006, starts flashing everyone her vagina
Feb 2007, shaves her head
Feb-Mar 2007 in and out of rehab
Aug 2007 drives into a parked car
Oct 15 2007 surenders to the police about the hit and run
Oct 18 2007 loses visitation of her two children due to being a loser.
Oct 26 2007 RELEASES HER NEW CD!
She was claiming a breakdown. She went crazy, started using drugs and acting like a freak, but she had time to record her album and release it? She made the news dozens of times, for lude or crazy acts, right before the album came out. Are people that dumb? Do you really buy this?
Oct 21 2007, Kid Rock gets in a fight at a waffle house, made the news for days. He released his album Oct 9 2007. What are the odds!
I heard on 3 different, local radio stations, that Lady Gaga spent $5000 at a concert she played to have someone check to make sure there are no ghosts in the arena. So for $5000 she was talked about on hundreds of radio stations around the world while she was in the middle of a tour. That's some cheap advertising.
It's all staged people! It's not real! Any time you hear of a celebrity doing something wierd, or dumb, look to find out when their next movie or album is coming out. I bet it's right around the corner.
Then there are the celebrities that don't even do anything and are famous. Where did Paris Hilton come from? Who the hell is Tila Tequila? What is a Snooki?
Which brings me to my next topic, reality TV. I don't want to offend anyone reading this, but it's time you know the truth. Santa Claus isn't real, there's no pot of gold at the end of the rainbow, and reality TV isn't real. Reality is boring. No one would watch boring, so they add a bunch of drama, and poof, now you care. I've never watched Jersey Shore, but I get the point. A bunch of pretty boys and sluts live together, yell and scream at each other, do wild and crazy things, and have sex with anyone/thing. Now if maybe, instead of throwing something at each other, they sat down and found a solution to their problems, or didn't bring home the greasy douche bag, or acted like human beings, the show would be a little more believeable, but that would make it boring, and who would watch? These actors are told to act crazy. Given the choice of being calm and rational or throwing a glass at someone, throw the glass. It makes for better TV. All the shows are the same. Celebrity Rehab. Have you seen it? No one acts this way in real life. They are told to act out, make a scene, punch someone!
It comes down to one thing. "I think the whole world's addicted to the drama
Only attracted to things that'll bring the trauma" Black Eyed Peas. No one cares about how many lives were saved, how much money was donated, how much aid was given. It's all about who dumped who, who got punched, who slept with who, who showed their vagina. There are celebrities that make the news all the time, and the ones that don't. When's the last time you heard about Dave Grohl punching someone? Or Sigourney Weaver getting drunk and flashing? Or Matt Damon going to rehab? Some people get by on talent. Others need to make the headlines every day, any way they can, or run the risk of being replaced with the next, talentless, shameless, prepackaged, whore.
Nov 2006, files for divorce and goes partying with Paris Hilton
Dec 2006, starts flashing everyone her vagina
Feb 2007, shaves her head
Feb-Mar 2007 in and out of rehab
Aug 2007 drives into a parked car
Oct 15 2007 surenders to the police about the hit and run
Oct 18 2007 loses visitation of her two children due to being a loser.
Oct 26 2007 RELEASES HER NEW CD!
She was claiming a breakdown. She went crazy, started using drugs and acting like a freak, but she had time to record her album and release it? She made the news dozens of times, for lude or crazy acts, right before the album came out. Are people that dumb? Do you really buy this?
Oct 21 2007, Kid Rock gets in a fight at a waffle house, made the news for days. He released his album Oct 9 2007. What are the odds!
I heard on 3 different, local radio stations, that Lady Gaga spent $5000 at a concert she played to have someone check to make sure there are no ghosts in the arena. So for $5000 she was talked about on hundreds of radio stations around the world while she was in the middle of a tour. That's some cheap advertising.
It's all staged people! It's not real! Any time you hear of a celebrity doing something wierd, or dumb, look to find out when their next movie or album is coming out. I bet it's right around the corner.
Then there are the celebrities that don't even do anything and are famous. Where did Paris Hilton come from? Who the hell is Tila Tequila? What is a Snooki?
Which brings me to my next topic, reality TV. I don't want to offend anyone reading this, but it's time you know the truth. Santa Claus isn't real, there's no pot of gold at the end of the rainbow, and reality TV isn't real. Reality is boring. No one would watch boring, so they add a bunch of drama, and poof, now you care. I've never watched Jersey Shore, but I get the point. A bunch of pretty boys and sluts live together, yell and scream at each other, do wild and crazy things, and have sex with anyone/thing. Now if maybe, instead of throwing something at each other, they sat down and found a solution to their problems, or didn't bring home the greasy douche bag, or acted like human beings, the show would be a little more believeable, but that would make it boring, and who would watch? These actors are told to act crazy. Given the choice of being calm and rational or throwing a glass at someone, throw the glass. It makes for better TV. All the shows are the same. Celebrity Rehab. Have you seen it? No one acts this way in real life. They are told to act out, make a scene, punch someone!
It comes down to one thing. "I think the whole world's addicted to the drama
Only attracted to things that'll bring the trauma" Black Eyed Peas. No one cares about how many lives were saved, how much money was donated, how much aid was given. It's all about who dumped who, who got punched, who slept with who, who showed their vagina. There are celebrities that make the news all the time, and the ones that don't. When's the last time you heard about Dave Grohl punching someone? Or Sigourney Weaver getting drunk and flashing? Or Matt Damon going to rehab? Some people get by on talent. Others need to make the headlines every day, any way they can, or run the risk of being replaced with the next, talentless, shameless, prepackaged, whore.
Saturday, November 20, 2010
Justification for your SUV is almost here!
You know what really grinds my gears? People that "need" a SUV or 4x4 truck, for the snow. I have many issues with this, so I'll make a list:
1: Not all SUVs are 4wd, and not all cars are 2wd. You could buy any Subaru, most, if not all Audis, a Suzuki sx4, a Volvo S40, a Toyota Matrix XR, an Infinity G35, the list goes on. Lots of cars are AWD. Ranging from cheap, commuter cars to high end luxury cars. Why do you need it to be a SUV to be good in the snow? Some people that buy their SUVs, don't realize, they are 2wd until the snow comes! They assume SUV = go anywhere, in any condition. Ford Escapes, Mazda Tributes, Nissan Rogues, Jeep Compass and many others are availble in 2wd.
2: You drive around a tank, getting 10 MPG, all year long, burning hundreds of dollars in extra fuel, for the 3 days a year there is snow on the ground. A lot of new SUVs are AWD, not 4wd. What's the difference? 4wd can be shut off, with the push of a button, and the vehicle becomes 2wd. AWD is always in 4wd. It doesn't shut off. On most domestic SUVs, this is a very poorly designed system, that has constant drag on the drive line, meaning a lot more fuel is needed to get the vehicle to move. So you pay an extra $5000 for your AWD system, hundreds of extra dollars in fuel every year, and added maintainance to the AWD system for the life of the vehicle, incase it snows. Wouldn't it be cheaper to stay home from work for those 3 days a year?
3: SUVs and 4x4 trucks spend more time in the ditches in the winter than 2wd cars. Why? If you have a 4wd/AWD vehicle, it accelerates much better in the snow/ice than a 2wd vehicle. The problem is, it doesn't turn or stop any better. People in SUVs hit the throttle and the vehicle takes off, convincing them, there is lots of traction on the road, so they drive comfortable, and faster. Unfortunatly, when they need to stop, or turn, that is when it becomes aparent to them, the roads are actually very slippery. SUV drivers very rarly buy snow tires, because they have 4wd, why would they need them? 4wd doesn't help you stop, or turn, snow tires do. I spend a lot of time driving on the freeway in the winter, and 4 out of 5 vehicles in the ditches are SUVs or 4x4 trucks. They are always traveling 20 or 30 KPH fatester than other vehicles, and when they need to stop, they lose control and in the ditch they go.
4: SUVs are safer right? No. Studys have shown SUVs are more likely to be involved in fatal accidents. Why? They rollover. I already stated that they spend more time in the ditch in the winter, and because they are "safer" people tend to drive them faster. Combine that with their high center of gravity, and they quite often end up on their roofs.
Last year, I was on my way to go snowboarding, up a local mountain. I was driving a 1994 Volvo front wheel drive with snow tires. In front of me was a 4wd SUV, I'm guessing without snow tires. We started climbing a small hill, which was covered in black ice. The SUV in front started losing traction with all four tires, which put him out of control very quickly. He ended up spinning 180 degrees and landing in the ditch across the road. I was going to stop to see if he was OK, but as I looked through his window I could see that all that was injured was his ego. I continued up the mountain in my 15 year old 2wd car and went snow boarding. He called a tow truck, and a bodyshop. Good thing he bought that SUV for the snow!
1994 Volvo 850- $1800
4 snow tires - $500
Lift ticket -$45
Driving past the untimate 4wd, $50,000 snow vehicle as it goes into a ditch- priceless.
1: Not all SUVs are 4wd, and not all cars are 2wd. You could buy any Subaru, most, if not all Audis, a Suzuki sx4, a Volvo S40, a Toyota Matrix XR, an Infinity G35, the list goes on. Lots of cars are AWD. Ranging from cheap, commuter cars to high end luxury cars. Why do you need it to be a SUV to be good in the snow? Some people that buy their SUVs, don't realize, they are 2wd until the snow comes! They assume SUV = go anywhere, in any condition. Ford Escapes, Mazda Tributes, Nissan Rogues, Jeep Compass and many others are availble in 2wd.
2: You drive around a tank, getting 10 MPG, all year long, burning hundreds of dollars in extra fuel, for the 3 days a year there is snow on the ground. A lot of new SUVs are AWD, not 4wd. What's the difference? 4wd can be shut off, with the push of a button, and the vehicle becomes 2wd. AWD is always in 4wd. It doesn't shut off. On most domestic SUVs, this is a very poorly designed system, that has constant drag on the drive line, meaning a lot more fuel is needed to get the vehicle to move. So you pay an extra $5000 for your AWD system, hundreds of extra dollars in fuel every year, and added maintainance to the AWD system for the life of the vehicle, incase it snows. Wouldn't it be cheaper to stay home from work for those 3 days a year?
3: SUVs and 4x4 trucks spend more time in the ditches in the winter than 2wd cars. Why? If you have a 4wd/AWD vehicle, it accelerates much better in the snow/ice than a 2wd vehicle. The problem is, it doesn't turn or stop any better. People in SUVs hit the throttle and the vehicle takes off, convincing them, there is lots of traction on the road, so they drive comfortable, and faster. Unfortunatly, when they need to stop, or turn, that is when it becomes aparent to them, the roads are actually very slippery. SUV drivers very rarly buy snow tires, because they have 4wd, why would they need them? 4wd doesn't help you stop, or turn, snow tires do. I spend a lot of time driving on the freeway in the winter, and 4 out of 5 vehicles in the ditches are SUVs or 4x4 trucks. They are always traveling 20 or 30 KPH fatester than other vehicles, and when they need to stop, they lose control and in the ditch they go.
4: SUVs are safer right? No. Studys have shown SUVs are more likely to be involved in fatal accidents. Why? They rollover. I already stated that they spend more time in the ditch in the winter, and because they are "safer" people tend to drive them faster. Combine that with their high center of gravity, and they quite often end up on their roofs.
Last year, I was on my way to go snowboarding, up a local mountain. I was driving a 1994 Volvo front wheel drive with snow tires. In front of me was a 4wd SUV, I'm guessing without snow tires. We started climbing a small hill, which was covered in black ice. The SUV in front started losing traction with all four tires, which put him out of control very quickly. He ended up spinning 180 degrees and landing in the ditch across the road. I was going to stop to see if he was OK, but as I looked through his window I could see that all that was injured was his ego. I continued up the mountain in my 15 year old 2wd car and went snow boarding. He called a tow truck, and a bodyshop. Good thing he bought that SUV for the snow!
1994 Volvo 850- $1800
4 snow tires - $500
Lift ticket -$45
Driving past the untimate 4wd, $50,000 snow vehicle as it goes into a ditch- priceless.
Friday, November 19, 2010
Hug a racist
I was at work today and heard a song by Lauryn Hill. It brought back a story I heard about ten years ago now. A man by the name of Doug Tracht, who worked on air, on a radio station in the states, made a comment about Lauryn Hill. Long story short, he stated "and they wonder why we drag them behind trucks." He was fired from his job and his career ended.
This got me thinking about racism. The way I see it, there are two types of racists. There are the ones who stereo type, and there are the ones that just have blind hate. The ones that stereo type, is where the bulk of the population would fit in. It is still racism, yes I know, but we all do it. Chinese people don't drive well, East Indians smell like curry, Black people are good at sports, etc. Now, I guess those comments are racist, but it's reality. Is every Chinese person a bad driver? No. I'm sure lots drive better than me. Do all East Indian smell like curry? Of course not, but a large percentage of them use curry regularly in their cooking. Are all Black people good at sports? No, but about 80% of both the NBA and NFL are African American. Some stereo types are positive, and some are negative, but a lot of stereo types have a basis. The fact that some people form opinions about a race of people based on those stereo types, is only natural. But this rant isn't about that type of racism, it's about the other type. The unjustified, blind hate of another race.
For the longest time, that type of racist made me extremely angry. The white supremacist, type. The Hitlers of the world. But I now realize, I feel more sympathy for them, than hate. They are uniformed, and ignorant. These people seriously believe that their race, is better than other races. What these racists are failing to realize is that being racist, makes them inferior to anyone that is not. If these redneck, hillbilly, inbred bible thumpers are so superior, why is a black guy running their country? Oh yeah, because he is smarter than them. The hate that radicalists have is really quite sad. They believe other races are closer to animals, than they are to humans, and would treat them as such. If you can see another human being, that doesn't have the same skin color as you, or believe in the same things as you, and want to hurt them for that reason alone, I feel so sorry for you. I'm sure it is passed down from the parents to the children, because who in the right mind would hate another human being for no valid reason, unless it was taught to you. But the fact that as the children grow into adults, they don't start to think for themselves, really indicates how stupid they must be.
My point is this. If you have a dumb, ignorant, racist man and he mates with a dumb, ignorant racist woman (which tends to be the case) what do you end up with? An open minded rocket scientist? No. You get a Texan! ahahaha! Seriously, you get a dumb, ingnorant, racist. It's not the kids fault. He will be raised a racist, and will never be smart enough to deceid for himself whether being a racist is ok or not. It's sort of like being religious. Christian parents have Christian children. It's all in the up bringing.
So next time you see a white supremacist spouting hate, or a terrorist putting a jihad on someone, instead of getting angy, try to realize, it's not this persons fault their parents were ignorant and never passed grade 9. Try to be understanding. After all, they are closer to animals than they are to human.
This got me thinking about racism. The way I see it, there are two types of racists. There are the ones who stereo type, and there are the ones that just have blind hate. The ones that stereo type, is where the bulk of the population would fit in. It is still racism, yes I know, but we all do it. Chinese people don't drive well, East Indians smell like curry, Black people are good at sports, etc. Now, I guess those comments are racist, but it's reality. Is every Chinese person a bad driver? No. I'm sure lots drive better than me. Do all East Indian smell like curry? Of course not, but a large percentage of them use curry regularly in their cooking. Are all Black people good at sports? No, but about 80% of both the NBA and NFL are African American. Some stereo types are positive, and some are negative, but a lot of stereo types have a basis. The fact that some people form opinions about a race of people based on those stereo types, is only natural. But this rant isn't about that type of racism, it's about the other type. The unjustified, blind hate of another race.
For the longest time, that type of racist made me extremely angry. The white supremacist, type. The Hitlers of the world. But I now realize, I feel more sympathy for them, than hate. They are uniformed, and ignorant. These people seriously believe that their race, is better than other races. What these racists are failing to realize is that being racist, makes them inferior to anyone that is not. If these redneck, hillbilly, inbred bible thumpers are so superior, why is a black guy running their country? Oh yeah, because he is smarter than them. The hate that radicalists have is really quite sad. They believe other races are closer to animals, than they are to humans, and would treat them as such. If you can see another human being, that doesn't have the same skin color as you, or believe in the same things as you, and want to hurt them for that reason alone, I feel so sorry for you. I'm sure it is passed down from the parents to the children, because who in the right mind would hate another human being for no valid reason, unless it was taught to you. But the fact that as the children grow into adults, they don't start to think for themselves, really indicates how stupid they must be.
My point is this. If you have a dumb, ignorant, racist man and he mates with a dumb, ignorant racist woman (which tends to be the case) what do you end up with? An open minded rocket scientist? No. You get a Texan! ahahaha! Seriously, you get a dumb, ingnorant, racist. It's not the kids fault. He will be raised a racist, and will never be smart enough to deceid for himself whether being a racist is ok or not. It's sort of like being religious. Christian parents have Christian children. It's all in the up bringing.
So next time you see a white supremacist spouting hate, or a terrorist putting a jihad on someone, instead of getting angy, try to realize, it's not this persons fault their parents were ignorant and never passed grade 9. Try to be understanding. After all, they are closer to animals than they are to human.
You Know What Really Grinds My Gears?
So after years of going off on rants, about things I see during my day to day life, to anyone that will listen, I've decieded to start a blog, so everyone can enjoy my rants! In reality, I'm doing this for myself. Sometimes I feel the need to vent about things I see, or even need to rant to someone to help myself undertand something. I choose to not reveal my identity, because I'm sure along the way I will offend someone, and don't really want them knowing where to find me. The point of this, is not to offend anyone, but to hopefully raise your consciousness, and let me vent a little. My views are mine alone. Oviously friends and family will know who I am, but I know the ones willing to read this, probably wont put a Fatwa on me. I can give you a few basics about me. I'm Canadian, I'm male, between 25 and 30 years and I'm white. Oh and I can't spell, so please excuse the grammer. I stole "you know what really grinds my gears?" from Family Guy. A show I must say is one of my favorites. Peter Griffin had a small spot on the TV new where he just talked about things that made him angry. I figured it might be a good way to vent. If it seems like I don't take some things very seriously, that should be, that is because sometimes, things are so grim, the only way to stay sane, is to laugh at them, rather than be brought down by them. I hope you enjoy my ranting, and feel free to leave a comment.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)