I was going to write this blog about smokers, but that'll have to wait until next time. I need to focus on another topic while it's fresh in my mind, and everyone elses. I want to talk about the nightmare that some teenagers have to endure every day of their lives.
Amanda Todd, a fifteen year old girl from Coquitlam, recently killed herself because she could no longer deal with the daily torture she endured from classmates at school. Think about that for a second. How bad would it have to be, to decide killing yourself, is a better option than dealing with another day? I am so upset and saddened that kids are resorting to suicide due to actions of their classmates. I wish I could just talk to these kids for a minute before they end their life, and explain that high school is a blip on the radar of life, and nothing outside of high school is even remotely like high school. The nightmare ends at graduation.
I'm not sure as to the solution to stop bullying. Normally, I'd suggest cracking some heads, and slapping some parents (the parents of the bullies). But this might not solve anything. I am ashamed and embarrassed to say this, but in high school, I'm sure some people would have said that I was a bully. Maybe not the worst of the worst, but I know I did things to other kids that were cruel and uncalled for. Looking back, I regret my actions deeply, and if I ever run into any of the people I tormented, I've promised myself, I will humbly apologize and explain my actions were unacceptable. Unfortunately, the damage is done, and those kids can't erase those shitty days from their memory, and can't undo the fact that they have lived their life with unjustified, low self esteem.
You know how parents always tell their kids, "you're not invincible". I've talked to many people my age and we all agree, we never thought we were invincible. The problem was, we never thought of consequences. I guess the end result is the same, but the cause is very different. The things I did when I was younger scare me. I'm sure my mom loves to read this. The things I did as a teenager should have got me killed, or at least maimed. Not that I was half as wild as some kids I grew up with, but looking back at the way I drove, the way I worked with dangerous equipment, the dumb ideas I had for stunts etc. I was nuts. The thing is, I'm the same person I was then. I'm actually a very cautious person, so why was I so reckless? It's like young children that like to play in the mud, and get dirty. At some point we don't like getting dirty. We like to keep our clothes clean, and care what we look like. Why at some point were those things not important to us? Just like as teenagers, some of us didn't think of consequence. Not sure why, but we didn't, and that's why kids bully other kids. I know it's a bullshit cop out, but it's true. When I would make a mean comment, or throw a banana peel at another kid, it was to get a laugh out of the other kids, and maybe by making other people laugh, I'd be a bit cooler, or more accepted. You see a group of people doing something as a teenager and if you do what they do, you fit in, and that seems to be what is important at that age. Not once did I feel bad for the person that was getting picked on. I'm not a bad person, and now I feel terrible, but back then, it's not that I didn't feel bad, it's that I didn't think to feel bad. I never once thought of the aftermath. I didn't think about how that kid would feel, or how it felt to not be accepted. I didn't think that that kids life might be agony, and they might hate every morning, and couldn't wait for the bell at the end of the day, so they could escape the torture and reticule.
Don't get me wrong, some people are just assholes. They were in high school and will be forever. The nice thing is, those people go nowhere in life. Their shit isn't tolerated outside of high school. They may still be convinced they are in the "it" crowd, but the "it" crowd gets pretty small after high school, and most of them end up working at Footlocker or tanning salons for the rest of their lives.
A small action to gain a bit respect from your peers can be devastating on the receiving end. I don't know how to get that into someones head that hasn't yet learned to think about anyone but themselves and doesn't understand consequence.
I think Pink does an amazing job of trying to help kids through the hell that is high school. She has a lot of songs about what it is to be the loser at school. It sounds like she had a rough time in high school. Let her be a shining beacon of reality. She went for the butt end of the jokes to super stardom. I hope people listen to her, and I'm sure they do, and maybe Pink has already saved some lives and helped people through hell.
I don't know if we will ever be able to get rid of bullying, but I wish we could get the message out to the kids that are living a nightmare, that it ends, it's bad, but it ends. I hope we find a way to help these kids, or protect them, or stop the bullying, because I can't handle anymore tragic stories of kids, that should be having the time of their life, so depressed, they can't go on.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ocDlOD1Hw9k
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XjVNlG5cZyQ
Thursday, October 18, 2012
Tuesday, July 17, 2012
The Sin of Eating
So I had discussions with a couple of friends this weekend about their diets and their reasoning for their diets. Controlling what goes in your body effects how much energy your have, how long you will live, and your overall health. It seems that's a major topic these days. Everyone has an opinion, or belief. There seems to be good reasoning behind most diets, and yet they all seem so different. But I've come to the conclusion that they are all flawed.
Lets face it. If you followed a good, health eating guide, you'd just not eat anymore. Everything is bad for you, or the environment, or your moral standards. If we were all vegan, and glutton free, and only bought within the "100 mile diet", and only ate organic, and didn't eat processed foods, we would have really nothing to eat, except some local, expensive fruits and vegetables, part of the year.
People like to subscribe to one type of diet, and stick to it as if it's the one and only solution. This isn't religion, you can pick more than one.
The human body in an amazing thing. It can process so many types of foods. We have adapted over many thousands of years, to get our energy and nutrition from any source we have available. We also have an ability to remove harmful toxins from our foods. Take alcohol for an example. Alcohol is a poison, not unlike cyanide, or arsenic. If you drink a vast amount of alcohol, it will kill you. If you drink slightly less, you will vomit and pass out. These are probably signs of your body telling you, this is a poison, don't take too much. But if you have a very small amount each day, the long and short term effects are negated by your liver. Our bodies evolved to have livers, so that toxic or poisonous things can be taken out of our bodies, to prevent harming ourselves. If you ingest large amounts of poison, on a daily basis (a bottle of booze, or a case of beer lets say) your liver will be over worked and will at some point fail, but if you keep it to a small amount, your liver will probably last indefinitely. That's the wonder of the human body, it can handle almost anything, IN MODERATION.
Also, everyones body is different, and we all have different requirements in out diets. We are always told that salt is bad and avoid it at all costs, but that's because most foods these days have too much salt in them. But salt is not bad, the average person just needs less of it, but take someone that runs marathons, and sweats a lot, they often deplete the salt in their bodies, and need to take in extra. People also like to avoid carbohydrates, and calories as much as they can. This is simply because people are in the habit of taking in more energy than they are using, but if you lead a labor intensive life, and have a fast metabolism, you might seek out as many carbs and calories as you can stuff in your face. What works for one person, might not for someone else. People that are allergic to peanuts, probably shouldn't eat them, but that's not to say that peanuts are bad for everyone. Everyone reacts different to different foods. One diet wont work for everyone.
Did you ever think about the alternative to what you are trying to avoid? Some people try so hard to avoid something, that they might be putting something far worse in their bodies. Take the atkins diet, or people that use aspertame instead of sugar. Is fake sugar healthier than real sugar? Or are you just replacing diabetes with cancer? Sugar isn't bad, people just eat too much of it. Moderation people.
All the different diets try to avoid one thing, whether it's meat, or animal products, or gluten, or carbs, or growth hormones, or preservatives, or fat, etc. But cutting one or two of those things out is not healthy eating. I can eat gluten free, and have greasy, deep fried, KFC chicken, with bacon on it. Is that healthy? I can be a vegan and eat potato chips and twinkies for every meal. Is that healthy?
There's always a catch. If all farmers were to only grow organic products, production would drop approximately one third. That means there would be one third the amount to go around, which means a lot of people, would starve to death. The world needs a lot of food to feed the masses, and humanity has found a way to deliver. People complain about the way it's been delivered, but offer no solution to produce food as cheap or as fast as it's being done.
Choosing to avoid one specific thing just seems like a waste of time. I doubt that thing that you are avoiding is harmful if you eat it in moderation. Instead I offer the simple advice of common sense. Most of us could afford to eat less meat, less gluten, less processed foods, and less junk food. We could replace said foods with more fruits and vegetables, and foods with better nutritional values than doughnuts, and Doritos. Subscribing to one diet, does not make you healthy, in fact it's probably harmful if you don't research the best way to approach that diet, and know what alternatives best replace the things you are trying to cut out. You know what is healthy and what isn't. Moderation is the key.
Lets face it. If you followed a good, health eating guide, you'd just not eat anymore. Everything is bad for you, or the environment, or your moral standards. If we were all vegan, and glutton free, and only bought within the "100 mile diet", and only ate organic, and didn't eat processed foods, we would have really nothing to eat, except some local, expensive fruits and vegetables, part of the year.
People like to subscribe to one type of diet, and stick to it as if it's the one and only solution. This isn't religion, you can pick more than one.
The human body in an amazing thing. It can process so many types of foods. We have adapted over many thousands of years, to get our energy and nutrition from any source we have available. We also have an ability to remove harmful toxins from our foods. Take alcohol for an example. Alcohol is a poison, not unlike cyanide, or arsenic. If you drink a vast amount of alcohol, it will kill you. If you drink slightly less, you will vomit and pass out. These are probably signs of your body telling you, this is a poison, don't take too much. But if you have a very small amount each day, the long and short term effects are negated by your liver. Our bodies evolved to have livers, so that toxic or poisonous things can be taken out of our bodies, to prevent harming ourselves. If you ingest large amounts of poison, on a daily basis (a bottle of booze, or a case of beer lets say) your liver will be over worked and will at some point fail, but if you keep it to a small amount, your liver will probably last indefinitely. That's the wonder of the human body, it can handle almost anything, IN MODERATION.
Also, everyones body is different, and we all have different requirements in out diets. We are always told that salt is bad and avoid it at all costs, but that's because most foods these days have too much salt in them. But salt is not bad, the average person just needs less of it, but take someone that runs marathons, and sweats a lot, they often deplete the salt in their bodies, and need to take in extra. People also like to avoid carbohydrates, and calories as much as they can. This is simply because people are in the habit of taking in more energy than they are using, but if you lead a labor intensive life, and have a fast metabolism, you might seek out as many carbs and calories as you can stuff in your face. What works for one person, might not for someone else. People that are allergic to peanuts, probably shouldn't eat them, but that's not to say that peanuts are bad for everyone. Everyone reacts different to different foods. One diet wont work for everyone.
Did you ever think about the alternative to what you are trying to avoid? Some people try so hard to avoid something, that they might be putting something far worse in their bodies. Take the atkins diet, or people that use aspertame instead of sugar. Is fake sugar healthier than real sugar? Or are you just replacing diabetes with cancer? Sugar isn't bad, people just eat too much of it. Moderation people.
All the different diets try to avoid one thing, whether it's meat, or animal products, or gluten, or carbs, or growth hormones, or preservatives, or fat, etc. But cutting one or two of those things out is not healthy eating. I can eat gluten free, and have greasy, deep fried, KFC chicken, with bacon on it. Is that healthy? I can be a vegan and eat potato chips and twinkies for every meal. Is that healthy?
There's always a catch. If all farmers were to only grow organic products, production would drop approximately one third. That means there would be one third the amount to go around, which means a lot of people, would starve to death. The world needs a lot of food to feed the masses, and humanity has found a way to deliver. People complain about the way it's been delivered, but offer no solution to produce food as cheap or as fast as it's being done.
Choosing to avoid one specific thing just seems like a waste of time. I doubt that thing that you are avoiding is harmful if you eat it in moderation. Instead I offer the simple advice of common sense. Most of us could afford to eat less meat, less gluten, less processed foods, and less junk food. We could replace said foods with more fruits and vegetables, and foods with better nutritional values than doughnuts, and Doritos. Subscribing to one diet, does not make you healthy, in fact it's probably harmful if you don't research the best way to approach that diet, and know what alternatives best replace the things you are trying to cut out. You know what is healthy and what isn't. Moderation is the key.
Monday, January 9, 2012
A total colapse of Domocracy
When I think of what the role of a government should be, what comes to mind is far different from what we've ended up with here in Canada, and in the USA. The government is supposed to be a body that acts in the best interests of the people on matters such as justice, safety, development, providing necessities, sustainability, providing a financial structure and things of that sort. All of those things can be provided on a very small scale. You could have a government that reprosents a very small population, and still be very successful, and yet, we have governments that are ruling vast areas, and millions of people. When dealing with such a wide variety of landscape, and cultures, you are going to have drastically different needs from a governing body, and yet, we get a blanket solution, that doesn't really meet the needs of the majority.
Take the USA for instance. 50% of the country wants Republicans to represent them and 50% want Democrats. The Dems and Reps have very different ideas on how the country should be run. Wouldn't it make sense to find out where the majority of Republican supporters live, and draw a line, separating them from the Democrat majority area, allowing each area to have their desired government? Instead of a constant battle between the two parties, each could rule the area that supports them. Wouldn't that make a far higher percentage of the public happier with their government? If that would work, why not break it down smaller? Why not have each state be their own country with it's own interests, and own way of governing. I know there would be some kinks to iron out, but the way the system is now, has more than a few kinks to iron out.
If things were on a smaller scale, there would be more accountability. You couldn't rely on votes from people all over the country, you would have to impress the people right at home, in your state, and make sure you keep them happy, or you'd be voted out.
I find that when dealing with the federal government, I am constantly frustrated, and feel my tax dollars aren't going to where I'd like to see them go. I think the federal government is very inefficient, and wasteful of resources. Mind you, the BC provincial government seems equally incompetent. I'm glad the city I live in does its best to separate itself from the provincial government. They opt to use their own police force instead of the RCMP, and are trying to get out of the Greater Vancouver Regional District, so they can run their own hospitals and such. Why are police and hospitals something that needs to be run on a provincial or federal level? A police officer that lives in the city he works in probably knows more of the problem areas, knows the culture, and knows they layout. Why send someone from the other side of the country, to do that job? They might not speak the same language, they might not understand procedures or happening that are common place in that particular city. Not to mention it cost more money to uproot someone, and train them to be able to work all over the country.
A lot of small, successful companies fail after they try to expand. The reason for that is efficiency. As a small company expands, they need more space, more employees and more resources, which raises overhead, and it can be difficult to increase income in proportion to overhead. You might need to hire a manager, or secretary, when one wasn't needed before, and neither of those people are producing a product, so overhead goes up, but production only slightly increases. Or things that used to get done in house, now get subleted, to keep up with demand, increasing the cost of that procedure.
Smaller is better. What better way to control every aspect of something, than to have it small enough to to do yourself. The federal government has lost touch with the bulk of the population and no longer provides the service it is supposed to. The inefficiency is costing millions of dollars that are needed to help the country stay afloat, and help it's people. If you look at the percent of the population that is working in one way or another, for the government, you understand how wasteful the government is. If government was run on a much smaller scale, you could manage with fewer employees. There are too many Chiefs and not enough Indians, which is causing overlapping jobs and major delays in the ability to process anything, and it's costing us as tax payers.
Take the USA for instance. 50% of the country wants Republicans to represent them and 50% want Democrats. The Dems and Reps have very different ideas on how the country should be run. Wouldn't it make sense to find out where the majority of Republican supporters live, and draw a line, separating them from the Democrat majority area, allowing each area to have their desired government? Instead of a constant battle between the two parties, each could rule the area that supports them. Wouldn't that make a far higher percentage of the public happier with their government? If that would work, why not break it down smaller? Why not have each state be their own country with it's own interests, and own way of governing. I know there would be some kinks to iron out, but the way the system is now, has more than a few kinks to iron out.
If things were on a smaller scale, there would be more accountability. You couldn't rely on votes from people all over the country, you would have to impress the people right at home, in your state, and make sure you keep them happy, or you'd be voted out.
I find that when dealing with the federal government, I am constantly frustrated, and feel my tax dollars aren't going to where I'd like to see them go. I think the federal government is very inefficient, and wasteful of resources. Mind you, the BC provincial government seems equally incompetent. I'm glad the city I live in does its best to separate itself from the provincial government. They opt to use their own police force instead of the RCMP, and are trying to get out of the Greater Vancouver Regional District, so they can run their own hospitals and such. Why are police and hospitals something that needs to be run on a provincial or federal level? A police officer that lives in the city he works in probably knows more of the problem areas, knows the culture, and knows they layout. Why send someone from the other side of the country, to do that job? They might not speak the same language, they might not understand procedures or happening that are common place in that particular city. Not to mention it cost more money to uproot someone, and train them to be able to work all over the country.
A lot of small, successful companies fail after they try to expand. The reason for that is efficiency. As a small company expands, they need more space, more employees and more resources, which raises overhead, and it can be difficult to increase income in proportion to overhead. You might need to hire a manager, or secretary, when one wasn't needed before, and neither of those people are producing a product, so overhead goes up, but production only slightly increases. Or things that used to get done in house, now get subleted, to keep up with demand, increasing the cost of that procedure.
Smaller is better. What better way to control every aspect of something, than to have it small enough to to do yourself. The federal government has lost touch with the bulk of the population and no longer provides the service it is supposed to. The inefficiency is costing millions of dollars that are needed to help the country stay afloat, and help it's people. If you look at the percent of the population that is working in one way or another, for the government, you understand how wasteful the government is. If government was run on a much smaller scale, you could manage with fewer employees. There are too many Chiefs and not enough Indians, which is causing overlapping jobs and major delays in the ability to process anything, and it's costing us as tax payers.
Thursday, November 10, 2011
The only Holiday that Matters
November 11 is tomorrow, and for me, it's the only holiday that has any real meaning. Christmas is to celebrate someone I don't believe ever existed. Easter, death of said person. Canada day...yes, I live in a country, I guess that's worth celebrating. Victoria day? I think the monarchy is a joke to be honest. Thanksgiving, any reason to eat turkey is good for me, but what's it really about? The only day that I view as anything more than just a day off, is Remembrance Day. Unfortunately, it has left a bitter taste in my mouth this year.
I heard on the radio, that several donation boxes have been stolen by thieves. This really sums up society today, doesn't it? People take what they think they deserve, and no one with hold them to the flame for it.
The money collected for veterans, is to support the heros that gave up everything, to fight oppression, fear, and genocide, so that we can live in a safe, prosperous, democratic country. The veterans gave up their hopes, their dreams, their youth, their families, their health, their friends and their lives, so that we can live the amazing lives we are blessed with. Everything we have, we have because of the veterans courage, honor and bravery. And yet, some animals out there have decided that they are more deserving of charity than the veterans. What type of person would logically think that their crack habit is more deserving than the well being of an old man, who could use a little help getting through his day, due to some injury he sustained saving the world.
Can you imagine, being 18, or 19 years old, and being shipped to a part of the world you knew little about, and spending the next few YEARS of you life, living in horrid, filthy conditions, with little food, no place to call home, no bed to sleep in, no family members to comfort you and being shot at and bombed regularly. Sounds like the worst thing that could ever happen to a person, and yet, this wasn't some sort of punishment, they did this by choice, because they knew it was the right thing to do, because they were brave, because they had honor. They endured hell, for all of us, and now some dog thinks it's right to steel from them. Humans go to jail, dogs get put down.
To every person that sacrificed anything and everything, to lead us to where we are, thank you. I salute you on Remembrance Day and every other day of the year.
I heard on the radio, that several donation boxes have been stolen by thieves. This really sums up society today, doesn't it? People take what they think they deserve, and no one with hold them to the flame for it.
The money collected for veterans, is to support the heros that gave up everything, to fight oppression, fear, and genocide, so that we can live in a safe, prosperous, democratic country. The veterans gave up their hopes, their dreams, their youth, their families, their health, their friends and their lives, so that we can live the amazing lives we are blessed with. Everything we have, we have because of the veterans courage, honor and bravery. And yet, some animals out there have decided that they are more deserving of charity than the veterans. What type of person would logically think that their crack habit is more deserving than the well being of an old man, who could use a little help getting through his day, due to some injury he sustained saving the world.
Can you imagine, being 18, or 19 years old, and being shipped to a part of the world you knew little about, and spending the next few YEARS of you life, living in horrid, filthy conditions, with little food, no place to call home, no bed to sleep in, no family members to comfort you and being shot at and bombed regularly. Sounds like the worst thing that could ever happen to a person, and yet, this wasn't some sort of punishment, they did this by choice, because they knew it was the right thing to do, because they were brave, because they had honor. They endured hell, for all of us, and now some dog thinks it's right to steel from them. Humans go to jail, dogs get put down.
To every person that sacrificed anything and everything, to lead us to where we are, thank you. I salute you on Remembrance Day and every other day of the year.
Sunday, October 23, 2011
Show? Really?
With the Vancouver International Motorcycle Show coming up soon, I've been reminded of something that really grinds my gears. First off, all of the Vancouver RV shows, Vancouver Boat shows, Vancouver home shows etc, are all held in Abbotsford. Why can't Abbotsford take any credit for hosting these shows, some of which get hundreds of thousand of people, per day? But that is not what pisses me off. It's the shows themselves. They aren't shows, they are showrooms.
Once upon a time, shows had something to show. A form of entertainment, or something unique, or different, that people might want to see. If the show was good enough people might actually pay to see it. Think of an old car show. Hundreds of old, unique, custom, and interesting cars. People would spend thousands of hours and thousands of dollars modifying and restoring their cars, to make them one of a kind. Once they were done, being proud of what they had accomplished, with all their blood, sweat and tears, they decided to put them on display, so people could enjoy their works of art. Sometimes, if the cars were really special, they would charge a small entry fee to view the cars. That would usually help cover the costs of putting on the show, and maybe give a couple of awards to the people who had the most impressive cars.
A couple years ago, I went to the Vancouver International Motorcycle Show. I had never been before, or to any major show like it. I was excited. There was literally hundreds of thousands of people that attended each day of the event. It was $12 to get in, which I thought was a bit steep, but the show would be amazing, right? When I got inside, I felt lost. I kept looking for the rest of the show, but never found it. The main buildings were all filled with the local motorcycle dealers. Each dealer had huge displays of all of their current models of bikes. Kawasaki was there with their brand new ZX-10, KX250F, and KLR650. Honda had their CBR600, Shadow and CRF450F setup etc. All the major manufactures had huge floor space tied up with, bone stock, new motorcycles, that you could walk into any dealership and view...for free. The smaller booths setup at the show, were smaller companies, trying to sell you everything from motorcycle riding gear, to motorcycle tools, to food, to motorcycle DVDs. Some stuff was being sold at a bit of a discount, for the "motorcycle show pricing" which was usually 10-20% off. But there was no deals on any of the bikes for sale. I think in total there was 4 or 5 "custom" bikes at the show. The rest could have been viewed at any dealership, any day of the week, free of charge. Why was I paying $12 to look at bikes I can see for free?
The following year, I went back. Not by choice, and I didn't pay to get in. I was working in a booth at the show. One of the Riding clubs I ride in, had a small booth in the back, and was also putting on a show at the event. Our club go the go ahead to hold a couple small races outside, to entertain the crowd, and get some publicity for out club. We were not paid to put on the shows, and we did have to pay a large fee to have a booth at the show.
So whoever is running the event, is collecting huge money from all of the vendors, that want to setup displays, which can have anything in it, even if it doesn't have anything to do with motorcycles. They also collect $12 from hundreds of thousands of people to view these displays. And yet the person putting on the event, doesn't have to put on a show, they just get people to do a couple of lame demos, for free.
If you want to me go view all the new motorcycles, in hopes that I buy one, you should pay me, or at least let me do it for free. Also if you are going to collect millions of dollars, from people wanting to see a show, shouldn't you be paying the people putting on the show?
And all the shows are the same. They have home shows, RV shows, boat shows, womens shows, christmas shows, etc, etc, and every single one is full of vendors trying to sell you their shit. Shit you can see in their stores for free.
I mean cudos to the smart son of bitch that thought this jem up. Have a "show" where people pay to get in, to view shit that the vendors pay you to display. Well done, but I want my $12 back.
Once upon a time, shows had something to show. A form of entertainment, or something unique, or different, that people might want to see. If the show was good enough people might actually pay to see it. Think of an old car show. Hundreds of old, unique, custom, and interesting cars. People would spend thousands of hours and thousands of dollars modifying and restoring their cars, to make them one of a kind. Once they were done, being proud of what they had accomplished, with all their blood, sweat and tears, they decided to put them on display, so people could enjoy their works of art. Sometimes, if the cars were really special, they would charge a small entry fee to view the cars. That would usually help cover the costs of putting on the show, and maybe give a couple of awards to the people who had the most impressive cars.
A couple years ago, I went to the Vancouver International Motorcycle Show. I had never been before, or to any major show like it. I was excited. There was literally hundreds of thousands of people that attended each day of the event. It was $12 to get in, which I thought was a bit steep, but the show would be amazing, right? When I got inside, I felt lost. I kept looking for the rest of the show, but never found it. The main buildings were all filled with the local motorcycle dealers. Each dealer had huge displays of all of their current models of bikes. Kawasaki was there with their brand new ZX-10, KX250F, and KLR650. Honda had their CBR600, Shadow and CRF450F setup etc. All the major manufactures had huge floor space tied up with, bone stock, new motorcycles, that you could walk into any dealership and view...for free. The smaller booths setup at the show, were smaller companies, trying to sell you everything from motorcycle riding gear, to motorcycle tools, to food, to motorcycle DVDs. Some stuff was being sold at a bit of a discount, for the "motorcycle show pricing" which was usually 10-20% off. But there was no deals on any of the bikes for sale. I think in total there was 4 or 5 "custom" bikes at the show. The rest could have been viewed at any dealership, any day of the week, free of charge. Why was I paying $12 to look at bikes I can see for free?
The following year, I went back. Not by choice, and I didn't pay to get in. I was working in a booth at the show. One of the Riding clubs I ride in, had a small booth in the back, and was also putting on a show at the event. Our club go the go ahead to hold a couple small races outside, to entertain the crowd, and get some publicity for out club. We were not paid to put on the shows, and we did have to pay a large fee to have a booth at the show.
So whoever is running the event, is collecting huge money from all of the vendors, that want to setup displays, which can have anything in it, even if it doesn't have anything to do with motorcycles. They also collect $12 from hundreds of thousands of people to view these displays. And yet the person putting on the event, doesn't have to put on a show, they just get people to do a couple of lame demos, for free.
If you want to me go view all the new motorcycles, in hopes that I buy one, you should pay me, or at least let me do it for free. Also if you are going to collect millions of dollars, from people wanting to see a show, shouldn't you be paying the people putting on the show?
And all the shows are the same. They have home shows, RV shows, boat shows, womens shows, christmas shows, etc, etc, and every single one is full of vendors trying to sell you their shit. Shit you can see in their stores for free.
I mean cudos to the smart son of bitch that thought this jem up. Have a "show" where people pay to get in, to view shit that the vendors pay you to display. Well done, but I want my $12 back.
Sunday, September 25, 2011
Impressive
You know what really grinds my gears? People that make asses of themselves in an attempt to impress the general populous. This rant is somewhat of a continuation of my previous blog "You Get What You Pay For...". In that rant, I talked about people that are obsessed with buying things simply because it has a logo on it, that will get them noticed.
I heard about a study that was done, while I was listening to the radio. In this study, they took two groups of women, (I'm sure this type of study could be applied to men as well) both groups were given some very expensive clothing accessories, like purses, shoes and sunglasses. The thing was, the accessories were well made, knock offs. One group of women were told they were not the real thing, and the other group of women were left to believe that they did had been given very expensive shoes, glasses and purses. The women were left to go about their daily lives for a few weeks and then answer some questions. The women who were not told that the very expensive items they had, were not the real thing, claimed higher confidence, and self esteem. They even claimed to be happier. The women that knew the items were knock offs claimed they felt cheap, and somewhat embarrassed. So even though both groups were given the same items, the women that thought the items were far more expensive than they were, seemed to like their items more. Why? Simple, we don't care about what we wear, or what we drive, or how we look, or where we eat, we only care about what other people think of us.
We spend so much of our lives trying to convince our piers that we are smarter, richer, more sophisticated, or somehow better than the people around us. We want to be at the top of the social latter, even if we have to pretend that we belong there. The problem is, the things that most people do, to try to impress strangers, are working against them, more than for them.
I was driving along a busy highway a few weeks ago, and had a motorcycle pull in front of me. It was a Harley Davidson, a brand of motorcycle known to be very expensive, and unreliable with poor performance, but also know as the bad boy motorcycle. It had no mufflers, so it was extremely loud. Even though the bike had turn signals, the rider insisted on using his hand signals any chance he could, flailing his arm around vigorously. The bike also had "suicide shift" which means instead of the shifting being done safely, and easily with his left foot, he needed to take his left hand, off the handlebars, reach behind his left leg, and shift gears manually with a lever. It's a dangerous and impractical setup, with no benefits. So as I watched him ride, revving the very loud engine, swinging his arm around to indicate a lane change, and constantly reaching behind himself to change gears, I realized something. He's not doing all these things because it's comfortable, or enjoyable, or practical, he is doing it because it's attracting a lot of attention. It's just a desperate "look at me!" He wanted everyone to look at what he was doing, and to be impressed by it. But what he didn't realize was, no one was impressed. Most people looked at him, and thought, there is something broken on his bike. Or they listened to the obnoxiously loud exhaust and thought, "what an inconsiderate prick". Instead of impressing people, he was irritating, distracting, and even making people feel sorry for him and his clearly, low tech, broken bike, that he can't afford to fix. Maybe other Harley owners would have been impressed, but what percent of the population owns a Harley?
Every day I see people trying their hardest to look important, and 95% of them are failing. I hear people driving around in their cars, with music that they think is cool, blaring out of their stereos, with the clear intention, that the people they pass on the street with be convinced of their coolness, but most people don't share the same music interests, so instead of impressing, they are irritating people. Or I see people driving huge, expensive SUVS convinced that the more money their vehicle is worth, the higher they must be on the social latter. But a large percentage of the population view vehicles like that as environmentally disastrous, penis extensions. A $5000 Rolex, cool, or just a far too expensive way to tell time? Everyone knows what their view of cool, or trendy, or important is. So they act in a manner to fit that image. But everyones image of cool, is different. Do you drink fancy wines, and read complicated books, because cool people are smart and sophisticated in your eyes? Do you drive an Escalade, and eat in expensive restaurants because you think cool people are rich? Do you eat granola and own a Mac because you think cool people are hippies that think outside the box?
The money and effort that is put forward by people, to convince others of their popularity, is not only a lost cause, but it's more than likely hurting their image, more than helping. Driving an Escalade might impress 25% of the population, but the other 75% think you are a pretentious, arrogant, douche bag, with an undeserving sense of accomplishment. If you just buy a Honda Accord, you might not impress anyone, but at least, you wont have 75% of the people that see you, loath you.
There are two messages to this rant:
1: Stop buying stuff, wearing stuff, listening to stuff, eating stuff and doing stuff to impress people. No one cares what you think is cool. Do what you enjoy. Who cares if it's something you don't view as cool. Doing something, just because it's cool, makes it not cool. Stop caring what people think. If you want to listen to Britney Spears, eat at Burger King, drink cheap beer, and drive a Ford Pinto, do it. Isn't enjoying your life, more important than trying to convince people you are someone you're not? The social latter is in your head. You are where ever you think you are on it.
2: If you really want to impress people, and have people think you are cool. Just be nice. It's free, or at least cheap. Open a door for someone. Give someone 25 cents if they come up short in line at the grocery store. Volunteer to help, the old, the mentally challenged, the needy or the helpless. Lend a hand to anyone that needs it, whether they ask for it or not. I think you'll find 95% of the population thinks those things are cool.
I heard about a study that was done, while I was listening to the radio. In this study, they took two groups of women, (I'm sure this type of study could be applied to men as well) both groups were given some very expensive clothing accessories, like purses, shoes and sunglasses. The thing was, the accessories were well made, knock offs. One group of women were told they were not the real thing, and the other group of women were left to believe that they did had been given very expensive shoes, glasses and purses. The women were left to go about their daily lives for a few weeks and then answer some questions. The women who were not told that the very expensive items they had, were not the real thing, claimed higher confidence, and self esteem. They even claimed to be happier. The women that knew the items were knock offs claimed they felt cheap, and somewhat embarrassed. So even though both groups were given the same items, the women that thought the items were far more expensive than they were, seemed to like their items more. Why? Simple, we don't care about what we wear, or what we drive, or how we look, or where we eat, we only care about what other people think of us.
We spend so much of our lives trying to convince our piers that we are smarter, richer, more sophisticated, or somehow better than the people around us. We want to be at the top of the social latter, even if we have to pretend that we belong there. The problem is, the things that most people do, to try to impress strangers, are working against them, more than for them.
I was driving along a busy highway a few weeks ago, and had a motorcycle pull in front of me. It was a Harley Davidson, a brand of motorcycle known to be very expensive, and unreliable with poor performance, but also know as the bad boy motorcycle. It had no mufflers, so it was extremely loud. Even though the bike had turn signals, the rider insisted on using his hand signals any chance he could, flailing his arm around vigorously. The bike also had "suicide shift" which means instead of the shifting being done safely, and easily with his left foot, he needed to take his left hand, off the handlebars, reach behind his left leg, and shift gears manually with a lever. It's a dangerous and impractical setup, with no benefits. So as I watched him ride, revving the very loud engine, swinging his arm around to indicate a lane change, and constantly reaching behind himself to change gears, I realized something. He's not doing all these things because it's comfortable, or enjoyable, or practical, he is doing it because it's attracting a lot of attention. It's just a desperate "look at me!" He wanted everyone to look at what he was doing, and to be impressed by it. But what he didn't realize was, no one was impressed. Most people looked at him, and thought, there is something broken on his bike. Or they listened to the obnoxiously loud exhaust and thought, "what an inconsiderate prick". Instead of impressing people, he was irritating, distracting, and even making people feel sorry for him and his clearly, low tech, broken bike, that he can't afford to fix. Maybe other Harley owners would have been impressed, but what percent of the population owns a Harley?
Every day I see people trying their hardest to look important, and 95% of them are failing. I hear people driving around in their cars, with music that they think is cool, blaring out of their stereos, with the clear intention, that the people they pass on the street with be convinced of their coolness, but most people don't share the same music interests, so instead of impressing, they are irritating people. Or I see people driving huge, expensive SUVS convinced that the more money their vehicle is worth, the higher they must be on the social latter. But a large percentage of the population view vehicles like that as environmentally disastrous, penis extensions. A $5000 Rolex, cool, or just a far too expensive way to tell time? Everyone knows what their view of cool, or trendy, or important is. So they act in a manner to fit that image. But everyones image of cool, is different. Do you drink fancy wines, and read complicated books, because cool people are smart and sophisticated in your eyes? Do you drive an Escalade, and eat in expensive restaurants because you think cool people are rich? Do you eat granola and own a Mac because you think cool people are hippies that think outside the box?
The money and effort that is put forward by people, to convince others of their popularity, is not only a lost cause, but it's more than likely hurting their image, more than helping. Driving an Escalade might impress 25% of the population, but the other 75% think you are a pretentious, arrogant, douche bag, with an undeserving sense of accomplishment. If you just buy a Honda Accord, you might not impress anyone, but at least, you wont have 75% of the people that see you, loath you.
There are two messages to this rant:
1: Stop buying stuff, wearing stuff, listening to stuff, eating stuff and doing stuff to impress people. No one cares what you think is cool. Do what you enjoy. Who cares if it's something you don't view as cool. Doing something, just because it's cool, makes it not cool. Stop caring what people think. If you want to listen to Britney Spears, eat at Burger King, drink cheap beer, and drive a Ford Pinto, do it. Isn't enjoying your life, more important than trying to convince people you are someone you're not? The social latter is in your head. You are where ever you think you are on it.
2: If you really want to impress people, and have people think you are cool. Just be nice. It's free, or at least cheap. Open a door for someone. Give someone 25 cents if they come up short in line at the grocery store. Volunteer to help, the old, the mentally challenged, the needy or the helpless. Lend a hand to anyone that needs it, whether they ask for it or not. I think you'll find 95% of the population thinks those things are cool.
Sunday, August 21, 2011
What we need is aliens.
Something that has really been grinding my gears recently, and seems worse that I thought the more I look at it, is the complete lack of humanity we have.We are horrible to each other. We are so concerned with winning at the game of life, that we will do anything to other human beings to get to the top. It really is dog eat dog, but it's not just at work, or in sporting events, it's in every day life. We are so full of ambition, we miss the big picture. Everyone wants to be at the top, and have the biggest house, and newest car, and the best job, and the smartest kid. We are all preprogramed to be ambitious, I guess because when we were all cavemen, you either had the most food, and the best furs to wear, and the warmest cave, or you died. Evolution has made us behave this way, but is it a habbit we should break? Matthew Good has a great line in his song "21st Century Living" "Around here our ambition hurts more than it helps. Around here our ambition throws a non-perishable item in a donation bin a Christmas. Then pats it's self on the fucking back because it thinks it's done something decent"
I am just as bad as everyone else. I like to think I'm a nice guy, but if you look at my actions, I am a horrible person.
I couple of months ago, I was getting fuel at the local gas station. As I finished filling up, a young woman pulled in in a Chevrolet Cavalier. She got out, and closed her door, but instead of closing, it bounced back open. She looked at the door, and again tried to close the door, but it wouldn't close. Working on cars for a huge part of my life, I knew exactly what was wrong. Cavaliers are notorious for having bad door hinges. Long story short, the latch that holds her door closed, had latched itself in the closed position. Without being opened back up, the door would never latch closed again. The fix for this is very simple. You hold the door handle open, and flick the latch to the open position. It takes 3 seconds, and requires no tools. I saw the young lady make a call on her cell phone. Probably to a friend or family member, that would need to come from where ever they are, to help her fix the door latch. My instant thought as I watched this unfold was "haha, sucks to be you" I got in my vehicle and started out of the parking lot. I then started thinking, maybe I could help her. By the time I figured maybe I should help, I was out of the parking lot, and wasn't willing to turn around and go back. Why was my automatic reaction, the typical, "sure glad that wasn't me" Why do we laugh at others misfortunes? Do we like to see other humans fail, or have a hard time? Are we so caught up in the game of life, that when we see someones misfortune, it seems like a gift to us? Like we just got a ahead a little bit somehow? Why do we not instinctively want to help? We see a car accident, or someone drop their groceries, or get a flat tire on their car and all we can think is, I've been there, it sucks, see ya. Imagine if something un desirable were to happen to you, and intead of everyone looking on and laughing, everyone did their best to help you. Picked up your groceries, helped you change your flat, or told you that you've dropped your wallet. Wouldn't that be a better world? Don't get me wrong, there are good samaritans out there, that do good every day, but it seems like the rest of us are only looking out for number 1.
It seems like we always want a compition. A way to scale ourselves, to see that we are doing well at life. These people aren't fellow human beings to us, they are opponents that are in our way, in our quest to be the winner. Matthew Good has another great line, and I think it's true. "Nothing shy of war, or death, or money will ever fuckin change a man" People can act different, but they are always the same person deep down, unless one of those three things effects them. In war time, people put their petty differences aside, and unite for the good of their nation. Who cares about the little things, where there is something far more important going on. War gives a sense of unity within the country. People are more willing to help each other because they are on the same side, fighting for the same cause. But what we really need is an alien attack. Imagine the entire world putting to rest their pointless squables, to come together for a greater good. No more fights over religion, or oil, or holy lands, or money, just the entire world working as one unit. Think of the efficency, and the knowledge that would be pooled. It would be amazing what could be accomplished if we could work together, instead of against each other.
Don't we all prosper when we help each other? Doesn't the future look brighter, when you can count on someone to pick you up if you fall? Now ask yourself, why do we need a war, or and alien invation to accomplish that?
I am just as bad as everyone else. I like to think I'm a nice guy, but if you look at my actions, I am a horrible person.
I couple of months ago, I was getting fuel at the local gas station. As I finished filling up, a young woman pulled in in a Chevrolet Cavalier. She got out, and closed her door, but instead of closing, it bounced back open. She looked at the door, and again tried to close the door, but it wouldn't close. Working on cars for a huge part of my life, I knew exactly what was wrong. Cavaliers are notorious for having bad door hinges. Long story short, the latch that holds her door closed, had latched itself in the closed position. Without being opened back up, the door would never latch closed again. The fix for this is very simple. You hold the door handle open, and flick the latch to the open position. It takes 3 seconds, and requires no tools. I saw the young lady make a call on her cell phone. Probably to a friend or family member, that would need to come from where ever they are, to help her fix the door latch. My instant thought as I watched this unfold was "haha, sucks to be you" I got in my vehicle and started out of the parking lot. I then started thinking, maybe I could help her. By the time I figured maybe I should help, I was out of the parking lot, and wasn't willing to turn around and go back. Why was my automatic reaction, the typical, "sure glad that wasn't me" Why do we laugh at others misfortunes? Do we like to see other humans fail, or have a hard time? Are we so caught up in the game of life, that when we see someones misfortune, it seems like a gift to us? Like we just got a ahead a little bit somehow? Why do we not instinctively want to help? We see a car accident, or someone drop their groceries, or get a flat tire on their car and all we can think is, I've been there, it sucks, see ya. Imagine if something un desirable were to happen to you, and intead of everyone looking on and laughing, everyone did their best to help you. Picked up your groceries, helped you change your flat, or told you that you've dropped your wallet. Wouldn't that be a better world? Don't get me wrong, there are good samaritans out there, that do good every day, but it seems like the rest of us are only looking out for number 1.
It seems like we always want a compition. A way to scale ourselves, to see that we are doing well at life. These people aren't fellow human beings to us, they are opponents that are in our way, in our quest to be the winner. Matthew Good has another great line, and I think it's true. "Nothing shy of war, or death, or money will ever fuckin change a man" People can act different, but they are always the same person deep down, unless one of those three things effects them. In war time, people put their petty differences aside, and unite for the good of their nation. Who cares about the little things, where there is something far more important going on. War gives a sense of unity within the country. People are more willing to help each other because they are on the same side, fighting for the same cause. But what we really need is an alien attack. Imagine the entire world putting to rest their pointless squables, to come together for a greater good. No more fights over religion, or oil, or holy lands, or money, just the entire world working as one unit. Think of the efficency, and the knowledge that would be pooled. It would be amazing what could be accomplished if we could work together, instead of against each other.
Don't we all prosper when we help each other? Doesn't the future look brighter, when you can count on someone to pick you up if you fall? Now ask yourself, why do we need a war, or and alien invation to accomplish that?
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