Random stupid things on your mind. Post them.

[HorrorRetro]

It's good to know there are still some really nice people out there.   Today I was at Goodwill in line behind an older handicapped black lady.  She was slow and told me thank you for being patient.  I told her it was no problem.  The loud, obnoxious women behind me, however, were rude.  One said, "Where's the apology for MY patience?"  I just gave her a dirty look and shook my head.  They made a big fuss and went to a different checker. 

I stayed in the same line and waited my turn because I didn't want the lady to feel bad about being slow.  The lady thanked me again and I told her it was fine.  The checker rings up my 4 items and I get ready to pay for it, and she says that the lady ahead of me had bought me a $20 gift card as a thank you gift for being so patient. I was pretty shocked. After I checked out, I tracked her down and thanked her.  We both agreed that most people are just plain rude these days.  Anyway, that made my day! 

[onan]

It's good to know there are still some really nice people out there.   Today I was at Goodwill in line behind an older handicapped black lady.  She was slow and told me thank you for being patient.  I told her it was no problem.  The loud, obnoxious women behind me, however, were rude.  One said, "Where's the apology for MY patience?"  I just gave her a dirty look and shook my head.  They made a big fuss and went to a different checker. 

I stayed in the same line and waited my turn because I didn't want the lady to feel bad about being slow.  The lady thanked me again and I told her it was fine.  The checker rings up my 4 items and I get ready to pay for it, and she says that the lady ahead of me had bought me a $20 gift card as a thank you gift for being so patient. I was pretty shocked. After I checked out, I tracked her down and thanked her.  We both agreed that most people are just plain rude these days.  Anyway, that made my day! 

Nice post.


Sadly I fall into both categories. I can be patient; but sometimes I get all pissed off that my time is being wasted...

[Mind Flayer Monk]

Nice post.


Sadly I fall into both categories. I can be patient; but sometimes I get all pissed off that my time is being wasted...

I find 6pm, when people have just finished work and are hungry, trying to bring home stuff from the store for family, is when people get really irritated in line.

[coaster]

It's good to know there are still some really nice people out there.   Today I was at Goodwill in line behind an older handicapped black lady.  She was slow and told me thank you for being patient.  I told her it was no problem.  The loud, obnoxious women behind me, however, were rude.  One said, "Where's the apology for MY patience?"  I just gave her a dirty look and shook my head.  They made a big fuss and went to a different checker. 

I stayed in the same line and waited my turn because I didn't want the lady to feel bad about being slow.  The lady thanked me again and I told her it was fine.  The checker rings up my 4 items and I get ready to pay for it, and she says that the lady ahead of me had bought me a $20 gift card as a thank you gift for being so patient. I was pretty shocked. After I checked out, I tracked her down and thanked her.  We both agreed that most people are just plain rude these days.  Anyway, that made my day! 

Nice post indeed. People are so impatient.

[HorrorRetro]

Nice post.


Sadly I fall into both categories. I can be patient; but sometimes I get all pissed off that my time is being wasted...

I'm one of the most impatient people ever, especially when it comes to driving.  But when it comes to old and/or disabled people, I try to be a decent person.  They truly can't help it.  We were raised, and I raised my daughter, to help out those people whenever we can.  From what I've seen lately, most people have stopped teaching their kids that, although the women behind me today were probably in their mid-to-late 40s, so they should have known better.  They were shockingly rude. 

[Eddie Coyle]

 
           Egypt, circa October 1981, appears to have been more stable than the Egypt we see today.

[Treading Water]

           Egypt, circa October 1981, appears to have been more stable than the Egypt we see today.

Yeah, that's frightening as Hell.  I have a nephew over there.

[b_dubb]

i was afraid the arab spring was going to be an 'out of the frying pan into the fire' situation.  i hate to say i was (probably) right.  and it seems to be spreading

[West of the Rockies]

I'm one of the most impatient people ever, especially when it comes to driving.  But when it comes to old and/or disabled people, I try to be a decent person.  They truly can't help it.  We were raised, and I raised my daughter, to help out those people whenever we can.  From what I've seen lately, most people have stopped teaching their kids that, although the women behind me today were probably in their mid-to-late 40s, so they should have known better.  They were shockingly rude. 

Hey, HorrorRetro... I've got an 11-year-old daughter (I'm 51) and have made a clear and distinct point about teaching her good old-fashioned manners and respect.  My wife and I have her in a charter school where they actually do focus at least some attention on what we used to call "citizenship" in school.  It's all about recognizing that we're in this together (whatever "this" is). 

My wife and daughter are housesitting for her my mother-in-law, and we had to arrange a child transfer this morning.  We met out on a country road (my mother-in-law lives in a rather geographically removed spot).  I arrived early (having been raised to be punctual) and three or four different people pulled up to ask me if I was okay, if I needed help.

Human beings are basically good.  We are.  I needn't point out that there are always a few turds in the punchbowl, but I think that given the choice, at least a solid percentage of people will choose to be kind and courteous.

[stevesh]

I'm starting to get a little concerned by the sudden surge in the number of non-profits purporting to be helping veterans with problems such as PTSD and medical issues. Many of them advertise on some of the most expensive radio talk shows and on local and national television.

I'm not suggesting any are scams, but I remember that Credit Counselors was the only non-profit financial counseling outfit in the country for decades. Some time in (I think) the '80s, some clever monkey figured out a way to funnel the money from a non-profit to a for-profit company without the IRS noticing, and suddenly radio was jammed with advertising for bogus credit assistance firms which charged outrageous fees, preying on those who were down on their luck. Many are still with us today.

Few of us have time to read through multi-page financial statements to see where the money these guys are raking in goes, and we probably wouldn't understand them if we did.

[HorrorRetro]

Hey, HorrorRetro... I've got an 11-year-old daughter (I'm 51) and have made a clear and distinct point about teaching her good old-fashioned manners and respect.  My wife and I have her in a charter school where they actually do focus at least some attention on what we used to call "citizenship" in school.  It's all about recognizing that we're in this together (whatever "this" is). 

My wife and daughter are housesitting for her my mother-in-law, and we had to arrange a child transfer this morning.  We met out on a country road (my mother-in-law lives in a rather geographically removed spot).  I arrived early (having been raised to be punctual) and three or four different people pulled up to ask me if I was okay, if I needed help.

Human beings are basically good.  We are.  I needn't point out that there are always a few turds in the punchbowl, but I think that given the choice, at least a solid percentage of people will choose to be kind and courteous.

Maybe it's the old "squeaky wheel gets the grease" thing -- the rude people are just more noticeable. When I'm out, I seem to encounter mostly rude people.  I always hold doors open for people.  I seem to get them slammed in my face.  I don't block aisles in stores, yet almost every aisle is blocked by people who insist on standing in the middle or walking 4 people across the row.  If we're walking down the sidewalk and people are coming, we walk single file, while most others bump into us, give us dirty looks, and keep going.  I always say excuse me, and I seem to get mostly nasty looks when I say it and try to walk past someone.  Perhaps my "rude radar" is more finely tuned to noticing the rude people.  I don't know. 

[stevesh]

Maybe it's the old "squeaky wheel gets the grease" thing -- the rude people are just more noticeable. When I'm out, I seem to encounter mostly rude people.  I always hold doors open for people.  I seem to get them slammed in my face.  I don't block aisles in stores, yet almost every aisle is blocked by people who insist on standing in the middle or walking 4 people across the row.  If we're walking down the sidewalk and people are coming, we walk single file, while most others bump into us, give us dirty looks, and keep going.  I always say excuse me, and I seem to get mostly nasty looks when I say it and try to walk past someone.  Perhaps my "rude radar" is more finely tuned to noticing the rude people.  I don't know. 

Might have a lot to do with where you live. Almost everyone in my little town (pop. 2500) is courteous, but then again, most of us know each other. Most of the folks you might consider 'rude' generally are just clueless and self-absorbed, like the aisle-blockers you mentioned. 'Rude' to me implies intent.

[Sardondi]

I'm starting to get a little concerned by the sudden surge in the number of non-profits purporting to be helping veterans with problems such as PTSD and medical issues. Many of them advertise on some of the most expensive radio talk shows and on local and national television.

I'm not suggesting any are scams, but I remember that Credit Counselors was the only non-profit financial counseling outfit in the country for decades. Some time in (I think) the '80s, some clever monkey figured out a way to funnel the money from a non-profit to a for-profit company without the IRS noticing, and suddenly radio was jammed with advertising for bogus credit assistance firms which charged outrageous fees, preying on those who were down on their luck. Many are still with us today.

Few of us have time to read through multi-page financial statements to see where the money these guys are raking in goes, and we probably wouldn't understand them if we did.

At the heart of all these scams is some modern-day pirate working a game on a government taxpayer-funded program. Credit counseling, home-delivery of catheters, "mobility scooters", you name it. But somebody is making a killing manipulating a government program, and you're footing the bill. Well, that part of the bill that isn't paid for with Magic Money which our government simply prints out of thin air. (Somebody here the other day actually took me to task for daring to suggest that it is insanity for a nation to simply print as much money as it wants, as if the money doesn't represent anything, and that the US doesn't have to operate pretty much on a checking account basis like anyone else. It was confusing, but the words "Rand Paul" and "gold standard" were used for some reason. Dear God, but these people vote.)

[PB the Deplorable]

... Dear God, but these people vote.)

They also hold high office

[onan]

Although I share your skepticism about nonprofits and diagnosis of the day. I hope you are aware of how many of those are captained by "for profit" hospitals and medical centers.


Any agency that starts a non-profit to administer healthcare needs a healthy sum of operating cash to open their doors.


I guess, what I am getting at is, if there is any scamming going on it isn't being done by some group of low level do-gooders.


I have spent several hours over the last few years in meetings on how to maximize medicare and medicaid payments. About 5 years ago I was written up because when I offered a patient their medication I didn't take the pill out of its package. In not doing so, the hospital was unable to bill for that medication. The upshot... doesn't matter if patient takes meds only that the medication can be billed.

[b_dubb]

so I turn on the SciFi channel because I want to see a giant shark battle a giant salt water crocodile. instead there's a giant octopus battling a giant anaconda. ridiculous. snakes can't swim

[Eddie Coyle]

 
           July 4 means....Competitive Eating Contests! YAY!

          AKA..."Why the rest of the world hates us day"

[HorrorRetro]

           July 4 means....Competitive Eating Contests! YAY!

       

Few things disgust me more than those.  I have a pretty strong stomach, but whenever I see news clips of these freaks shoveling food down their gobs, I come close to puking.

[Eddie Coyle]

Few things disgust me more than those.  I have a pretty strong stomach, but whenever I see news clips of these freaks shoveling food down their gobs, I come close to puking.

It really is horrible. How that atrocity became a TV event is a chapter in any book detailing the Decline of the West.

        Eventually, one of the imbeciles will choke and die on camera. And then the sport will really get big.

[PB the Deplorable]

So are we saying Joey Chestnut and Kobayashi are not an athletes?

[coaster]

Competitive eating is disgusting.

[b_dubb]

how did this country unravel so completely so fast? I remember as a kid - just thirty some years ago - that dayton was a fine city with all manner of civic pride. now it's basically a smoldering hole in the ground. what the fuck happened? it's like a whole generation was just asleep at the wheel.

[West of the Rockies]

Competitive eating is disgusting.

Agreed.  Can competitive farting be far behind?  Seriously, anything to entertain the masses.  Nirvana had it right:  "I feel stupid and contagious, here we are now, entertain us."

[West of the Rockies]

how did this country unravel so completely so fast? I remember as a kid - just thirty some years ago - that dayton was a fine city with all manner of civic pride. now it's basically a smoldering hole in the ground. what the fuck happened? it's like a whole generation was just asleep at the wheel.

I often feel very much the same.  I think there is certainly no single answer/explanation.  Part of it is that we've all aged; aging changes our perspectives greatly -- we feel a little more frail, a little less connected to the larger society.  (I'm speaking for myself, and a lot of you may feel very differently.)  For instance, when I walk through a mall nowadays (something that happens about every 5-7 years), I feel utterly disconnected.  The stores all feature big ads of grinning 20-somethings and teens.  Most of the stores offer goods I have no interest in purchasing.  The joint is loaded with people stomping about claiming social space.  The music is uninteresting.  The food looks crappy.

The same thing happens when I watch any commercial television.  I don't feel like much is aimed at me. 

As a college educator, I know that a lot of my students regard me as some sort of salt-and-pepper font of all things useless.  Why should they want to know how to compose an argument essay?  Who cares what a run-on sentence is?  I mentioned once on this forum before that I had one student who had never heard of Adolph Hitler.  Others have never heard of the Challenger space shuttle tragedy.  Jimmy Carter?  Wasn't he president, back in, like 1850 or something?

Of course, most of my students are not so bereft of knowledge; many of them are engaged, hopeful people. 

Still, there are days when I want to go find a log cabin in the woods and begin writing my manifesto.*


* NO, I have no spiritual, emotional, intellectual, philosophical connection with Ted K.

[ItsOver]

how did this country unravel so completely so fast? I remember as a kid - just thirty some years ago - that dayton was a fine city with all manner of civic pride. now it's basically a smoldering hole in the ground. what the fuck happened? it's like a whole generation was just asleep at the wheel.

Hasn't Dayton been particularly hard hit by the downfall of U.S. manufacturing? GM basically bailed-out of the city, from what little I know about the current Dayton.  Isn't even NCR basically gone from the area?  Without good-paying, blue-collar type jobs, what are a lot of the folks suppose to do?  They can't all work at WalMart or become professionals.  To the east, Columbus is doing reasonably well but it's no doubt due to state government, white collar operations, and OSU.

[West of the Rockies]

I may have missed the discussion if it has already occurred here, but is anyone else a little surprised by the pretty much complete crumbling of Paula Deen's cooking empire?  She admitted to using the most toxic racial slur some time ago, but haven't all sorts of celebs used the word without suffering such a backlash?  I know Michael Richardson's infamous rant got him in some trouble, but I don't recall him facing the poop storm of criticism that Deen is facing.

I've never seen Deen on TV, never read her books, eaten in her restaurants.  In short, I don't think I'd have recognized her if she sat down next to me at Starbuck's, but it strikes me that the response has been extraordinarily harsh by comparison to others who have used racial slurs.  Mel Gibson is still making movies, for instance. 

Any thoughts?

[HorrorRetro]

I may have missed the discussion if it has already occurred here, but is anyone else a little surprised by the pretty much complete crumbling of Paula Deen's cooking empire?  She admitted to using the most toxic racial slur some time ago, but haven't all sorts of celebs used the word without suffering such a backlash?  I know Michael Richardson's infamous rant got him in some trouble, but I don't recall him facing the poop storm of criticism that Deen is facing.

I've never seen Deen on TV, never read her books, eaten in her restaurants.  In short, I don't think I'd have recognized her if she sat down next to me at Starbuck's, but it strikes me that the response has been extraordinarily harsh by comparison to others who have used racial slurs.  Mel Gibson is still making movies, for instance. 

Any thoughts?

I think it's ridiculous. I have never cared for Ms. Deen or her products/recipes.  However, what's occurred over the past few weeks is such an overreaction.  I don't buy into the theory that it's okay for specific groups to use words that are verboten for other groups. People need to get over the oversensitivity crap. I think we have far more important issues to concentrate on.

[HorrorRetro]

On a lighter note, I got the girl-child-to-be her first Converse.  I have to say these are the cutest things I've seen.  As a gammy, you get to buy all the stuff you couldn't afford for your own kid. 

[onan]

I may have missed the discussion if it has already occurred here, but is anyone else a little surprised by the pretty much complete crumbling of Paula Deen's cooking empire?  She admitted to using the most toxic racial slur some time ago, but haven't all sorts of celebs used the word without suffering such a backlash?  I know Michael Richardson's infamous rant got him in some trouble, but I don't recall him facing the poop storm of criticism that Deen is facing.

I've never seen Deen on TV, never read her books, eaten in her restaurants.  In short, I don't think I'd have recognized her if she sat down next to me at Starbuck's, but it strikes me that the response has been extraordinarily harsh by comparison to others who have used racial slurs.  Mel Gibson is still making movies, for instance. 

Any thoughts?

She's a bigot, and as the story unfolds, it is becoming quite apparent, a pretty stupid bigot. Perhaps that is redundant. But by her report, she is a kind and loving bigot. Living in NC, at nearly every holiday she has shown us yet another unhealthy food that can also be deep fried.

[West of the Rockies]

I just posted in the Politics thread about Ted Nugent publicly discussing a run for prez in '16.  In that post I mentioned that he is quoted as bragging about shooting 450 hogs from a helicoptor in four hours, concluding his bravado by saying, "Now, let me loose in South Central... just kidding!" 

Paul Deen drops the N word and is toast; Nugent "jokes" about murdering scores and gets celebrated (by some).  We live in a curious time....

This is NOT a tacit acceptance on my part for the use of the dreaded N word, and I hope to (Insert your Cosmic Deity here) it doesn't sound like it.  I'm just a little dismayed at the seeming double standard.  It's okay for rappers and rockers to sing about bitches and whores... we award them with a Grammy.  Various people use all sorts of homophobic words and phrases, issue a clearly-phony apology, and life pretty much goes on.

There clearly must be more to the Deen story than I know (having just scanned the surrounding headlines for the past few days).  If she is, indeed, a huge bigot selling heart attack-inducing foods, then screw her.