Category Archives: Thought and Opinion
Show Me The Money
I should have known better. No, really I should have. I was the one who spent the last few dollars I had at the store last week with no concern of replenishing my supply. I have only myself to blame.
Last night, with empty pockets and time to spare I could have easily made the quick trip to tap the MAC machine. But I was too lazy sitting in my nice, comfy sweatpants and t-shirt. “It can wait until morning.” I said to myself.
I really should have seen it coming. The fact is that even though I work with them all day long, machines don’t like me for some reason.
Every so often my procrastination leads me to have to go to the bank early in the morning on my way in to work to get funds. And in order for me to avoid getting dinged with outrageous service fees by using a foreign machine, I am forced to visit one of my bank’s local branches. But ever since my bank consolidated offices, the “local” isn’t so local anymore, and the trip ends up taking me well out-of-the-way of my normal route.
There are two ATM machines I can go to on my way in to the office; neither of which is very convenient. But in the end, I decided to choose the one that had drive-up service (you know, so I wouldn’t have to leave my nice warm car). As I pull up alongside of the machine, I am warmly greeted by the familiar neon “Welcome” that’s glowing off of the terminal in the early morning light. I eagerly insert my debit card to begin the transaction.
What follows is a dramatization of the conversation between me and the machine:
*************************************************
Machine: “Hello James, you handsome devil. Would you like Fast Cash? If so, how much?”
Me: Why, yes. Yes I would. How about $80?
Machine: “You’ve got it James. Would you also like a receipt?”
Me: No thanks.
Machine: “Ok… I’m sorry, temporarily unable to complete this transaction. Want to try again?”
*************************************************
Ok. no need to panic here. The machine probably just doesn’t have enough funds for $80….
*************************************************
Machine: “Hello James, you chisled abbed male model. Would you like Fast Cash? If so, how much?”
Me: Yep. Uh how’s about $40?
Machine: “Sure. Would you like a receipt?”
Me: Nope.
Machine: “Ok… I’m sorry, temporarily unable to complete this transaction. Want to try again?”
*************************************************
The realization that I may be screwed is starting to set in….
*************************************************
Machine: “Hello James you….”
Me: Look, shut the hell up you piece of sh$t! Just give me $20 NOW!
Machine: “Sure. Sure. Would you like a recei..”
Me: NO!!
Machine: “Ok… I’m sorry, temporarily unable to complete this transaction. Want to try again?”
*************************************************
At this point it is all I can do to not scream. This particular machine has screwed me over many times in the past, but it’s usually when I drive up and see the “Out of Service” sign in my time of need. This is the first time I have ever been duped after first being welcomed.
Moral of the story? I don’t know, I’m too pissed to think of one right now. But while I do, can someone do a brother a solid and lend me a buck for the vending machine?
It doesn’t take debit cards.
How Do You See Me?
Did something happen while I slept? Since when did I wake up and everyone else got old? Last night while trolling around Facebook, I came across someone I haven’t seen in years and it started to make me worry a bit.
The person I saw is a year older than me and a good friend of my brother; who lived next door to us growing up. I recall standing on the corner with him at the bus stop every morning during school years, waiting for the big yellow taxi to carry us off to education. I also remember all of the Sunday afternoons where he and my brother would get a gaggle of kids together from the neighborhood for a game of tackle football. Good times.
But, as what typically happens in life, once school is over people tend to go their own separate ways, and ours was no exception. I went to West Chester to study music and he wound up moving to Florida to take on a construction job. It was the late 1980′s and we were young; ready to take on the world. It was a time when life’s possibilities seemed endless.
The thing is, once I saw the profile picture he used on Facebook, I began to reconsider that last sentence. For although I’d often see him over the years when he’d make his pilgrimages back north to visit my brother, the person I now saw in the photograph sure didn’t resemble the same dude I remember.
He was sitting on a couch, wearing a t-shirt and worn out blue jeans. A Ford Racing baseball cap adorned his noggin, much the same way as I remember him. He didn’t look sickly or unhealthy at all. For all I knew, he was the healthiest man alive. The only difference was for the first time, to me he just looked…well:
Old.
I saw an old man sitting on the couch. A forty-five year “old” man. A man who is only twenty months older than me.
Now, this is not to be meant as a knock on him. After all, it’s life. But it did make me begin to wonder how people really see me. As much as I’d like to forget about it, every morning I see the grays in my beard; have to deal with the trick knee acting up and the fact that my daughter is growing up way too fast. I’m constantly being reminded about my own mortality. Where did those endless possibilities and Sunday football games go? Sure, I can still pass by the places where we used to play and picture everything in my mind. But in my vision, we’re always kids.
I’m sure that if I were to see my brother’s friend today it would probably be just like old times. We’d probably joke around and laugh about the great games we used to have on the grid iron, or the days standing on the corner in the freezing cold waiting for the school bus. Although this time we’d probably be laughing about them over an adult beverage rather than the Kool-Aid Fruit Punch we had to drink back then. But I like to think the effects of the beer would help soften the blow that we were now the same age our parents were when we enjoyed such reverie.
I was always able to see people as they were in the past, and not as they are in the present. Oh sure, visually I still see the age mass and the gray hairs on the head that indicate years of life lived, but I was always able to look beyond that. I was always the forty-four year old, still being that fifteen year old teenager waiting for the bus. But now, in a strange way and for the very first time, I’m beginning to see the future.
When Music Is Just ‘Business’
I was never a big fan of Slayer, but when I saw this letter by their (presumably now former) drummer Dave Lombardo, I had to post. Not because he had some concerns that there may be some shenanigans going on with the band’s finances, but rather to pose this question:
When did the music take a back seat to this nonsense?
Whether you’re into this kind of music or not yourself, take a minute to read Dave’s note and let me know what you think. For those not aware, Dave is a founding member of Slayer, a Grammy award-winning band with sales estimates in excess of twenty million records and also credited as being one of the “Big Four” thrash metal acts, along with Metallica, Megadeth and Anthrax.
Statement From Dave Lombardo Regarding Slayer Australian Tour 2013
I want to personally apologize to all of our fans in Australia who have bought tickets for the tour expecting to see me in my usual place on the drums.
So that you all know the truth, as of the end of the business day on February 14th, I was notified that I would not be drumming for the tour in Australia. I’m saddened, and to be honest I am shocked by the situation.
Last year, I discovered 90% of Slayer’s tour income was being deducted as expenses including the professional fees paid to management, costing the band millions of dollars and leaving 10% or less to split amongst the four of us. In my opinion, this is not the way a band’s business should operate. I tried rectifying it by letting my band mates know, and Tom and I hired auditors to figure out what happened, but I was denied access to detailed information and the necessary back up documents.
I spent the Christmas and New Year holidays realizing I had toured all over the world in 2012, but yet, had not been paid (except a small advance) or provided a proper accounting for a full year’s sweat and blood. On top of this, I was told that I would not be paid until I signed a long form contract which gave me no written assurance of how much or on what basis management would deduct commissions, nor did it provide me access to the financial budgets or records for review. It also forbade me to do interviews or make statements having to do with the band, in effect a gagging order.
Last Monday, I sat down with Kerry and Tom to rehearse for Australia and to propose a new business model that I felt was the best way forward for Slayer to confidently protect itself so we could do what we do best . . . play for the fans. Kerry made it clear he wasn’t interested in making changes and said if I wanted to argue the point, he would find another drummer. On Thursday, I arrived at rehearsals at 1 pm as scheduled, but Kerry did not show. Rather, at 6:24 pm I received an email from the lawyers saying I was being replaced for the Australian dates.
I remain hopeful that we can resolve our issues. But once again, I sincerely apologize to all of our fans in Australia who spent their money expecting to see the 3 of us original Slayer members.
I look forward to seeing you in the future.
Sincerely,
Dave Lombardo
What’s In A Number?
Photo Credit: iStockphoto / Dan Talson
What’s in a number? I mean, really. I’d sure like to know. All our lives, we base everything on these imaginary counting things.
Right from the beginning, numbers are engrained into our way of thinking. We know as soon as our brains start remembering things that “5″ is the magic number and the age at which we start school. From there, the next number we tend to get excited about is “10″ (the year we start the double-digit age; which is kind of ironic because it’s also most likely the same number of digits of age we have when we die).
Next on the list: “13″ (a teenager), “18″ (the year we can vote, drive a car, graduate high school and become an adult), “21″ (the year we can officially drink), “40″ (when the cruel, ‘over the hill’ jokes begin). We also celebrate big anniversaries with numbers like a 25th High School Reunion or a 50th Wedding Anniversary.
But all that doesn’t even begin to scratch the surface of how we use numbers. They’re in the code that run our computers (“1″ and “0″). in the identification we need to remember in order to unlock our smart phones and get money out of an ATM machine. Numbers are so important, that we actually have to study them in school for years.
Now that I’m “43″ (not a bad number if you ask me), you’d probably expect me to have a pretty good understanding of them. But even after all of my experiences of going through most of the aforementioned cases of numbers, (I’m still working on that 50th anniversary thing), I’m still finding myself dumbfounded at how some people seem to care more about certain numbers while ignoring others.
We’re all familiar with “cooking the books”; a process where financial numbers are manipulated in order to produce a favorable (and often times illegal) result. But I’m talking about how numbers are used to favor a certain way of thinking.
Here’s where my confusion lies.
1. The most recent jobs report just came out, and the unemployment rate is at 7.9%. Payrolls rose “157,000″ in January. Not good news.
2. Gasoline prices once averaged “$1.93″a gallon four years ago and are now “$3.42″ for that same gallon. Yep, bad bad.
And yet, here’s a number that everyone seems to overlook when they think the world is ending and the Soviets are about to take over: “14,000″.
I’m sure for some people, this may seem like a miniscule number in the grand scheme of things (heck, you can’t even buy a decent new car now-a-days for that price). But, look a little deeper. Yesterday, the Dow Jones Industrial Average closed at 14,000, and is nearing it’s ‘all-time’ high. This average is used to measure (among other things), how stocks and big businesses are performing and doing financially.
At the end of January 2009, the Dow was at “8,000″ and has since increased more than 40%.
Now, I don’t care which side of the aisle you’re on, but if we’re focusing on how bad gas prices and jobs are, then why are we overlooking the fact that the other end of the business spectrum is performing better than ever?
Hmmm, something sure smells like number “2″ to me.
Culture Shock
This may come as a shock to you, but the truth is I’m not quite as hip as you think. At least, I never used to be. Oh sure, I write and play music and all of that fun stuff. But there are some things about me that you probably wouldn’t believe.
Here are just a few of them:
1. I’ve never EVER listened to (or owned for that matter) a single Jimi Hendrix or Led Zeppelin album from start to finish. Nope, not one. I know, you’d think that a guy my age who plays guitar would have at least spent his early years immersing himself in every nuance of a Hendrix or Page solo. But in reality, I’ve not so much as spent a minute learning a single note. And although I’ve heard their songs played over and over on the radio, I’ve never actually purchased an album or listened beyond what filled the airwaves when there was nothing else on.
2. I’ve never watched a single episode of any of today’s hit television shows. People “ramble on” (did you like that Zeppelin reference?) about how funny shows like Two And A Half Men (both with Charlie Sheen and Ashton Kutcher), How I Met Your Mother, The Big Bang Theory and Modern Family are. But when prime time rolls around on television; well, let’s just say that I always have something better to do.
I was about to mention that the same goes for my choice of literature. From the very beginning, my reading material had only consisted of comic books, guitar magazines and Stephen King novels. About the only time any literature of “culture” came my way was when it was forced upon me in high school english classes.
Novels like George Orwell’s “1984″ and “Animal Farm” found their way into my possession during those years, and I certainly do remember having to do book reports on them. But honestly, I couldn’t tell you a single thing about them. In fact, I don’t even remember “reading” them at all. My way of thinking was always: if it didn’t have a superhero, a guitar god or some kind of monster in it, it wasn’t on my reading list.
But in the past 24 hours, that officially changed.
Yesterday, I finished “Of Mice And Men” by John Steinbeck. A book written in 1937 by a guy who won the Nobel Prize for Literature. That last sentence alone would usually be enough to have me running for the hills, but considering that the story was only 105 pages and I’ve always wanted to see what all the hub bub was about, I decided to give it a go. And I was glad I did.
I won’t bore you with the details of the story (aside from encouraging you to read it, if you haven’t), but I will tell you that I’ve discovered a whole new realm of wonder. Things that I had previously thought were dull, boring and dated have suddenly become new, interesting and exciting. It’s opened up a whole new way of thinking for me and has gotten me out of the “box” I was in.
In a way, I think I’ve hit the lottery. I’ll be able to read “1984″ and “Animal Farm” with new found perspective. I can also buy a Jimi Hendrix or Led Zeppelin album and listen to them freshly for the first time. All of the classic things I should have allowed myself to be exposed to long ago will be new to me.
I must say that I’m a bit embarrassed that it’s taken me this long to come to my senses. But I can’t wait to explore everything that’s always been right under my nose.
Go Jimmy Go 2012 Year In Review
It’s the end of a very productive year. One that included electing a president and dodging the end of the world. It was also one filled with writing many blog articles as well.
In addition to my own regular rants about everything from Spiderman to politics, I had the chance to speak with a variety of artists about their latest projects; be it in film, television, books or music.
As I wait out a nuisance December snow storm, I thought I’d take a look back on just some of the highlights I’ve had this year. For me to mention all 213 posts I’ve written in 2012 would be impossible, but rest assured I do love every single one of them!
Ladies to Watch:
I have been extremely fortunate to have met so many wonderful and talented women this year. Here are just a few of the ladies you need to watch in 2013.
Ashley Watkins: Ashley and I originally connected to discuss her role in the horror movie “Pelt”, one that pays homage to the classic slasher films of the 1980′s. She is amazingly good in the lead role of Jenny, where she runs the gambit from being deathly afraid to hilariously funny. (Hint: The film is available to stream on NetFlix: watch her in the campfire scene).
But it’s Ashley’s performance in the short film “Beside Her” that really had the biggest impact on me. This film runs far, far deeper than just two women involved in a relationship. Ashley is breathtaking in the role of Rachel Moretti. If you get a chance to see this film on the festival circuit, I highly recommend it. I can not wait to see what 2013 brings for her.
Carrie Carnevale: The writer and director of “Beside Her”. I have to admit that I never was a big fan of the so-called “short” movies. I mean, how can you possibly get your point across in that short of amount of time? But Carrie’s vision about the lives of Dr. Rachel Moretti and Sofia Rios changed my mind. As the tag line says: “In one brief moment in time, their love for each other is measured beyond the norms of their everyday lives.” I have to agree. Watch out for Carrie in 2013!.. Now if only I can get her to become a Seahawks fan….:)
Elina Madison: I spoke with Elina a few times over the course of the year. She is one of the coolest, most down to Earth people you’ll ever meet with a huge new year in store! Be sure to watch for her in HUFF! coming out in April.
Gabrielle Stone: You will be hearing a lot from this lady in 2013. She’s the daughter of Dee Wallace (ET/Cujo) and Christopher Stone (The Howling) and has no less than four movies already slated for release in the new year.
Jenna Stone: Not only is Jenna a great actress, but she and I share a metal connection. You see, she played the role of someone in the crowd at a RATT concert for one of their recent music videos and I was actually in the crowd at a RATT concert back in “the day”. Watch for her in “HUFF” and “Edge of Salvation” coming in 2013.
Inspirational People
I started this topic on my blog after I met Lisa Jey Davis. Her story moved me so much, not only because of what she’s been through during the course of her life, but her positive outlook is something I think every one of us needs to have.
Today, Lisa owns her own company, writes blogs and articles for various websites and even records videos with inspirational thoughts for the day.
Lisa is also writing a book on her adventures to be released in the new year and I can’t wait to interview her about it.
Humor
There’s something mysteriously cool about Kimmy Kim and Frutron and their Hollywood is Hard Channel. These talented ladies had me in stitches with their antics (perhaps it’s because I’m a sucker for wedgie videos). I posted just a few of my favorite episodes from their channel to go along with my interview with Frutron. Be sure to check them out!
Musical Highlights
I’ve been a musician for 25 years but never in my wildest dreams did I ever think I’d be writing about, (much less speaking to) artists like John Taylor (Duran Duran), Steve Howe (Yes, Asia), Steve Hackett (Genesis), Lita Ford or Jim Peterik and Frankie Sullivan (Survivor).
I also spoke with Nathan East, who for years played bass for Eric Clapton; Steven Adler from Guns N’ Roses (who now has a new band and is the healthiest he’s ever been); Greg Howe (who grew up on the same streets as me in Easton, PA and has a new band for 2013: Maragold) and Doug Marks (the man who first taught me how to shred with his Metal Method guitar lessons).
These, and many other interviews were the ones where my hands were literally shaking as I was dialing the phone numbers. These are the artists whose music had a major impact on me.
Speaking of music, it just wouldn’t be proper if I didn’t give a shout out to two of the coolest guys I met this year. David Banks (an actor, musician and true metal-head who you will be hearing about in the movie CUT!) and Dee J Nelson (a phenomenal south paw guitarist who also has big things planned for 2013).
As a non-professional, uncompensated writer, I hope that you found my articles and rants to be beneficial and had as much fun reading them as I did writing them. Feel free to comment on some of your favorite articles below.
I hope you’re along for the ride in 2013 and wish you all the best the New Year has to offer!
My Thoughts On The Gun Control Debate
I’ve waited more than a week to respond to the horrific events that occurred at Sandy Hook Elementary School. I’ve always tried to be one of those people who don’t immediately jump to conclusions and come running with pitch forks and torches.
Having said that, I must say that I am a bit disgusted by the rhetoric being used by those folks who DO like to use tragedies like this to advance their own personal (and political) agendas.
It seems like whenever there is a tragedy like this there are certain individuals from both sides of the political spectrum who go rushing to the first FOX, CNN or NBC camera they see to bloviate what the answer to the problem is.
In keeping with my motto of letting cooler heads prevail, I’ve decided to list a few things I believe are important to bring to the discussion. What follows is not my own solution but simply a point/counterpoint scenario where I also play a little “Devil’s Advocate” to some of the solutions already being recommended by others.
Tighten Gun Laws / Take Away The Guns
Pro:
- Would make it much harder for people (especially ones who’d like to use them on innocent citizens) to obtain them.
- No one needs a weapon that shoots that many rounds. How many times does a person have to die?
Con:
- Second Amendment to the US Constitution: A well-regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed.
Devils’ Advocate:
- But when the second amendment was written, the weapon of choice was a musket. We didn’t have AK-47′s, tanks and nuclear weapons that could destroy the world a hundred times over.
Upgrade security systems and/or put an armed teacher (or select group) at every school
Pro:
- Would make any would be attacker think twice before entering a school.
Con:
- Where is the money for this going to come from?
- If a malcontent student can break into a locker or hack into a computer, what’s to say he can’t just break into a gun-room or teachers desk where a firearm is?
Devil’s Advocate:
- A lot of the people who recommend this solution are ones who don’t care for public school teachers as is ( a whole other story).
More funding for mental health
Pros:
- Would raise red flag on those troubled people who are predisposed to hurting others in such a manner.
Cons:
- Again, how is this going to be paid for people who are unable to afford it?
What about taking a look at harsher penalties (and dare I open a new can of worms and say bring back the death penalty) for those convicted of such heinous acts? Would this discourage an attacker who might get cold feet at the thought of what awaited him? I don’t know. But deeper discussion on these and other issues is desperately needed.
This is a problem that goes much deeper than merely taking away everyone’s guns or adjusting college curriculum’s to include a semester of “How To Use A Firearm” for perspective teachers (neither of which would or should ever happen). Rather, this is going to take a collective group of rational adults, congressmen and a President to resolve responsibly. We owe as much to every law-abiding citizen, battered wife and defenseless child.
The real intent of this article isn’t to point fingers or say that only one side is correct. It merely emphasizes that the best thing for us all to do as human beings is to stop bitching and start listening.
Squirrel Food and Black Helicopters
I usually don’t like to write about politics but after reading a news article today I just couldn’t resist.
A new survey conducted by the Democratic polling firm Public Policy Polling, found that 49% of Republican voters believe that Barack Obama did not legitimately win reelection because the community organizing group ACORN somehow interfered with the vote.
That’s right, half of all Republican voters say that ACORN engaged in voter fraud and somehow aided in stealing the 2012 election for President Obama. Personally (aside from the fact that group closed it’s doors in 2010), I find it hard to imagine that anyone would actually believe that a little group of people (with the same name as squirrel food) could have power enough to decide elections. As if the Citizens United decision wasn’t already bad enough.
Conspiracy theories, black helicopters and end of the world falsehoods are fast becoming the norm. Seems like every election (no matter which party wins) there are always allegations of voter fraud and intimidation. And you’ve just got to love how the folks on talk radio perpetuate these myths. Whatever is said on the airwaves suddenly becomes gospel. We are a susceptible society and it’s scary.
Back in 1938, Orson Wells went on the radio and announced that we were being invaded by aliens. Of course, that “announcement” was actually part of a skit he was doing based upon the H. G. Wells novel, ‘War of The Worlds’, but it was more than enough to make audiences believe that we were actually under attack. It was entertainment, much like what the talk radio folks today like to consider themselves to be instead of news.
I firmly believe that our society is more than ready for a second coming of ‘War of The Worlds’. In fact, I would go so far as to say that if every talking head on the radio (conservative and liberal) all got together as a joke and formulated a “skit” to say a zombie apocalypse was taking place, people would actually buy it.
Sure, it’s absolutely ludicrous to suggest that our world has suddenly become an episode of ‘The Walking Dead’, but consider the fact that many of these same people who listen religiously to talk radio DO believe in Bigfoot sightings. I’m convinced quite a few people, if they heard it on the radio by their favorite broadcaster would actually believe it.
You want my advice? Forget this voter fraud and world ending nonsense. Take all of these outlandish thoughts and file them alongside stories of the Abominable Snowman and Loch Ness Monster. Because the truth is, if ACORN (or any other group) had the power to somehow rig an entire United States election process without anyone ever finding out, we deserve to be taken over by aliens. Conspiracy theories are for the birds.
Of course, if the Mayans are correct on December 21st, I’ll be the first to admit I was wrong.
Maybe It’s Just Me: Post Hurricane Edition
Starting a new feature here on the blog this morning called “Maybe It’s Just Me”. Just some observations and conclusions I’ve drawn regarding things I’ve noticed. Things I believe warrant some attention, but then again – maybe it’s just me.
First of all, let me just say how grateful I am to every one of the local news and weather outlets for warning people and keeping them in the know about Hurricane Sandy.; the huge storm that swept through the northeast where I live.
There’s little doubt that their coverage and timely warnings of the impending storm allowed plenty of time to prepare and saved many lives. Sadly though, many portions of the New Jersey coastline (including portions of the boardwalk that generations of people have enjoyed) was completely destroyed. Although it will eventually be rebuilt, things will never again be the same.
One thing always puzzles me in the aftermath of these storms; whether it be a nor’easter, a hurricane or the combination of the two, as was in this case.
In the days following the destruction, there’s always an abundance of reporters from local news organizations swarming like bees to “ground zero” just to broadcast live from the ravaged area. Some of these people are major news anchors who leave their cushy jobs in the studio in order to report directly from the “front lines”. As they show non stop footage of wrecked homes and fallen trees and speak with people whose lives will never again be the same, it really starts to bother me.
Rather than standing in waist deep water all day watching people pick up the pieces of what used to be their home or hoping cameras are rolling when yet another transformer blows, wouldn’t it be nice to instead see these poncho wearing, logo adorned ball capped reporters provide some assistance to the relief effort?
Let’s be real here, I’m not talking about moving cars, fixing power lines or rebuilding homes. But how about grabbing a rake, picking up some branches and putting them in a pile or bringing coffee to workers who are already involved. Just once I’d love to see some video footage of that instead of shoving a camera in someone’s face and asking them how they feel now that their house is floating down the street.
Would it hurt for just once to see these storm chasers actively participating in the clean-up rather than just standing around reporting on other people’s misery?
I don’t know, maybe it’s just me.
If you can, please donate to either The United Way, The Red Cross or the Salvation Army. Time, blood, cash. Everyone can do something.
Friday Rant
There are certain things in life that irk me more than others. Waiting in traffic, bad coffee and top-40 radio quickly come to mind. But this time of year, there are two things that drive me insane more than anything else. Things that make it so I can’t even turn on the TV or browse news websites for fear of going postal.
The first is the pending election on November 6th where we citizens go to the polls to elect a president. I’ve become convinced that my reason for loathing has nothing to do with the physical act of voting, but the fact that people put blinders on and take sides.
Don’t get me wrong, I’m all for choosing who you think it the best candidate. It’s what this country was founded upon. My problem lies with the negativity expressed on both sides of the aisle.
“MY guy is better than YOUR guy. YOUR guy is gonna raise taxes. YOUR guy wants to take away guns. YOUR guy wants to take Grandma’s wheelchair. YOUR guy wants tax breaks for millionaires. “— AH, SHUT UP!
When will people actually wake up and realize that we hear this exact same rhetoric every election cycle? Conspiracy theories, death panels, birth certificates, October surprises, financial transcripts not being produced in a timely manner… I’m SICK of it.
The other thing that drives me over the edge is actually worse than a presidential election cycle. Where as an election happens once every four years, this one happens every year and as of late, seems to be happening earlier and earlier. I’m talking about extreme weather conditions and the hysteria that follows.
Every winter, my neck of the woods gets hit by at least two or three significant snowstorms that causes news outlets to get on the air and warn people of the apocalypse. Last year, we had a snow event (somewhere in the 6-8 inch range) on October 31st. Now, I’ll be the first to admit that Halloween is very early for snow, but was there really need to remind everyone (who are already used to these types of weather events) to stock up on milk, bread and eggs? Hardly.
Some stations even devote 24/7 media coverage to these storms, saying the same things over and over again ad nauseam about the progress. People call in to local radio stations to give snow accumulation totals. It’s ridiculous.
Early next week, my little region is going to be hit by a whopper of a storm. High winds, heavy rain and flooding are expected. A few days ago, getting news of what “might” be coming was informative and most welcome. But, once it became known that all bets were off and we were definitely getting the storm, the crazy was let out of the cage.
Although we’ve weathered many such events and flooding in the past, the lunacy of the news media is at an all time high. Instead of just stating the obvious and moving on, they seem more concerned about changing the name of the hurricane/tropical storm (Sandy) to something that will better coincide with the Halloween season: “Frankenstorm!” – How convenient.
I am thankful that we have news and weather outlets to warn us of pending storms. It’s great to be informed of what’s coming and I want to prepare for the worst and hope for the best just like everyone else. But I swear, if I see one more story that says there’s going to be a full moon the night “Frankenstorm” hits, I’m going to go Wolfman on someone.
