OK, so maybe this is just getting old, or maybe I'm becoming bitter in my old age (I'm almost 25). I've been a real jerk on three different occasions this week.
1. Biochemistry. I was a little later than I usually am to the class, meaning I walked in as the professor started. I found a seat in the back with a couple other people from the Viticulture & Enology department (henceforth referred to as VEN), sitting next to one guy in particular who I'll just call "Dude". So, here were five "kids" sitting in front of us, who were stealing each other's notebooks, writing notes, re-stealing them and giggling. This went on for about 10 minutes. We have a mid-term coming up. Dude and I looked at each other and figured it was time to teach a life lesson. Dude led off by grabbing two of their shoulders and saying, "You wanna quit fucking around? It's starting to piss me off." Not to leave my 2 cents sitting in my pocket, I followed up with, "It's much cheaper to pass notes in High School."
2. Later that day, Dude and I were in another class that we share. A kid in front of us thought it would be a good idea to bring a box of cereal to class. Seriously, it took him 5 minutes to open the damn thing - during class - and the teacher doesn't speak that loud either. Grumpy here asked "Kid, you think you can do that any louder?!?" Kid replied, "uh... Sorry man." Dude was sitting next to me, cracking up silently.
3. We have these neighbors who have this annoying puffy little yap dog that NEVER shuts up. They also had a sign on their front gate that proclaimed "Bitch Boulevard" until the wind mercilessly blew it down a couple weeks ago. Damn dog was barking up a storm during my lunch, so I went over and in my low blood sugared state asked the dog owner to do something about it. "It's a dog, it barks. Why do you care?" she told me. I told her "Not all dogs bark as often or as annoying as that one, and it's ruining my lunch."
Maybe I'm just stressing about mid-terms next week. Maybe I'm a jerk. Maybe little things just bug the crap out of me for some reason. Maybe it's somewhere in between, but at this point, I'm not going to worry about it anymore.
I mean, I try to treat others like I would like to be treated. But in my mind, if I was jerking around during class disrupting everyone around me, making noise opening a box of cereal or letting my annoying ass dog bark all afternoon, someone would be well within their rights to hit me with a little common courtesy, which I would deserve at that point.
Friday, February 1, 2008
Tuesday, January 29, 2008
State of the Union
In watching the telecast of President Bush's final address to the combined houses of Congress, a few things crossed my mind:
- It KILLS me when he says the word Nuclear. He pronounces it "Nuke-U-Ler", and we all know it's more like "Nu-Clear". A world leader having a less than firm grasp around his first language is rather discouraging...
- The speech was more of the same. I have no hard evidence, but I'm sure that many, if not all, of the statistics he presented on his behalf were manipulated to illustrate the point the was trying to make. The whole thing was loaded with hotwords (Liberty, Freedom, Terror, the obligatory 9/11 reference).
- He spent about a minute (total) on Immigration and Education, and most of it was bumping his chest about No Child Left Behind (but many schools).
I am really not going to miss seeing him speak in public ever again. His poor decisions behind the big desk aside, he's simply a horrible public speaker. He slurs his words, misreads the teleprompter and his posture is cavalier at best. With only 357 days left until someone else is sworn in, let's hope his Lame Duck-ness prevents him from digging a deeper hole for us all to climb out of. His track record indicates that when faced with a logical course of action or an illogical one, he'll choose the latter without hesitation.
*Sigh*
- It KILLS me when he says the word Nuclear. He pronounces it "Nuke-U-Ler", and we all know it's more like "Nu-Clear". A world leader having a less than firm grasp around his first language is rather discouraging...
- The speech was more of the same. I have no hard evidence, but I'm sure that many, if not all, of the statistics he presented on his behalf were manipulated to illustrate the point the was trying to make. The whole thing was loaded with hotwords (Liberty, Freedom, Terror, the obligatory 9/11 reference).
- He spent about a minute (total) on Immigration and Education, and most of it was bumping his chest about No Child Left Behind (but many schools).
I am really not going to miss seeing him speak in public ever again. His poor decisions behind the big desk aside, he's simply a horrible public speaker. He slurs his words, misreads the teleprompter and his posture is cavalier at best. With only 357 days left until someone else is sworn in, let's hope his Lame Duck-ness prevents him from digging a deeper hole for us all to climb out of. His track record indicates that when faced with a logical course of action or an illogical one, he'll choose the latter without hesitation.
*Sigh*
Monday, January 28, 2008
Super Tuesday
Not that it should really matter, but I voted for an African-American man for President yesterday.
I also saw former President Bill Clinton speak on behalf of Hillary's campaign last week.
As captivating as Clinton was in person (which made me want to vote for him, not his wife), I still have my serious doubts about Hillary. When I hear Obama speak, I can't help but feel like maybe this country isn't as messed up as it seems. Maybe we can get it right and elect someone who can make a difference in our world. This is only my second Presidential cycle (I was 3 months too young to vote in 2000), so I can't say that this on means more or that I'm most passionate about this one, simply because of the small sample size.
But I care more than I did in '04. I don't think it has anything to do with my age, but Kerry wasn't that captivating. Sure, he was the (arguably) the best candidate that year, but he didn't make me care like Obama does. If he loses to Hillary (no disrespect to Edwards, but thanks for giving it a shot), I'm going to be crushed. I'd vote for her in November, but it would be my hatred of current Republican policy guiding my vote more than belief in her ability to lead our nation.
He makes promises of change, and a new dynamic for legislation in Washington. Maybe he can do it. But what if he doesn't? If he has to give in and deal with the lobbyists, he becomes just another politician. At that worst case scenario, he and Hillary are equally interchangeable. But their respective ceilings are much higher. If she won it all and lived up to everything her supporters believe, she would probably be a good President.
I believe that if Obama did the same, he would be a great President.
I also saw former President Bill Clinton speak on behalf of Hillary's campaign last week.
As captivating as Clinton was in person (which made me want to vote for him, not his wife), I still have my serious doubts about Hillary. When I hear Obama speak, I can't help but feel like maybe this country isn't as messed up as it seems. Maybe we can get it right and elect someone who can make a difference in our world. This is only my second Presidential cycle (I was 3 months too young to vote in 2000), so I can't say that this on means more or that I'm most passionate about this one, simply because of the small sample size.
But I care more than I did in '04. I don't think it has anything to do with my age, but Kerry wasn't that captivating. Sure, he was the (arguably) the best candidate that year, but he didn't make me care like Obama does. If he loses to Hillary (no disrespect to Edwards, but thanks for giving it a shot), I'm going to be crushed. I'd vote for her in November, but it would be my hatred of current Republican policy guiding my vote more than belief in her ability to lead our nation.
He makes promises of change, and a new dynamic for legislation in Washington. Maybe he can do it. But what if he doesn't? If he has to give in and deal with the lobbyists, he becomes just another politician. At that worst case scenario, he and Hillary are equally interchangeable. But their respective ceilings are much higher. If she won it all and lived up to everything her supporters believe, she would probably be a good President.
I believe that if Obama did the same, he would be a great President.
Tuesday, January 15, 2008
I Suck Too; Maybe I'm Just Grumpy
Yeah, I know it's been DAYS since I posted last, hence the title.
Updates: We live in wonderful Davis, CA. It's actually a pretty cool town, but not like home. Got a real nice condo out here. Just celebrated our first anniversary. I've got a job at a high end kitchen retailer in Sacramento (your choices are rather limited, and it's got nothing to do with a Table).
Now: What compelled me to post.
I am so sick of seeing all these college girls running around campus with their honking big sunglasses, their designer bags (or at least expensive knock-offs) and these damn UGG slippers. For those of you who don't know, they're these sheepskin boots that come up to about mid calf, and are quite unattractive and not flattering at all (just go google them, you'll get it). I know I can't exactly avoid college age people at a major university, but it's starting to get to me. The slippers probably get me the most; Davis isn't even that cold. If this were Fargo, ND I would understand, or maybe some place where the weather is constantly ugly like Seattle. But here? It was 58 and partly cloudy today (actually a gorgeous day), and plenty of leather slippers.
Not that the Guys aren't offenders as well. Most of them roll out of bed, hose themselves off with some sort of "Manly" body spray and come to class. The problem is, I can smell homeboy from 10 rows back and end up with a headache while he tries in vain to hook up with the girl next to him (and she's prolly got huge sunglasses in her expensive bag that's sitting next to her stupid UGG slippers).
Finally, people around here are such bad Pedestrians. Forget driving or riding a bike. They find ways to stand in the most inconvenient places and chit chat with their friends. Unlike them, I (unfortunately) have somewhere to go, and actually plan on getting there sometime today. And going back to the bike thing, You really don't want to know how many kids (yes, kids) I've seen with one hand on the handlebar and another holding the phone (most of the offenders happen to be wearing those damn slippers too). I mean, c'mon, at least get a Bluetooth - hands free would really have it's advantages on a BIKE. I'm sure that one of these days I'm gonna get blindsided by a moccasin wearing, bug eyed biker on a cell phone and it'll cost me an ACL and 3 months on my feet.
Makes me think that I'm either:
A. That much more mature than most all of the students here, and it's unreasonable to expect them to conduct themselves as I would.
OR
B. I'm out of touch with people 5 years younger than me and I'm just getting old and grumpy.
Welcome to the College Experience of the late 2000's.
Updates: We live in wonderful Davis, CA. It's actually a pretty cool town, but not like home. Got a real nice condo out here. Just celebrated our first anniversary. I've got a job at a high end kitchen retailer in Sacramento (your choices are rather limited, and it's got nothing to do with a Table).
Now: What compelled me to post.
I am so sick of seeing all these college girls running around campus with their honking big sunglasses, their designer bags (or at least expensive knock-offs) and these damn UGG slippers. For those of you who don't know, they're these sheepskin boots that come up to about mid calf, and are quite unattractive and not flattering at all (just go google them, you'll get it). I know I can't exactly avoid college age people at a major university, but it's starting to get to me. The slippers probably get me the most; Davis isn't even that cold. If this were Fargo, ND I would understand, or maybe some place where the weather is constantly ugly like Seattle. But here? It was 58 and partly cloudy today (actually a gorgeous day), and plenty of leather slippers.
Not that the Guys aren't offenders as well. Most of them roll out of bed, hose themselves off with some sort of "Manly" body spray and come to class. The problem is, I can smell homeboy from 10 rows back and end up with a headache while he tries in vain to hook up with the girl next to him (and she's prolly got huge sunglasses in her expensive bag that's sitting next to her stupid UGG slippers).
Finally, people around here are such bad Pedestrians. Forget driving or riding a bike. They find ways to stand in the most inconvenient places and chit chat with their friends. Unlike them, I (unfortunately) have somewhere to go, and actually plan on getting there sometime today. And going back to the bike thing, You really don't want to know how many kids (yes, kids) I've seen with one hand on the handlebar and another holding the phone (most of the offenders happen to be wearing those damn slippers too). I mean, c'mon, at least get a Bluetooth - hands free would really have it's advantages on a BIKE. I'm sure that one of these days I'm gonna get blindsided by a moccasin wearing, bug eyed biker on a cell phone and it'll cost me an ACL and 3 months on my feet.
Makes me think that I'm either:
A. That much more mature than most all of the students here, and it's unreasonable to expect them to conduct themselves as I would.
OR
B. I'm out of touch with people 5 years younger than me and I'm just getting old and grumpy.
Welcome to the College Experience of the late 2000's.
Wednesday, April 11, 2007
The More I Think About It...
People Really Suck.
I had this moment of insight while Nikki and I were at the Upscale Cocktail Party better known as Costco. We were sampling the spread, which was quite sparse at 5pm, while pretending to shop. We followed our noses to a station which had a small toaster oven and some Nestle Tollhouse pre-made mix that an older Asian lady was preparing. Nikki and I walked by, and found that there weren't any cookies left, we were lingering around the aisle, when the aforementioned moment of insight hit me. This middle aged Caucasian woman walked up to the lady who was making the cookies and said in a annoyed, judgmental voice "When Will They Be Ready?" The Asian Lady, did as I would've, and just ignored her. The other woman then decided that the Asian lady didn't speak as much English as she, so she (like we all do to those that don't speak our language) repeated herself, only louder and slower. "WHEN WILL THEY BE READY?!?!?!" The response of "about 40 minutes" was both absurd and perfect for the situation. It said in three words, that "I'm doing my job, my English is fine, and it's a FREE sample, so leave me alone." I mean, seriously, no compassion. Just Brutal.
I had this moment of insight while Nikki and I were at the Upscale Cocktail Party better known as Costco. We were sampling the spread, which was quite sparse at 5pm, while pretending to shop. We followed our noses to a station which had a small toaster oven and some Nestle Tollhouse pre-made mix that an older Asian lady was preparing. Nikki and I walked by, and found that there weren't any cookies left, we were lingering around the aisle, when the aforementioned moment of insight hit me. This middle aged Caucasian woman walked up to the lady who was making the cookies and said in a annoyed, judgmental voice "When Will They Be Ready?" The Asian Lady, did as I would've, and just ignored her. The other woman then decided that the Asian lady didn't speak as much English as she, so she (like we all do to those that don't speak our language) repeated herself, only louder and slower. "WHEN WILL THEY BE READY?!?!?!" The response of "about 40 minutes" was both absurd and perfect for the situation. It said in three words, that "I'm doing my job, my English is fine, and it's a FREE sample, so leave me alone." I mean, seriously, no compassion. Just Brutal.
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