Karen-itis

We see them everywhere. They are all over the internet and television being filmed for their craziness. We probably know one personally. No, I am not talking about dermatologists; I am talking about Karens (and Karls). Those nosy, know-it-all, less than desirable to society people that make a day of making everyone else’s life a little more miserable. However, I have a hot take. Karens are needed! I know it seems like an insane statement to make. Why on Earth are Karens actually needed in our lives? They seem to only detract from what would be a productive day. They are mildly racist. They throw unnecessary shade and overall judge us for even the littlest of things. However, if we really think about it, many of the things that Karens attack are things that we should be careful about anyway. In other words, Karens keep us on our toes. They make us think about everything we do so that we are productive members of society in order that these crazies are unable to judge us. If nothing else, they make us see just how bad people can be so we choose to do better. I have literally heard the statement, “I may not be the best person in the world, but at least I am not like her (meaning our local Karen).” It is all relative. If we see Karens as demons walking among us, then we can choose to do the opposite of whatever they are doing, but, for most people, it is an out of sight, out of mind kind of mindset. If we do not see any Karens, then we never have to accidentally compare ourselves to them, so we can feel good about ourselves whether we are actually good or not. Personally, I like to know where all the black cats are so I can avoid one crossing my path, while still knowing what they represent. But that is just one man’s opinion. Thanks for listening to me ramble. I appreciate it. See you next time.

Fall Around the Corner

With August at a close, I can say beyond a shadow of a doubt, I am glad to be through the Dog Days of summer and looking forward to the Fall weather. Now, of course, I know that Autumn does not actually start until September 20^th, but, let’s be honest, much like Christmas seems to start November 1^st, Fall really starts in most people’s minds on September 1^st or roundabout after Labor Day sometime. I must admit that I am not a big fan of the Fall season as a whole. I detest pumpkin spice things and while I appreciate the changing colors of the leaves, I do not make any special attempt to see any one kind of tree that contains those colors. My full yard is usually enough leaves for me. No, for me, the changing weather is all I look forward to. It cools down a bit. You get to enjoy wearing your favorite jacket again. Most importantly you do not have to worry about being a sweaty mess everywhere you go, because it is nice enough to just enjoy being outside without having to show too much skin. With any luck, we will actually get to enjoy Autumn this year before it turns from desert hot to an instant snow storm, because where I am from this is usually the case. At any rate, regardless of how short it lasts, I will use it as preparation for the rest of the year. But that is just one man’s opinion. Thanks for listening to me ramble. I appreciate it. See you next time.

AI is a Tool...and It is Usable

The Master Control Program is going to destroy us along with help from VIKI and Skynet. Actually, I do not believe this in the slightest. Do I think there will eventually be a world filled with AI programs like this? Sure. However, we also have to consider that as far as we think we can take AI, we will also be able to take the safety protocols that far so that Sarah Conner will remain safe. So then why is everyone so worried about AI to start with? Well, I think it boils down to how people are interpreting what is happening with the technology. Many people think that it is some sort of entity that is going to act like it does in the movies. The truth is actually it is more akin to a new tool that is becoming more and more advanced and useful, which then leads people to want to use it in more ways. That is not necessarily a bad thing, even if some people do inherently have bad things in mind for it. At the end of the day though, one has to think about AI like an electric drill. Before its invention, the only way to drill holes was to wind a spoon shaped knife down into the thing you wanted a hole in. It took a long time and a lot of elbow grease. Then as drill bits got better and the electric motor became a staple, the electric drill was mainstream. Now, and I am reaching here, it can be used as a potential murder weapon. However, this does not make electric drills unusable or somehow a hateful creation that should never be looked at again. They are used to build many wonderful things and that is what we have to focus on while also trying to stop the dangerous ways they can be used. There is also another faction that feels AI is making things too easy for us. However, I can also give great examples of driving cars from place to place instead of walking, or talking on phones instead of sending letters, or even something as simple as using a calculator to add numbers. Imagine the first person to use one of those and how “lazy” he must have seemed. All in all, I feel AI will be a good thing for humanity, but its evolution will follow that of humanity. It will not be a perfect uphill line; it will be many trials and tribulations and many people working on it nonstop to bring it to a sort of “weird science” area where it will still have many flaws but will be the greater part of what helps the world keep moving forward. With any luck we will reach a point where we are using AI as a proper tool while not needing the help of Bruce Boxleitner, Will Smith, or Michael Biehn to keep us safe. But that is just one man’s opinion. Thanks for listening to me ramble. I appreciate it. See you next time.

July is a Wasted Month

Summer is riding right along and with July most of the way done I realize that it has been quite a waste of a month. Think about it: you start the month with a big cookout, or cookouts, and a spending spree on a mess of fireworks. Then there is usually a birthday or two that have some form of outside event, because it is the sunny season, and then you pace through the rest of the month trying not to spend any money or time outside. By the time August arrives, you are more than celebrating National Air Conditioning day because it is tremendously hot and your suntan is now sunburn. I know there is nothing to be done about this. We cannot just skip an entire month, but can we at least acknowledge that it is not as enjoyable as everyone makes it out to be. Let’s be honest, warm weather is nice and it makes it easier to do things outside that we couldn’t during colder seasons, but opening up our pool is not fun, it is a new chore. Next year, I fully intend to plan out my July with Spongebob’s Indoors song in mind. I also fully intend to ignore as much “traditional” July fun as possible. With the exception of ice cream. Because ice cream is great no matter what month it is. But that is just one man’s opinion. Thanks for listening to me ramble. I appreciate it. See you next time.

Billy Joel Had It Pegged Down

We are halfway done with the 1^st year of our new president and man has it been rough. Nothing he is doing seems to be on par with what needs to be done. Prices are up, moral is down, and the country in total just seems to be a more miserable place. People I know say that it is the worst it has ever been. Then like a beacon of reasoning, I heard the Billy Joel song, “We Didn’t Start the Fire,” and it got me thinking. If you really listen to the lyrics of that song, it has been really bad before now. The entire song is a grocery list of all the things over the years that were just not what the world needed. However, with a list that large, if we added to it, I don’t think it really would make a blip on the radar. In fact, I would say that among all the other “fires” he mentions in the song, the current run of the world would be a very small part of what is, and was, wrong. Not that I am saying we need to continue on the path we are on, but I am saying that our parents and their parents survived Billy’s song and lived to sing along to what are, for them, memories. It gives me hope that maybe one day the song will be covered by another artist who adds their own lyrics and this generation can reminisce as we sing along. But that is just one man’s opinion. Thanks for listening to me ramble. I appreciate it. See you next time.

Birthdays Don't Hit the Same

It is that time of year again. I grow another year older and everyone makes it seem like a big deal. Almost like one year makes me somehow completely debilitated and incapacitated to do anything for the next year. It wasn’t always like that though. In my youth, birthdays were a time to invite friends and family to celebrate you in a special way. You got to hang out with your cousins that you only saw at Christmas. Balloons, party hats, and cake, but as you get older, it becomes more a razz on how old you are getting. The cake gives you heartburn, the balloons are crazy expensive, and the party hats don’t fit your dome. It is better to almost ignore your birthday and just try to relax most of the day. Although if you work, usually your friends at the office must make a big deal of it so that doesn’t work on those birthdays. Don’t get me wrong, I am by no means complaining. I still enjoy being above ground and look forward to the next year and what it will bring, but I imagine by another 30 or so years, birthdays will have been a dime a dozen, and I will care even less that I am aging like soured milk instead of fine wine. But that is just one man’s opinion. Thanks for listening to me ramble. I appreciate it. See you next time.

The Butterfly Isn't Effecting

We seem to be losing celebrities at a fast pace these days. For one reason or another, the people we know and love on the big screen are leaving us for a different plane. The tragedy is then further exacerbated when we find out that they were secretly battling cancer, ALS, or some other sickness or disease that they did not want everyone to know about. However, the light comes when we find out that a large portion of their estate gets donated to a cause they believed in, usually a cure for what ailed them. Then, usually within a few years, the organization behind a cure for the ailment makes progress. So, the question begins to develop in my head, if celebrities did not die, would we make as quick as progress on curing sickness as we have? In other words, is there a Butterfly Effect between people with a chunk of money and fixing human problems? I know this is probably an oversimplification, but it stands to reason: a celebrity gets sick and then cures for their sickness gets pushed. Alex Trebek passed a few years ago from pancreatic cancer. Patrick Swayze was before him. Donations for research for the particular form of cancer have poured in, and, recently, they have made progress on cures for the disease. It does not just affect dying celebrities though. Look at all the work Michael J. Fox has done for Parkinson’s Disease. I don’t think the research on that disease would have progressed near as far without Mr. Fox’s contributions. Moreover, I think if celebrities, with all their reach, did not put it out there that you can, in fact, donate to help with the research, that any progress would be made. Least of all, with the word of how dangerous these ailments are, we understand that cures need to be found. I am not saying that all celebrities need to take a platform on one disease or another, but if losing our beloved Tinseltown residents leads to cures for most cancers and things like diabetes, then at least the universe is trying to balance a scale. Maybe if we all worked a little harder at pushing the cure agenda, maybe we would not lose our loved ones even if they do play on the big screen. But that is just one man’s opinion. Thanks for listening to me ramble. I appreciate it. See you next time.

The News Is Irrelevant

Before it is even brought up, the title of this ramble is not referring to “fake news.” That is a buzz phrase that I wish would exit the zeitgeist. News is not “fake” at any time. It may be uninformed, it may be misguided, but it cannot be “fake.” The fact that someone took the time to gather any information and spread it makes it real. However, news can be irrelevant. It can be completely unrelated to anything anyone wants to know, and it can also be something that is completely useless to tell. In the old days these sorts of news stories were referred to as “puff pieces.” Bits of news or even entire stories that were simply used to fill the airtime as there was not enough relevant news to talk about. It was “fluff” in between important stories. Things like a dog learning to ride a skateboard, or a child hugging their mailman. This was all well and nice to have a feel-good moment when most of the other news was probably either weather or crisis. Currently, this is exactly the way news works. There is great drama and danger and negativity, then a “puff piece,” and then back to more drama and negative news. What ends up making news irrelevant is when there is so much fluff because news stations want to spread positivity that it is more like watching an episode of America’s Funniest Videos than it is watching the news. There is so much unimportant rabble in the news that we end up only watching the weather section. By no means am I saying this is a bad thing inherently, but there is a point where the viewers want actual news that means something to our day to day lives so that we can be informed. Otherwise, we will ask Google what happened yesterday and then tune over and watch our sitcoms while the news tries to be one. But that is just one man’s opinion. Thanks for listening to me ramble. I appreciate it. See you next time.

The Rocket Power Kids Must Be Fit

Indeed, I am about to ramble about that 90s Nickelodeon show “Rocket Power.” It was not one of my favorite shows, but I did see enough episodes that when I saw a rerun the other day on one of Nickelodeon’s off-shoot channels, it reminded me that the logic of the world was a bit different back then. Nowadays, kids’ programs are so tailored to fit in a modern world that is afraid kids will always take away a wrong message. However, in the 90s, or at least in the case of “Rocket Power,” writers just made a fun show. What kid wouldn’t want to watch a show about 4 youngsters living in California, participating in every sport imaginable, while also generally having very little adult supervision. It’s the greatest dream, or it was for 90s kids. I am here to say that this show definitely would not fit the bill today. Not just that there are not as many kids touching grass these days, but also that kids today are not as independent. Lack of adult supervision meant that kids had to find ways to entertain themselves while also staying out of trouble so the parents would never have to supervise. We did just this back then. We learned how not to get hurt, by getting hurt. We also probably put ourselves in very bad situations that our parents would have stopped us from. It taught us to be independent and think for ourselves. Wild plotlines aside, “Rocket Power” showcased this very well. Their father figure was very seldom around, so when there was a problem, the kids had to solve it. They also did a lot of dangerous things, but let’s be honest, they all were probably in really good shape, because sports. So, in the end, they were probably going to be okay no matter what. In any case, the differences in television back then and television now is glaringly obvious with a show like “Rocket Power.” Nowadays the show would be 4 kids with an iPad and adults in the next room. The one similarity that would remain is the punishment of washing endless dishes in our uncle’s restaurant. But that is just one man’s opinion. Thanks for listening to me ramble. I appreciate it. See you next time.

Merry FestiKwanYuleHanamas

Holiday greetings and gay, happy meetings when friends come to call. Words of a carol have never rung so hard. The issue comes when people get so disheveled at what a holiday greeting should be. My family is bad for this. To my parents, it is “Merry Christmas” or nothing. They absolutely despise the idea of saying “Seasons Greetings” or “Happy Holidays.” I then have to explain that it is something most companies do as a measure to not offend anyone. Which is where my ramble starts. Why do we have to worry about offending people with a holiday greeting. I think everyone should say their holiday greeting, whatever that should be. If I say “Merry Christmas” to you, then by all means say “Happy Kwanzaa” back to me. I will take no offense because you did not wish me my holiday be happy. In the same sense, you should not feel upset because I do not know what you celebrate. Honestly, we all need to settle down about how we send cheer. It is not about religion or freedoms of speech or any other thing like that. It is simply one person trying to make another person’s day a little better by passing on festive spirit, because the holidays is no time for downtrodden feelings. So, to all my ramble readers, may your days be merry, may your candles burn all 8 days, may your ancestors get much gratitude, may your log stay hot, and may your pole stay silver. This year lets all have a great holiday, greeting people with a gay, happy smile. But that is just one man’s opinion. Thanks for listening to me ramble. I appreciate it. See you next time.

Turkey Companies Cashing In

If you are like me, food shopping for the holidays is always a tear-jerking, soul-smashing, pocket-destroying mess of a time. Every year to prep for Turkey Day and Christmas, a massive grocery list is made so that we can get everything we need for said holidays. Then, as we are packing it into our freezers and refrigerators, I look at the receipt and nearly have a heart attack at how much was actually spent. Food prices are crazy! I understand it is impossible to buy an entire Thanksgiving meal with $10, but it amazes me that turkey companies are able to sleep at night for the price of some of this meat. Even the “knock-off” turkey brands are steeper than I feel they should be. My family usually enjoys a ham at Christmas, but those aren’t cheaper either. Honestly, it would just be easier to make all the sides and go meatless for the holidays. Rolls, green bean casserole, mashed potatoes, cranberry sauce, pumpkin pie; who would even miss the turkey. I see now why Charlie Brown’s crew ate popcorn, jelly beans, pretzel sticks, and toast. Their allowance just would not cover the cost. The worst part is, the meat companies don’t care in the slightest. Instead of trying to find a way to make it cheaper for the farmers to provide their meat, thereby making the market price lower, they just “adjust for inflation” and watch us buy it anyway. If a meatless holiday boycott is what it takes for these companies to realize we are sick of their wild price race, then so be it. Besides, kids will definitely eat their veggies if they are smothered in gravy. But that is just one man’s opinion. Thanks for listening to me ramble. I appreciate it. See you next time.

Don't Give Out Raisins

Trick or treat, smell my feet, here’s a ramble that can’t be beat, or something like that. Halloween is here and I cannot believe the conversation that I had with a parent a few days ago. Instead of giving out candy, this person was buying raisins to give out to the local candy grabbers because she did not want to contribute to the obesity problem in America. The conversation arose when she saw my shopping cart full of candy and wondered what I was going to do with it all. I explained that I was the hit of the neighborhood for giving out full sized candy bars and not those fun-sized jokes. She could not believe that I was being so irresponsible with the neighbor’s children. I had to hold back laughter as I listened to her explanation of why she had raisins in her cart. Let’s get something straight here. The obesity problem is not going to be fixed by not giving out candy at your house. In fact, it will probably not have an effect at all, because you will be known as the raisin witch of the neighborhood. Kids will avoid your house, and they will still be able to come to houses like mine and stock up on the good stuff. Honestly folks, it’s one day a year. What is the harm in having a fun-filled night of terror, tooth rot, and mild regret for the next day as kids fill up their pillowcases and plastic pumpkins, eat way too much candy, and possibly wet themselves from all the haunted houses they will visit. You are only young once and no child wants raisins, apples, toothbrushes, or pennies for Halloween. Otherwise, there may be a good egging and a roll of toilet paper in one particular house’s future. But that is just one man’s opinion. Thanks for listening to me ramble. I appreciate it. See you next time.

Problem Solvers vs. Problem Fixers

The sky is falling and we are all going to die. Okay, so not every problem is Chicken Little level of difficulty to figure out, but at least the little fellow was trying. My question is could the sky falling have been prevented? Did CL have to go through the trouble of fixing a situation or could it have been solved before the first piece of sky fell? This is the difference in problem-solvers and problem fixers. One chooses to get in front of the problem and see that it never becomes a situation while the other is happy to limp along and control the mess afterward. In other words, problem-solvers make constant repairs and inspections on the dam so that it does not burst, while problem fixers stick a finger in the holes until there are too many leaks for their number of fingers. Then they help clean up all the water once the tidal wave washes everyone away. The biggest problem is that society as a whole has become a collection of problem fixers that do damage control constantly because there are no preventative measures. The work force is the biggest population of these people. Job listings ask for problem-solvers, but they really only want fixers who can handle angry and disgruntled people after an occurrence has damaged something. Ask any boss you know. They do not want to hear about a problem until it actually becomes an issue. This mindset is so asinine. If we would instead all work together to prevent what could become a mess, the mess might never happen. This my readers is a problem-solving mindset and it needs to be taught to the youth of the world. Teach them to think ahead instead of living in the right now, and there will not be major issues in their futures. Climate change, the economy, our national leaders, racial inequality, and even education. Every sector of our society needs solvers thinking about the bumpy road ahead and being busy beavers preemptively taking measures to smooth out those bumps so that we can all live happier lives without constant worry that the sky will plumet down with ill intent. But that is just one man’s opinion. Thanks for listening to me ramble. I appreciate it. See you next time.

Parasocial Parasites and Modern Celebrities

It’s Tuesday night again and we are all amped to tune into our favorite reality TV show where we finally get to see if our favorite infamous celebrity’s life is going to change for the better. Let me be clear from the start, I detest these types of shows. Mostly because the plot for every episode is essentially the same. There is a problem with one of the people on the show, and then, by the end of the hour, they have solved their problem through some means. In reality, the “problem” was a plot point to make you care more about the person. However, there is another reason I don’t like these programs: the disillusion of what celebrities are. In the olden days of Hollywood and entertainment media, celebrities were on another level. They were idols that we cherished and made sure to appreciate by consuming their television shows, movies, books, etc. We knew they worked hard to get where they were and the only way we could enter their world was to put in as much work as they did. We also knew they were not just approachable like our local friends. We admired them on television and if we ever got the chance to meet them, we were nervous we would upset them. We also loved to read the tabloids on them, but knew that ultimately their private lives were their own. The reality stars of the modern era, destroyed all of this. First, we do not see them as idols or “greater-thans.” In fact, it often appears as though there is little work done and they become famous. “Watch me put on my make-up, I am going to the grocery store.” A camera follows them and, boom, they are famous. What stops us from doing the same. Second, we feel really comfortable approaching them. We are not nervous, because we know everything about them and they seem like normal people day-to-day. We are even shocked when they are angry because they cannot get any peace. Third, and probably the most important issue, the parasocial relationships we develop with these “celebrities.” They have no personal lives. A camera follows them 24/7 so any tabloids are just telling us what they have already made into an episode of their show. This is where the newsflash comes for most people. Just because we do know a lot about these celebrities, does not mean they are our friends. In fact, most of them would not like us, if they really got to know us. We become parasocial parasites, because we feel like we know them personally and therefore, we should know everything about them, not just what they put out into the world. We should know who they are married to, if they are pregnant, when they showered last, etc. This is inherently wrong. Just like a normal person needs their privacy, these “celebrities,” no matter how famous, should not have to share every waking minute of their lives, even if this is what made them famous to begin with. But that is just one man’s opinion. Thanks for listening to me ramble. I appreciate it. See you next time.

Over-celebrating is Just Annoying

With the recent ending of Independence Day, I have had an epiphany: people over-celebrate holidays. I am not just talking about having too much fun or spending too much, which are potential problems in themselves. What I am talking about are the people who take a concept of a holiday and blow it out of proportion. Like on the 4^th, fireworks are great. The booms and pops are cathartic to our idea of celebration. If nothing else, they break up chest congestion from summer allergies, but they should be done on the 4^th and no other time. However, what usually happens, as with this past week, is it is a 10-day long affair of every night being kept awake by those very same booms and pops. To put it into perspective for those who cannot legally buy and set off fireworks, it would be like if you had to have candy ready for the entire week of Halloween. Which may sound great to the candy-collecting gremlins, but most everyone else would have the thought of, “Why can’t we just celebrate this on one day and move on?” That is the way all holidays should be. 1 or 2 days and move on without any leftover effects. It would be like if we painted our houses green for St. Patrick’s Day. We may love St. Patrick’s Day, our Irish heritage, and even drinking, but we don’t want our houses green all year. Or if Christmas was an entire week of giving presents every day. I’m pretty sure that is already a thing. So, next year, when the anniversary of the U.S. having a Twisted Sister moment comes around, let’s all make a pact to only buy enough fireworks for one night and one night only. Because I for one will enjoy the extra sleep this time next year. But that is just one man’s opinion. Thanks for listening to me ramble. I appreciate it. See you next time.

Simon Cowell, the Menace

One of my favorite genres of television is a good reality competition. I watch many of them, including AGT, Dancing with the Stars, and the Masked Singer. However, I have started to notice a trend in these shows that bothers me. It is the ever-present power of the people in charge of the show. The shows, no matter which one, always gets to a certain season and then it feels like it is the “stars of the show” (meaning the judges in most cases) that want a certain outcome and make it the reality. Things like AGT’s Golden Buzzer, Dancing with the Stars’ judge vote, and now even Masked Singer has the Ding-Dong Keep-It-On Bell, which is a mouth full in and of itself, but it saves a singer from being eliminated. My question is why have a “competition” if, in the end, there is going to be a giant thumb pushing on the scales. It comes down to less of a battle for the greatest or king of the hill free-for-all and more of a “who I want to win more” competition. For a set of shows that constantly harps on America to tune in and cast a vote, it almost feels like sometimes our opinions don’t even matter. It would be like if Jeff Probst went to put out the torch and then said, “Oh wait, here’s the thing.” We would be utterly pissed. However, I cannot shoot the messengers. Because honestly it is hard to make a morally righteous voting based show when there is a producer standing to the side shaking their head yes or no for certain contestants to make the show more interesting (I am talking to you American Idol). It doesn’t matter what Luke, Katy, and Lionel think is good. It matters what an extra cook in the kitchen thinks about a girl playing a squeezebox with every song. I don’t care if we have never seen someone like that on the show before, I am not voting for her. It makes you wonder if the winner of the Drag Race is truly the best competitor or if Rupaul is just picking the wackiest, zaniest character with the goriest make-up. In the end, I guess all we can do is continue to hope our data rates don’t change as we vote for our favorites, even if they lose. We can also hope that the betting pool at work doesn’t get ruined when they bring back an already eliminated Bachelor for a second chance. But that is just one man’s opinion. Thanks for listening to me ramble. I appreciate it. See you next time.

The Man From Nantucket Has a Song

Taylor Swift has got to be one of the biggest music stars of the 21^st century. She is famous beyond famous and is not bad on the eyes. Musically not all of her chart toppers are for me, but it is mostly because of the way she makes the songs. She says that you can make music by writing a poem and pairing it with an instrumental. I vehemently disagree. While there is no denying that some of her songs do work lyrically and make for a great time to sing along to, even a stopped clock is right twice a day. Truthfully, most of her songs do have a heartfelt and meaningful message, but I can only hear them as the slam poetry they are. It is also true that metaphors and similes in songs are needed. If the artist was to just say words without a little play on those words, it would be no different than if I were to only spell out directly what I mean. Those figures of speech making comparisons of one thing to another are what allows listeners to make connections with their own lives about what Miss Swift is saying in the song. There was an old saying in the country music genre that three chords and the truth made a great song and while I do believe that the Man in Black and other Highwaymen made it work, if they had tried to push the rhyme scheme to fit the stanzas of a 30 line poem, it would have sounded like some college bro with shoulder length hair sitting on the quad with his dented guitar singing about how much he was against the man. When it is all said and done, I guess it is each person’s own preference as to what music they like, but if new artists follow the roadmap of the previous generations, then those that follow Taylor are in for a bad time. Taylor has made it work for her, and she is good at what she does, but the majority of songwriters take a different direction because they know it is poetic to string words together only for them to fall flat on the chord. To all the music makers out there, don’t write poetry. Write music. Make a good beat that is easy to dance to, fun to sing along with, and touching on someone’s heart. Otherwise, whistle along with a previously existing tune and leave the rhymes to the professionals. But that is just one man’s opinion. Thanks for listening to me ramble. I appreciate it. See you next time.

Employee Shields Activate!!!

It is a literal nightmare in the work field in modern times. I could ramble on about each and every sector of the work force for hours, but in this particular ramble, I am talking about horrible bosses that choose any other position except keeping their employees content. It could be a boss that thinks money is most important. It could be one that picks favorites and makes employee of the month a Hunger Games situation. It could even be a boss that believes in that ridiculous notion that the customer is always right. Newsflash, they usually aren’t. A tip to any boss reading this. If you are one of these or some other example that I just don’t have the room to list, know that employee protection is the most important part of running a business, bar none, hands down, no ifs, ands, or buts. If you don’t have employees, you don’t have a business, because it is impossible to do every task of your business, no matter what industry, by yourself. Now I am not saying that every employee needs to have every demand met or that every one of them needs to be happy, jolly, ecstatic at every minute. What I am saying is that if employees feel unsafe, or if they feel like they are never heard, or even if they feel like there is always something wrong every day they work, they are not going to continue working in that kind of environment, or if they do, they are not going to do the best work and the business still suffers as a result. I understand it is not easy being a boss. Sometimes, there is a boss that bosses have to respond to. This ramble needs to be read by that head honcho character as well. Understand that trying your hardest to make your employees lives easier is the penultimate task of being a leader. Make sure employees have the resources they need to do their jobs. Make sure they are happy at least a few days of the work week. Also, lets all agree to make jobs as simple as possible. There is no good reason to overcomplicate tasks that should be relatively simple to carry out. A worker should not have to email 18 people before one thing gets done. They also should not have to walk 6 miles in the snow, barefoot, uphill both ways to click a button and move a machine, even if that is the way it was done back in the boss’s day. At the very least we should all be able to go to work, make a little money, and not pull our hair out or have a good scream in the car at lunch every day of our working lives. But that is just one man’s opinion. Thanks for listening to me ramble. I appreciate it. See you next time.

May Day and Other Such Fun

With the recent passing of May 1^st or May Day as many know it, it has come to my attention that we really do celebrate a day for just about everything. What I mean is those random days throughout a month that celebrate innocuous things like donuts, the mathematical Pi, squirrels. May Day itself is known as a day of play where people enjoy fun games outside in the sun. In fact, the first week of May is a great example of what I am talking about. May Day on the 1^st, then Star Wars Day on the 4^th (and may it always be with you), and then Cinco de Mayo on the 5th. I have no problem celebrating a few non-major holidays throughout a month. An Earth Day, a Parent’s Day, a national day of reading. They all sound fine enough now and again, but for every day to be a Taco Tuesday gets a bit redundant. We as a society have literally made a day for every member of our families, every food item known, every animal on the Ark, a day to talk like pirates, and even World Lazy Day. I know Sportacus wouldn’t like that one. I don’t know, maybe it is just my mildly pessimistic nature, but I feel like if every day is a celebration, an un-birthday if you will, then we aren’t really celebrating anything are we? But that is just one man’s opinion. Thanks for listening to me ramble. I appreciate it. See you next time.

Centuries of Television

Televisions were first commercially available in 1938. Since then, there has been a slew of nonstop entertainment, education, and reality-based programming to air on said TVs. However, I have had an epiphany when it comes to television: in 200 years, TV will be unbearable to watch. Think about it. How many shows have you watched over the years where you think to yourself, “I have seen this before.” With the tired old storylines, redundant characters, and ridiculous plots every show eventually gets to, it has literally all been done before. It has reached a point where we prefer to watch actual people on “reality” television rather than sit down and try to watch a scripted show. Moreover, my point is driven further home by the fact that now there is a nonstop cavalcade of remakes like Quantum Leap, Walker, Macgyver, and Magnum P.I.; reboots like iCarly, Frasier, and The Wonder Years; and spinoffs like Young Sheldon, 1883, and the 80^th version of NCIS. The current trend making its way through Hollywood is taking an animated show like One Piece or Avatar: The Last Airbender and making it with live-action people, which personally takes some of the fun out of it for me. It is amazing to me. We are less than 100 years into commercial television and we are already this desperate to make watchable programming. Can you imagine what it will be like in 200 years? There will be no way to stomach the garbage that will be on our sets by then. With any luck, by then, there will also be another 200 years of books to read. Although with the knowledge that 50 Shades of Gray was originally a Twilight fanfiction, hope that the books will be a better form of entertainment is as much a mystery as who shot J.R. But that is just one man’s opinion. Thanks for listening to me ramble. I appreciate it. See you next time.