It's Friday again!
(As if you didn't know it.)
That means that it must be "Finish The Sentence Friday" ... again!
The choir is singing,
"Hallelujah!, Hallelujah!
Finish the sentence Friday! Hallelujah!"
,_Marchioness_of_Waterford.jpg) |
| Hallelujah!!!! |
(If I were to be so lucky. I hated disco!)
 |
| "Celebrate Good Times, Come On!" |
Disco music provided the same beat ... over and over and over again. It was the forerunner to today's techno, and pop dance music, in that it was formulated by record producers instead of true musical artists. Never did a song have deep meaning, as that would've been too much to handle for the brainless, cocaine snorting crowd that visited the disco establishments. Some called disco "feel good" music. Most, with brains, called it monotonous.
The meaning of some popular songs of the era:
- KC & The Sunshine Band - "I'm Your Boogie Man" (I love stalking. Don't you wish everybody did?)
- The Miracles - "Love Machine" (The 70's Playa's national anthem. Ego's reign supreme for those that didn't have relationship building capabilities.)
- Andrea True Connection - "More More More" (The female retort for those touting "Love Machine" inadequacies.)
- The Village People - "Macho Man" (Proof that you didn't have to be hetero to be macho. Boy, did the word "macho" ever take a nose dive after these guys came out of the closet!)
- Donna Summer - "Last Dance" (I know your cocaine's going full blast but the club's closing and it's time to get your tail home!)
- A Taste Of Honey - "Boogie Oogie Oogie" (Who the hell knows!!!!)
How did I ever get on that topic?
This is supposed to be about "Finish The Sentence Friday!"
Today's hostesses for this magnificent event that only comes around so rarely once a week are:
The gist of this event is to finish a sentence or topic they provide with the deepest, most secret thoughts. These will then be scrutinized by the head examiners at the University of Moscow in downtown Brewton, Alabama, and used to increase the fertility of male laboratory monkeys, as if they needed an increase in fertility.
Today's sentence, of which we are to complete, is:"I get so frustrated when..."
(Sounds like a fun filled day of sunshine and blue sky topics will follow! Oh well,
I guess everyone needs a day
to bitch a little.)
So, let's get started!
I get so frustrated when I see the stupidity and incompetence in today's society!
No, this isn't another old person sitting on their butt talking about the "I remember when" days. (Although I am an old person sitting on my butt, hmmm.) This is just observing what society has come to be.
- Political Correctness laws have replaced manners! Somewhere along the way, parents stopped teaching their kids manners. I think it was somewhere in between Nixon and Rap Music. We obviously have many that don't know when to keep their mouths shut, and what not to talk about. So, the our of work lawyer surplus figured out that they could reap huge benefits by suing these people. In doing so, legislatures decided that they could propose legal bills and amendments to guarantee no one would have the ability to speak their minds and develop individuality. So, as the decades have passed, we are closer than ever to becoming Devo clones. (No, Devo wasn't disco music!) Phrases such as "Thank You", "You're Welcome", "Excuse Me", and "Please" are no longer necessary, or a viable part of humanity. Our culture has reverted to the days of cavemen and clubs, now call "deadly weapons". I guess even civilization goes in circles.
- Employment Opportunities are now decided by those that have never done the jobs! Believe it or not, people were once chosen to fill positions by those that knew what the position was all about. Now, individuals that have never performed any of the position's responsibilities are choosing who can best do them. This follows the theme of democracy, in that the people choose the leaders of the land by elections based on popularity and who can tell lies the best without getting caught. So, in essence it is the American way. Doesn't make a whole lot of sense, but to challenge it is obviously to criticize the United States! Perhaps that explains why we're in the fix we're in these days!
- The Poor expect the The Rich Politicians to represent them! Since when have the rich ever worked in the best interest of the poor? Never! It is the goal of the rich to become richer. That's it! No postscripts! Once you have money, you simply want more and more of it. So what if the people are suffering? You're not and don't ever plan on it! That's why political campaigns have become something only the rich can afford. As long as the corporate leaders can keep it this way, inept CEO's, traitorous corporations that move overseas (cutting American jobs but still selling products to Americans), and the political players will continue to watch each other's backs, and put a knife in the backs of those "lower income level" individuals.
- The "Race Card" is still being used! I'm sorry, but in the 60's I marched for civil rights. It's been a long time since then and many have proven that you can make it in society regardless of what color you are. I have no mercy for a 16 year old that has three kids, screaming she can't get a job because she's one color or the other. Neither do I have compassion for a drug dealer being sent to prison because he only did what he did because he came from a broken household. You're in the position you're in because of the decisions you made. If you screwed up, admit it, get your act together, and stop expecting support from everyone else! I don't care if you're white, black, red, yellow, green, purple or tangerine ... quit your bitching, take personal accountability for your life, and make something of yourself! (That way, you can help to support me in a few years and keep Social Security going!)
- Parents bitch about others doing the job they won't! I have a lot of love for teaching. Yet, I know that the teachers of today have it extremely difficult dealing with the kids. Years ago, you'd be sent to the Principal's office and get your tail whacked with a wooden paddle when you did something wrong. Nowadays, the teacher is suspended if they even look at the child wrong. Parents have become so stupid that they won't teach their children right from wrong, and have limited a teacher's ability to also do that. Yet, society wonders when kids pick up a gun and go on a shooting spree. We have a group of youngsters that have been raised without guidance, and we're wondering what's wrong with them. Perhaps, we should be looking in a mirror, asking ourselves why we didn't do our jobs as parents, and again, start taking personal accountability. Of course, that would mean admitting we weren't perfect. Oh my God, how could we ever do that?
Okay, that was the serious stuff. Now, here are the Top Fifteen frustrations I deal with:
- Hair on a restaurant hamburger.
- Coke machines that distribute cans with such force they explode in your face when opened.
- Dumbass semi drivers going 65 mph that pull out in front of your 75 mph car, on the interstate, to pass another semi going 64 mph ... up a hill.
- Restaurant drive-thru workers that don't know how to say "Thank You!"
- Promos for future programming on the TV screen as you're trying to watch a program.
- Cashiers that couldn't count change back if they had to.
- Customer service reps with foreign accents telling you their name is Charlie.
- Stupid people that blame inanimate objects for the acts of stupid people.
- Grits on a breakfast plate.
- Neighbor's rap music at 2 a.m.
- Waxy, non absorbent, public restroom toilet tissue.
- Dog owners that use parking lots to let their dogs urinate on every one's tires.
- New movies that only copy old ones.
- Commercials that warn of four hour erections.
- Resealable packages for single serving food items.
Of course, we're always going to have to deal with minor frustrations in our daily lives. Perhaps, in the afterlife, some of us will even have to deal with high temperature issues, heat irritations, and dry skin. It will give us something to complain about.
That's what makes us happy! Right?
Excellent FTS Rich!
ReplyDeleteSince I have been totally unable to control my own TU* sufficiently to allow me to participate in Janine and Kate's excellent Friday thang.... allow me to pass on one for your List of 15' above**.
"...stayin alive, stain alive... ha ha ha ***
see ya 'round campus!
the dissipating, human-shaped dust clouds at the Wakefield Doctrine
* TU: Time Usage, it being so inefficient that I needed to make up an acronym
** the 'younger' generation's use of the phrase 'No Problem' as a substitute for 'You're Welcome'
*** thanks to one of the funniest movies of all time ( 'Airplane!') that song simply is never to be heard without laughing.
Clark - Good to see you, sir! I had to cut back on reading blogs for a day or two, so I'm a little behind. I do need to get over and read your latest, for sure. I don't know what the Bee Gees were thinking when they wrote that song. The stain may have been from the raw nostrils caked with powder ... who know? Thanks for adding! I'm one of the few that enjoyed Airplane II, also. Something about William Shatner not in control thrilled my inner spirit! lol Many Thanks!
DeleteOk, Richard your ending had me cracking up. I guess we all may have concerns and worries about rotting in Hell!! Seriously loved how you tackled the greater issues as whole society and then your own. Thanks seriously for always linking up with us!! :)
ReplyDeleteJanine - Really appreciate you coming by! I figure the one place I won't find incompetency after death would be there. But remember, I've got to stay on Earth as a ghost so that Ghost Hunters doesn't get cancelled! Milla's expecting it! :) Really though, I think living in a University of Kentucky town for 20 years has provided enough Hell for an Indiana University fan. Certainly someone's going to have mercy for time served ... I hope! lol Glad you enjoyed! Many Thanks!
DeleteOh, the many places your mind goes. Makes me smile.
ReplyDeleteSo, Rich, what do you really think about the direction our country is headed? Can I put you down for a donation to the I Can't Get a Job 'Cause My Mama Didn't Love Me Right Fund?
In The Coop - Welcome back! I'm really glad to see a fellow Hoosier here! I've always tried to live up to the expression, "The mind is a terrible thing to waste", and provide an example of what happens when you do waste it! lol Perhaps if I'd take a few days to write a blog, instead of a few hours, it would be a little more topic oriented. But where's the fun in that? lol I think donations such as described might better be collected at the local convenience store. That's where most trade food stamps for drug money, from my understanding! :) I actually do have compassion for some, but not for those that make a living from using the system instead of working for a living. Or, maybe I'm just jealous that they've figured out how to do something I can't. Who knows? lol Appreciate the comments! Many Thanks!
DeleteHi Rich! It's great to see such a wild imagination ever present in the simple act of writing a post! (But wait, is it really simple?) I loved your list, and your last paragraphs are a materpiece! I hope to read many more! See you!
ReplyDeleteJoan - So nice of you to stop in! I try not to be boring, although sometimes I could probably be a little shorter. I've tried to stop rambling, but at times my mind says, "Hey, let's do this one, too!" Like a dog following a full bowl of food, I relent. lol When writing material when I did stand-up, I'd talk and talk until I found something funny about a topic and then write it down. Writing provides the flow in getting there. So, "I type my wittle fingers to the bone" in trying to show the irony of life and our actions during it. lol Actually, it's a lot of fun! Many thanks!
DeleteOkay. I LOVE the way you think. You may have surmised I'm on the left side of the spectrum - but only on some things. I'm HELLA conservative on others. I'm 33 and part of why I don't have kids is for the EXACT reasons you've listed here. Manners and accountability? OMG...this is one of the million things that drove me out of public school teaching (oh and THAT'S awesome birth control, too) - and even then I was a specialist (teaching Spanish) at the elementary level. I make a point of saying please and thank you. I am MORTIFIED for people who don't. And no, I'm not perfect and neither is anyone else. Own up to that. If I had a dollar for every time I've heard excuses from people for their lack of accomplishments in life, I'd be a millionaire. We are exactly where we are because of our decisions. I made the decision to leave my full time job for a creative life and I knew I'd be FAR from rich starting out. I'm still thrilled about my decision and will take on extra jobs here and there if I need to to make ends meet. I have three college degrees (all undergrad and some grad school) but I did it in SPITE of my background...adopted...brother in a gang...another brother's sudden death - but it is MY life and NO ONE makes it for me...LOL...I think your post was funny, but eh...it incited a serious thought-process in me. :)
ReplyDeleteCyndi - Hello, my friend! The more I read your posts, the more I think you've have been one hell of a campus activist in the late 60's. One that's not afraid to take charge of her life, see the change that is needed, and fight for the cause. One instilled with basic values, but one that isn't afraid to fine tune them to perfection. It shows in your words and in your work in experimenting in photography. (The latter where I need to learn to keep my mouth shut in my critiques, at times, lol) The government is afraid of personal accountability, because if they preached it, the politicians would have to demonstrate it. We all know that's an impossibility, as they get by daily providing false facades for their "loving" public. Why else would they be so quick to allow the uneducated masses to enter the United States and become registered voters? For those with the ability to analyze and experience the atrocities of today's teaching methods and results, I can see why you decided as you did. Yet, as an old man and parent, let me add one thing. The joy of having a child, raising that child, and seeing that child make something of themselves can be one of the deepest and dearest feelings one can experience. Don't use the ignorance displayed in others to be the sole reason to way you from having one of your own. You turned out okay, so your parents obviously did something right. You have the ability to do the same. I always looked at it as providing the exception to the rule instead of "one of the bunch." lol Really appreciate the comments! Many Thanks!
DeleteConsiderer - Really good to see you again! In Kentucky, most Rednecks use the turn signal post for a baseball cap hat rack, so it really doesn't matter! lol When I first moved here, I thought that I was the only one that didn't have ESP and would know what they were doing without signalling. Now, I've found that most just don't care enough to let others know! I'd love to see a politician live on $25,000 a year in a single wide trailer. Hell, I'd even vote approval on making the Capitol lawn a trailer park so they'd be close to work! lol I'd like to see teachers get a raise, but only if they were allowed the right to properly discipline and teach the kids. The "No Child Gets Ahead" premise they currently have to teach under is helping no one ... but the politicians, who are creating mindless dummies that utilize emotions to vote instead of intelligent reasoning. Unless we wake up, I'm afraid the phrase "Stupid American" will be one each citizen will be up to living. Many thanks!
ReplyDelete#5 drives me nuts too. Before Xmas I remember watching a movie and a dancing Santa kept popping up to let me know that some other lame movie was coming on next. It was really irritating. I once found a piece of what looked and felt like barbed-wire in a hamburger I was eating. Talk about frustrating.
ReplyDeleteKate - So good to see you here again! The FCC designated a limited amount of time for the networks to be able to show promos and commercials. This new trend of #5 completely gets around this. What drives me crazy is that it's taken place since most of us now pay to view, instead of just receiving an over the air free signal. It's not right to pay to view, and still have to watch these promos. In fact, even STARZ and SHOWTIME have been guilty of doing it during movies! Grrrrr! A pay movie network should realize we pay for uninterrupted movies ... not commercials. My only solace there is the On Demand feature, that does allow me to watch movies the way they are supposed to be watched ... commercial and promo free! The extras one gets in restaurant food are no fun! That barbed wire junk sounds like the stuff lawsuits are made of. If a lady can get millions for spilling hot coffee in her lap, you should have been able to do the same! lol Many thanks!
DeleteSo right about teachers and politicians!! I'm a liberal, by the way, but I agree with the manners versus political correctness part too!
ReplyDeleteRoshni - Thanks so for commenting here! I don't distinguish myself as either a liberal or conservative, as I'm flexible in certain topics. I'm a human being, and deserve to be treated as such, as we all are, instead of being labeled by government officials! I believe the labels they give only are there to confuse and divide us as a mass, instead of giving us the credit for seeing what they do. It seems funny that the more power taken away from the educators, the more problems we tend to have with society. Perhaps the politicians should to what they do (virtually nothing), and let the educators do what they do best. At least we might find ourselves with a new generation of thinkers, instead of cattle following rest of the herd. Good to see you again! Many Thanks!
DeleteHi Rich, I have seen only very few websites that can make me laugh and still make me think. wonderfully written, especially the serious frustrations! I really wonder what the world is coming to! In the years to come, I had probably say that hell with all it's 'high temperature issues, heat irritations, and dry skin' would be a far better option than what we have to deal with here on earth!
ReplyDeleteNina - Good to see you here! Thanks so for your kind words about my blog. I do my best to tell it like it is without sounding as if the sky is falling. lol There was a movie in the 70's called "Rollerball" (with James Caan), in which the world had been divided up, and was being controlled by various corporations. They cared only about controlling mankind, instead of benefiting mankind. I think we're very close to this in today's world as most politicians have just strong alliances to big business they truly represent them, instead of the people they're elected by. At one time, graft was illegal. However, politicians changed the laws to allow special interest lobbying. Funny how the name changed and the principal remained the same. Appreciate your comments! Many thanks!
DeleteThose are all excellent skating rink songs! I still kinda like 'em. Now when they come on Pandora, I'm like OMG, how LONG is this SONG, how many times are they going to SAY that!?!?
ReplyDeleteSo, you'd rather have your grits in a bowl or no grits? I just don't order grits because mine taste better than any restaurant. That said, my grits go in a bowl because I don't like them touching anything. My husband and son mix theirs with their eggs so their grits go on the plate. YUCK!
Now isn't #6 a doggone shame. I didn't say anything recently when I gave a girl something like $10.26 for something. I should have gotten back $5. But I got four ones and a bunch of change that seemed like it was more than a dollar. I just shook my head and put it in my pocket. First of all the cash register should have helped her out if she put it in correctly. Second of all, at first glance she should have known my change would be five dollars. Baskin Robbins was my first job, and part of our training was counting the change back. No - cheat sheet cash register. I'm curious to know if the younger generation rounds up the money when they pay for something so they can get an even amount of it they just don't know to do that.
Kenya - Good of you to stop by! Would you believe when I was in radio I used to break disco singles on the air? We were an adult rock station, which was known to be a foe of disco. In fact, one of our sister stations blew up a bunch of disco records in the middle of a double header in Chicago. I understand it created such a mess that the second game was delayed quite some time as the pieces were picked up! lol
DeleteNO GRITS!!! I am not a grits person. The first day I spent in the South I ordered ham & eggs. When they arrived, there was this white stuff that looked like the flour paste we used to use in Art Class in paper mache` design. My wife loves them, and I love her, but her grits can stay on her own plate! lol
I had to learn how to count change in the supermarket I worked at in high school. Way back then, counting backwards was standard. If you couldn't do it, you couldn't get cashier's pay ... it was that simple. In every instance I've had to count change back over the years, I've always done it the same. However, I seriously don't think any Walmart cashier could do it if they tried. I do the same as you to avoid a bunch of ones in my wallet. I would have said something like, "Do you have a hard time entering the correct amount or is Walmart paying you to cheat customers?" I raised caine a couple of months ago over a dollar, lol. It's not the amount to me, it's the principle. Of course, I've been know to be an ass at times, so it's fairly normal. lol Appreciate the comments! Many thanks!
LOL!!! Back to the grits... have you seen My Cousin Vinny? There's a hilarious, "What exactly is a grit?" scene played by Joe Pesci.
DeleteKenya - I saw it many, many years ago. Don't remember that scene, though. I'll have to pull out my old DVD copy and watch it again. Thanks again! :)
DeleteLove the songs, Rich, and oh boy, the very same things make me frustrated too, so I'm with you on this one. I'm think of Michael Douglas' Falling Down now!! I can certainly relate to the kids of today being so difficult to handle.....I think that is major frustration that speaks of a huge societal problem. It's everywhere! Thanks for these little bites, Richard.
ReplyDeleteMichelle - Good to see you! Michael Douglas should have been a hero in that movie instead of the villain! It's outrageous how far we let people push us around by their ignorance at times. Thanks for reading! Greatly appreciated!
DeleteHa ha, I love number 3 and 11 on your list. So right! And yes, parents need to teach their kids better manners. My three year old is speech delayed but he darn well knows how and WHEN to say thank you!
ReplyDeleteKristi - Thanks for stopping in again! #3 is a pet peeve of mine, as it happens almost every morning on the way to work. There's time I wonder if there's not a Trucker God that gets on his CB and spouts, "Rich is on the interstate again. It's time to block his way! Yeeeehawwww!!" lol Damn dummies!
Delete#11, well, you know about number 11. Why don't they just stick a roll of wax paper in there and say, "Wipe at your own risk!" lol For some reason, Paul Simon's song, "Slip Slidin' Away" comes to mind!
I believe the problem with kids is that many have been raised by kids. A thirteen year old mother has never been taught the basics, so how can she pass them on to her children? When we started saying it was okay for minors to have kids, we laid the foundation for this to occur. It's sad, but one wonders if it can ever be changed. Thanks for commenting! Much appreciated!
My dad always used to say, "the rich get richer and the poor get poorer"...so I told him I would just consider myself on the rich side then! lol.
ReplyDeleteManners today are something else! I was just pondering this at the hospital yesterday when a worker totally disrespected my children. I took my girls aside and explained adults can be rude and OUT of order...but we don't be rude back. I told them to remember the difference in knowing you can behave badly but not doing it because it's wrong.
Kelly - Great philosophy! I wish it were sometimes that easy, as I have now been on both sides of the fence. I enjoyed the wealthy side, and the poor side was hell. Now, I'm working my way back up again ... slowly.
DeleteI feel like it's my duty to speak up when someone shows disrespect. Perhaps I'm just an ass, but when someone is rude to me, I'll respond with a, "Having a bad day? No? I just was trying to provide you an excuse for acting like an ass? I guess there's no excuse for you though, is there?"
When my daughter had an operation, she needed some crushed ice. I went to the nurses' station and made the request. They said they'd get it immediately. After ten minutes, I went back to the station to see what the problem was. They'd gotten it, but it was sitting there, melting. I asked them, "Was that the crushed ice one of you were supposed to bring my daughter ten minutes ago?" When they acknowledged it was, I told them to let me take it to her. Oh, they quickly agreed. When one got out of her chair to get it for me, I said, "Now, was that really so hard? God gave us two legs and one ass ... you're supposed to use them accordingly." As I walked away, I heard the supervisor say, "Okay, who was supposed to take her the ice? You really dropped the ball on that one!" It's my guess she was the culprit, but I didn't turn around as I didn't want them to see me laughing. lol
Really happy you stopped in! Many thanks!
I don't know what happened here but I just wrote a very long comment and tried to post it and it wouldn't post :( Must have been a sign, lol. Okay, I'll keep it shorter. First of all - great post. You had my blood boiling at the beginning and left me smiling by the end of it. :) I'm with you on the customer service frustration - in fact, I'll be doing a post on this next week. I take my hat off to teachers all over the world. Parents of today - a number of them, can't be bothered to be a parent. When I was at school, some of my friends got given money for lunch. Now, I understand now and then as a treat - and that's fine. But, really? You can't take 5 minutes to make your child a sandwich for lunch? Is your life THAT busy? It's ridiculous. Bill's post on the food fight in Minnesota that had police come in and blood spilled - sums up that there's still lots wrong with the way kids are brought up today...it starts at home. Great post Richard, really got me thinking this morning. Happy weekend!
ReplyDeleteMelanie - As always, my friend, we can agree to disagree. That's what friends do. lol I'll bet it was the part about recruiters and not disco that got you going! :) Actually, I was forced to take lunches to school that my mother prepared as I really had an ulcer in the second through fourth grades. When I finally got to be able to eat school lunches, I thought them wonderful. Hot food instead of dry sandwiches (I couldn't eat catsup or mustard because of the acid content, so it was meat and bread only). However, most parents are lucky to remember the lunch money, as many don't eat lunch anymore. It's really sad for them, especially when they're forced to go to the cafeteria and watch their friends eat. But many parents just don't care, because they never grew up and accepted responsibility of any type. Sometimes I think it would be best for the kids to be taken by Child Services, but then again, that's no life either. One day, we'll get to a place where there's no love ... for anyone but oneself, that is. I think it's closer than we imagine. Sorry I got you riled, lol. You DO have a temper, don't you? :) Many thanks! Enjoy the day!
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ReplyDeleteI have to say, your introductory remarks about FTSF are one of my favorite parts of reading your weekly post! You had a lot of great points about the lack of common sense in our society, and I enjoyed your funny ones as well. Particularly "grits on a breakfast plate." Ha! Thanks for linking up with FTSF again, and sorry it took me five whole days to get back to reading everyone's posts!
ReplyDelete