Sunday, February 28, 2016

Why Americans are angry

Here is an article from the BBC on why Americans are angry. Nobody understands us like the British.

For us baby boomers, most of us grew up with these truisms:
In the old days, you didn't have to lock your doors. Everybody took care of everyone else. Nowadays...
In the old days, if the teacher yelled at a kid that kid got whipped by the old man when he got home. Nowadays the parents take the kid's side. How dare you give my kid a C in arithmetic!
In the old days, a man could spend a few days downtown and within a few days have a few job offers. Nowadays...
In the old days once a man had a job he could buy a house and a big car. His wife would stay home and make sure the kids did their homework. Nowadays ...
Once a man was married his wife did all the shopping, the laundry, the cooking, the vacuuming, and kept an eye on the kids. Nowadays ...
In my generation when you went to school you spoke English and only English. Nowadays ...
In the old days when you went to the store everything was made in the USA.
Nowadays ...
In the old days you went to the doctor and paid him five dollars for the visit. If you didn't have the five dollars he told you to pay him next time. Nowadays ...
And that, en mi opinion, is the appeal of Donald Trump. People think he'll bring back those golden days when a man was a man and t shirts were made in New Jersey.

Tuesday, February 16, 2016

Thoughts on the Grammys


When I was a young tike I promised myself I wouldn't be like the adults who hated rock and roll. I promised myself I wouldn't change and I would still like the popular records of the day even when I was old. Now I know I was wrong. I've become like  the old guy sitting at the bar drinking Pabst with a couple of teeth missing. He stares at the television. "He looks like Davy Crockett!" he remarks. 

That was the first thought I had when I saw "the Weekend" on the Grammy's. It was like he got a haircut that made it look like he was wearing a coonskin hat. 
Okay en toto, the show wasn't all that bad. "The Thrill is gone" was okay, the Eagles salute was okay. I actually can see how David Bowie is a spiritual father for Lady Gaga. Still those parts of the show were specifically for us old guys. Even Alice Cooper no longer scares anybody anymore. And Alexander Hamilton? Reminds me of the time the Bill Cosby Show did an episode where the kids did history in a rap format. 

I've become an old man. A grouchy old man. "I'm for Donald Trump, he's the only one who says what's wrong with America!" Well I'm not that old. 

Monday, February 15, 2016

Holidays cost money


Holidays in America are different than those celebrated in most foreign countries. In America, except for mainstays like Christmas, Memorial Day, Thanksgiving and the 4th of July, holidays are a source of inconvenience and trouble rather than pleasure. This is because, in America, the public sector tends to celebrate more holidays than the private sector.

Today is President's Day. The schools, banks, and libraries are closed. Daddy is off, but Mommy has to go to work. As a state employee I am happy to be off but I can't go to the bank or count on getting any mail. The library is closed so I will probably drop by the used book store to buy a mystery. I could also get a Kindle book I suppose.

Daddy gets a day with the kids. He can't go to story hour at the library since the library is closed. The museum nearby is also closed. The mall is open, though, so there are options, but they all cost poor Daddy money. Another option is take the kids to Color Me Mine, where they can paint on plates, for a small fee of course.

I get it. The purpose of holidays is to help the economy and force parents to spend money on their charges. Well, off to the movies.

Wednesday, February 10, 2016

The fluffy sleep commercial

Currently my favorite commercial is the fluffy sleep commercial. It seems a nice way to go to sleep by curling up with the cute white sleep creature.Then when you wake up those cute peppy wake creatures trot down with you to the mailbox where you meet your suburban neighbors.

I think you could use that commercial to put people to sleep without even using the drug that it is advertising. I wonder if there is a cute sex creature who visits occasionally.