Monday, February 16, 2009

California's Budget

Okay, so here we are on February 16, 2009. This is a day we celebrate great Presidents in our past. George Washington - the man who cut down the cherry tree and our first President. Abraham Lincoln - the man who freed the slaves and was a great orator.

Yet, those of us who live in California do not see greatness when we look at our state Capitol. We see a mess. A lack of leadership. People who can't seem to find their way out of a paperbag. How bad is it? These people think they should tax their way out of a recession!

Okay, I know I stopped studying economics in undergrad. But, last time I checked, when you tax people, they spend less. So, what do our leaders do? A 1% sales tax increase. Okay, not bad. Then a 12 cent per gallon increase on the gas tax. So, each gallon of gas, which is already crazy expensive, will now go up by another 12 cents. For a 10 gallon car, that is a $1.20 increase. If you fill that up 2 times per week, we have over $100 per year less money to spend.

This is a tax that impacts lower income people disproportionately. While many upper class people can afford an extra $100 per year, if you make 50% less, that impacts you greater. So, a $100 tax on someone make $100,000 per year is very small. The same $100 tax on someone who makes $25,000 is quite large.

Yet, our government thinks this is the way out of the budget. Lets make people give us more money so we have money to spend. Not sure if they are aware of this, but if I give them more money, I have less money to give to businesses. Less money to buy things means the recession drags on.

Then, these geniuses decide that they should link this tax to a special election. Yes, we are going to have a special election in May in California. Special elections cost money. Oh that's right - we don't have any. Why don't we have any? Because the legislators spent it all!

Now, I understand we need to raise revenue. I am not anti-tax. I am just anti-unreasonable tax. Almost doubling the gas tax is unreasonable.

I think we should tax legislators. Yes, we should take their income and double the tax they pay. And we should double the tax of every past legislator for the last 10 years. Sure, it may be unconstitutional, but then maybe these morons will understand that not doing their job properly was unconstitutional as well.

Okay, here is a better idea: all of that money that these folks keep in accounts to run for new office should go to the deficit. They raise millions and millions of dollars to run for a new office when they haven't even done their jobs. Lets take that money!

Look you folks who are sitting in the Capitol and sleeping there: you should have done this months ago, if not years ago. Don't cry to me, Karen Bass, because you can't get a deal done now. You waited too long. You have no power. You should resign, and not just as speaker, but from the Assembly. You too, Darrel Steinberg. Your time has past. You failed to do your job - protect the residents of the state of California. Instead, you padded your own pocketbook.

Every member of the California legislature should resign now so you don't go down in history as the most incompetent group of people to even run a state. Assuming its not too late for that!

Sunday, February 15, 2009

Social Networking "Friends"

Okay, so we have Myspace, Friendster (are they still in business? does anyone use them?), Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Plaxo, Ning and a ton of other "social networking" sites. Why?

First, what is social networking? Are you networking socially? Is that different from networking anti-socially? I could see some guy sitting around in a room by himself trying to network. He wears all black, listens to NIN, and thinks he is cool. Wait, on second thought, maybe social networking on the computer is anti-social. It does not require you to actually talk to anyone, have a conversation or any human interaction. Computer geeks from the late 80s and early 90s have finally succeeded in finding a way to seem cool - they created the perfect networking for them.

Second, why are there so many? How is Myspace much different from Facebook or Friendster? Plaxo and LinkedIn could be cousins. Twitter is in its own little world. (That might be funnier if you knew that twitter limited you to 140 characters. Really, how much can you say in 140 characters.) Maybe we really just need two or three sites. Four at the most.

Twitter, by the way, is in a world by itself. Updates are called tweets. I thought it was only Rockin' Robin who tweeted. But, now thousands of people tweet. And they have, and I swear I am not making this up, tweetups. A tweetup is where twitter members (twitterers? twitterites? no wait, twits!!) get together in public meetings. I don't know if they actually talk there or if they still tweet with each other. Imagine 30 twitter folk sitting around updating their twitter profiles in 140 characters instead of talking!

Third, why does everyone think they need to be everyone's friend? I have almost 200 people following me on twitter. Most of my updates read like this: "49 days left...," "48 days left....," etc.... Of course, most of my followers have no idea what I am talking about. Yet, there they are reading it. Strange. Then I get friend requests from people who, as best as I can tell, are friends of friends, or even worse, friends of friends of friends. Why do these people care what I am doing? What do I care what they are doing? Heck, I barely care what the people I actually know in person are doing on Facebook. Why? Because I can just pick up the phone, call them and get an update.

Of course, social networking has its place. I have reconnected with people from elementary school who I would not have otherwise met. That part is cool.

So word to the wise: you don't really want to be my friend on any of these things. My next update on twitter is going to tell people that I blogged about twitter and tweets. Oh, and that I find it funny.

UPDATE: Sorry, I forgot: if you are a guy, do not randomly add women who are friends of your friends. That is just creepy. See my post about the Burger King guy for a description of how creepy it is. Especially when they are under 18! Can you say felony?

Thursday, February 12, 2009

Facial Tattoos

I don't mind tattoos. I like them, in fact. Well, most of them. I like the ones that are done nicely. The ones that have meaning. Some 18 year old with a star on her forearm is not pretty, hot, sexy or anything else, except lame. But, there is something worse than an 18 year old with a lame tattoo.

The face tattoo. A face tattoo doesn't need to be of a face. No it is a tattoo on the face, or near the face, like the neck! Look, your face is not some place where you should get a tattoo. Okay, maybe Mike Tyson, but no one else.

The worst face tattoo, however, is the teardrop. Yes, that little teardrop. In some cultures, like ours, it means you whacked someone. Whacked as in killed. Killed as in murdered. Murdered as in wrongfully took the life of another person. And there you are, walking around with a teardrop on your face.

Sure, you haven't killed someone. You just thought it was a nice tattoo. You couldn't find anything else in the thousands of tattoos at the tattoo shop that you liked. So, you wanted to make it look like you were perpetually crying. Or you thought maybe you could grow up to be in a porn. I don't really know.

However, when I see someone with a teardrop tattoo it makes me think one thing: run. Run fast. Run, Forest, Run. This is why I drive a big vehicle - to get away from people who have teardrop tattoos. Fast. Or, if I cannot get away, to get over them.

Seriously folks, does anyone think it is a good look? Really? It means you killed someone. Sheesh. Stop with the teardrop tattoos. They should be banned.

McDonalds' Drive Thru

Okay, so I was getting some Mickey D's the other day for dinner. I know, it is not good for me. Well, with a sick wife and kids at home, sometimes you have to do it. And their fries are the best. The best, readers, the best. (Seinfeld reference)

There is a car in front of me. Apparently, they did not know what to order at McDonalds. Now, I know they have increased their menu recently and you can now get salad or a parfait, but really, is it that hard? Burger, burger with 2 meat patties, burger with cheese, two all beef patties special sauce lettuce cheese pickles onion on a sesame seed bun, McNuggets, chicken crispers, or a chicken sandwich. That is about it. They have like 8 items in various combinations.

But these folks cannot figure it out. They finally order. Great. So, it is my turn. I place my order. Easy enough - two happy meals, hamburger, plain with lemonade. Simple enough. I pull up to window 1 and pay. I still do not know why there are two windows, but there are. I go up to window 2. They offer me salt.

What? Salt? Yes, salt. NaCl. I don't know if you have had the burger that Ronald built lately, but salt is the last thing it needs. And the fries are great. Why? Because of the salt. And they want me to put more salt on it. If there were any more salt, it would taste like the Morton's factory. Seriously.

Hamburgler - I like the food. Hold the extra salt though!

Wednesday, February 11, 2009

Enough with baseball!

Okay, so I get that baseball was America's Pasttime. Emphasis on was. But, please, stop. Stop with the stories of steroids. Stop with A-Rod. Stop with Bonds. Please, I am begging you, stop!

We get it. Baseball players took steroids. It was cheating. Well, not technically, since MLB did not have a policy against roiding up! They then lied about it - a lot. Then they lied about lying about it. Then they decided not to talk to Congress and to focus on the future. So what?

Is anyone surprised that Barry Bonds took steroids? I mean, flaxseed oil. His head went from the size of my head to needing specially made hats that were 2 hats sewn together. His arms looked like thighs. His things looked like Yugos. That is not natural.

Now we find out that A-Rod took roids. Well, we think he did. He admits doing it from 2001 to 2003. But, this is after he lied to Sports Illustrated and that esteemed journalist - Katie Couric. Now he says he did it for 3 years because he had to live up to the pressure of having signed a $252 million contract. That's pressure? Really? Dude, try working 8 to 5, coming home to your kids, then going out on your 2nd job just to pay the bills. That is pressure. Getting paid to play a kid's game? That's not pressure. That's you being lame.

McGwire? Roided up. Canseco? At least he man'd up and admitted it. 103 players failed steroid tests in the first part of this decade. Not all of them were named in the Mitchell Report.

Now Miguel Tejada says that he lied to Congress. He even pled to a misdemeanor. The GM of the Houston Astros, Tejada's employer, says it has been a bad week for sports. For sports? Really? WRONG! It has been a bad week for liars.

Look, baseball is full of cheaters. And most Americans do not care. More people attend baseball games every year. Profits are up. The MLB network has started.

But, baseball is not America's Pasttime. Name the top 20 baseball players in the country. I can't. When I was 8, 9, 10, even 15, I could name the top 50. But, people go watch baseball, without caring about it. Why? Because the players are not friendly, not approachable, and cheaters. So, we watch it like we watch wrestling - to see what happens with no buy in to the players.

By the way, nice job MLB Players Union. You never destroyed the tests from the first part of this decade? What were you thinking? Oh wait, you weren't. You failed your members. You should all be fired - and forced to return your salaries. You were clearly sleeping on the job. Maybe you were roided up too and needed a nap!

Marijuana Smokers Against Kellogg

By now you have heard about Michael Phelps and the bong, er, pot pipe, er, pipe to smoke legal tobacco only and for entertainment purposes only. He was at the University of South Carolina, which by the way is not USC, that is in Southern California. He smoked from a pipe and someone took a picture. The picture made it public. There was an outcry - "Oh my gosh, a 22 year old smoking dope." Kellogg pulled its sponsorship of Phelps. (I make no moral judgment on Phelps or what he did. I make no moral judgment on Kellogg or what it did either.)

So, now NORML and a few of its friends are urging a boycott of Kellogg by pot smokers. They want the potheads to call Kellogg and let them know what they think. I think it would go something like this:

Kellogg (K): Kellogg customer service. How may I help you?
Pothead (PH): Hey, dude, I am calling to, er, hold on a sec....
(aside to a friend - Dude, what is that word I want to say? Friend: Chef Boyardee. No wait, Burger King. No, boy cod. That's it - boycott.)
PH: I am calling to let you know I am going to boycott Kellogg because, hold on, my turn on the pipe (inhaling sound heard on the phone). Uh, dude, where was I? Oh, that's right. I am going to....
K: Excuse me, sir, what are you talking about?
PH: I have the munchies now. I need some food. Do you have food?
K: Sir, this is Kellogg customer service in Battle Creek, Michigan. Our company makes food.
PH: Food sounds good. Do you have any munchies?
K: Sir, we make snack foods. I highly recommend many of our snack products.
PH: That sounds good. Oh wait, I know. I called to let you know I am going to, er, Chef Boyardee you. No, dude, that is not right. I mean, boycott you.
K: Sir, why are you boycotting me?
PH: Well, dude, it is not you. It is your company.
K: What company is that, sir?
PH: I don't remember. Are you with the DEA?
K: Sir, I am with Kellogg customer service. What can I help you with?
PH: BOYCOTT! BOYCOTT! BOYCOTT!
K: I can offer you a free box of Toasty Crackers with Peanut Butter if you give me your name and address.
PH: Dude, free munchies. Make it two boxes and you have a deal.
K: That is fine sir.

Imagine the potheads who want their munchies so bad that they are going to boycott Kellogg. Really? You care that much about Michael Phelps losing one sponsorship? How many potheads even know who Phelps is? Sure, they probably know the Flying Tomato, but Phelps? I didn't know that swimming and pot mixed.

Memo to potheads, er, those people who like to partake of marijuana: GET OVER IT! Phelps is and you should be too!

Monday, February 9, 2009

Toddlers and Flippin Tiaras

Okay, I get that there are people with different ideas. I am fine with that. I have friends who see things differently than me. Well, most of my friends. Some friends see things the exact same way as me! And you know who you are, MB! Don't try to hide it.

But, there are some things that are just wrong. I was watching TLC over the weekend and the worst show in the history of television came on - Toddlers and Tiaras. Here is the description from TLC's website:
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On any given weekend, on stages across the country, little girls and boys parade around wearing makeup, false eyelashes, spray tans and fake hair to be judged on their beauty, personality and costumes. Toddlers and Tiaras follows families on their quest for sparkly crowns, big titles, and lots of cash.

The preparation is intense as it gets down to the final week before the pageant. From hair and nail appointments, to finishing touches on gowns and suits, to numerous coaching sessions or rehearsals, each child preps for their performance. But once at the pageant, it's all up to the judges and drama ensues when every parent wants to prove that their child is beautiful.

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Okay, so where to start? First, boys? There are boys in these pageants. By the way, by pageant I mean train wreck. And by train wreck, I mean Danny Bonaduce's life looks normal compared to these people! Boys? Fake eyelashes? Fake hair? Seriously? Thankfully, I saw no boys on the episode I watched.

Second, oh wait, there was a boy. Well, a man who said he was a pageant dad. A pageant dad? Now, I get soccer moms and their appeal. But can any woman who is reading this actually say to me that she has any interest in a pageant dad? Dude shows up on the show and is proud that he can't change a tire, but can make a pretty dress. FOR HIS 2 YEAR OLD! Really? 2? Your 2 year old can barely walk, but you want to put her in a pageant. Why? Why, I say, why?

Third, at least she had a dad. None of the other contestants seemed to have a father in their lives. Now, there isn't necessarily wrong with that, but.........

Fourth, these moms were competing AGAINST their children. Yes, the moms and the daughters were competing against each other. I cannot come up with a time when I would compete against any of my kids in anything. Sure, a game of billiards when I am old and they want to talk. But, something like this? Sorry. My competitive days like that are behind me - way behind me. If you think you need to compete against your kid in something like this, you need serious help. And not Dr. Laura help, but padded room help!

Fifth, these folks are blind - or dumb, or both. I don't know. One woman, who was apparently 47, decided to compete in the swimsuit competition. Okay, her "pageant friend" told her the swimsuit made her look tall and thin. Really? If by thin you mean her thighs look like little pigs and not cows. Seriously. Go watch the episode. She had elastic on the end of her swimsuit that turned her legs into sausages, or maybe even snausages!

Sixth, these folks think they are in a real competition. They have "two a days" like they are playing football. They practice several times a day for their "talent." They had no talent. None. Seriously, my left foot is more talented and I can't do much with that foot. Just ask anyone I have kicked with it!

Okay, this is the worst show - ever. Period. Celebrity Boxing was better. Watching a juiced up A-Roid hit home runs would be better. Watching Seattle sports would be better. Whoever at TLC approved this show should be taken out back and fired. Now!