I don't know if this is rap or hip hop music, but it is really good.
In urban youth speak, "dat flava flav gots mad skills boi!"
Tuesday, March 25, 2008
Monday, March 24, 2008
I don't know
This phrase, along with other phrases seem to have been removed from the English language. Why is it so difficult to say? Really, it's not that hard, try it with me just this once "I don't know."
So I went into one of those big-box home improvement stores today - they are really all the same, this particular one has the initials of Home Depot, but it could have been Lowe's, I tend to get the same answers regardless of which store I'm in - my experience was very similar to numerous past visits, so this is not a new thing, it just pisses me off.
Lets say you work at a store, doesn't matter what kind of store, and a customer asks you "do you know how to perform brain surgery?" Why is the answer always "yep, sure it's easy, you just blah, blah, blah . . . ."
How come the employees NEVER, I mean never says "sorry, I've never performed brain surgery, but let me find someone that has, and maybe they can help answer your questions." Is it like some Japanese cultural deal where if the employee doesn't know the answer they will have to kill themselves right there in front of you to save face for making up some bullshit answer about some shit they know absolutely nothing about!
I really do wonder why this takes place at almost all retail stores?
I feel like Charlie Brown standing out in the middle of a field screaming at the top of his lungs, "doesn't anyone know the true meaning of Christmas," except I'm standing in the middle of this big box store screaming at the top of my lungs "hasn't anyone in this store actually performed a home improvement task!"
So I went into one of those big-box home improvement stores today - they are really all the same, this particular one has the initials of Home Depot, but it could have been Lowe's, I tend to get the same answers regardless of which store I'm in - my experience was very similar to numerous past visits, so this is not a new thing, it just pisses me off.
Lets say you work at a store, doesn't matter what kind of store, and a customer asks you "do you know how to perform brain surgery?" Why is the answer always "yep, sure it's easy, you just blah, blah, blah . . . ."
How come the employees NEVER, I mean never says "sorry, I've never performed brain surgery, but let me find someone that has, and maybe they can help answer your questions." Is it like some Japanese cultural deal where if the employee doesn't know the answer they will have to kill themselves right there in front of you to save face for making up some bullshit answer about some shit they know absolutely nothing about!
I really do wonder why this takes place at almost all retail stores?
I feel like Charlie Brown standing out in the middle of a field screaming at the top of his lungs, "doesn't anyone know the true meaning of Christmas," except I'm standing in the middle of this big box store screaming at the top of my lungs "hasn't anyone in this store actually performed a home improvement task!"
Sunday, March 16, 2008
Sunday, March 9, 2008
Immigration
It's time for my Sunday morning OP-ED piece, and today I chose the topic of immigration.
Immigration comes up a lot in the media and for some reason is a big topic of debate these days. When it first came up several months ago I claimed that is was a bit of "slight-of-hand," in much the same way a magician will do something with his left hand so you don't see what his right hand is doing. What I'm saying is that the topic of immigration is, and was brought up to keep most people from realizing that gas prices are at an all time high, the war in Iraq is, how can I say this, not going as well as expected, and the housing market is in a bit of a slump.
That was several months ago, NOW gas prices are off the charts, the war in Iraq is going better (according to whom?) and foreclosures are at an all time high! The biggest topic right now is the economy and are we in, or heading towards a recession?
When the topic of immigration comes up they all seem to be talking about securing our boarders, right?
The problem is not that non-US citizens come into the United States. The problem is that non-US citizens are given JOBS in the United States. Example, if you are from Spain and you cross the boarder into France, you can walk around, shop, buy stuff, eat stuff, hang out, etc. however, you can't GET A JOB, UNLESS you have a work visa.
That is the key right there, work and work visas. I have no problem with lots and lots of people coming to visit the United States from Mexico, Canada and/or South American countries or anywhere for that matter, the only problem is all these people CAN'T HAVE JOBS here unless they apply and are granted a work visa [period].
That is all it is, relatively simple, if you have a work visa you are free to work in the United States.
There seems to be several problems with this theory, here are just a few:
A) the media never talks about this aspect of the immigration issue.
B) there are jobs here that US citizens don't want to do for the wages paid (like landscaping and cleaning hotel rooms) so those jobs go to immigrants who will work for low wages.
C) if employers STOP hiring people without work visas they would suffer a very high turnover rate due to the low wages for the jobs given.
D) the employers would have to increase wages to stabilize their workforce.
E) if people without work visas COULD NOT get jobs here, they would stop coming here.
F) wages for jobs would increase in a supply-and-demand free-market economy.
It's not really a big deal to sort out the whole immigration mess, it all stems from GREED.
If business owners had to pay higher wages their profits would be lower, and most business owners don't want that.
Some business CLAIM these lower profits are causing them to close their doors, and YES there is a point where a business must find a balance to continue to exist and grow.
Why are these issues not often talked about in the news media?
Immigration comes up a lot in the media and for some reason is a big topic of debate these days. When it first came up several months ago I claimed that is was a bit of "slight-of-hand," in much the same way a magician will do something with his left hand so you don't see what his right hand is doing. What I'm saying is that the topic of immigration is, and was brought up to keep most people from realizing that gas prices are at an all time high, the war in Iraq is, how can I say this, not going as well as expected, and the housing market is in a bit of a slump.
That was several months ago, NOW gas prices are off the charts, the war in Iraq is going better (according to whom?) and foreclosures are at an all time high! The biggest topic right now is the economy and are we in, or heading towards a recession?
When the topic of immigration comes up they all seem to be talking about securing our boarders, right?
The problem is not that non-US citizens come into the United States. The problem is that non-US citizens are given JOBS in the United States. Example, if you are from Spain and you cross the boarder into France, you can walk around, shop, buy stuff, eat stuff, hang out, etc. however, you can't GET A JOB, UNLESS you have a work visa.
That is the key right there, work and work visas. I have no problem with lots and lots of people coming to visit the United States from Mexico, Canada and/or South American countries or anywhere for that matter, the only problem is all these people CAN'T HAVE JOBS here unless they apply and are granted a work visa [period].
That is all it is, relatively simple, if you have a work visa you are free to work in the United States.
There seems to be several problems with this theory, here are just a few:
A) the media never talks about this aspect of the immigration issue.
B) there are jobs here that US citizens don't want to do for the wages paid (like landscaping and cleaning hotel rooms) so those jobs go to immigrants who will work for low wages.
C) if employers STOP hiring people without work visas they would suffer a very high turnover rate due to the low wages for the jobs given.
D) the employers would have to increase wages to stabilize their workforce.
E) if people without work visas COULD NOT get jobs here, they would stop coming here.
F) wages for jobs would increase in a supply-and-demand free-market economy.
It's not really a big deal to sort out the whole immigration mess, it all stems from GREED.
If business owners had to pay higher wages their profits would be lower, and most business owners don't want that.
Some business CLAIM these lower profits are causing them to close their doors, and YES there is a point where a business must find a balance to continue to exist and grow.
Why are these issues not often talked about in the news media?
Sunday, March 2, 2008
More Mt. biking fun
Found this little video on the internet and thought I'd put it up for people to see
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