The world of the idiot.

I was clicking through programs on television and realized we live in the world of the idiot, the half-wit, the cretin, the boob. Young men and women have hoops in their noses, spacers in the ear lobes, piercing in the lips, noses, cheeks, arms, eyebrows, and God knows where else. Tattooed beasts that couldn't stop themselves from covering their bodies. People who split their tongue in half and surgically implant horns in their heads. Musicians who go on rampages. Paparazzi that makes their living off stalking. TV shows dedicated to crime, prison life, drug abuse, and the utterly stupid fill the cable networks. Stars who are famous for getting drunk, getting stoned, cussing, stripping, and making sex tapes. The more extreme the better. How has this become the norm?

We live in the world of the idiot....

The case against Barry Bonds... I don't get it.

The Barry Bonds trial began today. I was thinking back to when he was chasing home run records. Pitchers were afraid of him. He stepped up to the plate and dared them to throw a strike. Fans packed the stadiums and roared when he came to the plate. Kayakers jammed the bay hoping for a ball hit by him. The baseball world was in awe. Now . . . his number is gone from the left field wall. He doesn't exist in the minds of the fans. Why? Maybe he's a jerk. I wouldn't know. Never met the man. Did he take steroids? Probably. Why all the hate? What did he ever do but hit home runs, doubles, triples off the wall, steal bases, drive in runs, and win games? That's why we watched. That's why we paid. The gladiator entered the coliseum with sword in hand ready to slay the opponent. 

Now . . . the government wants their pound of flesh. The prosecutors probably couldn't hit a 100 mph fastball. But, the State of California is broke. They are letting non-violent criminals (real criminals) out of jail. Teachers are losing their jobs and kids can't play sports at their schools anymore. People have no jobs, homes are in foreclosure, cars repossessed. We are broke! This show is costing the taxpayers more than $5 million dollars. What purpose does all this serve?  

I don't get it.

Sunday's gym rant

Sunday afternoon's I make time to get my skinny, aging, body into the gym for some much needed exercise. I try and go three or four times a week, usually early in the morning, before work when it's quiet and peaceful and feels more like meditation than working out. Today the gym was rather crowded and as I worked the machines I made some observations.

A rather soft Asian man stacked six 45lb weights on each side of one of the machines. That's 500 lbs. Then he stood in front of the machine stretching with funny motions like he was a dancing chicken. I was curious to how he intended to lift that much weight without snapping his arms in half like matchsticks. He sat down at the ready, took a few deep breaths, and pushed with all his might. The bar moved about two inches and then he came back and did the same motion over again three times. He only lifted it two inches! What the hell was the point of that? There wasn't any girls watching him. Did I also say he wore dark aviator glasses too? Need I say more.

One man looked like a tank with a tight long sleeve shirt on. His neck bulged veins, and I think I saw extra muscles that normal humans don't have. He obviously really, really, really likes the gym. Get a life!

In the corner were a few high school girls who sat and talked the whole time. Daddy was paying their membership and they used it as a house of gossip.

At another machine was "the grunter". With every motion he let out a huge grunt, which could have been interpreted as the passing of wind (fart). His whole body dripped with sweat and he smelled so bad you wondered when was the last time he took a shower. Yuck!

I only make these observations because these people know who they are. They know that they are disturbing to the rest of us who go to try and stay in shape. If you are one of them. Get a clue. Take a shower, wear a muzzle, and lift weights that are suitable for your muscle mass before you snap all your tendons and muscles. The rest of us would appreciate it.

I know. I got off on another tangent.

Moon shadow!

The super moon is out, although I can't see it because we are covered in clouds and rain. They say it makes us do crazy things. I was wondering why my little dog was howling at the sky.

The world seems to have gone insane with missiles in the air and destruction everywhere. When does it end? When does it stop? Have we become one of them? Maybe it's all part if the plan.

Moon shadow, moon shadow.

Friday's muse

Today, I heard on the radio that Charlie Sheen (everyone say yuck!) is doing a concert, or show, or whatever he is going to do, and has sold out in arenas like Madison Square Gardens. All the tickets were sold very quickly for up to $500 per seat. The really strange part is that no one really knows what he is going to do. He could come out on stage and sit in a chair, motionless, smoking a cigarette, while the crowd waits with baited breath for some crazy rant or poem that will spew forth from his lips. Is it that people like to see a train wreck in action, stop to see a car wreck to see if there are any body bags, or to just drool at someone who made $2mil per week acting on a TV show? Somebody please tell me why you would pay $500 to see this loon speak (or not).

St. Patrick's Day

Is it just me or is St. Patrick's day the dumbest day ever, except of course if you happen to be Irish, which doesn't make a lot of sense since St. Patrick was British. I read quotes all day on Facebook about drinking green beer at 10:00AM, speaking like a leprechaun, and then a flurry of comments to one up each other. This got me thinking.

Why is our society filled with people who have to be better than everyone or at least try to be? Who has the nicer house, the better car, or the expensive purse and shoes? Who sells the most records? Who can drink the most green beer by lunch?

P. Diddy, or whatever you call him, can't sing. Last week on American Idol he came and strutted his thug self on stage like a pimp on the boulevard and spouted a few words (which he thought was singing) and the fans went crazy. Am I missing something here? Jennifer Lopez can't sing either. She hides her voice behind a techno beat. She's well marketed, and beautiful, which helps. Steven Tyler, he can sing. Luther Vandross, Karen Carpenter, Frank Sinatra (I know I'm dating myself) they could sing. One note and you know it's them. Not sure why I went off of that tangent, but it's my blog.

I guess it's all a gimmick on what they can sell. Did I mention...Snooki is a novelist.

It makes me wonder.

I had to be at an appointment this afternoon. I got a head start in pouring down rain, but as I drove I couldn't remember exactly where it was. I'd only been there once before and I knew the general area. My brain searched and searched. I knew what the building looked like. I think. Finally, after a few wrong turns, a phone call (and a few choice epitaths), I made it just in time to find out that my appointment was yesterday! It's either old age setting in or I'm working too hard.

While on the road there was a man on the radio saying that he could forecast earthquakes and that San Francisco was in for a big one. He couldn't say when, but it had something to with tidal surges, moon positioning, pixie dust, and the way his dog wagged its tail, or some other hocus pocus -- we were in for it. Stating that San Francisco or Los Angeles was in for a big earthquake is kind of like saying that it will snow at Lake Tahoe during the winter. Not a big crystal ball there.

The world does seem a little crazy though. Forgetting the economy for a moment. We have the middle east in constant chaos, which seems to grow worse by the minute. Earthquakes and tsunamis are destroying Japan. People are actually buying iodide tablets to fend off the radiation. Radio hosts are quoting biblical references. End of days? Daniel's timeline? Not that I buy into that stuff, but it sure makes you wonder.