Not the five dumbest, necessarily, and not in any particular order, but here are five things we do in this country that just don’t seem to make a lot of sense:
1. Put so-called “Deadbeat Dads” in jail. – Perfect. That’ll help ‘em support their kids. Lock them up so they CAN’T work and make payments. Good idea. That really helps the child, doesn’t it?
2. Race through the terminal to get a good “spot” at the luggage conveyer. And for that matter, why must we all crowd around that conveyer and elbow and shove each other around just to pick up a bag that no one else wants anyway?
3. Speaking of pushing and shoving, Christmas shopping the day after Thanksgiving. In reality, the sales aren’t all that great, and you end up getting angry trying to find a parking spot, which puts you in a bad mood before you enter the mall, which means you’re more likely to push and shove someone out of the way while battling for the same overpriced game system that will be $100 less in six months…
4. Give someone the finger when they pass you. What good does this do? Is this supposed to make you feel superior? If you’re driving 48 in a 55 just to tick people off, why then do you also feel the need to finger everyone that passes you as they choose to drive 55 or 60? Does this make you tougher? (Full disclosure, this did NOT happen to me this morning, it happened to Diane. A pretty, innocent young woman who would never hurt anyone. But the idiot fingered her as he was driving 45 on a two-lane state highway.)
5. Watch “American Idol”. Of all of the so-called “reality shows”, this has always been my least favorite. And the show is turning out to be “the Big Lie”. Seriously, name the past winners of the show (some people actually can)…and then name all of the smash #1 hits they’ve had on the music charts since they won the show. These people don’t become “idols”, much to the chagrine of profiteer Simon Cowell. Yet the idiots in this country still register more votes for this drivel than they do on Election Day. Amazin’.
12 responses so far ↓
1
jadedgirl
// Apr 8, 2008 at 3:12 pm
I agree BIG time with the observation concerning American Idol…what fake crap it has truly become. Although, I do think that there has been some pretty good talent exposed there as well. I love Kelly Clarkson…I think her first album had some really great songs on it. And there’s Carrie Underwood as well…beautiful girl with brains and hella pipes. She is by far my favorite country artist of this decade.
And as for the child support issue…jail isn’t the answer. But…what is really? I mean, yes…when they can’t work, they can’t earn…but many deadbeat dads and moms go for years without paying a penny. I believe in wage garnishment. And if the guy doesn’t work…which many do not, OR they get paid in cash to avoid paying. Put them in PRISON and garnish the wage they earn while making license plates or laundry or whatever they do in prison now. That could work.
An example is this: My best friend has a son who is now 16 and her sperm donor was ordered when he was born to pay…seriosuly…FIVE dollars a month in child support…yes thats only FIVE dollars. Because he didn’t have a job at the time, that was the basis. Guess what? He never paid…16 years she never saw a penny. Just this year the state finally charged him with failure to obey a court order and he was ordered to pay all of the back child support…with interest OR go to jail… (and they raised the amount to $200 a month)
He pays every month now…hasn’t skipped one payment. Sometimes the THREAT alone works.
I just got all of the back child support owed to me for the last seven years. They garnished my “baby daddy’s” federal income tax and I got his return this year and last year. It sucks that he lost his EIC, but at least he’s caught up now.
Wage garnishment works…but what else will? Who knows?
2
vonster
// Apr 10, 2008 at 2:50 pm
Not that you’d return the favor but – fairness dictates I make it know when I agree with you.
3
mortonmalaise
// Apr 10, 2008 at 3:57 pm
BJ,
As a corollary to the luggage conveyor thing, how about the douchebags that race to get in line to get on the plane? We’re all going to be on the plane, and we’re all going to leave at the same time. The worst part is, most of the time, this is the same guy who decides to wait until they open the doors and people start trying to get off the plane to block the entire aisle trying to get his carryon out of the overhead bin, instead of getting it out once the plane stops but before the doors are opened.
4
BJ Stone
// Apr 10, 2008 at 11:13 pm
Jaded – Garnishment DOES work…but when you garnish a guy’s “wages” from jail, your just using yours and my tax dollars to pay someone else’s child support. Here’s what would work: Make places that have tough-to-do and unpleasant jobs hire these guys and make work MANDATORY. You could even offer up a bit of a tax incentive to a company willing to hire these guys instead of sending their jobs to freakin’ China. Then, the guy HAS to work, HAS to pay (his wages are garnished first, he gets what is left), and he HAS to be responsible. Miss a day of work? He’s wearing one of those electronic anklets so he has to stay confined to his house. If you’re sick, you’re staying home, buddy.
But putting them in the clink? Helps no one, EXCEPT the deadbeat dad, who now gets three squares and access to TV and exercise equipment he may not get in his own modest home. I won’t even get into the guys who HAVE the means and live high on the hog, but refuse to pay. That’s for another time. But again, jail isn’t the answer. Forced work is.
MM – the guy who stands up while the plane is still rolling cracks me up, too. Sit down, Elvis, we aren’t going anywhere. And I personally like to be the LAST guy on the plane. It means I’ve spent less time sitting there sweating while the captain turns the air and fans off. I’m with you on that one…the race to board is annoying.
5
mortonmalaise
// Apr 11, 2008 at 9:06 am
Oh, and when we were coming back from Florida and hit the runway in Atlanta, someone pulled the Kenny Tarmac and started screaming on their cellphone, “YEAH. YEAH, WE JUST LANDED. YEAH, ATL. I KNOW! NO, IT’S COLD OUT. RIGHT. OK! GREAT! LATER!” I couldn’t help but laugh out loud. My mom thought I was crazy, but the guy in front of me was dying too.
6
jadedgirl
// Apr 11, 2008 at 10:09 am
MM- Kenny Tarmac…LOVE IT! LOL Gotta love those Bob and Tom alums, and the geniuses who would aspire to be them.
)
BJ-
)
Yeah…That a good idea fo sho. Never thought of that. I’d vote for that to happen in a HEARTBEAT. Thanks!
And Vonster agreed with you??? Hell just froze over…LOL
7
vonster
// Apr 11, 2008 at 1:28 pm
I take that first part back – kind of….
8
Tony
// Apr 11, 2008 at 3:05 pm
How about people who tip 10% or less on a meal when they go out to eat?
I understand that people think that servers “know the risks” when taking a serving job, knowing they get paid less than minimum wage but supposedly making up for that in the tips they earn. But this is not always the case.
I’m sorry the kitchen took a little bit longer than normal to cook your top sirloin well done, but that’s not the server’s fault. That dollar you left (and you thought you were being GENEROUS) is not going to help pay the server’s bills. If you are not expecting to compensate your server- or other hospitality workers- fairly, then you shouldn’t dine out in the first place. Just my two cents.
9
Mahkno
// Apr 11, 2008 at 8:36 pm
6. Voting Republican.
10
Cory
// Apr 12, 2008 at 11:13 am
Tony,
I’ve always said, if you can’t afford to tip, go to McDonald’s. I know many, many people in the food service industry, and a table with a $100 check that leaves $5 or $10 is more than a bit upsetting for them.
11
Knight in Dragonland
// Apr 12, 2008 at 2:54 pm
I’m not a big fan of American Idol, but Kelly Clarkson and Carrie Underwood have gone on to be mega-stars, and Clay Aiken and Chris Daughtry have done well for themselves, too.
12
jadedgirl
// Apr 13, 2008 at 9:57 pm
Tony-
RIGHT ON!
Knight-
Yep…only I never liked Clay that much. But Chris Daughtry is really good as well.
Mahkno-
YEAHHHH…Like that’ll help ANYTHING. Seriously???? UGHHH.
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