Is It That I'm Just Getting Old?

 

Is it that I am just getting old? Who knows? I still haven’t gone to Swiss Chalet for the early bird dinner. I still like loud music. I’m not having any problems with my plumbing. I don’t get in anyone’s way at Costco. I’m still driving at the same speed I always did. I’m not on any medicine. I still like to light up a fatty every once in a while. My pants are not up to my nipples. I’m still curious.

Where do I start? I mean about the things I wonder about today?

The Zimmerman Trial

 

Most of us have heard about the Zimmerman trial in Florida. Personally I think he should have got manslaughter. Whatever happened to two guys being in a fight with a winner and a loser? I was in lots of fights when I was younger and killing the other person was never an option. Almost nobody ever dies in a fist fight. Most of these fist fights are about trivial things and honour. The honour part can be a bit fuzzy. A broken nose, a few scrapes here and there. You take your chances and then you walk away in victory or defeat. None of Zimmerman’s injuries were life threatening and it wasn’t his first rodeo. His ex- fiancé once put out a restraining order on him. He was once charged with assaulting a cop. He has taken some martial arts courses. Some have opined that the 17 year old Martin smoked pot and had trouble in school and at home as if that is enough reason to die. So Zimmerman pulls out his gun and shoots Martin as close to the heart as you can get. Not at an angle but straight on. He didn’t want to wound, he wanted to kill.

Zimmerman never took the stand in his defence. Video shows him claiming Martin stepped out of some bushes when there were no bushes. He was told by police dispatch not to follow Martin who had every right to be where he was. Who wouldn’t confront someone who was following them? Why wasn’t Zimmerman held overnight after the murder by the police? Why were no tests made on him for alcohol or drugs?

It may be 2013 but racial inequality still exists in the US. These days it is just sometimes more subtle. Code words are often used. We hear stuff regularly from right wing types that makes you wonder what progress really has been made in the area of race relations in some parts of the US. Obama has been accused about everything one could imagine including having a fake birth certificate. Black voter suppression is common throughout the US south.

US prisons are packed with black people. Ever wonder why crack can get you 20 years in the slammer if you are black but if you are white and get caught with powder cocaine you very likely can get off with rehab?

Twitter

 

Is there any technological advancement as useless as this? If I wanted to listen to someone’s inane ramblings why not just take a visit to the local asylum where I could listen to crazy in more than 140 characters. Who else sees Twitter followers as sheep? Getting a signal that someone is tweeting is kind of like some lab experiment where animals or birds respond to a sound.

Facebook

 

A few years ago my daughter suggested to me that Facebook might not be my kind of thing and that it was better suited to younger people who wanted to keep up with their friends activities. My daughter was right about me using Facebook.

The first thing I did when I joined Facebook was check off some of movies, TV programs, and music that I like. From then on I was flooded with stuff pertaining to these choices.

One of the things that really throws me off about Facebook and other similar media is the inability of people to have an actual conversation. It is as if people are afraid to provide any content. That they will be labelled as a gasbag or know it all. Sometimes it seems like a communications contest where both parties provide as little info as possible. If you haven’t seen someone in 40 years you might think “I’m living in Hawaii” might not exactly be overly revealing.

A while ago a Facebook site asked me if I would like to join and I declined. First of all I’m not fussy about crappy jokes, thoughts for the day about how to improve your life, dog and cat photos, or people trying to mine a Facebook site for potential cruise ship bookings of which I guess they get a cut.

I recently discovered that a Facebook site I had looked at a few times was now closed to members only. Members only? Its Facebook for chrisakes not a country club. Could these folks be any more narrow minded? Kind of reminds me of high school. I’m partial to Groucho Marx’s old line….”I would never belong to a club that would have me as a member.”

I have to confess that a few times I have browsed through names on Facebook with the idea of seeing if someone was still alive and if so what they were up to. I also have to confess that I haven’t a clue of how to send them a message without the whole world seeing it.

And what’s the deal between Facebook and YouTube (which I love)? Why does Facebook pop up when I go looking for a tune?

Tattoos

 

What’s up with tattoos? It used to be only armed services folks had them along with some carnival roustabouts. Sorry but I don’t see anything individualistic about having a tattoo. Another one of those sheep things as far as I’m concerned. In some ways it seems like some have just given up on their appearance. If I see another fat lady at the grocery store with something crawling out of her squishy boobs it will be too soon. The same goes for 14 year olds with tattoos just above their bums. The worst has got to be those that have tattoos on their necks. Yikes!

Years ago I was in a video store in Vancouver that was owned by newly arrived Iranians. A guy came into the store with a 3^rd eye tattooed on his forehead. The store owner said he felt bad for staring and should he apologize for doing so? I told him hell no! If someone wants to shock you and finds others staring that’s their problem as far as I’m concerned.

I’ve wondered a few times why people don’t get temporary tattoos. It would cost a lot less and you could always change your mind about your choice. I guess the ritual of having to endure some pain is some kind of throwback to primitive times.

A tattoo has little to do with who you really are. Still people are entitled to their choices I guess.

The NHL

 

Correct me if I’m wrong but wasn’t there a shutdown of the NHL this past season because expenses were getting way out of hand as far as payrolls go? So far something like 400 million has been spent on free agent hockey players. The biggest catch was supposedly the signing of David Clarkson by the Toronto Maple Leafs for 21 million over 5 years. He has only scored more than 20 goals once in his career. This past year he only had 7 goals. Mason Raymond of the Vancouver Canucks had 10 goals this past year and can’t find a team willing to give him a contract.

And then Ilya Kovalchuck buggers off on his contract and goes back to play in Russia. Last year he had 11 goals in 37 games. He was being paid about 9 million per year in the NHL.

It’s all crazy I tell you!

Harper and the Conservatives

 

Correct me if I’m wrong but didn’t the national Liberals go down because of corruption? Mike Duffy, Pamela Wallin, the Nigel Wright pay-off?  Where is the difference and how much are those air force jets going to cost us now and what ever happened to those screwy subs we bought from the UK?

One nice thing about getting older is that you can pretty well speak your mind with impunity. I’m kind of enjoying that. I really don’t give a ratsazz if someone disagrees with me. What are they going to do to me, shun me?

That’s my rant for today, another hot summer’s day in beautiful BC.

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