Saturday, June 7, 2008

Three thoughts and one rant.

"so thought I'd drop by and see what your thoughts are on hillary's decision to drop out and support barack?"
- Kimmyk
My thoughts. Politics are funny business. Two people can go at each other for 6 months, then when one wins, the other must reconcile and decide to support the other, even though in (her) heart she knows the support wishes are bullshit and she would rather have stepped on (his) throat than to try to heal the party by pretending to unify it. But the Democrats are in such sorry shape now that (she) must do what is best for the party and lend (him) (her) support, whether or not (she) believes what (she) is saying.
I read a news story yesterday that said the Obama campaign is willing to help Hillary with financial support for her campaign expenses, so like a lot of things, it comes down to money.
I'm fascinated by horse racing. There are so-called experts who think that they can predict with certainty what a horse is going to do and tell us that they know. I don't think the horse knows it's in a race and for someone to tell us that they know what a horse is going to do is presumptuous at best. That's why I was so happy to see 38-1 Da'Tara win the Belmont Stakes and 1-4 favorite Big Brown finish last. Last. With the UPS logo all over the place, the jockey pulled him up and let him finish last. UPS is the best package delivery business in the world, but a horse doesn't know that, and neither do people.
I wish I could have gone back to Bulle Rock today for the third round of the LPGA Championship, but it was 102 degrees on the course and my fragile system can't take it. Instead, I rode a bicycle 55 miles and was comfortably indoors before noon. The tournament was on hi-def TV at 4, so I had time for a nap. Annika will be in the final group tomorrow, and it would be a treat to be able to watch her win another major championship, but the weather isn't going to be any better on Sunday, so I suppose I'll take it in on the TV again. When the commentators are talking about how hot it is, I know I don't have a snowball's chance of making it.
Here's the supermarket rant from Friday:
As you know, I find the filmy plastic bags a bane on society and have chosen to carry my own canvas bags to the store, with the added bonus of a nickel discount for every bag I use.
My tiny order needed two bags, and I supplied them. The cashier tried her best to put my cat litter in a plastic bag and I immediately said, "I have my own bags," and launched into a minor rant about how much oil it takes to make a bag and how they're part of the problem.
There was also a bagger, which I usually appreciate. This time, however he was also a bane on society. He tried mightily to use the yellow plastic, and after hearing my little rant, said something strange like, "Yes, they're a problem until you get product in them, then they're OK," which made little sense to me, and after walking 7,000 yards just made me blink my eyes a few times.
When the stuffed tilapia came through the counter (immediately following the plastic-wrapped and boxed soap) the bagger went into a minor convulsion and put the fish into a plastic bag, even though it was itself wrapped in plastic, saying "I put the fish in a bag, I hope you don't mind," (knowing I would) and disappeared before I could remind him of the additional plastic wrap which would also wind up in the local landfill.
So, not only did I have to waddle home with a useless plastic bag, I also didn't get the ten cent discount I was entitled to for using my own bags.
NOTE TO ZALLIE'S SHOP RITE: Educate your cashiers. I didn't get the discount today either on my second trip in as many days. Also, it wouldn't be a bad idea to ban the stupid, wasteful bags like they have in some so-called Third World countries and Whole Food Markets which should be a competitor of yours.
I'm sick and tired ("and tired" always follows "sick") of the plastic bags and I'm also sick and tired of the lazy-ass shoppers who leave their idling vehicles in the fire lane while their equally lazy-ass partners run in "for a few minutes" to buy something that will invariably be placed in a plastic bag.
What a stupid world.

2 comments:

kimmyk said...

maybe you should write a letter to the editor of your local newspaper bringing all this to their attention and see where that gets ya with the supermarket.

we have a whole foods here and i love shopping there when i can, but it's so damn expensive. i can't see spending 78 cents a pound on bananas when i can get them at krogers for half that. but they are more eco friendly, so i guess that's the price some pay to do their part.

55 miles before noon, huh?
good for you. doesn't your ass hurt though? man, mine does after about the 15 minute marker. and i have a gel seat too!

Anonymous said...

Anthony, the supermarket staff will never do that! It's sad, but for a lot of people, learning is a painful process to be avoided.
I even see this in my students - adults who come to school voluntarily because of their interest in learning, or so you should think.

I won't forget the look in the eyes of some of them when I told them that I once taught myself the Greek alphabet on a vacation in Cyprus.
"Why would you want to do that?, one asked in horror, "I mean, on your vacation? Voluntarily??"
"Well", I said, "I wanted to read the street signs for example, and understand what's going on around me."

Learning on free terms isn't for everyone. With most people, you have to bash their heads in order to make their synapses pass on information.