TMI, Revisited

This is a revolutionary multidisciplinary post that concurrently confuses, enlightens, and entertains you. Another-words, it was done on the fly and the thoughts transmitted from my grey matter thru my fingers to this keyboard and onto this page might resemble something you might encounter on the road to HUH?

I have succumbed to this programming that has removed hair from the human body in all places but the head as places it belongs. I would have a serious issue with European women. One hairy armpit or a bushy bush would send me running for an industrial can of Nair. Thanks, media, no wonder they hate Americans.

We are being charged far more than the actual worth of oil simply because they CAN. So, tell me, why CAN they? If the health insurance or other insurance companies were to hike their prices 500% overnight, there would be hell to pay. Most of us still have to get to work and heat our homes, nevermind long gas guzzling road trips to exotic destinations. So tell me; WHY can they? Let me answer my own question. You might be tempted to assign blame to supply and demand, to the free market system, or any other convoluted excuse. Then why hasn't the same applied to food, toasters, many other things we need but are kept somewhat under control so that they can be afforded at all? BECAUSE THEY CAN BEND US OVER A FUCKING BARREL OF CRUDE AND ECONOMICALLY SODOMIZE US! Because we LET them. If I suggested everybody stay off the road, not go to work, not burn one drop of oil till these dickweeds get the message, which you know damn well would work, would you? Of course not. You haven't got the guts. Neither do I if I can't count on anybody else to dare exercise their power as consumers. So, when you are deciding wether to pay for your prescriptions, your internet connection, food, clothing, shelter, OR a tank of gas and your electric bill, give me a call. I'm stuck right here because I can't afford 30 dollar tanks of gas for anything other than getting to work.

Shandi was explaining in her last post I read why she can't understand giving up control to someone else. It wasn't necessary. Giving up control to someone else is something we all do on a daily basis, but we think we actually choose to allow that to happen, when really we don't. It's a fact of life. However, voluntarily giving up control to someone else, especially for sexual or partnership reasons is not something most people could do if they even wanted to. Most humans are not designed to lend that amount of trust to another person, and frankly, that is a very healthy survival mechanism. It works for most of us. Some, however, find some sort of liberation, actually, in surrendering that control, while others are empowered by taking control themselves, with all it's attendant headaches and responsibilities. Not many are capable of taking on such a task, in a selfless manner no less, and most should not even presume to think they could. We find release, liberation, safety, pleasure, you name it, in the many choices we make, and if that choice is to be in total control of your own destiny, what could be possibly wrong with that? Shandi, you don't have to "get it". Just being yourself is your own personal "kink" and you own it, lock stock and barrel, and that's a good thing.

I have my own personal "kinks", and I gave up trying to psychoanalyze them years ago. I don't understand fully half the things that perk my interest, but I have found that trying to dissect them only makes them seem even weirder. If truth be told, I am probably more "normal" than most normal people I know. I certainly laugh when my "normal" friends admit to something totally hilarious in the ways of phobias or the things they can be anal about. It's the one's that go out of their way to appear squeaky clean that really worry me. Try admitting for once that you're human just like the rest of us and I'll welcome you to our club with open arms, and I won't pry into your dark secrets just because you have the guts to admit you might have a few. It's none of my business.

I bitch and moan alot about my personal situation; financial, political, you name it, and I have to overcome alot of guilt and restraint in order to do it. I am fully aware what this "woe is me" tendency sounds like to my audience, but I would like to point out that doing it is cathartic to me, and is not really intended to illicit any sort of sympathy. By getting it out there, I really do release it to the winds and get it off my chest for a little while if nothing else. I know that the consequence of this is that my audience has to listen to it (that is, unless they are smart enough to skim rapidly thru it to get to something juicy, sort of like fast-forwarding thru commercials), but, It's not like I'm forcing anyone to read it, it's just a component of what makes an online journal, and having read some other blogs made up almost entirely of angst, I think you're getting a real bargain here at "Dances".

Rod Stewart is on American Idol singing those oldies he took on in order to attempt to salvage his career since he blew out his vocal cords altogether. Sad. If he'd bought some cheaper drugs during the glory days maybe he'd be able to afford the lifestyle to which he became accustomed. Or maybe not. The cheap stuff had a tendency to be somewhat lethal. Alot can be said for bowing out gracefully when your talent succumbs to time, age, and hard living. Elvis could be wowing those ladies in the nursing home if he'd just retired when he should have.

One thing I would really like to impart here while I'm on a roll is addressed specifically to all those fellow bloggers whose posts I have commented on. Due to the lack of body language and facial expression that is usually a vital part of communication, my style of comment could possibly be misconstrued. I tend to have a humorous and sardonic style that can easily be taken as sarcastic or mildly negative. So, in an effort to clear up any misunderstandings that could have arisen due to my writing style, I want to assure all of you that unless I clearly and concisely state in plain, understandable english that YOU ARE SOME KIND OF FUCKING DICKWEED, I have never in any way ever meant that to be construed from any comment I ever made on your blog. I am usually smiling like a fool when I comment on your excellent work, so please picture me doing so whenever you read my comments, because frankly, if I actually felt the need to sound mean or condescending in a reply, you'd know it. Believe me. You'd know it. Yes, Tim, even you. hehe Even when you select few that I faithfully read say something I don't exactly agree with, you have already earned my respect as someone who has something of value to impart, or else I wouldn't be reading your blogs. Bob only knows what keeps those 4 faithful, maybe 9 not so faithful, fans of mine coming back to this place, but I do appreciate it. If Tim can lose out to cheese, of all things, I can feel good about losing out to Tim. He's earned each and every one of his faithful readers. As have all of you who garner such great comment responses. And no, I am not depending on comments to prop up my self-esteem; I am fully aware that I might possibly be the most outstanding blogger the world has yet to discover, so, just like playing the lottery, I may not win, but SOMEBODY will, and who knows, it might be me some day. When hell freezes over.

Wait, I'm not finished yet. I want to include a pasted article I ran across that really pisses me off. I swear to Bob, if ANY one of you EVER buys one of these TV sets that has this feature in it, I will give up you altogether. There's a limit to how much I think any rational being should put up with. Read this and be afraid....be VERY afraid.......



The advert enforcer

If a new idea from Philips catches on, the company may not be very popular with TV viewers. The company's labs in Eindhoven, The Netherlands, has been cooking up a way to stop people changing channels to avoid adverts or fast forwarding through ads they have recorded along with their target programme.
 

The secret, according to a new patent filing, is to take advantage of Multimedia Home Platform - the technology behind interactive television in many countries around the world. MHP software now comes built into most modern digital TV receivers and recorders. It looks for digital flags buried in a broadcast, and displays messages on screen that let the viewer call up extra features, such as additional footage or information about a programme.

Philips suggests adding flags to commercial breaks to stop a viewer from changing channels until the adverts are over. The flags could also be recognised by digital video recorders, which would then disable the fast forward control while the ads are playing.

Philips' patent acknowledges that this may be "greatly resented by viewers" who could initially think their equipment has gone wrong. So it suggests the new system could throw up a warning on screen when it is enforcing advert viewing. The patent also suggests that the system could offer viewers the chance to pay a fee interactively to go back to skipping adverts.