How not to get a job...

Greetings: You have no idea how terribly-annoying that techno thumping beat that's been added to the background of your morning traffic news reports. IT IS AWFUL! And if you think it's just me, think again, low-freq tech noise (often added as "musical" accent) plagues old people particularly and is second only to the spew of kilowatt boombox noise pollution that invades the homes along streets and roads where many of us have to live. Please get rid of it. Otherwise, I generally like your broadcast programming.

PS: I know this isn't the time and place to pitch for an internship, but if you have one, please let me know, thank you.

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If you know it isn't the time and place to pitch for an internship...then don't do it. Constructive criticism is fine, snobby criticism is just dumb.

On Sweating the Small Stuff

So the latest is that the inept California politicans can't pass a budget because they can't agree on how to repay the schools later. This is dumb. You and I and them all know that no matter what plan they come up with, they still aren't going to repay the schools didly squat. Now Arnold comes out with his stupid commercials saying that we need to put pressure on the politicans to fix the budget so we don't mortgage our children's future (and slicing more money out of education is SO not doing that). Why do we even have schools anymore? They seem like a burden to the state. Its almost like a bank nowadays. When we need money, where do we go first? Children first (on the chopping block)!

Live within your means. This means no stupid per diem, car allowances and perks for politicans who can't do their job. If I don't accomplish a task at my job I have to stay here and finish it without pay because thats what my salary is for. I'm getting paid to do a job. These politicans don't give a rat's patooty about education, the elderly, the poor, the mentally ill, etc because at the end of the day, they still get their salary, their car allowance and their per diem. If we EVER want a budget on time, its time to clean house and make a new rule. If you don't get the budget on time you don't get paid. PERIOD. Do your job. Cut yourself before you take any more money out of the Bank of Children and stop whining like children while you're at it.

On Traffic Jams Make You Do Crazy Thing

Incident: 0547
Type: Traffic Hazard - Vehicle Location:
NB US101 JNO WALDO TUN S
2/16/2009 9:01:15 AM

ADDITIONAL DETAILS
8:56AM PER BRIDGE, VEH NEG 1125 NOW CHP CAN 1022
8:56AM PER THIS CALLER HAVE BEEN STOPPED IN TUNNEL FOR 45 MINS
8:54AM LL BRIDG
8:54AM MALE YELLING AT PEOPLE TO BACK UP SO HE CAN AVOID THE TRAFIC JAM
8:54AM JNO LAKE DRIVE
8:53AM AMA DRIVER
8:53AM MALE STUCK IN TRAFFIC AND TRYING MAKE A UTURN IN #3 LN
8:52AM GLD HONDA PILOT TRYING TO BACK UP TO INTERSECTION SO HE CAN TURN AROUND

And...he's ASIAN! Yay for the Asian Driver!...not that I have attempted a U-turn on a freeway....

On Paying Attention...

So...I know some people aren't as aware of their surroundings as some other people. Me included. But, this one might top the cake.

I walked into Safeway on my break and got my $3.99 (on coupon) Safeway sandwich (hey, its the economy!). Walked to the checkout stand. And of the 7 registers open numbers 2 thru 6 were open. I walked past #1, and this guy was unloading his cart onto the conveyor belt. I thought, oh, maybe they just didn't turn on the light. Nope. There wasn't a worker there. The light wasn't on, but he was unloading his cart. I got in line in an open register (an amazing concept, really) and the guy is done with his unloading. Looks up at where the worker should be....then looks up at where the light should be on....looks around...and repacks his cart and moves over.

No words can describe this.

On Stupid Comments....

There was another BART protest yesterday. This time the people were calling for the release of the people who were arrested during the riot that followed that New Year's Day Bart shooting. This one idiot they interviewed said that they should be relased because the people did it out of anger, and that it would further increase the tension between the Oakland youth and the police who are criminalizing them.

Basically this guy says that it is because of the police that the people arrested lit trash cans on fire, lit cars on fire, destroyed storefronts, etc...and that it is OK for them to do that because its the police's fault that made them do it. WHAT?! They committed a crime...they go to jail.

That brings me to other stupidity. There was a city in the Bay Area whose police chief came under fire because the amount of a certain race of people inside the jails was disproportionate to the percent of that race in the city's population. So does that mean...since I'm Chinese (or, rather categorized Asian) that if I go out and kill someone and the SF jails are filled with 35% Asian that I should be set free because that'd be disproportionate? THAT'S A STUPID ARGUMENT. Look, I don't care if you're black, white, yellow, purple, or puke green. You could be 3'6", or 7'9", if you commit a crime, you belong in jail. Simple. It doesn't matter. Its your fault you commited the crime. You pay the price and don't ask for any excuses.

Another one I don't get it is the Insanity Defense. Most notably I remember is the lady that threw her three kids into the bay because she said God told her to do it (THAT is a rant in and of itself). Look...it doesn't matter that you're insane or mentally unstable. It really doesn't. That doesn't excuse the fact that you did what you did and you can't reverse it. Get help....in jail....for a looooooooooooong time.

Christmas Observations vol 2

1. Holiday season, in my book, officially starts November 1.

2. Only one holiday should be advertised at a time, and should not be advertised prior to an upcoming holiday.

3. Why are candy canes being sold during Halloween candy shopping? That's nasty.

4. KOIT (96.5 FM): I am fine with you playing Christmas music 24 hours a day. I am fine with you being the "Bay Area's Christmas Station." Start the day after Christmas...not a week before! Sleigh bells should not ring on my turkey!

5. Your Christmas lights...are for Christmas, that means that they need to be taken down. Due date: January 2nd.

6. If you have your lights still hanging up from last Christmas (or 10 years prior) and just plug them in in Dec...then that isn't the point!

7. Why does Santa smell?

8. Am I the only one who thinks that the song "I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus" is a horrible Christmas song? You're going to traumetize the poor kid seeing Mommy cheating on Daddy like that. Geez.

9. Where can I buy a partridge in a pear tree? (or twelve for that matter)

10. How many Chistmas' is it going to take before Mariah Carey just gives up? (anyone get this reference???)

11. No gigantic Christmas trees in the middle of plazas before Thanksgiving.

12. I do this one, so I shouldn't complain but..anybody find it funny that we take a tree, hang things off of it and then light it up like a big gigantic beacon?

13. Don't forget to reduce your carbon footprint with these nifty solar-powered Christmas lights...hmm why don't these things work? Oh that's right I'm in San Francisco, its foggy and rainy...

14. Does this mean that Rudolph's nose is also solar powered?

15. Apparently Christmas is the only time where plugging something into an electrical outlet in the rain is totally acceptable.

On Pointless Boycotts...

While I agree with the No on 8, There are financial reasons why a boycott is not effective in ousting Alan Stock.

- In just the specific case of Milk...the direct effect that the movie's expected revenue would have on Cinemark is....minimal, with or without a boycott. (I point to the screaming teenage girls packing the midnight showings of Twilight...). Plus the studio takes around 50% of the box office gross, so the figure 1,000 tickets x $10 a ticket = $10,000 really only amounts to around $4,000 to $5,000 in revenue...and thats pennies to the company, and what, if any of that, filters up to Mr. Stock is probably the quivalent to low end toilet paper.

- While it is contradictory for the CEO of Cinemark to benefit from showing a movie about a gay supervisor....realize that it isn't the CEO'S choice which movies are played at what theatre...

- In terms of a general overall boycott...Alan Stock will still get his pay regardless of whether or not he is fired by the company. And, he probably has so much that would be unaffected by a job loss in any case. An effective boycott (and, sorry, I point to Twilight, and say that this hasn't happened, yet) only affects the ground level workers, most of whom, probably agree with the No on 8 campaign. The lack of business brought on by an effective boycott means less budget, less hours, less need for there to be workers at the theatres. The ground level workers are the people who really need the money in the first place.

- So you ask...why don't the workers just...not work there? In this economy, if you have a job, you hang onto it for dear life, unless its absolutely horrible.

- Alan Stock doesn't have to directly deal with the e-mails and the calls, its everyone else in the company that has to "clean it up".

- You're taking on a large, global, corporation. The reason why the boycott worked in Sacramento is because it was smaller, with one source of income, not thousands of screens worth of income.

- I don't know what a direct answer would be to Mr. Stock's donations, except to continue the fight to make gay marriage constitutional, once again. I just believe a boycott against a company of this size unintentionally affect the wrong people.

Personals Stupidity

Found this one...it made me sort of...hurl...

Is it weird I've never been attracted to an Asian guy? - 21 (SF)

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Reply to: pers-926411003@craigslist.org [?]
Date: 2008-11-19, 7:16PM PST



And I'm Asian? I mean I guess it has to do with where I grew up and the demographics of my hometown...but yea...I've liked white guys, black, even this one latino guy who was really caliente Lol! I think it has to do with the height, since I'm really tall, or maybe their lack of confidence, or the eyes or something. Was that a weird post, or what? So I guess I'm looking for a relationship, blah blah, attach a picture if you want me to reply, if you're not in San Francisco, don't respond. What do you do for a living, what are your interests, goals etc. Thanx.

By the way, sorry if it's offensive, I just tend to be rather honest. "lookism" it's superficial but hey, it's human nature.


----
The problem with the Asian American community is kind of summed up here..good ol' Asians stereotyping Asians. How does one community ever find the ability to come together when they're busy bashing their own people? The main thing I hate about stereotypes is that people take three to five people, make that the generalization for the entire group of people and that's it for the rest of the population. What happened to that "individuals" thing?

Hope that exotic asian woman stereotypes works out for this girl...

On History...

Its...history.

Put aside the fact that nobody really knows what will happen in the next four years. Put aside the fact that we really don't know how much President Obama can get done.

Its...history.

For now, its history. Its 70,000 to 1 million (how they get such a big range, no clue) screaming in Chicago. Its not just black, and its not just white. Its everyone. Its motivation of younger voters. Its a change and defining moment in the population and we're watching it.

Take note that this is history and we're living it, whether you are pro-Obama or not, rarely does one get to witness history...

I Can't Even Think of a Title for this Stupidity...

Story

Basically, this girl says that a 6 foot 4 black man saw her bumper sticker that she was support McCain and proceeded to beat her, rob her and carve a "B" into her cheek all while tell her that she was going to vote for Barack.

Yes, when I first heard the story, I thought: Someone's a few bees short of a hive! (End lame joke.)

So turns out, she made it all up. Although she did carve a "B" into her own cheek. And she can't explain why she did it. She was charged with filing a false police report and instead of being cited is being sent to seek mental help.

Okay, it doesn't take a detective to figure this one out...

She obviously wanted to make a claim that people were so crazy for Barack that they would go out and beat anyone who wouldn't support him. Of course it backfired, hence stupidity. There is nothng wrong with her mental stability, although I give her credit for figuring out how to carve a full "B" into her cheek...

When Political Desperation Leads To....Extortion!

And no I'm not talking about McPalin. In this case they're better than this.

Here's the story about Prop 8 in SF.

Lets pull some quotes shall we?

"Make a donation of a like amount to ProtectMarriage.com which will help us correct this error," reads the letter. "Were you to elect not to donate comparably, it would be a clear indication that you are in opposition to traditional marriage. ... The names of any companies and organizations that choose not to donate in like manner to ProtectMarriage.com but have given to Equality California will be published."

That sounds like a threat don't it. But of course what they're doing is completely legal just morally wrong. Funny how I would bring up morally wrong...

"But when asked about the letter to Equality California donors, Prentice confirmed they were authentic and said the ProtectMarriage.com campaign was asking businesses backing the other side "to reconsider taking a position on a moral issue in California."

Because threats aren't moral at all!

Look folks, this isn't an issue about kids learning about gay marriage in schools. And if someone can explain to me how a gay marriage takes away from a man-woman marriage then let me know. And if someone can explain to me how it also destroys the family structure when these people actually go out and adopt because they want kids, and not because they have a kid on accident, :cough: Bristol Palin :cough:

Stay out of peoples lives...geez.

An Endorsement...

Barack Obama is my choice. And yes, I know that means that all those swing states (OH, NV, CO, FL, real Virginia) will all back my endorsement and this race will be over and we can all go on living happy lives. Anyway, here's why.

1) John McCain is a racist.
2) Sarah Palin is an idiot.
3) John McCain + Sarah Palin = Divided America.

I explain.

-Someone tell me how Sarah Palin can get away with saying that the small towns of America are the "real" or "Pro-America"? How can she say, "We believe that the best of America is in these small towns that we get to visit, and in these wonderful little pockets of what I call the real America, being here with all of you hard working very patriotic, um, very, um, pro-America areas of this great nation."

-How can Sarah Palin, herself, be Pro-America, when she calls a senator and Presidential candidate a terrorist?

-How can Sarah Palin, in the debate, tell Joe Biden to "say it ain't so, Joe, there you go looking into the past" and still bring up Bill Ayers?

-How can John McCain sit there and say he, the maverick, is going to run a clean campaign, only to "energize" his base so much that he created a monster that doesn't even listen to him when he tries to defend Obama. Seriously. When that woman says, "I can't trust Obama, he's an Arab", and when McCain tries to defend Obama and gets Booed...just look at his face, it has "oh s*it, what have I started" all over his face.

-And, another thing I don't understand. Of Wal-Mart shoppers, McCain is supported over Obama 58 to 33 percent. I'm assuming that Wal-Mart shoppers are of a lower income (less than $250,000) and would receive a proposed tax-cut under Obama. So why are people cheering when McCain points out that its a redistribution of wealth? If Joe the CEO is making seven figures and has a personal shopper, and Joe the Janitor is making minimum wage and shopping at Wal-Mart, then we should help Joe the Janitor, not giving more money to Joe the CEO...

-I'd also like to point out that the Director of the SF Int'l Asian American Film Festival has more foreign policy experience than Sarah Palin. Does that make him qualified to be VP?

-Yes on V, No on 8, No on Eric Mar, No on Mark Sanchez.

The #1 Sign that the World is Coming to an End...

Starbucks has begun to identify the estimated 600 stores it will close beginning this month.

The company has posted a list on its Web site at links.sfgate.com/ZEFL, which it said will be updated as closure dates are confirmed.

Eighty-eight of the shops are in California; below are the stores to be closed in the Bay Area.

-- Harbor Walk, 328 First St., Benicia

-- Shattuck and Cedar, 1600 Shattuck Ave., Berkeley

-- Brentwood and Nancy, 7760 Brentwood Blvd., Brentwood

-- Monument and Erickson, 2250 Monument Blvd., Concord

-- San Pablo and Park, 4125 San Pablo Ave., Emeryville

-- Mission and Sorenson, 26953 Mission Road, Hayward

-- Metreon, 101 Fourth St., San Francisco

-- 901 Market St., San Francisco

-- Lincoln and Willow, 1167 Lincoln Ave., San Jose

-- 1620 Mendocino Ave., Santa Rosa

-- Ygnacio and North Main, 2001 N. Main St., Walnut Creek


STARBUCKS are closing...I mean, granted, there's one every few feet, but still...STARBUCKS are closing. If that isn't a recession I don't know what it is. Next thing you know McDonalds is going to fold (or fry)....

Sometimes...'Sex' makes you stupid....

Reader: "WAH?!"

Did I catch your attention?

It was Sex weekend at the theatre...no we didn't change formats...we're talking Sex and the City. Quickly...it brought on the grandest of stupidity in the history of theatreness (I'm making up words).

Lady calls early in the afternoon on the Thursday before the movie opens and says that she can't figure out how to use Fandango (go to Fandango.com, click the theatre, click the showtime, enter your CC, print.) and asks if she can buy her tix over the phone and have us hold the tix until she comes. We don't do that, but we do it anyway. Now for stupidity... She calls back when I get to work and says...

"Hi, I bought four tickets over the phone and I didn't know you were in Daly City."
"We're not in Daly City, we're in San Francisco."
"But I google mapped your location and it says you're off of 280"
(Er...if you google mapped it would say San Francisco...)
"Well where are you coming from?"
"Martinez" (East Bay, probably about 30-45 minutes from SF).
"Well, yes, you come over the Bay Bridge, and when it splits you take 280, take the Monterey Exit"
"Oh, see, I didn't want to come that far, I was wondering if I could get a refund."
"Uhm, Okay, where did you want to go?"
"Emeryville." (This makes sense, that's only 20 minutes away...)
"Uhm Hold on" (I go into a violent, silent shaking, making my coworkers look at me funny.)

I do the refund and get rid of her...If you wanted Emeryville (510) and you call a 415 number...you're going to get a theatre in San Francisco.

Augh...Ultimate stupidity.

Road Dumbness...

Does anyone ever read this thing? Who cares?! Saw it as a feed on someones website...weird. Yes, I was Googling myself. I did it once, and I'd do it again!!!

Anyway, new job. "Traffic Producer". Which means looking at good ol' 511's traffic flow chart and the CHP media info and putting it into a database for on air reporters to read. Exciting, I know.

In two weeks, totalling 54 hours of traffic staring...there have been a multitude of animals on the road including, but not limited to...a racoon, a skunk, a dog, a three legged dog, a pitbull hit by two cars and still running around, more dogs, too many "mama duck and ducklings" to count, deer, cows (4 times no less), and one turkey.

Any way, with new job, comes new dumbness...my favorite dumbness..Road Dumbness.

This guy drops his mattress (a common occurance) on the left lane of a busy highway. He pulls over to the shoulder and the report comes in that he's trying to retrieve his mattress...yes, as if he's quick enough to dodge cars going 65mph+ to go 4 lanes, pick up his mattress and get back to his car without getting hit...

At least, if he gets hit, he'll have a nice cushion to land on...

Christmas Observations...

1. Holiday season, in my book, officially starts November 1.

2. Only one holiday should be advertised at a time, and should not be advertised prior to an upcoming holiday.

3. Why are candy canes being sold during Halloween candy shopping? That's nasty.

4. KOIT (96.5 FM): I am fine with you playing Christmas music 24 hours a day. I am fine with you being the "Bay Area's Christmas Station." Start the day after Thanksgiving...not a week before! Sleigh bells should not ring on my turkey!

5. Your Christmas lights...are... for Christmas, that means that they need to be taken down. Due date: January 2nd.

6. If you have your lights still hanging up from last Christmas (or 10 years prior) and just plug them in in Dec...then that isn't the point!

7. Why does Santa smell?

8. Am I the only one who thinks that the song "I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus" is a horrible Christmas song? You're going to traumetize the poor kid seeing Mommy cheating on Daddy like that. Geez.

9. Where can I buy a partridge in a pear tree? (or twelve for that matter)

10. How many Chistmas' is it going to take before Mariah Carey just gives up? (anyone get this reference???)

Homework: Interactive Fiction

Here is my story. No real plan or inspiration. Just sat down and started writing, and things started to...flow.

Ten Dumb Things About Drivers

Okay, so I attacked Public Transportation Riders and Pedestrians, so in order to be an equal-opportunity ridiculer of dumb people, I present the Ten Dumb Things About Drivers (And yes, there are a ton more, but for fear of my blood pressure being high, so, for my health's sake...)

1. You see that little lever type thing, with the arrows, it's called a turn signal. It's not just for show. Just the other day I was driving on Portola, a two lane road each way. This car ahead of me was moving 15 miles below the speed limit moved out because the lane we were traveling was rough. At the end of the rough stretch, I attempted to pass him and he slowly drifted back ahead of me. No warning, nothing. AUGH!

2. When getting out of your car...you, too, need to be watching for traffic. My car traveling at 30mph will take your door clean off.

3. Is it that hard to pull all the way over to the right to make your right turn? Points off your test!

4. Tailgating a car on a two lane highway (one in each direction) when there are a bunch of cars ahead of that one, will do you no good.

5. High beams are for when you can't see, not for everyday use. Blinding the car in front of you isn't a good idea.

6. Honking someone at an intersection isn't the smartest idea. Look ahead...there's someone crossing the street. If you're that in a rush, you may go around me and run into them. I call witness!

7. Read street signs. I was walking at 19th and Taraval once and this guy was trying to make a left turn. There's a street sign that says you can't do that between 7am - 9am and 4pm - 6pm. The guy in the car behind him, rolls down the window and yells! YOU CAN'T TURN. CAN'T YOU READ?! Time: 2:00pm. CAN'T YOU READ???

8. If your tires are still moving...it's not a stop.

9. In a traffic jam, stay where you are! How come you have to cut out then go all the way to the front and try to cut back in? Nobody else is doing that. Wait your turn.

10. If you wait till you get to the end of the merge, it will go smooth. One car from the left, one car from the right. Trying to merge before the actual merge is what causes traffic jams.

I found this from Carlos Mencia a while back..."Seat belt laws...why do we even have seat belt laws? if you're not smart enough to realize that a seat belt saves you then you should die...you should just...die."


More driving nightmares here.

Ten Dumb Things About Pedestrians...

1. If walking in a group, you don't need to form a human chain and crawl down the sidewalk. You don't own the sidewalk.

2. Slower traffic move to the right...enough said.

3. Don't stop all of a sudden to tie your shoelace, pick up a penny, etc. This is especially important when walking in the crowd. This causes a major pileup and possibly a chain reaction crash.

4. Don't let your kids run loose. They don't walk in a straight line, and they don't watch where they're going. I wonder who wins in a collision between my knee and your kid...

5. If you need to make a U-turn, don't stop on a dime and turn around, that's called a head-on collision.

6. If you need to have a conversation...the middle of the sidewalk is NOT the place to do it.

7. Green means GO. Red means STOP. If a car is coming, don't cross against the red light. You will lose that battle.

8. Standing out in the middle of the street looking for a bus means you are blocking traffic. Stay on the sidewalk. When the bus comes you will see it. Seeing the bus 5 blocks away won't help you much, it'll still be the same result.

9. I beg you, please, please, please hurry it up when crossing a busy intersection. If there are a line of cars waiting to turn, but can't, because you're crawling across the street, be courteous. You have the right of way, but be courteous at least.

10. Be aware of your surroundings. Don't do anything that will cause a human pileup, cause people to dodge you, or cause people to generally wonder why they let you out of the mental hospital.



Solution: People equipped with turn signals.

On a more personal blogging note...I'm in a Carnival! yay! Look it up here. Unfortunately it's the last edition. :(

Ten Things That Dumb People Do On Public Transportation

Just a few things I noticed on the SF Muni (may be applicable elsewhere).

1. That thing that opens up, and people move in and out? That's a door. Don't stand there unless the car you're on is a sardine can..and you complain that people are pushing you...

2. In the aforementioned "Sardine Can" situation, and you are near the door, it is OK to leave the car and let people out. Don't worry, you can get back in.

3. Your backpack/bags double your width. Take those things off and put them by your feet. Smacking people with your backpack is not good...And don't complain that someone is pushing you, you're smacking me in the head with your big ol' bag, it's your fault.

4. It is crowded on the bus, take only ONE seat. Don't put your crap on the other seat. Don't put your feet up. Don't lie down.

5. Cell phone etiquette. Quiet voices, please. I don't want to know about what you did with your boyfriend/girlfriend last night. I don't want to know about how bad your job is, or how hot your coworker is. Also, I don't want to hear you break up with your significant other or have an argument with them. Neither do the rest of the passengers. This means...no yelling, no swearing...and PLEASE, if you hang up on them in anger...don't call them back!

6. Let people out. Are you really in THAT big of a rush? Did you know that if you let everyone out, it's easier to get in?

7. Stop Request in the underground. You don't have to pull that string in the underground, it'll stop by itself...

8. Don't say you were "going to pay". NO you weren't. Take your ticket. Shut up.

9. It is OK to move to the back of the bus. Nobody is going to kill you back there.

10. Don't sing on the bus either, or start treating your seat as a drum. You're not that good. Also, if I can hear your music blasting out of your earphones...why is it up so loud?!!! ARE YOU DEAF...(or, at least, you will be...).



* Also, no explicit public displays of affection. That's just nasty. Get a room, not a bus.


I don't intend to change anyone's behavior with my post...just point out the stupid stuff.