Smorgasbord, The Rant

[Guest]

POLITICAL POWERLESSNESS...

Aaaaahhhhhgggg! I cannot wait until the elections are over. I'm sssooo tired of the political mailings with messages directed at FAMILIES. Whenever I read "you and your family" or some resemblance thereof, I immediately send the mailing to the circular file.

The best example of this was a mailing I received earlier this week. It started out innocent enough with this sentence: "Our research shows that you, Cort XXXX, are the type of voter that candidate XXXX aims to support." I was intrigued, so I kept reading ... partially because the mailing featured a pie chart/graph and some photos. Near the end of it, though, I came across this sentence: "We know you are the type of person who wants to provide for his wife and family and enjoy all that life has to offer."

Uh, what? If you had DONE your freekin' research in the first place, you would KNOW that I do NOT have a wife...nor do I have kids of my own. Kinda makes me wonder what other research the candidate and his/her team has NOT done, or for that matter, what other facts the candidate and his/her team may ignore, not know, or not believe.... I suspect I don't want to know....

Speaking of NOT doing research accurately ... a few months ago, I received an offer for a deal on membership at a local club ... a percentage off a FAMILY membership. So, I called and asked how I could get a deal on a membership. The kind lady said, "You're not married?". "No," I replied. "Well, you MUST have a girlfriend." "No, no I don't." "Oh, so are you gay?" "NO!" Dead silence. "So, again, how can I get a deal on a membership?" Slight pause. "I guess you can't, since you don't have a family. But, that's strange ... I see our records indicate you are married." AYE! "That's not true; I've never been married. Just please take me off your mailing list." "OK, sir."

*rolls eyes*

But ... being single does have its perks ... including road trips whenever/wherever I want and nobody complaining I spend too much time with my five Monte Carlos....

Anyway, politics/politicians/campaigns are another example of how society in general is centered around couples and families. I don't think I've heard or seen or read from any candidate about how they want to help single people ... it's all been about helping single parents or families. So, I toss the mailings because, imho, when they address them to me "and my family" ... they aren't talking to me. I'd love for just one of those mailings to have a phone # for me to call...I'd ask a few questions of my own.



FWD COUPE vs RWD SEDAN / WINTER...

I'm not sure which of these is worse, in my book.

As some of you may know, I've been searching for a winter beater ... a newer car that I can use on road trips as well or an older car to use during the winter. Since I bought it in mid-2003, my 1987 Monte Carlo Luxury Sport (RWD, mind you) has been the most-reliable car I've EVER owned, EVEN in the winter. BUT ... that reliability has helped some rust start to form ... and I really do not want to put it through another winter. Thus, the winter beater search.

Problem is ... I either come across a FWD coupe or a RWD sedan, neither of which I want. I do not like FWD; and, since I have no family, I do not want a sedan. I know, I know. I should get a winter beater I do not like (in which case a FWD sedan would be perfect, eh?). BUT, I can't see me owning another car I do not like. I've been there, done that twice with 2 brand new Ch#$r%*ets, both of which were FWD (1 sedan; 1 coupe). Both of those are LONG gone, the second one having been replaced by my aforementioned '87 MC LS.

But, I'm going to have to find something soon.... Better yet, though, I should just move south. I've hated the cold weather for a while now. I don't mind some cold and snow around Christmas and New Year's ... but, other than that, give me temperatures in the 60s, 70s and 80s.



TIME AND A HALF...

Course, in order to move south, I'd have to have a job first....

Speaking of jobs ... why do we humans work so damn much anyway? I mean, I know WHY ... to get money to do things and pay bills. But, most people I know (including myself) have little (2 weeks) to no vacation time. And, heaven forbid you need SURGERY for anything ... most companies take from your vacation allotment first ... so that, when you come back, you have NO vacation time left to do anything fun or anything you want. Please. I guarantee surgery is NOT a vacation. Yes, you might get time to rest and sleep, but recovering from surgery is NOT a picnic, despite what some believe.

Then again, I guess not enough time in a day/week/month/year exists anyway. Frustratingly, I can never seem to find time to accomplish many things that I want to do....

Hmm...let's see those politicians do something about the vacation time people get...! They've been able to set a minimum wage, so why can't they set a MINIMUM VACATION AMOUNT ... say 20 days??!!

Aye.



DISAPPEARING ACT...

When I started using a friend's garage/heated barn in Plato Center IL to house my older MCs, it was a nice country drive out west of Elgin to get them out ... and I had plenty of roads to drive and avoid most traffic. But in the last few years, one cannot drive between Elgin and what will soon be former Plato Center and NOT see homes, most of which I'll never be able to afford ... and all sitting along roads that, one day, will have to be turned into 3 or 4-lane "mega roads" to handle all of the additional traffic.

On the BRIGHT side, the decline of "congestion free" roads has forced me to explore more roads west of Elgin ... and, in turn, discover some AWESOME routes to drive my MCs, about which I posted some time ago. Each time I've had my older MCs out in the last month or so, I've discovered MORE "country" roads.

But ... like what happened to places along Route 66 ... with all of the building and "progress" continuing, several local places are starting to and will disappear:
http://www.suburbanchicagonews.com/...s/gathman/1240705,3_5_EL26_GATHMAN_S1.article

*sighs*



OH...and one more thing ... I'm Cort, and I approve this post!!!




Cort | 35swm | "Mr Monte Carlo"."Mr Road Trip" | pig valve.pacemaker
WRMNshowcase.legos.HO.models.MCs.RTs.CHD = http://www.chevyasylum.com/cort
"I ain't fallin' for you all over again" ... Lee Roy Parnell ... 'What Kind Of Fool Do You Think I Am?'

 

[Lisa in Katy]

I, too, am tired of the mail and phone calls, and I have a family.

You need to have some fun with it Cort. Make paper airplanes and vote for the person whose flier goes the farthest!

Early last Spring I received a phone call from someone affiliated with TSTA/NEA, a strongly Democratic leaning teachers' organization. When I was a teacher, I joined this organization simply because it was the cheapest at the time and offered the legal assistance that teachers need to CYA against stupid lawsuits. Anyway, the girl asked if I would be interested in taking a survey, and I said Sure. First question, if the election was held tomorrow, would you vote for Hilary Clinton or Barack Obama. I said, "no". The girl, obviously confused, repeated the question, and again I said, "no". She said, "Ma'am, you have to make a choice." I said, "Well, that is my choice. I wouldn't vote for either of them, so my answer is no." She said, "Oh" and hung up!

Now whenever I get a survey, I give obviously conflicting answers, such as "I consider myself ultraconservative." "I support Obama/Biden." "I am totally against gun control." "I am anti-abortion, even in the case of rape." "I completely support stem cell research." "I think all illegal aliens should be deported and never allowed back." "I think it would help our economy to give amnesty to all working illegal aliens." And on and on. So, when you hear the results of those polls, if I have anything to do with it, they're not accurate!

 

[hensylee]

I agree with you, Cort. tired of all this. time to get past it. And back on the road again to normalcy.........

 

[Duff Man]

I, too, am tired of the mail and phone calls, and I have a family.

You need to have some fun with it Cort. Make paper airplanes and vote for the person whose flier goes the farthest!

Early last Spring I received a phone call from someone affiliated with TSTA/NEA, a strongly Democratic leaning teachers' organization. When I was a teacher, I joined this organization simply because it was the cheapest at the time and offered the legal assistance that teachers need to CYA against stupid lawsuits. Anyway, the girl asked if I would be interested in taking a survey, and I said Sure. First question, if the election was held tomorrow, would you vote for Hilary Clinton or Barack Obama. I said, "no". The girl, obviously confused, repeated the question, and again I said, "no". She said, "Ma'am, you have to make a choice." I said, "Well, that is my choice. I wouldn't vote for either of them, so my answer is no." She said, "Oh" and hung up!

Now whenever I get a survey, I give obviously conflicting answers, such as "I consider myself ultraconservative." "I support Obama/Biden." "I am totally against gun control." "I am anti-abortion, even in the case of rape." "I completely support stem cell research." "I think all illegal aliens should be deported and never allowed back." "I think it would help our economy to give amnesty to all working illegal aliens." And on and on. So, when you hear the results of those polls, if I have anything to do with it, they're not accurate!

hahahahahaha!

 

[Mary]

Cort,
If you seriously want to move south, I'm confident you could easily get a job in our area.

 

[Karlynn]

Cort,
If you seriously want to move south, I'm confident you could easily get a job in our area.

Hold on there - now now you're trying to steal our Chicago Area Heart Throb?????

 

[Mary]

Hold on there - now now you're trying to steal our Chicago Area Heart Throb?????

Yes, and I'll up the ante!
Cort, I'm confident that you could easily get a job and a girlfriend in our immediate area!

 

[netmiff]

"Better yet, though, I should just move south"
"do something about the vacation time people get...! "


Cort, you need to move south - the south of France, that is ! temps in the winter around 10C, and when I last worked there, minimum of 5 weeks vacation; that was almost 30 years ago.

 

[Guest]

*raises eyebrow*

Heart throb? Wowa! Sounds good to me, thanks, Karlynn .

And, Mary, a small home with a huge garage would be the icing on the cake, ya know...he he!

You need to have some fun with it Cort. Make paper airplanes and vote for the person whose flier goes the farthest!

Oooo...I like that idea. Might have to try it. Course, I don't think I have any of those mailings left.......

And back on the road again to normalcy.........

Can't I just get back on the road?