Quick Rants!

For any society to function people have to follow the rules, even if they don't want to. This doesn't extend to laws, or major things, but to little things, like not littering, obeying traffic signs and yes, parking properly. The parking has yellow lines and you are required to park within those two lines, regardless of whether your car is a POS or brand new Porsche.  There is no rule that says people rich enough to buy luxury cars are entitled to two spots, one car, one spot. 

Today's rant is about the entitled dickbag who for whatever reason feels that his or her car is so special that they don't have to follow the rules. Enjoy.

Everyone at this point is aware that there is a heroin epidemic in this country. It has got so far out of hand that 1st responders are carrying $5000 doses of Narcan in an effort to save lives. This has many people very angry who see it as wasted tax payer dollars to save the lives of criminals who made a poor choice. Rant 46 is all about why this is not only cold view utterly lacking in human compassion, but hypocritical. 

There are certain people who just ruin everything with their self-centered oblivious nature. Todays rant addresses two people who make shopping a nightmare - the extreme couponer and the person who buys way to much stuff at the gas station. 

Shopping is simple, find your stuff, buy your stuff, get out of the way so other people can find and buy their stuff. People have lives to lead, just because you don't doesn't mean you should waste everyone else's time at the checkout line. 

This rant is something a little different than what I have done before. I am not raging about politics or commenting on societies failings. I am simply telling a story about the greatest one upper I have ever met. The man is a local legend, someone that anyone who frequented a certain Ohio pool hall will never forget. Willy O'Dallam was one of kind and his antics are legendary to the few that know him. So here you go, my retelling of my encounters with greatest one upper ever to walk the Earth. 

I am a little late on this rant, but I felt it needed to be done. Michael Phelps raced a shark and people are angry it wasn't a real shark but a CGI shark. Of course it was. Did you really think that Phelps was going to get into the water with a real shark? 

More importantly, the people who feel their anger over this is justified are the same people telling you not to discuss politics because its pointless. This is the place we have come to in this country, we get angry over discussing political or social issues with real world impact, but we feel justified in getting angry an olympian didn't get eaten by a shark. 

Start learning Mandarin people. 

Eventually I had to discuss the Trump Jr emails and today is that day.  What astounds me is that even though we have the emails and Donald Trump Jr admits to meeting with Russian agents offering incriminating information pertaining to Clinton, 45% of Republicans do not believe the meeting occurred.  The meeting Don Jr. admitted to attending.  

At first that blew my mind. Then I got to thinking about why when presented with facts Trump voters chose not to believe them and it made sense. Trump voters want to believe that he has a clear mandate and the majority of American's believe that Trump's policies are the best thing for America. To accept that a Russian propaganda attack occurred would be to admit that there was some impact on the 2016 election, which while not legally invalidating Trump's win, at minimum castes doubt on the so called Republican mandate from the voting public. 

Well, it has happened. They have gone to far. This insult must be accounted for, we must gather our strength and send a message that certain actions cannot be tolerated by men of good conscious.  No, not Trump Jr meeting with Russian hackers, but the BBC must be told that Jodie Whitaker is #NotMyDoctor. 

Seriously, this is absurd. People are mad that a progressive TV show on a progressive network mad Dr. Who a woman. This is a great thing. It is an excellent statement for women's rights and gender equality and fits perfectly with the BBC's stated mission statement to enhance diversity in their workplace and on air. Science fiction always leads the way forward in terms of social progress and Dr. Who is an excellent vehicle for a statement like this. 

Remember the good ole days before cell phones and the internet? When people wrote letters instead of sending emails, or when the only phone in the house was chained to a wall and the whole family got to hear your private conversation? I do and let me tell you, they sucked. 

The good ole days weren't better. Not even close. The good ole days sucked and I could take Doc Brown's Delorean and transport you there after about three days you would be ready to come home. There is a crazy nostalgia movement where people think everything we have today is terrible and everything from the past is so much better, its inanity. They same people talking about how great the 90's were will be missing the 20teens in 2040, because time plays tricks and makes you think what you had is better than what you have. 

So I can't ignore 45 any longer. I took a short break from discussing the successful real estate investor turned failing President. With his recent posting of a video of himself attacking a person portrayed as a CNN reporter, and admitting he has no agenda set for his meeting with Putin, I felt a Quick Rant on 45 was mandatory. 

45 despises the media. His favorite topic is how the fake news is out to get him. Either he is deranged and ill equipped mentally to handle the spotlight of being President or it is the greatest misdirection act in history. MemeGate has successfully focused American attention on Trump's twitter account and the fake news instead of on N. Korea's belligerence and the United States inability to resolve the issue and bring N. Korea to heel, and that is what the administration wants. Trump's crazy public antics keep the country focusing on his personality and overlooking the fact that he has accomplished nothing in 180 days, in fact, less than nothing. No one is paying attention to the a situation where the United States will be forced to get help from China and Russia, on their terms, to reign in a rogue nation that isn't following instructions. 

Pay no attention to the man behind the curtain. America the Great and Powerful is as strong as ever and the world trembles before our might. No go focus on Islamic Terrorists that haven't pulled off an organized attack on US soil in 16 years and fail to notice we can't dictate foreign policy to the world or even N. Korea and that all of our senators and representatives, even the President, are bought and paid for by our true rulers - big corporations. 

Happy day after 4th of July. 

Michelle Carter has been convicted for involuntary manslaughter in the suicide of Conrad Roy. You did read that correctly, it has been determined that Carter, by sending text messages and most damningly telling Roy to get back in the truck after he got out if, is guilty of killing Conrad Roy. 

This is simply untrue. Carter is guilty of being a terrible human being, but she did not kill Conrad Roy. Roy had a choice to make and he chose to end his life. It is always tragic. It is senseless. It is terrifying and devastating that a person can become so hurt at 18 that they end their life. It was however, Roy's choice to take Carter's advice. No one forced Roy back in the truck, no one forced him to rig the generator, no one but Conrad Roy chose to commit suicide. 

Michelle Carter should have helped Roy find a reason to live. She should have informed authorities and she should have informed Roy's parents. By convicting her though the judge has abrogated Roy's responsibility for his action and placed it squarely on Carter and that is symptomatic of our current society. Our actions, our failures, our lot in life is always someone else fault, never our own. Nothing is further than the truth. Whatever your spot in life you are solely responsible for it. You made your choices, whether by acting on your own or reacting to others actions that impacted you and only you are responsible for the results of your life.