Happy hump day guys and gals! All is going quite well for me, thanks for asking. I hope that the same is happening for you on this glorious late winter morning. I received tons of feedback via text message/email/facebook/etc. on my last entry: "If There is Any Attempt for Either Contestant to Cheat, Especially with My Wife, who is a Dirty, Dirty Tramp, I am just Gonna Snap" and I appreciate that said feedback more than you'll ever know. Whether we agree or disagree on any of the issues that I bring up on this here page of words, your responses/insight are much appreciated. Thanks again, and remember, I greet all criticism/praise with arms wide open (in the lead singer of Creed's voice only, of course).
Speaking of douches (see, lead singer of Creed) I've found that there's really nothing more douchey than people who consistently live in the past. This generally comes from people who are old and crusty and can't seem to come to grips with the fact that the world is constantly changing around them to their dismay, but definitely applies to younger people all the same. I'm sure that you've heard the phrase "things were SO much better when I was a kid" more times than you care to remember and I'm positive (myself included), that you've found yourself uttering those same words from time to time. Well, guess what? We're wrong.
I have three younger cousins that are between the ages of five and seven and they are all in the prime of their toy playing/cartoon watching lives, so naturally, in the few times per year that I actually get to see them, I tend to join in on the fun and check out what's going on in their particular demographic that I myself am FAR out of touch with. It seems that when I engage in their toys/movies/clothing/shows and so forth, I instantly begin comparing it to the stuff that I grew up with. I bet without much thought that you can guess which era I favor...
I was born in 1983 and grew up with: "The Smurfs", "He-Man", "Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles", "Sesame Street", "Ghostbusters", "Fraggle Rock", "Inspector Gadget", "Garfield and Friends", "Pro Stars", "C.O.P.S." (BTW...the "Central Organization of Police Specialists" was/still is my personal favorite), "Mini-Monsters", "Punky Brewster", "RoboCop", "Mario Bros.", "Teen Wolf", "Thundercats", "Transformers", "The Wonder Years", "Saved by the Bell", "David the Gnome", etc., etc. Those shows were the greatest! Not to mention: "The Monster Squad", "Gremlins", "The Goonies", "E.T.", "Stand by Me", "Seinfeld", "Married with Children", "The Simpsons", "Short Circuit", "Never Ending Story", "Back to the Future", and so on, and so on... I challenge ANY era to compile a list of more compelling/entertaining shows and kids movies. ANY!!! Well, guess what? No matter whether you grew up in the 50's, 60's or 70's, you're going to claim YOUR era as being better than mine (even though there is NO possible way!) :-) Even my cousins, who were born in THIS millennium, are going to say that "Cars" and "Wall-E" kick the crap out of "Aladdin" and "The Little Mermaid." It's what THEY'RE growing up on and it's what THEY identify with. Period.
The fact is, no matter what era you spent your childhood in, you look at that particular period of time as the "golden age" because that is when YOU were a kid. It's that simple. Why do we do that, you might ask? Well, think about it. When we were kids, we didn't have anything to worry about. We had no job, no bills, no stress and everything of concern was handled and laid out before us by our parents. My biggest issues growing up were avoiding my homework and trying to stay up as late as possible. I never paid rent. I didn't have to worry about losing my job and waiting in unemployment lines and I sure as hell didn't care what Ronald Reagan and George H.W. Bush were doing with/to our country. I cared about the Cubs (sadly...I still do), pizza, kissing girls, playing sports and beating Super Mario Bros. No wonder I'm so fond of the 80's!
Even though I look at that decade through rose tinted glasses, the fact of the matter is that the 1980's sucked for the most part. I mean, let's be realistic. The economy was crap (much like today), AIDS was running rampant, we were at war (eerily similar to today), and the fashion was reprehensible. You've all seen/wore the hair styles and neon clothing. Hilarious. It turns out that the "old days" were really never that great (no matter what "old days" you speak of). It works for you too. You say you love the 70's, huh? Fine. Explain the Vietnam war, the Cold War, the economy, Richard Nixon, 70's rock (yuck!), disco (wow), bell bottoms and lava lamps. We're still waiting...yeah, that's what I thought. I'm sorry, but as "far out" as you think it might have been, it simply wasn't. That goes for ANY era you may speak of. It just wasn't as wonderful and innocent as you remember it, and that's OKAY!
Living in the past is no way to live. In fact, it's not really living at all. Think about it. Overall, today kicks the crap out of yesterday! We have the Internet now which is great for all sorts of things like porn, "Webby Files", Chat Roulette, facebook and identity theft! We also get to consume ourselves 24 hours a day with our Blackberrys and/or iPhones. Pretty great, right? Right. How about the fact that the days of lugging around our records/betas/cassettes/CD's are long gone due to today's technology in which we can have thousands and thousands of songs in the palm of our hand? Not bad, if I do say so myself. Not to mention that there's no fear of getting lost anymore (GPS), no interest in "playing against the computer" ever again (online gaming), no reason to actually talk to someone (texting) and we have the pleasure of watching TV picture's that are so in-depth, you can actually count each individual pimple on that chick from the "Twilight" movies' face. All positives in my world! Even when you get into the more serious issues of today, it's improvements across the board. We're far more tolerant/socially aware (but STILL have a ton of work to do) when speaking of minorities/homosexuals/women/the environment/etc. It's really night and day folks.
The reason that old people don't learn how to use computers is because they're scared of them (for lack of a better term). It's the same reason that people still only listen to the music that THEY grew up with. It's also why white people who grew up in an all white neighborhood back in the day tend to not like black people. They're scared of them and the amount of progress that they represent. These are the same people that openly stated in exit polls that they simply "weren't ready for a black president" (whatever the hell that means). We, as a whole, fear change. We don't want gays to marry because we're scared that it will somehow effect OUR marriages (it won't). We don't want to invest in alternative energy/fuel solutions because we're comfortable with the way that our lives run right now (no matter how harmful the results may be). We hated cell phones when they first came out, didn't understand the fascination with HD TV's and we'll NEVER have a facebook page (you will, if you already don't). The funny thing is, if EVERYONE was a conservative who only lived in the past, imagine how horrifyingly different our world would be. We'd still have slavery, women would be viewed as objects with no civil rights, our day to day ways of life would be ridiculously primitive, and there would be no medium to get your "Webby Files" fix!
My advice to everyone...
Stop being a pussy.
Embrace progress/change. Being conservative about everything and completely engulfing yourself into your nostalgic past throws a monkey wrench into what's possible for your/our future. You never know, you may end up enjoying "Chat Roulette." If you don't mind all of the male nudity.
Hit me up on facebook or in the comments section of this blog. Right now I'm listening to Alkaline Trio's new album "This Addiction." I'm a big fan. Drink of Choice: Coffee. I've been on a Dunkin' Donuts kick lately. Talk to you soon.
Your pal,
Webby
Wednesday, March 3, 2010
Monday, March 1, 2010
If There is Any Attempt for Either Contestant to Cheat, Especially with My Wife, Who is a Dirty, Dirty Tramp, I am just Gonna Snap.
Hey hey! Today is a big day here at Webby Files HQ. It's the first day of March folks, and this here third month of the calendar year is probably my personal favorite. Not only does it seem to signify the end of the worst part of the winter months, with March, comes better weather, better moods, baseball and the NCAA tournament. Not to mention, longer amounts of daylight, St. Patrick's Day, and finally, a month that we can ALL pronounce (is it Feb-U-ary or Feb-RU-ary?...one will never know). All wonderful things in my book (and I have one hell of a book). Let's just say, these days, all you'll find is smiles around the Webby Files offices!
A friend of mine (and loyal Webby Filesite...thanks for the support brother) sent me a very interesting article the other day that he pulled from CNN.com. All this article did was give me fuel and confirm long lasting suspicions/opinions that I've carried with me for a long time. Now granted, we all know that more often than not you can basically trust a "study" about as far as you can throw it, BUT since this particular study happens to piggy-back/coincide with my personal beliefs, I'm going to go ahead and perceive it as 100% factual. That's how I roll :)
-Evolutionary Psychologist Satoshi Kanazawa has found that political, religious and sexual behaviors are direct reflections of one's intelligence.
Now, let's be honest. I think that if I were to read that headline in front of fifty random people from various economic/ethnic/religious backgrounds, they would unanimously agree that that said statement makes perfect sense to them. An individual's beliefs/opinions on any of the three aforementioned subjects definitely reflects their compositive intelligence. Agreed? Agreed. Cool. Here's where it gets fun (for me...and maybe you?).
Kanazawa found that liberal, atheist and monogamous individuals consistently have higher IQ's than their counterparts. What's that? You mean people who are socially progressive/liberal that don't believe in something as ridiculous as religion, and who's sole purpose isn't to have sex with every Tom, Dick and Harry (or Tonya, Denise and Harriet) are actually SMARTER than conservative/republican, religious sluts/whores/cheaters? Seriously? In Adam Sandler's voice: "I am the smartest man alive!"
Are Mr. Kanazawa's findings really that surprising to you? They're not to me. Think about it. Dating back thousands of years ago, kings/dictators/leaders used religion as a scare tactic to keep their constituents in line so they would never conceivably consider banding together and revolting against their corrupted ways of running things. They knew that by setting these rules and by literally putting "the fear of God" into them, they could basically do whatever they wanted. Take slavery for example. I've never understood why the majority of African-Americans are vowed Christians. It was the white Christians that captured them, took them by ship to America, brainwashed them into believing in Christianity, and then used them as slaves. Yet after all of that, you're STILL going to believe in these people's religion? Wow. Jews and Muslims kill each other every day. Catholics scoff at Scientologists and Mormons for their beliefs, yet every Sunday they drink the "blood of Christ" and eat the "body of Christ" (not to mention they revere the Pope as some kind of supreme being...is it the hat?...AND with that being said, Scientologists and Mormons ARE nuts!) More and more religious people continue to blow themselves up and crash planes into buildings everyday, yet I'm supposed to be surprised that they're not as smart as atheists? Hilarious.
Religion is nothing more than fairy tales used to keep the dumb in line. Period. If you need to feel the comfort of an organized cult (for lack of a better word, even though that is PRECISELY what it is), then more power to you. You have the right and believe me, we can still be friends (not that you'd want to be friends with a "heathen" like myself). Just know that dinosaurs existed (if you believe in the bible, the existence of dinosaurs is a contradiction to your beliefs), there never was an arc that contained two of every species (I shouldn't have to explain this), and NO ONE has ever risen from the dead (if I told you that my grandfather rose from the dead you'd laugh at me and call me crazy, this is no different). Sorry. Hate to break it to you, but people who believe in RATIONALISM are smarter than you. Period. Ben Franklin, George Washington, Thomas Paine, Thomas Jefferson, Abraham Lincoln and Ulysses S. Grant (all non-believers) are rolling over in their respective graves knowing that their country is so "God-crazy."
As far as the liberals being smarter than conservatives according to the study. I believe that this directly correlates with the religion aspect. Right-wing conservatives tend to be very religious while left-wing liberals are not. That's why the liberals had higher IQ's in the study. If you took religion out of the equation, I think that you'd find that liberals and conservatives as a whole are equally intelligent. Did I just call conservatives intelligent?
Finally, when it comes to the issue of monogamy, I'm sorry but I just don't have an answer for you. That's right! For the first time in my life, I'm responseless! John F. Kennedy, Bill Clinton, Tiger Woods, Mark Sanford, John Ensign, John Edwards...ALL very intelligent men. I don't think that anyone would argue with that. They're also ALL unfaithful cheaters who desecrated their respective marriages by acting like man whores. Period. There's really nothing more that I can offer on that subject, because it really doesn't seem to add up. Sorry.
So what did we learn today folks? Well, in my opinion we learned that people who simply won't accept everything that is passed on to them over generations of traditions, and who actually take the time to read/think/learn about history and theology are ABSOLUTELY smarter than those who don't. It's that simple. If you want to be considered an intelligent and functional human being in our society, then BE A FREE THINKER. OPEN YOUR EYES and make this world a better place with your education and rational thought process. Religion is scary, divisive and promotes much more evil (homophobia, racism, sexism, violence) than good. I can't stress that enough. You can still be a very good person without believing in fairy tales. Believe me, millions are doing it.
Thanks for checking out my page of words and again, happy March everybody! Hit me up on facebook or in the comments section of this blog. Right now I'm listening to "Bastards of Young" by The Replacements. One of my all-time favorite bands/songs. Drinks of choice: Tacate in a can. We had a Mexican fiesta last night. Always fun.
Ciao,
Webby
A friend of mine (and loyal Webby Filesite...thanks for the support brother) sent me a very interesting article the other day that he pulled from CNN.com. All this article did was give me fuel and confirm long lasting suspicions/opinions that I've carried with me for a long time. Now granted, we all know that more often than not you can basically trust a "study" about as far as you can throw it, BUT since this particular study happens to piggy-back/coincide with my personal beliefs, I'm going to go ahead and perceive it as 100% factual. That's how I roll :)
-Evolutionary Psychologist Satoshi Kanazawa has found that political, religious and sexual behaviors are direct reflections of one's intelligence.
Now, let's be honest. I think that if I were to read that headline in front of fifty random people from various economic/ethnic/religious backgrounds, they would unanimously agree that that said statement makes perfect sense to them. An individual's beliefs/opinions on any of the three aforementioned subjects definitely reflects their compositive intelligence. Agreed? Agreed. Cool. Here's where it gets fun (for me...and maybe you?).
Kanazawa found that liberal, atheist and monogamous individuals consistently have higher IQ's than their counterparts. What's that? You mean people who are socially progressive/liberal that don't believe in something as ridiculous as religion, and who's sole purpose isn't to have sex with every Tom, Dick and Harry (or Tonya, Denise and Harriet) are actually SMARTER than conservative/republican, religious sluts/whores/cheaters? Seriously? In Adam Sandler's voice: "I am the smartest man alive!"
Are Mr. Kanazawa's findings really that surprising to you? They're not to me. Think about it. Dating back thousands of years ago, kings/dictators/leaders used religion as a scare tactic to keep their constituents in line so they would never conceivably consider banding together and revolting against their corrupted ways of running things. They knew that by setting these rules and by literally putting "the fear of God" into them, they could basically do whatever they wanted. Take slavery for example. I've never understood why the majority of African-Americans are vowed Christians. It was the white Christians that captured them, took them by ship to America, brainwashed them into believing in Christianity, and then used them as slaves. Yet after all of that, you're STILL going to believe in these people's religion? Wow. Jews and Muslims kill each other every day. Catholics scoff at Scientologists and Mormons for their beliefs, yet every Sunday they drink the "blood of Christ" and eat the "body of Christ" (not to mention they revere the Pope as some kind of supreme being...is it the hat?...AND with that being said, Scientologists and Mormons ARE nuts!) More and more religious people continue to blow themselves up and crash planes into buildings everyday, yet I'm supposed to be surprised that they're not as smart as atheists? Hilarious.
Religion is nothing more than fairy tales used to keep the dumb in line. Period. If you need to feel the comfort of an organized cult (for lack of a better word, even though that is PRECISELY what it is), then more power to you. You have the right and believe me, we can still be friends (not that you'd want to be friends with a "heathen" like myself). Just know that dinosaurs existed (if you believe in the bible, the existence of dinosaurs is a contradiction to your beliefs), there never was an arc that contained two of every species (I shouldn't have to explain this), and NO ONE has ever risen from the dead (if I told you that my grandfather rose from the dead you'd laugh at me and call me crazy, this is no different). Sorry. Hate to break it to you, but people who believe in RATIONALISM are smarter than you. Period. Ben Franklin, George Washington, Thomas Paine, Thomas Jefferson, Abraham Lincoln and Ulysses S. Grant (all non-believers) are rolling over in their respective graves knowing that their country is so "God-crazy."
As far as the liberals being smarter than conservatives according to the study. I believe that this directly correlates with the religion aspect. Right-wing conservatives tend to be very religious while left-wing liberals are not. That's why the liberals had higher IQ's in the study. If you took religion out of the equation, I think that you'd find that liberals and conservatives as a whole are equally intelligent. Did I just call conservatives intelligent?
Finally, when it comes to the issue of monogamy, I'm sorry but I just don't have an answer for you. That's right! For the first time in my life, I'm responseless! John F. Kennedy, Bill Clinton, Tiger Woods, Mark Sanford, John Ensign, John Edwards...ALL very intelligent men. I don't think that anyone would argue with that. They're also ALL unfaithful cheaters who desecrated their respective marriages by acting like man whores. Period. There's really nothing more that I can offer on that subject, because it really doesn't seem to add up. Sorry.
So what did we learn today folks? Well, in my opinion we learned that people who simply won't accept everything that is passed on to them over generations of traditions, and who actually take the time to read/think/learn about history and theology are ABSOLUTELY smarter than those who don't. It's that simple. If you want to be considered an intelligent and functional human being in our society, then BE A FREE THINKER. OPEN YOUR EYES and make this world a better place with your education and rational thought process. Religion is scary, divisive and promotes much more evil (homophobia, racism, sexism, violence) than good. I can't stress that enough. You can still be a very good person without believing in fairy tales. Believe me, millions are doing it.
Thanks for checking out my page of words and again, happy March everybody! Hit me up on facebook or in the comments section of this blog. Right now I'm listening to "Bastards of Young" by The Replacements. One of my all-time favorite bands/songs. Drinks of choice: Tacate in a can. We had a Mexican fiesta last night. Always fun.
Ciao,
Webby
Thursday, February 25, 2010
God. Don't You Ever Feel that Everything We do and Everything We've been Taught is just to Service the Future?
What up DP Gangstas? Believe it or not, after a five month layoff from Webby Files running at full-force I actually received quite a bit of response from my "Gay Marriage Rant" from the other day. I guess that said feedback has convinced me to get back into the blogosphere again and post a few more random thoughts from here at WF HQ. I'm probably not going to be blogging everyday like I was over the summer, but I figure if I can satisfy your needs (all six of you) by scribbling some incoherent ramblings a couple of days a week, then hey...I've got some free time, right? Cool.
Speaking of my time. I'm sure that most of you who would actually make the effort that it takes to sit and read this little page are well aware that I finally got a job back in Chicago broadcasting. I'm currently the Executive Producer/Sports Anchor for "Stocks and Jocks" on 1240AM-WSBC and streaming live at http://www.stocksandjocks.net/. The long-time financial/political/sports program starring Tom "The Chief" Haugh and rotating guest hosts: Jon "Dr. J" Najarian, Tom Shanahan and Kevin Riordan currently airs Monday through Friday from 5:30-7:00am. I'll also be producing an afternoon show on the same station (in Chicago) that simulcasts nation wide starting in March. So there's that too. I guess that the point of this paragraph is to inform you that someone in my generation is working full-time again. Man does it feel good to be part of society.
The generation that I speak of (ages 18-29) is now being referred to as the "Millennial Generation." An interesting study was released about our little demographic yesterday and it contained some very fascinating data (in my opinion).
Let's go through it, shall we?
First of all, there is roughly 50 million of us Millennials in the U.S. today and by far we're the MOST educated generation in American history. Good, right? Well...it's true, education IS quite important and it is something that has been instilled in our age group with more ferocity than all previous generations combined. It has come to the point that its not a matter of IF high school students are planning on attending college after graduation, but WHERE and for HOW LONG? The problem that takes place when "everyone" gets their bachelor's degree is just like the problems you'd run into with anything else, you begin to flood the market with them. What happens when you flood the market with something you might ask? Well, I'll tell you what happens. That "something" that you've flooded the market with, completely decreases in value. Now, I'm NOT saying that a BA is worthless, I'm just simply stating that it's not worth NEAR as much as say...twenty years ago. Everyone has one now, so naturally, it's not as valuable. It's really that simple, and now the facts are backing it up.
Yes, we're the MOST educated generation in American history, BUT we're also the HIGHEST percentage of unemployed in over FOUR DECADES! That's right. We've all got the piece of paper that we were told would guarantee us a quality job after college, yet 37% of us are not a part of the workforce. Pretty unbelievable, right? Now don't get me wrong, a lot of these problems have to do with our (the entire world...except for China, maybe) current economic situation, there's no doubt about that, but they also have to do with the "entitlement" issues that I feel our age group possess. To a man, we'd rather collect unemployment checks and defer our student loans while waiting for the job that we feel we DESERVE as opposed to working a couple of part-time jobs in construction/food service/retail/etc. in the meantime. We've got college degrees, dammit! We're ABOVE those types of jobs. Right?! No. Not right. I believe that you're mistaken. That's just not the healthy attitude to have my friends, and believe me, I've been guilty of having it myself. Despite our levels of education, if we continue to convey this mindset while our economy bounces up and down at the bottom of the ocean floor (where it indefinitely remains) we'll always be viewed as the generation of "learners" NOT "workers." Learning is great, but we need to learn to work, because learning just to learn isn't going to help OUR kids live a better life than what we had growing up and THAT is ultimately the goal of a generation. ANY generation. Right now, OUR generation is treading backwards.
Real quick, before I get out of here, there were a few more stats that were touched on in this study about the "Millennials."
-We're the LEAST religious generation in modern history!
YES!!! I couldn't be happier about that statement. Religion = Stupidity/Ignorance. Period. I've never understood how somebody could be completely logical in ALL facets of their life, yet believe in a talking snake/animal containing arc/water into wine/people living to be 800 years old/etc. It doesn't add up. Religion IS the cause of ALL of our world's problems. ALL of them. If you don't believe me, just read a newspaper. There's AT LEAST a trace of religion contained in most of our political discourse that prevents progressive policies from being implemented and there's MUCH MORE than a trace when you're talking about all of the wars in our world's history. It causes far more grief than good. Believe me. Why can't everyone just be morally good without having to blindly follow two thousand year old traditions that promote racism, sexism, violence, homophobia, etc.? I don't know either, and it completely blows my mind that people still believe in this stuff in ANY capacity! So I must say that I'm very pleased to read that MY generation is reversing that trend. A tip of the cap...
-Only 61% of us grew up in a two-parent household. Much lower than the three previous generations. I also fall into this category having been raised by a single mother. I believe that this statistic directly translates into the fact that only 21% of us are married (half of the previous generation when they were our age). A good thing, me thinks, considering that the divorce rate is now well over 50%. Let's wait until our thirties before we tie the knot. It just may prevent you from making a BIG mistake.
-41% of us only have our cell phone in our homes (landlines are COMPLETELY pointless) and 38% of us have at least one tattoo. (See an older entry of mine from last summer entitled: "If You Told Me 20 Years Ago I'd See Kids Walkin' in Our Texas Towns with Green Hair and Bones in their Noses...I just Wouldn't of Believed Ya" to read how I feel about everyone in our generation getting inked up).
I guess that all in all I'm proud to be a "Millennial." I think that the sky is the limit for what we can accomplish on this planet. We're smart, progressive and inspired. A lethal combination! Let's not forget all of these attributes when we get into our thirties and forties. We don't want to turn into the people who've got us into this mess of a world that we're currently dealing with...our parents ;-)
Hit me up on facebook or in the comments section of this blog. Right now I'm listening to "Shutterbug" by The Love Shots. A young and up and coming band out of the Chicago suburbs. Check 'em out. Drink of choice: Greyhounds are delicious and refreshing.
Later.
Webby
Speaking of my time. I'm sure that most of you who would actually make the effort that it takes to sit and read this little page are well aware that I finally got a job back in Chicago broadcasting. I'm currently the Executive Producer/Sports Anchor for "Stocks and Jocks" on 1240AM-WSBC and streaming live at http://www.stocksandjocks.net/. The long-time financial/political/sports program starring Tom "The Chief" Haugh and rotating guest hosts: Jon "Dr. J" Najarian, Tom Shanahan and Kevin Riordan currently airs Monday through Friday from 5:30-7:00am. I'll also be producing an afternoon show on the same station (in Chicago) that simulcasts nation wide starting in March. So there's that too. I guess that the point of this paragraph is to inform you that someone in my generation is working full-time again. Man does it feel good to be part of society.
The generation that I speak of (ages 18-29) is now being referred to as the "Millennial Generation." An interesting study was released about our little demographic yesterday and it contained some very fascinating data (in my opinion).
Let's go through it, shall we?
First of all, there is roughly 50 million of us Millennials in the U.S. today and by far we're the MOST educated generation in American history. Good, right? Well...it's true, education IS quite important and it is something that has been instilled in our age group with more ferocity than all previous generations combined. It has come to the point that its not a matter of IF high school students are planning on attending college after graduation, but WHERE and for HOW LONG? The problem that takes place when "everyone" gets their bachelor's degree is just like the problems you'd run into with anything else, you begin to flood the market with them. What happens when you flood the market with something you might ask? Well, I'll tell you what happens. That "something" that you've flooded the market with, completely decreases in value. Now, I'm NOT saying that a BA is worthless, I'm just simply stating that it's not worth NEAR as much as say...twenty years ago. Everyone has one now, so naturally, it's not as valuable. It's really that simple, and now the facts are backing it up.
Yes, we're the MOST educated generation in American history, BUT we're also the HIGHEST percentage of unemployed in over FOUR DECADES! That's right. We've all got the piece of paper that we were told would guarantee us a quality job after college, yet 37% of us are not a part of the workforce. Pretty unbelievable, right? Now don't get me wrong, a lot of these problems have to do with our (the entire world...except for China, maybe) current economic situation, there's no doubt about that, but they also have to do with the "entitlement" issues that I feel our age group possess. To a man, we'd rather collect unemployment checks and defer our student loans while waiting for the job that we feel we DESERVE as opposed to working a couple of part-time jobs in construction/food service/retail/etc. in the meantime. We've got college degrees, dammit! We're ABOVE those types of jobs. Right?! No. Not right. I believe that you're mistaken. That's just not the healthy attitude to have my friends, and believe me, I've been guilty of having it myself. Despite our levels of education, if we continue to convey this mindset while our economy bounces up and down at the bottom of the ocean floor (where it indefinitely remains) we'll always be viewed as the generation of "learners" NOT "workers." Learning is great, but we need to learn to work, because learning just to learn isn't going to help OUR kids live a better life than what we had growing up and THAT is ultimately the goal of a generation. ANY generation. Right now, OUR generation is treading backwards.
Real quick, before I get out of here, there were a few more stats that were touched on in this study about the "Millennials."
-We're the LEAST religious generation in modern history!
YES!!! I couldn't be happier about that statement. Religion = Stupidity/Ignorance. Period. I've never understood how somebody could be completely logical in ALL facets of their life, yet believe in a talking snake/animal containing arc/water into wine/people living to be 800 years old/etc. It doesn't add up. Religion IS the cause of ALL of our world's problems. ALL of them. If you don't believe me, just read a newspaper. There's AT LEAST a trace of religion contained in most of our political discourse that prevents progressive policies from being implemented and there's MUCH MORE than a trace when you're talking about all of the wars in our world's history. It causes far more grief than good. Believe me. Why can't everyone just be morally good without having to blindly follow two thousand year old traditions that promote racism, sexism, violence, homophobia, etc.? I don't know either, and it completely blows my mind that people still believe in this stuff in ANY capacity! So I must say that I'm very pleased to read that MY generation is reversing that trend. A tip of the cap...
-Only 61% of us grew up in a two-parent household. Much lower than the three previous generations. I also fall into this category having been raised by a single mother. I believe that this statistic directly translates into the fact that only 21% of us are married (half of the previous generation when they were our age). A good thing, me thinks, considering that the divorce rate is now well over 50%. Let's wait until our thirties before we tie the knot. It just may prevent you from making a BIG mistake.
-41% of us only have our cell phone in our homes (landlines are COMPLETELY pointless) and 38% of us have at least one tattoo. (See an older entry of mine from last summer entitled: "If You Told Me 20 Years Ago I'd See Kids Walkin' in Our Texas Towns with Green Hair and Bones in their Noses...I just Wouldn't of Believed Ya" to read how I feel about everyone in our generation getting inked up).
I guess that all in all I'm proud to be a "Millennial." I think that the sky is the limit for what we can accomplish on this planet. We're smart, progressive and inspired. A lethal combination! Let's not forget all of these attributes when we get into our thirties and forties. We don't want to turn into the people who've got us into this mess of a world that we're currently dealing with...our parents ;-)
Hit me up on facebook or in the comments section of this blog. Right now I'm listening to "Shutterbug" by The Love Shots. A young and up and coming band out of the Chicago suburbs. Check 'em out. Drink of choice: Greyhounds are delicious and refreshing.
Later.
Webby
Thursday, February 18, 2010
Civil Rights, Schmivel Rights!
Friends, I haven't posted since August. I just started a new job that I absolutely love so far, and I'm 100% ready for Spring/baseball season to begin. I guess the reason that I haven't posted anything in so long is that I've been completely uninspired. Until today.
I am so sick and tired of people telling me that gays shouldn't be married because marriage is a "religious constitution" and "only between a man and a woman" and that by letting gays marry it would be "making a mockery" of the standards of God/religion/The Bible.
Marriage is a "religious constitution" huh? Hmmmmm. You mean the same marriage that was around LONG BEFORE The Bible was written by men? Those same men who thought that it was perfectly fine to marry off their young virgin daughters to disgusting men for gold, silk and cattle? You mean the same marriage that rulers used as nothing more than a show of power and to effectively seal trade deals? You mean the same marriage that back before The Bible was written, husbands looked at their "wives" as nothing more than trophies/property and notches in their corporate ladders? You mean that "religious constitution?" Well that's just fantastic!
If marriage is such a "religious constitution" and you believe in the set standards of marriage according to what's written in The Bible, then why not just shut the middle-man out altogether? Since people don't seem to believe in that whole "ALL men are created equal" nonsense that our civil rights were solely based on, and the government (as biased as it is) should butt out 100% of the time, let's no longer let people get married in courts and government owned/run/operated justices anymore. If marriage is such a "religious constitution" let's just give it to them! Right? Let's ONLY let the churches run and decide who gets married and who doesn't. Let's hold EVERY SINGLE PERSON who wants to marry to the SAME skewed dictation of The Bible. That would mean that NO couple would get any of the 1,200+ benefits that are made available to them by the government when they say their vows.
Oh wait. What's that? Divorce you say? Things just aren't working out anymore in your marriage? Well, sorry about that. Divorce would require lawyers/judges and legal dictation. The government has NOTHING to do with marriage. Remember? You're not allowed to re-marry unless you can prove that your spouse is cheating or has died. Sorry. Have a nice day!
Oh, you say you want to get married but you've already had pre-marital sex. Well you've decreased the value of your commitment haven't you? You'll have to have a third-class marriage. What? You're a married couple that watches pornography? Well now you're just making a mockery of your vows. Lust is sinful, ESPECIALLY lusting after another in your committed state. You're going to have to get on your knees now and repent or be punished!
WHAT?! NO WAY?! YOU'RE MARRIED AND HAVING SEX BUT YOUR SEXUAL ACTIVITY IS NOT MEANT TO REPRODUCE?!!! I'm sorry, but sex is NOT for pleasure you twisted soul! That is a sin and now you're making a complete mockery of your "religious constitution." A woman's vagina is a clown-car baby machine, NOT a toy. Women are property of their husband and NOTHING more. Oh, by the way...you're NOT allowed to touch her during her period either. She must be quarantined because she is unclean.
Oh, before I forget...do you have enough sheep and ~doubloons~ to pay for my virgin daughter? No? Well then you're wasting my time! Get the hell out of here!... ;-)
Yep...that just sounds absolutely wonderful doesn't it? I mean, considering that more than half of the people who constantly whine and bitch about "the mockery of their religious constitution" are the same people who don't even attend church and "rest" on Sundays as The Bible repeatedly tells you that you must do. Sorry. I have to call bullshit. I MUST call bullshit.
How about you "not judge UNLESS ye be judged" and tell us all the REAL reason that you don't want two people of the same gender to wed. We ALL know the answer. You simply don't like the mechanics in which the two of them have sex. Period. You think that it's gross. Well, I can tell you that it's a good thing that we don't live in glass houses my friends because not only would you be forced to watch what they do behind closed doors in the privacy of their own homes, but you'd be killed when you had to swallow all of the shards that you broke from casting your stones.
Just remember, WE ALL live in a nation that is indivisible and ALL MEN ARE CREATED EQUAL...well, just as long as they live their lives according to The Bible...and own enough cattle to pay for that said equality.
I'm out.
I am so sick and tired of people telling me that gays shouldn't be married because marriage is a "religious constitution" and "only between a man and a woman" and that by letting gays marry it would be "making a mockery" of the standards of God/religion/The Bible.
Marriage is a "religious constitution" huh? Hmmmmm. You mean the same marriage that was around LONG BEFORE The Bible was written by men? Those same men who thought that it was perfectly fine to marry off their young virgin daughters to disgusting men for gold, silk and cattle? You mean the same marriage that rulers used as nothing more than a show of power and to effectively seal trade deals? You mean the same marriage that back before The Bible was written, husbands looked at their "wives" as nothing more than trophies/property and notches in their corporate ladders? You mean that "religious constitution?" Well that's just fantastic!
If marriage is such a "religious constitution" and you believe in the set standards of marriage according to what's written in The Bible, then why not just shut the middle-man out altogether? Since people don't seem to believe in that whole "ALL men are created equal" nonsense that our civil rights were solely based on, and the government (as biased as it is) should butt out 100% of the time, let's no longer let people get married in courts and government owned/run/operated justices anymore. If marriage is such a "religious constitution" let's just give it to them! Right? Let's ONLY let the churches run and decide who gets married and who doesn't. Let's hold EVERY SINGLE PERSON who wants to marry to the SAME skewed dictation of The Bible. That would mean that NO couple would get any of the 1,200+ benefits that are made available to them by the government when they say their vows.
Oh wait. What's that? Divorce you say? Things just aren't working out anymore in your marriage? Well, sorry about that. Divorce would require lawyers/judges and legal dictation. The government has NOTHING to do with marriage. Remember? You're not allowed to re-marry unless you can prove that your spouse is cheating or has died. Sorry. Have a nice day!
Oh, you say you want to get married but you've already had pre-marital sex. Well you've decreased the value of your commitment haven't you? You'll have to have a third-class marriage. What? You're a married couple that watches pornography? Well now you're just making a mockery of your vows. Lust is sinful, ESPECIALLY lusting after another in your committed state. You're going to have to get on your knees now and repent or be punished!
WHAT?! NO WAY?! YOU'RE MARRIED AND HAVING SEX BUT YOUR SEXUAL ACTIVITY IS NOT MEANT TO REPRODUCE?!!! I'm sorry, but sex is NOT for pleasure you twisted soul! That is a sin and now you're making a complete mockery of your "religious constitution." A woman's vagina is a clown-car baby machine, NOT a toy. Women are property of their husband and NOTHING more. Oh, by the way...you're NOT allowed to touch her during her period either. She must be quarantined because she is unclean.
Oh, before I forget...do you have enough sheep and ~doubloons~ to pay for my virgin daughter? No? Well then you're wasting my time! Get the hell out of here!... ;-)
Yep...that just sounds absolutely wonderful doesn't it? I mean, considering that more than half of the people who constantly whine and bitch about "the mockery of their religious constitution" are the same people who don't even attend church and "rest" on Sundays as The Bible repeatedly tells you that you must do. Sorry. I have to call bullshit. I MUST call bullshit.
How about you "not judge UNLESS ye be judged" and tell us all the REAL reason that you don't want two people of the same gender to wed. We ALL know the answer. You simply don't like the mechanics in which the two of them have sex. Period. You think that it's gross. Well, I can tell you that it's a good thing that we don't live in glass houses my friends because not only would you be forced to watch what they do behind closed doors in the privacy of their own homes, but you'd be killed when you had to swallow all of the shards that you broke from casting your stones.
Just remember, WE ALL live in a nation that is indivisible and ALL MEN ARE CREATED EQUAL...well, just as long as they live their lives according to The Bible...and own enough cattle to pay for that said equality.
I'm out.
Thursday, August 27, 2009
Back in '82, I used to be able to Throw a Pigskin a Quarter Mile.
Hello friends. I received a lot of interesting responses from yesterday's entry about the "overrated-ness" of many things in our culture, and as I expected, many AGREED with a good portion of my list (man, what a bunch of cynics!) Thanks to all of you that checked that out.
My girlfriend is back from her eight day vacation in Seattle and from the sound of it, Seattle wasn't quite as impressive as she was led to believe. I myself have never been there, but she was surprised at how dirty the place was and at the volume of homeless people that frequent the downtown area. She loved the surrounding nature outside of the city, and enjoyed the mountains and water, but said that Seattle itself left very little to be desired. I guess that I'm really not that surprised with this assessment. I think that those of us who live in Chicago really take it for granted. Yes, there's NO DOUBT that Chicago has MANY problems of its own, but when it's all said and done Chicago's probably the cleanest big city in the United States.
So I'll be playing my first show as "The Skyfall" this weekend (and my first show since 2004 altogether). I'm playing in Springville, IA (right outside of Iowa City) on Saturday night. I'm pretty excited to get back on stage so to speak, as it's a MAJOR passion of mine. I think that my lack of performing has actually been a little bit of a void in my live over the past few years. It will be good to knock some of the rust off and to get a little bit of "live" feedback from people that have never heard/seen me before. I don't think that I'm really nervous at all, just excited. I need that rush in my life.
I don't know if everyone has this inside of them (maybe we all do, maybe not), but I absolutely have to feel that rush of performing in front of (or for) other people in some capacity. I love playing music, I love doing radio, I even find myself loving this stupid little blog. There's just something about pouring all of your thoughts/ideas/talents (or lack there of) out for others to enjoy/critique/etc. Is this just vanity? Is it just the fact that some of us (me) are douchey enough that we HAVE to be the center of attention and have ALL eyes on us? I'm not sure. I HOPE that that's not what it is. I actually don't really like to be the center of attention in day to day life. I don't really like talking to anyone for that matter, unless I know them. I'd much rather just kind of blend in and let the game come to me in most social situations, but in an "entertainment setting" (stage/radio studio/blogosphere), I truly believe that I'm completely in my element and love feeling that rush that comes with doing something in front of/for other people.
I have always been this way, but at the same time, I wouldn't have been caught dead being involved in anything when I was in High School. I had absolutely ZERO interest in performing in plays/chorus/musicals or anything like that. I did nothing in radio/TV/photography as well, and I guess that my reasoning behind avoiding all of these extra-curricular activities was that I felt that I was "too cool" for any of this stuff. Now I've already mentioned in the past about how I feel that "coolness" is EXTREMELY underrated, but don't you ever wish that you could go back to High School knowing everything that you know now? What an advantage that would be...and on the same token, how stupid/naive were we in High School? Good Lord. I can't even believe how ignorant my views were on the world back then (some would argue that very little has changed).
If I had a second chance, I think that I would approach my view of High School on a completely different level (I know that I probably sound like "Uncle Rico" right now). I would spend ZERO time worrying about my teachers thoughts on: my grades/my attitude/my future/etc. (ALL NON-important issues when you're still in High School), and focus on at least trying every single thing that I even had a remote amount of interest in. I mean, what the hell...right? I'd run for Class President, I'd vie for the starring role in the school play, I'd be a columnist in the school newspaper...I'd even sing in the choir...well, let's not get carried away. Like I said, "coolness" is VERY underrated.
I doubt that I'll be able to type you an entry tomorrow, but I should be back on Monday. Tell a friend about "Webby Files" will ya? Let's make this world a better place one reader at a time (this may have actually been my douchiest entry of them all).
Hit me up on facebook, www.myspace.com/theskyfall or in the comments section of this blog. Right now I'm listening to "The River's Edge" by The Gaslight Anthem. Drinks of Choice: Smithwick's.
Your Pal,
Webby
My girlfriend is back from her eight day vacation in Seattle and from the sound of it, Seattle wasn't quite as impressive as she was led to believe. I myself have never been there, but she was surprised at how dirty the place was and at the volume of homeless people that frequent the downtown area. She loved the surrounding nature outside of the city, and enjoyed the mountains and water, but said that Seattle itself left very little to be desired. I guess that I'm really not that surprised with this assessment. I think that those of us who live in Chicago really take it for granted. Yes, there's NO DOUBT that Chicago has MANY problems of its own, but when it's all said and done Chicago's probably the cleanest big city in the United States.
So I'll be playing my first show as "The Skyfall" this weekend (and my first show since 2004 altogether). I'm playing in Springville, IA (right outside of Iowa City) on Saturday night. I'm pretty excited to get back on stage so to speak, as it's a MAJOR passion of mine. I think that my lack of performing has actually been a little bit of a void in my live over the past few years. It will be good to knock some of the rust off and to get a little bit of "live" feedback from people that have never heard/seen me before. I don't think that I'm really nervous at all, just excited. I need that rush in my life.
I don't know if everyone has this inside of them (maybe we all do, maybe not), but I absolutely have to feel that rush of performing in front of (or for) other people in some capacity. I love playing music, I love doing radio, I even find myself loving this stupid little blog. There's just something about pouring all of your thoughts/ideas/talents (or lack there of) out for others to enjoy/critique/etc. Is this just vanity? Is it just the fact that some of us (me) are douchey enough that we HAVE to be the center of attention and have ALL eyes on us? I'm not sure. I HOPE that that's not what it is. I actually don't really like to be the center of attention in day to day life. I don't really like talking to anyone for that matter, unless I know them. I'd much rather just kind of blend in and let the game come to me in most social situations, but in an "entertainment setting" (stage/radio studio/blogosphere), I truly believe that I'm completely in my element and love feeling that rush that comes with doing something in front of/for other people.
I have always been this way, but at the same time, I wouldn't have been caught dead being involved in anything when I was in High School. I had absolutely ZERO interest in performing in plays/chorus/musicals or anything like that. I did nothing in radio/TV/photography as well, and I guess that my reasoning behind avoiding all of these extra-curricular activities was that I felt that I was "too cool" for any of this stuff. Now I've already mentioned in the past about how I feel that "coolness" is EXTREMELY underrated, but don't you ever wish that you could go back to High School knowing everything that you know now? What an advantage that would be...and on the same token, how stupid/naive were we in High School? Good Lord. I can't even believe how ignorant my views were on the world back then (some would argue that very little has changed).
If I had a second chance, I think that I would approach my view of High School on a completely different level (I know that I probably sound like "Uncle Rico" right now). I would spend ZERO time worrying about my teachers thoughts on: my grades/my attitude/my future/etc. (ALL NON-important issues when you're still in High School), and focus on at least trying every single thing that I even had a remote amount of interest in. I mean, what the hell...right? I'd run for Class President, I'd vie for the starring role in the school play, I'd be a columnist in the school newspaper...I'd even sing in the choir...well, let's not get carried away. Like I said, "coolness" is VERY underrated.
I doubt that I'll be able to type you an entry tomorrow, but I should be back on Monday. Tell a friend about "Webby Files" will ya? Let's make this world a better place one reader at a time (this may have actually been my douchiest entry of them all).
Hit me up on facebook, www.myspace.com/theskyfall or in the comments section of this blog. Right now I'm listening to "The River's Edge" by The Gaslight Anthem. Drinks of Choice: Smithwick's.
Your Pal,
Webby
Wednesday, August 26, 2009
Stepped out the House, Stopped Short, Oh no! I went back in, I Forgot my Indo!
Hey, hey. Baseball season officially ended for me last night. The Cubs were pummeled by the Nats at Wrigley and the White Sox are not doing anything close to what all of my Sox fan friends told me that they would do (win series' at Boston and New York...you know, because they beat the good teams and lose to the bad ones). I guess for me that it's officially Cutler time.
Now baseball has been my favorite sport pretty much my entire life, so it really hurts me to say that I'm looking forward to football when we're still in August, but hey, maybe if Sam Zell didn't hold this team hostage for the last ten months, I'd be singing a different tune. Instead I'm just singing "Let's go Bears." (and to think that I was actually GETTING USED TO making the playoffs every season). Too bad.
I was talking with a friend of mine the other day and our conversation gave me an idea for a "Webby Files" topic to share with you. We were discussing how it seems that there are a ton of things out there that we're all basically told that we're supposed to like. We hear about these things in a positive light so often that they just get engraved into your mind to the point where opinion essentially becomes fact, and you just blindly fall in line and agree with everyone else by liking this stuff as well. Whether you're talking about movies/music/food/activities/etc., there are so many things out there where it's basically just "assumed" that everyone likes them, and feels as strongly about liking them as everyone else. Let's UN-blur that line between someone else's opinion and the facts.
Now obviously these are MY opinions, so please feel free to disagree with me at any time...but I guarantee you that you'll agree with a lot of these even if you didn't realize that you would. Here we go...
"Caddyshack" -No matter who is making the list of the top sports movies of all time, "Caddyshack" will AT LEAST be in the top three (usually numero uno). Maybe I just don't get it, but this movie isn't even remotely funny. I'm a big Chevy Chase fan, I don't mind Rodney Dangerfield and I certainly don't mind Bill Murray...but this movie sucks. Don't say that too loud though, you will be attacked by killer meatballs.
Speaking of overrated movies from that era...
"The Blues Brothers" -Now I really pissed you off didn't I?...but be honest, if that movie came out today, you wouldn't like it. It's a musical for God sakes!!! For some reason it is engraved into Chicago culture as a movie that everyone (young and old) has to love...but guess what? I'm ending the love affair. It's a bad movie, and while we're at it, I don't understand the love for John Belushi either. He is an absolute LEGEND, yet he's never made me laugh one time. Throw ol' Johnny on the list as well.
"Nirvana" -But Matt, they changed the face of music back in the early nineties!!!" That's a bunch of B.S. There was PLENTY of great music in the 80's and early 90's. The problem was that the airwaves were hijacked by grunge from Seattle. If Kurt Cobain didn't kill himself, we wouldn't even be talking about Nirvana. I'm glad that he did though, by him pulling the trigger it helped create the "Foo Fighters." Thanks Kurt.
"Sushi" -I don't mind the raw fish (I'm actually quite fond of sashimi), but the fact that sushi is so much of a trend right now that in the city of Chicago there are 8 sushi restaurants with in a four block radius anywhere on the North side completely disgusts me! Sushi rolls are gross. They're essentially raw fish (which is pretty good) covered in mayonnaise (which is disgusting) and then wrapped with seaweed and rice. Yet they feel that it is reasonable to charge an arm and a leg when you'll immediately have to grab a slice of pizza after your meal just to feel some semblance of being full. Ridiculous.
"Family Guy" -Not funny. South Park made fun of this show best. You can't base an entire show on plugging in random flashbacks as your only jokes. It sucks. Yet, for some reason people can't get enough of this cartoon and it's spin offs ("American Dad" and "Cleveland").
"Bar Sing Along Songs" -There are very few more annoying things then when you're at a bar and any one of the following songs comes on: "Livin' on a Prayer", "Sweet Caroline", "Don't Stop Believing", "Take me Home Tonight", "Sweet Home Alabama", "Brown Eyed Girl", "Paradise City", etc., etc. It's frat boy and drunk girl sing along time. I will actually get up and leave an establishment when one of these songs comes on and the entire bar starts singing. These are bad songs by themselves, please don't throw gasoline on the fire.
"Snoop Dogg" -Didn't see this one coming did you? Don't get me wrong, Snoop was a legend back in the early nineties, but guess what? It's 2009, and in my opinion that honeymoon has finally wore off. S-N-double O-P needs to G-O A to the Way. Sorry Dogg Pound Gangstas, I'm not just going to love someone because everyone else does.
How about another unpopular choice...
"Al Pacino" -Yes, every one's FAVORITE actor of all time. I used to love Al Pacino. The "Godfather" movies, "Dog Day Afternoon", "Scent of a Woman"...all great movies. My problem with Pacino is "Where the hell have you been since 1992?!!!" The way I see it, ol' Al has been Mr. Irrelevant going on 18 years. "Heat" was solid, but how about these great releases: "Two Bits", "City Hall", "The Insider", "Any Given Sunday" (Oliver Stone sucks too), "Chinese Coffee", "Insomnia", "People I know", "The Recruit", "Gigli", "The Merchant of Venice", "Two for the Money", "88 Minutes", my God!!! Bad, bad, bad. I recently saw his movie that he did with Robert DeNiro last year called "Righteous Kill." This movie was so unimaginably terrible, that I actually felt sorry for the guy. Did you ever think that you would feel sorry for Michael Corleone? I didn't either. BTW...you can put "Scarface" on the list as well. One of the most overrated movies that I've ever seen (Sorry EVERY rap artist).
"Parades" -Why do people like parades? It's like what comedian Daniel Tosh said, "After you go to a parade you must immediately wash the gay off of you." Hundreds of thousands of people go to Thanksgiving Day parades and St. Patrick's Day parades, and millions more watch this crap on TV. It's people walking in a line, or riding on floats down the middle of the street. It's usually cold outside, and you just stand there and watch. I'd like to meet the individual that started this rumor (that parades are actually fun and everyone should stand on the sidewalks and watch them go by). He/She could probably convince you to do anything!
"UFC/MMA" -This is the absolute HOTTEST thing going right now...and I couldn't be more disinterested. Call me a prude if you must, but I don't really understand the enjoyment that people feel in watching two steroid-induced mongoloids beat the living daylights out of each other. I find it boring, and I find the fans to be just a slight step above NASCAR fans (except you Tim). I CAN'T WAIT for this little trend to go away (and it will).
There are MANY more of these people/movies/activities/etc. that everyone seems to love for some reason. I think that if we all just opened our eyes to how ridiculous a lot of it is, this world would be a MUCH more interesting place to live in. That's all I'm sayin'...
Honorable Mention:
Led Zeppelin
Will Ferrell
Judd Apatow movies
AC/DC
Harry Potter books/Lord of the Rings movies (one in the same)
Joe Namath
Entourage
Twitter
Christmas
Lollapalooza
Yankees vs. Red Sox
The Beach
The Daily Show
Wilco
Dane Cook
Navy Pier
...and so many more.
Let me know what YOU would add to your most overrated things out there. Hit me up on facebook or in the comments section of this blog. While you're at it, you can check out my music at www.myspace.com/theskyfall. Right now I'm listening to Johnny Cash's cover of Bruce Springsteen's "I'm on Fire." Drinks of Choice: semi-warm coffee.
Peace the F.
Webby
Now baseball has been my favorite sport pretty much my entire life, so it really hurts me to say that I'm looking forward to football when we're still in August, but hey, maybe if Sam Zell didn't hold this team hostage for the last ten months, I'd be singing a different tune. Instead I'm just singing "Let's go Bears." (and to think that I was actually GETTING USED TO making the playoffs every season). Too bad.
I was talking with a friend of mine the other day and our conversation gave me an idea for a "Webby Files" topic to share with you. We were discussing how it seems that there are a ton of things out there that we're all basically told that we're supposed to like. We hear about these things in a positive light so often that they just get engraved into your mind to the point where opinion essentially becomes fact, and you just blindly fall in line and agree with everyone else by liking this stuff as well. Whether you're talking about movies/music/food/activities/etc., there are so many things out there where it's basically just "assumed" that everyone likes them, and feels as strongly about liking them as everyone else. Let's UN-blur that line between someone else's opinion and the facts.
Now obviously these are MY opinions, so please feel free to disagree with me at any time...but I guarantee you that you'll agree with a lot of these even if you didn't realize that you would. Here we go...
"Caddyshack" -No matter who is making the list of the top sports movies of all time, "Caddyshack" will AT LEAST be in the top three (usually numero uno). Maybe I just don't get it, but this movie isn't even remotely funny. I'm a big Chevy Chase fan, I don't mind Rodney Dangerfield and I certainly don't mind Bill Murray...but this movie sucks. Don't say that too loud though, you will be attacked by killer meatballs.
Speaking of overrated movies from that era...
"The Blues Brothers" -Now I really pissed you off didn't I?...but be honest, if that movie came out today, you wouldn't like it. It's a musical for God sakes!!! For some reason it is engraved into Chicago culture as a movie that everyone (young and old) has to love...but guess what? I'm ending the love affair. It's a bad movie, and while we're at it, I don't understand the love for John Belushi either. He is an absolute LEGEND, yet he's never made me laugh one time. Throw ol' Johnny on the list as well.
"Nirvana" -But Matt, they changed the face of music back in the early nineties!!!" That's a bunch of B.S. There was PLENTY of great music in the 80's and early 90's. The problem was that the airwaves were hijacked by grunge from Seattle. If Kurt Cobain didn't kill himself, we wouldn't even be talking about Nirvana. I'm glad that he did though, by him pulling the trigger it helped create the "Foo Fighters." Thanks Kurt.
"Sushi" -I don't mind the raw fish (I'm actually quite fond of sashimi), but the fact that sushi is so much of a trend right now that in the city of Chicago there are 8 sushi restaurants with in a four block radius anywhere on the North side completely disgusts me! Sushi rolls are gross. They're essentially raw fish (which is pretty good) covered in mayonnaise (which is disgusting) and then wrapped with seaweed and rice. Yet they feel that it is reasonable to charge an arm and a leg when you'll immediately have to grab a slice of pizza after your meal just to feel some semblance of being full. Ridiculous.
"Family Guy" -Not funny. South Park made fun of this show best. You can't base an entire show on plugging in random flashbacks as your only jokes. It sucks. Yet, for some reason people can't get enough of this cartoon and it's spin offs ("American Dad" and "Cleveland").
"Bar Sing Along Songs" -There are very few more annoying things then when you're at a bar and any one of the following songs comes on: "Livin' on a Prayer", "Sweet Caroline", "Don't Stop Believing", "Take me Home Tonight", "Sweet Home Alabama", "Brown Eyed Girl", "Paradise City", etc., etc. It's frat boy and drunk girl sing along time. I will actually get up and leave an establishment when one of these songs comes on and the entire bar starts singing. These are bad songs by themselves, please don't throw gasoline on the fire.
"Snoop Dogg" -Didn't see this one coming did you? Don't get me wrong, Snoop was a legend back in the early nineties, but guess what? It's 2009, and in my opinion that honeymoon has finally wore off. S-N-double O-P needs to G-O A to the Way. Sorry Dogg Pound Gangstas, I'm not just going to love someone because everyone else does.
How about another unpopular choice...
"Al Pacino" -Yes, every one's FAVORITE actor of all time. I used to love Al Pacino. The "Godfather" movies, "Dog Day Afternoon", "Scent of a Woman"...all great movies. My problem with Pacino is "Where the hell have you been since 1992?!!!" The way I see it, ol' Al has been Mr. Irrelevant going on 18 years. "Heat" was solid, but how about these great releases: "Two Bits", "City Hall", "The Insider", "Any Given Sunday" (Oliver Stone sucks too), "Chinese Coffee", "Insomnia", "People I know", "The Recruit", "Gigli", "The Merchant of Venice", "Two for the Money", "88 Minutes", my God!!! Bad, bad, bad. I recently saw his movie that he did with Robert DeNiro last year called "Righteous Kill." This movie was so unimaginably terrible, that I actually felt sorry for the guy. Did you ever think that you would feel sorry for Michael Corleone? I didn't either. BTW...you can put "Scarface" on the list as well. One of the most overrated movies that I've ever seen (Sorry EVERY rap artist).
"Parades" -Why do people like parades? It's like what comedian Daniel Tosh said, "After you go to a parade you must immediately wash the gay off of you." Hundreds of thousands of people go to Thanksgiving Day parades and St. Patrick's Day parades, and millions more watch this crap on TV. It's people walking in a line, or riding on floats down the middle of the street. It's usually cold outside, and you just stand there and watch. I'd like to meet the individual that started this rumor (that parades are actually fun and everyone should stand on the sidewalks and watch them go by). He/She could probably convince you to do anything!
"UFC/MMA" -This is the absolute HOTTEST thing going right now...and I couldn't be more disinterested. Call me a prude if you must, but I don't really understand the enjoyment that people feel in watching two steroid-induced mongoloids beat the living daylights out of each other. I find it boring, and I find the fans to be just a slight step above NASCAR fans (except you Tim). I CAN'T WAIT for this little trend to go away (and it will).
There are MANY more of these people/movies/activities/etc. that everyone seems to love for some reason. I think that if we all just opened our eyes to how ridiculous a lot of it is, this world would be a MUCH more interesting place to live in. That's all I'm sayin'...
Honorable Mention:
Led Zeppelin
Will Ferrell
Judd Apatow movies
AC/DC
Harry Potter books/Lord of the Rings movies (one in the same)
Joe Namath
Entourage
Christmas
Lollapalooza
Yankees vs. Red Sox
The Beach
The Daily Show
Wilco
Dane Cook
Navy Pier
...and so many more.
Let me know what YOU would add to your most overrated things out there. Hit me up on facebook or in the comments section of this blog. While you're at it, you can check out my music at www.myspace.com/theskyfall. Right now I'm listening to Johnny Cash's cover of Bruce Springsteen's "I'm on Fire." Drinks of Choice: semi-warm coffee.
Peace the F.
Webby
Tuesday, August 25, 2009
You want a Toe? I can get you a Toe, Believe Me. There are Ways Dude. Hell, I can get You a Toe by 3 O'clock this Afternoon...with Nail Polish.
Friends, good morning. It's a beautiful summer day in Chicago and I'm enjoying my coffee as if I was Walter Sobchak sitting at a diner after I was nearly thrown out. (Sigh), I love "The Big Lebowski." On a serious note...what an amazing thing coffee is. It's no doubt an acquired taste (I don't know anyone under the age of 16 that enjoys it), but once you've worked your first forty-hour week, you pretty much can't live without those ground down coffee beans and hot water. Thank you great nation of Columbia. Delicious.
So did you hear that Michael Jackson was actually murdered? I guess you could call it that. Yes, it sounds like his personal physician was pumping him full of different prescriptions, and yes, that violates his patient/doctor responsibilities, but I'd hardly call this a "tragedy." If my doctor gave me a laundry list of pills to take when I wasn't actually sick, I may consider questioning his intentions, and I'd probably end up seeking a second opinion. That's just me. If I'm rich/famous/powerful, I'm not going to blindly swallow an infinite amount of capsules just because some doctor prescribed them to me. You've gotta keep your head on a swivel these days. If you have money, someone else is trying to get it from you. That's just the way it is. These are the ONLY situations where it's advantageous to be broke like me. Nobody EVER leaches on to the guy with shallow pockets. It's bad business.
As far as being addicted to prescription drugs goes...I'm sorry. I have very little sympathy for you. Did you ever think that maybe the prescription drugs that you pop everyday could possibly be even worse for you than whatever it is that is causing your pain in the first place? My philosophy on drugs (prescription or non-prescription)/vitamins/chiropractors/etc., is this: The human body is a pretty powerful/wonderful thing, if you let your body NATURALLY fight off infection/illness/pain/etc., not only will it generally succeed, but it will create an even stronger immunity to whatever was harming you for the future. Obviously, there are serious diseases/injuries/etc., that need immediate medical attention. Your body can't just heal cancer on its own, but I'm willing to bet that a VERY high percentage of people that take antibiotics or even Tylenol everyday, take it for NON-serious issues.
There are simple observations that I have made throughout my limited time on this planet that have led me to these conclusions. For example: Have you ever met ANYONE that has only gone to the chiropractor ONCE? I haven't. People talk about how their back felt "out of place," so they went to the chiropractor and had them re-adjust their entire spine. Immediately, they felt relief. Cool. The problem is that two weeks later, their back felt even more out of place so of course, they had to go back. Now Mr. chiropractor has you hooked like a drug dealer would. He's the ONLY one who can give you that "relief" that you're looking for, but guess what? It only lasts for so long, so naturally you'll have to come back and pay more money for your fix. I'm on to you chiropractors.
How about people that constantly go to the doctor for every little thing, or those who take a couple of aspirin everyday for their constant headaches? What is that busy doctor going to give you when you come in? Not attention, we know that. These are busy dudes. Since he can't give you the proper attention that you deserve, he's simply just going to look up in his little medical book whatever drug that applies to your particular issue, and scribble out a prescription. All this drug will do is cover up the pain until the next time. Then you'll be right back to see Dr. Howser.
My favorite are the commercials for all of those prescription drugs out there. "Do you have "restless leg syndrome?" If so, don't deal with that embarrassing shaking leg anymore! Just take two of these Zykillacon's per day, and you'll be as still as a portrait...side effects include: runny nose, migraines, syphilis, dysentery, AIDS, the black plague..." People don't actually buy these do they? I guess they must. Somebody is paying for all of that advertising.
Look, I'm no health care expert. Hell, I'm not really an expert on ANYTHING! I just know that the human body is pretty amazing. When you feel pain in a certain area, it's generally just your body telling you that you're doing something harmful to it. Instead of covering up those warning signs that your body is giving you by taking prescription drugs, why don't you just change up your daily routine? If your back hurts, there's a logical reason for it. Maybe your bodily structure is not built to carry 320 LBS? Instead of running to the chiropractor and/or taking pain medication everyday, why don't you lose some weight? I guarantee you that your back will thank you. What's that you say? You're NOT overweight but you still have back pain? OK. My guess would be that your body is telling you that it's time to quit your job as a concrete worker. I know that this is not always logical, but guess what? You only have one body. Would you rather look into possibly working in a different aspect of your company that doesn't require as much physical labor, or be a hunch back in a wheel chair during your twilight years? It's your decision I guess. I plan on being a pain in the ass when I'm old and retired. Hard to do that when you can't even stand up.
There's almost always an explanation for everything. If you have constant headaches, don't take aspirin everyday to mask the pain, consider cutting caffeine out of your diet (I'm saying this as I'm pounding my second cup of coffee this morning...but hey, I haven't had a non-alcohol related headache in my entire life). If you need more vitamin A,B,C or D in your diet, don't pop over-the-counter vitamins. Get out in the sun, eat fresh fruits and vegetables and get your nutrients NATURALLY. Not only does this stuff taste a MILLION times better than the processed junk that most Americans consume, it's better for you as well. And my favorite...if you have a restless leg that is annoying in public situations, and even prevents you or your spouse from sleeping...guess what your leg is telling you? Get off of your ass and run!!! If you're not pounding energy drinks everyday, and you get out and play some basketball or run on the treadmill, you'll be amazed at how quickly that restless leg goes away. There's no such thing as A.D.D. Hell, I have a short attention span when I'm doing something that I'm not interested in. Parents who pump their kids full of pills for being hyper or non-attentive should be PUT IN JAIL. Your kid doesn't need Ritalin, he needs a better teacher, a decaffeinated diet, and less video games/more sports and outdoor activities! It's that simple.
These issues are something that I feel very strongly about. Next time that you're popping a Tylenol for pain in your wrist, or going to the chiropractor, or considering methods to calm down your hyper child, please think of Michael Jackson or Rush Limbaugh or even Brett Favre. Hell, think of every time someone makes you mad by "half-assing" something to get results. Remember, sweeping things under the rug NEVER makes your house clean. Get the vacuum cleaner out, and stop being so lazy.
Wow. I'm like Dr. Phil (except not overweight, Texan, or an assclown...my opinion I guess).
Hit me up on facebook, www.myspace.com/theskyfall or in the comments section of this blog. Right now I'm listening to a little Ben E. King. Yes. Drinks of Choice: the gourmet shit that Jimmie bought because when he drinks it, he wants to taste it.
Cheers,
Webby
So did you hear that Michael Jackson was actually murdered? I guess you could call it that. Yes, it sounds like his personal physician was pumping him full of different prescriptions, and yes, that violates his patient/doctor responsibilities, but I'd hardly call this a "tragedy." If my doctor gave me a laundry list of pills to take when I wasn't actually sick, I may consider questioning his intentions, and I'd probably end up seeking a second opinion. That's just me. If I'm rich/famous/powerful, I'm not going to blindly swallow an infinite amount of capsules just because some doctor prescribed them to me. You've gotta keep your head on a swivel these days. If you have money, someone else is trying to get it from you. That's just the way it is. These are the ONLY situations where it's advantageous to be broke like me. Nobody EVER leaches on to the guy with shallow pockets. It's bad business.
As far as being addicted to prescription drugs goes...I'm sorry. I have very little sympathy for you. Did you ever think that maybe the prescription drugs that you pop everyday could possibly be even worse for you than whatever it is that is causing your pain in the first place? My philosophy on drugs (prescription or non-prescription)/vitamins/chiropractors/etc., is this: The human body is a pretty powerful/wonderful thing, if you let your body NATURALLY fight off infection/illness/pain/etc., not only will it generally succeed, but it will create an even stronger immunity to whatever was harming you for the future. Obviously, there are serious diseases/injuries/etc., that need immediate medical attention. Your body can't just heal cancer on its own, but I'm willing to bet that a VERY high percentage of people that take antibiotics or even Tylenol everyday, take it for NON-serious issues.
There are simple observations that I have made throughout my limited time on this planet that have led me to these conclusions. For example: Have you ever met ANYONE that has only gone to the chiropractor ONCE? I haven't. People talk about how their back felt "out of place," so they went to the chiropractor and had them re-adjust their entire spine. Immediately, they felt relief. Cool. The problem is that two weeks later, their back felt even more out of place so of course, they had to go back. Now Mr. chiropractor has you hooked like a drug dealer would. He's the ONLY one who can give you that "relief" that you're looking for, but guess what? It only lasts for so long, so naturally you'll have to come back and pay more money for your fix. I'm on to you chiropractors.
How about people that constantly go to the doctor for every little thing, or those who take a couple of aspirin everyday for their constant headaches? What is that busy doctor going to give you when you come in? Not attention, we know that. These are busy dudes. Since he can't give you the proper attention that you deserve, he's simply just going to look up in his little medical book whatever drug that applies to your particular issue, and scribble out a prescription. All this drug will do is cover up the pain until the next time. Then you'll be right back to see Dr. Howser.
My favorite are the commercials for all of those prescription drugs out there. "Do you have "restless leg syndrome?" If so, don't deal with that embarrassing shaking leg anymore! Just take two of these Zykillacon's per day, and you'll be as still as a portrait...side effects include: runny nose, migraines, syphilis, dysentery, AIDS, the black plague..." People don't actually buy these do they? I guess they must. Somebody is paying for all of that advertising.
Look, I'm no health care expert. Hell, I'm not really an expert on ANYTHING! I just know that the human body is pretty amazing. When you feel pain in a certain area, it's generally just your body telling you that you're doing something harmful to it. Instead of covering up those warning signs that your body is giving you by taking prescription drugs, why don't you just change up your daily routine? If your back hurts, there's a logical reason for it. Maybe your bodily structure is not built to carry 320 LBS? Instead of running to the chiropractor and/or taking pain medication everyday, why don't you lose some weight? I guarantee you that your back will thank you. What's that you say? You're NOT overweight but you still have back pain? OK. My guess would be that your body is telling you that it's time to quit your job as a concrete worker. I know that this is not always logical, but guess what? You only have one body. Would you rather look into possibly working in a different aspect of your company that doesn't require as much physical labor, or be a hunch back in a wheel chair during your twilight years? It's your decision I guess. I plan on being a pain in the ass when I'm old and retired. Hard to do that when you can't even stand up.
There's almost always an explanation for everything. If you have constant headaches, don't take aspirin everyday to mask the pain, consider cutting caffeine out of your diet (I'm saying this as I'm pounding my second cup of coffee this morning...but hey, I haven't had a non-alcohol related headache in my entire life). If you need more vitamin A,B,C or D in your diet, don't pop over-the-counter vitamins. Get out in the sun, eat fresh fruits and vegetables and get your nutrients NATURALLY. Not only does this stuff taste a MILLION times better than the processed junk that most Americans consume, it's better for you as well. And my favorite...if you have a restless leg that is annoying in public situations, and even prevents you or your spouse from sleeping...guess what your leg is telling you? Get off of your ass and run!!! If you're not pounding energy drinks everyday, and you get out and play some basketball or run on the treadmill, you'll be amazed at how quickly that restless leg goes away. There's no such thing as A.D.D. Hell, I have a short attention span when I'm doing something that I'm not interested in. Parents who pump their kids full of pills for being hyper or non-attentive should be PUT IN JAIL. Your kid doesn't need Ritalin, he needs a better teacher, a decaffeinated diet, and less video games/more sports and outdoor activities! It's that simple.
These issues are something that I feel very strongly about. Next time that you're popping a Tylenol for pain in your wrist, or going to the chiropractor, or considering methods to calm down your hyper child, please think of Michael Jackson or Rush Limbaugh or even Brett Favre. Hell, think of every time someone makes you mad by "half-assing" something to get results. Remember, sweeping things under the rug NEVER makes your house clean. Get the vacuum cleaner out, and stop being so lazy.
Wow. I'm like Dr. Phil (except not overweight, Texan, or an assclown...my opinion I guess).
Hit me up on facebook, www.myspace.com/theskyfall or in the comments section of this blog. Right now I'm listening to a little Ben E. King. Yes. Drinks of Choice: the gourmet shit that Jimmie bought because when he drinks it, he wants to taste it.
Cheers,
Webby
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