It's been awhile since I've said anything of note here. There's any number of reasons why that's happened, not the least of which being that I thought that writing about world events was something that I would find fulfilling.
Upon further reflection however, it only made me sound like a whiny nothing, so fuck that idea. I'm coming back with what you all came here to read in the first place; my random musings.
Or more specifically, my random musings about things that are pissing me off. So from here on in, enjoy the ride kids, because it's going to get bumpy in a big way.
Monday, December 12, 2011
Thursday, August 25, 2011
Are They Predicting A Hurricane?
I could be wrong, but is there a hurricane heading up the East coast of the U.S.?
I heard something about it on the radio. Or maybe it was tv. Possibly even a newspaper (whatever that is in this day and age).
Or maybe it was all three, plus the internet, word of mouth and probably even sky-writing.
Hurricane Irene is headed straight for the Haastile Homeland of Long Island. It's just a fact at the moment.
However, I have never held any stock in what any meteorologist anywhere has ever said. In fact, I once heard somewhere that "meteorologist" is Latin for "liar."
To demonstrate my point, I looked at weather.com this afternoon, where it said that there was a 50 percent chance of rain in Freeport today. I immediately looked outside to find a torrential downpour.
'Nuff said.
And while I do not doubt the validity of the the statement that a sizable hurricane is currently destroying the Bahamas, and making it's way directly for North Carolina, I'm not entirely sold on it absolutely rocking my world just yet.
First off, it's moving incredibly slow at the moment, and while it was predicted (this morning)to be directly over us by Saturday afternoon, the forecast now says early Sunday morning, possibly even the evening.
And while most of my co-workers and even Haastili-she were obsessively refreshing their webpages for the latest storm updates, I'm still not sold on impending doom. Oh sure, they'll be a ton of rain, and probably some ridiculous wind, but hopefully no devastation.
But just because I'm a superstitious guy (or insane. One of the two), I filled up my car with gas today at the same station in which I fed my car the last time we were going to have a "blizzard," and ended up getting little more than a dusting of the frosty white stuff. It might just be me, but those stupid things count for something in my favor.
So for now, I'll just go about business as usual. And if I do end up eating my words, you'll see me rowing down my block come Monday morning on my closet door.
I heard something about it on the radio. Or maybe it was tv. Possibly even a newspaper (whatever that is in this day and age).
Or maybe it was all three, plus the internet, word of mouth and probably even sky-writing.
Hurricane Irene is headed straight for the Haastile Homeland of Long Island. It's just a fact at the moment.
However, I have never held any stock in what any meteorologist anywhere has ever said. In fact, I once heard somewhere that "meteorologist" is Latin for "liar."
To demonstrate my point, I looked at weather.com this afternoon, where it said that there was a 50 percent chance of rain in Freeport today. I immediately looked outside to find a torrential downpour.
'Nuff said.
And while I do not doubt the validity of the the statement that a sizable hurricane is currently destroying the Bahamas, and making it's way directly for North Carolina, I'm not entirely sold on it absolutely rocking my world just yet.
First off, it's moving incredibly slow at the moment, and while it was predicted (this morning)to be directly over us by Saturday afternoon, the forecast now says early Sunday morning, possibly even the evening.
And while most of my co-workers and even Haastili-she were obsessively refreshing their webpages for the latest storm updates, I'm still not sold on impending doom. Oh sure, they'll be a ton of rain, and probably some ridiculous wind, but hopefully no devastation.
But just because I'm a superstitious guy (or insane. One of the two), I filled up my car with gas today at the same station in which I fed my car the last time we were going to have a "blizzard," and ended up getting little more than a dusting of the frosty white stuff. It might just be me, but those stupid things count for something in my favor.
So for now, I'll just go about business as usual. And if I do end up eating my words, you'll see me rowing down my block come Monday morning on my closet door.
Tuesday, August 23, 2011
Earthquake!
If you live on the East Coast of the United States, you likely felt some type of tremor this afternoon when an earthquake centered in Virginia sent unprepared people scrambling for cover.
I myself was standing in the main office of my workplace, and didn't feel anything.
However, one of my co-workers thought she was having a stroke and asked why she felt like she was vibrating (no joke here). I suspected it had something to do with the construction crew in our parking lot drilling for soil samples.
However, many of my Facebook friends confirmed shortly thereafter that they too felt a rumble, and were panicking accordingly.
One of them compared it to the recent disasters in Haiti and Japan.
And THAT, my friends, is where I ceased being confused about the earthquake and instead became incensed about the sheer insanity that some people display.
The ground rumbled. That was it. Here on Long Island there was no more than a tremble. No buildings crashing to the ground, no trucks being swallowed up by huge cracks in the Earth. Not even a car alarm going off.
Entire areas of a country were destroyed in Haiti and Japan by natural disasters. How does that remotely compare?
I'm getting sick and tired of people making mountains out of molehills. If your finger hurts, you don't have cancer. If your car has a scratch on the bumper, it's not totaled.
And for that matter, gaining five pounds doesn't make you obese. Unless you already are obese. In that case, re-evalaute your eating habits.
This actually goes hand in hand with my entry from yesterday. This is such an "American" idea.
How have we become so obessed with stupidity as a culture? Everyone seems to have some incurable disease and the only medication is attention. If I have a cold, you have to have swine flu. If you have an incredible spouse, I have a better one.
Our culture as a whole has become one gigantic game of "Can You Top This?"
Am I alone in thinking that this is just getting a little bit out of hand?
I myself was standing in the main office of my workplace, and didn't feel anything.
However, one of my co-workers thought she was having a stroke and asked why she felt like she was vibrating (no joke here). I suspected it had something to do with the construction crew in our parking lot drilling for soil samples.
However, many of my Facebook friends confirmed shortly thereafter that they too felt a rumble, and were panicking accordingly.
One of them compared it to the recent disasters in Haiti and Japan.
And THAT, my friends, is where I ceased being confused about the earthquake and instead became incensed about the sheer insanity that some people display.
The ground rumbled. That was it. Here on Long Island there was no more than a tremble. No buildings crashing to the ground, no trucks being swallowed up by huge cracks in the Earth. Not even a car alarm going off.
Entire areas of a country were destroyed in Haiti and Japan by natural disasters. How does that remotely compare?
I'm getting sick and tired of people making mountains out of molehills. If your finger hurts, you don't have cancer. If your car has a scratch on the bumper, it's not totaled.
And for that matter, gaining five pounds doesn't make you obese. Unless you already are obese. In that case, re-evalaute your eating habits.
This actually goes hand in hand with my entry from yesterday. This is such an "American" idea.
How have we become so obessed with stupidity as a culture? Everyone seems to have some incurable disease and the only medication is attention. If I have a cold, you have to have swine flu. If you have an incredible spouse, I have a better one.
Our culture as a whole has become one gigantic game of "Can You Top This?"
Am I alone in thinking that this is just getting a little bit out of hand?
Monday, August 22, 2011
The Crisis in Libya: My Thoughts
Maybe it's just me, but this whole debacle that's going on in Libya should be none of our (the United States') business.
It's kind of a shame that this whole idea of "trying to help" has become a typically American idea. Did you ever stop to think that maybe Americans wouldn't be so reviled if we weren't all such opinionated gossip queens?
The moment something seems out of hand somewhere, all of a sudden American forces are there to help. Wouldn't it be easier (and billions of dollars cheaper) to just sit on the sidelines and watch? We're a country that has a debt about as big as the cosmos, and we're throwing wads of money at a situation that doesn't even impact us as a whole.
Sure, there's oil in Libya. Sure we need to prove that we're at the forefront of the world when it comes to "keeping the peace." But in truth, we just come away with more egg on our face because in turn, everyone looks at us as the hall monitor of the globe
And really, how popular was that guy?
It just seems like we're doing more harm than good at this point.
Domestically, we wonder why we're wasting money on a situation that will likely never work itself out. Even if the rebels in Libya do manage to completely overthrow Muammar Gadddafi and his troops, then what?
We'll have another country that's in utter disarray, that we'll probably end up supporting with billions of dollars that we don't have in the first place. Things are real bad with Gaddafi, but will they really be better with a rebel leader at the helm of the government?
That person inherits a country in hysteria and an impending retaliatory strike from Gaddafi and his supporters. And that's just scratching the surface of what's to come.
I know it's easy to sit here and try to solve these problems from a computer. And I'm aware that my thoughts are not indicative of many people out there. But there are a lot of people that probably agree with me, at least on some level.
I'm not trying to fix the problems, or even inspire change. I'm simply trying to say that this country is bleeding credibility and jumping into yet another mess is exactly what we do not need at this point.
It's kind of a shame that this whole idea of "trying to help" has become a typically American idea. Did you ever stop to think that maybe Americans wouldn't be so reviled if we weren't all such opinionated gossip queens?
The moment something seems out of hand somewhere, all of a sudden American forces are there to help. Wouldn't it be easier (and billions of dollars cheaper) to just sit on the sidelines and watch? We're a country that has a debt about as big as the cosmos, and we're throwing wads of money at a situation that doesn't even impact us as a whole.
Sure, there's oil in Libya. Sure we need to prove that we're at the forefront of the world when it comes to "keeping the peace." But in truth, we just come away with more egg on our face because in turn, everyone looks at us as the hall monitor of the globe
And really, how popular was that guy?
It just seems like we're doing more harm than good at this point.
Domestically, we wonder why we're wasting money on a situation that will likely never work itself out. Even if the rebels in Libya do manage to completely overthrow Muammar Gadddafi and his troops, then what?
We'll have another country that's in utter disarray, that we'll probably end up supporting with billions of dollars that we don't have in the first place. Things are real bad with Gaddafi, but will they really be better with a rebel leader at the helm of the government?
That person inherits a country in hysteria and an impending retaliatory strike from Gaddafi and his supporters. And that's just scratching the surface of what's to come.
I know it's easy to sit here and try to solve these problems from a computer. And I'm aware that my thoughts are not indicative of many people out there. But there are a lot of people that probably agree with me, at least on some level.
I'm not trying to fix the problems, or even inspire change. I'm simply trying to say that this country is bleeding credibility and jumping into yet another mess is exactly what we do not need at this point.
Now We Take On A Real Tone
It dawns on me that I generally use this blog as a means of bitching or complaining about things that are annoying me. And lately, that fact is actually what is annoying me.
So from here on, this site will feature entries dedicated to current events of all types, but will still maintain the Haastile nature to which you the reader have become accustomed.
Whether or not you choose to continue to read it is your business. But hey, you might just learn something.
So from here on, this site will feature entries dedicated to current events of all types, but will still maintain the Haastile nature to which you the reader have become accustomed.
Whether or not you choose to continue to read it is your business. But hey, you might just learn something.
Friday, June 17, 2011
On Bad Judgement
I'm not even going to begin this post with a clever lead-in.
I'm going to say what I'm thinking, because it needs to be said.
How fucked up of a society are we that in this day and age, people with disabilities are still so incredibly discriminated against?
Ok, now that I've stepped down off of my soapbox, I'll explain that.
The basis of my anger today is a story out of the UK about a 12-year old girl (who happens to have Down Syndrome) not being allowed to fly as an unaccompanied minor on British Airways after a sales representative told her mother that they didn't allow children with the condition to fly with their company because "we've had problems in
the past."
The link to the original article can be found here.
The company is offering the family two return tickets as compensation. I say that that is not even scratching the surface of settling the
debt.
First of all, why are children with Down Syndrome, or any other disability, really that different from a normal child?
We've all been on that proverbial flight where a screaming child makes it the "flight from hell." Does it really make any difference if that child is handicapped?
The answer should be no.
Secondly, whatever ticket agent spoke to the girl's mother should be immediately terminated. The company maintains that it is not in fact company policy to prevent minors with Down Syndrome from travelling unaccompanied. This woman either was not properly trained, or let personal feelings take over.
Either way, a grievous error in judgement was made, and the company should take appropriate measures to ensure that it does not ever happen again, which they are doing in the form of a companywide disability awareness program and additional training for all customer service agents.
I'm going to say what I'm thinking, because it needs to be said.
How fucked up of a society are we that in this day and age, people with disabilities are still so incredibly discriminated against?
Ok, now that I've stepped down off of my soapbox, I'll explain that.
The basis of my anger today is a story out of the UK about a 12-year old girl (who happens to have Down Syndrome) not being allowed to fly as an unaccompanied minor on British Airways after a sales representative told her mother that they didn't allow children with the condition to fly with their company because "we've had problems in
the past."
The link to the original article can be found here.
The company is offering the family two return tickets as compensation. I say that that is not even scratching the surface of settling the
debt.
First of all, why are children with Down Syndrome, or any other disability, really that different from a normal child?
We've all been on that proverbial flight where a screaming child makes it the "flight from hell." Does it really make any difference if that child is handicapped?
The answer should be no.
Secondly, whatever ticket agent spoke to the girl's mother should be immediately terminated. The company maintains that it is not in fact company policy to prevent minors with Down Syndrome from travelling unaccompanied. This woman either was not properly trained, or let personal feelings take over.
Either way, a grievous error in judgement was made, and the company should take appropriate measures to ensure that it does not ever happen again, which they are doing in the form of a companywide disability awareness program and additional training for all customer service agents.
Tuesday, May 24, 2011
Random Musings:
I think that I've come to terms with the one thing that I do best. Quite frankly, I'm incredibly good at telling it like it is, and seeing things that most people would never notice.
Here is a short list of what I am talking about:
1. After seeing two Broadway shows this weekend, it has come to my attention that like, every actor on Earth has guest starred on some incarnation of Law and Order. It must be a rite of passage for up and coming actors.
2. People don't listen, No joke here, just factual information.
3. Old ladies come in only two varieties: bitches and angels. They're either the type that would run you over with their yacht-sized Buick, or the type that would offer you something from a candy dish. There is no in-between.
4. Swamp People is a brilliant television program. The fact that people who speak English need to be subtitled is mildly hysterical to me.
5. If you think that you can sing, you're probably wrong.
6. The Leprechaun series is one of the most underrated horror film franchises ever. No Lucky Charms here kids, just brutality and dark humor. In fact, that might be a new topic for me in the near future.
7. Being fashionable does not give you creative license to dress like a mental patient.
Here is a short list of what I am talking about:
1. After seeing two Broadway shows this weekend, it has come to my attention that like, every actor on Earth has guest starred on some incarnation of Law and Order. It must be a rite of passage for up and coming actors.
2. People don't listen, No joke here, just factual information.
3. Old ladies come in only two varieties: bitches and angels. They're either the type that would run you over with their yacht-sized Buick, or the type that would offer you something from a candy dish. There is no in-between.
4. Swamp People is a brilliant television program. The fact that people who speak English need to be subtitled is mildly hysterical to me.
5. If you think that you can sing, you're probably wrong.
6. The Leprechaun series is one of the most underrated horror film franchises ever. No Lucky Charms here kids, just brutality and dark humor. In fact, that might be a new topic for me in the near future.
7. Being fashionable does not give you creative license to dress like a mental patient.
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