A Good Imagination and a Pile of Junk

Ya know, I’ve been noticing that politics here in the US has been, at all levels, frequently amounted to what the SouthPark guys called a choice between a Douche and a Turd.

Representatives are often accused of not actually supporting their constituency and it’s got me to wondering…

Is one of the big problems with American Politics simply the fact that the citizenry aren’t involved in the process of selecting a candidate for their own party? Sure it happens a bit on the presidential level due to the publicity. But even that seems to be largely a spectator sport.

I have no numbers or research on this at all. It just strikes me that I don’t see people get involved in these races until it’s too late.

$0.02

…and it’s mine.

I have a horrible what you might call “conversational affectation.”

If someone’s talking I’ll frequently interrupt them (I know I know) and give some alternative expression of what they said, either a summary or full blown explanation.

It’s got to drive people completely batshit and no matter how I try I can’t seem to stop myself.

The “rationale” is this: Saying “yes”, “yep” or “mm hmm” seems to me to be dismissive, something you’d say when you’re not really paying attention. What a part of my head is trying to do is say “yes, I am paying attention and I understand your point, here’s the proof…”

But the net effect in normal conversation is that I’m being a jackass. (I’d say “I SEEM like a jackass” but frankly I’m not that deep in denial.) It stops conversation because the other person stops talking thinking that I was just trying to butt in and get them to shut up so I could keep blathering, which is infrequently the case. (Though very rarely if someone’s just droning on I’ll do it intentionally just to get them to the damn point. No less rude, but if I get it I get it.)

Unfortunately this practice has been supported in the workplace. When I’m in meetings I frequently watch people talk to a room of people who have NO idea what they’re saying, so I’ll “play dumb” and say “so what you mean is this…” then watch a room full of heads bob in acknowledgment (then approach me afterward saying “why didn’t they just SAY that?”)

This is one of the reasons I’m better at communicating online. There’s a give and take built in to whatever the forum style is, be it twitter, email, blog posts/comments, etc. The pause is built in to the system. Of course it’s still annoying (I imagine, though nobody’s ever SAID anything to me about it) that I just repeat what someone else said.

So, sorry everyone. I am aware of it. I’m just making absolutely no headway in dealing with it.

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Why the FUCK does a dust buster cost $80? It’s a motor and a bag.

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Just saw this on twitter (in the space of several minutes, from one person about one other person. Paraphrased (lightly) and all names changed):

- Boycott Joe’s restaurant because of his stance on issue X
- No, this isn’t a lynching, it’s just a disagreement
- I have nothing against Joe personally

Uhm.. Yes it is and yes you do. You just said you did. That’s up there with “Yo no offense but your sister’s a fucking slut.”

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How you approach the table in an argument is at least as important as your position. If you’re trying to actually convince someone then stomping your feet and pouting makes you look like an unmitigated ass. Of course if you don’t mind that then fine. But you’re hurting your argument and destroying your credibility.

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I’m trying to decide if Trader Joe’s “Thai Lime Chili Cashews” are great or ass. The checkout hippy said “just return them if you don’t like them.”

What kind of unwashed morlock is so free of dignity that they’ll return half a bag of cashews?

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I’m just sayin’ yo.

This is an impressive piece of craftsmanship.

I don’t write about that butterfly in the stomach feeling or the girl who invokes it because it would be crass. i.e. not because it doesn’t matter, but because it does.

I’m just sayin’ is all.

She didn’t like the questions, so she called the cops? Whiskey Tango?

Scozaafava calls the cops

I spotted Scozzafava later as she was walking to the parking lot, and asked her: ” Assemblywoman, do you believe that the health-care bill should exclude coverage for abortion?” She didn’t reply. I asked her twice more. Silence.

After she got into her car, I went to my car and fired up my laptop to report the evening’s events.

Minutes later a police car drove into the parking lot with its lights flashing. Officer Grolman informed me that she was called because “there was a little bit of an uncomfortable situation” and then took down my name, date of birth, and address.

That’s some ridiculous shit.

Boycott Monster energy drinks. This shit drives me insane…

So go support Matt at Rock Art Brewery

Bunch more cigar reviews up at Cigar Noob (he says in a shameless bid for hits.)

My job hunting enthusiasm is on the wane something bad. Compounded with that is a seeming spike in my near perfect inability to focus on anything for more than about 12 sec…ooh, a puppy!

Plus, I’m starting to eat out of boredom. Go Me!

*twitch*

Wait… in order to develop for Air you need their $700 dev platform?

you forget after a while, and it’s a crying shame.

New review over at Cigar Noob featuring my new favorite smoke.

yeah, been a while. This site seems to be getting away from me a bit. Cigar and gaming stuff goes up on their respective blogs and twitter’s just not letting me build up enough pressure to rant much here.

This creativity ebb and flow is one reason I’d make a really shitty columnist. I could bang out three pieces on a productive day but nothing for a week afterwards.

alas.

back to dice.com

Ya know, with the creation of The Vortigaunt Shuffle and Cigar Noob I’m beginning to really see the value in clear site differentiation. They are both solid outgrowths of not wanting to pepper this place with a large amount of content that would otherwise be well targeted, thus condemning it to the obscurity that’s a part of a catch-all blog.