This week, I’ve had an epiphany…new cars don’t come with blinkers. They must be an option now, and cars falling under the luxury category clearly charge exorbitant fees for them. How else can you explain all the BMWs, Jaguars, Lexus’, even Porsches that don’t use signals when turning? And honestly, their SUVs are the worst. I’m thinking it could even be a malfunction. The driver is probably trying to signal, it just won’t work or the feature is not there….
This new phenomenon has led to raging cases of ADS (Angry Driver Syndrome for those of you not ‘in the know.’) Just yesterday, I followed a Lexus SUV for nearly two miles, and we turned six times…I did the signaling for both of us. I found myself, between expletives and banging my head on my dashboard, wondering if the rich moron in the Lexus thought it unnecessary, too much physical exertion, just entirely too exhausting to flip the damn little arm to let me and everyone else on the road know he was turning? (Note, I said “he”…) I have a message out there to every person who doesn’t use a signal: when I was in college, a classmate of mine was killed by an 18-wheeler because the guy driving the car with my fiend in it didn’t signal when he merged onto the highway. The lane was also an exit lane, so the trucker said he assumed the car was exiting. Apparently, when the Blazer, the car my friend was in, merged, the trucker didn’t have time to get out of the way… Both in the Blazer were killed, and a blinker could’ve saved their lives.
Not every turn requires a blinker, but it’s the habit that lets other drivers know what you’re doing, even if you don’t. New car manufacturers should be ashamed, getting rid of such features. I just can’t imagine that so many people in such nice cars could be that lazy, that stupid, that irresponsible that they’re just choosing not to use their blinkers.
I’m thinking of rear ending the next one who cuts me off without a blinker…I wonder if they wear their seatbelts?
Wednesday, September 26, 2007
Friday, September 7, 2007
Are You Ready For Some FOOTBALL?
I’m a summer girl, but there are so many things to love about this time of year…U.S. Open tennis, breathable weather, beautiful trees, the possibility of the Cardinals in the playoffs (they’re working on it…), and FOOTBALL!
I'm an avid Chiefs fan, so I have plenty to worry about, but just the idea of football gets my heart pumping! I've become a regular viewer of the NFL Network, I often check in with ESPN just to see what's new, and sometimes I leave it there because it's better than most of the shows on. I got sick of Vick (what kind of man makes money off cruelty to dogs???), and I admit, I'm tired of the whole steroid hunt. Just legalize it and level the playing field already. No, it's not the perfect answer, but there really isn't one…and why should Barry Bonds reap the benefits while other guys play by the rules and can't compete? They're all damaging the heck out of their bodies anyway…and I know steroids are horrible for athletes, especially during the teenage years, but from what I know about sports, a huge percentage are doing worse things trying to get the same result.
Anyway, I digress…everything about this time of year rocks, and it isn't just football. Sports rule, I even have a burgeoning interest in NASCAR since Carl Edwards is from Columbia and went to the junior high where I taught. Cardinals, Mizzou Tigers, Andy Roddick and James Blake, Venus and Serena, Albert and Ankiel, Tiger, LJ, Tony G…it's enough to make your head spin, even if Americans can't seem to win the U.S. Open now that Pete and Andre are gone. Yes, Andy had his year, but this guy Roger is a giant shadow over everyone else!
It also means the beginning of the TV season. Thank god for my DVR…I don't watch much TV when the shows are actually on. I study early in the evening…but I admit, I'm addicted to several shows that I'm eagerly awaiting: CSI (HELP SARA!), Criminal Minds, American Band, Survivor, House, Jericho (I hope it's been saved!!), Without a Trace…see, there are so many…at least with DVR, I can skip the commercials. All except the Sonic ones, of course.
Yes, Fall is here and the sound of crashing helmets, whistles, and grunts just makes me reach for the remote. Maybe ESPN is showing a rerun of NFL Live…
I'm an avid Chiefs fan, so I have plenty to worry about, but just the idea of football gets my heart pumping! I've become a regular viewer of the NFL Network, I often check in with ESPN just to see what's new, and sometimes I leave it there because it's better than most of the shows on. I got sick of Vick (what kind of man makes money off cruelty to dogs???), and I admit, I'm tired of the whole steroid hunt. Just legalize it and level the playing field already. No, it's not the perfect answer, but there really isn't one…and why should Barry Bonds reap the benefits while other guys play by the rules and can't compete? They're all damaging the heck out of their bodies anyway…and I know steroids are horrible for athletes, especially during the teenage years, but from what I know about sports, a huge percentage are doing worse things trying to get the same result.
Anyway, I digress…everything about this time of year rocks, and it isn't just football. Sports rule, I even have a burgeoning interest in NASCAR since Carl Edwards is from Columbia and went to the junior high where I taught. Cardinals, Mizzou Tigers, Andy Roddick and James Blake, Venus and Serena, Albert and Ankiel, Tiger, LJ, Tony G…it's enough to make your head spin, even if Americans can't seem to win the U.S. Open now that Pete and Andre are gone. Yes, Andy had his year, but this guy Roger is a giant shadow over everyone else!
It also means the beginning of the TV season. Thank god for my DVR…I don't watch much TV when the shows are actually on. I study early in the evening…but I admit, I'm addicted to several shows that I'm eagerly awaiting: CSI (HELP SARA!), Criminal Minds, American Band, Survivor, House, Jericho (I hope it's been saved!!), Without a Trace…see, there are so many…at least with DVR, I can skip the commercials. All except the Sonic ones, of course.
Yes, Fall is here and the sound of crashing helmets, whistles, and grunts just makes me reach for the remote. Maybe ESPN is showing a rerun of NFL Live…
Wednesday, August 29, 2007
Double-Speak
Does it ever amaze you the people who speak out against gay marriage and have such an opinion about it end up getting caught in men’s restrooms in uncomfortable predicaments? Me thinks thou doth protest too much…
Republican Senator Larry Craig proves what is wrong with passing judgment and using a political platform for it. Even if the quest for equality is qualified with separate phraseology (civil unions instead of marriage), the point is to allow people who are different the rights that being an American entails. We need only glance over our past to see how long it takes to give equal rights…women and blacks aren’t the only ones who’ve had to fight for them, but they are among the most prominent.
Why can’t we accept everyone for their differences and just move on? Every time someone stands up and decries gays for wanting equality, the listeners should wonder why that person cares so much. God is forgiving, and He’s the only one with the right to judge. The rest of us need to live our own lives and subscribe to the 1-800-Let-ItGo mentality. Managing one life and living it right is enough work without trying to do it for everyone else.
Republican Senator Larry Craig proves what is wrong with passing judgment and using a political platform for it. Even if the quest for equality is qualified with separate phraseology (civil unions instead of marriage), the point is to allow people who are different the rights that being an American entails. We need only glance over our past to see how long it takes to give equal rights…women and blacks aren’t the only ones who’ve had to fight for them, but they are among the most prominent.
Why can’t we accept everyone for their differences and just move on? Every time someone stands up and decries gays for wanting equality, the listeners should wonder why that person cares so much. God is forgiving, and He’s the only one with the right to judge. The rest of us need to live our own lives and subscribe to the 1-800-Let-ItGo mentality. Managing one life and living it right is enough work without trying to do it for everyone else.
Thursday, August 16, 2007
Sick of Vick...
I'd be okay if I never heard Michael Vick's name ever again...
I've waited a few weeks to blog about the situation with Michael Vick because frankly, the whole thing is hard for me to stomach. I'm not sure what disgusted me more…the idea that someone of Michael Vick's celebrity and status would be so blatantly stupid and cruel or that his colleagues went on camera and said, "What he does at his own house is his own business." Two NFL players stood on camera on ESPN and laughed about the situation…of course, this was in the very beginning, but how idiotic can grown men be?
I was told this was a cultural thing, that powerful men in the hip-hop and professional sports community have been fighting dogs forever, but does that make it right? Celebrities have been committing adultery, snorting cocaine, and spinning through the revolving doors of rehab forever too, but it doesn't validate that drinking, doing drugs, or sleeping around is socially acceptable.
For any human being to think that it is okay to subject an animal to the cruel arena of dog fighting -- and then to punish dogs when they don't perform well -- should be forced to a punishment akin to their crime. In some countries in Asia, they make the punishment fit the crime…i.e. if you steal, they cut off your hand. Michael Vick and his posse should be starved for a few days, trained to fight, and then put in a ring with other rabid idiots and forced to fight to the death. If Michael wins, he lives to fight another day. At least he would know why he's in there. People have been calling for this type of vindication for weeks now, but the truth is, there is no punishment that fits this crime. These poor dogs have no idea what a good life can be; they're oblivious of the luxuries most animals are afforded: a safe home, plenty of food, and the love and respect of his owner. The most apropos punishment would be for Vick to lose anyone and anything he's ever loved.
I regret watching the media footage that has since haunted me, but for those of us repulsed by cruelty to animals (and I can't fathom the mindset of those of you who aren't), I hope the courts and Roger Goodell see to it that Michael Vick never plays football again. He should never be any kind of role model for our youth (except to know what NOT to do), and at the very least, needs to spend some time in prison.
For animal lovers, his crime is unthinkable and unforgiveable. For human beings, it should be equally repulsive, because someone with that blatant disregard for life usually translates to similar thoughts and behaviors toward other people.
Hopefully, Vick's arrest will put a stop to dogfighting, or at least raise awareness. For one year, let's channel our contributions and make a collective effort to end this cruel and useless sport. True role models like Tiger Woods, Cal Ripken, Tony Gonzalez, LaDanian Tomlinson, and Andre Agassi embrace their fame and use it for charities, children's organizations, and fundraisers.
Take heed, famous athletes…these should be YOUR role models.
I've waited a few weeks to blog about the situation with Michael Vick because frankly, the whole thing is hard for me to stomach. I'm not sure what disgusted me more…the idea that someone of Michael Vick's celebrity and status would be so blatantly stupid and cruel or that his colleagues went on camera and said, "What he does at his own house is his own business." Two NFL players stood on camera on ESPN and laughed about the situation…of course, this was in the very beginning, but how idiotic can grown men be?
I was told this was a cultural thing, that powerful men in the hip-hop and professional sports community have been fighting dogs forever, but does that make it right? Celebrities have been committing adultery, snorting cocaine, and spinning through the revolving doors of rehab forever too, but it doesn't validate that drinking, doing drugs, or sleeping around is socially acceptable.
For any human being to think that it is okay to subject an animal to the cruel arena of dog fighting -- and then to punish dogs when they don't perform well -- should be forced to a punishment akin to their crime. In some countries in Asia, they make the punishment fit the crime…i.e. if you steal, they cut off your hand. Michael Vick and his posse should be starved for a few days, trained to fight, and then put in a ring with other rabid idiots and forced to fight to the death. If Michael wins, he lives to fight another day. At least he would know why he's in there. People have been calling for this type of vindication for weeks now, but the truth is, there is no punishment that fits this crime. These poor dogs have no idea what a good life can be; they're oblivious of the luxuries most animals are afforded: a safe home, plenty of food, and the love and respect of his owner. The most apropos punishment would be for Vick to lose anyone and anything he's ever loved.
I regret watching the media footage that has since haunted me, but for those of us repulsed by cruelty to animals (and I can't fathom the mindset of those of you who aren't), I hope the courts and Roger Goodell see to it that Michael Vick never plays football again. He should never be any kind of role model for our youth (except to know what NOT to do), and at the very least, needs to spend some time in prison.
For animal lovers, his crime is unthinkable and unforgiveable. For human beings, it should be equally repulsive, because someone with that blatant disregard for life usually translates to similar thoughts and behaviors toward other people.
Hopefully, Vick's arrest will put a stop to dogfighting, or at least raise awareness. For one year, let's channel our contributions and make a collective effort to end this cruel and useless sport. True role models like Tiger Woods, Cal Ripken, Tony Gonzalez, LaDanian Tomlinson, and Andre Agassi embrace their fame and use it for charities, children's organizations, and fundraisers.
Take heed, famous athletes…these should be YOUR role models.
Monday, August 6, 2007
Archon & MySpace
I'm back from a mega-conference in Collinsville, Illinois (Archon), and man, what a weekend! I got to meet some really phenomenal authors and chatted with the likes of Peter Beagle, Sharon Hambley, and Linnea Sinclair. I didn't get to chat with Laurell K. Hamilton this time, because she and I were never on any of the same panels. But all in all, it was a great success.
The glory of Archon isn't so much the networking as it is the appreciation for people who don't succumb to the parameters of social expectations. I love the attitude of attendees at sci-fi conferences who dress for the joy of showing off their dedication to a character or an era. If all of us dropped our guard more and lived for ourselves and not for the expectations of others, what a world it would be…
The main thing I learned from Archon was that I need to develop my MySpace page and not just my website (http://www.barrilbumgarner.com/). No matter how cool my website is, my MySpace page will reach a vast audience that I haven't tapped into…and I need a really cool background!!
So I'm going to take some time this week to do that…If anybody has pointers for me, I'm all ears!
When you visit my website, take a peek at all the new additions, then venture over to my MySpace page and give me some input.
The glory of Archon isn't so much the networking as it is the appreciation for people who don't succumb to the parameters of social expectations. I love the attitude of attendees at sci-fi conferences who dress for the joy of showing off their dedication to a character or an era. If all of us dropped our guard more and lived for ourselves and not for the expectations of others, what a world it would be…
The main thing I learned from Archon was that I need to develop my MySpace page and not just my website (http://www.barrilbumgarner.com/). No matter how cool my website is, my MySpace page will reach a vast audience that I haven't tapped into…and I need a really cool background!!
So I'm going to take some time this week to do that…If anybody has pointers for me, I'm all ears!
When you visit my website, take a peek at all the new additions, then venture over to my MySpace page and give me some input.
Friday, July 20, 2007
Harry Potter & Sawyer Wade
Two teenagers with a lot in common....
Everyone knows the first one. Good old Harry. I will be in line for Deathly Hallows, and I will start it tomorrow. I should re-read or re-listen to book 6, because I've entered those memory-sucking 40s. But I won't, because I'm too excited. Isn't it a great day and age when the entire world is united over the release of a book? As a former reading teacher, the very idea makes me want to stand up and holler! :-)
The second teenager is a new burgeoning author in Columbia, MO. Sawyer Wade is a fantasy writer who is 14 years old and has already written 2 novels and well underway into his 3rd. You heard me right...he wrote his first fantasy book as a 12 year old! He's innovative and a wizard at what he does.
Sawyer and I are doing some marketing training, and he is a quick study. If only every writer had such passion and started as young. I was thrilled to publish before 40!
So teenagers are my focal point today, and tomorrow it will be all about Harry...
And I'm sure I won't be the only one!
Everyone knows the first one. Good old Harry. I will be in line for Deathly Hallows, and I will start it tomorrow. I should re-read or re-listen to book 6, because I've entered those memory-sucking 40s. But I won't, because I'm too excited. Isn't it a great day and age when the entire world is united over the release of a book? As a former reading teacher, the very idea makes me want to stand up and holler! :-)
The second teenager is a new burgeoning author in Columbia, MO. Sawyer Wade is a fantasy writer who is 14 years old and has already written 2 novels and well underway into his 3rd. You heard me right...he wrote his first fantasy book as a 12 year old! He's innovative and a wizard at what he does.
Sawyer and I are doing some marketing training, and he is a quick study. If only every writer had such passion and started as young. I was thrilled to publish before 40!
So teenagers are my focal point today, and tomorrow it will be all about Harry...
And I'm sure I won't be the only one!
Wednesday, July 18, 2007
Frenetic Pace...
A week out of the country rejuvenated me for the bump and grind of life back in the states.
I learn more about Americans every time I leave the states, the most important of which is that we're WAY TOO BUSY!!
Why do we go at such a frenetic pace when we know it's taxing our brains, our bodies, our families? I don't think there's an answer...no se, as they say in Puerto Vallarta. Life is sure simpler on the beach, away from phones, e-mail, and the daily pressures we put on ourselves.
I'm a hypocrite though, because as soon as I got home, I let the 572 e-mails overwhelm me, along with the packed two weeks I was facing: Literacy Academy all day Monday through Wednesday and also in Rolla on Friday, meetings all day Thursday, and then out of town in Rolla the following week before driving straight through to the Florida panhandle. *Whew* All the while, I need to be prepping for classes I teach at MU in the fall. Have I missed a deadline for the textbook? Did I answer that e-mail about the updates for the online class? Wasn't I supposed to write a short synopsis for my upcoming book (Playing the Line) for Vox Magazine?
AHHHHHHHH!
My next task...lobby for a bill for a 25th hour in a day or put a rush on that whole cloning thing...
I learn more about Americans every time I leave the states, the most important of which is that we're WAY TOO BUSY!!
Why do we go at such a frenetic pace when we know it's taxing our brains, our bodies, our families? I don't think there's an answer...no se, as they say in Puerto Vallarta. Life is sure simpler on the beach, away from phones, e-mail, and the daily pressures we put on ourselves.
I'm a hypocrite though, because as soon as I got home, I let the 572 e-mails overwhelm me, along with the packed two weeks I was facing: Literacy Academy all day Monday through Wednesday and also in Rolla on Friday, meetings all day Thursday, and then out of town in Rolla the following week before driving straight through to the Florida panhandle. *Whew* All the while, I need to be prepping for classes I teach at MU in the fall. Have I missed a deadline for the textbook? Did I answer that e-mail about the updates for the online class? Wasn't I supposed to write a short synopsis for my upcoming book (Playing the Line) for Vox Magazine?
AHHHHHHHH!
My next task...lobby for a bill for a 25th hour in a day or put a rush on that whole cloning thing...
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