JPF Home Page Forums General Messages General Message Forum THE RANT THREAD!!!! (Share your rant and win a prize!)

Hey groovy guys and gals! Got some pent up anger or hostility? Are you sick and tired of something or someone? Have you given up smoking, drugs or alcohol and need a place to vent?

Then share your rant on THE RANT THREAD and you may be the winner of a special prize chosen just for you!

Let's get down to the nitty gritty and tell us how you really feel about things. Get it out here and lift your burden!!!!

What do you hate the most? It's okay to tell us. Your anger has found a home! LOL!


Regards,
"Auntie Rant"

Gosh, so MUCH to rant about...so little time!

Okay, I guess I'll pick my battles here...teenagers...do you tie them to a chair and duct tape their mouths shut, or tazer them? What's most effective?

Okay, here's a BIG RANT:

Ohio passed a smoking ban about a year and a half ago. Since then, bars that have survived for DECADES have suddenly had to close their doors, and the live music entertainment is fiercely competitive to the point of being ridiculous. This tells me that non-smokers don't go out that much after all, so why the stupid ban???

Last rant:

Predator D.U.I. cops. Where I live, in Hamilton County, Ohio...they literally sit across from a bar and follow a car as soon as it pulls out. They are pushing for a law that makes it completely legal to get someone for a D.U.I. blowing .02 (that is the equivalent of mouthwash). Now, I'm NOT for drunk driving by any means, but what MADD mothers founded as a good cause all those years ago has turned into a cash cow for Hamilton County, Ohio. It's their biggest revenue by far. People who have ONE BEER and leave a bar are being convicted. That's just ridiculous. It also effects the bar business. Nobody wants to go out anymore. It's too risky. Who wants to stand in a bar all night, watching a band, and not be able to have a beer?

I'm thoroughly PISSED about this stuff!!!

I'm so glad you asked, Heidi. I believe I will. Let's see....how and where should I begin?

Ok. Let's just start from the beginning. My brother has a child with his ex-wife. Volatile childhood romance gone awry. Their daughter, Haley, will be graduating from high school in two weeks. Her plans are to go to Louisiana Tech and she plans to move out on her own. There again.....long story but suffice to say there is too much drama living at home.

So, why am I ranting, you ask? Because Haley turned 18 in January. My brother was no longer required by law to pay child support so now he has quit giving her any money at all. Graduation is expensive-invitations, senior trip, senior portraits, yadda, yadda. My brother promised to send me money to spend on her as I saw fit since he and his ex-wife don't communicate very well. He knows I am very frugal and very practical. BUT, he has not sent me any money for her and he has changed his cell phone number so that no one can contact him.

My sister and me have decided that for graduation we would give Haley the basic things she will need to live on her own. Haley has a job. In fact, she has two part time jobs AND she teaches clogging to a class of younger girls. She is pretty and she has a plan for her future. At least, it seems like she does.

You would think that my brother would be proud of her and happy to help out. Apparently, it is all lip service and probably to spite her mother. This has upset Haley to no end. I am encouraging her to try to think well of her father but I'm not making excuses for him. It's lousy that he will not be of any support to her at a time when she really needs it the most. To me, this pergatory between childhood and adulthood makes for very vulnerable young woman. Also, I told her that, in my opinion, he is wrong, wrong, wrong, that he will someday regret not being the kind of father he should have been and the one she needed. In my own heart, I'm struggling to forgive him for being a miserable bastard but at the moment I can't seem to move past the hurt. If I am feeling hurt, then I can't imagine how his daughter must be feeling. Her mother is not going to be much help to her that much emotionally or financially. She's the kind of person that is a black hole and in a world of her own.

Long story short, I am trying to do what I can to help her and as much as I can. Between my sister and me, I think we have the basics covered. I will tell you that her father has been absent for many other milestones in her life-like Homecoming Courts and when she had surgery a month ago.

She has qualified for the Tops scholarship so almost all of her college will be paid, so that is a major load off my mind.

I would like to murder him. There. I feel a little bit better. What do I win?

Dear Polly,
Congratulations first of all for being the first "rantor!"

As for your first rant, I've raised a hellion myself. I often wondered if he was somehow a demon seed. But, take solace in knowing that they do eventually grow up and move out of the house. Only a few more years to go!

On the second rant, I wish people would simply glass off an area for smokers so that they can inhale to their heart's content without imposing their will (and smoke) onto the rest of us. It seems to me that everyone would be happy if the law simply required a walled-off smoking section.

On the third rant, well. It is interesting how new laws are often created to control some non-survival action and protect the community. Obviously, there must have been a rise in drunk-driving statistics to even inspire such a harsh new law. Yes, it doesn't make sense. But, it is there as a reaction to an action.

There used to be a law where spitting on the sidewalk was a crime. It was imposed because people used to spit tobacco and then others would slip on it and fall. It's out-moded today because people don't chew as much tobacco.

Sometimes laws do end up far too opposite from the crimes they were meant to halt. Hopefully, your townspeople can get more involved in the lawmaking process and find a happy medium which lessens drunken driving without punishing the one-drink drivers.

Best,
Auntie Rant

Dear Tricia,
Yes, I have heard stories like this one before. It is such a shame when a child has to suffer as a result of a divorce or because of a parent's inability to confront responsibility.

If I might suggest something...perhaps you can get Haley to write a very loving and supportive letter to her Dad. I know that sounds strange, but stay with me here.

You see, it sounds like her Dad is asserting his "rightness" by not contributing to his daughter now that she is an "adult." So, if she actually "makes him right' in a nice letter by stating that she appreciates all that he has done and that she understands he has his own life and that she does not want to be a burden to him, why....he just might want to be "right" by helping her out some more with graduation!

He won't help her if it is not on his own determinism. So, try to make him "right" and see if he comes around. It's worth a shot!

Bless you for helping Haley. She is so very lucky to have you!

Auntie Rant

Yeah, I've suggested that but she is intimidated now to the point that she will not talk to him. The last few conversations with him, I was frustrated so I can sympathize with her on that one. My WORST fear is that she will fail and end up married to some dumb redneck, have a baby on her hip before she's 20 and working at Walmart for the rest of her life. I do NOT want that for her. I told her that, too.

Thank God she has YOU, Tricia! She will remember what you have done for her always!

Dear Tricia,
Haley sounds like a very responsible young lady from what you've told me. If you explain to her that she'd be writing the "kind" letter in an effort show her Dad that she is indeed willing to be on her own...well, she just might get a surprise. But, it is her choice to communicate or not communicate with her Dad.

You are a great role model for her. She won't let you down.

Auntie Rant

God, I hope not, guys. Ya'll pray for me to say the right things to her when she needs to hear them. Ok. I've ranted enough for one day. Thanks for listening.

Ya done good, Tricia!

Okay the rest of you....what's your beef?

Auntie Rant

I'm fedup with the JACKHAMMERING and BLASTING 20 feet from my front door that has been going on for FIVE WEEKS and they were supposed to be finished on APRIL 24TH and THEY ARE STILL JACKHAMMERING from 7 am to 5pm EVERY DAY OF THE WEEK while I am trying to create a SERENE and WELCOMING space for my VOCAL STUDENTS, and I'm trying to HEAR the NUANCES of what they do.

In addition, a BEAUTIFUL pair of robins built a nest in the bush by my front door and I was so DELIGHTED that I'd be able to watch them grow a family, but after THREE DAYS OF JACKHAMMERING, the nest is now empty and they've moved on.

I can't even sit on my BALCONY at lunch cause it's so loud I can't hear myself THINK.

(I did consider sticking a mic out the window and recording some noise for my next industrial track)

Vikki,

I hate it when noise pollutes the environment like that! I even wrote a note to the Editor of my local paper when something like that took place near my home. They printed it, but it didn't help anything.

Is there anyone you can write to about this that could make a difference? Or, are you destined to suffer in the midst of this mess until they are done?

I feel your pain! Bummer on the robins!


Auntie Rant

Dear Auntie Rant

my rant is about those who become fanatically preachy and self righteous after they have become born again in order to recover from alcohol and drug problems.....nobody is happier than me that they stopped drinking and drugging...I am the only non alcoholic in my family...I am happy for them-me-the world in general....but they go so crazy in the other extreme.....after 25 years of really hardcore alcoholism my brother went born again to stop drinking.....it did save him and I was glad of course.......but then he became "Reverand Ralph" as I called him-with his endless lecturing about morality in general and trying to drag me to his church to the point where I almost became a Satan worshipper....he still considers me a fallen soul destined for the fires of hell even though I have never had alcohol or drug problems or a criminal record or bodies in the basement or whatever he thinks............again I welcome and applaud anyones recovery from anything- i just wish they would have some sense of balance and perspective about it......but i guess they trade one compulsion for another...by the way-nice pic Heidi....you are just so naturally beautiful that must be your incognito disguise for when you dont want to be bothered by men-lol.....

Tom

Heidi,
I'm not even sure if I should get started..its hard to slow me down once i get going.....Deadbeat Dads...We need to have a better system,a system that punishes parents (men or women) who just up and walk away from thier responsibilities(much like Tricia's case)..I was married for twenty years to a man who continually cheated,but he was always a great provider for our four children.We divorced three years ago.His new girlfriend allows no communication between us,and helps him to avoid paying court ordered child support.Three of my children are still living at home with me and are ages 11,13,and 16.I am disabled due to a severe back injury causing nerve damage,I am diabetic,and was recently diagnosed with lupus.(i also suffer from high blood pressure and anxiety attacks).When my husband and I were married ,he worked as a sub-contractor in the construction business making $65.00 per hour.We lived fairly well.Now that we are divorced,he gets paid "under the table".He is part owner of a bar and grill and a local restaurant,which I know for a fact,but he (with the help of his girlfriend),has the business set up to look like he is a dishwasher making minimum wage.We have been to court several times.He lies to the judge and the judge says that the burden of proof is on me.I have to prove that he is making more than minimum wage.His girlfriend is in charge of the payroll,so she cuts him a check each week for thirty hours at minimum wage,and on her pay check she attaches his wages,that they dont want to report my ex-husband as getting.Sounds like IRS problems could be in store also.They live in a brand new,mini-mansion,drive brand new cars,and take monthly trips to exoctic places...in the meanwhile ,I am struggling to see that my children are provided for.And Murphys Law is so evident in my life...everything goes wrong...I replaced my furnace a year ago on march 16th...on march 28th of this year my furnace quits(I had a one year warranty)well ,luckily,the weather got much warmer and we've had 90 degree days already this year...my central air went kaput!!!I recieved a notice on my door just today from the water company...average use should be around 5500 gallonsper month..i've used 17,500...in the last two weeks,so I have massive plumbing problems somewhere....and the list could go on and on...my 11 year old daughter is healthy,but suffers from emotional problems because she was daddies little girl and has only seen daddy three times in a year,my 13 year old son is getting at that age that he needs to have man-to-man talks,and there is no other man...i dont know how to answer his questions,and my 16 year old daughter...well...she attempted suicide last September on the way home from vacation,she is on medication for depression,and two weeks ago was diagnosed with a heart defect...apparently she isnt getting enough blood to her heart...they are trying different medications...I really am not trying to make anyone feel sorry for me..I love my life,and my kids are my world...and they are such good kids.They are thoughtful and kind and very well mannered.I'm not worried about me...I'm worried about them. It's not fair to them.They should not have to do without just because thier dad is a selfish bastard.They have what they need,I suppose.I just know it could be better..what about when they want to go to college?I have much moral support from my family and friends...and I do know that there are many people in the world who have much bigger problems than I do..So me and my kids have this kind of
'game"that we play...every day we try to be kind to everyone,but we all try to do one random act of kindness to a complete stranger every day,then we sit and talk about it at the end of the day...i know it might sound kinda sappy,but it is fun.I try to teach my kids that we really have it good compared to many people,and they know its true...just sometimes I feel like a hypocrite,because behind closed doors,i'm sobbing and feeling sorry for us......but we are gonna be ok...hopeful they soon make better laws concerning child support and deadbeat parents...and one day I will be able to pay for everything they need including college....because I'm going to write a #1 hit song,right?lol

Deadbeat dads, too much of this going around, but the other side of the same coin is single moms that use their kids as cash cows to get money for themselves, not their kids. No reflection on you Michelle. I was listening to a few stories last night from a friend that would make you hair curl. Too much of this "without natural affection" going around that the bible speaks about as one of the signs of the last days.

And Tom, your brother is right to tell you about the truth he found, even though he might be a bit over zealous. The bible says if you see someone heading for destruction and don't warn him/her, their blood might be upon you. If he warns you and you don't listen, then he is not held responsible.

I think I've said enough for now, so I'll hold off on my rant for another day. LOL

you gotta be kidding Everett

he has no right to lecture me nor do I have a duty to listen to the preaching of a 9th grade dropout with a arrest record who pinballed through so many lives with his alcoholism-like a wrecking ball on the loose.....that was just my point-these people are so narcissistic that even when they finally get their head out of their ass they still feel they can continue taking hostages-but now to listen to their preaching instead of their drunken or drugged up rambling.......I respect your opinion-but their screwups in life do not entitle them to lecture to those who are trying to escape captivity....again I say nobody has a right to take you hostage and forcing you to listen to them whether they use a bottle of bourbon or a bible for their inspiration......

Tom

Hi Polly, a suggestion for you... bring two cars when you go out and include a "designated driver plus" in your entourage... perhaps a teetotaler. Then have that person's job to be that of an actor. When you are ready to leave, have that person stumble out to the car dropping their keys and laughing loudly or fighting someone... whatever... then have them drive away. When the cop pulls them over then the rest of you make your exit... Of course be sure your designated driver extra submits to the cops field sobriety tests to make sure he's occupied for a while while you all get out of there

Darn! This must be the first time in years I feel sorry for not having anything to rant about! I could've won a prize! Drat!

(meanwhile, I'll be over there in the corner gloating about my good fortunes... :D)

Well Heidi,

I was feeling low one day. I heard a little voice, Cheer up, things could get worse.
I cheered up, Sure enough, things got worse!

Press and TV coverage swine Flu

What is it with the press and TV?, it’s almost as if they want it to be some kind of terrible plague. They are blowing it up out of all proportion. So, some people have contracted it and a few died, that is of course sad but last year 30,000 people in the US and 8000 in the UK died from flu. Isn’t that news worthy? Apparently not, that’s because the media can’t whip up frenzied paranoia with thousands of people annually dying of flu. It has to be swine flu, bird flu, SARS, groundhog and skunk flu (insert non-existent winking icon here) That way we will get second rate celebrities strutting around on the beach wearing nothing but swimming costume and a face mask!! And of course the idiots get featured in the press. It’s more like living in a bad B movie plot. Flu is bad news of course but why all this drama?

I have a theory that all the disproportionate flu publicity has been fostered by the world’s governments, that way it takes the heat off the economy’s incompetent bankers and politicians for a few weeks.

Finally, last Thursday I went to see The Australian Pink Floyd at the NIA in Birmingham. Towards the end of the show a giant inflatable pig appeared. I leaned over to my mate and said “If that thing sneezes I’m outta here!!”

Thanks Heidi, I feel better now – what a gal!!

Nigel, I heard that more people die from flu vaccine than from swine flu. It's ridiculous. Perhaps the pharmaceutical companies want everyone in a tizzy.

What gets me (and believe me, I ain't preaching, I'm realizing this myself) is that we'll get all upset and worried over the unlikely possibility that we might catch the flu... but we won't cut back on sugar, salt & fat, we won't exercise, we won't eat more fruit & veg, drink more water, and get more sleep.

And... we'll get all upset and worried over the minute possibility that we might catch the flu... but we do little about the fact that we are destroying this planet with our lifestyles. Logging old growth forests; polluting the air, land and sea; killing off other species at an alarming rate; contaminating the food chain and even the water we drink.

(I say "we" in the general sense, meaning "humans as a whole". Not making accusations or sitting on my high horse.)

Heidi - no one to complain to. They are putting in storm drains.

Why are leaf blowers and grass trimmers so noisy? Haven't they ever heard of mufflers!!!

(sorry, got nothing more serious!)

Oh Vicki! we are so so singing from the same hymm sheet here (except you will probably be slightly more in tune than me!)

Great thread Heidi - very terapeutic,

Why can a day only have 24 hours! ITS UNFAIR! And why do we all have to be so human? IT WASTES TIME!

Grrrr.. :-)

Heidi, I'm not correcting you because we both may be right. I've always believed that the "Spitting on sidewalk" law was imposed because of the spread of Tuberculosis. Barefoot people could step in it.

Wow! The JPFers have been busy ranting since I've been away!

Dearest Tom,
You totally hit the nail on the head when you stated, "But, I guess they trade one compulsion for another." From my humble experience, I have learned that a compulsion of any kind is seen manifested by an "assertion" of that item rather than just plain doing it. It's the "assertion" that gives it away.

People are trying to survive and it is not easy. But, when you add to it the mechanism of a compulsion, well, I'd hate to be in his shoes.

I'm sure you already know that people operate with a basic instinct toward survival. Well, a compulsion has contained in it a manic desire to survive which is actually controlling the person rather than the other way around.

Short of your brother actually locating and erasing the compulsion itself, (which can be done without drugs, hypnosis or other such things), it might just be best to understand that his preachy dramatizations are dictated by his compulsive mechanism and NOT totally created by him.

Perhaps with that knowledge, you might not be as affected. But, I totally understand how difficult it is to deal with that every time you see your brother. My brother has been stuck in the past ever since my parents died and he has withdrawn to the point of being very paranoid.

I won't bother you with my similar troubles, but I learned how to deal with my brother by seeing him only when I am up to the task and when I can grant him the space to be what he has going on without getting too frustrated in the process. It's one of the hardest things I experience. But, I do it because he is my brother and my mom would have wanted me to do so. I also do it because...well...he is my brother.

Love to you,
Auntie Rant

Dear Michelle,
Holy crap! You've got soooooo many issues going on that I'd like to discuss them with you one at a time.

First, there's your own ill health. Having been through major health problems myself, I feel I can say from experience that when you are ill it is too difficult to handle things around you.

So, if it were me, I'd first of all be grateful that your husband is out of your immediate life because it is obvious from your post that he is not a good person. The emotional bullsh_t that he is placing on you and your kids is proof of that!

For me, I have learned that my health problems were in direct ratio to the amount of negative energy I had pressing upon me. So, when I handled that energy, my health improved.

With that in mind, I might suggest that you get a friend to take photographs of the bar and of your husband in the bar in numerous photos to show that he is not a dishwasher. Get photos of the mini-mansion and the cars. Get photos of them at the airport if possible to show they are on vacation. This in itself, would put you a bit more causative over the situation because you could then show the "burden of proof."

Do you have a friend who won't mind playing "detective" with a camera?

Once you are able to handle the child support claim in court, the rest will be a bit easier to address.

The only other thing I'd like to caution you about is the daughter who tried to commit suicide on the antidepressants. Please go to www.cchr.org and read all about the subject from a group called "Citizen's Commission on Human Rights." They are now the leading watchdog authority on the subject of psychiatric treatment and drugs according to major television and magazine sources who go to them for the information and statistics.

Sweetie, there is always a solution. In your case, you just need to take some baby steps. Get a little bit of control over the situation some how. Grab that and then get a little more control. You can do it. God doesn't give us our trials unless we can handle them.

Blessings,
Auntie Rant

I'm tired of people that rant. Be thankful for what you have.

Hello Everett,
Yes, there is also an irresponsibility on the part of the female sex as well. I guess the human race could use a boost of integrity as a whole. But, that would mean that those who are able would have to enlighten those who have sunk too deep to see over the mud. I know that many groups are trying to help this exact situation. The religious groups try to help, but some times they get caught up more in who is right and who is wrong than in actually helping anyone. But, that would be a rant in itself.

As for Tom's brother. Well, I believe there is a huge difference between a religious person who shares their beliefs in an effort to help someone, and a compulsive zealot who enforces his beliefs onto another.

So, while I totally agree that a person should share "the good word," I can honestly say that a compulsive person does not "share." He pushes and forces and makes wrong and then does it all over again! I would not wish that on anyone.

Thanks for your rant and for your thoughts.

Auntie Rant

I would like to say that I'm very upset, and I think something should be done. It's unbelievable to imagine some things that go on, and I for one have had enough of it. If some others here felt the same way, I'm sure there would be a lot of similar viewpoints, but either way, enough is enough. It's not like we can't help ourselves, but just as sure as I'm sitting here, the same thing will happen again and again. And until people become more specific, no one is EVER going to have a clue about the topic at hand, and the same thing will just continue and continue. This is ridiculous! It's time for a change, and I for one can't understand why ANYONE would disagree.

What's WRONG here, people??

Very Annoyed Indeed,

Rightfully So,

Mark Kaufman

Tom,
As human beings, we all the right to communicate or not to communicate with whomever we choose. So, it is totally your right to not have to communicate with your brother, or to do so only when you desire it.

Take good care my friend,


Idea Guy,
You are just too funny! We can use more humor in the world! Hope you will add more to these boards!


Jim,
It is always wonderful to see someone who is experiencing joy and good fortune. It inspires the rest of us. Keep it coming!

Ray,
All I can say to that is "Ba dum bump!" (rim shot on the drums)

Mark, you said it, Brother. I'm just glad that someone else feels the same way. This has been going on for WAY too long, and I think it needs to come to an end now.

BTW, have you considered a career in politics?

What exactly is the Australian Pink Floyd? The last time I read about a giant inflatable pig, it had escaped from a Pink Floyd concert site and drifted 30 miles before it could be brought back down somewhere in southern California.

HiDee Heidi!

I'd like to Rant because "A Bitchin' Troop is a Happy Troop"...I heard that LOTS when I was in 'Nam, sidetracked from a nice Cushy Job at American Greetings..so I could go over to Pleiku & dodge rockets and mosquitoes for God & Country. NOW I pay taxes so some other Poor Lad can go to Afghanistan & suffer the same fate. AND..my Clock Biz is at Rock Bottom, sales-wise, because My Government Sold OUT to the Greedy Bastards who gutted our Financial Markets. Know ANYONE with "Disposable Income" these days? Naaa...it's ALL been Spoken-For...and those Trillions Fresh-Printed that were SUPPOSED to plug the leaks WILL come back to further DE-value our purchasing-power, here-&-abroad..WHILE we get stuck with the BILL for printing it & padding-things-away, too. So will Our Kids & THEIR kids.

Meanwhile...our Car Companies continue to churn out Big Guzzlers that the Average Man can't afford ($23K for a set of wheels? To drive to a MacDonald's & work for Minimum Wage?)..along with BUMPERS that can't take a 15 MPH "Bump" without doing $2-3K in Damage..AND raise Everybody's INSURANCE Rates... There we Taxpayers get the Hobson's Choice: Keep the Car Industry Afloat & save Jobs...or let the Bloated Bills from the Auto Unions raise every auto made by $2K a car..& end up with Less-Comptitive Cars to sell in the Global Marketplace.

Let's not let the OIL Companies get off scott-free, as-well. Twas THEY who stuck it TO us when SUV's were All The Rage, & we taxpayers never insisted THEY build MORE Refineries with some of Their Easily Made Billions. (Where WERE our Government "Watchdogs" while $4 a Gallon was happening & the Economy was in Stage One Collapse?) What ARE they doing NOW that they STILL could insist in More Refining Capacity? (& I'm still hearing that ALL the Oil we get in Alaska gets shipped to Japan...Whuzzup there???)

Lastly, FINALLY a wee bit of Credit Card Relief for us poor Workin' Americans...in Congress. But why not some REAL RELIEF..why not a MONTH or TWO of "No NEED to PAY the Bloodsuckers" with NO Penalties..so Mr & Mrs Small America CAN get back on their feet? The Bankers got THEIR Billions ALREADY...It's TIME to let the LITTLE Folks get a break..even a small one. THIS "Bailout" would bear INSTANT Fruit among the very CONSUMERS that Drive what's left of This Economy. Might save quite a few folks from "Being-Behind" & keep a good number of Foreclosures from happening.

Yeah, the BANKS might be a little behind for their Stockbrokers...but they've already sucked us Dry.

Just one man's Opinion.

Best Wishes,
Stan

I'm with Polly, Stan, and Tom on THEIR rants...
Here's a few of mine...
Club owners who cancel you on moments notice, but God forbid you cancel on THEM for a LEGIT reason!

Club owners that try to reneg on the agreed pay.

Drunken musician wanna-be's who SWEAR that they're GREAT if you would let them get up and play a song {or 2 or 3}then proceed to stink up the joint then refuse to vacate the stage!

Hecklers--{If you don't like what you're hearing, LEAVE, and save my right fist unneeded trauma!}

Do-Gooders {Who must save us ALL from ourselves!}

Hack musicians who undercut established ones by charging a fraction of the price {you get what you PAY for!}

Club owners who expect YOU to bring every customer into the place!

Bar/restaurants run by corporate chains.{I've NEVER had a positive experience with one!}

Corporate radio.

Clubs that charge musicians full price for drinks {see corporate bar/restaurants}

Parents who bring their young kids to corporate bar/restaurants
then let them run amuck while THEY get loaded!

The Rock n Roll Hall Of Fame--{The Bee Gees, Micheal Jackson,Run D.M.C, may have been great at their genres, but THEY'RE NOT ROCK N ROLL!

Modern Rock

Modern Country

Hip-Hop

Reality T.V {All of it!}

Kids who dress like they're "metally challenged" {sideways hat, clothes too big, AND PULL UP YOUR PANTS!

People who tailgate.

People who drive too slow when I'm BEHIND them!


Kid Rock {Mr unoriginal} and Kanye West {Mr autotune} why are they popular?

Karaoke {Why is IT popular?}

AND FINALLY...

People who have nothing else to do but BITCH about things!

Now I feel much better about the weenie little rant that I posted about the search engine....

This is a good idea, Heidi.....Thanks for the outlet, it's always needed.....simply because of these alien lifeforms that the above posts so eloquently complained about.

So, my ranty little question is this......

How come we can elect a President, choose a religion, education, marriage partner, divorce said partner if necessary, create our very own living arrangements (including location, size of domicile, etc.), and voice our opinions in public........

But we can't get rid of those small minded little plastic cyborgs who pass smoking bans everywhere, and wait to pounce on unsuspecting partons of the bar in Ohio?

Sam, unfortunately the people of Ohio VOTED for the smoking ban! Then the people who PROMISED they would frequent the bars once they could enjoy a smoke-free environment STAYED AWAY IN DROVES!

Which maketh no sense.

So, does that universal appeal for the smoking ban that is implied in your commentary about Ohio, exist nationwide?
Aren't there some states that haven't raised taxes yet, or do we need to visit a reservation to get our smokes?

As for the bars, I suspect that the owners of the places had at least some idea of what they were doing, so that's on them.

And, last but not least, the people themselves refused to honor their promises?!?!

Most people who drink, also smoke, why don't these whiny little non-smokers invest their money, pool it together, and open their very own smoke-free bars that suit them, with their own money?

That's what the smokers had to do if they wanted to open up a bar.

Here in Oregon, the public did not get to vote for the smoking ban. The Legislature (usually referred to as "the-Legislature-in-their-Infinite-Wisdom") did it. Prohibiting smoking in bars used to be a local-option thing; some towns did, and some didn't (the one where I live didn't). The-Legislature-in-their-Infinite-Wisdom pre-empted that, and the only argument I've heard for it is they did it because they could. Underscores Mark Twain's old proverb: "No man's property is safe when the Legislature's in session."

Performers, by and large, don't like to sing in smoky rooms because it's hard on the voice. Even though I smoke, I appreciate that--i can feel it, too. On the other hand, a smoking ban cuts into a lot of venues' business, and they became unable to afford live entertainment because they no longer have the income. (Yes, that is a convenient excuse if somebody wants to take advantage of it--but the bars in my hometown, after the smoking ban, had a *visible* drop in traffic. It was obvious.) And that's why, back in the good old days, most performers didn't complain too loudly about smoky bars--you went where the traffic was, and that was it.

Restaurants here have been non-smoking for years, not because of any legislation but because the owners did it; there were a few holdouts, but not many. I never really minded that myself. But *bars*? When was the last time somebody went to a bar for their health?

Are conditions so pervasive in the cities as to be unfit to build more outdoor venues for bands to play in?

Here in Nashville, they closed down our Starwood, and up to now, not much of anything has been done to replace, rebuild, or even actively consider a replacement.

They're going after the outdoors here in SW Fl. They already banned open containers on the public beach. You can't bring a cooler of beer on the beach, you have to buy an over priced beer at a tiki hut or hotel bar. They are now trying to ban smoking on the beach.

Sam, it depends on the city. Here in Garibaldi, we do have one bar (of four) with an outdoor beer garden thing, but it can't be used most of the time (90 inches of rain will do that to you).

Thankfully, the-Legislature-in-their-Infinite Wisdom has not attempted to prohibit smoking outdoors. I'm sure it's coming. (The smoking-ban-in-bars law already says you're not allowed to smoke within 10 feet of any door.) I hear they've tried prohibiting smoking outdoors in parts of California...

Joe

In other words
People who voted for a smoking ban who didn't frequent bars to begin with. But they were anti smokers. So they voted against smoking.
That's what happens when a majority controls the minority. It's called democracy I think. I don't really like that word. It usually allows mob rule. Which is what happened here.
The vote should have been held in the bars by the people who frequented the bars. But that would result in mob rule as well because most people who frequent bars are probably smokers.
Rule of law should have been the deciding factor. Personal freedom based on law.

Yup, I think it's called "tyranny of the majority"

Bottom line,apparently "Do-Gooders" vote, drunks don't.
If I had a dime for every person I know who bitches about the ban, but when I asked them if they voted...

Hopefully Gents, when Pot Gets Legalized..as it Will..since crappy Gov't requires TAX Money to Operate, there'll be Bars You CAN Smoke in, vs Bars you Can Drink In...(Just like Amsterdam does.).
(A rare-few there've paid-off the Politicos so ya can do BOTH..but VERY few.) But give it a year or two & bet ya got your Wishes.

Lemmie add One Last Gripe: Florida's now about to vote-in, but NOT by Open Ballot, a Mandatory Seat-Belting where Cops CAN issue you a ticket..with NO other apparent Reason to Apprehend Ya. It's just one more instance of Personal Freedom being taken away by a Special Interest Group...ie, the Insurance Industry..and the Guy on The Street had NADA worth of Input.

The way I see it, I'm NOT exactly a Youngster...KNOW what my Odds Are..and on Some Occasions, CHOSE NOT to fasten-my-seatbelt.
(&..heh..on Others, I just FORGET.) But WHY should I HAVE to fork out $75 and a Batch of MY Time to save the Insurance Industry a few Potential Bucks? So much for a "Free Country" and so much for "Minding Your OWN Business." (AND so much for "Taxation without REAL representation." I'm sure I'm not the ONLY Sr. Citizen who thinks this IS None of Anyone's Buisiness by My Own, Thanks Very Much.")

OK...I'm all vented out...good luck with the Pot Bars, Kids!
Big Hugs,
Stan

,,,,,,,,,,Then this is what you need:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jVfBRRm7RgI

Enjoy!

My rant? I hate ranting!

thanks Heidi

we have actually worked out the best possible arrangement-we live in different states and always have except for 6 months of hell in DC long ago-lol....

I do wish him well of course-but it took me 10 years of Al-A non meetings to keep some sanity while he was drinking and there aint-to my knowledge-such a support group for the victims of holy rollers-lol.......good luck with your advice column and the exciting world of show biz in Las Vegas.......

Tom

Hello Nigel and Hummingbird,
Yes, it is always the way of the media to report things from a negative slant. It sells the news. Unfortunately, good news does not sell.

As for flu shots, my son-in-law nearly died from one and ended up paralyzed for many months in the hospital. He now is on pain medication and walks with leg braces as a result.

There is usually an ulterior motive behind those things which garner big bucks such as medicines and such. While I totally believe in medical doctors and their life-saving profession, I don't always agree with some of their treatments. But, that's another rant in itself.

Thanks for stopping by.

Hello Colin and Songcabinet,
Funny stuff, guys! Thanks for dropping in!

Hello Ben,
I'm sure there are several instances of out-moded laws in many States which stemmed from such actions as both of us described. It is the way that laws are made. Something occurs which could be dangerous to the population so a law is passed to stop that thing.

Thanks for sharing the story you heard as well. It just further made the point.